SATURDAY 26TH OCTOBER 2024

Weakening Purchasing Power Pushes Preference for Second-hand Goods Nigeria’s high out-of-school children worries World Bank IMF: Reforms causing hardship, but necessary for sustainable growth Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Washington DC, Sunday Ehigiator, Dike Onwuamaeze in

Lagos, Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

With inflation eroding purchasing power in the country, households

and firms are increasingly turning to second-hand markets in the country for their shopping needs.

From clothing, cars, electronics to furniture and home decoration, the major second-hand markets in

Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kano, Continued on page 5

FG Launches Export Skills Acquisition Centre to Boost Non-oil Exports...

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Saturday October 26, 2024 Vol 29. No 10790

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Dangote Refinery Ships First Petrol Cargo by Sea to Lagos Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, larger than any other in Africa or Europe, has shipped its first seaborne petrol L-R: Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso; and Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, CBN, Mr. Muhammad Abdullahi, during an interactive session between the central bank and foreign investors in the United States of America… recently

Continued on page 5

Jonathan: Losing 2015 Election Was an Emotional Moment Says he felt as if the whole world was against him Chuks Okocha in Abuja After nine years of losing the 2015 election to former President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, recounted what he went through after the process, saying it was a tough moment in his political life.

The ex-president admitted that he was emotional when he learned about the result, adding that it felt as if the whole world was against him.

He made the confession in Abuja at the 1st Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture, organised by the management of Daar Communications in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Jonathan, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, was defeated in the 2015 election by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Continued on page 5

GLAD TO MEET YOU… L-R: Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when Atiku and the president met during the wedding Fatiha of the daughter of Senator Danjuma Goje at the National Mosque, in Abuja… yesterday PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI.

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024 • T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R

PAGE FIVE JONATHAN: LOSING 2015 ELECTION WAS AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT Buhari.

Buhari then polled 15,424,921 votes, relegating the ex-president, who garnered only 12,853,162 votes, to second place. The election marked the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election in Nigeria.

Beaming with a smile as he addressed the audience, Jonathan said the emotional torment he experienced was inexplicable.

The former Bayelsa deputy governor also recounted the fatherly role the late Chairman of

Daar Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, played before he officially handed over to Buhari.

He said, “It is not easy to lose an election as a president. You will think the whole world is against you. But then, Dokpesi invited me before I handed over.

I remember what he said to me when I lost the election.

“There were so many senior Nigerians (elder statesmen) who spoke. After I listened to all the conversations, he congratulated me and encouraged me to look

beyond the election. This is how I commemorated that session.

“That communication gave me hope and helped me not necessarily for the transition hour ahead of me but also in my spiritual life as a private citizen. If you read my book, My Transition Hours, I explain it more elaborately.”

Earlier in his address, the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, urged Nigerians not to abuse the freedom of speech they are enjoying.

While describing Dokpesi as a patriot and exceptional media personality, Mohammed suggested that others should borrow a leaf from his exemplary lifestyle of nation-building.

“Our respect for freedom of speech is sacrosanct even as we continue to urge responsibility in the exercise of this freedom.

Nigerians are free to speak about this dear country of ours. What we can and will continue to do is to avoid getting to the point where reckless negativity

becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

“We will make a grievous error individually and collectively if we choose to focus only on what is not working and neglect to balance it with equal attention to the things we are getting right. And we are getting a lot of things right as a nation even in our present circumstances.

“The media has an important role to play in strengthening this balanced approach through your reportage as shepherds and

drivers of public opinion. The late Dokpesi played his part, and he did it in a way that he will never be forgotten,” he stated.

Dokpesi passed away on May 29, 2023.

According to DAAR Communications Group Managing Director, Tony Akiotu, he had been ill for a few weeks before his death.

Akiotu added that the former marine engineer fell off his treadmill during a routine gym exercise.

WEAKENING PURCHASING POWER PUSHES PREFERENCE FOR SECOND-HAND GOODS are experiencing a surge in demand according to an investigation by THISDAY. This is as the World Bank expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, urging both federal and state governments to take urgent steps to address the situation.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News Channel on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Annual Meetings in Washington DC, yesterday, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, tasked policymakers in the country to work towards creating conducive environments that would attract children to schools.

Also, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY yesterday in Washington DC, Deputy Director in the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, Catherine Pattillo, urged policymakers in Nigeria and other African countries to ensure that social safety nets are put in place to protect the poor and vulnerable.

She also noted that lack of access to finance, poor infrastructure, red tape and corruption were affecting the growth of firms in the region.

Likewise, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, called for bold reforms in Africa, noting that climate change, global financial shocks and growing food insecurity were threatening Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent and hampering the achievement of global development goals.

For the rising demand in secondhand goods, the shift in consumer behaviour reflects a growing awareness of both economic necessity and sustainability, with inflation presently at 32.7 per cent, spike in cost of petrol and stagnant wages.

In Lagos, at the Odo Olowu market at Ijesha; the Westminster market at Apapa, as well as the Yaba market, that are all notably for Tokunbo, shoppers and sellers told THISDAY that the weak purchasing power and spike in cost of new goods and electronics were major factors influencing the increased patronage.

A drycleaner, Joseph Ogunmola said, “I am here to buy a steaming iron because my electronic steaming iron, which I bought brand new for N8, 000 two years ago, got burnt, so I needed to replace it.

“I went to the same place I bought the old one, and they now sell it for N55, 000. And I intended to buy three. That would cost N165, 000. How could I have afforded that when I am not a ritualist?

“Business has even dropped

within one year, and I don't make much profit anymore. People now prefer to do their laundry themselves.

This is why I had to come here to buy a fairly used one, imported from Belgium and it cost N18, 000. I can't even buy three anymore, but it is reasonable compared to the cost of N165, 000.”

Also, an electronic dealer, Denilson Okeke, stated, “People are now more concerned about what to eat first before going to buy new electronics.

We are all barely surviving. As at two years ago, I used to travel to buy goods outside Nigeria at least once in two months.

“It's been five months now. I am struggling to sell just two containers.

The situation is now very bad.”

In Port Harcourt, some of the residents that spoke with THISDAY said they have resorted to buying second-hand products due to the high cost of new commodities in the market not being proportionate to their income.

When THISDAY visited some of the markets in the city, including, Rumuwoji Mile 1 market, Creek Road market at the Township axis of Port Harcourt, Railway market, and Mile 3 market, shoppers and dealers spoke on the increased patronage of second-hand products.

Mr. Chikaodili Okafor said he resorted to buying used products because he could no longer afford the new products.

According to him, "I used to detest second-hand products, but I have found out that it's becoming an alternative because of the biting economic hardship in the country now.”

In Kano, second-hand goods thrive as residents continue to patronise such items.

Dealing in second-hand items, also known as resale or pre-owned, is driven by consumer demand for affordability, durability, because of its uniqueness, they argued.

The ancient city of Kano is also the commercial nerve center of the northern part of Nigeria, with numerous markets scattered all over the city dealing with second-hand items due to their affordability to low-income individuals. Many of those markets have a long history of selling second hands clothing, accessories furniture, electoral appliances, second-hand books, media accessories, vehicles, antiques and collectibles among others.

For instance, the Bata market is a hub for affordable educational resources, where not only underprivileged students patronise but, students from middle-class

DANGOTE REFINERY SHIPS FIRST PETROL CARGO BY SEA TO LAGOS cargo as a vital fuel-producing unit continues to ramp up, Bloomberg reported yesterday.

The Sabaek sailed with about 500,000 barrels of the petroleum product from Dangote to the nearby commercial hub of Lagos in recent days, according to a port report and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, the refinery’s residue fluid catalytic cracker, a crucial unit in the production of the fuel, is continuing to ramp up output, according to a person familiar with the matter. .

Spokespeople for Dangote didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Once fully operational, the 650,000-barrel-a-day plant will transform the regional petrol market, potentially reducing the need for imports of the fuel from Europe to West Africa.

It has already shaken up crude oil flows by trimming an overhang of Nigerian supply, the report said.

This first shipment via sea comes about one month after the new refinery began using trucks to transport gasoline.

A refinery’s RFCC unit helps upgrade petroleum products into more valuable fuels like gasoline, according to Bloomberg.

families rush to purchase variety of second-hand textbooks.

In an interview with Hussainy Muhammad, one of the second-hand book dealers at Bata market, he said due to the prices of goods and services which have affected most Nigerians, his firm has recorded an increase in the demand.

"In the last two years, we have witnessed an unprecedented number of customers including less-privileged students and parents at the end of every session, who have actively opted for second-hand textbooks from us,” he explained.

Also, at the Kofar Wambai yan Gwanjo market, or Okirka market in Kano, hundreds of customers flock to buy second-hand clothes. The market was bustling with activities as customers poured in to get the best deals.

According to one of the dealers, Aminu Isah, the demand for secondhand cloth has sharply increased compared to previous years.

Explaining the reason why she opted for second-hand clothes, Hajiya Isa revealed that the current harsh economic condition in Nigeria forced her to go for affordable and second-hand materials.

Another second-hand market in Kano is the popular Kofar Ruwa market, which deals with secondhand automobiles, where you can buy cheaper spare parts.

Commenting on the surge for fairly used goods, an Economist and Founder of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, told THISDAY that the rising patronage of used household items was a reflection of the growing number of people that are entrapped in poverty because people can only buy what they have the capacity to pay for.

Yusuf, noted that the Nigerian situation was that demand for very cheap products was increasing while companies that are engaged in premium products are struggling.

He said: "So, increasingly more and more people, including those in the middle class, are buying all manners of fairly used items, from cooking utensils to furniture, textiles, under wears, name them. Not to talk about cars.

"It has become the in-thing because poverty and issue of high cost of goods due to intense inflationary pressure."

He added: "The thing is that not many incomes are growing enough to match the rate of increases in prices.

"Therefore, the real income has dropped considerably across all the income classes.

"And you can see that some companies as a matter of business model are devising strategies to reduce quality and quantity just to come down to the level of those whose incomes have dropped considerably."

Likewise, the Chief Executive Officer of De-SME Facilitators Limited, Mr. Tony Chinwe, told THISDAY yesterday that the surge in patronage of used household items imported from Europe, Asia and America was significantly triggered by weak Naira and low purchasing power of Nigerian Consumers.

Chinwe, who was formerly the group head of SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, said a weak Naira implied overvalued foreign currencies that come with high import costs.

He said: "With a weak Naira,

importing new goods becomes very expensive, making used items more affordable in satisfying the same needs. These used items are cheap alternatives to new ones and their lower prices make them more accessible to Nigerians."

According to him, Nigerians have reduced purchasing power or limited disposable income is attributable to economic challenges occasioned majorly by the twin factors of fuel subsidy removal and floatation of Naira thereby making used items a more viable option.

He said: "In terms of affordability, used household items are often significantly cheaper than new ones, fitting within consumers' limited budgets.

"The harsh economic climate in Nigeria has made Consumers to prioritise essential needs over luxury goods, opting for affordable used items.

"Also, used items are widely available in Nigeria, particularly in markets and online platforms."

He added that many Nigerians perceive used items from Europe, Asia, and America as higher quality and durable items.

Chinwe also said that the decline in local manufacturing capacity has exacerbated the situation due to reliance on imports of inputs.

"An import-dependent economy with low infrastructural provision for supporting manufacturing (like power) should not adopt an option of floating its currency. Development of local manufacturing base should precede such policy," he said.

He said that to address these issues, the Nigerian government should implement policies to strengthen the Naira, encourage local manufacturing and entrepreneurship, and promote sustainable consumption and waste management practices.

Nigeria’s High Out-ofschool Children Worries World Bank The World Bank has expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, urging both federal and state governments to take urgent steps to address the situation.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News Channel on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Annual Meetings in Washington DC, yesterday, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, tasked policymakers in the country to work towards creating conducive environments that would attract children to schools.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had estimated that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria was 18.3 million.

According to Diop, “the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria is very large, around 15 to 17 million.”

He added: “You need to get all those kids to school and improve the quality of their learning so that the learning outcomes would be there. That would prepare them for the labor market, and there are issues relating to tradition and how you match skills with the needs of firms.

“One thing that is a gold mine for Nigeria is the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). To me, if you leverage that and then help that institution to really provide the right skills to these 300,000 pre-adults,

this would be super helpful, and in fact, the World Bank is looking into that to try and help on that.”

He urged the federal and state governments to focus on “keeping girls in school, as well as training them in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills and helping them to access Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

“The number of girls or enrollment of girls in STEM fields is quite low compared to men, with about 13 per cent in engineering programs, 20 per cent in polytechnics, and 30 per cent in other programs, which is very low. We need to address the stereotypes that are pushing young girls towards an inclination to arts and similar fields, which is good, but we also need women in STEM areas because that is what will drive technology and transformation in the future.”

IMF: Reforms Causing Hardship, But Necessary for Sustainable Growth Meanwhile, the IMF yesterday, urged Nigeria to allocate savings from subsidy removal and forex rates unification towards social protection for the vulnerable.

The IMF recognised that while the essential reforms were steps towards economic sustainability, they have increased hardship in the West African country due to rising inflation and the cost of essential goods.

Director, African Department, IMF, Abebe Aemro Selassie, said this yesterday at the African Department press briefing to unveil the Regional Economic Outlook update for SubSaharan Africa.

Selassie also noted that there has been no request from Nigeria for funding.

Responding to a THISDAY’s question on recent reforms and their impact on Nigerians, Selassie said: “The immediate effect, of course, of doing these changes always causes quite a lot of dislocation.

You have noted the inflation, we have absolutely no doubt that conditions at the moment are extremely difficult on top of a situation, as I noted earlier, where, you know, the effect of the food price shock in recent years has been quite acute in our countries, in our region, food accounts for a higher share of the consumption basket.

Now, you have fuel prices going up, which will have an additional effect on other essential goods.

“So, all of these are well recognised. It is also why we have been on record again and again about the need to put in place measures to target the most vulnerable and social protection over the years, as these reforms have been implemented.

“I know there are some steps that have been taken in that direction, but I think some of the savings from the fuel subsidy reforms, the exchange rate subsidy being removed, should in our view be directed to helping cushion the effect on the most low-level households.”

Also responding to an ARISE news question, on if Nigeria has approached the fund for concessional funding, he said: “There has not been a request for funding from the IMF from Nigeria.

“It is the right of every country

that's in good standing with IMF to borrow and have access to the concessional financing that we provide them. So, there is no request for funding from Nigeria at the moment.”

He said: “At the end of the day, these are deeply domestic and deeply political choices that governments have to make. They have made choices that we think move in the direction of better use of public resources in a way that will unlock this incredible potential that the economy has to make it more dynamic, to invest to facilitate growth.

“We welcome those reforms, while also recognising, as I said earlier, that it has entailed quite a lot of cost, internal adjustment costs, and a better job, as I said, can be done by rolling out social protection, particularly for the most vulnerable.”

Adesina, while speaking during a session during a meeting of multilateral development bank (MDB) heads with the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty at the IMF/World Bank meetings, said: “We need bolder resolve, innovative and practical solutions, and stronger coordinated action at scale.”

Adesina who is leading the Bank’s delegation participating in key sessions of the Bretton Wood institutions’ meetings, highlighted his priority concerns for Africa: combatting hunger and eliminating malnutrition, providing electricity to 300 million people by 2030, scaling up infrastructure for agricultural and industrial transformation, combatting climate change, and supporting some of the world’s most fragile nations by mobilizing additional resources for the African Development Fund – the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm.

“Our strength lies in consolidating our collaboration, mobilizing resources at speed and scale, and deploying them where they are needed most,” Adesina said.

Africa Gets Additional Seat on IMF Board IMF’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, while responding to questions during a press briefing by the International Monetary and Financial Committee, revealed that Africa has been given an additional seat on the board of the IMF. “The most significant step we have taken to increase the voice and representation of Africa is to add another third chair for SubSaharan Africa around the board table at the Fund.

“We have 24 executive directors representing 191 members, and as of November 1, we would have 25 executive directors. That means that the Sub-Saharan African countries will have better representation of their issues. Africa, as you know, is a diverse group of countries.

When we only had two directors, it meant constituencies of 23 or 22 countries, and it was very difficult for these executive directors to voice the concerns of each and every one of the members.

“Now, they will have three directors, bringing them on par with other parts of the world. So now, Sub-Saharan Africa is not going to be an outlier, and that would allow the executive directors, along with offices with advisors and executive directors from the constituency, to better represent their concerns.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024

NEWS

News Editor: Charles Ajunwa 09157401421 (sms only) Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

STRENGTHENING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP...

L-R: Head, GAM, Corporate & EMDOs, Vibhuti Sharma; Executive Director, lnternational Banking / CEO, UBA America, Sola Yomi-Ajayi and Group Managing Director, UBA, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, during a reception on the partnership between UBA America and Devex, a social enterprise and media platform for the global development community on the sidelines of the World Bank Annual Meetings in WashingDC, USA...yesterday

Court Okays Kano's LGs' Polls, Orders Police to Provide Security APC warns Yusuf against breakdown of law, order Alex Enumah and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Justice Sanusi Ado Ma'Aji of a High Court in Kano State, yesterday, gave the go-ahead to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), to proceed with the planned local government elections slated for today This was as the All progressives Congress (APC) has warned Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to desist from taking any action that could lead to breakdown of law and order in the state.

Justice Ma'Aji, who gave the nod to the state electoral umpire, besides, ordered security agencies to provide cover to electorate willing to exercise their franchise in the LGs polls.

Delivering judgement in the suit

marked: K/676/2024, the court held that the plaintiff is lawfully empowered to conduct the said poll, and accordingly restrained the respondents which included the 19 registered political parties in the state.

Besides the All Progressives Congress (APC), the remaining 18 political parties were absent and not represented in the suit filed by the KANSIEC. Before directing security agencies to provide security to voters, the court held that by constitutional provisions, Electoral Act, Supreme Court judgements and the Kano State Local Government Electoral Law 2002 (as amended), the plaintiff has the power to organise, conduct, regulate and supervise local government election in Kano State.

Court Reserves Judgement in Suit Seeking Stoppage of Federal Allocations to Rivers Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, reserved her judgement in a suit seeking to stop the release of federal monthly allocations to Rivers State.

Justice Abdulmalik, who said that the date for her judgement would be communicated to parties, took the decision after all parties had argued for and against the originating summons filed by a factional Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule.

The plaintiffs predicated their case on the grounds that the Rivers State Executive was yet to comply with the order of a Federal High Court directing it to represent the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court had in a judgement delivered early in the year faulted Governor Siminalayi Fubara, for presenting the state appropriation before the four-member Assembly led by Rt Hon. Edison Ehie.

The state assembly was factionalised last year after 27 of them led by Amaewhule allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under whose platform they came into office.

Based on their alleged defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state government claimed that Amaewhule and his co-defectors were no longer members of the state legislators and as such were not entitled to receive the 2024 appropriation which was signed by the governor after being passed by the Ehie faction.

Miffed by this decision as well as the refusal to comply with the judgement of Justice Omotosho, which was recently affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the Amaewhule-led faction said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, approached the court to stop further release of the federal allocations to the state until the judgement of the court was complied with.

In defending the suit, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which is the first defendant, urged the court to dismiss it for being frivolous.

Meanwhile, Justice Abdulmalik in a ruling refused to recuse herself from hearing the suit seeking, denying allegations of bias.

It would be recalled that the Accountant General of Rivers State filed a motion on notice where he accused Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of utter bias against it and and all other defendants in the suit.

"That the provisions of Section 84 (14) and Section 150 of the Electoral Act 2022, the defendants/ respondents has no power to stop and or truncate the plaintiff/applicant from performing its statutory duties to organise, conduct, regulate and supervise local government election in Kano State.

"That the plaintiff/applicant has the power to organise, conduct, regulate

and supervise Local Government Election in Kano State by virtue of the Supreme Court decision in SC/CV/343/2024 between A. G. Federation Vs. A G, Abia & Others reported in L.P.E.L.R. 62576 (S.C) in compliance with the said judgement and avert the further Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

"That by Section 3 (1) (2) of the

Kano State Local Government Electoral Law 2002 (as amended), the Plaintiff/ Applicant has the Power to organise, conduct, regulate and supervise Local Government Election in Kano State within a stipulated period of time," Justice Ma'Aji held.

The court in addition held that the plaintiff has the power to issue guidelines and time table for the conduct of the local government

election in Kano State.

He subsequently made an order, "restraining the defendants/ respondents from stopping the plaintiff/applicant from continue organizing, preparing and conducting the Local Government Election in Kano State in compliance with all the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered and all extant Laws and Regulations.

NIWA Deploys 300 Water Marshals to Stem Fatalities, Collaborate with Agencies for Safety Ahamefula Ogbu The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has said that the Authority has speedily trained and deployed 300 water marshals across the nation’s waterways to stem accidents and fatalities.

Oyebamiji stated this yesterday in an interactive session with Guild of Editors at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where he outlined several measures aimed at keeping the waterways safe while developing

tourism in that sector.

He explained that the water marshals were trained and deployed on 24 hours basis separate from the search and rescue team already equipped to respond to emergencies as part of the proactive measures already in place.

He blamed human errors, mechanical issues and weather for most of the accidents and fatalities on the waterways and insisted that night journeys with boats which are often not fitted with lamps as “criminal” which they have taken several measures to address.

According to him, his Authority had distributed life jackets to various operators and has in addition, taken campaigns to the grassroots aimed at sensitizing the people on safety practices.

Certifications and monitoring of standards, the NIWA boss said, were being aided by the navy and marine police who also help in enforcing the water code which encompasses all rules that would ensure safety.

“Poor attitudes and blatant disregard of safety procedures account for incidents on our waterways but we are deploying

resources in human and technology to stem them. We are also partnering with other agencies and armed forces to ensure those accidents are minimised and stopped,” Oyebamiji explained.

On efforts to increase frequency of water transportation to ease the pressure on roads, he brought Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Sarat Braimah who said they had charted the waterways pointing out that the Marina to Ikorodu and Marina to Badagry were charted and ready to use in Lagos just like other points across the country.

FG Flags Off Construction of 1,068km SokotoBadagry Superhighway, Says 48-year Jinx Broken Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has flagged off the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, stressing that a 48-year jinx had been broken by the Bola Tinubu administration.

Speaking at the ceremony for the construction works on the Section I, Phase 1A of the project in Ilelah town, Sokoto State, Umahi informed the gathering that the idea of the project was first mooted during the first tenure of former President Shehu Shagari but could not take off.

He further described the event as a manifestation of one of the legacy projects of the current administration, spanning over 1,068 km with the North having 52 per cent and the South 48 per cent.

The minister revealed that the choice of concrete pavement in its design and construction was informed by the need to ensure longevity, while that of the contractor, Messrs Hitech Construction (Nig) Ltd is premised on capacity to deliver according to specifications and on schedule.

A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, stated that the company had done a similar pavement work on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State and was doing same on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

While appreciating the commitment and support of members of the National Assembly for the President’s infrastructure renaissance, he equally thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the promise to provide security for the entire stretch

of the corridor while the work lasts.

While welcoming guests on the occasion, the Deputy Governor, Sokoto State and Commissioner for Works, Idris Mohammed Danchadi, said the project was “a dream come true” for the people of the state.

Also speaking, the Director, Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Bakare Umar and the representative of the Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Musa Seidu described the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as a Trade, Transport and Security (TTS) Greenfield.

The corridor traverses Sokoto State through Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and terminates in Lagos State. The project seeks to reduce transportation costs, improve trade, connectivity, efficiency and enhance

economies of scale around the corridor.

