THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY 2024

FIRS Targets N19.41tn Revenue in 2024, Now Accounts for 70% of Contributions to Federation Account Edun: Domestic resource mobilisation is way to go

James Emejo in Abuja Executive Chairman of Federal

Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, said the service had a collection target of about N19.41

trillion for the year after it surpassed its 2023 target by N816 billion, having collected about N12.37 trillion.

Adedeji spoke yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the FIRS 2024 Strategic Management Retreat,

with the theme, "Reimagining Tax Administration for Equity and Economic Growth."

Accountant-General

of

the

Continued on page 16

Bala Usman: Tinubu Will Drop Non-performing Ministers... Page 17 Thursday 25 January, 2024 Vol 29. No 10515. Price: N400

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Nigeria to Save $1 Billion Annually as NUPRC Addresses Errors in Oil Production Measurements.. Page 6

Afenifere Removes Adebanjo as Acting Leader, Constitutes Elders’ Caucus Fidelis David in Akure Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has removed Pa Ayo Adebanjo as its acting leader.

National leader of the group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, stated this

yesterday during the group’s monthly general meeting at his residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Specifically, Fasoranti said in the light of recent events and the pressing need to reposition and

rejuvenate Afenifere, the positions of acting leader and deputy leader have now been abrogated.

In their places, the group has set up Afenifere Elders Caucus, comprising 21 members, adding that the responsibilities and authority of

advising the Afenifere leader and Asiwaju Yoruba had been vested in the caucus.

Members of the Elders Caucus included himself (Fasoranti) as the chairman while others act as members.

The other members named were Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Oba Olu Falae, Senator C.O Adebayo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Senator Kofo Bucknor Akerele, Arch Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Lt. Gen Alani Ipoola

Akinrinade, Maj Gen. Olu Bajowa (rtd) and Prof Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi.

Others were Prof Banji Akintoye, Dr. S.A.J Ibikunle, Chief Femi Aluko, Continued on page 16

Cardoso: Naira Undervalued, Seeks Fiscal Collaboration, Market Stability Vows far-reaching measures to tackle structural impediments to growth Argues economy at turning point Says collaborating with Ministry of Finance, NNPCL has improved FX repatriation to apex bank Expects stabilisation or reduction in fuel costs NESG to FG: embrace economic transformation agenda to stimulate economic growth James Emejo in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe, Dike Onwuamaeze and Ugo Aliogo in Lagos Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi

Cardoso, yesterday, said the naira was currently undervalued, contrary to suggestions that the local currency was overvalued.

Continued on page 16

BLINKEN MEETS SANWO-OLU...

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (right) receiving United States Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken while transiting through Lagos at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, ... yesterday

2

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

3

4

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

5

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

Launch of NESG's Macroeconomic Outlook Report...

L-R: Host, The Global Business Report, Arise TV, Mr. Aruoture Oddirri; Nigeria's Country Representative, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Christian H Ebeke; Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr Niyi Yusuf; Executive Director, Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), Dr Osasuyi Dirisu; Chief Executive Officer, NESG, Dr Tayo Aduloju; Chief Economist and Director of Research and Development, NESG, Dr Olusegun Omisakin; and Nigeria's Lead Economist, World BanK, Dr Alex Sienaert, at the launch of NESG's Macroeconomic Outlook Report 2024 in Lagos... yesterday PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

FG Seeks to Expand $11.8bn Bilateral Trade with India

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The federal government has said it seeks to expand its over $11.8 billion bilateral trade with the Republic of India in a bid to boost growth in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The government made the disclosure at the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC) in Abuja.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, stated, "I would like to commend the efforts of both countries in concluding the sixth session of the Nigeria-India Joint Commission Meeting held Monday.

"India is among Nigeria's top 10 trading partners, and Nigeria is India's largest trading partner in Africa."

Uzoka-Anite said, "The total bilateral trade between India and Nigeria as of 2022 stood at $14.95 billion, as against $8.81 billion during the year 2020 – 2021.

“This unfortunately dipped to $11.8 billion last year, but remains a clear indication of the importance of trade relations between our two nations."

Uzoka-Anite further explained that during her tour of India, she met with several pharmaceutical

companies, many of whom were interested in coming into the Nigerian market or expanding already existing operations.

She said, "Since our visit, one of these companies is in the process of setting up a new $10 million plant in Ota, Ogun State. They currently sell approximately 100 pharmaceutical products in Nigeria and approximately 50 per cent are imported.

"This plant is the first step in making sure their products are 100 per cent locally produced. This is the kind of development that we want to see more of and we urge other Indian manufacturers to also support our backward integration drive in this way.

"Both nations have long been bound by warm, friendly and deeply rooted bilateral relations.

Today’s forum is a testament to the progress we’ve made, building upon the foundations laid by President Bola Tinubu, during the Presidential Roundtable held in New Delhi, India, on the side-lines of the G20 summit.

"That pivotal meeting saw Indian investors pledge an impressive total of almost $14 billion worth of investment into Nigeria’s economy.”

The minister said Director-general of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, promised to send a high-level delegation to Nigeria.

“I am pleased to see that he has kept to his word and even exceeded our expectations by bringing together such a strong group of business leaders," UzokaAnite said.

She welcomed the Indian delegation, saying, "Nigeria is home to approximately 150 Indian companies, many of which are such

strong household names that we have embraced them as our own.

"Companies, such as Bharti Airtel, Tata, Stallion Motors, Churchgate, and Indorama. I have even noticed that Nigerian-based Indian companies are some of the biggest ambassadors for doing business in our market, this is a testament to the conducive business environment that Nigeria provides for Indian companies to thrive."

Similarly, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, in his welcome address,

said, "I am optimistic that this forum will further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries thereby increasing foreign direct investment, facilitate capacity, technology transfer and foster sustainable business partnerships between the government and private sector of both countries.

"You may wish to note that Nigeria is a coastal state with an extensive coastline stretching over 853 kilometres along the Atlantic Ocean, which serves as a natural hub for shipping in the continent

Umahi Meets Dangote, Others, Harps on Public, Private Partnerships to Build Nigerian Roads Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has met with the Chairman, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in the federal government’s efforts to strengthen the rehabilitation of Nigerian roads through public, private partnerships.

A statement signed by the minister’s Special Adviser, Uchenna Orji,

said that the closed-door meeting also had the Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, and a former Minority Leader, Federal House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu in attendance.

The statement said that the consultation was in keeping with the road infrastructure initiative of the “Renewed Hope” administration of President Bola Tinubu.

It stated that Umahi had been engaging with concessionaires and other private sector organisations on the need for private sector investment on Nigerian road infrastructure as done in advanced economies of the world.

It recalled that the minister in his zeal to change the “ugly narrative” of road infrastructure in Nigeria had set up three committees to

Court Dismisses Suit against CBN on Polaris Bank Sale

Wale Igbintade

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed a suit filed by human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) challenging a purported sale of Polaris Bank Justice Lewis Allagoa dismissed the suit following an application

by Falana, seeking to discontinue the suit before the court.

The fiery lawyer had instituted the action in suit FHC/l/CS/87c/23, against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Polaris Bank Nigeria Ltd. In his originating summons, the plaintiff had asked the court to determine as follows: “Whether by the provisions of section 42(2) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020, and Public Procurement Act, 2007, the CBN could validly sell Polaris bank for N50 billion having earlier revitalized same for N1.3 trillion .

Falana had consequently, sought a declaration, that the purported sale of Polaris bank by CBN on Oct. 19, 2022, is illegal and violates the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

He stated that the purported sale also violates the provisions of the Banks and Other Related Institutions Act 2020.

The plaintiff had consequently, sought an order, setting aside the sale of Polaris Bank .

When the case was called yesterday Falana announced appearance for himself as both plaintiff and counsel appearing for himself .

Mr Augustine Okafor appeared for the first defendant while Mr Olabisi Makanjuola, appeared for the second defendant.

Subsequently, Falana informed the court that he seeks to withdraw and discontinue the suit following a take-over of Polaris Bank by the

of Africa.”

According to the minister, "The country has the shortest distance from the coast to most of the landlocked neighbouring nations in West and Central African regions and a network of potentially navigable waterways covering 10,000 kilometres across 28 of her 36 states.”

India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, said, "This is the first time that a foreign affairs minister from India will be visiting Nigeria."

federal government.

According to him, the federal government, having found that the sale of Polaris Bank was illegal, had decided to take over the bank.

He, then sought to withdraw the suit on that grounds .

Meanwhile, defence counsel (Makanjuola) argued that since the plaintiff had commenced the action by way of originating summons for which issues had been joined by parties, he cannot seek to withdraw same.

He argued that plaintiff had not sought to file his discontinuance within 14 days of receiving the counter affidavit of the defence, adding that issues had already been joined.

Makanjuola insisted that in the circumstances, the appropriate order for the court to make is a dismissal of the suit.

Besides, he reminded the court

of an earlier order awarding cost of N200,000 against the plaintiff at the last adjourned date, which had not been obeyed, contending that the plaintiff ought to first obey the court’s order .

This position was also adopted by second defence counsel.

In response, Falana pointed out that defence counsel ought to extend commendations to him, for his ability to bring such public interest case before the court in the interest of Nigerians .

Falana argued that it is the responsibility of every well meaning Nigerian to protect the interest of his country which he had done by coming to court in such a suit.

He submitted that an order of cost was not appropriate in the circumstances.

In his ruling , the court first observed that the plaintiffs suit was well intended in public interest and

so, should not attract any punitive measures from the court.

The court, however, held that since issues had been joined, the appropriate order to make is a dismissal.

Justice Allagoa consequently, dismissed the suit but rescinded the cost previously awarded against the defendant.

A similar suit by the plaintiff against the Price Control Board is pending before the court.

However, when the case was called, there was no representative for the defendants.

Falana told the court that he was earlier informed by the Attorney General that he would send a representative to court but none is available as can be seen.

He consequently, sought to take a further date for the case.

The court adjourned the later suit until February 7, 2024.

work on the contracts executed by some concessionaires with the federal ministry of works.

Umahi stated that this is with a view to reviewing the scope and cost implications of the projects they undertook to execute under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).

The private sector initiative, the minister said, will fast-track road infrastructure revolution and bring order, accountability, and profitable entrepreneurship to the operations, management, and maintenance of federal highways.

“It is hoped that investors, local and international, and other organised bodies would take advantage of the will power of the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration.

“The private sector experience and professional capacities of the minister to invest in the over 35,000 Km of the national road network being managed by federal government will come to bear , as the road network carries more than 70 per cent of the vehicular traffic, making it a critical infrastructure for the movement of goods and services across the nation.

“This initiative will trigger economic development, job creation, local content development and wealth creation for Nigerian population. Mr. President means business with his efforts to prosper our country and make it the pride of the African continent. Their support is critical,” the statement added.

6

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

TINUBU DEPARTS FOR PARIS...

L-R: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike; APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Inspector General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun; Director General of State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi and President PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI. Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president departs for France from the Presidential lounge of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.... yesterday

Nigeria to Save $1 Billion Annually as NUPRC Addresses Errors in Oil Production Measurements Commission moves to reverse investment decline in upstream sector

Peter Uzoho With various regulatory policies and initiatives being put in place and vigorously pursued by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the country is about to start saving as much as $1 billion annually, previously being lost to errors in the measurement of oil production, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

The upstream regulator is also working to remove entry barriers

and general investment decline plaguing the oil and gas exploration and production sector of the Nigerian economy by adopting some policy tweaks.

Multiple sources, with knowledge of the details of the regulator's recent well intelligence report, told THISDAY, anonymously, that Nigerians would start witnessing the roll out and implementation of those policy actions in a matter of weeks.

The sources identified some of

the policies to include Metering Regulation, intended to correct the existing crude measurement process that allowed the operators to tell the country the amount of crude produced, literarily leaving the country at the mercy of producing companies, with resultant losses.

Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, had last year revealed that about 40 per cent of the oil losses reported by the oil companies was as a result of metering errors and not outrightly

due to theft.

To address the metering errors and save the country over $1billion annually, the sources said the commission would be conducting metering integrity audit, a major issue and a confirmation of a recent announcement by the commission’s chief executive, during his meeting with operators in Lagos.

"We have identified that if we succeed in recalibrating our meters to international best practices to the industry allowable errors, we might

FG: There Will Be No Political Interference in Selection of New NEITI Board SGF says global EITI’s areas of concern will be sorted out

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has assured the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) that there will be no political interference in the emergence of the next governing board of its Nigerian branch, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

Typically, the board, also known as the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) comprises government officials, industry leaders as well as civil society groups. In the past, issues had been raised about the transparency of the process.

But the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who made the commitment in Abuja, while receiving a delegation from the global EITI, Oslo, Norway, which is on a working mission to Nigeria, stated that all grey areas will be being sorted out.

“One area where government assured the delegation of its urgent action is in the reconstitution of the NSWG and preservation of NEITI governance structure from political interference,” a statement signed

by NEITI’s Deputy Director/Head Communications and Stakeholders Management, Obiageli Onuorah, stated.

The SGF reassured the delegation that NEITI will be supported to facilitate and ensure robust

consultations and decision-making leading to the implementation of the NEITI mandate and the EITI standards.

“In this direction, I wish to announce to you that the federal government will constitute the NEITI national stakeholders working group without further delay.

“In constituting the NEITI board, we will take into consideration the peculiar nature of NEITI operations, the EITI standards and ensure that the quality of its membership reflects the expectations of the global EITI,” the SGF noted.

Akume also took cognisance of Nigeria’s performance in the recent EITI assessment of progress recorded by the country in the implementation of the initiative between 2019-2022, explaining that while the present administration is proud of its impacts, concerns raised by the global body will be addressed.

According to him, reliable information and data provided by NEITI’s reports have helped tremendously in shaping the ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining sectors.

“We have also found NEITI reports to be very useful in the areas of revenue generation, resource mobilisation, blocking leakages in the system and a dependable data resource in the country’s sustained war against corruption.

“I want to acknowledge the report of the EITI validation of

Nigeria and to assure you that the federal government is already working on the report. From our preliminary reviews, we have noted with excitement the many areas that Nigeria excelled in that report and the areas that our country requires improvements.

“The government is fully aware that we were assessed on three major indicators: Outcomes/impacts, transparency as well as stakeholders engagements,” he added.

The SGF remarked that he was elated that Nigeria excelled on outcomes and impacts with a score of 92 per cent and over 70 per cent on transparency disclosures, which he said showed that Nigeria is benefiting from the implementation of the EITI. However, he acknowledged that Nigeria requires more work and improvements in the areas of stakeholders’ engagements where Nigeria scored just above 50 per cent.

He applauded EITI for highlighting specific areas where the country needed to correct and improve upon before the next validation which will take place in January 2026.

The SGF further stated that Nigeria through NEITI is working to provide action plans that will remedy the gaps identified by the validation report before January 2026, the stipulated time given to Nigeria to address noticeable areas of improvement in the oil, gas and mining industry

sector reforms.

“On the corrective measures, you have highlighted, please let me give you the assurance, that we will pay priority attention to the identified areas of weaknesses.

“I have directed the executive secretary of NEITI to come up immediately with a comprehensive plan of action to address all the corrective actions highlighted in the report to be implemented as part of ongoing extractive industry reforms.

be able to reduce not less than 40 per cent of what we call crude oil theft. So, that is key," one of the sources told THISDAY. To proceed with that, he said the regulator had made the metering regulation which was the first in the country since oil production started.

The source further explained, "We discovered oil in 1956 and began exploration in 1958. We never had a metering policy. I was shocked to find out that there was no metering regulation in the industry, and it's over 70 years, and without that, you have loopholes.

"So, if we do that, we will save the nation about $1billion annually.

So, which one is better? To do that or to keep borrowing our future away. So, by policy tweak, we can actually do a lot. So, if all these policies are put in place, we can get to a level of sustainability."

The regulator, according to the sources, was also working to remove entry and general investment barriers in the upstream petroleum sector, which had affected oil production and revenue generation.

They explained that different kinds of barriers had been created in the industry, with the front-loaded barrier being the major. They said the barriers often drove international investors to neighbouring jurisdictions, where

things are easier for them.

THISDAY gathered that the commission had, after its well intelligence research, decided to address the issue of signature bonus in a way that would enable buyers of assets to quickly develop them up to production and optimise the resources.

The result of the well intelligence, according to experts, showed that Nigeria had the highest amount of signature bonus compared to its counterparts, which contributed to the drop in the industry's capital expenditure (Capex) by 74 per cent in 10 years – 2014 to 2024.

Since the past decade, Nigeria has blamed the decline in oil production mostly on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. It left out the fallen industry Capex, which dropped from $27 billion in 2014, to about $6 billion currently.

The sources said NUPRC was equally making policy tweaks that will reverse the movement of investments and foreign exchange from Nigeria to other jurisdictions, like Mozambique, Guyana, and Angola.

One of the steps, the sources said, was making regulations that would reduce the high signature bonus and introduce production bonus during bid rounds.

Continues online

Edo Ranks Second in Fibre Optics Infrastructure Devt in Nigeria, Says FG Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City On the back of investment and strengthening digital infrastructure across the state by the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the state has emerged second in the ranking of states with fibre optic infrastructure in Nigeria.

Edo with 4,892.71km of fibre optic cable network ranks only behind Lagos State with 7,864.60km out of the 78,676km of cable infrastructure in Nigeria.

This was contained in the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s white paper on ‘Deepening Nigeria’s

National Backbone and Middle Mile Infrastructure,’ which was released recently.

According to the report: “Thus far, 78,676km of fibre optic cables have been deployed as of 2023.

Lagos leads with 7,864.60km; Edo, 4,892.71km; FCT, 4,472.03km; Ogun, 4,189.18km; Niger, 3,681.66km; Kaduna, 3,028.88km and Delta, 2,750.42km. Kano and Kogi follow with 2,697.72km and 2,602.25km in that order.

“The least 10 States in fibre deployment are Yobe (1,233.31km), Borno (1,190.04km), Gombe (1182.40km) and Ekiti (1,178.04km). Others are Jigawa (1100.53km), Taraba

(1,076.58km), Sokoto (1,066.56km), Plateau (997.45km), Ebonyi, 651.65km and Bayelsa (407.88km).”

The whitepaper noted that individuals and communities face a growing barrier to navigating the interconnected landscape of modern life without reliable and affordable Internet access.

The Obaseki-led administration has since prioritised investment in digital infrastructure as one of the key pillars to drive economic growth.

The government said this is aimed at powering the state’s egovernance platform and sustaining the bourgeoning tech ecosystem anchored on tech initiatives.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

7

8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

opening of the technical retreat for Delivery Desk Officers of federal ministries...

L-R: Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof Tunji Olaopa; Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; National Programme Manager for the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (FCDO-PERL), Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke; and Representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Sir Olusegun Adekunle at the formal opening of the technical retreat for Delivery Desk Officers of federal ministries on the implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables in Uyo …. yesterday

Blinken Backs Nigerian Entrepreneurs, Commissions American Corner in Lagos Minister says Nigeria to become next destination for tech talents

Chiemelie Ezeobi The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, yesterday reiterated the support of his government in its quest to elevate Nigeria’s youth innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity.

Blinken made this known when he officially opened the “American Corner”, a creative and tech-enabled American space at 21st Century Technologies in Lekki, Lagos, which aims to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity among Nigeria youths.

Since 2000, the US has launched 245 American Corners in approximately 60 countries with 26 American Spaces in Nigeria in 21 cities throughout the country.

Blinken, who was on his second day in Nigeria, was joined by other US government representatives at the space, including the United States Chargé d'Affaires, David Greene and Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, as well as the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.

According to him, the American Corner is poised to contribute significantly to the advancement of technology and creativity among Nigerian youth, aligning with the broader goals of strengthening diplomatic ties between the United States and Nigeria.

He further noted that the initiative was part of the Biden administration's strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa, signifying a commitment to supporting Nigerian youth in the fields of technology and innovation.

Emphasising the United States’ determination to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, he so said the strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa's objective is to drive digital transformation and stimulate an inclusive digital ecosystem.

While commending Wale Adebola, the CEO of 21st Century Technologies, for pioneering Nigeria’s technology space, he also expressed gratitude to Tijani for the partnership between both countries in making Nigeria a tech powerhouse.

He said: "Back in November of 2021, I had an opportunity to come to Nigeria and to talk about building a 21st century partnership, a 21st century partnership with Africa countries, and to move from those questions about what we can do for Africa to a different question, what can we do with Africa.

"I see this playing out in so many places now as we work together to meet shared challenges that no single one of us can effectively meet alone, and the bottom line, to actually deliver results to our people, because those of us who have spent some period of time in public office, that’s our responsibility. That’s what we’ve been charged with.

“A lot goes into that: Promoting accountable government, strengthening security and stability, and especially expanding opportunity, which I think is at the heart of everything.

"Now, as we’re doing that, two things are evident. One is the future really is with Africa. It’s no secret to anyone that in the coming years one in four inhabitants of the planet

will be from this continent, and so we would ignore Africa at our peril.

But we also see the incredible power of these partnerships in actually solving problems together.

"When we’re thinking about Africa, Nigeria has to be front and centre. It’s the largest country. It’s the largest economy. It’s the largest democracy. It is a natural partner for the United States.

"And as we’re looking at what we’re doing together – trying to address the climate crisis that’s affecting all of us in different ways, developing artificial intelligence for good, accelerating inclusive economic growth – all of that is strengthened powerfully by one thing, and that is the tens of thousands of Americans

who are here in Nigeria working, studying, coming together with Nigerians around joint ventures, and the more than 500,000 Nigerian Americans who are such a powerful part of our own community."