It is to be separated with median landscaping, solar street lighting and modern digital signage. It will link various existing inter-border towns and routes, provide quick access, enhance border settlements for trade, security support and enablement.

In separate goodwill messages, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, disclosed that at a Town Hall Meeting in July, 2024 at Birnin Kebbi, the Works Minister spoke about plans to embark on the project.

Also, a former Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Adamu Aliero, stated that upon completion of the superhighway, travel time between Sokoto to Lagos will be drastically reduced by 48 hours.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024

NEWS

XXIP... BRIEFINGS AT ONGOING IMF/WORLD BANK XXIP...

MEDIA ANNUAL MEETINGS...

L-R: IMFC Chair Mohammed Aljadaan and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva during a press briefing on the International Monetary and Financial Committee at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings 2024 in Washington DC, United States of America...yesterday PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

Moderator/ Communication Officer, lMF, Kwabena Alkuamoah- Boateng(left) and Director, African Department, lMF, Abebe Aemro Selassie, during a press briefing on Regional Economic Outlook update on Sub- Saharan Africa at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings 2024 in Washington DC, United States of America (USA)...yesterday PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

Bagudu: FG Leveraging Resources, Expertise, Technology to Improve Food Security Linus Aleke in Abuja The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has disclosed how it supports programme for vulnerable population and collaborates with international partners to leverage resources, expertise and technology to improve food security and adopt innovation governance model that promote transparency, accountability and citizens' participation in the food security and and food system transformation agenda in Nigeria.

The ministry also assured Nigerians of government's commitment of achieving food security and improved nutrition through social protection attentions at all levels.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, disclosed this at the official opening of the Sahel Food System Changemakers Conference

2024, organised by Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited with the support of Africa Food Changemakers, USAID, Chemonics amongst others.

The minister who underscored the importance of the theme of the conference, 'Innovative Governance Model: A Pathway to Food and Nutrition Security in Nigeria', averred that the ministry has ensured that all the state governments are keyed into the food system transformation pathway, which is an initiative of the ministry, introduced by the United Nations System.

Highlighting the challenges confronting the agricultural sector in Nigeria, the minister said: "A large population of farmers have limited access to water or irrigation and consumption. Productivity is low because of limited adoption of modern farming processes and inadequate inputs. Even limited cultivation is encumbered by post

harvest losses due to insufficient storage, transportation and processing infrastructure. Added to all these are debilitating impact of violent conflict and poverty."

Noting that conflict engender displacement that distorts food production and distribution, Bagudu said that poverty restricts access to food.

"Of course, there is the looming challenge of inadequate finance.

While President Bola Tinubu administration is taking deliberate steps to tackle these challenges in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda strategy, it agrees with the idea of this conference that a multi faceted approach involving the government, the private sector, development partners and civil societies is needed to find a sustainable way forward. In this regard, in line with its statutory coordinating mandates the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is best suited to receive

and ensure the implementation of your recommendation. I assure you that this will be done using a well established structure," he assured.

He stated that the approach of his ministry has been to scale up collaborations and synergy in all issues that foster economic growth and development, reduce poverty and increase food availability.

In his welcome address, Managing Partner, Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, Temitope Adegoroye, said the objective of the conference was to re-examine the role of international donors and global funding partners in supporting sustainable food systems.

Others he said are "to address governance challenges hindering the responsible use of research findings for policy formulation and implementation. Outline practical recommendations to strengthen governance mechanisms and enhance multi-sectoral collaborations for

FATF Commends Nigeria's Efforts at Strengthening Anti-money Laundering, Alex Enumah in Abuja The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has recognised the progress made by Nigeria towards strengthening her Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) measures.

FATF which is the body responsible for setting global standard on AML/ CFT issues, made the commendation yesterday, at the end of its October Plenary Meeting in Paris, France.

A statement by the spokesman of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Mr. Sani Tukur, disclosed that the task force during the meeting also approved Nigeria’s 4th Progress Report following the inclusion of Nigeria on the list of

jurisdictions under monitoring, in the so-called grey list in February 2023.

He stated that Nigeria in the report was adjudged to "now have strong systems in place for international cooperation to address serious crimes including asset recovery, strengthened systems for national coordination to fight terrorism, and to have effective measures to ensure the non-profit sector is not used to finance terrorism."

Nigeria since her inclusion on the list has made progress on the implementation of an Action Plan to address the deficiencies which were identified in the country’s 2021 AML/CFT Mutual Evaluation Report.

Meanwhile, NFIU's Chief

Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs. Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, who was in Paris for the meeting stated that “Through the concerted efforts of all public and private sector stakeholders who are involved in Nigeria’s systems to ensure the integrity of the financial system, we have been able to complete almost half of the items that were included in the country’s Action Plan to exit the grey list.”

She further reiterated “We are confident that with the sustained effort and the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, members of the Federal Executive Council and the InterMinisterial Committee on AML/ CFT chaired by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation

and the Honourable Ministers of Finance and Interior, Nigeria will complete all remaining actions before the deadline of May 2025.”

Mrs. Bakari extended her deepest appreciation and congratulations to all stakeholders and particularly the Commander-in-Chief, the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the leaders of all the agencies that have made huge strides to get Nigeria off the grey list and encouraged all stakeholders to sustain the efforts.

In other decisions at the Paris Plenary meeting, the FATF also updated its grey-list, following the successful completion of its Action Plan Senegal has now been delisted while Algeria, Angola, Cote D’Ivoire and Lebanon have now been added to the monitoring list.

House Committee Uncovers Over N32bn Revenue Leakage at NUPRC Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has uncovered N32,151,775,466.87 revenue leakages in the document submitted by Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on revenue generated for the federal government between 2015 to 2022.

To this end, the committee has

called for a thorough investigation into the financial irregularities and management in NUPRC. The committee, during a session chaired by Hon. Bamidele Salam expressed serious concerns regarding reported revenue leakages and non-compliance with standard operating procedures.

The committee's findings revealed that the sum of N909,392,169.74 had been transferred directly to

private accounts in Deposit Money Banks without adhering to Treasury Single Account (TSA) protocols.

It further highlighted significant discrepancies, including N15,476,269,397.10 in transactions listed in Remita that were absent from the NUPRC data set, and N6,332,212,384.25 in transactions from the NUPRC data set that did not appear in Remita.

The committee also uncovered

discrepancies in transactions between Remita and NUPRC, with N388,103,353.31 reported lower and N909,392,169.74 reported higher in Remita.

Against this background, the committee directed the Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, along with other officials, to appear before it next Monday to explain the infractions.

improved food security outcomes in Nigeria. Showcase replicable innovative governance models in food and nutrition implemented across the continent."

Adegoroye also explained that the conference will serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, showcasing

innovations, and catalysing action towards building resilient and sustainable food systems, adding that "together, we can harness the power of innovative governance to ensure a future where all Nigerians have access to nutritious and food security."

Tanker Drivers Threaten Strike over Seizure of Diesel-laden Trucks by IGP’s Taskforce Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The national secretariat of the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) has threatened to call on its members to withdraw their trucks from the depots.

National Chairman of the union, Augustine Egbon, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the action was to protest what he said were the excesses of the taskforce set up by the office of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

As part of its resolutions at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the union had urged the IGP to curb the high-handedness of its task force on petroleum products impounding tankers on federal highways.

Egbon recalled that two trucks loaded with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise called diesel were wrongly impounded by the taskforce between July and August in Funtua, Katsina State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The PTD National Chairman further revealed in the statement that despite documents presented to the taskforce to show the depots where the products were loaded and evidence of genuine certification by the statutory regulatory agencies, the IGP’s office has ignored the evidence and has refused to release the trucks.

"The truck with registration number, GRY 155XA loaded 49,000 litres of AGO at Prudent Energy Limited in Oghara, Delta State. The destination was Sokoto but it was impounded in Funtua, Katsina, State on July 31, 2024.

"The second truck with registration number, TWD272XA, with 45,000 litres of AGO loaded the products at Integrated Oil & Gas in Apapa, Lagos.

Its destination was Yobe State before it was impounded in August in Abuja," the tanker drivers said.

Egbon expressed dis-affection that in spite of the fact that samples of the products from the two trucks were certified by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) the police have remained adamant and declined to release the loaded trucks.

Akpan Ekpo Bags Emeritus Professorship Peter Uzoho The University of Uyo has approved the conferment of the Emeritus Professorship on a lecturer at the institution's Department of Economics, Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo, in recognition of his track record of service to the school and humanity in general.

The Registrar and Secretary to Senate of the university, Mrs. Blossom E. Okorie, announced in a letter addressed to the recipient that the award would be bestowed on him at the school's combined Convocation Ceremony scheduled for November 9, 2024.

The registrar explained that the

honour on Ekpo was approved by the university's Senate at its 131st meeting held in December 2023.

"I write to notify you that the Senate of the University of Uyo at its 131" meeting held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 approved that you be auspiciously conferred with the Emeritus Professorship of the university at the grand finale of the 29" and 30” Combined Convocation Ceremony scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 10.00a.m.

"Your conferment as Emeritus Professor of the University of Uyo is based on your track record of Service to the University and humanity in general," the registrar said.

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NEWS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING… L-R: Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir; Director, Technical Services, Federal Ministry of Finance, Baheer Abdulkadir; President, MAN, Francis Meshioye; Executive Director/Chief Investment Officer, Africa Finance Corporation, Sameh Shenouda; Commissioner Ministry of Commerce, Cross River State, Abigail Duke Orok, at the 52nd Annual General Meeting of MAN and 4th Adeola Odutola lecture/Presidential luncheon in Lagos… yesterday

FG Signs Deals with Mini-grid Developers to Supply 1,500mw Renewable Energy to Police, Immigration, Others Minister says govt committed to environmental protection through investment in education, researches Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The federal government yesterday signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with nine Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCOs) for the

supply of reliable solar power to key government agencies and institutions in the country.

This was as Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal, has assured that the federal government is committed to environmental protection and

sustainable development through investment in education and researches.

Among others, the beneficiaries of the signed deals include: The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), and the National

Agricultural Development Fund (NADF).

Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Chief Executive, Rural Electrification Fund (REF), Abba Aliyu, noted that the signing of the Electricity Act, has now given the opportunity for subnational

Alawuba: UBA America Positioned to Support Payments, Settlement of Businesses

Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe inWashington DC

The Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), Mr. Oliver Alawuba, has highlighted the pivotal role UBA America plays in facilitating trade and financial transactions between Africa and the rest of the world.

As the only African bank with a national banking licence in the United States, he pointed out that UBA America provides essential support for payment and settlement needs, enabling seamless financial flows that

bridge African markets with the rest of the world.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington DC, Alawuba, reiterated the bank’s unique positioning and longstanding commitment to making sure that its customers are getting the best of services.

He said: “We are proud to say that UBA is the only bank originating from Africa that is present in the United States of America, regulated with a national banking licence, regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of

the Currency (OCC) and that is a very prime position for us to support payments and to support settlements of businesses that originating out of Africa, or between Africa and the rest of the world. Today, UBA America is 40 years in America.”

UBA America, he emphasised, also collaborates closely with African central banks, supporting them in facilitating cross-border transactions.

“UBAAmerica is a settlement bank for so many banks out of Africa, and this is what has been very difficult for banks out of Africa to have settlement

banks in our correspondent banks in America.

“UBA America is playing that role.

UBA America is also banking many central banks because we understand the African business, and we are able to bank many central banks.”

Alawuba further underscored UBA's commitment to transformative banking, saying, “We are in Africa for the long-term. UBA is not just about banking, UBA is about changing the lives of Africans. As we do that, we push ourselves to change the lives of Africans.

governments as well as private developers to participate in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to communities.

To serve key government institutions, he explained that the REA was developing a National Education Electrification Plan; National Agricultural Electrification Plan and the National Health Electrification Plan, including the plan for security agencies.

He stated that the MoU signed with the NPTF will see the REA take its electrification efforts to police infrastructure, while for the NADF, it will ensure that post-harvest losses are reduced.

Aliyu explained that the NIS was doing a lot in terms of migration management, border control, and was also deploying a lot of information technology and they need electricity to be able to run these infrastructure.

“In total, before this event, we had signed five MOUs, and today we have signed with the RESCOS nine MoUs. So, in total, we are looking at close to over 1,500 megawatts of portfolio generation

capacity across the country over a period of three years,” he stated.

According to him, the plan is to incentivise the private developers from the $750 million distributed access to renewable energy scaleup funding which the REA is managing.

“One of the also greatest achievements of Mr. President is the catalysing of the $750 million fund. This $750 million is supposed to catalyse $1.1 billion private sector investment.

“The $750 million will be used as a capital subsidy to incentivise this private sector to put in their money, that is, the $1.1 billion towards providing this electricity infrastructure in the country,” he added.

Also speaking, Head, Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), Olufemi Akinyelure, said the partnerships capitalise on the strengths of private investment, technical expertise, and operational capacity of the companies, while REA provides critical support through policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and monitoring oversight.

Equal Opportunities Sani: Cost-cutting, Other Austerity Musawa: Measures Aiding Kaduna’s Growth Abound for Girls with Consistency Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Reveals slash in salaries, suspension of expenditure on official perks

Deji Elumoye in Abuja Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has disclosed that his government's cost-cutting measures have assisted his state achieve significant infrastructural development despite financial constraints.

He also said his administration's focus on addressing the crisis of out-of-school children, through the determined investment into upgrading the education system, has yielded reduction of out-of-school children

by 300,000 within six months.

Sani, who made this known yesterday while speaking with journalists at the State House in Abuja, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, said the state government has implemented austerity measures, including a ban on purchasing new vehicles for officials and reducing allowances for commissioners, advisers, and the governor himself, who now receives half salary monthly.

According to him, these measures

have enabled the administration to focus on essential services, including education, healthcare, and other infrastructure development, notable among which are upgrading of schools, healthcare facilities, and critical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.

He said: "Yes, we embarked on a very serious adjustment, like you are aware, we made it clear that we need to reduce the cost of governance in Kaduna State.

To date, we have not bought a single vehicle for any government official in

Kaduna State. That's really helped us.

"We've reduced the allowances of all our commissioners, advisers, even my humble self, receiving half of my salary since I became governor of Kaduna State, and I've not had a single new vehicle as a governor.

"So we tremendously reduced the cost of governance and that's the way to go if we really want to address our problems and improve on major areas of education, healthcare infrastructure."

Anambra APC Faults Appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as Minister, Says It’s Anti-party Chuks Okocha in Abuja All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Anambra State have condemned President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as a minister-designate, describing it as an anti-party.

They questioned the rationale

behind the President’s decision to appoint her without consulting party members.

The APC leaders in the state made this known during an emergency meeting of stakeholders in Awka, the state capital.

They described the president’s decision to appoint Mrs. Ojukwu

without consulting party members as a gross violation of party loyalty that undermines the morale of their members.

In a statement made available to journalists, High Chief Bunty Onuigbo, the South East Zonal Secretary of APC and a member of the APC Elders Forum in Anambra, who spoke on

behalf of the stakeholders, stated that the President’s action do not foster loyalty within the party.

His words: “This is nothing but an act of anti-party, and it is detrimental.

By empowering members of other political parties at the expense of the APC in Anambra State, Mr. President is not supporting party loyalty.

Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has stated that equal opportunities exist for girls just as it is for boys in Nigeria’s patriarchal setting, however, with a level playground been centered on consistency.

She said organisations should invest more building capacity programmes that will have the girls as key focus, while noting that the area of interest lies in the ability to engage them in some training as that is where they are going to get the expertise to be able to flourish within a specific industry.

Speaking as the keynote speaker in Abuja yesterday during the second edition of the State of the Nigeria Girls’ Summit (SONGS) under the auspices of the Ministry of Women Affairs in partnership with development partners including Plan International and UNFPA, Musawa said women and girls can be anything they want to be with the enabling environment being prepped for them.

Revealing the long-term goals in her 8-point agenda for her ministry which she said is based on public private partnership which has a large spectrum

on which the girls can flourish, she encouraged them to emulate the likes of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala and the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed.

She said, “There is so much equal opportunity for girls and women to be able to achieve anything that they want to and you know in Nigeria now, we want to operate an enabling environment to make sure that girls have that equal opportunity and that they have so many people to look up to. There are the likes of Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala, Amina Mohammed.

So when you are consistent and committed, there is nothing that you cannot achieve. What I see is the future of Nigeria.

“I can speak about my industry.

What we are doing is putting up structures that will give that equal opportunity for them. It’s all about consistency. Life will never be easy, people have to be committed and consistent and more than anything, they have to be patriotic. One you have patriotism and all that you do are for the betterment of the nation.

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NEWS

ECOBA CO83 ANNIVERSARY DINNER… L-R: Executive Principal, Edo College, Justice Eghe Aigbe; Usiobaifo Orhue who represented former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinadion, and Chairman ECOBA Co83, Emmanuel Anyim at the ECOBA Co83 Dinner as part of activities marking the 41st Anniversary of the class in Benin city…recently

FG Launches Export Skills Acquisition Centre to Boost Non-oil Exports Dike Onwuamaeze The federal government has said that the launching of the Export Skill Acquisition Centre (ESAC) and Fashion Innovative Hub for Women and Youths is an important milestone in Nigeria’s economic growth, empowerment, and sustainable development journey.

The federal government, which launched the ESAC last week in Apapa, Lagos State, said that the establishment of the centre is driven by its commitment to addressing some of the fundamental challenges that have hindered our export growth and economic diversification.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, in her welcome address, said that the launching of the ESAC “is sequel to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the

NEPC and LeLook Bags Academy, which is aimed at providing handson training in bag-making and other accessories for women, youth and people living with disabilities.

“This collaborative effort will further enhance the quality and standards of products that will be exported to the global market.”

Ayeni assured the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment that the NEPC, under its “Double Your Exports” campaign, would deploy everything necessary to facilitate the training of youths and the subsequent export of products from the LeLook factory.

She said: “Beyond this, however, I am of the firm belief that the ESAC will boost non-oil exports by increasing the export of value-added products from Nigeria thereby creating jobs

Pharmacists Kick Against National Health Facility Regulation Plans The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has kicked against plans to establish a National Health Facility Regulation (NHFRA) as it undermines the integrity and authority of the pharmacy profession and would destabilise existing regulatory framework, describing it as redundant.

Prof. Cyril Usifoh, President of PSN, said that NHFRA would be counterproductive to efforts to entrench effective healthcare delivery in the country as an already established regulatory structure under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2022 is enough.

In a letter to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Prof. Usifoh, described as misleading, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa’s adoption of the United Kingdom’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the United States’ Joint Commission as examples that inspired the creation of National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA).

He argued that contrary to

what obtains in Britain and USA, pharmaceutical services in both countries are regulated independently.

According to him, "Pharmacy education, training, licensure, practice standards, and professional ethics is overseen by the pharmacy regulatory bodies, while the State Board of Pharmacy inspects and registers the pharmacy facilities in the USA. In the UK, the General Pharmaceutical Council regulates Pharmacists and Pharm. Technicians while also setting practice standards and handling investigative complaints.

Similarly, the Medicine and Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) regulates medicines and medical devices."

Usifoh further explained that "While the CQC and the Joint Commission focus primarily on the broader regulations of healthcare facilities and services, the PCN’s mandate is specific to pharmaceutical services, encompassing regulatory duties similar to its counterparts in the UK and in the US.

and inspiring Nigerians, especially the youth and women to imbibe an export culture.”

The federal government said that Nigeria has always known that the key to unlocking its potential lies in equipping our citizens with the skills and knowledge needed to compete on a global scale.

“This centre is a response to that need, providing training that will empower

our youth, entrepreneurs, and small business owners with the tools necessary for success in the export sector.

“I am most delighted to witness this epoch-making event targeted at building the capacity of the youth and women in innovative bag-making among other accessories and I commend the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for establishing the ESAC to foster such activities.

“It is a step in the right direction as it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu' ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’, which is aimed at economic growth, creating jobs and poverty alleviation.”

The government disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in line with the 'Industrial Revitalisation Plan', is working with relevant stakeholders such as the NEPC to ensure that the youth and women

in Nigeria realise their full potential through the acquisition of the requisite skills and techniques for the export of quality products to the global market, which I believe the ESAC would achieve.

“The ESAC will offer specialised training programmes that cover a wide range of export-related skills, including product development, quality control, international trade regulations, logistics, marketing, and digital skills.

Obasanjo: Policy Summersaults Hinder Food Security, Others James Sowole in Abeokuta Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised governments in Africa to do more on sustaining policies, lamenting that policy somersaults have been the major hindrances to achieving food security among others in the continent.

The former president stated that the hunger crisis in the country and the continent, would not have been this worse if the culture of policy continuity in developmental and food

production efforts had been sustained According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo spoke at the unveiling of Okun Rice Mills at Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

Obasanjo said, "Part of our problem in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is lack of continuity and this is very bad for every development at family level, state level, national level and continental.

"What I found so ridiculous is that because there has been no continuity in

so many things we are doing, you will hear people saying "for the first time ever" as if Nigeria is just beginning today whereas the problem is lack of continuity.

"When you go back you will find out that some people have done that which they are talking about in the past and if we had continued, our situation wouldn't have been bad as it is particularly in the area of food production.

"I have always said it that government has no business in

production, the primary duty of the government is to provide the enabling environment for agricultural production and other business enterprises to thrive so as to achieve food security.

"So, I am saying that for us to achieve increased food production and achieve food sufficiency at the state, national at continental level, the government must be ready to provide enabling environment and ensure continuity of assisted agric policies to enhance food production."

Ex Gov. Bello, EFCC Saga: APC Support Groups Seek Tinubu’s Intervention

A coalition of support groups within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the faceoff between former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and the Economic, Financial and other Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of financial misdeeds against.

The group which alleged a witch hunt against the former governor, however, stated that their call was premised on the fact that Bello has continued to work for the progress of the APC over the years.

The joint statement was issued by the Coordinator of the APC

Youths Connect (APCYC), Mr. Victor Odunlana while the Chairman APC Unity Mandate (APCUM), Musa Kassim Bello, said the allegations didn’t warrant the drama observed so far on the matter.

In the statement, the groups stated that there must be equity on the part of the EFCC in its fight against graft and not to be selective as it is currently being done by the agency.

"Former governor Bello is an asset to our party, when it comes to rendering assistant to our party, nobody can beat governor Bello in terms of support

and progresses of the party. He was on ground in all our rally, he always paid all the expenses of our delegation from other states in all our functions.

"Tinubu should be wary of enemies within plotting the downfall of our party using every means including the anti-graft agency to frustrate our administration. Let it be made clear that we are not speaking for the ex governor but the truth must be told in a clear term.

"Those fighting Yahaya Bello are fighting Tinubu and APC, and we're not going to fold our arms on this, so EFCC should

be ready and should know this is not a former governor fight but the entire APC family as a whole,” the statement added.

They added "Not only are some politicians who have been caught red handed being left off the hook and are even holding important party and government positions, they are even determining the fortune of the people without any iota of probity and shame,” the groups wrote.

They stated that the former governor deserves more from the party rather what they referred to as his current state of persecution.

Edo APC Alleges State Committee Not Ready to Provide Transition Documents Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee, has debunked allegations by the Joint Transition Committee that it is evading meeting after requesting for the provision of both hard and smooth copies of documents from the state government.

Secretary of the APC Transition

Committee, Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, made the clarification in a statement in Benin City, on Thursday, saying the outgoing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki in Edo State has not presented the necessary documents that will enable a smooth transition process, a situation, he said has hindered the work of the APC Transition Committee.

On Wednesday, the Joint Transition Committee showed journalists, copies of documents it prepared as requested by the APC members who were absent.

However, Ikhariale in the statement yesterday, said it is on record that the inaugural meeting of the APC Transition Committee with the outgoing government's team held on Friday, 18th October 2024 at the

John Odigie Oyegu Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) Hall, GRA, Benin City, it made request for copies from the Joint Transition Committee.

According to him, "Despite the very cordial atmosphere of mutuality and robust engagement that characterize the inaugural meeting, information from Government Team tried to scandalise the APC Transition Committee, with outlandish claims

that we were asking for sitting allowances and that our request for hard copies was because members of the APC Committee were not tech-savvy. We find these false claims vexatious, underwhelming, insulting, barbaric, and completely misleading. Nothing of such was discussed or raised during and after our plenary.

"At the meeting, the APC Transition

Committee stated unequivocally that documents to be submitted should be in soft and hard copies for ease of reference. This position was agreed upon by both teams and the government Team gave assurances that those documents would be submitted to the APC Transition Committee before the following meeting scheduled for Monday, 21st October 2024.

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INSIGHT

The rage continues...

N

Why Are There So Many Beggars?

them celebrated his defeat in the 2015 elections not minding that they yesom Wike may have misplaced many passes during his were celebrating the end of their hopes. time as the Minister of the FCT, but on his planned removal of A country where children who should be in school are begging street beggars from Abuja, the intense and indefatigable former for a living is one with unaccountable problems. A country where RiverѠ State governor seems to have hit the mark with uncanny women spread helpless toddlers like rags under the sun and thrust out accuracy. It is simple: beggars cannot be allowed to hang around Abuja bottomless begging bowls to passersby right in the heart of its capital anymore. Their wretched existence and enterprise deface Nigeria’s city is a country sitting on a time bomb. capital. The irritants they have become disgust Nigeria’s establishment Many of the children reduced to begging by poverty and neglect now to no end. form the prolific pool into which terrorists dip to recruit conscripts. Yet, If this position appears elitist, there is only very little wrong a country Nigeria wonders why its war against terror refuses to end. that should be doing everything to rid itself of begging can do in the Wike said that the beggars were a source of embarrassment as well as society. To be clear, begging is a symptom and not a cause of Nigeria’s security threats in the FCT. He was not far from the truth. His method problems. A country where begging is lucrative employment for many of dealing with the menace is what appears to be far from effective. is a country that is not getting something right.

Experience has shown that once removed, these beggars find a way For Wike, moving the beggars out of Abuja is a priority, but where to return or simply reinvent themselves and transport their begging will they be moved to? Most importantly, what can be done to urgently bowls to different locations as long as those locations are lucrative. wean them of a habit, hobby, and handiwork that they are prepared What Nigeria needs is a permanent solution to the menace of street not only to do all their lives but pass on to their children like some begging, which will be no simple task. Its root causes of systemic cherished heirloom? poverty and inequality must be addressed firstly.

The government must go beyond the crater to seek the cure. Why are Already, those who beg are dehumanized by the poverty of their there so many beggars in Nigeria? It is worth remembering that those chosen enterprise. Many of them are left with no choice in the face of referred to as “beggars” by Wike are only a fraction of the beggars in life’s raging hardships. Restoring their dignity should be at the core of Nigeria. There are more beggars elsewhere and on the streets of social finding any solutions aimed at rehabilitating them. media than any street in Nigeria can contain. All of them form Nigeria’s humiliated horde, those who have been dehumanized by Nigeria, Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com dumped on the streets and forced to eat from hand to mouth.

There are many who tired of their wretched existence in their rural villages find their way to cities T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R to beg. Begging from morning to night in strategic EDITOR OBINNA CHIMA locations, they soon begin to make enough money to DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU send back home. Encouraged by how lucrative the MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO venture is, some of their relations soon join them in DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI the city to join the begging business.

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN How about the almajiri children who clog many THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE public spaces in Nigeria, unwashed and unkempt, with ringworm and eczema battling over every inch of space on their skin? The trauma caused to innocent children of that age range in the name of T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D Islamic religious education is simply unthinkable. It is EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA heartbreaking that it is religion that enables that kind GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, of systemic dehumanization of kids that emphasizes ISRAEL IWEGBU DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE begging, child neglect and child poverty.

DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI As president until 2015, Goodluck Jonathan floated SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH and sunk billions of public funds into building ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI schools in the North in a bid to take almajiri children CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI off the street, rehabilitate them and prepare them DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO for a better future. Today, the schools lie moribund, TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com suffocated by a poisonous cocktail of religion, superstition and poor maintenance culture. Many of

Southern Borno, Flood and Insurgency

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sman Ibrahim and Daniel Mshelia were abducted and later released by insurgents along the Damboa - Biu road in Borno State. That happened about one month ago.

They had a nasty experience just like many other unlucky ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ě ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ insurgents.

Indeed, some others are not alive to narrate their ordeals. Biu to Damboa road is one of the most dangerous roads in the area under the control of the bandits and terrorists. This is despite the efforts being made by the hardworking Prof. Babagana Zulum, the Borno State governor over these years.

Apart from Maiduguri, other local governments affected by the flood in Southern Borno include Biu, Kwaya Kusar, Hawul, Shani, Damboa and Gwoza. The effect is devastating and worrisome.

A large number of the 27 local governments in the state are still suffering from the activities of Boko Haram. It is because of this sad situation that the Southern Borno Elders Forum, under the leadership of the dynamic Sen. Ali Mohammed Ndume is doing everything possible to ameliorate the bad situation that has made everyone to be unhappy and worried.

The forum has planned a summit to discuss the prevailing situation with a view to providing a solution, apart from the issue of Biu dam and other insecurity matters.

I therefore wish to commend Sen. Ndume and his able lieutenants for their unflinching efforts to help the people of Southern Borno to be united and to get justice which they deserve. I must stress the need for cooperation and understanding if the area is to achieve its objectives.

The right people to spearhead this laudable effort is the Elders Forum through the guidance and assistance of renowned politicians like Ali Ndume and several other colleagues.

Ibrahim Biu, Kuje, Abuja

An Open and Shut Case

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ome extra information has been discovered about the recent event where Donald Trump served some selected, and security checked, customers at a closed McDonald’s restaurant. On the odd times I go to one of their restaurants I am only able to buy food from an open one. Was this some special ex-presidential privilege or just a stunt? I am not sure what this symbolises.

Dennis Fitzgerald Melbourne, Australia

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024 • T H I S D AY

SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2024

NEWS XTRA

60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION… L-R: Wife of Pastor-in-Charge of RCCG Lagos Province 64, Lolade Akande; APICP, Administration, the Celebrant, Yinka Abiodun; his wife, Tola Abiodun; and Pastor In-Charge of Lagos Province 64, Bisi Akande, marking 60th birthday of Abiodun during the 2024 Province-Based Ministers' Conference held in Magodo, Lagos...recently

Information Minister Urges Influencers, Content Creators to Moderate Negative Narratives on Nigeria Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has tasked content creators and social media influencers to prioritise the nation‘s interests by upholding the highest ethical standards in the expression and delivery of their crafts.

He also charged content providers to tone down negative rhetorics about Nigeria.

He made the remarks yesterday in Abuja during the National Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024 with the theme: organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in collaboration with the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Open University of Nigeria.

He reiterated that Nigeria cannot grow if influencers emphasise always on the negatives.

Cyberstalking of GTB Management: Bloggers Made Statements Under Conducive Environment, Witness Tells Court Wale Igbintade A Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Abu Michael, yesterday, told Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, that the four bloggers currently facing trial over alleged defamation, and cyberstalking of GTCO CEO and its management made their statements to the police under a conducive environment, voluntarily and without any inducement or force.

CSP Michael made the clarification while giving evidence during the trial within trial ordered by the court following the objection by counsel to defendants.

The defendants, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami had through the counsel challenged the admissibility of the statements they made to the police.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Chief Ajibola Aribisala, SAN, the witness, Abu Michael told the court that on the

21st of September this year, Precious Eze was brought to the investigation room and that as a senior officer he supervised the interrogation which was conducted by another member of his team.

Abu said he was in an observation room where he can observed, see and hear what was going on in the investigation room, but added that those in the investigation room can not see him.

He added that he could recollect hearing the interrogating police officer asking the first defendant, Precious Eze that he has a right to his lawyer, but that Eze insisted he could write his statement by himself.

"The interview was conducted under a conducive environment," the witness said.

He added that the standard in SFU is that from the observation room, other top officers can see what was going from their different offices to ensure transparency and fair treatment of suspects.

"It is important that we criticise and hold government and other leaders to account because that is the role of the media and we cannot take that away. But it is also critical that in reporting, we prioritise national interest.

“I repeat, we cannot expect to grow and have people to come and invest in our country when all we push out all the time is negative.

There are lots of positive information coming out of Nigeria and it is our duty to be patriotic when reporting so that Nigeria can reach its desired destination of prosperity that President

Bola Ahmed Tinubu talks about,” he said.

The minister decried the proliferation of fake news on social media, warning that, if not curbed, it poses an existential threat to the unity, peace, and development of the country.

“As we embrace the digital revolution, we must acknowledge its transformative impact on how information is created, shared, and consumed. The rise of social media, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), online platforms and the new generation of digital content creators

has democratised information flow, allowing voices from all corners of society to be heard. Literally, anyone with a laptop or an android phone has become a potential news creator, capable of reaching large number of people. However, this digital landscape with its limitless opportunities also poses serious challenges, especially with the spread of misinformation and disinformation, whether created by humans or generated by Artificial Intelligence. We must really work hard and think out of the box to find creative way out of this menace,” he said.

Ex-Deputy Govs to Tinubu: Consult Stakeholders Before Taking Further Economic Decisions With World Bank, IMF Sunday Aborisade in Abuja Former deputy governors in Nigeria concluded their third national conference in Abuja yesterday with a call on President Bola Tinubu to ensure adequate consultations with major stakeholders before taking future economic decisions with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The eminent Nigerians under the auspices of Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria (FFDGN) made the call in a communique issued after the two-day brainstorming session on the country's economy, insecurity and the general state of the nation.

Their 16-point communique was signed by Dr. Chris Alozie Akomas,

the National Chairman, (FFDGN); Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, Deputy National Chairman (North), and Hazeem Gbolarumi, Deputy National Chairman (South).

The conference was declared open by the National Patron of FFDGN who is also the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, under the Chairmanship of Obong Victor Attah, while Chief Olusegun Osoba, was the co-Chairman.

They lamented the current hardship in the land and noted that the biting effects of the ongoing federal government economic reforms would have been averted if critical stakeholders were involved during the decision making process with the World Bank and the IMF.

Part of the communique read, “Consultation for economic policy by the IMF and the World Bank should be open and inclusive of all major stakeholders in Nigeria.

“Every effort should be made to ensure that funds from external borrowings by the federal government and sub-national governments should be judiciously applied to productive activities and public infrastructure development with impact on citizens’ standard of living.”

The former deputy governors also encouraged governors to ensure harmonious working relationships with their deputies.

They also urged the state chief executives to ensure continuation and completion of their predecessors’

Tinubu Mourns Ex-NEC Chairman, Abia Pensioners Begin Fresh Agitation, Kicks Prof. Humphrey Nwosu against Otti’s Claims of Clearing Arrears, Gratuities Says he was a bold and courageous administrator

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has commiserated with the family, friends and associates of a former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu who died in a United States hospital on October 24, 2024 Prof. Nwosu was chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993 and oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, which General Ibrahim Babangida annulled.

Before the ill-fated presidential election, Nwosu’s NEC had conducted the governorship and parliamentary election using an innovative, inexpensive Option A-4, in which voters queued behind the photographs of candidates of their choice at polling stations.

The President, in a release issued yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, held fond memories of Nwosu as a bold and courageous administrator.

He expressed his deep sorrow at the loss of a patriot and national asset who played a significant role in shaping the democracy that Nigeria enjoys today.

President Tinubu affirmed that the greatest honour to champions of democracy like Nwosu is to ensure that elections in the country remain credible, transparent and democratic, reflecting the people’s right to choose their leaders and shape their future.

The President prayed God almighty to grant the soul of the departed political scientist eternal rest and divine comfort for those who mourn him.

He hailed United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for championing the global initiative to stem the tide of fake news especially in Nigeria through the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in the country.

He stated that misinformation and disinformation are not unique to Nigeria but represent a global menace that requires collective responsibility to sanitise social media and establish an information channel free from fake news.

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia Abia State pensioners are set for another round of agitations over the 45 months arrears of pensions which the government claimed to have cleared seven months ago.

They are also set to do battle with the government for allegedly "tricking and coercing" the state leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to sign a document prepared by the government for the forfeiture of unpaid gratuities.

These nagging issues were laid bare at a press conference yesterday by the Executive Committee of Abia NUP, having been "constrained by the turn of events to finally open up and state the true position on all that transpired."

Governor Alex Otti had in March

2024 during a pre-Easter event at Christ the King Catholic Church Aba announced that he had cleared the pension arrears from 2014 to 2023 which his administration inherited.

While pensioners had been kicking against the claim, the Abia NUP Chairman, Chukwuemeka Irondi and Secretary, Uma Kalu, have now for the first time, come out to publicly dispute the governor's claim on liquidating the inherited pension arrears.

Irondi stated that the NUP executives had all the while resisted the temptation of going public with how pensioners were beguiled and cheated by the government "due to the high regard" the union has for Governor Otti.

He further added that the NUP executives had been exploring alternative means of resolving the issues

because of its "determination not to, in any way, be party to tarnishing the image of government and reputation of our dear governor, who has shown us love."

In a 10-page position statement "on the purported clearance of arrears of pension and gratuity of Abia pensioners by government" read at the press conference by Irondi, the NUP executive committee insisted that the pension arrears totalling 45 months have never been cleared.

"All pensioners of Abia State and Ndi Abia in general should note and hear clearly that the Alex Chioma Otti-led administration did not clear a kobo of 45 months unpaid pension arrears of the previous administration as presented by the Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners.

projects in their interest of the people.

The communique further read, “Governors are encouraged to ensure a harmonious relationship with their deputies to promote sustainable democratic governance in Nigeria.

“Entrenching good governance is an imperative for achieving food security and sustainable growth in Nigeria as the central pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“As a matter of policy, the federal government should enact laws at the federal and state levels that will compel successive governments to complete subsisting projects as they embark on new ones.

“Furthermore, the Public Procurement Act should be amended for stiffer punishment against contract defaulters.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

THEFRONTLINES JOSEPH USHIGIALE jushigiale@yahoo.co.uk, joseph.ushigiale@thisdaylive.com 08023422660 (sms only)

Adede: Celebrating A Golden Heart At 70

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oday, we will be celebrating Senator Musa Adede, a man with a golden heart as he clocks 70 years. There several reasons to praise the Almighty God for his life and move a toast to rejoice with him for overcoming the odds and adversities and emerging as a force to be reckoned with in politics, business and philanthropy.

As we give God the glory for this remarkable feat, we are also celebrating a consumate grassroots politician, astute and self-made businessman, philanthropist extraordinaire whose footprints are clearly marked in the business world, politics and on people.

To say Musa has touched souls is an understatement. He is a man with the milk of human kindness and generosity and heart of gold. While some perceive him as being aloof and arrogant, behind the facade is a man with the heart of gold.

He could sometimes be harsh and harassing but if you stand your ground, he has listening ears and once you can convince or prove your intentions are genuine, he will shock you.

Born in 1954, Musa exhibited very early in life what he wanted to be and went on to become a trailblazer and one of the leading lights in Cross River and particularly northern part of the state.

He graduated with a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom; Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and Data Processing, Hatfield Polytechnic St Albans, United Kingdom.

He also earned a Higher National Diploma, East College of Technology, London, United Kingdom and returned to Nigeria fully prepared to face the world.

After Dr. Joseph Wayas who rose to the position of President of the Senate in 1979, he was the next person from the same Obanliku to brave the odds and won a seat to the Senate replacing Sen. Kanu Agabi who had been made

Attorney General of the Federation in 2000 by then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

When the Cross River North Senatorial seat was declared vacant and up for grabs, he threw his hat into the ring. In a highly competitive primary, he won and went ahead to defeat his APP opponent, Paul Ukpo in the main election.

His victory celebrations were short-lived as his opponent proceeded to court challenging the veracity of his academic credentials.

In the legal duel that lasted throughout his term, he eventually triumphed with the court ruling in his favour few months before his tenure ended.

Determined to serve his people again, he recontested in 2003.

In the primary conducted that year by Olisa Metuh, Adede wo a landslide. Curiously, the review committee which sat in Abuja annulled his victory and awarded it to late Senator Greg Ngaji.

However, undaunted, his imprints in the Senate remain indelible.

He was Chairman Senate Committee on Transport, Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport; Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes; Member, Senate Committee on Aviation; Member, Senate Committee on Environment; Member, Senate Committee on Privatization; Member, Senate Committee on Defence; Member, Senate Committee on Air force; Member, Senate Committee on Sports and Social Development.

He was a Member, Senate Committee on National Population; Member, Senate Committee on Insurance and Allied Matters, Member, Senate Committee on Universal Basic Education (UBE).

At other times, he was board member, NEPZA (Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, He was a delegate to the 2014, Nigerian National Conference and co-sponsor of the Cabotage Bill. It was passed into Law by Mr. President in 2003, where it sought to Promote the Development of Indigenous Coastal Trade and to Restrict the Use of Foreign Vessels in Domestic Coastal Trade.

As chairman of Transportation Committee, in 2014, he

With Fierce Competition in Real Estate Market, Palton Morgan Focuses on Craftsmanship, Technology Bennett Oghifo

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igeria’s real estate market is flooded with various types of projects right now, but investors and prospective homeowners are beginning to take excessive care when making a choice, considering the present cash crunch and the struggling economy.

Everybody wants to get their money’s worth.

This is the reason some savvy housing development companies are going the extra mile to build what is worth buying for this growing class of investors and potential homeowners.

For instance, Palton Morgan, a luxury real estate development brand is offering investors and home buyers enhanced value propositions at its new luxury development.

The new mixed-use development which comes with opportunities for living, working and playing, is known as Paramount Twin Towers (PTT). It is a testament to the holding company’s commitment to crafting exceptional properties that epitomize elegance and luxury living.

Armed with the knowledge that luxury real estate investors and home buyers are people with discerning minds in terms of class and taste, Palton Morgan usually conceives, designs and implements its developments as a redefinition of modern living and investment assets with high returns potential.

They offer a seamless blend of architectural brilliance, state-of-the-art technology, and impeccable craftsmanship, each meticulously curated to reflect the highest standards of luxury that presents a unique combination of artistry and functionality.

PTT embodies all these attributes and more, providing a unique blend of safe and secure community living that welcomes its residents to feel ‘at home’ at its exquisitely designed pool, garden

and more.

It also epitomises the saying that location is everything in real estate being well located in Victoria Island which is Lagos city’s most vibrant economic hub, harbouring head offices of expatriate firms, oil and gas companies and top-tier banking institutions in Nigeria.

Just 200 metres away from the Atlantic Ocean and well connected to major road networks, this development also benefits from the 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar coastal highway which promises inter-state connectivity, trade and tourism activity along the coast.

This road network ensures easy accessibility to all parts of Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi. This means that residents have easy access to major offices and business areas, residential areas, schools and shopping malls which are within easy reach.

Some of its upscale neighbours which residents will benefit from when the need arises are Four Points by Sheraton; Landmark Towers, Twin Towers Leisure Centre, Hard Rock Café, Lagos Oriental Hotel, British International School, The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki Epe Expressway, Lagos Cinema, and Oniru Beach Resort.

“Palton Morgan is on a mission to lead the real estate sector in Africa with revolutionary ideas and strategies that will fuel great innovations within the Nigerian property market. We are building sophisticated masterpieces and creating new standards for luxury living,” Folake Johnson, the company’s Head of Brands & Marketing said.

Johnson explained that “the Paramount Twin Towers is among the most desired sophisticated projects in the Nigerian luxury real estate segment,” assuring that, when completed, it will be a significant part of their customers’ success stories.

As a high point of its value offerings to these customers, PTT boasts of spacious rooms, ocean view, adequ

Adede devised a comprehensive proposal for a modernised, interconnected national transportation system across roads, rail, shipping and aviation, with detailed security and recommended for A National Transportation Commission to be established for Government to implement.

However, Adede had his baptism of fire under the jackboots of Col. Omenka of DMI who arrested and detained him in their notorious underground cell for almost two years.

His offence was his suspected complicity through association with his childhood friend, then Col Musa Gwadabe, who was alleged to be involved in a coup plot against late Gen. Sani Abacha.

In the business world, Senator as he’s fondly called today remains a collosus with his business interests spreading from oil and gas, shipping, real estate, manufacturing,banking automobile etc.

But his most visible and iconic investment is in aviation where his flagship aviation company - Kings Airline is a leading light in the private jet air charter segment operating with about five best in class bombardier jets.

His companies employ expatriates and local staff who are deployed in areas where they have operations. Musa is a grassroots community leader who has built bridges for communities, built and donated a cathedral to his community, extended innumerable scholarships to indigent students and still facilitates uncountable jobs for Cross Riverians.

May God continue to guide and protect him, give him long life and prosperity for he is a jolly good fellow.

StarTimes Solar Electrifies Communities, Unveils New Energy Products

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s Nigeria grapples with a significant electricity deficit, StarTimes has unveiled a more reliable solar energy solution called StarTimes Solar.

According to a statement, the product was unveiled at the Nigeria Energy Exhibition recently. . The company’s StarTimes Solar initiative aims to bridge the energy gap, providing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional power sources.

“StarTimes has been at the forefront of bringing solar energy to Nigeria since 2013, driven by a commitment to expanding its pay TV services to rural communities.

“Recognising the lack of electricity in these areas, the company embarked on a journey to provide affordable and reliable power solutions. “We discovered that electricity was not available in those communities. As a result of this, we commenced the development of solar to provide electricity to many households to power their TV sets so that they can enjoy digital life,” the National Sales Director, StarTimes Nigeria, Dele Ameh said.

He said in 2022, Nigerian government through the Rural Electrification Agency in conjunction with World Bank partnered with StarTimes to offer the company access to deploy more small-size solar to people in the communities at a subsidised

rate.

With the recent removal of fuel and electricity subsidies, the demand for solar energy has surged in Nigeria. StarTimes has responded by expanding its offerings to include a wider range of solar systems, catering to both residential and commercial needs.

“We are scaling StarTimes Solar to bigger sizes as the market demand rises after the removal of fuel subsidy and increase in electricity tariff which triggered more demand for solar in Nigeria,” Ameh said.

It offers a comprehensive range of products, including solar panels, inverters, and batteries. The company’s solutions were designed to be cost-effective, reliable, and easy to install. Additionally, StarTimes provides flexible payment options to make solar power accessible to a wider range of customers. “So, we are no longer powering homes alone, our offerings now include larger systems capable of powering businesses, and even industrial facilities.” Ameh said.

Ameh said the company has put in place flexible payment plan by partnering with banks like Wema Bank, Access bank and more adding that cooperative societies of companies could also take advantage of the eased payment plan to embrace alternative energy sources and banish darkness in their homes and businesses.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

INTERVIEW

Catherine Pattillo: Lack of Finance, Poor Infrastructure, Corruption Obstructing Firms’ Growth in Africa Deputy Director in the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, Catherine Pattillo, on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, speaks on the need for governments and policymakers in Africa to ensure that social safety nets are put in place to protect the poor and vulnerable. She also notes that lack of access to finance, poor infrastructure, red tape and corruption are affecting the growth of firms in the region. Obinna Chima brings the excerpts:

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hat are the key findings in the IMF’s latest regional economic outlook for Africa?