He said it was particularly exciting because he was sharing the space with one of the continent’s most innovative incubators, part of an American commitment to help drive digital transformation across Africa.

Blinken underscored the imperative of bringing women fully into the venture, stressing that women around the world were participating equally in the workforce with men, adding $28 trillion to the global economy.

Earlier, US Consul General,

The Del-York Group has signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the Enugu state government for the development of the 042 Arena and Entertainment Park, a pioneering sports, education, and entertainment hub in Nigeria.

A statement yesterday said that the agreement was signed recently at the Government House, Enugu, in the presence of senior government officials and representatives of Del-York Group, among others.

In his remarks, the Enugu State

Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, said the 042 Arena and Entertainment Park is an intentional step towards the future of the state.

He added that the transformative project would not only elevate the state's infrastructure, but also empower the youths, unlock economic opportunities, and position Enugu as a beacon of progress in Nigeria.

He noted: “In all, it is intended to serve as the engine of growth to drive our ambitious economic vision of improving the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

Mbah further stated that the

as Secretary of State, and he is a true leader and we’re so grateful to have you here," he said.

Also speaking after the inauguration, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who lauded the centre, said Nigeria is also investing in talent to become the next destination for technology.

He said: "We are also investing in talent. We want Nigeria to become the next destination of technology talent in the world which is why we are training 3 million of such talents.

"This is because while we want to keep some of them, we also want to become the next exporter of such tech talents to the world."

UNICEF Urges Immediate Action to Strengthen School Safety in Nigeria Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi and Gideon Arinze in Enugu The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) has called on the government and relevant agencies to urgently address insecurity which continues to threaten the safety of schools and education of children across the country.

UNICEF made this call during the commemoration of the International Day of Education 2024, stressing that such attacks on schools lead to learning disruption for children.

The Fund however acknowledged the significant progress made in providing access to education for 7.2 million children in humanitarian settings across Nigeria.

According to a press statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday by Safiya Akau, Communications Officer, UNICEF Nigeria, the Fund highlighted the need for concerted efforts to enhance school safety in the country.

The Fund also reported that a recent evaluation indicates that, on average, only 43 per cent of

Del-York Group Seals Deal with Enugu Govt on Sports, Entertainment Park Devt

Ugo Aliogo

Stevens said the American Corner is a network of spaces that brought together nearly 100,000 people last year and probably did more for diplomacy than anything.

"David (Greene) probably did a bit more – our charge d’affaires.

But that people-to-people diplomacy is the foundation, it’s the bedrock of a warm and strong relationship that our countries enjoy. And this Corner today is one more step in the path that we’ve taken to help unleash Nigeria’s incredible talent.

"So I know that Secretary Blinken has a longstanding commitment to that people-to-people diplomacy.

He’s shown it in his years as Deputy Secretary of State, at the National Security Council, and now

visionary project promises to boost economic growth by creating jobs, attracting both domestic and international investment, empowering youth, while stimulating tourism.

The governor added: “This project is set to transform Nigeria's sporting landscape, unlocking the nation's athletic prowess through a dedicated platform for nurturing and developing talent, elevating Nigeria's standing in the international sports arena.

“Furthermore, this project will compliment and accelerate Enugu’s rich legacy in the creative arts and entertainment, delivering

a variety of engaging opportunities and experiences which will significantly enhancing the lives of its residents.”

The statement said that the 042 Arena and Entertainment Park would be a world-class, integrated masterpiece encompassing cuttingedge sports facilities.

According to him, it also include training pitches and sports academies, educational institutions focusing on sports science, technology, and media, entertainment and leisure offerings, including retail spaces, cinemas, and restaurants.

the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools are being met in about 6,000 assessed schools.

This finding particularly highlights challenges in ensuring the safety of school infrastructure and in mitigating risks such as violence, conflict, and natural hazards.

Ms. Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative therefore called for a multi-sectoral approach to improve school safety through comprehensive planning, coordination, and adequate resource allocation, especially in states with higher risks.

She noted that “while Nigeria has shown a commitment to creating safe school environments through endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration and developing the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, there is room for further progress. And on this important day, we are reminded of the collective responsibility we share in safeguarding the educational environment for every child.”

"The theme of the 2024 International Day of Education, 'learning for lasting peace,' reminds us of all of the crucial role that education plays in promoting peace and stability. It serves as a reminder to all stakeholders – including federal and state governments, development partners, civil society, communities, and educators – of the importance of providing safe, secure learning environments".

“Education is a key driver of gender equality, economic growth,

and social development, sadly it remains inaccessible to many Nigerian children. Their educational journey is often disrupted by attacks on communities and schools, including the abduction of students.

These challenges are particularly acute for adolescent girls, potentially stalling the progress made in girls’ education in Nigeria.” Munduate added.

According to her, "recent attacks on schools, particularly in the NorthEast and North-West regions in 2021, have led to learning disruptions for over 1.3 million children, necessitating precautionary school closures. This highlights the urgency of addressing school safety comprehensively.

Munduate said that "UNICEF calls for a multi-sectoral approach to improve school safety, informed by the performance of states on the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools. This approach should include comprehensive planning, coordination, and adequate resource allocation, especially in states with higher risks.

"To complement these efforts, UNICEF emphasizes the importance of alternative learning platforms, such as the Nigerian Learning Passport. This digital platform, with over 750,000 users, offers curriculum-aligned materials and is crucial for ensuring continuity of education, especially during school closures.

Continues online

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

9

10

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

11

12

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

13

14

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

15

16

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

sixteen

Tinubu: Nigerian Youths are Vibrant, Ready to Compete Globally Lauds Mastercard Foundation for profiling 10m jobs for young Nigerians Departs Abuja for private visit to France, returns first week of February

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigerian youths are vibrant, talented, eager to learn and ready to compete globally.

However, Tinubu departed Abuja yesterday, for a two-week private visit to Paris, France.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu would be due back in the country in the first week of February, 2024.

But speaking earlier yesterday, at a meeting with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mastercard Foundation, Ms Reeta Roy, at the State House, Tinubu stressed that, "We must give hope and assurance to our teeming youth population.

‘God has blessed Nigeria with a vibrant youth population, ready to

learn, and capable of competing in the global economy of the 21st century.

Leadership is what is necessary. ''The incubation is growing, and we are earning a good reputation, and we will continue to do that across sectors of the economy in order to achieve sustainable growth.”

He assured his visitors that his administration would strongly support public-private partnerships aimed at creating dignified work and employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

Tinubu commended Mastercard Foundation's initiative, which aims to create 10 million jobs for young people in Nigeria, noting that the programme aligns with his Renewed Hope Agenda for economic development and job creation.

According to him: "We believe in what you are doing. We are

determined to run an inclusive government and change the dynamics and perception of this country.

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and, as such, must take its leadership of this continent very seriously."

The President also welcomed Mastercard Foundation's emphasis on digitisation, recognising the role of technology as a potent and indispensable tool against corruption.

"We are ready to work with you and remove all impediments, and we have assembled a great team to work with you. The hope of the youth must be built on a solid foundation of sustainable growth and prosperity.

“We are working with other partners, and we assure you of our robust and focused collaboration," he further stated.

Earlier in his speech, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, noted the wide-reaching impact of the Mastercard Foundation across Africa and its proven capacity to change the fortunes of human capital development in Nigeria.

"This is an institution that holds assets worth more than $40 billion and they are prudent in ensuring that their resources are applied digitally and in a way that reaches their target beneficiaries directly. Mr. President's strong commitment to reforming social intervention and health service delivery in Nigeria will be greatly boosted through this partnership," Pate stated.

On her part, CEO of Mastercard Foundation, Ms. Reeta Roy informed the President that the Foundation's focus on education and financial

inclusion in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, aims to impact 30 million young Africans by 2030.

She reported progress on the Foundation’s 10 million target for Nigeria, stating that 2.1 million young people trained under the ‘Young Africa Work Strategy’ are already engaged in dignified work.

Furthermore, she said no fewer than seven million people had gone through programmes classified as work enablers, including skill acquisition, education, access to financial tools, networks, or linkages into opportunities.

According to her: "We are still on a journey and have more work to do. We are excited about looking at a whole new frontier, and that is in the healthcare sector.

"While we may not historically be a health organisation or health

Cardoso: Naira Undervalued, Seeks Fiscal Collaboration, Market Stability Speaking at the unveiling of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) 2024 Macroeconomic Outlook Report, in Lagos, Cardoso said the coordination between the fiscal and monetary authorities would produce a more balanced and stable exchange rate.

The CBN governor stated that the bank’s collaborative effort with the Ministry of Finance had ensured that all crude oil sales by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were channelled through the central bank, in an attempt to improve and solidify the inflow of foreign exchange (FX) into the economy.

Cardoso said, “We believe that the naira is currently undervalued and, coupled with coordinated measures on the fiscal side, we will expedite genuine price discovery in the near term.”

The country's creditors and credit ratings institutions, who believed the naira was overvalued, had repeatedly prevailed on the CBN to float the currency and allow it find its real value.

But the naira is now open to market forces, and the apex bank believes the national currency is

undervalued.

Cardoso said inflationary pressures were expected to decline in 2024 due to CBN's inflation-targeting policy, which aims to rein in inflation to 21.4 per cent. He said this would be aided by improved agricultural productivity and the easing of global supply chain pressures, which would benefit businesses by boosting consumer confidence and purchasing power.

He said the anticipated moderation in petrol prices due to the expected operational status of the country's key government and privately-owned refineries in 2024 remained a pivotal factor in the economic equation.

Cardoso stated that the expected stabilisation or reduction in fuel costs would have far-reaching implications across various sectors, and contribute significantly to overall economic efficiency and resilience.

On the apex bank’s FX initiatives, Cardoso expressed satisfaction with CBN’s collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and NNPCL to ensure that all FX inflows were returned to the central bank. He stated that the coordinated effort would greatly enhance the bank's FX

Afenifere Removes Adebanjo as Acting Leader, Constitutes Elders’ Caucus Prince Alonge, Dr Yomi Finnih, Prince Olusi,Hon Korede Duyile, Prof Ropo Sekoni, Hon Lekan Alabi and Dr. Kunle Olajide.

A communique issued after the meeting and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, explained that a motion on the need to abrogate the dual positions of Acting Leader and Deputy Leader was moved by Dr. S. J. Ibikunle from Ogun State and was seconded by members from Ekiti, Kwara, Oyo and Ondo States.

"When the matter was thrown to the general house, the motion was unanimously carried," he said.

The group also resolved that there was an urgent need to rework the Security Architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians live and move about without the fear of being kidnapped or harassed in any way.

"Such reworking should include giving states and local government councils that so desire to establish own police services with all the requisite powers to function as such.

“Doing so would check, if not totally stop, the incidences of kidnapping and sundry banditry now ravaging the land.

"The unfortunate blast in Ibadan clearly underscores the need to allow the federating units in the country to control mineral resources in their respective areas with particular reference to mining and exploration.

“The reasoning behind this was that had it been that states were in control of mining, for instance,

Oyo State government was likely to know how explosives were being moved around.

“Such would have made last week’s horrendous blast that claimed many lives, traumatised hundreds of people and destroyed properties running into Billions of Naira preventable."

According to the Communique, the meeting took note of the report that Miyetti Allah Have set up a 1,144-strong Nomad Vigilante militia in Nasarawa ostensibly to provide security for Fulani herders.

"Afenifere was of the opinion that Miyetti Allah, being a non-state actor, should not have power to do a thing like that. It, therefore, considered the action of the Department of State Security (DSS) to checkmate Miyetti Allah on the issue as timely and in order.

"The meeting expressed the hope that President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda would be giving the necessary push so that life can be easier for the people of Nigeria.

“Among the means of achieving this are taking steps that would strengthen the value of our currency, the Naira, reduce costs of energy (fuel in particular) through local production of petroleum products as well as regular supply of electricity."

In view of the current high cost of living, Afenifere urged the federal government, through its various organs in charge of finance and fiscal policies, to accelerate actions that will strengthen the value of naira, enhance productivity, reduce costs of items

flows and contribute to the accretion of reserves.

Cardoso added that the expected stability in the foreign exchange market for 2024 could be attributed to the reduction in petroleum product imports and the recent implementation of a market-determined exchange rate policy by the CBN. According to him, “This reform is designed to streamline and unify multiple exchange rates, fostering transparency and reducing opportunities for arbitrage. The resulting consistent and stable exchange rate will not only boost investor confidence but also attract foreign investment, elevating Nigeria's appeal to global investors.

“We are implementing a comprehensive strategy to improve liquidity in our FX markets in the short, medium, and long term. Our focus is on addressing fundamental issues that have hindered the effective operation of our markets over the years.

“Upholding the integrity of financial markets is crucial for building confidence. With the completion of an independent forensic review and the subsequent clearance of the backlog of valid FX transactions, we remain steadfast in our commitment to decisively address any infractions and abuses.”

Cardoso stressed that in the effort to stabilise the exchange rate, it was critical to prioritise transparency and

create a market environment that enabled the fair determination of exchange rates, and ensured stability for businesses and individuals alike.

He stated that CBN's adoption of the inflation-targeting framework involved clear communication, use of monetary policy instruments, and collaboration with fiscal authorities to achieve price stability, foster market confidence, and positively influence consumer behaviour.

The CBN governor stressed, “The outlook for decreasing inflation in 2024 will have a profound impact on businesses, providing a more predictable cost environment and potentially leading to lowered policy rates, stimulating investment, fuelling growth, and creating job opportunities.

“Additionally, the bank has reverted to the conventional monetary policy approach with a focus on attaining price stability, which fosters sustainable economic growth for Nigeria.”

Cardoso said the apex bank would vigorously address the various structural impediments to development by tackling institutional deficiencies, and restoring corporate governance in the financial system.

He said efforts were underway to strengthen regulations and implement prudent policies, adding that the CBN would be a reliable partner in fostering economic growth.

He also said the economy was currently at a turning point,

explaining that bold reforms are underway across different segments of the economy.

Cardoso said the initial hardship experienced as a result of policy changes were ultimately directed towards addressing identified challenges in a sustainable manner.

The CBN governor further assured both domestic and foreign investors, and other stakeholders, that the economy would transition to a new state of stability in the short-to-medium term, "as we recalibrate our policy toolkits and implement far-reaching measures."

He added, "I am confident that we are already witnessing positive outcomes, and these will undoubtedly become more apparent in the near future.

"The dedicated and relentless efforts being made are certain to bring about significant and positive changes for our economy.

"Indeed, recent reports from international rating agencies, such as Fitch, Moody's, and commendations from multilateral banks, like, the World Bank reflect this, with upgrades to Nigeria's ratings from stable to positive."

Cardoso explained further, "These reports acknowledge the possible reversal of the deterioration in the country's fiscal and external position due to the authorities' reform efforts.

"While noting the painful adjustments, they all identify a direction of travel that will unlock the much-

President Bola Tinubu foundation, we are looking at that sector as part of a vibrant economic landscape ripe with opportunities for young people and our focus will be on workforce development.

"Thank you for placing young people at the heart of your economic growth agenda across multiple sectors. We appreciate your contributions to the health sector.

“I know there are many things that require your time, but I am really grateful and very much encouraged to see that healthcare and education are also critical parts of the way forward. We hope that you find in us a partner that is steadfast, open, and ready to learn". needed growth and development for our economy in the medium to long term.

"I am under no illusion that these commendations are reducing the price of rice in the market or the cost of FX that you need for your businesses or to pay your children's school fees. These concerns will be addressed shortly."

Commenting on the NESG Macroeconomic Outlook, Cardoso said the report emphasised the necessity of economic transformation. He said the central theme, "Economic Transformation Roadmap: MediumTerm Policy Priorities,” underscored the requirement for a clearly outlined roadmap comprising distinct, yet interconnected, phases and essential policy recommendations.

Cardoso said the new five-year Strategy for the Central Bank of Nigeria for the period 2024-2028, which was unveiled last week, provided a clear roadmap for achieving the bank’s mandates anchored on price stability and monetary policy effectiveness, robust and resilient financial system, as well as governance, compliance, and advisory to government.

He added, “These form the pillars around which all our actions and activities will revolve, enabling us to deliver on our mission ‘to ensure monetary, price and financial system stability as a catalyst for inclusive Continued on page 35

FIRS Targets N19.41tn Revenue in 2024, Now Accounts for 70% of Contributions to Federation Account Federation (AGF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, affirmed that FIRS now accounted for about 70 per cent of the country’s total revenues, adding that a lot of tax revenues are still left uncollected and there is need to expand the current tax base.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the country must focus on domestic revenue mobilisation to fund its budget. Edun said amid the current economic realities, exploring expensive debts was not good for the country.

He said the President Bola Tinubu administration remained committed to actualising a 77 per cent increase in domestic revenue mobilisation to assist in funding critical infrastructure, especially healthcare and education.

Edun said while tax revenue remained crucial, the issues around increase in government revenue deserved attention, adding that federal government owned enterprises must do more to augment the current fiscal position of government going forward.

While commending the FIRS chairman and his team for exploring options to boost collection, Edun stated that the country’s tax revenue, as a percentage of GDP, remained low at 10 per cent, compared to other African countries and the developed world, in general.

He said though FIRS met and surpassed its target for last year, additional efforts were still needed to measure up to the challenge this year.

He challenged the FIRS management on public trust, and accountability to the people regarding tax collection.

Edun, “Bear in mind that in order to maintain and build confidence and public trust, what the taxpayers want to see is that their money is faithfully collected as it should be and properly spent and accounted for with minimal excess wastes and leakage. They deserve it and I believe you’ll give it to them.”

He said the emphasis of the current administration was to grow the economy, adding, “Given what is going on around the world, even a high and elevated and sustained increase in interest rates, borrowing is not the way to go.

“The emphasis is on IGR, domestic resource mobilisation, and equity as opposed to debt.”

Adedeji expressed confidence that the task was not impossible, especially given the reforms and new structure being put in place under his leadership to boost voluntary compliance by taxpayers.

He said the new approach was to provide the enabling environment for businesses to survive in order to facilitate collection of taxes.

Adedeji told THISDAY, “Our duty is to provide an effective tax collection system, we are not a revenue generating agency; we are a revenue collection agency.

“And if you go with the plan the president has to rejuvenate the economy, it comes mainly from macroeconomic indices, remember, we are going to tax prosperity not poverty, we are going to focus on the fruit and not the seed.

“Our duty is to make sure we have that viable economic environment to lead to economic prosperity and for us here, it’s just to put the structure in place to aid effective collection.”

The FIRS boss said, “Our focus is to increase tax without increasing tax rate. So, our focus is actually to improve our effectiveness in collection to drive voluntary compliance.

“Also, expand the base and have a good environment that makes the companies prosper. When the base is big, the same percentage will give you more taxes and that is our target.”

He said the unveiling of the new FIRS organisational structure, was a critical milestone in the service’s commitment to revolutionise tax administration in the country.

Adedeji said the cornerstone of the paradigm shift was the establishment of a customer-centric organisational structure designed to streamline

processes and enhance efficiency in our tax operations.

“We are not merely adapting to change; we are leading it. The forthcoming structure, set to kick off from February 2024, embodies our dedication to modernise and digitise the tax administration landscape in Nigeria.”

He stated that in its pursuit of a more efficient and contemporary tax administration methodology, the service was embracing an integrated tax approach, leveraging technology at every step.

This approach, he said, positioned FIRS at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that it meets the evolving needs of our taxpayers in a rapidly changing world.

Adedeji said, “The structure advocates for a comprehensive approach to taxpayer services, consolidating our core functions and support under one umbrella.

By tailoring our services to specific taxpayer segments, we aim to simplify the taxpayer experience. No more complexities, no more overlaps—just a seamless and user-friendly interaction for every taxpayer.

“In a ground-breaking move, we are shifting away from traditional tax categorisation. Instead of maintaining different departments for distinct Continued on page 36

17

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

NEWS

PDP BOT members Visit Makinde...

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde (left) and National Chairman, People's Democratic Party, Board of Trustees and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, during the BOT members visit to Governor's Office Ibadan. .. yesterday

Ighodalo: I Will Remain Loyal to Edo Citizens Not Individual If Elected Governor Emma Okonji

A governorship aspirant under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election holding in September, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, yesterday, stressed that his loyalty would be to the people of Edo State and not to any single individual, if elected as governor.

Ighodalo, who spoke on ‘The

Morning Show,’ on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said he was invited to run for the governorship election by his close associates and the good people of Edo State, insisting that he would give his full loyalty to the citizens of the state and not to any individual, no matter how highly placed such individual may be in the political hierarchy.

Ighodalo, a lawyer by profession

who officially declared his interest last week to run for the state gubernatorial election, said his mission would centre around wealth creation and infrastructural development of the state, including construction of roads.

“I declared my interest to run in the gubernatorial race because I want to pull the good people of Edo State out of poverty.

“The previous governments have done relatively well, but I think I

can bring to bear, my immense experience, to improve on what they have done.

“It is clear to me that Edo State people are suffering and I want to contribute my quota to help lift up the state economy and to pull people out of poverty. My ambition is to move Nigeria from the third world to the first world, by working from Edo State to transform the state and the country,” Ighodalo said.

Groups Hail Reforms in Passport Issuance, Correctional Facilities Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Universal Migration Enlightenment Center (UMEC) and the Global Migration Research Institute (GMRI) have commended the federal government's recent reform initiatives which has led to smooth and easier passport issuance and improvement in Correctional facilities in the country.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, the President of the GMRI, Williams Azuma Ijoma, said the developments were critical steps that would enhance safety, security, and efficiency in migration processes.

Ijoma, while bemoaning the lengthy and cumbersome procedure for obtaining passports in the past, stressed that the recent upgrades in technology and administrative efficiency must be applauded.

He, however, cautioned Nigerians against media trail of the Interior Minister, adding that the probe panel set-up by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should be allowed to diligently investigate the matter in order to allow justice prevail.

He further urged the Minister not to be deterred in his passion to drive necessary developmental initiatives in the country.

His words: “Our agencies, UMEC and GMRI are non-governmental organisations monitoring and keeping tab on the performance of some Ministers in line with the renewed hope agenda of Tinubu’s administration.

“We humbly submit that after a thorough and careful monitoring of the activities of the ministers, one notable action that we need to commend is the way and manner the Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji

Ojo, handled the procurement and issuance of Nigerian passports.

“The minister did not only fast track the process of acquiring the Nigerian passport but has become automated which everything is now online, and within two or three weeks the passport is ready for collection. We are witnesses to the rigorous, energy sapping and frustrating experience in the process.

“Some Nigerians in diaspora

have been victims of the slow and corruption induced system of the old days. This new initiative by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji Ojo, is worth celebrating and commendable.

“We urge him to continue with this feat already achieved despite the distractions going on. We call on Nigerians to give peace a chance and allow the ministers to concentrate and execute their tasks

in their efforts to bring Nigeria back to reckoning.

“Similarly, we must also commend the Minister for his laudable programs in the correctional facilities all over the country. There is an improvement in the welfare of inmates unlike before.

“It will be noted that all these good initiatives will attract a lot of smacks and tend to slow down the pace of work in the ministry.”

Reacting to the insinuations from his political opponents who see him as an outsider that does not have public sector experience and has no political grip of the state, Ighodalo said such insinuations were deliberately targeted at him to distract his good intentions for the Edo State citizens.

“I am not new to life in Edo State because my father lived in NewBenin and I spent most of my time and holidays in Benin City. Again I have worked as Special Adviser to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and I was in and out of Benin during the eight years administration of Oshiomhole in Edo State.

“I also headed the Private Sector Think-Tank of Governor Godwin Obaseki and I have friends in the state that I visit frequently. So no one can rightly say I am an outsider and therefore not known by the people,” Ighodalo said.

He listed his approach to debt reduction in the state if elected as the next governor of the state to include regenerating the economy to pull people out of poverty and grow the economy at a rate that can give the state the revenue base to repay debts and boost revenue for infrastructure development.

“I am not going to be scared by the volume of debt the state is owing because I will device means to block internal leakages and generate revenue that will be sufficient to pay the debts and still develop the state.

“Borrowing as a state is not a bad thing in itself, what matters is how the money is spent on recurrent expenditure. My priority will be on education, palm oil production, job creation, aside infrastructural development such as roads,” Ighodalo further said.

Giving explanation about his relationship with Governor Godwin Obaseki, Ighodalo said they have been business friends for quite some time, even though Obaseki was an investment banker and him a lawyer.

“We have been friends and he believes in me and I also believe in him, but he is not influencing my governorship aspiration and he is not going to use me as a point man for a third term agenda because I know he has no term agenda,” Ighodalo added.

He said he believed that members of the National Working Committee of the PDP would do a credible job in the screening of party candidates on January 29 for the next governorship election in Edo State.

Bala Usman: Tinubu Will Drop Non-performing Ministers Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head, Central Delivery and Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala-Usman, has said that the president will drop ministers who do not deliver on their mandates.

Speaking at the opening of the technical retreat for delivery desk officers of federal ministries on implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables in Uyo yesterday, Bala-Usman said the president was serious about delivering on his promise to make life better and easier for Nigerians.

While asking for the total commitment of delivery officers and directors of planning in ministries who were present at the retreat, she admonished them to get serious with their jobs, describing them as “ engine rooms “.

“We must understand that the president is very serious about his promises and that ministers will be assessed, and ministers will be

dropped if they don’t perform.

“You must understand that as ministerial delivery desk officers you are the engine room that will provide that feedback and constantly track ministerial progress and report challenges and bottle to the CDCU,” she stated.

She explained that the retreat was to introduce the delivery officers to the framework of the delivery chain for progress tracking and build the officers’ capacity on monitoring of the delivery plan.

“The assessment will look at granular tangible outcomes that affects the lives of citizens. As I was saying at the Ministry of Aviation recently, we will be assessing FAAN on customers experience at the airports; are the escalators, lifts, and conveyor belts functional?

“How swift is security clearance both for passengers and vehicles in accessing the airport? What are the consequences of delayed time of departure for airlines?

“These are things that everybody can feel and see. When we are

talking about agriculture, we want to see our index of fertiliser use per hectare grow in view of the attendant investment that has been made in fertiliser interventions.

“At the Ministry of Finance, we will assess the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) on the timeliness for inspection and clearance of import and export of cargo. At the Ministry of Finance again, we will also assess them on the timeliness of resources availability to MDAs which is core to the delivery of any mandate,” she added.

She reiterated to the participants that they are the engine room to the feedback needed for the assessment and encouraged them to put in their optimal performance in the interest of every Nigerian.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume, who was represented by former Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Sir Olusegun Adekunle, reminded participants about Tinubu’s plan to ensure the active and direct par-

ticipation of citizens in governance and the role they need to play in ensure that ministries and parastatals deliver on their mandates.

He said: “In the words of the president, let me reiterate that the Renewed Hope Agenda is more than just economic growth. It is also about building a more just and equitable society for all Nigerians.

It is about creating jobs, improving education and health, and reducing poverty. It is about ensuring that all Nigerians have the opportunity to succeed.”

In his intervention, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa noted that the strength of every democratic state is the quality of its institution and the capacity to deliver services to citizens.

He enjoined the delivery officers to acquire as much knowledge as they can for effective delivery.

The National Programme Manager for the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office Partnership (to Engage, Reform

and Learn (FCDO-PERL), who are technical partners of the CDCU, Ifeanyi Ugwuoke, praised Tinubu for his commitment to delivering on his promises to the people and giving support to the CDCU. He encouraged the delivery officers to put in their best into the assignment noting that the president support suggests that it was the best time to enhance public service delivery in Nigeria.

Welcoming participants, Coordinators of the CDCU, Esege Esege said that the retreat was expected to equip them with requisite knowledge to deliver on the eight priorities of the Tinubu administration and encouraged them to learn, unlearn and relearn in the period.

Dignitaries at the opening ceremony included Akume, represented by former Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Adekunle Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Olaopa.

18

T H I S D AY • THURSday JANUARY 25, 2024

politics

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY)

Amosun at 66: It’s Life More Abundantly!

At 66, former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, revels in rare grace, writes Olawale Olaleye

A

few weeks ago, a conversation struck at the home of former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Oyelaja Amosun. It was a general discussion about health and, more importantly, the distinguishing difference between care and treatment.

Everyone in the room spoke about how they’d been managing their health and staying alive. Emphasis was on routine check-ups, and that seemed to be a common denominator for everyone except the man in whose house they all gathered.

Strangely, it was not a serious gathering for any particular meeting or formal parley.

It was a casual visit that brought everyone together, albeit unplanned. Almost everyone knew each other, which also made the conversation more interesting.

First off, there was no one in the room, who had known Senator Amosun for less than 12 years, minimum, and yet, no one could tell of anytime they had seen him sick or heard that he was indisposed by any stroke. Not even during the Covid 19 pandemic.

But Senator Amosun was going to shock everyone the more, when he told the sitting he had never gone for a check-up of any sort in many years, let alone worry about the state of his health, the least being his blood pressure monitoring.

He had hardly landed when everyone – almost unanimously – told him why he remained in such a great state of health.

“But you fast everyday except on Sundays, and you don’t think that’s enough health care?”

Amosun He wore a momentary probing look and said, “Hmmm… maybe o,” and everyone else laughed out loud.

Quintessential Amosun, they all must have muffled!

Of course, his disposition to health check immediately changed after everyone had convinced him it was a necessity, whether or not he felt healthy from within.

Whilst he had since yielded to this collective advice and done a few check-ups, he still feels vindicated that everything came out clean 100 percent.

Talk about anyone savouring the

grace of God and I’d gladly point in his direction as one of those, who not only enjoy grace in quantum, but also grateful for such a rare gift of life from God. This year would make it the 19th since Senator Amosun had been fasting everyday except on Sundays. And you still wonder how he came about life in abundance? Think again!

A quick search reveals interesting 10 health benefits of fasting. One, it supports hormones and genes that influence metabolism. Two, it may support weight loss. Three, it supports blood sugar management. Four, it supports gut health, and five, it supports heart health.

The sixth benefit of fasting is that it may help disease prevention. Seven, it may delay ageing and support growth as well as metabolism.

Eight, it may reset your circadian rhythm. Nine, it may support brain function, and ten, it may reduce anxiety.

Senator Amosun may not own the world, but not many come near what he has been blessed with so long the subject is health, regardless of how much such individuals boast. Even those who come close still struggle with one or two challenges.

Therefore, when you go over those 10 points of fasting, you can understand why he remains fit as a fiddle, in addition to not smoking, drinking or even considering the third evil often associated with men.

Thus, with a sturdy physique and evidently sound mind, Senator Amosun reeks of the enviable grace of God, which also explains how he has managed many of his life’s challenges without betraying emotions.

A devout Muslim, who concedes everything to God – good or bad, he worries not about things he cannot change and where his efforts are demanded, he leaves nothing to chance.

Whenever he stands with you, just go to bed.

A perfectionist in many respects, it is safe to conclude he also suffers from OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is what you see, even at first contact with him.

He is neat, has good taste, and is organised to a fault.

He is not just hands-on, he always makes sure that everything is done to the best of his ability such that whatever the results are would not bother him at the end of the day, for as long as he had put in his best.

Senator Amosun is not just generous, he is kind-hearted with a high sense of responsibility.

You do not need to nudge him to do that, which is right. Even if he runs the idea by someone else, it is probably to seek a second opinion.

A lover of people and family man to the core, he respects tradition and authority and is big on self-preservation. You will never find him where he is not wanted, and he’ll never be found wanting anywhere they seek him and his importance.

Therefore, at 66, it is trite to say that God has gifted this man of means and moderation, life more abundantly, which is why you all should raise your glasses and toast to a good life of great and admirable examples.

Happy 66th birthday, omo oye, omo ajiri.

-Olaleye is Deputy Editor at THISDAY Newspapers

Usman: Wrong Narratives By Western Media About Africa Needs to Be Countered Executive Director of Sustainable Initiative for Nurturing Growth (SING) Nigeria and CEO of FOA Africa, IdrisEtanami Abiodun Usman in this interview, explains how African countries can challenge and change wrong narratives about the continent.

O

ne wonders why a known activist would suddenly delve into owning and running a pan-African television station.

What informed that decision?

Being in the civil society shows how much I love and cherish my country and the African continent. During my days as an activist, though I’m gradually leaving that space, I always believed that Africa ought to be leading the world and not the other way round. Our stories are not properly told to the world. Today, Africa as a continent is seen as a dumpsite of the world. It is often described as a continent that depends on the benevolence of the West.

So, delving into television ownership is to set that narrative straight. We need to change the narrative. For this and other reasons, I decided to establish FOA Africa.

Setting up a television station requires a huge capital. How did you handle that phase?

You’ve heard about companies that are doing well. In this digital age, setting up a successful business is easy. All you need to do is to have your ideas and share them. People will buy into them. That is what we’ve done. We’ve shared our dreams with stakeholders and investors and they’ve bought into it. They believe that if FOAAfrica comes into reality, doing businesses in Africa will be made easy. It is tough and the dream is becoming a reality. We’ve made television business in Africa look as if it is not profitable. There’s so much you can make. If you look at the big television stations across the world, they’re making profits.

Contents drive the world and that’s what they’re doing. What FOA Africa will be doing is to develop contents that will sell themselves.

Our contents will add value.

We won’t rely on government patronage or adverts to succeed. The dream of FOA Africa is to run a station that will showcase Africa in a good light to the rest of the world.

If you were to quantify the funds that have gone into setting up this station, much

It has been repeatedly told that Africa is a country that depends on aids. How would FOA Africa change that narrative?

Sorry to say this. Many television stations in Africa lack contents. We can’t talk so much about our plans until we launch later this year.

With digital equipment, we’ll be able to reach all the countries in Africa. You also know that Africa doesn’t speak one language. We will break those barriers. We’ve broken the continent into different segments. We’ll handle the language issues.

Usman would that be?

We’ve invested about $7 million.

FOA Africa will be domiciled in four locations. Nairobi in Kenya, Lagos, a State in the South South and in South Africa. We’ll have an office in London.

We’ve carved a name for ourselves.

We’re glad that a station like AIT gave us this hope that a dream like this could be achieved. We appreciate all the stations. We still believe that African stories are properly told to the rest of the world. If you want to hear stories or breaking news about Africa, it has to be from the CNN or the BBC. Every country in Africa rely on foreign television stations to hear about breaking news. That’s not good for the continent.

We should be able to connect. Even in terms of trade, African countries are yet to connect. It is easier to connect with countries across the Atlantic than with a fellow country. African countries can’t trade with themselves.

FOA Africa will break that trend and barrier.

How will you address the language differences in the continent and still reach every country?

We’ll create the first mobile studio in Africa.

Representatives in each country will use the mobile studio. This will make the reach seamless. We’re coming to change the narrative in Africa. We’re going to be strictly doing news and documentary. Our contents will have commercial values. It’s time to change the narrative here. Crimes and other bad things happen in other countries. But you hardly hear about them. People still go there for holidays and keep their funds there.

But Africa is described as a jungle. FOA Africa wants to change that narrative. Our black brothers in other continents don’t bring their money to Africa to invest because they’re consumed with the wrong narratives. It’s a new day for Africa.

Whenever you attend international meetings, the narratives about Africa is that of hunger, starvation and poverty. Beyond the documentary and news, in specific terms, how will FOA Africa change these wrong narratives?

Africa is seen as a continent that needs help.

We see different donor agencies coming to the continent to give one aid or the other. In all the years of giving aids to Africa, what problems have they solved? In fact, they spend about 60 percent of the funds on man power. That narrative by the Western world is deliberate.

It’s a cartel. We need to break it. Most of the

wars and civil unrests in Africa are sponsored by the West. Nobody is telling these stories.

We know what’s happening in Zamfara State.

Don’t see Nigerians operating there. We see foreigners operating there.

Go to Lake Chad Basin. This is what the rest of the world wants Africa to be. We want to change that narrative.

Some big media houses beside those domiciled in Western countries have the backing of their governments. Is there any form of government involvement in FOA Africa?

We don’t have such. Government is the people. We’ll partner with governments across Africa. There are some things we’ll be doing that will need the backing of government. The narratives are changing. If you look across the continent, African leaders are talking. They’re speaking out. Kenyan, Rwandan and South African Presidents are speaking up. So, Africa needs a media partner like FOA Africa to drive these messages.

There are trade barriers in Africa and lack of interconnectivity. Will you focus on how this can be addressed?

We’re going to be present in all African countries. FOA Africa will be the platform that will connect the continent. Look at our television stations in Nigeria. How many advertisements do you see on our stations from other African countries? None. If you watch CNN and other international media, you see a different thing.

We intend to change that narrative. Going to Europe by air is easier than going to West African countries. That needs to change.

These dreams appear very ambitious…

We’re launching in Nigeria and Kenya first this year. In the next five years, we’ll be delving into South and Northern Africa. It’ll be taken in phases.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

19

T H I S D AY • Thursday, JANUARY 25, 2024

FEatures

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Agony of Rivers Communities over Incessant Explosions by Multinationals-factored Explosions

Barely 30 days after Obrikom Obiafu community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, ONELGA, experienced an explosion from gas leakage that took many lives, Blessing Ibunge reports that Obagi community in same LGA have lamented fresh gas explosion which engulfed their farmlands, an explosion one too many caused by the many Multinationals that dot the land

Gas leaking from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company pipelines in Udeta farmland, Obagi community in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA of Rivers State

O

bagi community, one of the host communities of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and other multinationals, is still in deep pain over a gas explosion that destroyed their farmlands, economic trees and other sources of livelihood.

According to an indigene of the community, Morgan Destiny, Agip has been operating in the land for over three decades with nothing to show that such multinational is present in the area.

While the community people were retiring from their daily activities on Wednesday, at about 8pm, there were shouts of heavy fire outbreak coming out from Udeta farmland in Obagi, very close to residential houses.

This cry caused all members of the community to be on alert, while the youths and other healthy men in the community moved towards the site of the incident, seeking for a solution to end the fire that could have caused deadly disasters, including taking lives. But the incident was tamed, with the effort of the community people, the Agip company officials who later came and other assistance.

A visit by THISDAY to the scene of the incident at the weekend revealed that the fire from the explosion destroyed farmlands, economic trees, including palm trees and other sources of livelihood. It was gathered that the incident caused residents and indigenes of Obagi to desert the community at the moment for fear of being killed by the fire that erupted from the leaking point of the gas on a facility owned by Agip.

On Saturday, December 23, 2023, it was reported that an explosion from facilities of Agip Company in Obrikom Obiafu 1 & 2, claimed many lives, injured others and destroyed about four farm plantations.

While there were reports of over 35 lives lost in the incident, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command revealed that the incident claimed 12 lives and blamed pipeline vandals for the fire explosion that occurred in the early hours of the said Saturday, in Obrikom Obiafu. The NSCDC Commandant in the State, Basil Igwebueze, who condemned the acts that led to the fire explosion, said the incident would have been averted if vandals did not tamper with the pipelines in the area.

But the incident of Obagi, investigation revealed that the gas pipeline belonging to NAOC have been leaking for since middle of last year, even when the community tried reaching the company, the incident continued.

No death was recorded in the incident as early intervention prevent such occurrence.

The ONELGA Chairman, Vincent Job, who spoke on the incident in Obagi, blamed equipment failure. He regretted that the community hosting the Agip gas pipelines and partly flow station is still in dependable state. He however, called on the federal government and the multinational to expedite action and ensure such incident never occurred again, adding that the people of the community needs development in many areas.

Job expressed that "although experts have more things to say about it. For us who are novice in oilfield we found out that it is equipment failure, because some of these

A fresh oil spill on pipeline belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd. in Obolo-Ogale, (close to Ebubu Community) Shell’s pipeline right of way in Eleme, Eleme LGA

equipment have lasted more than 30-40 years and this calls for removal, repair or replacement of those pipelines.

"The women suffer a lot of this degradation. So the federal government and the International Oil Companies should ensure that their pipelines and facilities are up to date. If there are ones that have spanned for so long, they should be replaced.

"So far, we have not had any casualty in the gas incident at Obagi, but the degradation was enormous, even the noise coming from that place, I went there myself and saw it on a spot, I couldn't even get closer because if there is any spark, so many lives will be lost.

"We are calling on the federal government as much as they are collecting their crude, is a natural economy, they should also ensure that they put every other thing in place that will keep the livelihood of the locals".

On the life standard of the Agip host community, The ONELGA Chairman stressed "If you go to that Obagi, one will not believe that such economic resources are being collected from such a community.

Their lives are so backwards, the locals were crying. I went there because it was an emergency, I didn't go with anything.

As of yesterday (Friday), I am in contact with the management of Agip and they intend to have a negotiation, but firstly, the issue is how to stop the leaking gas and we can discuss".

One of the landlords of the affected area in Obagi, Anthony Brown, alleged that the leakages have been on because Agip on inception failed to do an environment impact assessment of the place before installing their pipelines. He lamented that the community has not benefited from Agip with their years of operation in the land, adding that the link roads leading to the pipeline sites were constructed by TotalEnergies and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Brown who spoke when THISDAY and other media houses visited the scene of incident, explained "This is Udeta farmland.

For over four decades, this place has been peaceful, nobody from our community have obstructed the activities of Agip. When Agip wanted to acquire this land, we told them to do an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of this area before they will acquire it, but they said we should not bother that they will take care of it.

"Since Agip started activities here, there have been series of problems from Agip flow

station still in our land, but the company has not treated us like their landlord.

The road we are using, which Agip is also accessing to come and drill oil here, was constructed by TotalEnergies.

"Agip has been so backward in their relationship with the community. Obagi is a very peaceful place. Nobody is doing much anything illegal oil refining activities here, we don't even encourage it. But I have never seen any visible project that Agip built for our community right from when they started operating till date. Even the MOU we have with them has not been reviewed for the past 15 years till date."

He however, urged "the federal, the state and local government to call Agip to order, if not for the grace of God, if this fire had continued for two days more, it could have burned down the whole community. There should be a proper EIA before Agip could continue and they should compensate us for all the damages on our land, aquatic lives and so many other losses".

On his part, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Obagi, Elechi Ifeanyi disclosed eruption on the Agip pipeline started on June 10, 2023, alleged that the company on earlier contact, denied it was their facility. He also defended that Obagi youths do not indulged in illegal oil refining activities.

"Since June last year, it has been eight months since this eruption has been here.

We wrote to them and TotalEnergies, NLNG but Agip denied it was their facility. Obagi has been known as a peaceful place. Our youths are not indulged in bunkering business. The operation of Agip in Obagi, they have not been good in community relations.

You cannot see the presence of Agip in the Obagi community. Same incident happened in 2010 but till today, Agip has not done anything to remedy what the people have suffered", the CDC Chairman claimed.

To Destiny, a community member, lamented that the Agip is allegedly flaring gas and degrading the environment with its activities without remorse.