Our report highlights a difficult period in which countries in the region are trying to implement difficult reforms to restore micro-stability. We are starting to see a lot of progress in that area, thanks to policy adjustments. Inflation is coming down, fiscal deficits are starting to narrow, and public debts have stabilised, although at a high level. These are all positive signs for the region. However, policymakers face three main hurdles in this balancing act of trying to work towards macrostability. First, growth in the region is still low, subdued, and uneven. So, we are projecting 3.6 per cent growth this year, which is flat, and then 4.2 per cent for next year. Second, the financing conditions are still difficult, both domestic and external. Third, there is this complex interplay of poverty, lack of opportunities, weak governance, which has been compounded by a rapid increase in the cost of living and short-term effects of macro-adjustments. This means that a lot of social frustrations and political pressures are making it harder for policymakers to implement reforms. The priority has to do with protecting the vulnerable through social protection and ensuring that you are creating jobs. That is critical to continue to mobilise support. We emphasised also the importance in implementing reforms, in terms of communication, consultations and improvement in governance to improve trust.

The latest IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for Africa report highlighted the need for countries such as Nigeria to put in place social safety nets to protect the poor and vulnerable before initiating reforms. For countries that didn’t take that advice and whose citizens are already hurting from such reforms, what advice will you give their policymakers and governments?

So, there is a need in all countries to continue to strengthen social safety nets, and doing it before reforms start is preferable because otherwise, the brunt of the adjustment would be on the poor.

In some countries, we are seeing this happen as climatic disasters such as floods. So, having these safety nets before or even after and making sure that the programmes you have are accelerated and scaled up to help the population, particularly when there are big issues like food insecurity is important. I know in Nigeria, there is a large population of 31 million persons who are food insecure and have been hit hard by important reforms of fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate liberalisation at the same time, and now the floods. So, ensuring that these social transfers are accelerated and scaled up would help on the humanitarian side.

What is your assessment of Inflation in Africa and can there be a better approach by central banks in the region to win the battle against inflation?

African central banks, just like central banks across the world have had to tighten monetary policy in the aftermath of the shocks that we saw from the pandemic and the global inflationary shocks and they did what they had to do. Overall, we have seen a reduction in inflation across the region from over 10 per cent or so median to now six per cent. That is a testament to the effectiveness of policies of tight monetary policy. So, the general direction of travel is the right one. In about half of the countries, inflation is now below our target, it is still in double-digits in some countries, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola. So, the fight is still far from over. Our advice is that in those countries

each country. We do this with low-income countries jointly and the World Bank. That analysis looks holistically at external debts, domestic public debts, lots of indicators, debt service, exports, etc, and it is a forward-looking analysis because you have to think about how these variables that affect debt sustainability going to evolve over the medium term. Growth, interest rates, exchange rates, etc, are also considered. So, that helps us form an assessment for each country. Now, on the question of debt trap, while there are a lot of vulnerabilities, we are not seeing a widespread debt crisis. A few countries that reached unsustainable debt levels and needed to do debt restructuring were part of the common framework which started very difficult and slow, but the process is moving better in countries such as Ghana and Ethiopia. But in other countries, they are meeting these debt challenges head-on and looking at the need to do fiscal adjustments, mobilise domestic revenues and attract more financing. There is a need for development partners to provide low-cost financing for countries and mobilise domestic revenue in to make sure that the debts stay sustainable.

˾ Pattillo where inflation is still high or still rising, central banks have to maintain rates at higher levels to combat rising prices and make sure they anchor expectations. But in countries where inflation has dropped to target, then they can consider gradually easing.

But tight monetary policy comes with a cost as we see in Nigeria where cost of borrowing has risen sharply and strangulating businesses. Is there no other ways to navigate this to achieve a balancing act?

There is no easy answer to that. To address inflation, a tight monetary policy is needed. When central banks continue to build credibility and help anchor expectations, it makes their task easier, so that they can tighten less or hold tight policy for less time and that would get inflation down.

The regional economic outlook estimates that by 2030, half of the increase in the global labor force will come from Africa, requiring the creation of up to 15 million new jobs annually, what should policymakers in the continent be doing to boost job creation?

We highlighted this stark fact that there would be such a large number of jobs needed – 15 million new jobs need to be generated yearly by 2030, given the demographics and 80 per cent of those jobs have to be created in the low-income and fragile countries. Up till now, Africa’s growth has not created enough jobs as growth in other regions. So, what you see is a large share of informal and subsistence-paying jobs. So, what should policymakers do? First,

they need to work on transforming informality from a trap to a stepping stone and that can happen through policies that don’t discourage formalisation. Second, is having the conditions for private sector growth. Sub-Saharan Africa does not have deficiencies in creating firms, it is just that the firms don’t grow. The region creates more firms than other places, but they don’t grow because they don’t have access to finance, there is no infrastructure, there is red tape and corruption. Addressing all these things so that small and informal firms can grow and create jobs to unleash movements into new sectors. The possibilities are so broad given the potential in different countries – agro-business, fintech, the creative industry, digital economy, and so many other areas with high productivity that allows for more diversification.

But there are concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI) leading to jobs losses in the region?

In advanced economies, the expectation is that AI will take a large number of jobs, but it will also add to productivity and growth. I think the concern is less for low-income countries. That is because the types of jobs prevalent in Africa are less susceptible to AI taking over. Right now there is so much potential for digital finance, and others, to create jobs, rather than the concern that AI is going to take away jobs.

How does the IMF evaluate debt sustainability in Africa what can you recommend to address concerns of likely debt trap by some countries in the region being expressed by a lot of commentators in Africa?

For evaluating debt sustainability, we have this debt sustainability analysis which looks at the extent to which debts generally can be sustained by

What is your take on concerns about overreliance on borrowings from China by a lot of countries in the region?

China has supported the region and borrowing from China as from all development partners has financed lots of good infrastructure. The issue is that even though the infrastructure are there and have generated growth to some extent, countries have not been able to get that kind of rates of return by getting some tax or exports so that they can repay the debt. So, they should make sure that all those borrowings are used for good projects that would yield good returns and you get the rate of return on that by taxing do that you can repay the debts.

How can investments in infrastructure contribute to economic growth and stability in Africa?

I would again speak more generally about what underlining conditions need to be in place because we do see that there are a number of countries that are more diversified in the region and they are growing faster. We see right now that the more diversified economies are growing faster. Nine of the fastest growing countries in the world are from Sub-Saharan Africa. The big difference is that the resource-intensive countries are growing at only half the rate of the other countries, with few oil exporters struggling the most. Again, it is not about picking winners, but it is about that broad set of policies, macro-stability, good business environment, good human capital, competition, and opening up to trade, that provide the platform to diversify. Just to make a point about Nigeria, the country is somewhat a diversified economy because the hydrocarbon sector only accounts for five per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But in terms of export or government revenue, then it is mainly hydrocarbon and that is when you depend on oil production and global oil prices. The same things that I mentioned earlier are also relevant for Nigeria - Financing the business environment, improving security, strengthening governance, maintaining a stable exchange rate, developing human capital, and building climate resilience against shocks. That is going to help overall to improve productivity, expand production base and make sure that non-hydrocarbon exports are competitive for diversifying into those other sectors. Again, you need your own domestic financing to get the fiscal space so that you can spend to achieve inclusive growth.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

FOCUS

15 Takeaways from Cardoso, Edun’s Meeting with Foreign Investors in Washington DC Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),Mr.OlayemiCardoso,duringtheweekmetwithgroupsofforeign investors on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings holding in Washington DC. The interactive session sparked notable enthusiasm among investors, who expressed readiness to explore opportunities across various sectors, while seeking insights and clarification on Nigeria’s recent reforms. Nume Ekeghe who is coveringthemeetingspresents15keytakeawaysfromapresentation

by Nigeria’s economic managers during the engagement: 1) Enhanced Monetary Policy Transmission igeria’seconomicmanagerstold their audience that price stabilitywasbeingrestoredgradually duetothetightmonetarypolicy stance of the CBN. This is aimed at taming inflation, rebuild confidence and regain market credibility. They also stressed that the federal governmenthasstoppedquasi-fiscalintervention activities and that the central bank is adhering to statutorylimitsofdeficitfinancingthroughwaysand meansadvancestothegovernment.TheCBNhasalso adoptedmarket-drivenandorthodoxframeworks tosupportpricediscoveryinthefinancialmarkets.

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2) Building Investment Attractiveness EdunandCardosoalsosaidthegovernmenthas strengthenedtheframeworksforconcessionsand public-privatepartnerships,includingworkingwith the legislature to address legal and regulatory bottlenecks to unlock private investments in key sectors. They have also put in place measures to bolsterdefenseandinternalsecurity.Additionally, theyhaveequippedsecurityforcesandintroduced newoperationalstrategiestoenhancelawenforcement capabilities and safeguard lives, properties, and investments across the country.

3) Fortifying Public Finance Buffers Also, they revealed that the government is addressing low domestic revenue mobilisation throughvariousmeasures,includingstrengthening taxadministration,andimprovingtaxcompliance, particularlyincorporateincometax(CIT).theyalso intend to progressively increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent.

Edunexplained:“IntermsofVAT,thecommitment ofPresidentBolaTinubuisthatwhileimplementing necessary,butwide-rangingreforms,thepoorest and the most vulnerable would be protected. In terms of VAT. The bills going through the National Assembly wouldraiseVATforluxurygoods,whileatthesame timeseektoexemptVATfortheessentialsandwhat thepoorandvulnerablecanpurchase.Thoseitems wouldbesingledoutandexemptedfromVAT,while hitting VAT for luxury goods.”

4) Enhancing Financial Sector Health Nigeria’seconomicmanagerstoldtheiraudience whoaremostlyassetmanagers,investmentbankers,

andinvestorsfromprominentglobalfinancialinstitutions such as JP Morgan and Standard Chartered, amongotherglobalfirms,thatNigeriaisimplementingandsupervisingprudentialguidelinestoensure the stability and resilience of the financial sector.

Also,thattheCBNhasincreasedtheminimumcapital requirementsforbanksandhasfullyadoptingthe Basel3capitalframeworktoaddressvulnerabilities in the financial system and build a stable financial systemcapableofsupportingtheeconomy.Inaddition,thecentralbankisalsophasingoutregulatory forbearance and maintaining tight supervision to mitigate emerging risks.

5) Engaging in Governance Best Practices According to Cardoso and Edun, Nigeria has intensified efforts to enforce public disclosure measures for contracts, licences, permits, and revenue streams. In addition, the country also aim to pass laws facilitating public access to Public Officers’Declarations.TechnicalUnitonGovernance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) issues periodicreportsongovernanceandanti-corruption frameworks, identifying areas for improvement and guiding reform efforts. The government also conducts audits of federal institutions to assess governance practices 6) Strengthening the Social Safety Net TheypolicymakersalsosaidNigeriaispresently re-prioritisingexpenditurestoallocatemorefunds for social protection and other priority spending while tackling governance concerns and plugging leakages in existing social transfer mechanisms.

7) Restoring Investor Confidence TheCBNgovernortoldhisaudience,that,“confidencehasreturnedtothemarketandthereisalso confidencebyNigeriansintheircurrency.Clearly,a situationwhereinterestratehasgoneup,weexpect thattherewouldbemoreinterestinlocalcurrency instruments.

“Somethingelsethatisimportantinthesewhole adjustmentsintheNigerianeconomyisthefactthat Nigerianswouldbemoreinclinedtoproducelocally because it is a lot cheaper for them to do so, rather than depend on imported goods.”

8) Targeting Improved Oil Production Edun added that a key part of the government’s economic recovery strategy includes increasing

Cardoso

Edun

oilproductiontotwomillionbarrelsperday,alevel Nigeria last achieved in 2015.

Heexplained:“Thereisacommitmenttotryand gettoandthetargetis2millionbarrelsaday.In2015 or so, we were at 2.3 million barrels a day. So, it’s a veryreachabletargetwhichthewholeecosystem, thegovernment,andtheoilsector,arecommittedto administeringtheprocessthathasbeenimproved and will allow speedier implementation of investments.”

9) Reduction in Debt Service Cost Edun also highlighted improvements in fiscal management, particularly in reducing Nigeria’s debt service cost.

“We’vereduceddebtservicingfromnearly100per cent of revenues to about 60 per cent in the first half of this year, though it remains high. However, by prioritising key areas, the budget deficit has decreased to 4.4 per cent of GDP, down from 6.1 per cent,” he explained.

The Finance Minister projected confidence in meeting the government’s four per cent deficit target by year-end, as part of a broader strategy to set Nigeria on a path of sustained and inclusive growth.

10) Improvement in External Reserves Nigeria’sforeignreservessurgedto$40.2billion in October 2024, up from $38.4 billion recorded in September, marking a significant boost in the country’sfinancialposition.Cardosorevealedthat Nigeria’s gross externalreservesstoodat$39.29 billionasatendofSeptember2024,anincreaseof 9.38 per cent from $35.92 billion as at the end of August 2024. This was due mainly to third party receipts, forex transactions and crude oil-related taxes. The gross external reserves position as at the end of September 2024 could provide 14.34 months of import cover for goods and services and 15.84 months of import cover for goods and services.

The ratio of reserves to short-term debt stood at 125.44 per cent, exceeding the threshold of 100 per cent and suggesting that the reserves could cover short-term external debt.

Theincreaseinforeignreserves,Edunexplained,is adirectresultofthegovernment’sdecisiontoallow themarkettodeterminethenaira’svalueinsteadof continuous Central Bank interventions. He noted thatinthepast,significantsumswerespentmonthly

defending the naira, a practice that has now been curtailedtopromotelong-termeconomicstability.

By letting the market dictate the exchange rate, Nigeria is avoiding excessive foreign exchange interventionswhileorganicallyboostingreserves.

Edun said: “We’re allowing the market as much as possible to set the level for the naira, and we are buildingthebufferstoimprovethatconfidenceand ensure that we have enough input cover.”

11) 2024 Budget Performance Thatthecountryhasrecordedstrongbudgetary performance for 2024, despite some challenges.

BudgetperformancewasN13.1trillion,butactual performance stood at N12.6 trillion, resulting in a deficitofaboutN500billion.However,theshortfall wasjust3.6percentbelowthetarget,whichshows that we are doing well.

12) Balance of Payments Thecountry’sCurrentAccountrecordedasurplus of$5,142millioninthesecondquarterof2024,relative toa$3,379millionsurplusinfirstquarterof2024.The Goodsaccountsurplusincreasedinsecondquarter 2024, relative to first quarter 2024. The increase inthesurpluswasdrivenbythedepreciationofthe naira, suppressing import of goods. The deficit in theServicesaccountincreased.Despiteconsistent services credits, a jump in debits from other businessservicesledtothewideningofthedeficit.The PrimaryIncomeaccountdeficitwidenedinsecond quarter2024asreinvestedearningsbynon-resident investorsincreased.ThesurplusintheSecondary Income account continues to be supported by the stronginflowofdiasporaremittances.Remittances increasedto$5,350millioninQ22024,upfrom$5,144 inthepreviousquarterand$4,899millioninQ42023 13) NNPC’sDebtRepaymenttoPetrolSuppliers Edun, announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has begun repayingits$6billiondebttorefinedpetrolsuppliers.

EdunexpressedoptimismaboutNNPC’sfinancing strategy, noting that: “They have a route to paying down their payables, and I’m sure that in no time at alltheywillstart.AndfromwhatIunderstand,they haveevencommencedtheprocessofpayingdown their payables.

Read full Article online - www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER26, 2024

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Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394 Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Douyé Youduba: My Jazz Music Ministers in Novel Ways KnownforherJazzmusicandhowitcontinuestoplayacrucialroleintheindustry,DouyéYouduba,popularlycalledMs.DouyeCOMMA has further cemented her standING with the release of her album, The Golden Sèkèrè. The album has received great attention for its uniqueness as it blends American jazz standards with the rhythmic integration of Nigerian heritage. She has so far done an excellent job bridging the gap between jazz and African sounds on this album of standards, presented through the lens of Africa’s horn. She tells Tosin Clegg what makes the album different, her creative process and approach, collaborations, and more

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ow is the Golden Sèkèrè $OEXP GL;HU IURP \RXU previous work, both musiFDOO\ DQG FRQFHSWXDOO\" First of all, I’m super grateful for the gift in me and the blessings of being able to do what I do; this is truly God’s doing, and I give Him all the thanks and glory for it all. I am also grateful to have had the kind of father that I had. The album is a one-of-a-kind project with D XQLTXH VRXQGVFDSH WKDW LV LQQRYDWLYH DQG ÀUVW in originality, singing familiar songs of the Great American Songbook, blending the polyrhythmic richness of Nigerian musical sounds with Western jazz sounds. All my albums are very special to me, but the Golden Sèkèrè is exceptionally special because it is a salute to my heritage and a tribute to the spirit of jazz. The album features recordings by some of the living jazz greats, including Lionel Loueke, Sean Jones, and the legendary Buster Williams. The album also features Nigerian seasoned musicians including, Baba Ken Okulolo (Bass), Dapo Torimiro (Piano), Najite Agindotan (Percussion), Zem Audu (saxophone), Dokun Oke (Guitar), and Olutosin Douyé Youduba Aribisola (Drums). With the encouragement of my late father, I created “The Golden Sèkèrè” to honor sistent is the sound and diligence that I put into and celebrate my Nigerian heritage in music and creating the project. Whenever I create a project, I am focused, diligent, and sensitive to listening to culture. what the music/project wants and following the :KDW ZDV WKH FUHDWLYH SURFHVV OLNH IRU WKH *ROGHQ project’s spirit. That space of creativity leads me 6HNHUH SURMHFW" 'LG \RX DSSURDFK LW GL;HUHQWO\ to whatever becomes of the project, just like the *ROGHQ 6qNqUq :KHQ , ÀQDOO\ DJUHHG WR FUHDWH WKH FRPSDUHG WR \RXU SDVW DOEXPV" Every project I have done comes with its spirit, Golden Sèkèrè, I went into a space of calmness and making each of them unique. What remains con- IUHHQHVV WR KHDU WKH VSLULW RI WKH PXVLF 7KH ÀUVW

world in the loop. +RZ GR \RX EDODQFH WUDGLWLRQDO MD]] HOHPHQWV ZLWK PRUH PRGHUQ LQÁXHQFHV LQ \RXU PXVLF" Jazz is evolving even though traditional jazz, which is straight-ahead jazz, continues to remain classic and timeless for as long as it’s done well.

As jazz continues to evolve, it allows the genre to become open to a blend with other genres or musical ,V WKHUH D VSHFLÀF WUDFN RQ WKH $OEXP ZLWK elements that could be beautiful when done right.

H[WUDRUGLQDU\ PHDQLQJ WR \RX" :KDW DGYLFH ZRXOG \RX JLYH WR \RXQJ DVSLULQJ All the project tracks are unique to me because they all have their own identity, and no one sounds MD]] PXVLFLDQV ZKR ZDQW WR PDNH WKHLU PDUN LQ alike, respectfully. Initially, when thinking of the WKH LQGXVWU\" The best advice I can give is to be humble and SURMHFW WKH ÀUVW VRQJ WKDW FDPH WR PLQG ZDV ´,·YH Got You Under My Skin,” written by the great true to yourself and your art. Avoid comparing American Jazz composer Cole Porter. The song yourself to others, have tough skin, and be kind became famous by the jazz great Frank Sinatra, who to yourself. Being an artist can be demanding, but happens to be one of my favorite jazz artists and my stay focused and stay on it if you believe that it’s dad’s favorite. The song “I’ve Got You Under My your calling.

Skin” was my father’s favorite jazz tune, especially 'LG \RX DW DQ\ SRLQW UHFHLYH DQ\ IRUPDO YRLFH Frank Sinatra’s version of the song. When the song WUDLQLQJ" ÁDVKHG LQ P\ PLQG LW ZDV VSLULWXDO Yes, I attended a music school called Musicians -D]] LV NQRZQ IRU LPSURYLVDWLRQ KRZ GLG Institute in Hollywood, California, and received \RX LQFRUSRUDWH WKDW HOHPHQW LQWR WKH $OEXP·V a voice training diploma. I also had many years of private lessons with a jazz virtuoso, Howlett UHFRUGLQJ" Every aspect of the Golden Sèkèrè resulted from Smith, a jazz pianist, Composer, educator, and vocal improvisation and being free and open enough to coach until his passing in 2019. Mr. Smith was very allow the songs to lead the way in creating each one. dear to me because he was a great teacher, and he encouraged me to venture into jazz because he 'R \RX KDYH DQ\ XSFRPLQJ FROODERUDWLRQV RU believed that my sound and style were unique SURMHFWV WKDW ZH FDQ ORRN IRUZDUG WR QH[W \HDU" for the genre.

Well, I have a few collaborations that I am excited about in the works, but everything is in Read full Interview online - www. the production stage as of now. I will keep the thisdaylive.com thing that came to me was the title, “The Golden Sèkèrè” I began envisioning the songs to consider, the instrumentations to use that would help carve the unique sounds that I hear in my head for the project, then the musicians and everything else.

Again, the spirit of the music led me to the main instrument, Sèkèrè.

Mo Abudu Excited with Blood Sisters Return, Bags International TV Award Ferdinand Ekechukwu

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t’s been a rollercoaster of exciting and proud moments for media mogul, Mo Abudu as she got listed as the only African woman among the Most Powerful Women in International Television 2024, curated by The Hollywood Reporter.

This is as she also announced that her production, Blood Sisters 2 is in the making. Abudu recently FRQÀUPHG WKH KLW GUDPD VHULHV JHWWLQJ DQRWKHU RSSRUWXQLW\ WR JUDFH WKH VFUHHQV 7KRXJK WKH 1HWÁL[ Original series, Blood Sisters season 2 release date remains undisclosed.

Abudu in a statement shared on her Instagram page disclosed that the Blood Sisters 2 has completed 18 months of development. Having writers, Craig Freimond, Zeli, and Adze Ugah, including a table UHDG ZLWK ÀOPLQJ VODWHG WR EHJLQ LQ MXVW D IHZ ZHHNV The Executive producer expressed excitement

about the continuation of the Blood Sisters saga and revealed that “Season 2 promises twists, turns and edge-of-your-seat drama”. Season one ended with a warehouse showdown amongst the key characters and Genoveva Umeh’s unstable Timeyin pointing a gun to her mother’s head.

7KH ÀUVW VHDVRQ GLUHFWHG E\ ODWH %L\L %DQGHOH and Kenneth Gyang, introduced viewers to Sarah and Kemi (Nancy Isime and Ini Dima-Okojie), two friends whose lives spiraled into chaos after a botched wedding, a murder, and a desperate attempt to escape the consequences.

Cast members include Kate Henshaw, Uche -RPER 'DQLHO (WLP (΀RQJ .HKLQGH %DQNROH Gabriel Afolayan, Segun Arinze, and Patrick Doyle.

According to Abudu, the second season will see the return of nearly all favorite characters, with Daniel Oriahi and Kayode Kasum taking the helm as directors.

Michelle Dede, Ifeanyi Kalu, Ben Touitou, Anita ‘Warri Pikin’ Asuoha, Blessing Jessica Obasi,

Idris Elba Pledges Support for Africa Film Industry

I Want to Spread Happiness with My Voice, Says– Gimba Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

T

he news earlier in the month that British actor, Idris Elba would play the role of Okonkwo, the main character in Chinua Achebe’s classic novel, “Things Fall Apart”, in an upcoming TV series adaptation, sparked intense concerns and discussion across art community especially in Nigeria, it seems to be gaining offshoot.