He said "Obagi happened to be the second community that oil was discovered in Nigeria after Oloibiri, but since then nothing to show for our

Some of these equipment have lasted more than 30-40 years and this calls for removal, repair or replacement of those pipelines. The women suffer a lot of this degradation. So the federal government and the International Oil Companies should ensure that their pipelines and facilities are up to date.

If there are ones that have spanned for so long, they should be replaced

contribution to the national treasury. Agip is virtually killing the community. Several occasions we have reported issues of havoc Agip is committing to the people of Obagi: gas flaring, explosion etc. It has become a norm of Agip to destroy our environment without remorse.

"Obagi is really in a pitiable condition. The issue of the gas eruption and explosion that happened two days ago started eight months ago. I personally have reported this issue to many authorities but none of them listened to us until the issue escalated. That night we didn't sleep, there was thick smoke, fire gushing out from our farmland, but to God be the glory we are all alive today to tell the story".

As at the time of this report, the management of Agip was yet to release a statement or made comment on the incident. At the incident scene, THISDAY witnessed over seven vans fully occupied with military personnel and with an alleged directives to prevent people access to the area. But after several confrontation from the community who lamented that the company cannot destroy and denied them access to their farmlands, the personnel withdrew after they received call from the company.

Just as the explosion in Obagi was still trending, there was a reported oil spill on a pipeline belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd. in Rivers State.

According to the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), the spill occurred on Friday, January 19, 2024, on the Obolo-Ogale, (close to Ebubu Community) Shell’s pipeline right of way.

The advocacy group in a statement yesterday, revealed that Shell was on the pipeline in December 2023 carrying out some maintenance work to change some old pipes laid over six decades ago, and along the way, their excavators may have punctured some pipes unknowingly to them as the pipeline was shut down from crude oil transportation during the period of the maintenance work.

The Executive Directive of YEAC-Nigeria, Fyneface Dumnamene, in the statement he personally signed expressed the believe that "the maintenance work has been completed successfully, Shell, on Friday, January 19, three days after it announced the agreed sale of its onshore facilities in Nigeria to Renaissance for over $1.3 billion, commenced the transportation of crude oil through the pipeline, leading to leakage and massive crude oil spill into the environment".

Fyneface said "From photographs sent to YEAC-Nigeria showing the spill point and heap of sand, the evacuated points were yet to be covered, and crude oil was noticed oozing and pumping out of the pipeline under the ground uncontrollably till the time of this report as also seen in the videos shared.

It is important to note that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found benzene, a cancer-causing agent, 900 times above the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended standard in underground water in Nsisioken-Ogale due to underground crude oil spills, as published on August 4, 2011 by UNEP in the Ogoni Environmental

20

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

21

22

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 20 TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

GETTING OUT OF DEPRESSING TIME

See page 21

POLICING AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Adequate training is essential for security agencies to carry out their constitutional functions efficiently, argues BEM IBRAHIM GARBA

See page 21 EDITORIAL

HIGH INFLATION AMID HUNGER

22

1

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

VICTOR C. ARIOLE urges the authorities to do things right

Thursday January 25, 2024 Vol 27. No 10513

MONDAY PHILIPS EKPE suggests that citizens’ deliberate self-help is inevitable in the face of government’s seeming powerlessness

WHOLESALE ABDUCTIONS INCORPORATED Even instances that should ordinarily elicit hope in the thick, dark clouds that best describe Nigeria’s worsening security situation are, themselves, shrouded in uncertainties. Sadly.

Few weeks ago, in the euphoria of the new year festivities, kidnappers captured the family of Mansoor Al-Kadriyar in the Dutse area of Bwari, Abuja which included father and six daughters and took them away to an unknown destination. Nigerians who were becoming numb to the news of such criminalities, as a result of their regular occurrences and the resultant prolonged helplessness, somehow couldn’t take that anymore and reacted accordingly. The outburst and anger towards the villains and security operatives were unmistaken.

The man was released early enough. A business decision, actually, as the felons needed someone to scout for the ransom. Internetpowered crowdfunding, a novel phenomenon in this increasingly hopeless theatre of pain, was initiated by a former minister to meet the kidnappers’ demands - an action that made them see the bumper prospects and changed upwards the initial amount. In the meantime, to prove that they weren’t joking, the abductors killed Nabeeha, one of the sisters, and their uncle. Last weekend, luckily, the remaining young ladies regained their freedom.

As the army and police were debating the ownership of the ‘heroism’ that produced that triumphant moment, some citizen journalists and family members of the victims went to town with stories of how the emissaries and negotiators were already on their way to deliver the ransom when they ran into the uniformed men. Mubarak, a relative of the Al-Kadriyars, however, gave an account that seemed credible: “They (abductors) released 12 people altogether, five from Al-Kadriyar’s family, and seven other people from three different families…. We jointly made the payment last Wednesday. They told every family what to pay and one person agreed to collect all the money on behalf of the others and (was) given directives on how to bring the money….

“They (security operatives) have done their best actually, but as I said, what they did was not enough. The security agencies have failed to prioritise the lives of the citizens, which is their duty…. The bandits shouldn’t have stayed conveniently from Wednesday down to Saturday night and at their convenience to release them to us, and they left thereafter without anybody confronting them.” This narration amplifies the suspicions and frustrations of Nigerians concerning the heightened wave of kidnappings in parts of the nation. They include the complicity or collusion of law enforcement agents, low morale among those saddled with the job of countering and defeating the menace, and the inability of same to rise to the occasion and win the love and confidence of their fellow citizens.

That melodrama has neither taken away the venom of the evil men and women on the loose nor indicated tangible solutions anytime

soon. Instead, the kidnappings in Nigeria appear to be digging deeper and assuming a life of their own. Like porcupine, they’re hard to attack and even harder to swallow or digest.

But we can’t afford to surrender our collective aspirations and the right to be safe to despair and cluelessness.

For the record, kidnapping, as a troubler of human societies, is not new in the country. In pre-colonial times during slave trade, most of the people who were whisked away to Europe and America were abducted from the comfort of the lands of their ancestors before they were herded to the various departure points along the coasts. From ancient eras even to the present, unfortunate persons have also continued to disappear and, then, dismembered for rituals.

But abductions, beginning from the dawn of the country’s current democratic dispensation, have taken on varying characters. Niger Delta militants who could no longer stomach the destruction of their region occasioned by oil exploration, started kidnapping expatriate workers of the erring companies, essentially to draw the attention of the international community to the plight. The gamble did pay off. The fallouts are largely responsible for the monstrosity that this well-organised crime has become today. In their desperation to secure the release of those captives, the corporations were eager to part with hefty cash. The kidnappers discovered that their professed cause would need plenty of arms, ammunitions and organised operations and, so, dug deeper into the prospects for the overflowing financial gains of kidnapping.

The spread of the nefarious trade to other parts of the country was only a matter of time.

When it got to the south east, all the business possibilities were perfected. Abduction eventually made its way to the far north into the warm embrace of terrorists and bandits.

The disproportionate focus on Boko Haram and their fellow morbid journeymen ensured that before abduction was identified to be as

Kidnappings in Nigeria appear to be digging deeper and assuming a life of their own. Like porcupine, they’re hard to attack and even harder to swallow or digest. But we can’t afford to surrender our collective aspirations and the right to be safe to despair and cluelessness

lethal as the more visible atrocities, it was a bit too late.

How late? Or, better still, how did we get here? In many parts of Nigeria at the moment, road travellers are hardly at peace for the nagging fear of being intercepted and driven into the bush. Some parents of boarding students still live with similar worries, many years after the painful Chibok experience.

Persons are randomly picked from homes and streets. Now, more than any other period, the nation’s capital has come under the shadow of abductors who seem bent on sending a clear message to its most important resident - President Bola Tinubu - that they’re past caring.

The January 18, 2024 edition of The Economist paints Nigeria’s dire situation thus: “Many politicians seem keener to spend on themselves, rather than create the conditions for peace or fill the country’s fiscal hole. Even if Tinubu resists the temptation to reinstate the petrol subsidy that he largely removed last year, debt servicing alone in 2024 may gobble up 61 per cent of revenue. In November, the National Assembly approved new SUVs for all 460 lawmakers, at a reported cost of $150,000-plus per car. In two months, the government has budgeted $31 million to improve accommodation for the president and vice president in a country of around 220 million people where more than 80 million are reckoned to live on less than $2.15 a day and many fear being kidnapped.” Some government apologists have dismissed this view, not surprisingly though, but an assuring picture is yet to be seen.

While agents of state struggle to put their acts together, citizens don’t have the luxury of ignoring survival strategies. A viral advisory for Abuja residents reads thus: “Avoid late movements. This includes coming late from events and meetings. Events and meetings can hold without you. /Be alert when driving, including being aware of escape routes in the event of a blockade or attack. /While driving, avoid passengers who can distract you with chats and banters. Be alert. /Ensure that your car is in good condition, and locked at all times, including when driving. /As much as you can, drive on main roads and avoid lonely or ‘apiam way’ in your quest to beat traffic.

“Unless it is absolutely unavoidable, don’t carry all your family members in the same vehicle, especially when travelling at night or early hours. /Be careful how, when you slow down at bumps and potholes. /Be super sensitive when boarding public transportation. /The days of ‘leave the door or gate open till I come; I will lock it when I return’ are gone.

Take responsibility for locking all doors and windows before going to bed. /If it is late, consider sleeping over where you visited, especially if it is a better option than going ‘home’” That truly sounds like a garrison regimen. Unfortunately.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

23 321

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024

VICTOR C. ARIOLE urges the authorities to do things right

GETTING OUT OF DEPRESSING TIME The Central Banker’s management of the nation’s external reserves is no different from the management of the finances of a firm or the individual. A company that persistently incurs more expenses than receipts cannot stay long in business … A country cannot import more than it exports on a permanent basis - Alhaji Abdulkadir Ahmed, former CBN Governor From spatial and physical insurgencies, Nigeria should avoid facing financial insurgency

like it happened during Buhari and Babangida military era. It was a time Nigeria experienced the explosion of banks, finance houses and financial institutions and the military fraternized very well with banking oligarchs to siphon Nigeria’s money abroad and it never mattered as many young Nigerians also found themselves getting employed in such institutions no matter what they studied in school. To the CBN governor then, the Manufacturers Association ought to bear the brunt of weak receipt.

It was also a period when the manufacturing industries were in total doldrum as the then CBN governors, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ahmed and Paul Ogwuma, were just interested in good relationship with the military heads of state – Major General Buhari and General Babangida; the former nicknamed “no-nonsense” General and the latter nicknamed “Maradona”. “Nononsense” was concerned with human beings and how to inflict pain on those who fail to relate with his own personal neuronal network that abhors capitalist approach to wealth acquisition and prefers the easiest way of trade by barter – no tact, no diplomacy no turnanci; just obey the order as imposed by “War Against Indiscipline;” even when the leader himself thrives in financial indiscipline, making the central banker look stupid as it disconnects with its own main function of relating effectively with receipts of the Federation seen also in its reserve and its expenses, seen in how the leadership manages internal well being of the people in its fiscal probity; and fiscal probity was completely lacking as the people were left on their own to operate effectively in the informal sector making the leaders and the CBN governor both pariahs among them, as well as already declared pariah in the “civilised world” of World Bank and IMF. It was a period when the well known 419ers, commercial banks, and black marketers in Nigeria operated in great opacity as Major General Buhari who thought, then, that changing the colour of the naira will sink the wealth of his perceived personal enemies who were mostly the great patrons of the existing 29 banks; and, at the end, the poor masses became the victims as their naira in banks depreciated further, as it is always the case in Nigeria; premium appreciation for the “Big Men” and discounted value for the poor

masses. The same just happened again.

On that, Buhari missed it completely as it happened in his second coming as President Mohammadu Buhari, inflicting great pains on Nigerians as the Big Men thrived in dollars.

Latching on Buhari’s ignorance General Babangida declared himself a “better leader” with what was known as “There is no alternative” to structural adjustment programme aka TINA. He sold out Nigerian owned banks to his cronies who are the rich men of today’s Nigeria and allowed more banks to be licenced, as it became valuable, in an economy that was not of interest to a structured world economy, that leaves out a marginal economy like that of Nigeria out of its radar, especially as a pariah nation then; merely surviving on an informal platform.

Foreign exchange sourcing by willing and eager manufacturers then, was mostly outside the CBN platform, as 419ers, black market transactions thrived to an extent that Babangida himself wondered why the economy under his watch was still thriving amidst all evils committed against it.

Naira was finding its value at the black market space while CBN was helping the treasury looters to launder Nigeria’s collective wealth in offshore and tax haven climes at a premium value in favour of the “Big men” favoured by the then military leaders. Babangida liberalized everything including corruption and wondered why the economy was not collapsing, just like his maradonic performance seemed to score goals that baffled the world referees of World Bank and IMF that he was invited to a state visit by United Kingdom; and no doubt as per the intention of UK: “keep on doing what you are doing as it was greatly helping the UK economy”. UK, known to be the financial capital of the world and its enormous link with offshore banking and tax haven climes of this world. Of course financial intelligence must have been dribbled to confusion with huge resources of Nigerians laundered, oiling the economy of the rich countries. Dateline: 29th May 2023, is Nigeria back to it again, from Buhari to a new brand Babangida?

Nigeria must avoid that. There is no doubt that the neuronal disposition of Babangida remains of greater plasticity than that of Buhari; that is, more accommodating and adaptable, as Babangida was a better programmer than Buhari; and it is expected that such neuronal disposition be better reprogrammed now for Nigeria to do better than Babangida era and block the slacks that went with Babangida’s neuronal network and insert valuable modes in the slacks to reach a surface output or outcome that could make Nigerians see a brighter moments out of the dark tunnel. Yes, no matter the plan put in place, the outcome should make Nigerians see good in it.

In this era of Artificial Intelligence, such network programming must be worked out to save Nigeria from turning to Ghana that had to be rescued by J. J. Rawlings twice – first, from the military of Akuffo in 1979 and from the civilian government of Limann in 1981. Nigeria must avoid such pathway of rulership, hence like cedi that tumbled to over 10000% depreciation, let naira be stabilised now - before it gets out of hand.

Ariole is a Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Lagos

Adequate training is essential for security agencies to carry out their constitutional functions efficiently, argues BEM IBRAHIM GARBA

POLICING AND NATIONAL SECURITY Adequate training of military, law enforcement, and security personnel is crucial in assisting the government in achieving its core constitutional responsibility of upholding the security and welfare of the citizenry. In other words, the government can only succeed in protecting the lives and property of citizens with the cooperation of well-trained and empowered state agents.

Every general knows that no one goes to war with ill-prepared, poorly trained officers and men, expecting to come home with the crown of victory. Poorly trained men and women will lead to fatal damages, losses, and humongous casualties.

The same applies to our everyday living and all spheres of human endeavor. No one jumps behind the steering of a passenger aircraft to convey passengers without being certified as a pilot; neither can anyone succeed in administering medication to patients without being first empowered with the relevant skills in medicine.

Sadly, our country, Nigeria, has, in the past two decades or so, witnessed heightened yet complex security concerns, some of which are

alien to our culture and what we stand for as Africans. In all, efforts to decimate terrorism, kidnap for ransom, and similar violent crimes within our country have proven extremely difficult. This is attributable to several issues, including a lack of capacity to maximize the potential gains associated with the proficient and effective use of weaponry.

Weapon handling is a critical component of training to make one an exemplary law enforcement officer or soldier. It is an aspect of capacity building that broadly distinguishes state actors from the rest of the civilian populace, including criminal and threat elements. The federal government continues to invest billions of dollars in acquiring weapons to boost effective policing and national security.

These efforts are almost futile if those responsible for using them and protecting us cannot operate these multi-billion Dollar gadgets while carrying out their law enforcement duties and national security operations.

Good quality entry-level and recurrent training develops competence and proficiency, which breeds confidence, and many officers in our clime need more confidence in their skills to motivate them to discharge their functions.

One proven method to increase the confidence and proficiency of our men and women charged with the constitutional responsibility of protecting our country and our people is to improve weapons handling skills, which comes through constant training and practice.

Whether you are practicing with a patrol rifle, shotgun, handgun, or any other weapon system, improving the ability to accurately acquire and hit targets, reload, and apparent malfunctions will build confidence in using that

system quickly and proficiently. Increased confidence will lead to an improved willingness to engage criminal and threat elements if incidents occur and there is a need to manage them.

Over the years, we have recorded causalities due to the inability of our men in uniform to use their weapons for the protection of citizens proficiently. We have had cases where the arms were accidentally turned against the citizens who should instead be protected. Rampant cases of “accidental” discharges have dispatched many of our brothers and sisters to their untimely graves; others have been incapacitated for life, while some others who are lucky to have survived will for their entire lifetime live with the psychological trauma.

This speaks to poor, inadequate training or the total absence of it. This also raises questions on how mentally prepared and sound some of our security agents are in discharging the arduous task of ensuring the protection of the lives and property of fellow citizens. The military, police, and indeed other para-military agencies in the country, even the vigilantes in our local communities and villages, have all been entangled in large-scale abuse of their weapons owing to inadequate training.

The 2020 #EndSARS protest still leaves a sour taste in the mouth on account of losses we recorded, losses that are directly linked with poor weapon handling and judgment as a result of inadequate training, psychological orderliness, or otherwise of those handling it, as well as total lack of respect for human rights or even value for human life.

From South to North, East to West, the streets oozed with the blood of innocent citizens mauled down in cold blood with weapons acquired for their protection. The Lekki Tollgate mass shooting that caught the attention of the global community highlights the need for much more training to enable our law enforcement and military stakeholders to carry out their constitutional functions properly.

In 2020, Mr. Ndubuisi Emenike, the Action Alliance (AA’s) candidate in the Imo North Senatorial District in the 2019 National Assembly election, was killed by an official of NSCDC during a celebration party held in honor of APC’s Miriam Onuoha, the winner of the Okigwe North Federal Constituency.

The NSCDC operative attached to Mr. Emenike as his orderly was said to have been shooting consistently into the air and mistakenly shot his boss, disrupting the party. Before help could come his way, the politician was already pronounced dead.

Just last year, officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) killed a two-year-old Ivan Omorhiakogbe with a “stray bullet” during a raid in the Okapanam Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State and equally left his brother with a life-threatening injury. There are many similar cases across every nook and cranny of the country.

Garba is the MD/CEO of Gray Insignia, a security consultancy firm, and writes bem.garba@ grayinsignia.co

24

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

22 4

T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2024

EDITORIAL

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

R

HIGH INFLATION AMID HUNGER The authorities should do more to secure the countryside

eports that about 26.5 million Nigerians may grapple with high level of food insecurity in 2024 has come as no surprise. That it came at about the same time that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the October 2023 food inflation figure which jumped to 31.5 per cent made it more disturbing. According to the figure released by the federal government and its partners during the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity, approximately nine million children are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting. Of these, an alarming 2.6 million children could face severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.

The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) has warned repeatedly that millions of Nigerians are at the risk of hunger as prices of foodstuff skyrocket.

Recent data compiled by an international e-commerce organisation also revealed that the average Nigerian household spends about 60 per cent of its income on food, the highest in the world. In contrast, residents of many Western countries spend less than 10 per cent. But the challenge is obvious. Insecurity in many of the rural communities has made it practically difficult for farmers to engage in agricultural production optimally, thus affecting productivity and largely causing market disruptions with attendant food price shocks.

For years, the cost of general insecurity, particularly in the north, has adversely affected agricultural production and cost of living. Staples such as beans and tomatoes have seen astronomical surge in prices, just like onions, and cassava flour.

Some states with high food prices are ironically major food-producing belts in peace times. Sokoto, for instance, is a major producer of beans, cowpea, groundnut, garlic, wheat, sugarcane, pepper, onions, and tomatoes, while groundnut, sorghum, sesame

seed, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and pepper are produced extensively in Plateau State.

With the support of the federal government and the United Nations (UN) systems, the Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe) states,” said the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nigeria, Trond Jensen. “People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”

While urging federal and state governments in Nigeria, donors, and other stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster, the UN warns that timely action is of essence. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Representative, David Stevenson, “the hunger crisis in Nigeria, fuelled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing.

Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country”.

Since food is needed for survival and well-being, there is a need for urgent intervention to avert a human catastrophe. With the fear of malnutrition for millions of children (and mothers) who are deprived of a healthy and productive life, the situation is already dire. We enjoin President Bola Tinubu to rally authorities at all levels and critical stakeholders to come up with practical solutions to the challenge of food security in Nigeria.

Insecurity in many of the rural communities has made it practically difficult for farmers to engage in agricultural production optimally, thus affecting productivity and largely causing market disruptions with attendant food price shocks T H I S D AY

EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS RENEWED AGENDA FOR THE YOUTH Since the time he was inaugurated as Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande has been up and doing to ensure Nigerian youths have cause to smile under the Tinubu's renewed agenda. It started with the ministry’s plan to introduce an internship program in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The aim is to enhance practical skills and employability of youths and bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world work experience. The minister was also at the launch and commissioning of Amal technologies in Abuja. The vision of Amal technologies limited hinges on youth empowerment which aligns closely with the desire of the minister to empower youths through cutting-edge training and fostering the enabling environment for creativity and innovation. The minister has also expressed his ministry's readiness to collaborate with Dream Against Prison and Youth Foundation to meaningfully impact the lives of young inmates in the correctional centres in Nigeria.

Besides, in continuation of his busy schedule geared towards youth development, Ayodele attended National young lawyers forum annual meeting at NBA National Headquarters, Abuja. The minister, during his presentation, delved into the need for technology as an enabler of good governance, harping on the about to be launched Nigerian Youths Academy (NIYA) which will drive the skill initiative of the ministry. The minister also promised to harness youths’ initiative within and outside the ministry

as a measure of accountability to the Nigerian youth. In addition he met with the leadership of the National Youths Forum, a body made up of all youth leaders of registered political parties in Nigeria. Led by its chairman, Ambassador Muhammad Auwal Musa, the minister said lots of policies for youth development are in the pipeline. He said there are ongoing plans to strengthen the Nigerian youths to ensure that they are equipped to fix the country. The ministry is spearheading initiatives to compel every young person to have at least two skills they can market.

The ministry will soon roll out initiatives like Nigeria Youths Academy, a platform for youths to acquire both soft and hard skills and be linked with potential employers; the establishment of Nigerian youths radio and television to foster deeper engagements, youth start up competition, youth entrepreneurship support programs as well as the targeted engagements with the youths. To match his words with action, the minister was in Borno State on engagement tour. He visited IDPs camp and donated items on behalf of federal government. This year, Nigerian youths should expect robust intervention programs from the ministry. The minister has proven beyond reasonable doubt he has come to implement the renewed agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which is anchored on youth development.

Saminu Ibrahim Abdu, Pambegua, kaduna State

CUNNING CRIMINALS A recent Australian TV news item showed police carting off bags of drugs and Lego pieces, a seemingly odd toy for the criminals.

Were the criminals using the Legos as an early warning system as we all know that a few of them on the floor will cripple people and cause them to scream in pain?

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

25

T H I S D AY • Thursday, January 25, 2024

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

J a n u ar y

S & P INDEX

2 4 , 2 0 2 4

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

19.12%

INDEX LEVEL

611.31%

1/4 to daTE

-0.07%

N795.28/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

16.25%

1-DAY

0.03%

YEAR TO DATE

0.48%

*AS AT Monday, July 24, 2023

3-MONTH

15.75%

MONTH-TO-DATE

-0.7%

Tijani: NIN-SIM Linkage Exercise Will Curb Insecurity, Help Government to Provide Digital Services

Emma Okonji The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has called on Nigerians who have not been able to link all their mobile lines to their National Identification Number (NIN), and those whose SIM cards were barred from making and receiving calls, to exercise some patience and ensure full compliance of NIN registration and linkage for national security.

According to him, although the process of NIN registration and linkage has become very hectic, Nigerians must endure it and do the needful to enable government maintain high level security across the country.

The Minister who spoke

with ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers during the just concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, said: “The process of NIN registration and linkage has turned out to be a painful exercise, but the benefits are numerous to the citizens and to the Nigerian economy. It will help government to provide digital services to the people, and it will offer citizens the opportunity to access such digital services that will be provided by government. It will also help government to maintain high level of security across the country. Government had since realised that most databases are in silos and operate independent of each other, but with the successful linkage

of NIN with registered SIM cards, government will be able to provide a single database of all Nigerians, from where information could be easily accessed and processed in real time.”

According to him, the federal government is planning to establish the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) , which will allow government to manage and share data.

“With the Digital Public Infrastructure, the Presidency and the Office of the National Security Adviser can sit in their offices and monitor in real time, what is going on around the country, with support from emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics and Internet of Things (I0Ts),” Tijani said.

Addressing the mission of the federal government to woo foreign investors that attended this year’s WEF event in Davos, to come to Nigeria and invest in the country’s broadband plan, which is targeted at attaining 70 per cent broadband penetration level by 2025 from its current 48 per cent penetration level, Tijani expressed his satisfaction over Nigeria’s broadband growth, adding that the spread of ubiquitous broadband across the country, will open vista of opportunities to build and deploy broadband infrastructure that will drive digital transformation across the country.

He explained that each state in Nigeria has over one thousand schools, with several hospitals that need broadband connectivity,

adding that investment in Nigeria’s broadband plan would benefit both the investors and the Nigerian economy.

He said the federal government, working with the National Information Technology Development Agencies (NITDA), would leverage emerging technologies to bridge the digital skills gap that exists in Nigeria.

“NITDA, which is an agency of government, last year, conducted a talent gap analysis survey, where it looked at the number of digital skills developers in the country and across the globe and identified the key talent gap areas. NITDA decided to extend the survey to countries in Africa and outside of Africa, because the technology tools available for the

survey of talent gap, addresses global concerns. The plan of government is to make Nigeria an exporter of digital talents in the near future,” the Minister said.

The federal government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had last year, gave orders to telecoms operators (Teicos) to commence full barring of all unregistered and improperly registered SIM cards on their networks that have not been linked to the NIN of the SIM card holder.

The NCC’s directive mandated telecoms operators to commence full barring before February this year.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Ekeh: Nigeria Needs Policies that Will Promote Patronage of Indigenous Manufacturers

Emma Okonji

Chairman, Zinox Technologies Limited, Leo Stan Ekeh, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to aggressively pursue policies that will promote patronage of indigenous manufacturers and service providers as a way of re-flating the Nigerian economy.

Ekeh who said this in a statement made available to THISDAY, said such policies, if well implemented, would boost local capacity and address Nigeria’s biggest challenge as a consuming nation.

He said: “It is evident that the core of the myriad of challenges afflicting the nation today is our failure to develop local capacities.

We must embrace self-sufficiency by consuming what we produce and supporting indigenous players across various sectors.”

He regretted that in spite of several local content policies established by the federal government, such policies are consistently disregarded by government employees and appointees, wondering why “we send our children to the world’s best institutions, where

they excel, yet we overlook the products they create.”

He gave the example of the government of India which recently imposed restrictions on the importation of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers and ultra-small computers and servers with immediate effect.

This, according to him, will boost local productivity both by multinationals operating in India and indigenous Indian companies, in order to create more jobs, encourage proficiency, and discourage capital flight.

“Mr. President, I humbly

appeal to you to be deliberate and decisive in encouraging indigenous producers and service providers across all sectors. This way, we create a market for indigenous products, build confidence in our economy and easily attract international investors. The way we treat our local investors will determine how many foreign investors we can attract,” he stressed.

The federal government had in the past, given directive to all government agencies to first consider patronising made-inNigeria computers from indigenous

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Zinox Computers, SpeedStar Computers, Brian Computers among others, before considering the patronage of foreign computers like HP, Lenovo, Asus, among others in order to boost local capacity. Despite the directive, agencies of government, including private organisations in Nigeria, still patronise foreign computers to the detriment of indigenous computer manufacturers.

Foreign computer manufacturers have been told to establish a manufacturing plant in Nigeria to boost job creation and technology

transfer, but they still prefer to produce from their manufacturing plants outside of Nigeria and ship in finished products to Nigeria, which is their biggest market, Ekeh said.

He explained that the continuous drive by the federal government to woo foreign investors to come to Nigeria would be successful, if government could enact policies that would create enabling business environment and at the same time, protect indigenous OEMs. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

M a r k e t d ata A s at W e d n e s d ay, J a n u a r y 2 4 , 2 0 2 4 BONDS Description Price Yield Change Updated Time (%) ^13.53 23January 101.49 12.13 -2,00 16, 2024 MAR-2025 January ^12.50 221,00 16, 98.58 13.31 2024 JAN-2026 ^16.2884 17January 108.25 13.03 -1,00 MAR-2027 16, 2024 ^13.98 23January 101.70 13.42 -38,00 FEB-2028 16, 2024 ^14.55 26January 103.63 13.55 -96,00 16, APR-2029 2024

BILLS Maturity

Discount Yield

Change (%) Updated Time

Maturity

NTB 8-Feb24 NTB 7-Mar24 NTB 11-Apr24 NTB 9-May24 NTB 6-Jun24

2.14

2.14

January 0.00 16, 2024

2.91

2.93

January 0.00 16, 2024

3.88

3.92

January 0.00 16, 2024

4.66

4.73

January 0.00 16, 2024

5.56

January -0.01 16, 2024

CRSL CP II 18-FEB-24 FLOURMILLS CP III 29-FEB-24 UACN CP VI 19-MAR-24 LFZC CP IV 16-APR-24 MTNN CP VII 14-MAY-24

5.43

OTC F X F U T U R E S

CPs Discount Yield 9.97

10.10

11.53

11.74

9.27

9.45

10.76

11.10

9.31

9.63

Change (%)

Updated Time

January 1,00 16, 2024 January 3,00 16, 2024 January 4,00 16, 2024 January -8,00 16, 2024 January -24,00 16, 2024

Contract Current Tenor Contract Rate ($/₦) (Month) NGUS JAN 13 – 29 2025 NGUS FEB 14 – 26 2025 NGUS MAR 15 – 26 2025 NGUS APR 16 – 30 2025 NGUS MAY 17 – 28 2025

Updated Time

January 16, 2024 January 16, 2024 January 16, 2024 January 16, 2024 January 16, 2024

T H I S D AY • Thursday, January 25, 2024

26

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Eradicating Illicit Ivory Trade In a bid to curb illegal ivory trade, the federal government recently destroyed nearly 2.5 metric tonnes of ivory that were confiscated from traffickers, writes Ugo Aliogo

T

here has been a significant increase in the number of seizures of ivory and prosecution of offenders in Nigeria in the past year.

In May 2023, two individuals were given a four-year prison sentence for conspiring to possess 839.4 kilograms of pangolin scales and 145 kg of elephant tusks illegally and a clearing agent was sentenced to a six-month prison term in June for illegally possessing a container full of pangolin scales, elephant ivory, tusks, and bones.

Recently, the federal government took a major step to tackle illegal ivory trade by destroying nearly 2.5 metric tonnes of ivory confiscated from traffickers.

The Minister for State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria would be taking a firm stance, and has called on the global community to join hands in eradicating the illicit trade that threatens the very existence of Nigeria’s wildlife.

It was revealed that the Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Aliyu Jauro, has incinerated 2.5 tonnes of seized elephant ivory and 2.436.15 kg of skin from other species worth over N9.9 billion for illegal shipment.

It was learnt that stock-piling of illegal wildlife products are expensive to store and vulnerable to re-entering the black market, the reason why the federal government is bent at destroying the ivory, thus sending a strong message that the illegal wildlife trade will not be tolerated.

Efforts like these don’t only deter poachers and traffickers, but safeguard our remaining elephants in the wild. About 415,000 elephants are remaining in Africa today compared to over 1.3 million elephants found in the continent in 1979, with as few as 400 elephants left today in Nigeria.

A recent report published on the BBC website estimated that there are fewer than 500,000 elephants in Africa compared to more than 1.3 million in the 1970s. As few as 400 elephants remain in Nigeria. In some cases, elephants are killed when they come into contact with humans or when they destroy human crops.

Another report by Smithsonian magazine espoused that in line with habitat loss and climate change, the illegal ivory trade has decimated the two wild African elephant populations over recent decades. Africa was home to an estimated five million elephants a century ago, but by 1979, the number dropped to 1.3 million.

Today, the total number of elephants in Africa is estimated to be around 415,000.

In December, Nigerian officials began investigation, following outcry at a viral video that showed soldier shooting two elephants that had wandered on to farmland.

Salako further stated that the government crushed the seized elephant tusks into powder form and would use the powder to build symbolic national park monument as a reminder of the importance of elephants in the ecosystem.

The pulverization of the tusk in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, follows a similar event in October where officials destroyed four tonnes of seized pangolin scales valued at $1.4 million.

Thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks, despite a 1989 ban on the trade of ivory by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Despite being a signatory to CITES, Nigeria is considered a hub for groups sending illegal African wildlife parts including tusks and pangolin scales to Asia, according to law enforcement and wildlife experts.

However, Nigeria has stepped up countersmuggling efforts in recent years, partnering with British, US and German officials as well as international organisations to make its biggest seizure of illegal wildlife parts.

In a chat with newmen recently, the Chief Executive Officer, the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPIF), John Scanlon, said: “The Elephant Protection Initiative is honoured to stand with the Government of Nigeria at today’s ivory crush. The destruction of confiscated elephant ivory in Abuja will not, in itself, put an end to the trafficking of elephant ivory. It will, however, ensure that no one will ever profit from this contraband. When coupled with the recent seizures of ivory and the prosecution and conviction of offenders, it also sends a powerful message that Nigeria does not tolerate this illegal trade, and is taking important steps to protect its remaining elephant population. We

look forward to continuing our support to Nigeria with stockpile management and other conservation-related issues.”

WWF Report

Meanwhile, a report by WorldWideLife (WWF) revealed that each year, at least 20,000 African elephants were illegally killed for their tusks. A decade-long resurgence in demand for elephant ivory, particularly in parts of Asia, has fuelled this rampant poaching epidemic.

The report revealed that the elephant ivory trade not only threatens the very survival of this iconic species and causes broader ecological consequences, but also endangers the lives and livelihoods of local people and undermines national and regional security.

The report further explained that the United States implemented a near-total ban on elephant ivory trade in 2016, and the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other elephant ivory markets followed suit. Most significantly, China took the remarkable step of closing its legal domestic ivory market at the end of 2017.

Other Asian countries with open elephant ivory trade are under substantial pressure to take action.

The report noted that WWF and its partners have successfully driven international action at the highest levels that, along with diplomatic and public pressure from all sides, contributed to the game-changing China ban.

According to the report, “We are working to ensure the ban is successful by eliminating remaining consumer demand for elephant ivory and black-market sales. A proliferation of trade and demand for illegal elephant ivory outside China could seriously undermine the effectiveness of China’s ban.

“WWF is addressing the root of the problem by engaging directly with elephant ivory consumers and working with other governments to ensure the imminent closure of open elephant ivory markets, as well as working to understand the underlying motivations of elephant ivory buyers to develop strategies to influence them. Our goal is to create a new social norm that buying illegal elephant ivory products is socially unacceptable.

“There is an entirely separate and legal trade of walrus ivory, which is culturally and economically important to Indigenous communities in the Arctic. The sustainable use and sale of walrus ivory by Alaska Native peoples has not had the same negative impacts caused by the illegal trade of elephant ivory.”

National Geographic Report

Also, a study by National Geographic noted that the wildlife trade monitoring partnership between the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, revealed that 2011 was the worst year on record for elephant poaching since the international ivory trade ban took effect in 1990. Most of the poaching takes place in Africa.

The study stated that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) reported that 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa in 2012, though other observers say it could be many more.

The study noted that in Tanzania alone, poachers kill 30 elephants a day. Many reasons exist for the continued poaching in Africa, including lack of sufficient enforcement officers, corruption among the enforcement community, real danger from armed poachers, and a well-organized and well-funded criminal network behind the poachers.

The Ivory Market

A report by Wild Africa Fund noted that in recent years, Nigeria has emerged as a major hub for the trafficking of ivory, especially to Asia. The report said Nigeria recently adopted its first National Strategy to Combat Wildlifeand Forest Crime and subsequently established the Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force (WLETF) of which NESREA is the operational lead, to address wildlife crime in the country.

The vast majority of smuggled ivory experts say as much as 70 per cent ends up in China, where a newly wealthy middle class fuels the demand for luxury ivory products. Although seizures of illegally obtained ivory take place, much of the smuggled ivory still gets through. Less than one per cent of the shipping containers unloaded in the Port of Hong Kong are inspected for smuggled ivory.

Ivory traders who do get caught are seldom arrested and, if they are, they face feeble penalties. The combination of improved international trade links and weak enforcement proves a powerful and extremely lucrative incentive for the criminal networks leading the poaching of African’s elephants.

Despite bans on ivory trafficking, an estimated 1.1 million pounds of poached elephant tusks are shipped from Africa each year, largely to overseas markets in Asia.

Similarly, a study by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) espoused that not all the shipments are being directly shipped to Asia before making it to local markets. The study said in January of 2015 Ugandan officials seized a shipment of 137 ivory tusks weighing 700 kg being shipped to Amsterdam, Netherland; whether there was a different final destination is unknown.

The ivory shipment had an estimated street value of $1.5 million or $2,142

per kilo ($973 per pound), which compares to $1,500 per kilogram for ivory purchased in 2010.

The study disclosed that Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa are the major departure points in Africa for illicit ivory on its way to Asian markets. Thailand and China are the most common final destinations, but Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam are both destinations and act as transit points of illegally acquired ivory.

A report in 2016 revealed that Shuidong Town in China’s Guangdong province, is a major destination in the illegal ivory trade and a growing entry point for illegal pangolin scales into the domestic Chinese market. Shuidong has a history of illicit ivory trafficking beginning in the late 1990s and building on a foundation of legal sea life imports and trade from local fisheries.

It was noted that with the rise of ivory demand in China during the late 1990s, traders and syndicates based out of Shuidong Town were able to effectively create trade networks both between their coastal province of Guangdong and nearby Chinese trade ports, including Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as originating ports in Tanzania and Kenya on the east coast of Africa and Nigeria on the west coast.

Experts Opinion

Commenting on the development, Wild Africa Fund’s Peter Knights said Nigeria is stepping up its game in fighting illegal wildlife trade with more seizures and prosecutions and greater public awareness.

He also noted that the next logical step is to update its outdated legislation and pass a law which was introduced last parliamentary session, but was stalled by the elections, adding that this would greatly help to end its role as a major entry spot for illegal wildlife trade.

In his remarks, the West Africa Representative, Wild Africa Fund, Dr. Mark Ofua, revealed that it is no longer news that biodiversity is in danger, adding that Nigeria is at the brink of losing so many important species of animals.

“We have already lost some. The cheetah is functionally extinct in Nigeria. The rhino is locally extinct. So many animals have gone, but we still have a few animals left. For the elephants, it is really, really sad because we have less than 400 elephants left, fragmented over the country,” he stated.

He urged government, environmentalists, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to put measures in place conserve and save the remaining elephants species, noting that there is a sparse population of elephants in the southwest, around the Itasim forest, Kanji Dam and the Yankari game reserve.

According to him, “If we can come together and contrive to save our elephants, nature has a beautiful way of recovering, of bouncing back. But we must act now before the damage is too late.”

Thursday, January 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

27

Insurance

Anifowose: Our Trade Fair Empowers Businesses

by Providing Dynamic Marketplace Mrs. Abimbola Anifowose, the driving force behind Monmartt Baby Store in this interview with Tosin Clegg, shares insights into her journey, the birth of a trade fair, and her relentless commitment to empowering businesses. Excerpts What birthed the idea of the baby store and what gap did you try to fill in the industry? recall eight years ago while I was pregnant and it was hard getting a place to buy quality items. After asking a lot of people I had to drive from Yaba to Egbeda, which made me recognized the need for more baby stores that sells quality baby items. Since birthing this idea, we have gone ahead to always source from the best as we do not over sell our product and we also learn about what we sell.

I

In what ways have you embraced technology or innovation to enhance the shopping experience for customers?

Our Instagram page serves as a digital storefront, offering a visually engaging showcase of our latest arrivals, exclusive promotions, and insightful parenting tips.

Adapting to changing preferences, our store is a haven for those seeking both quality and variety in the dynamic world of baby products. We import unique, scarce items to ensure parents don’t encounter monotony.

Can you share with us the inspiration Anifowose behind organizing the 9ja Baby Trade Fair, and what sets it apart from other discounts, and participate in trade fairs in Nigeria? educational workshops.

The inspiration behind the 9ja Baby Additionally, they will Trade Fair is to shine a well-deserved receive goody bags, engage spotlight on the baby industry and its with influencers, and enjoy the diverse players. Our mission is to create convenience of the Shop and a comprehensive platform that simplifies Drop facility. Retail traders the shopping experience for consumers, have the opportunity to gain especially parents, providing them with market exposure, benefit from easy access to a wide array of quality bulk purchase discounts, explore baby products. Recognizing the stress networking opportunities, promote traditionally associated with shopping their brand, recruit customers, boost for kids, we aim to transform it into a sales, and obtain valuable market delightful and informed experience where insights. They can also actively buyers have the freedom to choose. engage with the community and Additionally, our commitment extends explore partnership prospects with beyond commerce; we are inspired to available promotional space. educate and empower. Through master classes, we focus on best practices for How does the trade fair women’s health, pregnancy, and effective empower businesses and setups child-rearing. Moreover, our dedication within the baby and kids’ goods to societal well-being is reflected in our industry? efforts to support women and give back The trade fair empowers to the community. The 9ja Baby Trade businesses by providing Fair is more than an event; it’s a holistic a dynamic marketplace to celebration and a catalyst for positive showcase products, engage change. with a targeted audience, and forge collaborations. It What can attendees expect from the serves as a Launchpad for new debut edition in March? products, facilitates networking The Trade Fair promises an immersive opportunities, and contributes experience for all attendees, highlighting a significantly to economic growth diverse array of baby and kids’ products, within the baby and kids’ goods enlightening master classes, and engaging industry. The fair serves as a workshops. This transformative platform nexus for connecting users has evolved significantly since its inception, with innovative products and now anticipating the presence of 10,000 creating collaborations within the parents, 500 retailers, 100 distributors, industry. By bringing together and 200 merchants. It stands out as a parents, retailers, distributors, dynamic catalyst, fostering economic and merchants, it fosters an activity, job creation, and meaningful environment for networking, industry connections. Consumers and knowledge exchange, and parents attending can expect to access business partnerships, creating a a wide variety of products, exclusive robust ecosystem for sustainable

“The trade fair empowers businesses by providing a dynamic marketplace to showcase products, engage with a targeted audience, and forge collaborations. It serves as a Launchpad for new products, facilitates networking opportunities, and contributes significantly to economic growth within the baby and kids’ goods industry.”

contribute to the growth of businesses, especially for vendors looking to showcase their products to a diverse and engaged audience?