The London-born actor, Elba, who has his roots in Africa with a Ghanaian mother and a Sierra Leonian father, has not stopped at its plans as he recently expressed his dedication to using his influence to elevate the industry in Africa. Elba announced his plans to move to Africa in the next 10 years as he hopes to support the continent’s film industry.

In a film industry event in Ghana, Elba expressed

Fadekemi Olumide, Bolaji Ogunmola and Mike Afolarin will be joining the series in yet to be revealed roles. Inem King, Ted Abudu, Judith Audu, and James Amuta reprise their roles as producers.

The series was released on May 5, 2022, and JDUQHUHG PLOOLRQ YLHZV LQ LWV ÀUVW ZHHN Meanwhile, the multiple-award winning movie SURGXFHU ZKR LV DOVR WKH ÀUVW $IULFDQ ZRPDQ LQ the continent to own a pan-African TV channel, EbonyLife TV, is unequivocally being rated among ZRUOG FODVV ZRPHQ LQ ÀOP DQG WHOHYLVLRQ The CEO of EbonyLife Media shared her excitement in a post, on Instagram, proudly noting that she is the only African woman on the prestigious 2024 list. She expressed hope for a future where more African women are celebrated for their Mo Abudu contributions to global storytelling. opportunities compared to their white counterparts.

She emphasised the need to move beyond the 7KLV OLVW UHFRJQLVHV VLJQLÀFDQW FKDQJHV LQ WKH JOREDO “tokenism” surrounding Black content, highlighting television industry, making the leadership of women that shows with Black characters often receive limited like Mo Abudu essential.

Idris Elba

his intention to boost Africa’s filmmaking industry.

The English actor had earlier teased that he would star as Okonkwo and executive produce “Things Fall Apart”, a TV series adaption still in development at A24 studios.

He also teased upcoming projects to establish film studios in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Accra, Ghana, as part of his vision to strengthen local filmmaking.

F

or Gimba, music has a dual purpose.

“For me, music is about two things: it’s a way to lift people up with love and happiness, and it’s also my voice.

It’s my own form of expression.

It’s how I connect with the world and, at the same time, how I stay grounded in my own journey.”

Growing up, Gimba never pictured himself as a musician, but life had other great plans. Just a year since his debut, he has already collaborated with afrobeats legends like Wizkid, Olamide, Wande Coal, Sarz, and DJ Tunez, a rapid rise he hadn’t expected and is very much in awe of.

On his experience after being in the scene for one year, he said, “As a new artist coming out strong, there was a lot of pressure to maintain

that energy, you know. But I’m grateful God is guiding me through every step of the way. It’s been incredible.”

His newest EP, Amince Da Tsari—meaning “Trust the Process” in Hausa—features Olamide on the standout track ‘Tingrado’ which has been making waves across social platforms.

In all his early success, a determining factor is Gimba’s jazz-infused afrobeats style which sets him apart; a sound he mastered at Sarz Academy in 2022.

Gimba

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

21

POLITY

Embracing Digitalisation in Public Service: Past, Present, Future Chioma Njoku

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t is widely acknowledged that the effectiveness of governance in any nation is determined by the quality and output of its public sector. Unfortunately, the public sector in many African countries is inefficient, condemning citizens to poor public service delivery. Our theory of change at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is that if the African public sector is transformed into one that is effective, values-driven and results-focused, it will lead to a significant improvement in the continent’s socio-economic performance and result in better outcomes for its citizens. Therefore, as an organisation, we are committed to empowering public sector leaders to build a more efficient public sector and ultimately, achieve better public service delivery.

The inefficiency plaguing the Nigerian public sector is due to a number of factors, but key amongst these is the persistent use of manual work processes. Apart from a few exceptions such as the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), the Lagos State Civil Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, and a few others who have digitalised their work processes, many public offices are still stuck in manual and as a result, accountability and efficiency are lacking across the sector.

Back in 2020, recognising the efficiency gains that could be achieved in the public sector from embracing digital technology, we began supporting the OHCSF on its digital transformation journey. We provided funding, strategic and technical support to facilitate the transition of the OHCSF from manual to digital, on a journey that included the following steps: document scanning (digitisation); development of standard operating procedures for work processes; ISO 9001 Certification to ensure effective quality management of work processes; work process automation, and finally digital upskilling of civil servants. Simultaneously, using our work with the OHCSF as a template, we provided strategic and technical support to other Ministries who were embarking on the move from manual to digital.

The OHCSF digitalisation project began as a pilot in 2020 and was completed in 2023. Within this period, other projects have taken off, building on the gains and principles of process automation. The OHCSF now has an electronic workspace management system, is driving an automated performance management system across the Service and has also adopted a digitalised asset registry to reduce the spate of missing official devices.

Significantly, a number of other MDAs such as the Ministries of Transport, Education and Health have also commenced their digital transformation journeys, signaling the advent of a more efficient Nigerian public sector.

“The quality of public service is improving, though not perfect.

Processes for generating passports and National Identification Number (NIN) have seen significant enhancements. The Foundation’s survey indicates improved response times and quality in various registries,” Chioma Njoku, the Foundation’s Director of Programmes, explained, while speaking on the transformation of Nigeria’s Civil Service, 25 years post-independence, on Radio Nigeria.

The transition from manual to digital work processes in the public sector is critical because it can curb the excesses associated

Aig-Imoukhuede with public offices. While digitisation ensures that data (documents, audio, video, etc.) are retained in a digital format for easy retrieval, digitalisation allows work to be done faster and cheaper, making business processes more efficient and more productive. It also enables transparency and accountability, allowing supervisors to track progress on tasks assigned while also eliminating the possibility of losing files, which is common with manual work processes. Digitalisation also reduces the duplication of job functions as the system provides enough data for a Ministry to determine the efficient number of staff required to carry out specific duties, thereby reducing redundancies. Expectedly, the digitalisation of the OHCSF has yielded tremendous results. Assessments from 2022 and 2023 show significant improvements in operational efficiency, cost reduction, and improved job performance among civil servants as a result

of the digitalisation of their work processes, digital upskilling and the adoption of best practices.

A major challenge with digitalising the work processes within public offices is the low level of technological know-how among civil servants. To solve this problem, we partnered with Microsoft Philanthropies and Wootlab Foundation to train civil servants on how to incorporate technology into their work. To date, 175 civil servants have been digitally upskilled through this partnership with many more to come. While speaking on Radio Nigeria, Njoku clarified that no civil servant will be laid off due to digitalisation but rather for a lack of competence. Civil servants are, therefore, encouraged to ensure their relevance in the new digital by getting digitally upskilled.

Over the next year, our work at the Foundation will be to ensure that as many ministries, departments and agencies as possible follow in the steps of the OHCSF and are fully digitalised. This will set the stage for the next stage of the journey, which is full public sector digital transformation. A digitally transformed public service is one in which public services are envisioned and implemented in a manner that eases the lives of citizens and improves the country’s productive capacity; where public services are rendered seamlessly to citizens irrespective of their geographical locations; where service beneficiaries do not have to input their details multiple times across different public and private agencies because their data would have been synchronised due to digitally enabled interministerial and interagency communication and collaboration; and where payments for government services are made digitally and seamlessly.

This public sector digital transformation has been achieved in many developed countries and developing countries such as India, Kenya and South Africa are not far behind on their transformation journeys. Clearly, digital transformation is the future of public service; Nigeria must commit to the process so that it does not get left behind.

Njoku is the Director of Programmes at AigImoukhuede Foundation

RCCG Parish Supports Members Amid Economic Challenges

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worship service at The Envoys, a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), located at Excellence Hotel Ogba, Lagos, took a heartwarming turn, when Pastor Daniel Olawande, the lead pastor, asked members to write down their account numbers.

What started as a fun activity turned into a gesture of financial support for the members as they navigated the challenging economic situation in Nigeria.

With the rising cost of living in the country placing a heavy burden on many families and the desire to ease the financial strain on his church members,

L-R: Director, Community Communications, Agbeyewa, Alhaji Dauda Lawal; General Manager, Cavista Holdings, Mr. Tony Iloh; Director of Operations, Agbeyewa, Ms. Anthonia Attoh; Chairman, Odua Trade Fair Organising Committee, Chief. Kola Akosile; Executive Director, Agbeyewa, Mr. Oska Seyi-Aiyeleso and Director of Marketing, Cavista Holdings, Mr. Wole Adedeji, during a media parley at the ongoing 5th Odua International Trade Fair Expo held at International Trade Fair Complex, Sango, Ibadan ....yesterday

allowing them to meet some of their basic needs during these tough times, the church initiative, which involved the distribution of between N3,000 and N10,000 stipends to members, sparked widespread excitement and gratitude on social media.

The news of the stipend quickly spread online, with many church members taking to social media to share their excitement and appreciation. In heartfelt posts, beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the leadership of the church, highlighting the impact of the gesture on their lives. Many emphasised how the financial support has come at a critical time, helping them cover daily

expenses such as food, transportation, and other essentials.

One church member, who shared her story on Twitter, said, “Our Pastor has shown us the true meaning of love and care in the church. This cash gift stipend may seem small, but it has made a big difference in my life. We are so grateful to have a leader who looks out for our well-being in these difficult times.”

Another member echoed this sentiment, stating, “In a world where many are struggling to make ends meet, this act of kindness from our Pastor is a breath of fresh air. It reminds us that the church is not just a place of worship but also a community of support and love.”

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Mr. Kamar Bakrin; Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Group Managing Director/CEO, Ravindra Singhvi; Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Industry, Dr. Enitan Dolapo Badru; and Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Executive Director Operations, Hajia Mariya Aliko Dangote, during the House Committee on Industry members oversight visit with the National Sugar Development Council to Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Apapa Refinery. Lagos on Thursday 24th October, 2024

L-R: General Counsel, Victor Tulutu Briggs Foundation VTBF, Mr. Mrs. Winnie Morganson; Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Owunari Abraham Georgewill; President, Victor Tulutu Briggs FoundaL-R: Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Funsho Lawal, and his wife, Olabisi Lawal at Metropolitan Club, Lagos dur- tion VTBF, Hon. Victor Briggs; Celebrant, Pastor David Ibiyeomie; and Deputy Director DSS, Mr. Bernard ing the final burial of Funsho Lawal’s mother recently.

Laah at 62th birthday of Pastor David Ibiyeomie held in Port Harcourt… recently.

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

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PERSPECTIVE

Rabiu Olowo’s First Year at FRC: Achievements, Challenges Donatus Eleko

Establishment of Technical Working Group for IVSC

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ince he was appointed the Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, has continued to drive the transformation of the regulatory and financial reporting agency.

Olowo, a highly accomplished Corporate Reporting and Public Finance Leader with a proven track record in developing and implementing Corporate Governance practices in both private and public institutions, has not hidden his passion for the job as he continues to take steps to change the narrative at the agency.

As a Professor of Practice in Forensic Accounting, Finance & Public Policy, his expertise and experience have significantly impacted the FRC’s mission of promoting transparency, accountability, and excellence in financial reporting.

With a distinguished academic background and a wealth of professional qualifications, Olowo has ushered in a breadth of knowledge at the FRC, with a drive to ensure improved accuracy and reliability of financial reports and corporate disclosures in the country.

Armed with an MBA from the University of Lagos, an MSc. in Accounting & Finance from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, UK, and a PhD in Forensic Accounting and Auditing, the Chartered Accountant, Chartered Management Accountant, Certified Internal Controls Auditor, and a Certified Fraud Examiner, has in the last one year ensured improved standards among auditors and other professionals engaged in the financial reporting process; enhanced the credibility of financial reporting; and improved the quality of accountancy and audit services, actuarial, valuation and corporate governance standards.

Olowo’s previous role as Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State (2019-2023) also prepared him for this task as he has showcased exceptional leadership capabilities in managing the fiscal policies of one of Africa’s largest economies.

His appointment as the Executive Secretary of the FRC no doubt ushered in a new era of growth and innovation within the Council, through his transformation agenda, known as “DOSE”—which stands for Digitisation, Operational Excellence, Stakeholder Engagement, and Enforcement.

DOSE aims to establish the FRC as a leader in the global financial reporting landscape while ensuring balanced growth across its operations. One year into this transformative journey, the impact of Dr. Olowo’s leadership is evident across all directorates of the Council.

The FRC’s initiatives have garnered significant attention from both local and international stakeholders, showcasing its commitment to advancing best practices in financial reporting, auditing, and corporate governance in Nigeria.

Adoption of IFRS S1 and S2 Sustainability Standards

In the last one year, the FRC, under the leadership of Olowo, has secured the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite for the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) S1 and S2 sustainability standards in Nigeria. Olowo, recently disclosed that with the early adoption stage of the IFRS S1 and S2, some listed entities have demonstrated leadership in reporting their sustainability-related risks and opportunities. He had listed Access, Fidelity Banks, Seplat Energy, and MTN, as s few companies that had started to comply with the new sustainability standards.

He said, “We have now entered the voluntary stage, which will run from 2024 to 2027, serving as a learning curve in preparation for the mandatory period beginning in 2028.”

The disclosure standards could unlock capital investments, safeguard the environment for future generations. The ISSB framework offers a groundbreaking approach for organisations to disclose climate-related risks and opportunities, enhancing transparency, consistency, and informed decisionmaking.

Launch of Roadmap for Sustainability Reporting Standards Adoption

The FRC under Olowo in April this year, released the roadmap report for the adoption of IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in Nigeria. This report marked a significant step towards promoting sustainability and enhancing corporate reporting practices in the country. The report also outlined necessary steps and guidelines for the adoption of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in Nigeria. These standards, developed by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), aim to provide a comprehensive framework for organizations to disclose their sustainability-related information. The Roadmap Report for Adoption of IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in Nigeria was developed by the Adoption Readiness Working Group (ARWG) comprising industry regulators, donor agencies, preparers (private organisations), professional

In a significant development aimed at advancing financial reporting and valuation standards, Nick Talbot, the Chief Executive of the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) this year paid a courtesy visit to Olowo, in Abuja.

During the meeting, Olowo promised a continuous and mutually beneficial relationship between the IVSC and the FRC. He emphasised that the establishment of the Directorate of Valuation Standards on January 23, 2024, came at a crucial time when President Tinubu’s roadmap for economic transformation, aiming to achieve a $1 trillion economy.

This roadmap emphasises the importance of sound financial reporting and corporate governance practices, connecting them to the overall economic goals of Nigeria. Olowo underscored the critical role played by robust valuation standards in ensuring credible financial reporting. Assuring the IVSC of FRC’s commitment to global best practices, Olowo emphasised that the Directorate of Valuation Standards will adhere to these standards in all its operations and practices.

Establishment of Nigerian Actuarial Development Programme

Olowo accounting organisations (PAOs), and assurance providers, amongst others.

Creation of Seven Directorates

Additionally, in the last one year, the FRC has achieved the full complement of the seven Directorates by making functional the Directorate of Valuation Standards and the Directorate of Actuarial Standards and the establishment of the Sustainability Reporting Unit. The significant development came years after the establishment of the Council and under the leadership of Olowo. The establishment of the new Directorates was a testament to the FRC’s commitment to fully implement the FRC Act 2011 (as amended) that provided for seven directorates and therefore created a robust and comprehensive oversight framework as envisaged in the Act establishing the Council. The Directorate of Actuarial Standards and the Directorate of Valuation Standards now play pivotal roles in enhancing oversight, ensuring the highest quality in financial reporting and corporate governance standards, and promoting confidence among investors.

Commencement of Audit Quality Reviews of Firms

The FRC has also commenced an audit quality review of firms to ensure credible financial reporting across the country. Olowo, described proactive regulation as a term used to describe approaches and programs that try to prevent regulatory and service problems from occurring by identifying harmful practices that could potentially lead to harm, rather than dealing with alleged misconduct after complaints are filed.

He said: “The bedrock of the transformation agenda of the council going forward is to ensure maximum compliance with the FRC Act 2011 (as amended), and other statutory instruments released by the Council.

“FRC intends to give full credibility to any financial statements coming out of Nigeria in a way that investors can rely on the information in the statements.

“A new FRC that will be firm and fair in carrying out her mandate; that will hold corporates and individuals accountable; and that will restore confidence in corporate reports and governance in the Nigerian economy thereby enhance the renewed hope of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.

Exposure Drafts of Public, Not-forProfit Sectors Codes

The FRCN recently released exposure drafts for both the Nigeria Public Sector Governance Code and the Nigeria Not-for-Profit Governance Code, meaning these proposed codes are currently open for public comment and feedback before being finalized as official regulations. The goal is to establish standards and guidelines for good governance practices within Nigerian public sector entities and notfor-profit organisations respectively. These documents are currently exposure drafts, which means they are in the public consultation phase where stakeholders can provide input before the final codes are issued.

Under Olowo, the FRC has inaugurated the Nigerian Actuarial Development Programme (NADP) Workgroup to foster growth, innovation, and excellence within the field of actuarial practice in Nigeria.

The establishment of the workgroup underscored the FRC’s unwavering commitment to nurturing local talent, driving innovation, and propelling the profession of actuarial science forward in Nigeria. By uniting experts and stakeholders, the Council aims to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning. The vision for the NADP workgroup is to cultivate a pipeline of skilled professionals who would fuel sustainable growth, advocate for financial inclusion, and mitigate risks within our economy. Through targeted training, mentorship, and capacity-building initiatives, the Council aspires to empower individuals to excel in this dynamic field and contribute meaningfully to our nation’s developmental agenda. The NADP Workgroup is led by Olowo as Chairman and Mr. Rotimi Okpaise as Coordinator and includes distinguished professionals from various organizations and institutions.

Integration of FRC’s Database with NIN and Issued SME CGG

Also, the FRC has in the last one year integrated its database with the National Identification Number (NIN) verification system for enhanced data integrity Completed and also issued the Small and Medium Enterprises Corporate Governance Guidelines (SME CGG) to boost activities of operators of small businesses. Furthermore, through strengthened collaborations with local and international regulators, professional bodies and associations, the FRC was voted as the Vice president of the African Forum of Independent Accounting and Auditing Regulators (AFIAAR) thereby enhancing Nigeria’s global recognition. Also, in the last one year, the Council has recorded enhanced technical capacity through professional development of staff both locally and internationally. Finally, it has cleared all outstanding employee gratuity claims and severance packages, thereby ensuring financial closure.

Challenges

The FRC no doubt faces several challenges in its mission to ensure the quality and relevance of financial reporting in the country. Some of the key challenges include limited resources, due to limited resources which hinders its ability to effectively monitor and enforce financial reporting standards; lack of awareness as many companies in the country are not fully aware of the importance of financial reporting standards or the need to ensure compliance, and the need to address complexity of Financial Reporting Standards and make financial reports less difficult to understand and implement.

Conclusion

Therefore, to address these challenges, the FRC must work to increase its resources, improve awareness and compliance with financial reporting standards, strengthen its enforcement mechanisms, provide technical assistance to companies, and build trust with the public and the business community.

Also, Olowo must remain focused on driving reforms at the FRC to ensure that the agency’s mandates of ensuring good corporate governance practices in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy; accuracy and reliability of financial reports and corporate disclosures, among others.

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

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PERSPECTIVE

Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: How UBA Foundation’s NEC is Shaping Nigeria’s Youth Adedapo Salmon

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hen young Ikenna Obinna Ugwuegbulam’s father succumbed to cancer, the loss was devastating. This was made even more poignant because his father never got to see him enter university.

Through his father’s prodding, he had earlier applied for the United Bank for Africa’s (UBA) Foundation’s National Essay Competition (NEC) that year, and the education grant which he clinched after emerging the winner of that year’s edition, would be one that helped him through what he described as one of the darkest periods in his life, as he lost his dad just before he got into the higher institution.

To Ikenna - who won the 2021 edition of NEC- the competition embodies more than a writing competition; it was an opportunity born out of a father’s love and ambition for his child. “My dad motivated me to participate after seeing my classmate’s name and picture published in one of the national dailies as a winner in a previous edition,” Ikenna recalls. The pride in his father’s eyes when Ikenna emerged as the winner is a memory he continues to cherish.

“The grant made my university education financially seamless,” Ikenna says. Today, as a Product Manager at Kuda Bank and with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Lagos, Ikenna stands as real-life evidence of the Foundation’s mission, which is to empower African youth through education.

Ikenna’s story is one of the many profound impacts of the NEC, an initiative of the UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of UBA Plc, which is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities where it operates, focusing on development in areas of education, environment, economic empowerment and special projects.

For 14 years, the NEC initiative has been transforming lives. The competition, which is open to senior secondary school students across Nigeria, asks participants to write on thought-provoking topics, challenging them to think critically and express themselves.

UBA Foundation recently commenced the 2024 essay competition, promising an even grander scale than previous editions. The competition was restructured to a multi-tiered approach which will start with the selection of the top 75 entries from thousands of applicants. Each of these top 75 will be rewarded with a N75,000 cash prize.

Following this first phase, a second round of competition will unfold across four regions in Nigeria, which are Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, where these 75 candidates will vie to be among the top 20 finalists, and will then be tasked with writing a final essay to determine the top three winners.

This competition extends more than a financial lifeline to the participants as it presents them with an avenue to discover themselves and their hidden potential.

Chairman, UBA, Tony Elumelu For instance, Fehintoluwa Miriam Fabelurin, a science student in her final year of secondary school, took a leap of faith at her English teacher’s suggestion and applied.

In her own words, “It seemed like something I could do, even though I was in the sciences at the time. The competition brought out the best in me, especially when it came to writing and research. It was a great way to be encouraged to develop the hidden potential I never knew I had in me.”

That leap paid off when she was announced as one of the 12 finalists, and, eventually, the overall winner. Today, Fabelurin, who is doing her housemanship at Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, stands proudly as a medical doctor; her journey from essay winner to a healthcare professional is another shining example of the Foundation’s long-term impact. “The scholarship helped me all through my years as a medical student,” she says, emphasising how the financial support allowed her to focus on her demanding studies without the added stress of financial burden.

This sentiment is echoed by Nwajiaku-Nwadike Vivian, who secured the third position in the 2011 edition of the competition. Now a practicing lawyer with a fierce passion for justice, Vivian credits the Foundation for playing a pivotal role in her journey.

“Winning the essay competition and receiving the tertiary education grant remains one of the most defining moments in my life as I pursue zeal for a more just society and Nigeria,” she says, adding that, “The grant provided me with the financial support I needed to complete my law degree without

distraction.”

The ripple effect of the UBA Foundation’s initiative extends beyond individual success stories. It is about creating a generation of African youth who are not only educated but also confident in their abilities and eager to make a difference in society.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, reinforced this as she pointed out that the transformation the African continent can only be spurred by quality education, adding that this is the doctrine that the UBA Foundation has committed to.

“Africa cannot know true development until it turns its fortune in education around. The African population is very youthful; hence, the young ones are the lifeblood of this continent and to make this continent better, each of these young ones need access to quality education as they will grow to become public administrators, officials, human rights activists, and many more,” she notes.

Atta explained that the engine of human society runs on its people, and the quality of human capital is fundamentally shaped by education, adding “When we invest in education, we elevate entire communities. Each educated child represents not just an individual success story, but a catalyst for positive change through our society as a whole,” she notes.