The fair provides vendors with unparalleled exposure to a diverse and engaged audience, translating into increased brand visibility, direct sales opportunities, and access to valuable customer feedback. It serves as a platform for business expansion, offering vendors the chance to reach new markets and establish lasting connections.

Our targeted marketing approach ensures that vendors’ products reach the right audience by tailoring promotional efforts to specific demographics. This precision enhances conversion rates, maximizing the impact of marketing efforts and ensuring that vendors connect with the most relevant and interested consumers.

Are there specific categories or trends within the baby and kids’ goods industry that you anticipate will be highlighted at the upcoming trade fair?

Anticipated highlights include innovative baby care products, ecofriendly op t i o n s , s m a r t p a re n t i n g s olutions, and the latest trends in children’s fashion. The trade fair acts growth. as a trendsetter, showcasing emerging categories that resonate with modern In what ways does the fair parents and caregivers.

28

T H I S D AY • Thursday, JANUARY 25, 2024

Health & lifestyle

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Dr. AbayomiKuyoro: Offering Holistic Care, AdvancedCardiovascular MedicineinNigeria Dr. Ayobami Kuyoro is the Managing Director of Iwosan Lagoon Hospital in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State. The experienced General Practitioner and seasoned healthcare management professional in this interview with Rebecca Ejifoma, l discussed the launch of the state-of-the-art facility in Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, its offerings, and its outlook wosan Lagoon Hospitals just launched a new state-of-the-art facility, can you tell us more about this? es, our newly launched multispecialty facility at Ligali Ayorinde, Victoria Island Lagos represents a significant milestone in advancing health care. As a center of excellence for Cardiology and Cardiac surgery, we have integrated cuttingedge technology, top-tier medical expertise, and a patient-centered approach to elevate the standard of cardiovascular healthcare in Nigeria.

We have implemented innovative approaches to enhance the overall patient experience including streamlined processes, comfortable and luxurious recovery spaces, and dedicated support services. We aim to mark a significant stride not only towards treating Cardiac and other related conditions but also to foster a culture of heart health. We are dedicated to being a beacon of excellence in the healthcare space, and to continually push the boundaries of what is possible in-patient care.

with our patients, addressing queries and concerns promptly.

Y

What are the key services and unique offerings offered in the new facility?

Our key services revolve around our designation as a center of excellence for Cardiology which includes Outpatient Cardiology (Adult and Pediatric), Heart Health packages, Non-invasive Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, and Cardiac Surgery (Adult and Pediatric). However, we offer a full range of services including Internal medicine, Radiology and Interventional Radiology services, Nephrology, Pediatrics (General and Cardiology), General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Critical care, Emergency care, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, Urology, preventive care through our outreach programs, educational initiatives and regular screening, and Advanced diagnostics (MRI, Laboratory, X-ray, and Ultrasound).

What are some of the advanced expertise and innovative technologies that are available at Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, Victoria Island?

One of our most unique and advanced services will be the use of a Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab) equipped with advanced imaging systems and interventional tools.

This allows our expert team, led by a World-renowned Interventional Cardiologist, to diagnose, and perform intricate cardiac procedures with precision and minimal Invasion. We also have an on-site Non-invasive Cardiovascular laboratory that employs the latest diagnostic tools to assess heart health without invasive procedures.

Additionally, we have invested in the latest MRI technology, which provides crucial insights for accurate diagnoses and personalised treatment plans.

Our commitment to staying at the forefront of Cardiovascular medicine is exemplified by the integration of these advanced machines ensuring that our patients receive the highest standard of care.

Dr. Chinonso Egemba popularly

The report shows that healthcare in Nigeria is growing tremendously.

Can you tell us how Iwosan Lagoon hospitals will be supporting this growth and the changing needs of healthcare delivery in the country?

Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals is committed to actively supporting and adapting to these changes. We would continue to invest in infrastructure and resources to expand our capacity, ensuring that we can accommodate the increasing demand for healthcare services. Another priority for us is the recruitment of top talent to meet the growing needs for specialised care, maintaining a strong capable team. Another way we aim to support the ever-changing needs of healthcare delivery in Nigeria is by continuously integrating the latest medical technologies to enhance diagnostic capabilities, treatment options, and overall healthcare delivery. We are also very open to collaborations and partnerships with other healthcare institutions, research organisations, and government parastatals to collectively address the evolving needs of the healthcare landscape in Nigeria.

Dr. Ayobami Kuyoro known as Aproko Doctor, had his brain surgery at Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals. What surgical operations will be carried out at Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, VI? At Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, VI, we have a state-of-the-art fully equipped theatre where our highly specialised team of cardiac surgeons combines expertise with advanced surgical techniques to provide comprehensive care for a range of cardiac conditions. We would specialise in a spectrum of advanced cardiac surgical procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repairs and replacements, permanent pacemaker insertions, and cardiac defect repairs.

We equally offer minimally invasive cardiac surgeries whenever possible and also offer general surgery and orthopedics services.

Report shows that Nigeria’s healthcare is ready for a leap in innovation development. Can you tell us how Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals will continue to innovate and stay ahead of the curve?

Innovation is quite important to us, so much so that it is part of our core values. It is at the heart of our strategy to stay ahead in the evolving healthcare landscape in Nigeria. We plan to achieve

this through investment in advanced technologies, research, collaboration and development, continuous training, education, and community engagement. We are also very passionate about our patient-centered approach to care, implementing feedback mechanisms, and leveraging patient data to tailor our services.

Making sure our healthcare delivery aligns with evolving patient needs and expectations.

Technology is a huge contributing factor in the healthcare industry, how is Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals using technology to improve the patient experience?

We understand the importance of technology in the healthcare industry and have been able to leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance the overall patient experience by deploying advanced telemedicine services; we offer virtual consultations and follow-ups to provide convenient access to healthcare. Health records are also managed digitally to ensure quick and accurate access to medical histories, which allows for more personalised and efficient care. We have also implemented enhanced and secure messaging systems to facilitate seamless communication

For us at Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, our strategic outlook is centered on excellence, accessibility to healthcare, innovation, and collaboration to play a vital role in shaping a healthier future for the people of Nigeria. The key elements of our strategy include specialised centres of excellence, to provide worldclass expertise and attract patients from around the world seeking advanced medical care, thereby reducing medical tourism outside the country

Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals recently announced its accreditation for the commencement of housemanship training, can you tell us more about this?

We recently opened our doors to House officers for housemanship training. We prioritise hands-on learning experience, so house officers have the unique opportunity to work closely with a diverse range of highly experienced consultants across various specialties. This one-on-one interaction ensures a rich learning environment where they can gain valuable insights and skills directly from experts in the field. They are also exposed to the cutting-edge technology that Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals offers.

In addition to this immersive learning experience, we are committed to providing a supportive environment for our house officers. Accommodation is arranged to ensure a comfortable living space and transportation coverage is provided to facilitate their daily commute. This holistic approach aims to ease challenges that may arise during the training period, allowing our house officers to focus on their professional growth.

What is your strategic outlook for Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals and the health sector in Nigeria?

For us at Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, our strategic outlook is centered on excellence, accessibility to healthcare, innovation, and collaboration to play a vital role in shaping a healthier future for the people of Nigeria.

The key elements of our strategy include specialised centres of excellence, to provide world-class expertise and attract patients from around the world seeking advanced medical care, thereby reducing medical tourism outside the country. Technology integration is also at the forefront of our strategy, ensuring that our hospital remains at the forefront of medical innovation.

We have also identified the need to actively engage in community health initiatives, preventive programmes, and educational campaigns to address public health challenges and promote a culture of health.

29

T H I S D AY • Thursday, JANUARY 18 , 2024

news

Expert Recommends ‘La Roche Posay Lipikar’ in Management of Atopic Dermatitis Sunday Ehigiator A Medical Doctor, Dr Adaora Onyilimba has recommended La Roche Posay baby-friendly products. This range of products has been proven to be very beneficial in the management of Atopic Dermatitis.

Dr. Adaora Onyilimba revealed this at the 55th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, where she presented a paper on Atopic Dermatitis.

She said that Atopic Dermatitis is a common non-communicable disease that is often genetically associated.

She noted that in Atopic dermatitis there’s a mutation of a protein called Filaggrin which plays an important role in the formation of the skin barrier so the loss of this filaggrin function leads to increased trans epidermal water loss and increasing skin dryness, penetration of external aggressors. Certain antigens and allergens have also been found to be implicated in Atopic dermatitis She also stated that in

Atopic dermatitis, the skin barrier function is weakened leaving it vulnerable and open to attack from allergens and irritants.

“This weakened skin barrier causes a cycle of microbiome dysbiosis, penetration of irritating agents and allergens, inflammation, itching & pain. This often occurs on the cheeks, neck, arms and legs. Mostly starts at Infancy and can persist into adulthood in some cases.”

Dr. Adaora Onyilimba stated that La Roche Posay’s range of products for children and babies is the number one dermatologist-recommended skincare products and was developed in partnership with dermatologists and doctors all over the world to ensure longing solutions through science-based formulas.

Kids with atopic dermatitis are recommended to bath with non-irritating, non-allergenic and soap-free products such as La Roche Posay Lipikar Syndet body wash and daily compulsory use of emollients. This is because skin care products used in children play a key role in the effectiveness of drug-based treatments and should also improve skin dryness.

She advised parents and healthcare providers to also identify their child’s triggers and try their best to avoid these aggravating factors.

“La Roche Posay Lipikar AP + M formula contains key ingredients that help rebalance the skin microbiome, preventing over proliferation of staph aureus, strengthening the skin barrier, and decreasing inflammation while also reducing flare-ups.

“Leading to less pain, less discomfort, less itching and improved quality of sleep nights for the patient and the caregiver”, she noted.

However, our major goal in conferences like this is to create awareness and give sample products to paediatricians practising all over the country even in rural communities to distribute to their patients for initial tryouts and feedback. tressing on Atopic Dermatitis treatment, she said the La Roche-Posay Baby Lipikar range is a dermocosmetic product that has been clinically proven it’s effective in relieving atopic symptoms, rebalancing skin microbiome, reducing flare-ups as well.

The Lipikar moisturizing Balm Ap+M is a gentle, soothing, moisturising balm for babies with dry, very dry or eczema-prone skin. La Roche-Posay Baby Lipikar Baume AP+M helps lock in moisture to your baby’s skin and should be an essential product for your baby’s bathtime routine.

Dr. Adaora Onyilimba reeled out the key features and ingredients of these products and how each of them was carefully curated to ensure its effectiveness.

La Roche Posay Posay Lipikar AP+ M Provides 24-hour hydration and is gentle enough to use on newborn babies.

She added that La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 balm is another excellent skincare product for babies.

It has key ingredients that have been clinically proven to aid faster wound healing, has soothing properties and also helps in rebalancing skin microbiomes. It is suitable for use on even the most sensitive skin - including newborn babies.

It also reduces inflammation and accelerates wound healing.

Prof. Seiyefa’s Gifts Free Health Treatment to Bayelsa Residents Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa With over 500 persons who has so far received the free treatment as part of the yearly medical outreach organised by the Prof.

Seiyefa Brisibe Foundation, the foundation has indeed offered the best Father Christmas gift to the residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital .

In collaboration with the family care hospital, the last year December free medical outreach saw residents of Etegwe, Biogbolo and many other communities in Yenagoa metropolis, turn out in large numbers to received the free medical check up and treatment at the multi-million naira Family Care hospital, owned by the Professor of Family Medicine.

The medical outreach which enters its sixth year was part of his genuine effort at giving back to the society and to mark the 5th year anniversary of one of the best hospitals in the state and his 55th birthday anniversary.

Some of the services rendered free of charge at the outreach include General Medical Consultation and treatment, eye screening and provision of free glasses, dental care, tooth extraction scaling and polishing.

Others includes Community HIV and TB screening and Diagnosis, Immunisation and Deworming of under five children, Covid-19, Yellow fever and HPV vaccination, Basic Laboratory tests and free surgery operations and care.

The outreach had many volunteers to include Medical Doctors, Dentists, Pharmacists, Pharmacist technicians, Nurses, a medical Records Professionals, Community Health Workers, Public Health professionals, Medical students, Admin personnel, friends and family members.

Consultant Family Care Hospital, Dr. Tarila Aweipekumo while enumerating the various healthcare services delivered in

Professor Brisibe with friends and colleagues at the outreach the outreach and scope of the event, emphasised that the free healthcare service is pertinent to give back to the society .

Giving the story of how the journey started six years ago in 2018, Dr.Aweipekumo, enumerated the numbers of communities across the local areas in the state that has so far benefited from the kind gesture of Prof. Brisibe.

The communities he said include Biseni Tein Community with 250 beneficiaries, Ayama Ijaw Community with 260 Beneficiaries, Okoloba/Sabagriea Community, 311 Beneficiaries.

Others include BomoundiGbene Community with 312 Beneficiaries, Otuoke Community, 303 Beneficiaries and Opolo Epie Community with 455 Beneficiaries, while 300 free Eye glasses given for Correction of Refractive Errors and two free surgeries each year from 2018 till date.

He said Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, is very passionate about giving free medical care and social support to indigent and most vulnerable people in society, especially, Bayelsa State.

He said the event also marked one of the activities to commemorate the birthday of Professor Seiyefa Brisibe.

Speaking at the event , Professor Brisibe, appreciated family, friends and colleagues for the accolades and support, noting that he is inspired to save

lives, because of the motivation from his parents.

He advised beneficiaries to take advantage of the free medical services to know their health status by checking to know if the situation needs prompt diagnosis and treatment to reduce mortality rate in Bayelsa and Nigeria at large.

He said, “One of the reason for this outreach is to render service to those that need it.

I’m happy presently about the turnout.

“Usually, when you start this program in the rural areas, people start coming from far and wide and fortunately for us we’ve been able to get about four buses conveying people from Opolo community and Biogbolo to this place.

“We are here to save lives and believe that we have been in community and it is time for us to give back to the community , that is why we are doing what we are doing. I want to thank everybody that have found time to volunteer, most especially the volunteers, because these volunteers are not paid a dime but year-in, year-out they find time to give back to society and for me one of the philosophy or one of the core thing about this program is to encourage people to imbibe the attitude of volunteering.

“I could remember as a child while we were growing

up in our communities, the road between my community and my secondary school was being cleared from time to time, the track roads by those volunteering during the weekends.

“Young people will just come together, mobilise ourselves, carry what we call ‘otigba’ in those days; I don’t know if that’s still the name they call it and clear the road. That is how we as a people, that is what define us as a people.”

He also said one of the aim of the outreach was to encourage people to imbibe the culture of accessing medical care early when they have challenges as timely medical attention will help before their ailments gets complicated.

Also speaking, wife of Prof Brisibe, Dr. Beimonyo Brisibe and Manager FamilyCare Hospital, Beauty Eyo, described the Professor as a philanthropist who derived pleasure in impacting lives through his medical outreach within and outside Bayelsa State.

The Paramount Ruler of Opolo Community, Chief Gabriel Ekezie and his counterpart from Biogbolo Community, Chief Frank Amos thanks Professor Brisibe and his team for his gesture to bring succour to host communities of FamilyCare hospital.

UCH Embraces Renewed Hope Amidst Daunting Challenges Tajudeen Kareem The story is told that six decades ago, the Saudi monarch brought their sickness to Nigeria seeking medical care. Even so, presently Nigerians in diaspora are coming back home for surgery and treatment of difficult ailments.

Writing on their twitter handles, respectable Nigerians living abroad attest to the fact that despite all the seeming challenges buffeting the health sector here, Nigerian hospitals, indeed medical professionals are no push overs.

The following submissions on twitter, X, are sobering.

Dr Simi Official on @ simisola10 said people now leave the UK to get medical care in Nigeria. In reaction, Bashorun Oduduwa @ AEAdeola said: “Because there is no waiting time in Nigeria and Nigeria healthcare professionals are well trained. We need to amplify the good things about Nigeria more than the bad ones.” Abimbola King @ Harbimborlar gave his verdict: “This is 100 percent true. I knew a doctor who went to Nigeria for his surgery cos he cannot wait for 12 months. Nigeria will be better.”

But one Dr Gabriel O. Apata, lecturer, education consultant and policy analyst, who resides in the UK, would rather pillory Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals and deride them as mere general hospitals. He resides in the UK, an illustrious member of the “Japa family”. Apata’s criticism of UCH were based on mere generalisation. He ought to have given specific instances to substantiate his claims!

No one will rightly say the health care sector in Nigeria has attained the ideal status. However, there is no denying the fact that there are genuine efforts to improve on the system and respond to emergent challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled healthcare professionals. Above all there are competing demands from no less critical sectors namely education, defence, social infrastructure, among others.

In the 2024 budget, the Federal Government has allocated N1.33 trillion or 4.8 per cent to the health sector, up from N1.17 trillion budgeted last year. This gesture must be complimented by sub-national governments to keep Nigerians healthier.

Moreso, the Federal Government has rolled out the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative described by Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate as “a comprehensive plan to revitalize the country’s healthcare sector.”

Pate recognised the urgent need to invest in healthcare infrastructure, human resources and technology to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services to all Nigerians. This initiative aims to address the existing gaps in the healthcare system and improve the overall health outcomes for Nigerians.

The key objectives of the initiative are to improve the physical infrastructure of healthcare facilities across the country, including renovating existing healthcare centers, building new hospitals and equipping them with modern medical equipment.

The shortage of skilled healthcare professionals has been a significant challenge in the country.

“The initiative plans to address this issue by investing in the training and recruitment of healthcare workers. This includes providing scholarships and incentives for medical students, improving the working conditions for healthcare professionals, and attracting Nigerian diaspora healthcare workers to return to the country,” said the minister.

Recognizing the importance of primary healthcare in preventing and managing diseases, the initiative would focus on strengthening primary healthcare centers across the country.

Top is improving the availability of essential drugs, expanding immunization coverage, and implementing community health programs to promote preventive healthcare practices.

To sustain the improvements in the healthcare sector, the initiative will place emphasis on sustainable financing., by exploring innovative financing mechanisms, improving budget allocation to healthcare, and encouraging private sector participation in healthcare investments.

Indeed, experts and critics as Apata have agreed that Nigeria cannot continue to run a heath sector system where patients have to look for cash each time they fall sick or have to attend a health facility. On the reverse plane is the fact that government cannot provide free health care services! Indeed, the most pragmatic approach is to fast-track the coverage of health insurance in the country where population as peaked at 250 million.

While scaling up health insurance cover, government must also examine the need for Public-Private-Partnerships in running all tertiary and general hospitals nationwide.

Garki Hospital, Abuja, is owned by the FCT administration but run by Nisa Premier Hospital under a PPP arrangement. It was accredited by the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, in 2008 and currently has one of the largest number of enrollees in the FCT and the only PPP that accepts secondary referrals from other health facilities.

The hospital is also the only facility that carries out specialized surgery under the NHIS scheme. The hospital has over 187,000 patients registered on Electronic Medical Record application, 33,906 NHIS enrollees spread across 55 Health Maintenance Organizations, HMO. Under the FCT Health Service Scheme, the hospital attends to 8139 enrollees from three HMOs, its Private Health Insurance Scheme has 1831 enrollees spread across 35 organizations and it offers corporate services to 10,502 persons from 16 registered organizations.

A few months ago, the Federal Government announced the expansion of the health insurance system with the launch of a new health insurance package, Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme, GIFSHIP. •Kareem, the Chief Consultant/CEO PROEDGE Limited wrote in from Abuja

30

T H I S D AY

THURSday, JANUARY 25, 2024

business/MOnEYGUIDE

NEPZA, C/River Govt Move to Revamp Tinapa Economic Zone James Emejo in Abuja

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the Cross River State Government have agreed to work out a realistic modality to revive the moribund Tinapa Free Trade Zone (FTZ) owned by the state.

The agreement was reached when the new NEPZA Managing Director, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi paid a courtesy visit to Governor Bassey Otu in Calabar.

Ogunyemi expressed delight at the state’s desire to revamp the unique free trade zone ostensibly established to service the entertainment industry.

He said, “First, let me appreciate the excellent achievements already recorded by the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration which will now holistically reposition the state for the attraction of investments and for industrialization.

“We have seen how the administration’s effort at preserving life and property in the state is yielding the desired result, including ensuring that Calabar is relisted among attractive spots for large scale business activity.”

He said NEPZA was prepared to extend expertise and cooperation to ensure that the desire of the administration to revamp the almost moribund Tinapa Free Trade Zone is realised.

In a statement issued by the Head, Corporate Communications, Dr. Martins Odeh, the MD also solicited the state government’s intervention on the activities of unwanted tax operators in the state whose actions regularly impugn on the incentives the NEPZA Act had granted freezone operators and enterprises within the zones.

On his part, Otu, expressed delight on the visit of the NEPZA managing director,

adding that the administration was opened for a more robust cooperation with the authority.

The governor said no state government that was desirous of speedy growth through economic development would loosely identify with NEPZA, adding that the state partnership with the authority would become tighter and more meaningful henceforth.

Represented by his deputy, Mr. Peter Odey, the governor solicited NEPZA’s assistance and cooperation in order to revamp the Tinapa Free Trade Zone without further delay.

He said, “The state has reconfigured the strategy for Tinapa and Obudu Cattle Ranch to meet up with global standards, competition, and for profitability. We therefore, urge the new NEPZA management, led by Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi to please review the accumulated unpaid Tinapa Licence Renewal fees.

Ariyomo Resigns from CIPMN, Says President’s Reform Being Sabotaged

The pioneer Chairman of the College of Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN), Olatunji Ariyomo has resigned his positions with the Institute.

Ariyomo has also dissociated himself from any further relationship with the leadership of the organization.