Cognisant of the current Nigerian economic reforms, the effect of inflationary pressures, and the wide-scale increment in tertiary school tuitions, the foundation made a commendable decision to substantially increase the educational grants awarded to the participants by 100 per cent. The first-place winner will be given a N7.5 million grant to pursue their studies at any African university of their choosing, while the second and third-place recipients will be awarded N5 million and N3.5 million, respectively, a clear testament to the foundation’s commitment to fostering educational excellence despite challenging economic circumstances.

Speaking on the quality of essays that have been received in the past years and their impact, Prof. Asabe Kabir Usman, a long-standing judge of the NEC, said she was “amazed by the depth of insight” young students bring to complex issues during the competition. Professor Usman emphasised that the competition gives a platform for the authentic voices and fresh perspectives these students bring to contemporary issues, noting that when she reads entries, she sees more than wellstructured essays but future leaders developing their critical thinking and finding their voices. “It is particularly rewarding to follow their journeys years later and see how that early spark of curiosity has blossomed into meaningful careers and contributions to society,” she added.

The stories of Ikenna, Fehintoluwa, and Vivian and others are just a few examples of the hundreds of lives touched by their participation in this competition. Each year, as new winners are announced and more educational dreams are realised, the UBA Foundation reaffirms its commitment to nurturing the potential of African youth.

Festival of Fervors for Oloyede at 70 Tunde Akanni

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hen Dr. Abdul Kareem Oloyede, son of the retiring Prof Is-haq Oloyede walked up to the stage to thank everyone who made it to the two-day ceremonies organised in honour of his dad, his speech almost turned out to be a character sketch of the honouree.

“Daddy would give you an assignment… Once he begins to feel that you’re not likely to be prompt with timing, the next thing is a call from him. That call is to inform you that he has done the same job.”

Abdul Kareem however wished his retiring dad a good life and hoped he would make the best of it.

“He is a most loving dad. One that would do his best to offer excellent support, advice and guidance. Always there…”

The strongest reinforcement to Prof Oloyede’s character of relentlessness was the pleasantly surprising announcement by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III. The Sultan had encountered a most daunting experience trying to make it to Ilorin. His flight was arbitrarily rescheduled even as the notice of rescheduling was rather short. Making it to Ilorin for Oloyede was a task that must not only be done but timeously too, he had resolved.

According to the Sultan, he had watched with relish Oloyede’s relationship with Prof. Olaolu Ali, who, not a few will readily conclude is Oloyede’s alter ego. Until this occasion however, Sultan confessed, he had never seen Ali wear a turban. It was Ali’s style of announcing his new status as, Kuliya Ngeri of Ilorin. Never in want of wit, Ali had reiterated to the Oloyede festival audience packed full in the University of Ilorin’s biggest auditorium that he would like to self-indulge by being the only one that could casually pronounce Oloyede’s name without any of his earned titles. He went to emphasise loudly that he was also at the event representing the Emir of Ilorin, thus wearing, according to him, two mega caps. Ali’s messages sank in well into the audience.

The Sultan’s turn to talk was yet another twinning opportunity for Oloyede and Ali. He promised to attend the turbanning ceremony of Ali to the loud applause of the entire auditorium. He then went on to express his personal appreciation of Oloyede’s integrity, industry and all, largely the

live version of the words of commendation in the unusually long presidential tribute from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Prof Oloyede.

Beyond the tributes, the Sultan also prayed for Oloyede and stated how proud he had always been associating with Oloyede.

To crown it all, His Eminence personally announced the title of Kuliya of Sokoto for Oloyede. Loud shouts of surprise and praise for both the Sultan and Oloyede suffused the hall immediately. Suddenly, two Kuliya in the same hall, both soulmates! Earlier in the year, like a bolt from the blues, Ali, most deservingly, had also been announced as a professor of practice to the profound delight of the mutual friends and admirers of both Oloyede and Ali for which many congregated at Ile-Ife for a grand reception.

The entire stretch of the two-day Oloyede Festival put together by all the universities in Kwara State otherwise referred to as KU8+ was as bounteously colourful as it was punctuated by poetic timing. The flier announcing the programme had stated that the second leg of the ceremony would feature the public presentation of the book written in honour of Prof Oloyede. Initially conceptualised as one volume comprising two parts, the project was so heavily oversubscribed that the organisers were compelled to settle for two volumes, one containing tributes and the other containing scholarly works.

The event was scheduled for the 10th hour on the 10th of October, the birthday anniversary of the man of the day.

Ali with all of his numerous capacities managed the public presentation of the two volumes. In addition to the vitality of the Naira rain, almost everyone expected to launch the book was either physically present or well represented.

The event had personalities that came all the way from Ghana, such as Prof Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, Accra.

Oyewole recalled how Oloyede, serially sacrificed his own status for others to rise. He did not forget to announce that he remained a great beneficiary of Oloyede’s selflessness.

Further to Oyewole’s claim on Oloyede, the Vice-Chancellor of African School of Economics, Prof Mahfouz Adedimeji posited that one leadership lesson derivable from the retiring don’s career was the need to be like coffee in hot water.

“If hot water is applied to potatoes, eggs and coffee they react differently…coffee dominates and changes the challeng-

Oloyede ing environment and its rich aroma fills the place.

“We can all feel this aromatic coffee as Prof Oloyede has mastered the art and science of converting daunting challenges to opportunities.”

Although a distinct volume was dedicated to tributes, the event gathered many tributes that may be published in another volume.

Indeed, the height of it all was the call for yet another publication. That call came from the governor of the home state of Prof Oloyede, Prince Dapo Abiodun, of Ogun State represented by Senator Salis Shuaib incidentally representing the senatorial constituency of Oloyede.

In a most outstanding appreciation of Oloyede’s successful career and public conduct as an inimitable icon of integrity, Abiodun had requested that Oloyede should commence writing of his memoir for the upcoming generations to inspire them to greatness. So much really, to learn from Oloyede.

The previous day, he had given a special lecture, another in the series of University Lecture. Oloyede’s scholarly adventure and administrative acumen have always been such that revealed rare versatility often reflective of borderlessness of knowledge.

Akanni is an associate professor of journalism at LASU. Connect with him on X:@AkintundeAkanni Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

FEATURES

Safeguarding Nigeria’s Wildlife Some species of wildlife are going into extinction worldwide, especially in Nigeria, and this dangerous trend needs to be checked, writes Michael Olugbode

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he importance of wildlife is not known to many and as such it is often placed under existential threat. Many do not know that threats to wildlife are threats to human existence. This is because wildlife has multifaceted importance and is essential for maintaining the balance of ecosystems, human wellbeing, and the planet’s health.

Some of the importance of wildlife can be classified as ecological which includes: Biodiversity, ecosystem services, food chains, and habitat maintenance. Also, its environmental importance includes climate regulation, and soil conservation, among others.

To the Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office, Nigeria, Danilo Campisi, the World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 reminds everyone that harms resulting from wildlife crime include a range of interlinked negative environmental, social, economic and governance impacts, which are evident in the ongoing exploitation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity.

Campisi speaking recently at the launch of the International Consortium for Combatting Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit for Nigeria – the ICCWC Toolkit Report, noted that the Wildlife Chapter of UNODC’s Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria, published in 2023, cited UNODC’s World Wildlife Seizures Database, to have revealed that there are over 1,000 records between 2011 and 2020 indicating Nigeria as a source, transit, or destination country, or where the offender was a Nigerian national.

The research also found that increased enforcement activities at Apapa Port may have led traffickers to use other Nigerian ports more frequently.

The report, according to him, further identified border towns like Gaya in Niger, near the borders of both Nigeria and the Benin Republic, as strategic sites where wildlife products like elephant ivory and pangolin scales are stored before being imported into Nigeria.

Another finding suggests that armed groups are increasingly involved in the illegal harvesting and trafficking of rosewood, with nine park rangers losing their lives in violent encounters with illegal loggers in Gashaka-Gumti National Park.

Additionally, findings from the World Wildlife Report 2024 launched in Vienna this year, indicates that rosewood has been severely depleted due to unsustainable exploitation. The CITES ban on rosewood exports from Nigeria may have come just in time to save the species from complete extinction.

“However, this has placed pressure on other wood species in Nigerian forests. The research indicates that with the depletion of rosewood and the CITES ban, loggers have swiftly moved on to the Apa species, scientifically known as Afzelia. Like Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood), Afzelia species are nitrogen-fixing legumes, and Afzelia africana is reported to reduce erosion and be somewhat fire-resistant. Its exploitation, therefore, creates real harm to local communities,” he added.

The World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 reminds everyone that the harms resulting from wildlife crime include a range of interlinked negative environmental, social, economic, and governance impacts, which are evident in the ongoing exploitation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity.

“While the Nigeria Customs Service must be commended for its efforts which has resulted in increased seizures at land, sea, and airport border points, twothirds of all seizures involving Nigeria were reported by authorities of other countries. This suggests that interception capabilities still need to be strengthened.

“Enhanced information exchange and cooperation with relevant authorities in countries of origin, transit, and destination offer opportunities for intelligence-led operations and parallel or joint investigations aimed at detecting and dismantling trafficking networks.

“In this context, it is critical to understand what further steps are required to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife and forest products,” Campisi explained.

Speaking further, Campisi revealed that the ICCWC Analytical Toolkit for Nigeria, conducted by UNODC in cooperation with all relevant Nigerian authorities under the overall lead of the Federal Ministry of Environment, examined the effectiveness of the legal and regulatory environment, as well as the institutional capacities of specialised law enforcement, prosecution, and the judiciary to prevent, detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate wildlife and forest crimes.

“This assessment provides important inputs for the effective implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria 2022-2026, which was first launched in 2022,” he said.

He noted that: The ICCWC toolkit report provides us with new insights and recommendations aimed to strengthen the legal and institutional response to wildlife

and forest crime in Nigeria and I urge all national stakeholders to work together to advance the implementation of these recommendations.”

According to UNODC’s findings, wildlife and forest crime is a serious and escalating issue. The United Nations agency said recently, Nigeria has become a major transit hub for trafficking illicit wildlife products, including pangolin scales, ivory, and other protected species from Eastern and Central Africa. These products enter the country through porous land borders and exploit Nigeria’s advanced sea and airport infrastructure.

To combat these challenges, the Government of Nigeria requested support from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) in 2019 to implement the Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit and the ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime. The ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, according to UNODC, enables a comprehensive assessment of a country’s preventive, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial responses to wildlife and forest crime. It reviews data systems, processes, and wildlife demand, identifying strengths and gaps in current responses.

The Toolkit provides short and long-term recommendations to address key challenges, offering an evidence base for authorities and ICCWC to enhance national responses to wildlife and forest crime. The results are compiled into a comprehensive report, informing the development of specific work plans for national capacity-building and technical assistance.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has finalized the findings of the ICCWC Toolkit Assessment for Nigeria. The report outlines 33 recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s wildlife criminal justice system. Key recommendations include: Supporting the Endangered Species Protection and Conservation Bill 2024; Scaling up joint wildlife investigations through a Joint Investigations Team, including the Nigeria Customs Service, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), INTERPOL National Central Bureau, and anti-money laundering agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); and establishing a wildlife crime unit in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, among others.

To underline its seriousness to combat the crime on wildlife, the federal government, through its Ministry of Environment, endorsed the ICCWC Toolkit report, with UNODC promising to support the implementation of its recommendations.

At the launch of the report recently in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal, represented by the Director of Planning and Research, in the Ministry, Stanley Jonah, noted that while Nigeria has taken several proactive steps to combat wildlife crime, much more needs to be done as wildlife crime is a complex transnational issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Speaking at the launch of the international consortium on combating wildlife toolkit assessment report for Nigeria, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass, said Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in our nation’s efforts to safeguard its rich biodiversity and to curb the illegal activities that threaten our wildlife and natural heritage.

He added: “Nigeria is a nation blessed with an abundance of natural endemic iconic natural resources such as gorilla, elephant, pangolin, ostrich, lion, flora, including some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. However, these blessings come with immense responsibility.

“Over the past few decades, we have witnessed an alarming increase in wildlife crime, including poaching, illegal logging, and trafficking of endangered species. These crimes only threaten our environment but also undermine the rule of law, fuel corruption, and deprive communities of their livelihoods, undermine public health and natural security.”

He reiterated the commitment of the government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations in partnership with international and domestic stakeholders.

At the launch of the Toolkit, the UNODC Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Danilo Campisi, emphasised the urgency of implementing the Toolkit’s recommendations, citing key data and research trends. The 2023 Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria and the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report both highlight the severe depletion of Rosewood in Nigeria, noting that the CITES ban on rosewood exports may have come just in time to prevent the species’ extinction.

Representative of the European Union Delegation, on his part, noted that the EU considers Nigeria a priority country to support counter-wildlife crime interventions.

He advised that the recommendations in the report should be taken seriously by the Office of the Minister of Environment, Conservator General of the National Parks Service and other security agencies. He pledged the EU’s support to continue to provide knowledge, skills and wider capacity to combat wildlife crimes in Nigeria.

A recent report showed that Nigeria boasts a diverse range of ecosystems teeming with a wide variety of wildlife. This natural wealth is the result of climatic variations within the country that create a range of habitats that support more than 1,340 species of animals, including 274 mammalian species.

This makes Nigeria the country in Africa with the eighth-highest number of different animal species. Among the prominent wildlife species are the West African lion (although only 30–50 adult lions are remaining in Kainji Lake National Park and Yankari Game Reserve), pangolin, leopard, spotted hyena, African forest elephant, African savannah elephant, Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee, Cross River gorilla and, historically, black rhino. Unfortunately, many of these iconic species are under severe threat owing to poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat loss. Nigeria is also blessed with abundant flora, including extensive mangrove forests, vast tropical grasslands, and savannah. The tree species Pterocarpus erinaceus, known as kosso or West African rosewood, holds great value and is the most traded species of tropical wood globally. The government and citizens of Nigeria have a great task to preserve this great heritage and pass it on as legacy to our children.

The International Consortium for Combatting Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit for Nigeria – the ICCWC Toolkit Report has provided the needed impetus, it is however hoped it would be implemented with all seriousness not only for the survival of wildlife but also for the sustenance and survival of Nigerians.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

PERSONAL FINANCE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

Firms Urged to Boost Tech Investment for Inclusion

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

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Charles Ajunwa ˾ ͸΀͸;ͼͺ;΀΁;΀ ˾ ËÔßØáËÍÒËÜÖÏÝ̶Ñ×ËÓÖ˛ÍÙ×

As Creative, Arts, Culture

Enthusiasts Gather in Lagos Managwu Emerges ÒËÜÖÏÝ ÔßØáË áÜÓÞÏÝ ÞÒËÞ ÍÜÏËÞÓàϘ ËÜÞݘ ËØÎ ÍßÖÞßÜÏ ÏØÞÒßÝÓËÝÞÝ áÓÖÖ ÌÏ ÝÒÙáÍËÝÓØÑ HATMAN President ÞÒÏÓÜ ÎÓʥÏÜÏØÞ ÞËÖÏØÞÝ ËÞ ÐÜÙÚÙÖÓÝ ËÑÙÝ ͺ͸ͺͼ Dr. Lillian Managwu has emerged as

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agos, the City of Excellence, will be playing host to young talented creatives, artistes, innovators, visual artists and many more from within and outside Nigeria who are participating in this year’s Afropolis Lagos 2024 taking place between October 26 and November 3.

The nine-day international programme themed ‘Within New Myth’, is powered by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture led by Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka in collaboration with the originator, Curator/ Artistic Director Afropolis, Qudus Onikeku, supported by Qdance Centre led by its Executive Director, Hajarat Alli.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday at J Randle Centrexm for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos Island, to announce the kick off of Afropolis, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said, “In Lagos, we have everything that can compete with rest of the world and everything about African culture is in Lagos.”

Omotoso, who described Afropolis as a tip of an iceberg on what the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Benson-Awoyinka is capable of doing, said her coming on board has witnessed many events happening in the sector. “From all we have seen so far, this is just a tip of the iceberg,” he said.

Benson-Awoyinka, who dressed in an Adire fabric with a long gold chain dangling on her neck, declared that Lagos has everything to compete with rest of the world, noting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the number one tourism, arts and cultural enthusiast of the state wants the whole world to see the creative potential in Lagos.

“In Lagos, we have everything that can compete with rest of the world and everything about African culture is in Lagos.

“I’m excited,” the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture enthused, adding, “I know that a lot of commitments have been put in here.

Mr. Governor is excited about this programme.

He wants the whole world to see Lagos as that hub people don’t know Lagos as...

“This is almost a homecoming for our creatives to explore a convergence of people in the industry. I want to thank Governor Sanwo-Olu for encouraging young people...

“This event, which is a groundbreaking nine-day international festival of arts, culture,

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mr. Idowu Johnson; Executive Director, Qdance Centre, Haragat Alli; Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso; Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, and Curator/Artistic Director Afropolis, Qudus Onikeku, during a press conference to announce the kick off of Afropolis Lagos 2024 held at J Randle Centrexm for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos Island creativity, and innovation, kicks off from the 26th of this month till the 3rd of November.

“As we prepare to embark on this extraordinary creative journey, I am filled with pride and convinced that the rich cultural heritage and creative spirit that defines Lagos metropolis and our lovely nation will further be projected for this period of nine days.

“Afropolis is not just an event; it is a celebration of our identity, a showcase of our talents, and a testament to the power of creativity to unite and inspire. From October 26th to November 3rd, Lagos will become the epicentre of African creativity, welcoming artists, innovators, and enthusiasts from across the continent and beyond.”

Highlighting some of the activities scheduled for this creative event, Benson-Awoyinka said, “Our opening day, October 26th, will kick off with a VIP preview and cocktail, followed by a grand opening ceremony at The Vibez Stage. We are honoured to host a fireside chat with our esteemed Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, where we will explore Lagos’ role as a hub for the global African

creative economy.

“On October 27th, the streets of Lagos Island will come alive with a vibrant carnival procession, embodying the spirit and energy of our people. The day will culminate in the Afropolis G.A.V.E (Global African Vibez Exchange), a testament to our commitment to fostering international collaborations.

“October 28th marks a historic moment with the official opening of the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History. We are privileged to have Mr. Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu lead us on a tour of this significant cultural landmark.

“Throughout the festival, we will host daily film programmes, interactive art installations, and performances that span the spectrum of African creativity – from traditional to contemporary, from dance to music, from visual arts to technology.

“Our closing weekend will feature an International Performance Weekend, showcasing the incredible talents of our Afropolis Tribe of 2024, followed by a grand finale Afro House and EDM Rave on November 3rd.”

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he 2024 Ofala Festival might have come and gone but the glitz, buzz and glamour will remain indelible in the minds of thousands of cultural enthusiasts who travelled from far and wide to be part of the annual fiesta which showcased the unique royal attires, dance steps, costumes and even delicacies of Onitsha people. The Ofala, which is indigenous to the people of Onitsha in Anambra State from the Southeastern part of Nigeria, comes up every October.

The dramatis personae is no other person than His Royal Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha and Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe.

The Obi of Onitsha whenever he emerges from annual seclusion, a period he negotiates the fortunes of the kingdom, celebrates the successful completion of this spiritual exercise. Apart from the Ofala being a reenactment of the joy which the monarch shared with his subjects at the discovery that yam is non-toxic and a valuable source of food, it’s also an opportunity for the monarch following his seclusion to review his army and obtain the assurance of loyalty from his generals: redcap chiefs (Ndichie). History has it that in the olden days, the monarch was rarely seen in public, and the Ofala provides an opportunity for his subjects to catch a glimpse of him, which is why they gather in large numbers at the Ofala to pay homage to their king. This culture has survived many generations.

Apart from the display of royal dances, tributes, parades and music which runs over two days, the

Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe in his royal attire during the 2024 Ofala Festival first day Iru Ofala is primarily for the monarch attended by the Ndichie, the monarch wearing his full regalia parades the arena of his palace on three different occasions, in full view of all present, and dances to the war drums. In between the rounds, his subjects, visitors, and stakeholders

in the greater cosmopolitan city, pay him their respects.

The second day, Azu Ofala is an elaborate display by his subjects usually made up of age grade societies in their very colourful uniforms.

Each society dances past the throne room paying homage to the monarch. All these lead to entertainment which gives expression to a rich cultural heritage based on sacred values.

Chairman of the Ofala Steering Committee, Chief Mike Areh, Onya Ozoma of Onitsha, who announced the dates for this year’s Ofala Festival themed ‘Courage, Perseverance and Self-Reliance’ which he translated into Igbo language as “Onye Kwe, Chi’e ekwe”, said it reflected the monarch’s message of hope and resilience amid the prevailing hunger and hardships in Nigeria.

“The theme resonates deeply with our people’s resolve to overcome adversity.

“This reflects the monarch’s message of hope and resilience in the face of prevailing hardships in the country.

“As we navigate the challenges of our time, we draw inspiration from our rich cultural heritage and the timeless values of our ancestors.

“The 2024 Ofala Eze Onitsha is a call to action, urging us to tap into our inner strength, our collective resilience, and our unwavering commitment to one another.

“We are proud to showcase our rich cultural heritage and promote unity among our people and invite everyone to join us in celebrating the 2024 Ofala.

“On behalf of the Ofala Steering Committee, we express gratitude to the esteemed sponsors of the festival, Globacom Limited and International Breweries Plc (Hero Beer), for their continued support.

the new president of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN) after the elective Annual General Meeting of the association held in Abuja.

Also saddled with the responsibility to guide the association and provide direction, is Alhaji Aliyu Badaki, a former president of the association who now chairs the Board of Trustees of the hospitality management group.

Elected with Managwu, who is the first female president of the association from the academics since its inception, are Alhaji Yunusa Muhammed, first Vice President, Dr. Ibrahim Kukoyi, second vice-president, Chief Godwin Enanta, zonal chairman, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Others are Alhaji Salisu Talle, zonal chairman, North-west, Dr. Ndidi Ezeibe zonal chairman, South-east, Mrs. Alheri Jibi Zim, zonal chairperson, North-east, Mrs. Adetola Olagunju, zonal chairperson, Southwest, Mrs. Charity Abu, zonal chairperson, North-central and Mr. Ademola Reuben Igbo, financial secretary.

The new HATMAN exco include, Prince Ayodele Arokoyo as assistant secretary, Mr. Chimezie Mike, publicity secretary, Dr. Ebikaboere Seimodei, zonal chairperson, South-south region, and Mrs. Felicia Peters as national treasurer.

Musawa Calls for Empowerment of Africa’s Fashion Ecosystem The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, at the recently held Creative Africa Nexus Weekend summit held in Algiers, Algeria, emphasised the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile ecosystem.

In a keynote address the minister delivered, she highlighted Africa’s rich textile heritage, citing iconic fabrics such as Adire, Kente, Bogolan, and Ankara, which embody the history, identity, and pride of African people.

In a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Musawa said “Despite this heritage, it is deeply ironic that many of the fabrics we cherish, such as Ankara, are predominantly produced outside Africa.

Nearly 90 per cent of the Ankara consumed on our continent is imported, leading to an annual loss of approximately $3 billion to foreign manufacturers. We must change this.

We must reclaim our fashion narrative by strengthening local production capacities and ensuring that the benefits of this vibrant industry remain within our borders.”

Akwa Ibom to Boost Education Tourism The Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Charles Udoh, has said the current educational exchange programmes sponsored by the Governor Umo Eno-led administration, coupled with the model schools and other educational facilities so far put in place in the state for the benefit of students, were all to bolster Education-Tourism in the state.

Udoh, who gave the commendation in Uyo, on Day 2 of the 2025 Budget Estimate Review meeting of the enlarged State Executive Council, said the victory of the Akwa Ibom State delegation that represented Nigeria at the just-concluded Bilateral International School Debate in Singapore, was in line with the ARISE spirit of the present administration, which he said, is very laudable.