In his resignation letter, Ariyomo stated, “Continuing association with the leadership of the Institute in its present

form would amount to supporting what represents nothing but sabotage against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Ariyomo, a former member of the Ministerial Taskforce on Power, who was elected the Institute’s Vice Chairman in 2023 added thatA “without the reform approved by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces on the 25th of January 2022 which directed that the establishment

Act of the institute be amended, it will remain another opaque regulatory agency that serves only a few as its current defects perpetuate the hold of individuals, invest the administrative and accounting roles in a single person contrary to extant rules with the Institute being bizarrely both an association of members like an NGO and a primal regulatory organ.”

NIRSAL Boosts Capacity of Wheat Farmers in Jigawa

James Emejo in Abuja

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc, said it has trained 706 farmer cluster leaders, and 355 extension agents under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP)/Wheat Cluster Project in Jigawa State.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, NIRSAL, Mr. Abbas Umar Masanawa, said the move seeks to deepen collaborations with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as well as support the food security agenda

of the federal government.

He said the initiative enabled NIRSAL to deploy its expertise and experience to bear on the country’s pursuit of a bumper wheat harvest in 2024 year by enhancing the capacity of stakeholders.

He said participants from Kiyawa, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, Hadejia, and Kazaure took part in the first phase of the training sessions, which were held in four of the five emirates in the state.

The participants are expected to transmit the knowledge gained along with the training materials

received to the members of their respective clusters.

Masanawa said, “The federal government has done precisely what it should; it has communicated its vision for food security in Nigeria, provided leadership, and is committing resources to back its vision. On our part, we are showing our readiness to support Jigawa State, and all other states, to walk the talk of the government.”

“Here, we are contributing our expertise by preparing these extension agents and farmers to make success out of this collective endeavour for Jigawa and Nigeria’s sake.”

SIFAX Boss Lauds Gerar University on Infrastructure, Donates Bus Chairman, SIFAX Group and the newly-appointed Chancellor of the Gerar University of Medical Sciences, Imope-Ijebu, Ogun State, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi has commended the university for the quality of infrastructure at the institution’s campus.

Afolabi, who was appointed the first Chancellor of the institution recently, expressed his delight that the university, which will welcome her pioneer students in the next few weeks, already has impressive infrastructure and equipment that would aid a smooth commencement of academic activities at the

permanent site.

Afolabi made this known during his maiden visit to the university where he was received by the management team led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Niran Adetoro.

He said: “I have always believed that quality education remains the bedrock of development in any society.

It not only liberates the mind but also positions individuals for personal advancement. This is the major reason education has been a key pillar in SIFAX Group’s social interventions over the years. This is why I accepted to be the Chancellor

of this university. I want to contribute my quota towards the realization of the lofty vision of this citadel of learning.”

The Vice Chancellor informed Afolabi that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved all the nine take-off programmes of the university. The programmes are Nursing Science, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Science, Physiology, Physiotherapy, Radiology and Radiation Science, Anatomy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics and Pharmacology.

L-R: Director Finance and Account, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Olufemi Odukoya; Director Legal Services, NCAA, Mrs. Mary Tufano; Director, Air Transport Regulation, Mrs. Olayinka Babaoye; Acting Director General, NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo; Chairman, League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents. Mr. Olusegun Koiki Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, NCAA, Engr. Godwin Balang; Director, Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Mr. Michael Achimuguand Director Human Resource and Admin, NCAA, Dr. Mrs. Anastasin Gbem, during the Acting Director General of NCAA Interaction with the Aviation Correspondents at NCAA Annex, Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos...yesterday.

KOLAWOLE ALLI.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) August, 2023

Money Supply (M3)

65,445,154.2

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

552,553.58

Money Supply (M2)

64,892,600.61

-- Quasi Money

40,870,301.28

-- Narrow Money (M1)

24,022,299.33

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,295,309.10

---- Demand Deposits

21,726,990.23

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,144,158.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

58,300,995.27

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

87,273,966.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

32,511,333.17

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

54,762,633.63

--Other Assets Net

13,347,376.27

Reserve Money (Base Money

19,429,603.25

--Currency in Circulation

2,660,138.92

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

16,769,464.34 428,519.21

• Source - CBN

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2023

Inter-Bank Call Rate

3.89

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

18.75

Treasury Bill Rate

5.13

Savings Deposit Rate

5.26

1 Month Deposit Rate

7.31

3 Months Deposit Rate

7.55

6 Months Deposit Rate

8.30

12 Months Deposit Rate

8.13

Prime Lending rate

13.99

Maximum Lending Rate

27.59

• Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE As At 29th September , 2023

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $97.48 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $97.08 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

T H I S D AY •THURSday, JANUARY 25, 2024

31

mARKET NEWS

Dangote Cement, Others Drive NGX Index Beyond 100,000 Basis Points Kayode Tokede The rally in Nigeria’s stock market continued yesterday as the Nigerian Exchange Limited All-Share Index hits 101,571.11 basis points, surpassing the 100,000 basis points mark.

The NGX All-Share appreciated by nearly three per cent from 98,616.97 basis points to close at 101,571.11basiis points, bringing the Year-to-date gain to 35.84per cent.

The 35.8 per cent investors return has surpassed inflationary levels in the country and outperforming other indices in the African, European and Middle Eastern markets as tracked by Bloomberg.

Consequently, the overall market N55.58trilliionn, after gaining N1.62trillion or nearly three per cent from N53.967 trillion the stock market opened for trading Bluechip stocks including

P R I C E S MaiN Board

F O R DEALS

Dangote Cement that gained 6.49per cent, BUA Cement that appreciated by 9.98per cent alongside BUA Foods that increased by 5.59per cent kept the market in the green, outweighing selloffs in Tier-1 banks namely, United Bank for Africa that dropped by 0.33per cent, Access Corporation that declined by 1.22per cent and FBN Holdings Plc that tumbled by 0.78per cent. Investor sentiment, as measured by market

S E C U R I T I E S Market Price

quantity traded

breadth closed positive as 35 stocks gained, while 32 lost.

Wapic Insurance recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent to close at 88 kobo, per share.

BUA Cement followed with a gain of 9.98 per cent to close at N179.65, while Japaul Gold & Ventures rose by 9.91 per cent to close at N2.55, per share.

University Press appreciated by 9.82 per cent to close at N3.69, while Tripple Gee & Company rose by 9.69 per cent to close at

T R A D E D

value traded ( N )

MaiN Board

A S O F

N2.83, per share. On the other hand, NEM Insurance led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N7.20, per share.

Cadbury Nigeria followed with a decline of 9.96 per cent to close at N23.50, while The Initiates Plc (TIP) declined by 9.92 per cent to close at N2.27, per share. May & Baker Nigeria shed 9.89 per cent to close at N6.65, while McNichols lost 9.88 per cent to close at N1.46, per share. A total value

J A N UA RY DEALS

of stocks traded by investors was N8.04trillion, a 51 per cent drop from the value traded in the previous day.

Leading conglomerate, Transnational Corporation Plc was the most liquid stock on NGX as investors exchanged N1.6trillion worth of its stock in 1,207 deals on Wednesday. BUA Cement, Dangote Cement, United Bank for Africa and Zenith Bank also formed part of the top 5 traded stocks by volume.

/ 2 4 / 2 4 Market Price

quantity traded

value traded ( N)

32

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

₦

₦

₦

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

WA P IC

0.88

10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

95.1

4.5%

179.65

10.0%

UN IVIN SUR E

45.6

-9.1%

9.9%

UN IT YB N K

27.3

-5.1%

27.0

8.6%

B UA C EM EN T J A P A ULGOLD

2.55

T ic k er

UP L

3.69

9.8%

J A IZ B A N K

T R IP P LEG

2.83

9.7%

J A P A ULGOLD

25.3

9.9%

C UT IX

2.96

9.6%

UB A

23.5

-0.3%

PZ

34.50

9.5%

CHA M S

20.3

-7.8%

OM A T EK

0.93

9.4%

VER IT A SKA P

19.5

-9.5%

LA SA C O

2.51

9.1%

ST ER LIN GN G

17.6

-5.7%

F LOUR M ILL

42.00

8.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

14.5

0.5%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

N EM

7.20

-10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

1588.2

4.5%

C A D B UR Y

23.50

-10.0%

B UA C EM EN T

703.8

10.0%

T IP

2.27

-9.9%

UB A

703.5

-0.3%

M A YB A KER

6.65

-9.9%

D A N GC EM

673.7

6.5%

M C N IC H OLS

1.46

-9.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

609.6

0.5%

A C A D EM Y

2.14

-9.7%

A C C ESSC OR P

404.6

-1.2%

H ON YF LOUR

4.95

-9.7%

GT C O

372.3

0.5%

VER IT A SKA P

0.57

-9.5%

M TNN

256.6

0.0%

-9.1%

D A N GSUGA R

238.1

3.9%

-9.0%

UC A P

208.0

0.0%

UN IVIN SUR E R T B R ISC OE

0.40 0.71

P ric e C hg %

33

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

NEWS

lafarge visits abiodun...

L-R: Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; CEO/GMD, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr, Lolu Alade Akinyemi; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; General Counsel, Lafarge, Mrs. Adewunmi Alade and Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Adebola Sofela, during a visit by Lafarge Africa to the Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta... yesterday

Njoku Decries INEC Chairman's Alleged Contempt of Court on APGA Crisis Okorie demands Yakubu’s resignation

Alex Enumah in Abuja and Segun James in Lagos The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, has blamed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for his alleged refusal to implement the judgements of various courts of competent jurisdiction concerning the party.

Blaming INEC for the renewed apprehension in the party, he said the Supreme Court’s ruling on the true leadership of APGA has created room for suspense and speculation.

The APGA national chairman, who spoke to some senior journalists in Lagos, noted that while the commission promptly recognised Jude Okoye as national chairman after his purported suspension, Yakubu had continued to foot-drag after the apex court determined the matter.

He disclosed that two members of the party, who were peeved by Yakubu’s alleged double standards, decided to drag him to court for contempt, culminating in the conviction of the INEC chairman for contempt of court last November.

“Now, Nigerians should join me to ask the INEC chairman, Prof.

Yakubu, why he prefers to risk a jail term rather than abiding by the Supreme Court’s decision on APGA leadership.

“The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court presided by Justice M. A. Madugu, in apparent effort to enforce the apex court’s judgment convicted Yakubu for contempt, but deferred sentencing to give room for the INEC chairman and erstwhile

chairman of APGA, Ike Oye, to purge themselves of the contempt charge,” Njoku stated.

While noting that the INEC chairman is already a “jail bird”, the APGA national chairman recalled how he was wrongfully sent to Kuje prison for allegedly forging the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed him as the authentic national chairman of APGA. He noted that while he was facing trial on two counts of forgery and impersonation, he wrote the Federal Ministry of Justice under Abubakar Malami, praying the then Attorney General to confirm the veracity of apex court judgment and recognise him as APGA chairman.

“The justice ministry wrote back to me stressing that I was still in court over the alleged forgery,” he said.

The ministry, he said, wrote that the facts were already the subject of a litigation before the court, stressing that the AGF was legally “estopped” from making any comments or taking any action on the matter during the pendency of the suit.

“Some people ask me, why is there always crisis in APGA? The pertinent question that should be directed to Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is, why are you causing crisis in APGA. Because, once the Supreme Court has deliberated over any matter there is no further crisis or contention.

“People refer to INEC website and cite a different person as national chairman. If Mahmood is there subverting justice, and you now stand on it and justify the website, why should he retain a lie on the website after the Supreme Court has spoken? Why?” Njoku queried.

The APGA chairman called on

Yakubu to act on the Supreme Court judgment the same way he did when he recognised Timipre Sylva as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the Appeal Court upturned the judgment of the lower court that barred him from the recent Bayelsa state governorship poll.

Also, Njoku, has observed that the INEC chairman cannot be bigger than the country and the laws of the land, querying Yakubu's interest in the APGA's leadership case.

The APGA boss while addressing journalists on Wednesday at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, called on the president to call the INEC

chairman to order.

"It's not just that INEC is not obeying a Supreme Court judgment delivered on March 24, 2023; INEC has also disobeyed an injunction and an order of a High Court of the FCT, Bwari, to recognise me as the National Chairman of APGA. "Instead of INEC to obey the enforcement judgment of the High Court or appeal same, they rushed and got a stay on a committal charge, which had given them 14-day grace period to purge themselves of contempt.

"The court has come out to say that INEC Chairman is in contempt of court and Victor Oye who submit-

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has mobilised the traditional rulers in the FCT to support the fight against insecurity in the federal capital.

He made the appeal yesterday in Abuja during a security meeting with the FCT Council of Chiefs and the chairmen of the six Area Council.

The minister said the parley was to brief the traditional rulers about the effort of government to curb rising insecurity in some parts of the Area Councils, notably Bwari, Kwali and Kuje.

He informed the traditional

leaders that the FCT Administration would continue to demolish shanties, which criminals were using hideouts to unleash terror on FCT residents.

Wike, who stressed the need for a strong synergy between the government and traditional leaders, noted that their support was critical to winning the war against criminal elements creating fear for residents of the FCT. The minister, who said traditional leaders have a key role in maintaining security in their domains, charged them to provide sensitive information to security agencies to aid their work.

While assuring FCT residents that

order of the court.

The APGA national chairman has expressed the readiness of the party for the forthcoming Edo and Ondo elections.

He disclosed that party primaries for the governorship elections in the two States are expected to commence next week and last for about one month, adding that the party's timetable will soon be out.

Meanwhile, the founding chairman of the APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie has asked the chairman of INEC to resign immediately for refusing to obey the ruling of the Supreme Court on the protracted leadership crisis in the party.

PDP to Akpabio: Perish Thought of Taking Akwa Ibom in 2027 Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has told the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to perish the thought of taking over control of Akwa Ibom State in 2027 as the scheme to use false claims and inciting comments to destabilise the state has already failed.

The party, however, counseled the Senate President to come to terms with the fact that the people of Akwa Ibom State were firmly rooted in the PDP as a peaceful and united people.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said it could not be swayed by any agent of disunity, incitement, hatred and retrogression whose intention was to use propaganda and hate

speeches to derail and appropriate the state for selfish interest. ''The boast by Senator Akpabio to take over Akwa Ibom State in 2027 is not only pathetically empty but further exposes his level of arrogance and disdain for the sensibility, intelligence, democratic right and sovereignty of the people of Akwa Ibom State.

"Our party advices Senator Akpabio to leave Akwa Ibom State alone and focus on the challenges of his office as Senate President which is alleged to be engaged in process manipulation and sharp practices including alleged budget padding and diversion of public funds.

"Senator Akpabio should address the allegations in the public domain that a prominent official of the National Assembly in connivance

Insecurity: Wike Charges Traditional Leaders to Support Fight against Kidnapping, Banditry in FCT Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

ted the names and held a congress and convention is also in contempt.

"But that's not our problem. We are calling on Nigerians, we are calling on President Bola Tinubu and also calling on the Attorney General of the Federation to look into the issue, where it is that a parastatal can get a stay from the Court of Appeal, on a committal judgment that already had been given", APGA's chairman said.

Njoku, who further faulted Yakubu and Oye's reliance on the 'stay' to flout and disobey a direct order of the court, urged every well meaning Nigerian to appeal to the INEC Chairman to obey a valid

the government was not sleeping but doing everything possible to address the challenge, he asked members of the council to work with the Area Councils Chairmen to strengthen vigilance groups in their respective domains.

The minister also cautioned against enlisting residents with criminal tendencies to avoid compounding the existing security challenge.

He said: "Therefore, they must be profiled so that they are known.

Who are they? Are they from our communities? This is key, so that we won’t say we want to solve a problem and then cause another one.

“If there are things you think we should do too, we are willing to partner you so that the challenges we are facing now will be a thing of the past.

“You must work hard because insecurity is not written on anybody’s face. Anyone can be a victim and that is why we must do everything possible to ensure that our subjects are not victims of these criminals."

The Chairman, FCT Council of Chiefs and Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, who responded on behalf of the traditional rulers, assured the minister of the council’s full support.

with another top official in the presidency have been using ministers and other government functionaries to siphon billions of naira, including funds meant for palliatives for poor Nigerians under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation," Ologunagba stated.

He urged Nigerians to recall that there were pending investigations

before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of looting of N108.1 billion belonging to Akwa Ibom State under Akpabio’s watch as governor as well as alleged N86 billion contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Obiano Pleads Not Guilty to Alleged N4bn Money Laundering Charge Alex Enumah in Abuja Former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the nine count charge of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to the charge, the former governor was said to have moved the total sum of N4,008,573,350, from the states' security votes into different private bank accounts.

The offences were said to have been committed between March 2014 and March 2022.

When the charges were read to him upon his arraignment, he, however, pleaded not guilty to all the nine-count criminal charge.

Responding, counsel to the prosecution, Mr Slyvanus Tahir, SAN, prayed the court to remand the governor in custody pending the commencement of trial.

However, Obiano's lawyer, Onyechi

Ikpeazu, SAN, objected to the remand request on the grounds that he had filed an application for the bail of his client which had been served on the prosecution. Confirming service of the bail application, Tahir, also admitted that the defendant had been on administration bail, granted by the commission.

Subsequently, Justice Ekwo adopted all the conditions of the administrative bail that the anti-graft agency had granted the former governor.

The conditions as enumerated by the prosecution included that the defendant provided two sureties who were directors in the civil service with landed property.

The judge asked the EFCC to transfer Obiano's international passport to the court within seven days of making the order and that he was not to travel outside the country without the permission of the court.

The judge also asked the registrar of the court to inform the Nigeria Immigration Service that Obiano's international passport was now with the court.

34

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

ICPC NEW LEADERS...

L-R: Newly appointed Secretary, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Mr. Clifford Oparaodu; Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani and newly appointed Chairman, ICPC, Dr. Musa Aliyu SAN, during an advocacy visit by CISLAC to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja... recently

Access Golf Seeks to Acquire 81.82% Stake in ARM Pension Merger with Access Pensions may produce largest PFA with N2.22tn assets

James Emejo in Abuja In what could emerge as one of biggest mergers/acquisition in the pension industry, Access Golf Nigeria Limited is seeking to acquire 81.82 per cent of the issued share capital of ARM Pension Managers (PFA) Limited from its majority shareholder, ARM Traditional Asset Management Limited.

The Merger of ARM Pension and Access Pensions will create a pension fund administrator with assets under management (AUM) of just over N2.22 trillion, according to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which vets such union to ensure fair play.

The expected revenue and cost synergies are material and promise significant long-term value.

The enlarged Access Pensions will

provide customers with an enhanced service offering, support the rollout of micro pension products and provide a better overall customer experience.

If the deals sails through, Access Pensions may emerge as the large PFA in the country by pension assets under management.

Currently, the largest PFA is Stanbic IBTC Pensions Limited, followed by ARM Pension Managers.

Access Golf is an investment vehicle that owns the majority shareholding in Access Pensions, which is a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) incorporated in Nigeria and licensed and regulated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

Access Pensions' principal activity is pension fund administration involving management of retirement savings account and legacy funds.

Similarly, ARM Pension in addition to Access Pensions activities also

offers other pension products and services including retirement advisory, programmed withdrawal; micro pension, and additional voluntary contribution.

Following the acquisition, ARM Pension and Access Pensions which are the merging entities will merge and become one entity.

The merger will be consummated through a Scheme of Merger.

Under the terms of the Scheme, ARM Pension will transfer all its assets, liabilities and undertakings to Access Pensions.

Meanwhile, official industry data showed that Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Access Pension Limited, ARM Pension Managers Limited, Trustfund Pensions Limited and Premium Pension Limited are PFAs that account for 56 per cent of pension enrolment.

Stanbic IBTC Pension led the

pack with 2,015,150 retirement savings account (RSA) holders, equal to 20.3 percent of the 9.95 million registered contributors as of March 2023, according to PenCom. Access PFA had 1,064,906 or 10.7 percent of the total registrations, which some market watchers believe is being

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Oyo State governor, 'Seyi Makinde, yesterday declared that the state and the people affected in the January 16, 2024 explosion in Bodija,

14CPs elevated AIG, 21 DCPs promoted to rank of CP

The Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday approved the appointment of AIG Dasuki Galadanci, AIG in charge of Zone 12 Bauchi as a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) to represent the North-west geo-political zone of the country.

He will replace DIG Ibrahim Sani Ka'oje who is expected to retire by February 2.

The commission also approved the promotion of 1,897 senior police officers to their next substantive ranks.

The commission elevated 14 Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police. However, one of the commissioners for promotion to AIG was stepped down to enable the commission review the pending disciplinary matters against the officer which was sent to the commission by the Nigeria Police Force.

The new AIGs are: Yetunde O. Longe, CP Eastern Ports, Port Harcourt; Haruna Gabriel Garba, CP Federal Capital Territory; Tajudeen Akinwale Abass, CP Delta State; Rex Dundun, CP General Investigation, FCID Annex Kaduna; Durosinmi Olatoye, CP Akwa Ibom State; Afolabi Babatola Adeniyi,

CP Adamawa State and Abiodun Oladimeji Asabi, CP Ondo State.

Others are CP Julius Alawari Okoro; CP Plateau State; George Chijioke Chuku, CP Benue State; Paul Alifa Omata, CP K9 Force Headquarters; Yusuf Adesina Akeem, CP Research and Development, Force Headquarters; Bzigu Yakabu kwazhi Dali, CP Osun State; Idris Nagoyo, Police Mounted troop Squadron and CP Ogundare Dare Emmanuel, Cp Ekiti State.