The Tourism Commissioner expressed appreciation to Governor Eno for enhancing all facets of tourism, towards the development and promotion of tourism in the state.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

27

AUTO WORLD

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

Coscharis Group Founder Inducted as Fellow, Automobile Industry Stakeholders Laud NAJA’s Capacity Building Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria Training on CNG

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he President/CEO of Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, CON, was recently conferred with the prestigious Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria in recognition for his exceptional contribution to Corporate Governance and Leadership at the Institute’s 2024 Fellow’s Night and Investiture Ceremony in Lagos.

Coscharis Group is a leading conglomerate in Nigeria with interests spanning several industries, including automobile, agriculture, technology, and logistics. Under the visionary leadership of Dr. Cosmas Maduka, the organisation has grown to become one of Nigeria’s most reputable business empires.

A statement issued by the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Abiona Babarinde, said the Institute’s President and Chairman of Governing Council, Alhaji Tijjani Borodo, LLM, performed the induction at the Fellow’s Night and Investiture, held recently in Lagos.

The theme was ‘Public Sector Governance Code: The Route to Public Sector Excellence & National Development, and Alhaji Borodo said it is meant to induct outstanding contributors to Private and Public Sector Governance in their respective ÀHOGV He said, “Dr. Maduka’s induction as a Fellow of the Institute of Directors is a VLJQLÀFDQW DFNQRZOHGJPHQW RI KLV LPSDFW on the business community, as well as his dedication to advancing best practices in corporate governance and leadership.”

Commenting on the Award, Dr. Maduka expressed his deep appreciation to the Institute for the investiture and also commended others that were recognised for their contribution in growing good

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L-R: President/CEO, Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, CON, being presented the plaque as a new Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria by Alhaji Tijani Borodo, President and Chairman of Governing Council of the Institute at the Fellows’ Night & Investiture event in Lagos… recently

corporate governance in the private and public sectors. In his words, “The privilege of being honoured with a Fellowship Award among these renowned personalities by a reputable Institute like the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, is a recogniWLRQ WKDW FDUULHV GHHS VLJQLÀFDQFH WR PH This is another challenge to me to remain steadfast, consistent and focused as a leader

in the competitive corporate environment to be relevant as an entrepreneur that continually delivers value for money at all times.”

Dr. Maduka’s recognition as a Fellow of the Institute of Directors further cements his legacy as a visionary business leader, whose life story continues to inspire countless individuals across the globe.

rominent stakeholders in the Nigerian automobile industry have commended the Nigeria Auto -RXUQDOLVWV $VVRFLDWLRQ 1$-$ IRU its initiative to organise a Training/ Capacity Building Workshop on WKH &RPSUHVVHG 1DWXUDO *DV &1* VFKHPH RI the Federal Government.

The one-day training, which is slated for Lagos &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH DQG ,QGXVWU\ /&&, EXLOGing, Ikeja on October 31, 2024, is with the theme: &1* /3* (9 ,QLWLDWLYH &KDOOHQJHV 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ Opportunities, Alternative to Fossil Fuels in Nigeria.’

Some of the industry stakeholders said NAJA was showing the lead in the auto industry by propagating the government’s initiative, which they assured would bring succour to motorists and Nigerians in general.

Mr. Derek Ewelukwa, Managing Director, Jet Systems Limited, said the training and capacity building on the initiative was timely.

Ewelukwa in an interaction with the NAJA Training Committee, said that by holding the workshop, NAJA was taking an important step in helping the public and key stakeholders better understand the government’s CNG initiative.

He stated that auto journalists as a vehicle of information dissemination and a channel of enlightenment, play a critical role in breaking down complex issues like the CNG initiative, stressing that through this platform, the media was helping to promote greater awareness and acceptance of cleaner energy options.

He enjoined other beat associations to emulate NAJA in propagating government schemes.

He added: “We want the public to understand the EHQHÀWV RI WUDQVLWLRQLQJ WR &1* DV DQ DOWHUQDWLYH fuel to petrol and diesel, particularly in terms of cost savings, environmental impact, and energy sustainability.

Tiggo 8 Pro as Hole-in-One Nord Automobiles Unveils New Prize at Today’s Chery Sponsored A3 Sedan, All-new Nord A9 SUV NAPE Charity Golf Tournament Bennett Oghifo

Bennett Oghifo

community,” Carloha said.

The Tiggo 8 Pro, renowned for its luxury, here will be an intense and cutting-edge technology, stylish design, and exciting competition at dynamic performance, perfectly embodies the prestigious IBB Golf & Chery’s dedication to excellence for on and Country Club, Abuja, today, RͿ URDG H[SHULHQFH 7KH 7LJJR 3UR IHDWXUHV October 26, 2024, for a Tiggo an elegant, high-tech electronic gearshift system 8 Pro, Chery put on the turf WKDW SURYLGHV HͿRUWOHVV DQG SUHFLVH FRQWURO as the ultimate prize for any enhancing safety performance and ease of player who achieves a hole-in-one during the operation, adeptly tailored for the diverse tournament. terrains of Nigeria.

This prize is expected to be presented at The highlight of the tournament is the the highly anticipated NAPE Charity Golf incredible hole-in-one prize with Chery – the Tournament sponsored by Carloha, the franchise Tiggo 8 Pro generously provided by Carloha holder and assembler of Chery vehicles in without insurance premium coverage for the Nigeria. tournament. $FFRUGLQJ WR &DUORKD &KHU\ LV RͿHULQJ LWV This prize underscores Chery’s support ÁDJVKLS 689 WKH 7LJJR 3UR DV SDUW RI LWV IRU VSRUWLQJ LQLWLDWLYHV LQ 1LJHULD DQG UHÁHFWV commitment to fostering sports development the brand’s passion for nurturing talent and in Nigeria. promoting community engagement through “This event promises to be an unforgettable sports. experience for golf enthusiasts and those According to the Director of Sales for passionate about positively impacting our Carloha Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Omokhapue, “We are glad to be one of the major partners in the NAPE Charity Golf 7RXUQDPHQW DQG RͿHULQJ an amazing prize for the hole-in-one with Tiggo 8 Pro represents Chery’s dedication to supporting sports in Nigeria, as well as enhancing the excitement and competitiveness of the tournament, making it an event to remember.

More importantly, this gesture is one of the many ways Carloha is contributing to the less privileged in our society Tiggo 8 Pro, Chery SUV by associating with the

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OLWUH NP WKH 689 FRPHV ZLWK PRGHUQ sound system and latest auto electronics and info mechanisms for the comfort of occupants.

It also comes with a self-park option.

Both models, just like other Nord models, come with a five-year warranty or 200,000 kilometres.

Speaking on the vehicle financing scheme, Executive Director of the Alternative Bank, Dr Jekwu Ozoemene, explained that the collaboration between the bank and Nord Automobiles offers prospective customers the opportunity to own any model of Nord through an easy payment scheme. He also announced the purchase of two units of the newly launched Nord A3.

ndigenous automaker, Nord Automobiles, has added two new models to its lineup, with the unveiling of the Nord A3 Sedan and Nord A9 Sports 8WLOLW\ 9HKLFOH 689 UHFHQWO\ The unveiling ceremony, attended by notable dignitaries from both the public and private sectors, held at the expansive Nord showroom in the high profile Lekki area of Lagos.

The Chairman/CEO of Nord Automobiles, Mr. Oluwatobi Ajayi, assured that the two new models will meet the needs of different segments of the motoring public.

According to him, the company has witnessed tremendous growth with its range of models increased from five to 11 in just about a four-year period.

The CEO highlighted the reliability, distinct design language and lower cost of ownership of the Nord A3, even as he said the Nord A9 stands out in a class of LWV RZQ DV D XQLTXH 689 Nord A9 Sports Utility Vehicle The Nord promoter stated that already, auto enthusiasts have started The event also witnessed the presentation of buying both models, as some were sold during prizes to the recent #CaptureNord Challenge. the launch event.

The A3 comes with a modern SQRE4T15C Prizes were presented by Mrs. Dora Ajayi, HQJLQH DQG D &97 GLVSODFHPHQW RIIHULQJ PD[LPXP Managing Director of Dora Naturals Skincare power of 115Kw and maximum horsepower of & Spa; Mr. Lukman Adekola, Group Head of 150Ps, as well as a wheel base of 2700 mm. Its Corporate and Investment Banking Solutions front suspension type is Independent MacPherson, at Alternative Bank; Miss Tolu Falaye, Head while the rear suspension type is Multi-link rear of Legal and Compliance at Nord; and Miss suspension. The 1.6 litre engine car also comes Shekinah Odunsi, Director of Operations at with an electric power steering and a fuel tank Nord.

Nord Automobiles is a leading Nigerian capacity of 70 litres.

The Nord A9 on the other hand is a three automobile manufacturer dedicated to producing URZ 689 WKDW FDQ HDVLO\ JR IRU D IDPLO\ FDU high-quality vehicles tailored to the needs of our boosting ample leg room in the interior and customers. With a commitment to innovation, generous ground clearance with its 2,820 mm reliability, and sustainability, Nord aims to drive Nigeria’s automotive industry forward while wheelbase.

With a fantastic fuel efficient capacity of 8.2 making a positive impact on society.

28

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 26, 2024

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES

APC Godsend, Not ‘Godsent’

EBERE WABARA

M

IRRORviewspageofOctober 20 welcomes us this week with two errors: “There is a marked difference between political activities and electioneering campaigns.”

In the interest of existential humanism, let us end it at ‘electioneering’ which includes ‘campaigns.’ “…the interest of the common man in the street.”

The man in the street is basically common! Do not aggravate his circumstance by adding ‘common’!

“Glo’s Move to Greener Pastures (Move-toGreener-Pastures) campaign hits over 50, 000 views (sic)” “Man charged for (with) tossing wife off cruise ship” The last slipshod entry from Mirror just before its editorial: “Italy’s first back (black) minister gets death threat” Now the Editorial: “…which are interpreted to include the right for (to) sexual preferences.”

Daily Independent online of October 19 goofed on many occasions: “FG says its (it’s) suffering (suffering from) cash crunch” “Globacom to storm eight cities with Glo slide and bounce tour” From the nation: Glo slide-and-bounce tour. Does the telecommunications company have issues with hyphenation?

“Encomium galore as Anambra council boss bags award” City Gist: Encomiums (encomia, too) galore “The Lagos PDP, until recently, was bedevilled by intra-party crisis (an intra-party crisis) that has made it impossible….” In another breath: intra-party crises (plural) “APC presidential shoes fits (how?)…”

“Obituary announcement” Just obituary!

“Corruption destroying the fabrics (fabric) of Nigeria” “Eagles attack worries Eguavoen” Midweek Sports: Eagles’ attack

BY

The Guardian of October 18 goofed: “…work at Baro Port (Niger State), Oguta (Imo State) and Jamata (Lokoja, Kogi State) (a comma) according to the government (another comma) has reached an advanced stage.” What is ‘an advanced stage’?

How is the reader expected to know the extent of work carried out with this kind of ambiguous phrase (journalese)? This is loose thinking and speculative writing! Let reporters and their editors express their findings in graphical or statistical terms (percentage)—this way, the reader develops a fair idea and perception of the scope of work done. This makes sense in the absence of exactitude instead of the extracted vagueness!

The next seven offences are from the above edition: “Former NNPC employee arrested over (for or in connection with) pipeline vandalism” Now the story: “…who was sentenced to five years (years’) imprisonment for pipeline vandalization.”

The Metro Section: pipeline vandalism (nothing like ‘vandalization’)!

From the Editorial: “…the set-up that has proved to be every inch a drain of (on) public purse without a discernible corresponding benefit.”

“That’s why renowned scholars from top-rated citadels of learning around the world would be converging in (on) Ekiti State….” (Full-page advertisement by the Government of Ekiti State) “Nigeria (Nigeria’s) food import reduce (reduces)

by N857b, says Adesina” “This way you stay connected to our world class (world-class) audio and video channels.”

(Full-page advertisement by DStv) “MTN Project Fame 6.0 All-Stars Concerts” (Full-page advertisement by MTN) Everywhere you go: All-star concerts Still on advertorial blunders in major and reputable newspapers with Standard Chartered offering the next three identical howlers: “Its (It’s) good when a relationship can help you achieve what truly matters”

“Thats (That’s) why we recognize all that matters to you when it comes to your banking needs.”

“Connect to the worlds (world’s) most dynamic markets” “Continue to rest in the bossom (bosom) of the lord (Lord).” Or preferably this: Continue to rest in the Lord’s bosom. This is called tight-writing.

THE NATION of October 16 fumbled twice: “Rather than foot-drag on the bill, the President should see it as God-sent (godsend) to showcase his achievements.” My own comment: All Progressives Congress (APC) is godsend—not godsent—to liberate Nigerians from the PDP vampires! An aside: The APC should not make the same endlessly possessive flaw of the PDP: Peoples (People’s) Democratic Party. So, All Progressives’ Congress—which means a congress of all progressives. “…the ebullient Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is doing same (the same) before the House of Commons.”

“Black out of Super Eagle’s matches” A rewrite: Blackout of Super Eagles’ matches “…before they were sworn-in (sworn in) on May 29, 1999.”

Still on headline gaffes in last week’s edition of this medium: “50 Dutch firms takeover (take over) ailing Nigerian textile firms” “NANS auto crash: Police denies (deny) culpability” “Just last week, some of my staff went to get money at one of the bank’s ATM (ATMs) in Adeniran Ogunsanya.”

THISDAY of October 15 did not show truth and reason which it avows: “The governor also advocated for the practice of true fiscal federalism in the country….” Delete ‘for’ in pursuit of robust journalism.

“Suswam pulls out of Northern Governors (Governors’) Forum” “The Board, Management and Staff of Wema Bank Plc (PLC) commiserates (commiserate) with the family of late (the late….)

The Pandemic Next Time: Sports Betting

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here was a time when Nigerians, particularly the youth, had a more straightforward interpretation of success. It was tied to education, skill, and most importantly, hard work.

But today, that picture has been distorted. The flashing lights of betting kiosks and the lure of instant wealth have gripped the imagination of our youth. Gambling, especially sports betting, has transitioned from being a harmless pastime to an insidious addiction that has entrenched itself in the socio-economic fabric of Nigerian life.

What exactly is gambling? A risk, pure and simple. But sports betting takes this risk a step further. It presents itself as a calculated risk - after all, you know football, don’t you? - and yet, that very calculation ensnares the mind.

From an innocent distraction to a regular habit, then on to a full-blown addiction, the journey is a smooth and slippery slope. At first, it’s just an occasional bet, then suddenly, the high of a win triggers a cycle. Soon, it’s not about enjoyment anymore; it becomes a compulsion, an uncontrollable need to bet - because what if this time, you win big?

The influence of gambling addiction on individuals, especially young Nigerians, is devastating. Those afflicted often suffer significant financial losses, which directly impacts their ability to meet basic needs, maintain relationships, or focus on long-term goals. Families are broken, friendships dissolve, and once-promising futures crumble. Worse still, gambling addiction preys on the vulnerability of youth. Many young Nigerians, already struggling to make sense of an economy that offers few tangible opportunities, see sports betting as a way out of poverty, only to end up in deeper despair.

Globally, the story isn’t much different. Many elite athletes have seen their careers disrupted or ruined by gambling addictions. In Nigeria, cases are trickier to document, though whispers abound in football circles about young talents derailed by gambling-induced poor performances or the recklessness that comes with a betting

addiction. Internationally, athletes like Michael Jordan have spoken openly about the challenges of gambling, while others like Paul Merson, a former English footballer, have recounted how gambling nearly ruined their careers.

The recent cases of Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United FC and Lucas Paquetá of West Ham United further illustrate the severity of the problem. Tonali’s involvement in illegal betting, including matches he played in, resulted in a significant ban from football, tarnishing his reputation and jeopardizing his career.

Paquetá, though not formally convicted, faced investigations that created distractions and raised questions about his integrity. These incidents, alongside others like Daniel Sturridge’s betting-related ban in 2020, highlight the widespread reach of gambling addiction within top-tier sports, leading to stiff sanctions from football associations in England and Italy.

These cases send a troubling message, especially to younger fans, as they witness their idols entangled in gambling scandals.

The strict actions taken by football authorities underscore their commitment to curbing gambling’s influence, but they also reveal how deeply ingrained the issue has become within the sports world, affecting even those at the height of their careers.

Let’s look at the scale of this scourge. According to recent data, over 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 engage in sports betting, with an estimated daily expenditure of ₦2 billion. The global gambling market, of which Nigeria is a growing part, is projected to reach over $800 billion by 2026. But beyond the numbers lies a lucrative business model designed to entrap. With the allure of quick wins, endless advertisements, and the use of technology to make betting accessible from anywhere, at any time, gambling has become a multi-billion naira industry that profits off the vulnerabilities of our youth.

And what of the winners? How many times have we seen someone from your neighbourhood who suddenly ‘hammered’ from a lucky streak in betting, flaunting their new car or house? But these stories rarely have happy

endings. The lifestyles that emerge from betting gains are often short-lived, characterised by reckless spending, alienation from friends and family, and a dissociation from reality.

The real tragedy lies in the message these temporary ‘successes’ send to the younger generation: that hard work is outdated, that instant wealth is a birthright, and that the old Nigerian doctrine of patience, diligence, and honest labour is for the foolish.

In more extreme cases, the thirst for quick riches has led to horrifying actions. We’ve heard reports of young people engaging in ritual sacrifices, convinced that supernatural assistance will bring them a winning bet. It’s a chilling reminder of how gambling can corrupt not just finances, but morals. These acts, once considered the stuff of myths and folktales, have crept into the modern Nigerian consciousness, as the desire for fast money replaces long-held values of integrity and hard work.

One cannot overstate the socio-cultural erosion perpetuated by the spread of gambling among Nigerian youth. Alarmingly, some parents, seeing no other avenue for their children to escape poverty, have encouraged betting.

Fathers bring their sons along to betting shops, mothers quietly bless their sons’ betting endeavours, all in the hope of hitting that jackpot.

This normalisation of gambling sets a dangerous precedent, creating a generational legacy of quick fixes and an abandonment of any sense of industry or pride in genuine achievement.

So, what can be done? It is clear that the government must intervene, and urgently so.

First, the regulation of gambling, especially sports betting, must be tighter, with stricter age restrictions and limitations on betting shops.

The proliferation of betting adverts, especially during prime-time television or on radio stations listened to by young audiences, must be curtailed. Schools and communities should educate youth on the dangers of gambling, not just as a moral issue, but as a practical matter with real consequences. Empowering young people with economic opportunities that do not rely on chance will do far more for national development than the false promises

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

We continue with THISDAY headline slip-ups of October 8: “Lagos reward (rewards) carnival winners” “…the coaches that I work with on a day to day (day-to-day) basis.” (Source: as above) Last week’s misapprehension: ‘witch-hunt’ is not an adjective. It is a countable noun and cannot function as a verb. There is no such word as ‘witch-hunting’!

Kano/Jigawa Customs intercepts trucks of smuggled food items” The Nigeria Customs Service will not, officially, intercept goods or items that were not smuggled. Only the bad eggs in the service will occasionally carry out such operations, illegally of course. So, delete ‘smuggled’ from the headline.

“ONSA, CBN join forces to crackdown on (crack down) forex speculators” “FG uncovers 32 food smuggling (food-smuggling) routes in Sokoto” Unless if the national newspaper weirdly meant that ‘the food was smuggling the routes’!

“Groups provide free HIV testing (HIV-testing) services” The preceding elucidation applies here equally.

“How incessant import duty hike (hikes) fuel cargo diversion, smuggling” “ASUU raises alarm (the alarm) over emergence of new IPPIS, urges Tinubu to fish out brains behind it” “Niger: Organised Labour begins warning strike as meeting with govt deadlocked” Please note that ‘deadlock’ and ‘deadlocked’ are noun and adjective, respectively. Therefore, its verbal usage here is wrong. Get it right: …as meeting ends in deadlock.

Alternatively: as meeting remains deadlocked.

‘Deadlock’, on the other hand, can function as a noun and as a verb transitive. ‘Deadbolt’ means the same thing too. “…says ex-governor develop (developed) his constituency”

COUNTERPOINT

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON fajalive1@gmail.com 08033622806- (SMS Only)

of betting companies.

Globally, several countries have made strides in regulating gambling. For instance, in the United Kingdom, measures have been put in place to protect vulnerable groups from the harms of gambling, including the introduction of self-exclusion schemes, where addicts can voluntarily bar themselves from betting platforms. Similar efforts can be adopted by Nigeria’s government. International and subnational organisations, from mental health advocacy groups to economic empowerment programs, also have a role to play in bringing sanity to Nigerian homes.

Perhaps we can also learn a thing or two from “the Brazilian solution”, which refers to Brazil’s recent approach to legalizing and regulating sports betting to balance economic growth with consumer protection. After legalizing betting in 2018, Brazil implemented strict regulations, requiring betting companies to be licensed and taxed, with portions of the revenue directed toward public services and combating gambling addiction. The model includes measures like advertising restrictions and self-exclusion options for addicted gamblers, while government oversight ensures operators are held accountable.

By regulating rather than banning, Brazil seeks to prevent underground gambling and promote responsible gaming, offering a potential template for other nations.

Frankly, solutions are not beyond us. It begins with reframing the narrative for Nigerian youth: that wealth built on luck is fleeting, but success grounded in hard work lasts a lifetime. Education and opportunity are the real pathways to success.

Families, communities, and the government must work together to curb the influence of gambling and sports betting before it swallows up our future.

3

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

26.10.2024

NEWS

GUNNERS,REDS GO FOR BROKE PAGE. 29

Bright Osayi-Samuel

England Return on the Horizon

30

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

GLOBAL SOCCER

Bright Osayi-Samuel

England Return on the Horizon In spite of his stellar performance since moving to Fernabahce in 2020 from Queens Park Rangers, Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel has never hidden his intention to return to England at the slightest opportunity.With his contract expiring in the summer of 2025, and entitled to a pre-contract agreement with any club, the Nigerian has put Premier League clubs on red alert after rejecting new Fernabahce contract

Bright Osayi-Samuel trying to stop a Gala opponent

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uper Eagles right back, Bright OsayiSamuel has sent a message about his availability to his Premier League suitors after rejecting a new deal from Fernabahce.

The 26-year-old’s contract with Fernabahce runs till the summer of 2025, meaning he’s allowed to enter into pre-contract agreements with other clubs when the transfer window opens on January 1.

The Yellow Canaries have been trying to tie the former Queens Park Rangers’ defender to a new deal but so far, an agreement between both parties are worlds apart.

According to Turkish outlet, Fanatik, Osayi-Samuel has rejected Fernabahce’s new contract offer of a net salary worth €2.5 million per annum with both parties said to be €1 million away from an agreement and, if the former Blackpool doesn’t get the offer he wants, he will leave when his contract runs out next summer.

However, three English sides are said to be interested in Osayi’s services but Crystal Palace is believed to be leading the race for him while Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have nothing concrete on the table yet.

Osayi-Samuel is currently sidelined with a foot injury and missed Fenerbahce’s Europa League home clash against Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United on Thursday night.

The wing-back joined Fenerbahçe from QPR in 2020. Since then, he’s played 145 matches for the yellow-navy blue jersey, recording seven goals and providing 14 assists for Fenerbahce across all competitions.

After a stellar 2023/24 season with

Turkish giants, Fenerbahce, he seems to have won the heart of new manager, Jose Mourinho, but returning to England has always been a dream for the Super Eagles defender. With Southampton and Wolves set to cash-in on his contract situation with the Yellow Canaries, a return to English top-flight might be in the offing.

Despite being fans’ favourite for his impressive form since joining Fenerbahçe from Queens Park Rangers, Osayi-Samuel has never hidden his desire to return to England with the likes of Southampton and Wolves waiting on the wings.

Osayi-Samuel finds himself at the centre of transfer talks, with Fenerbahçe making significant decisions regarding his future.

According to Italian media, the Süper Lig club is looking to extend the Nigerian international’s contract at the ükrü Saracolu Stadium.

Since his move from Queens Park Rangers during the 2020-21 interim transfer period for €508,000, Osayi-Samuel has garnered praise for his performances at Fenerbahçe.

His success has reportedly caught the attention of several English clubs.

He has previously expressed his desire to return to England and play in the English Premier League, but all attempts to entice him back to England have failed.

Meanwhile, with just one year remaining on his contract, Fenerbahçe has deliberated on securing Osayi-Samuel’s services for the long term.

The club, according to Aksam, plans to extend his contract and elevate his salary to bolster their position in potential transfer negotiations.

The developments around Osayi-Sam-

uel’s contract renewal and the heightened interest from English clubs indicate a pivotal period in the player’s career as transfer talks intensify.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria defender is yet to agree a new contract with Fenerbahce and he has one year left on his contract with the club.

Fenerbahce are determined to keep the versatile defender but have struggled to reach agreement on a new contract.

The full-back is currently on €1.8 million a year, but wants to now get €2.5 million going forward.

The club views the demand as too high and as a result discussions on a new contract have now been postponed.

Fenerbahce could opt to sell OsayiSamuel instead of losing him for free next summer.

However, following interest from Premier League sides, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Super Eagles defender, has announced his decision to stay with Fenerbahçe for at least another season.

The Nigeria international’s current contract with the Turkish giants will expire in the summer of 2025 with the club at risk of losing on free should he decide against extending his contract.

The 26-year-old contract situation has seen several clubs show interest in his service, with the Saints and Wolves the latest among other clubs.

Meanwhile, according to the Sports Digitale, “Osayi-Samuel wants to stay with the Turkish outfit, which implies that he is not interested in leaving the club this summer.

“Two Premier League teams are said to

be interested in Osayi. Osayi’s side wants to stay in the team,” the publication wrote on X. Osayi-Samuel played a key role for the Istanbul-based side as they finished second in the last Süper Lig campaign with just three points separating them and champions Galatasaray.

The former Queens Parks Rangers players scored four goals and provided two assists in 23 league games.

Strong, quick, and athletic, OsayiSamuel looks like the modern-day full-back/wing-back, but it was not until a year ago that the 26-year-old made his first appearance for the Super Eagles on November 17, playing 90 minutes in a pre-tournament friendly against Portugal who, unlike Nigeria, were then preparing to play in the World Cup. There’s no gainsaying that as a rightback, Osayi-Samuel has got a lot in his arsenal, and these footballing abilities are no surprise to those who had watched and followed his career trajectory from his time at Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers.

The Nigeria international started his career as a pure winger who delighted in taking on his markers with his pace, trickery, and guile; little wonder his style of play as a full-back is quite reminiscent of Victor Moses in Antonio Conte’s 2016/17 English Premier League-winning squad.

Born in Okija, Nigeria, Osayi-Samuel moved to Spain at an early age before emigrating to England at 10 years of age.

A product of the Blackpool academy, he broke into the first team as a teenager in 2015, playing primarily as a winger across League One, League Two and very briefly in the championship before securing a move to Championship mainstays, Queen Park Rangers in September 2017.

Osayi-Samuel’s ability to dribble, create and pose a threat to opposition defences was never in doubt but the numbers have hardly been really outstanding in terms of goals and assists for the Fenerbaçhe man.

Thirty seven goals and assists in 194 appearances across the lower divisions of English football may have looked more average than world-class but it was his potential that had most likely attracted Fenerbaçhe to him as he switched to the Turkish giants in the second half of the 2020/21 season and it was just a goal and an assist to his name in a total of 19 appearances before the end of that season.

His first full season was also not very remarkable as he was only able to manage two goals and five assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. Though, the arrival of Portuguese manager, Vítor Pereira at Fenerbaçhe in the summer of 2021 occasioned a formation change to a 3-4-3 for the Turkish club with OsayiSamuel being one of those affected by this tweak as he was made to be the right wing-back in Pereira’s new set-up.

“That’s not usually my position, I’ve been an out-and-out winger. He wanted me to come back as a full-back when we didn’t have the ball. He started teaching me the basics of defending, and from there I started playing as a wing-back,” Osayi-Samuel said in an interview.

The 25-year-old continued being a wing-back/full-back from then on and has established himself as a key player for Fenerbaçhe.

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R OCTOBER 26, 2024

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah tries to get past Arsenal TakehiroTomiyasu when both sides met at the Emirate last season Awoniyi tries to out pace Leicester defender in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win yesterday

Aina, Awoniyi Get the Better of Ndidi as Forest Beat Leicester Super Eagles duo, Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi yesterday night got the better of their international teammate, Wilfred Ndidi, as Nottingham Forest defeated Leicester City 3-1 at the King Power Stadium, in the first game of this weekend’s Premier League.

Aina, who played the whole 90 minutes for the Tricky Trees ensured he kept the Foxes attackers at bay. Though Ndidi was in the heart of Leicester’s defence, he was substituted in the 74th minute, while Awoniyi only saw 10 minutes of action for Forest.

Meanwhile, Chris Wood continued his red-hot scoring form with a second-half double that sent Nottingham Forest fifth in the Premier League after

a 3-1 win at East Midlands rivals Leicester.

Wood has netted seven Premier League goals this season, putting him three behind top scorer, Erling Haaland, while the New Zealand international also moved joint-second on Forest’s all-time Premier League goals list.

In an entertaining first half, Forest went ahead at the King Power Stadium in the 16th minute after Facundo Buonanotte and James Justin both failed to clear, allowing Ryan Yates to arrow in first time from outside the box.

But the visitors were quickly pegged back seven minutes later after some fine work from Harry Winks saw the midfielder cross for Jamie Vardy,

who finished from close range with what turned out to be Leicester’s only shot on target of the match.

Two minutes after the equaliser, Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen pulled off a stunning save to deny Nicolas Dominguez, which Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher described as “Schmeichel-like”.

But Hermansen could do nothing to stop Wood’s first goal just two minutes into the second half as the 32-year-old clinically fired home on the spin inside the box.

Wood then grabbed his second in the 60th minute as he took advantage of further poor Leicester defending with a looping header for his fifth goal in five games.

Ujiri’s Giants of Africa Hosts First Basketball Clinic in Gabon Giants of Africa, the basketball organisation founded by Masai Ujiri, President of the Toronto Raptors, has announced its inaugural visit to Gabon to host a basketball camp. This exciting initiative aims to engage and empower the youth of Gabon through the sport of basketball.

Led by a team of NBA and regional coaches, Giants of Africa camps provide not only technical training but also valuable life skills education. Participants will receive guidance on various topics such as health and wellbeing, goal setting, and female empowerment. By focusing on

holistic development, Giants of Africa aims to nurture not only skilled basketball players but also well-rounded individuals with dreams both on and off the court.

In the lead-up to their Gabon visit, Giants of Africa reaffirmed its commitment to fostering sustainable growth in sports by building a new court in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

This is part of the organisation’s “Built Within” initiative, which aims to construct 100 courts across Africa. Since its launch in September 2021, the project has successfully delivered 32 courts

across nine countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Somalia. Following Gabon, the team will head to Morocco to build additional courts under the initiative.

Ujiri, expressed his enthusiasm for the basketball camp in Gabon, stating, “We are honoured to bring Giants of Africa to Gabon for the first time. Our goal is to inspire and empower the youth of this beautiful country, and we believe that basketball can be a catalyst for positive change.”

rematch between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois could fall through as AJ is said to be doubting himself.

“AJ knows he is a good fighter and he is a great motivational speaker.

Unfortunately, it seems like he doesn’t listen to his own advice,” said Johnny Nelson.

Shaing his views on a potential February rematch between Joshua and Dubois being delayed, Nelson said

could be the reason after he was KOd by his British rival last month.

“I am not surprised if this fight gets pushed back, I don’t think this will be AJ’s next fight.”

“I think it is more of a mental thing with AJ, not physical, in my opinion. He got knocked out, had a hard training camp, and you don’t know what effect the knockout has had on him.”

The doubt is from him

than anyone else. I think that’s the reason for the delay.

We know he is fit but he has to get through the mental impact the first fight had on him. The only one in two minds is probably him and he has to figure out what went wrong against Dubois.

“It probably wasn’t the gameplan as if he carried out the gameplan then there was something fundamentally wrong.”

Arsenal Hoping to Bounce Back with Liverpool Visit Having temporarily lost ground in the title race after a shocking 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last Saturday, Arsenal would be craving to cover for lost ground with the visit of Premier League leaders, Liverpool, tomorrow. The Reds are yet to drop a point away, something which they won’t wish to begin at the Emirate Stadium and the host would not be helped by the loss of some key players through injuries and suspension. With Mikel Arteta hoping to wrestle the title which he narrowly lost last season to his former boss-Pep Guardiola, another dropped points at home to Arne Slot’s men may prove to be damaging

Gameweek nine of the 2024-25 Premier League season concludes with a tussle of titanic proportions at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow, when title rivals, Arsenal and Liverpool butt heads.

Both English behemoths were unconvincing winners in their midweek Champions League affairs, as the Gunners edged out Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 before the Reds conquered RB Leipzig by the same scoreline.

Prior to last weekend’s trip to the South Coast, Arsenal fans had to go back to New Year’s Eve 2023 for the last time that their side were bested in a Premier League away fixture, but more alarming indiscipline from Mikel Arteta’s men cost them dear against Bournemouth.

William Saliba’s first-half sending-off did not mean that the tie was a foregone conclusion - Arsenal had held out for draws against Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City with 10 - but a well-worked Ryan Christie goal from a corner and Justin Kluivert’s penalty ended the Gunners’ wonderful 12-game unbeaten road run in the Premier League.

Not only that, defeat at the Vitality Stadium was Arsenal’s

first in half a year, a statistic that a bullish Arteta emphasised in his press conference as his side missed the opportunity to spend Saturday evening top of the rankings; they go into the weekend third and four points adrift of the leading visitors.

A Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka-less side lacked ingenuity once again when Shakhtar came to visit in the Champions League, where only an unfortunate own goal from Dmytro Riznyk got Arteta’s men over the line, but that one-goal triumph does mean that the hosts are on a five-game winning streak at the Emirates.

All in all, nine of Arsenal’s last 10 competitive matches at their North London home have ended in victory, but Gooners may travel in trepidation rather than optimism; Arsenal have won just 45 per cent of their Premier League games without the banned Saliba compared to 74 per cent with him in the team.

A Liverpool side with no such disciplinary concerns to worry about head to the Emirates with an Arne Slot spring in their step, as the Dutchman continues to send Merseyside records

tumbling since stepping into the mammoth shoes of Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds passed one of the toughest challenges of their title credentials yet on October 20, when Chelsea rocked up to Anfield and gave Liverpool a terrific run for their money, but Mohamed Salah’s penalty and Curtis Jones’s toe-poke kept the Reds at the summit.

Slot has astonishingly won each of his first six away games in charge of Liverpool, seeing his team ship a paltry two goals in the process.

Success tomorrow would move Liverpool on to 24 points from their first nine games of the new term - only once before have the Reds managed as many points at this stage of the campaign, taking 25 from nine in their triumphant 2019-20 year.

Liverpool’s powers in this fixture have waned over the past couple of terms, though Arsenal have prevailed in their last two top-flight games at the Emirates and are unbeaten in four against the Reds in the Premier League, although they did come up short in January’s FA Cup third-round tie on home soil.

StarTimes Unveils Exciting La Liga Gifts Joshua, Dubois February Rematch in Doubt for Fans in Live El Clasico Showdown The expected February 2025 AJ’s “doubt from within” within. He has to want it more

GCU Relays Ambassador Advocates Upgrade of Meet Olympian Ruks Bazunu has called for improvements in the technical handling of the annual Government College Ughelli, GCU, Relays, especially in the spheres of time management.

The United States of America-based GCU Relays Ambassador, now on vacation in Warri, equally made strong recommendations about the utilisation of Modern Track tools (Starter Guns) that meet with global best practices and World Athletics.

“We just must be working around the Police permits that

limits the use and transportation of the blank Starter Guns to the venues,” he said, adding “these guns are well synchronised with the Time Tronics photo finish equipment, thus making for accurate times to be returned by the athletes”.

“Again, we must make vast improvements in the areas of time management, beginning from the athletes screening and accreditations to the Technical Officiating Officials (NAATO), speedy lanes allocation, call room processing, finishing line judgement, collation and

announcement of results.”

Bazunu, who claimed the honours of being the fastest school boy sprinter in Nigeria in the late sixties, would with a sense of nostalgia, recall his exploits at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1973 All Africa Games in Lagos.

“Beginning with the 1972 Munich Olympics, I was the only civilian in the 100m Sprints and 4 x 100m Relays.

My other colleagues, such as Oyebanmi, Alani, Ojo, Kola, and Majekodunmi came from the Military and the Police “.

This evening will be agog across the world as Kylian Mbappe makes his El Classico debut against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. The match will be broadcast live on StarTimes Sports Premium Channel at 8 pm.

To celebrate this epic clash, StarTimes is offering exciting La Liga gift packs to its viewers, courtesy of La Liga. To win, fans need to predict the scoreline on StarTimes social media. To make the match accessible to all, fans who renew their StarTimes subscription will be upgraded to the next upper bouquet.

Real Madrid are currently on

a 42-game game unbeaten run in La Liga. Barcelona hold the record at 43 games unbeaten.

If they beat Barcelona tonight, they will equal Barcelona’s record. Barcelona will try to stop them from equaling the record, setting up an intense match on a plate for die-hard fans of both clubs.

Real Madrid enter the match in excellent form, currently three points behind league leaders Barcelona. The team is unbeaten domestically, with seven wins and three draws so far this season.

Mbappe, the French superstar, has been in sensational form, scoring six goals in

his last nine league appearances. Real Madrid coach ,Carlo Ancelotti has expressed confidence in Mbappe’s ability to deliver in his first El Clasico.

On the other side, Barcelona are also in great shape, having recently thrashed Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League. The team will be led by the young Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, who has shown maturity and brilliance beyond his years. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has praised Yamal’s development and expects him to be a key player in the match.

Nadal Emotionally Ready for Davis Cup Farewell Rafael Nadal says he feels emotionally prepared for ending his career at next month’s Davis Cup Finals but the Spaniard will only contest the singles if he is “ready to win”.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced last week that he will retire from tennis after representing Spain

in Malaga, where the Davis Cup will be held from 19-24 November.

Nadal, 38, is currently competing at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia and will face long-time rival Novak Djokovic for the final time today.

“Emotionally, I’m sure I’ll be ready. Physically and in terms

of tennis level, there remains a month left to prepare,” Nadal said after losing to Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday.

“I will try to be in good shape to help the team to win. If I don’t feel ready for the singles, I’ll be the first one to say.

“Be 100 per cent sure, I will not be on court if I don’t feel ready to win my match.”

Saturday, October 26, 2024

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Price: N400

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Coalition of United Political Parties to Tinubu “The fuel subsidy removal by Tinubu’s administration has led to a surge in transportation costs, with prices increasing by over 300 per cent. This has had a ripple effect on the economy, with inflation rising to alarming levels. Instead of providing tangible solutions to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, this administration has resorted to insensitive statements” – Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) General Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, tackles the government.

OKEYIKECHUKWU Niger Delta Ministry and Related Matters EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

“T

he Niger Delta Ministry is gone”, courtesy of some rejigging in government by the President.

I was quick to call for the scrapping of that needless ministry the moment it was created. Not because the people of the Niger Delta did not deserve a lot more than they were getting from a federation to which they were contributing so much, but because we must sit down and calmly ask ourselves what real development the various intervention agencies, from OMPADEC, through NDDC, to the now-defunct ministry of the Niger Delta have brought to the people of the area.

Our people say that you should watch out for something fishy where, and when, you find two people carrying out virtually the same task, in the same environment and at the same time. It is either that they are part of a conspiracy to fritter away resources under false pretences, or they are too dumb or too selfish to realize and admit what they are doing.

Welcome to the views expressed on this page four years ago, on 24th February, 2020, under the title “Scrap the NDDC, Others” which are made even more desperately relevant today by the redesignation of the Niger Delta Ministry. The article in question can bear near-total repletion here.

As was said then: “One of the questions that people of the Niger Delta, and Nigerians in general, must answer for themselves today is whether the Niger Delta Development Commission (Read Ministry of the Niger Delta) has brought real development, or is capable of bringing real development, to the oil producing states of Nigeria. The other question is whether development commissions generally, especially as they are now turning into a new industry for replicating the functions of existing Institutions of State in Nigeria, represent a step forward for any nation in the 21st Century”.

The piece continued: “In answering these questions, we must make a distinction between money being budgeted and sent to the NDDC and evidence of sustainable economic and other interventions by the commission over the last two decades. The Commission has the highest number of abandoned projects in the country. Besides the Federal Government, it is also the most indebted of all institutions of state today. Except in one or two isolated cases, when some people at the helm tried to make some real difference, the NDDC has remained a metaphor for sleaze, patronage and titanic elite battles for unscrutinised plunder.

It has remained the epicentre of great battles, the bulk of which has nothing to do with the long-term welfare of the people. The dream that led to its creation has remained a delusion and the struggle to retain it has remained the business of the political elite, who are benefitting from it. It waddles about, year after year, ostensibly ‘developing’ the oil producing states.

But to dare suggest that such a hapless cash cow that is being used by the elite to plunder the state in the name of the people be scrapped is to draw the ire of vested interests. That is why, despite the burgeoning scandals, scrapping it and having the monies go to the states instead is not one of the options on the cards. One can understand the objection that most of the states themselves are performing miserably on all fronts. But the advantage of scrapping the plethora of commissions will be the reduction of “thieving points” for the elite”.

The article under reference here continued: “The Federal Government will create more of

Tinubu such commissions. Sections of the elite that are not holding substantive positions in government can then also be settled by such appointments. Already there is the North East Development Commission.

Others are in the offing, as the clamour to get at least a tooth into the Nigerian cherry, outside the strictures of official public administration, grows in crescendo. And it is working.

The South-east, North-west and other regional commissions are being rehearsed in the maternity section and labour rooms of the National Assembly.

And when we now have all these commissions, then what? There will still be the federal government, federal ministries, state and local governments, wards and councils. There will still be federal and state budgets, worked out into details of what should be spent on various aspects of our national life. So, why balkanise the state and waste public funds so mercilessly”?

The above was penned four years ago. And it

did not stop there.

“What we see, looking ahead”, the piece continued, “is that new commissions will expand the avenues for patronage. They will also ‘democratize’ opportunities for the questionable exercise of political discretion.

All these will be happening below the radar of rigorous state scrutiny. So, we are likely to have more commissions, instead of less. And that is because we are saddled with a leadership class that mistakes the existence of institutions and the passing of laws and budgets for leadership and service delivery. If that were not the case, someone would have sat down to take a detailed inventory of the uselessness of the over 500 government agencies in the land.

Hardly is there any parliamentarian, governor, or head of a government agency who does not use a bullet-proof SUV. Check the cost of one such vehicle.

Then multiply it by, say one thousand. Add a pilot vehicle, a security vehicle, a bus for the press crew, among others. Then consider that new ones are bought every three to four years. Now add the security personnel and other appurtenances. What do you have? What do most of these people, individually and collectively, deliver to the Nigerian citizen to warrant the runaway expenses?

“It is time for us to sit down and ascertain whether we must remain locusts, or turn into farmers who are attentive to the global weather”, the article said in 2020. The readings out there are telling us that this is the season to shrink expenses, expand value-yielding engagements and generally be guided to adopt sustainable templates for our continued existence as a nation. But we are not looking in that direction at all. That is why the takings of our lawmakers are still what they are, at both federal and state levels.

That is why our governors, across all political parties, are still clinging to the public robbery called Security Votes. That is why the federal government is still unrelenting in its desperate acquisition of a rash of loans, the bulk of which will not go into any investment, or development project. It is all for consumption and nothing more”.

Then the write up brought in a historical precedent that left a telling impression thus: “Remember that the late Gen. Sani Abacha as Head of State said it would put the accruals from the increase in fuel price into very important national development projects.

Now that we have several development commissions it would be a grand display of profligacy for the nation to have as many administrative structures to manage them. We need convergence, economies of scale, and a scaling down of administrative apparatus.That is precisely what the recent action of the Federal Executive Council has brought about.

My personal preference would be for the government to tinker with the revenue allocation formular, as well as the job of the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, and then give all monies to the states.Thus, I take the good news about the scrapping of the Niger delta ministry as the first leg of a very important journey

It set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF).

But the PTF was, first and foremost, a vote of no confidence on the existing institutions of state, since it was venturing into their statutory functions.

The other point is that all PTF budgeting and spending were in areas covered by existing ministries, departments and agencies. This created the problems of accountability, of cohesion in government policy and developmental efforts; as the PTF operated without recourse to measures already put in place, following the budgets and projects of the various ministries and agencies.

Thus came PTF roads, PTF drugs and what not; all at peculiar costs. Worse still, the consumption tax that provided the PTF resource was sourced mostly from the South, while over 75% of the projects executed with it were in the North. By the time the military was ready to hand over to the civilians in 1999, the Trust Fund had drawn much distrust.

It had neither brought development, bridged the shortcomings of the agencies it tried to bail out, nor risen above board in many respects.

But those benefiting from it had become even more determined to ensure that the incoming civilian regime of Obasanjo retained it. Thus, the media was approached, including some of us on The Guardian Newspapers Editorial Board, to drive a ‘media consultancy’ that would push a strong campaign, to arm-twist the then President-elect into not scrapping the PTF after being sworn in.

But I refused to get involved; and gave my reasons.

A media consultancy must be accompanied by an overriding sense of social responsibility. This means that the person who has the capacity to influence public opinion, or public policy, has a higher duty to his conscience and the greater public good. The PTF was all about procurements, supplies and constructions, and also given that it was set up in the expectation that the weak institutions of state should recover and take up their statutory functions, I argued then that the incoming civilian president should be given the chance to revive the Nigerian state”, My point in 1999 was that Obasanjo should not be saddled with an extra institutional contraption that would create an unwieldy administrative structure and also undermine accountability by being almost a parallel government. And so, I rested my case. I recall that my comments drew some derisive laughter from one particular senior journalist at the time – not from The Guardian stable.

When I saw proof in the media that the ‘consultancy’ must have caught on, with several write ups giving very elaborate reasons why the incoming Obasanjo Presidency should retain the PTF, for “doing a damn good job,” I made my own intervention in The Guardian titled: “Obasanjo, Remember the PTF.” In it I argued that one of Obasanjo’s first duties as president should be to scrap the PTF and strengthen the statutory institutions of state, for effective service delivery”.

Now that we have several development commissions it would be a grand display of profligacy for the nation to have as many administrative structures to manage them. We need convergence, economies of scale, and a scaling down of administrative apparatus, which is precisely what the recent action of the Federal Executive Council has brought about. My personal preference would be for the government to tinker with the revenue allocation formular, as well as the job of the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, and then give all monies to the states. Therefore, I take the good news about the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry as the first leg of a very important journey.

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