The commission also promoted 21 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the substantive rank of Commissioners; 20 Assistant Commissioners to Deputy Commissioners, 109 Chief Superintendents to Assistant Commissioners and 184 Superintendents to Chief Superintendents.

It also considered and approved the promotion of 1,549 Assistant Superintendents to Deputy Superintendents.

A statement issued by the Spokesman of the commission Ikechukwu Ani, said Chairman of the commission, Solomon Arase, who presided over the management meeting of the commission has accordingly given anticipatory approval for the appointment of one DIG and promotion of 1,897 senior Police Officers recommended to the commission by the Inspector-General

of police.

The 14 commissioners of police and 21 deputy commissioners appeared before the management of the commission for an interactive promotion interview, a condition precedent for their elevation to the next ranks.

Arase at the interactive session charged the officers to quickly settle down to their new ranks and go forth and win the war against banditry, kidnapping and violent crimes in the country.

He said the nation was facing an avoidable unprecedented wave of criminal assaults on all fronts and said the commission was uncomfortable with the trend of events.

The PSC chairman enjoined the officers to settle down and map their various areas of responsibility by being conversant with trends and patterns of crimes in their domain and should be able to engage in predictive policing to mitigate the current criminal disorders by criminal gangs now mauruding across the length and breadth of the country.

As senior officers, he said they must be held responsible for any relapse in the security apparatus of the nation adding that they must see their new ranks as a call to greater dedication to the service of their

enrolled 4,300 participants in the first quarter of 2023, with its total enrolment hitting 801,675 or 8.1 percent of total RSA holders.

Premium Pension Limited came fifth with 778,874 RSA holders or 7.9 percent of the total registered contributors.

Ibadan Explosion: We'll Come Out Stronger, Says Makinde

PSC Promotes 1,897 Senior Police Officers, Galadanci now DIG Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

driven by its successful acquisitions of Sigma Pensions and majority stake in First Guarantee Pensions.

ARM Pensions Limited came third with 896,635 RSA holders or 9 per cent of the total registered contributors.

Trust Fund Pensions Limited

fatherland.

"These promotions should further ignite the indomitable fighting spirit of the officers and men", he admonished the newly promoted officers.

The Deputy Commissioners promoted to the next rank of substantive commissioners are; Olanrewaju Peter Ogunlowo, Assistant Chief of Mission in Somalia; Mohammed Dahiru, DCP State CID Adamawa; Sunday Olukayode, DCP Operations, Plateau State; Peter Ukachi Opara, DCP Admin, Imo State; Illiyasu Yahaya Kwarbai, DCP investagion Zonal Command Bauchi and Bello Mohammed Sani, DCP Projects Monitoring, IGP Secretariat.

Others Mohammed Umar Abba, DCP State CID, Delta Command; Dankombo Faling Morris, DCP Ops Adamawa Command; Bello Shehu, National Defence College; Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba; DCP Zonal CID Kano; Ahmed Musa, DCP State CID, FCT Cmd, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, former Force Public Relations Officer and currently DCP General Investigation Unit, FCID Annex, Gombe; Simeon Udofia Akpanudom, DCP Ops Cross Rivers State Command; Olugbemiga Emmanuel Adesina, DCP Benue State Command and David Iloyanomon, DCP Administration. Anambra Command.

Ibadan, will come out stronger, as the government had been working out a long-term solution to the challenges posed by the incident.

The governor stated that the government had been battling with the fallout of the incident, including providing medical attention to casualties, giving temporary accommodation to victims and dealing with the security aspect of the incident.

A statement by the Special Adviser (Media), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, quoted the governor as saying that there had also been the humanitarian side of things, especially with regards to children affected by the incident, who are supposed to be in school.

Governor Makinde stated this when he received members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, at the Executive Chamber of the Governor's Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

He said: "Yes, we have been battling with the fallout from the incident; we have been trying to give the affected people temporary accommodation so that they can continue their lives.

"Also, we have the people who got injured and need medical attention and the humanitarian side of it where some children are supposed to be in school now. So, it is still very early days and we have to look at a long term solution. We are also dealing with the security aspect of the incident.

"So, you need to keep encouraging us and supporting us where possible as well as keep praying for us.”

The governor appreciated the PDP BoT for its visit to the state, which he described as encouraging, noting that it indicated that the body was looking out for his government.

He added that the visit of the body, which included Nigerians from different parts of the country,

was also an indication of the fact that the country is one.

The governor also used the opportunity of the visit to pledge his support for the unity of the party, saying he would continue to play a positive role towards ensuring that the PDP becomes united and formidable.

Makinde, who also charged the BoT members to, as the conscience of the party, put in the work towards steering the party in the right direction, added that he has been reaching out to colleague-governors to ensure that the party becomes more united.

He said: "Regarding our party, I am proud of the role the BoT is playing. I received the letter and have responded to the letter. I did not mince words in terms of what we should be doing as a party.

Unity is important and we have to unite.

"Yes, it is normal to disagree within ourselves because what is facing me may be backing somebody else. But it is important that we seek alignment to reduce those areas of disagreement or friction, and you are already leading the charge, and I want to thank you for that.

"I also feel few people within our party are still thinking in terms of the enormity of the challenges and errors. I want to encourage such individuals not to feel bad because we faced more than that in 2017 and 2018 in Oyo State. And today, we have PDP at the local level 100 per cent. At the state level, we have over 96 per cent because we have some opposition.

"So, we don't have to be discouraged. Yes, we have a lot of hard work to do in terms of appealing to ourselves and reaching out for unity within the party at the national level. And I want to say that I am here to play a positive role for us to be able to achieve this desired unity. I am fully committed to the great party.”

35

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

NEWS

meeting at ministry of SOLID MINERALS development...

L-R: Technical Director, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Alex Gordy; Director, Human Resources, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Muhammad Suleiman, mni; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake; Deputy Executive Director, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Mamadou Bady Baldé; Regional Director – Anglophone & Lusophone Africa, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Gilbert Makore and Director General, Nigeria Mining Cadastre, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom during a meeting at the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development conference room in Abuja...last Tuesday

We Can't Abandon You, PDP Promises Sacked 16 Plateau State Lawmakers Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, pledged

support for the 16 lawmakers of the Plateau State House of Assembly sacked by the Court of Appeal last November.

The support which was to

In Smart Political Move, Aiyedatiwa Picks Deputy from Akeredolu’s Place Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, yesterday, pulled a smart one, when he announced the nomination of a deputy, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, former Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, from the same Owo Local Government as the deceased governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Adelami has also contested the 2020 governorship election in Ondo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The nomination of the deputy governor came a few hours after Aiyedatiwa, dissolved the state executive council, with immediate effect.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, stated that his nomination would be announced by the State House of Assembly after screening and ratification.

This came almost a month after Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the governor following the death of Akeredolu, on December 27, after battling cancer for several months.

The profile of the nominee read: "Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami, mni hails from Owo, Ondo state.

He was born over 6 decades ago to the family of Oluka Oribokun

by Pa and Mrs Amos Adelami.

“Adelami graduated from the prestigious Imade College in Owo before proceeding to The Polytechnic, Ibadan for his GCE A level and University of Lagos for his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. He further got an MBA degree from Ogun State University.

"After the completion of the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in June 1983, young Adelami was enlisted into Federal Civil Service as an Accountant II in December, 1983.

“He resumed to the Treasury Department of the Accountant General of the Federation office

and in 1988, he was later posted to the National Assembly Provisional Office, Abuja,as one of the pioneer staff of the Constituent Assembly which metamorphosed into the present day National Assembly.

"In the discharge of his duty, Adelami had the singular privilege of setting up the Finance and Accounts Department of the National Assembly as we have come to know it. In 1996, he was invited to help in setting up the Accounts Department of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund.

“After completion of this tasks, he was also beckoned to serve at the Family Support Trust Fund, where, again, he helped set up the Finance and Accounts Department.

“He headed these departments between 1996 and 2000. It is mention-worthy that the project of National Hospital, Abuja was executed and delivered during Adelami’s service period.

"His sterling performances, years of experience and reputation as an astute manager of resources with enviable integrity saw Adelami being recalled to the National Assembly in 2000 to strengthen the Finance Department.

“Three years later, he was made the Head of the Finance and Accounts Department. He remained in this position till 2007,when he was confirmed as a Director.

“The following year, he was nominated for a one year senior management course at the prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos. "After the completion of his course at the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in 2008, he was assigned a bigger task of pioneering the newly created Department of Procurement and Supplies.

“Without a single trained staff in procurement processes, Adelami embarked on the rigorous process of staff training and nurtured the department to an enviable position.

boost the morals of the 16 Lawmakers was disclosed by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a interview with THISDAY. Ologunagba while responding to a question, said, "We cannot abandon them. The party is with them body and soul. This was why we called for a review of the judgement of the judgement of the court of appeal.

“We will follow due processes and the PDP as an organic party

that knows the value of due processes will follow this matter to its logical conclusion.

"You don't expect me to disclose what we are doing in support for them to reclaim their mandate, but remember we have earlier before the judgement of the Supreme Court called for the disbandment of this court of appeal election petition tribunal?

“So, we cannot abandon them.

We in the PDP believe that it's the duty of the electorate to elect

public office holders and not the judiciary. We are on this matter and PDP cannot abandon them," Ologunagba stressed.

Meanwhile, one of the sack lawmakers, who represented Langtang North-North, Joseph Langyi, has said he would not be leaving the state’s House of Assembly because he had to protect the mandate that was given to him by the voters of Plateau state who believed in him.

In an interview with ARISE

NEWS, Langyi spoke regarding the situation, saying he was waiting on the judiciary to solve this issue as he would protect his mandate.

“This mandate was given to me by the majority of votes cast at the 2023 January election. And three people will just sit down there and decide to say that I’m no more the member. I have to protect the mandate given to me by my people, because they believe in me,” he said.

Cardoso: Naira Undervalued, Seeks Fiscal Collaboration, Market Stability growth and sustainable economic development’.

“The work has already started, internally within the bank and across the banking industry, and we are committed to rebuilding an institution that is trusted and respected and promoting confidence in the economy.”

Cardoso stated, “Additionally, the NESG economic transformation roadmap delineates three distinct phases: Stabilisation, Consolidation, and Acceleration, with sequential steps and policy priorities aimed at fostering robust and sustainable economic transformation. The identification of potential ‘Inflection Points’ is crucial for strategic decision-making.

“This is also commendable, as I believe we are as a nation at the point of stabilisation. If the goals of the Stabilisation Phase are achieved, they will have a significant and immediate impact.

“This phase is focused on stabilising macroeconomic indicators such as inflation rate, GDP growth, fiscal balance, and exchange rate, which are essential for steering the country towards economic recovery and laying the groundwork for long-term economic transformation.”

Meanwhile, NESG called on the federal government to pursue an economic transformation agenda that would propel sustained high economic growth for the country.

In its macroeconomic outlook for 2024, Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, said, “In the NESG Macroeconomic Outlook for 2024, we underscore the importance of the government pursuing an economic transformation agenda to propel sustained high economic growth.

“The report presents a roadmap with step-by-step and phased approaches to reforming the economy to achieve economic transformation over the short to medium term.

“This underscores the urgent responsibility of the government, necessitating unwavering efforts to drive economic transformation and establish the groundwork for a lasting economic evolution that aligns with the people's aspirations and enhances their standard of living.”

Chief Economist of NESG, Dr. Olusegun Omisakin, who gave an insight into the outlook, said the report delved into the state of the Nigerian economy in 2023, and outlined a strategic plan for its transformation over the medium term.

Omisakin said the document was structured into three main parts, which offered an understanding of the current economic landscape, the proposed roadmap, and projections for 2024. He said the report laid the groundwork for understanding the context in which the proposed economic transformation roadmap would be implemented.

Omisakin stated, “By combining a thorough analysis of the current economic state, a strategic roadmap, and future projections, this report aims to guide policymakers, business leaders, and other stakeholders in steering the Nigerian economy towards a trajectory of stability, consolidation, and, ultimately, acceleration.”

He added that “Economic Transformation Roadmap: MediumTerm Policy Priorities” was broken into three phases, identified as the stabilisation, the consolidation and the acceleration phases that articulated the sequential steps and policy priorities for achieving a robust and sustainable economic transformation.

The NESG outlook for the Nigerian economy projected a real GDP growth of 3.50 per cent and an average inflation rate of 21.5 per cent in 2024, from an estimated average of 24.5 per cent in 2023.

It hinged its projections on the

assumption of a global crude oil price averaging $90/barrel, notably higher than the proposed $77.96/ barrel delineated in the 2024 budget.

It stated that stemming oil theft would boost the country’s crude oil production to 1.75 million barrels per day in 2024 while limited CBN’s intervention in the FX market would foster an increase in the country’s foreign reserves to approximately $40 billion by the close of 2024.

“Consequently, the official exchange rate is expected to reach N900/US$, signalling a positive trajectory,” NESG stated.

NESG also said Nigeria was currently at a crucial intersection that would demand bold and decisive actions to propel economic transformation and, therefore, called for a defined economic philosophy.

The report said, “The urgency of Nigeria's economic transformation is not just a wish; it is an imperative to unlock the nation's latent potential and ensure a prosperous future for all citizens.

“For the current administration steering the country, the year 2024 represents a transformative window, offering an opportunity to guide the nation towards an inclusive and resilient economic trajectory.

“Piloting the country through the economic transformation journey demands strategic planning and rigorous policy implementation on the one hand. On the other hand, substantial investments and unwavering commitment from the private sector will help to foster lasting and fair economic development.”

NESG stated that the stabilisation phase would be directed at addressing the instability of macroeconomic indicators, such as inflation rate, GDP growth, fiscal balance, and exchange rate, in order to steer the country towards economic recovery, which it said was “an essential starting point for the medium-term economic

transformation journey”.

The consolidation phase would activate growth factors and enablers, including liberalisation reforms, institutional development and strengthening, policy and regulatory harmonisation, and investment promotion, while the acceleration phase would outline imperatives for triggering long-term economic transformation, NESG stated.

It said, “Economic stabilisation is a foundational requirement for fostering sustainable economic growth.

As evidenced by the development experiences of many countries, economic stabilisation establishes an environment conducive to enhanced productivity and propels rapid economic growth and social improvement.

“Therefore, a stable macroeconomic environment is a crucial starting point for attaining high investment levels and supporting infrastructure development, promoting job creation and improved living standards within an economy.”

The macroeconomic outlook stated, “The country needs at least a 7.5 percent annual growth rate to outpace population growth and address the backlog of prosperity due to sluggish growth in recent years.”

It added, “Achieving robust industrial and manufacturing sector growth at over 8.0 per cent annual growth rate would help attain this high economic growth.”

It also emphasised the need for massive job creation, saying it requires “substantial growth in the industrial and manufacturing sectors to drive industrialisation and create employment opportunities to address Nigeria’s unemployment issues”.

NESG further stated, “All sectors, not just industrial and manufacturing, should contribute to prosperity by achieving a minimum growth rate of 5.0 per cent.”

36

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

Briefing on state of Syringe and Needles Manufacturing in the Country...

L-R: Managing Director, El-Salmat Pharmaceuticals, Funke Salaudeen; Chairman, Mikano International, Mr Mofid Karameh; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Doris Uzo-Anite; Minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa; and Managing Director, Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited, Mr Akin Oyediran, during a press briefing on the state of Syringe and PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE Needles Manufacturing in Nigeria in Abuja

Presidency: Tinubu Has No Plan to Relocate Federal Capital to Lagos Warns against north versus south politics Ndume spoke for himself, says Kogi senator Nabena urges president to relocate NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA to Niger Delta

Olawale Ajimotokan and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The presidency, yesterday, dismissed insinuations that the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to relocate its Department of Banking Supervision to Lagos and the directive of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) should relocate its head office back to Lagos implied a covert scheme by President Bola Tinubu to relocate the Federal Capital back to Lagos.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency, which said there was no iota of truth in the allegation by mischief-makers, bent on fueling needless ethnic mistrust, however, warned against fanning the dangerous politics of pitting the north against south.

Also, the senator representing Kogi-West, Karimi Sunday, has said the Senate Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, spoke for himself and not the Red Chamber when he condemned the proposed relocation of some CBN departments and FAAN from Abuja, back to Lagos.

This was as a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has urged President Bola Tinubu to also approve the relocation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), amongst others to the Niger Delta region.

The presidency, in the statement, stated: "We consider it necessary to inform Nigerians that there is no iota of truth in the interpretations given to the directives in some quarters and the unfounded claims and rumours that President Bola Tinubu was planning to relocate the Federal Capital back to Lagos.

"These rumours, which first surfaced during the electioneering last year, was sponsored by political opponents looking for all manners of weapons to prevent Asiwaju Tinubu from being elected as president by a section of the country," Onanuga said.

He labelled those fueling the renewed narrative, using the recent decision by the CBN and FAAN as pretext to start another round of toxic opposition as "dishonest ethnic and regional champions" trying to draw attention to themselves.

He insisted that the status of Abuja as the Federal Capital had come to

stay, noting that it was backed by law.

"The movement of FAAN, an agency of Aviation Ministry, to Lagos, where it was located before former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, moved it to Abuja during the last administration, does not amount to moving the Federal Capital to Lagos.

“The administrative move should have ordinarily attracted scant attention, as Lagos is the commercial capital and the hub of aviation business in Nigeria. FAAN will still maintain some presence in Abuja.

It is not a wholesale movement.

"Similarly, the movement of the Department of Banking Supervision of the CBN to Lagos should not trigger any discord within the polity.

The department concerned deals with commercial banks, almost all of which have their headquarters in Lagos," Onanuga added.

He said that all those behind this campaign of falsehood and misinformation knew they were "merely playing politics, albeit a dangerous politics, to pit the North against the South.

"There are many parastatals that are not based in Abuja depending on their mandate. The headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), for example, are in Lagos.

‘In the same vein, the headquarters

of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is in Lokoja, while that of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari is in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

"It must be pointed out that these decisions are purely administrative that should not be politicised by people of goodwill and those who wish our country well," Onanuga declared.

He added that the President Tinubu-led administration was working tirelessly to be just and equitable to every section of the country, while pleading restraint on the part of those whose stock in trade was to create all manner of rumours to distract every government from the noble objective of meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

"Our citizens desire nothing but good governance that positively impacts their lives. Rumour mongering is a pernicious disservice to this ultimate expectation of our people," he concluded.

tax categories, the new structure formulates taxpayer segments based on thresholds. This tailored approach ensures that taxpayers are guided and serviced according to their specific needs, eliminating confusion and redundancy in tax administration.

“Behind this transformative initiative are carefully considered considerations detailed in our operations plan. We highlight the rationale behind our integrated approach, the benefits of comprehensive taxpayer services, and the logic behind tailored taxpayer categories, which will be presented to management in the subsequent sessions of this workshop.

“These considerations set the stage for a more responsive, efficient, and user-friendly tax administration system.”

Adedeji explained, “Let me assure you that due process will be followed

in this reformation.

“Extensive re-orientation and change initiatives will be implemented to ensure that no one is left behind. We recognize the need for meticulous planning, effective communication, and unwavering commitment to navigate this transformative journey successfully.”

According to him, “FIRS is already a formidable force, and with these new efficiencies, we can indeed meet and exceed our targets. This is not just a restructuring; it is a catalyst for a monumental leap forward, a collective investment in our shared future, and an unyielding commitment to excellence in tax administration.”

He explained that the proposed structure is not just a set of reforms but a commitment to redefine FIRS's role in shaping a modern,

Kogi Senator: Ndume Spoke for Himself The Senator representing KogiWest, Karimi Sunday, has said the Senate Whip, Senator Ali Ndume,

spoke for himself and not the Red Chamber, when he condemned the proposed relocation of some departments in the CBN and FAAN from Abuja back to Lagos.

In a statement, yesterday, he maintained that Ndume's position was personal and did not in any way represent a position taken by the Senate.

Karimi, a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that it was needless for Ndume to be attaching ethnic or other sentiments to the relocation of the offices, which was done for cohesion and better delivery of services.

He pointed out that leaders needed to avoid utterances that would heat up the polity and cause division and disaffection amongst the federating units of the country.

The lawmaker emphasised that the headquarters of 96 per cent of all banks in Nigeria are in Lagos, adding that the staff of the Banking and Supervision Department of the Central Bank often travel to Lagos to check their books at the headquarters, saying the move would save cost to have that directorate in Lagos.

Nabena to Tinubu: Relocate NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA to Niger Delta

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has urged President Bola Tinubu to approve relocation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to the Niger Delta region.

Nabena, in a statement, also suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should be moved to Benue State, where agricultural produce was in abundance to justify the plan to move some departments of CBN and FAAN out of Abuja.

The APC chieftain, who suspected evil intention for making such a move contended that Senator Bola Tinubu did not believe in one Nigeria before he emerged the president.

"If efficiency of these agencies is the main reason for the plan to relocate them to Lagos State, we from the Niger Delta are also asking that the NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA and others will be more effective in either Bayelsa, Rivers or Delta states.

"In the same way, the Federal Ministry of Mine and Steel should be moved to Kogi State, where we have the Ajaokuta Steel for efficiency. I also believe that the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment should either be relocated to Kano or Anambra States where trade is done in high proportion,"Nabena noted.

Despite Curfew Gunmen Kill 25 in Plateau Community FIRS Targets N19.41tn Revenue in 2024, Now Accounts for 70% of Contributions to Federation Account Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Despite the 24-hour curfew imposed on Mangu community by the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, gunmen invaded Kwahaslalek village in the community in the early hours of yesterday, killing no fewer than 25 persons in the aftermath.

THISDAY gathered that the victims, who were predominantly women and children, had taken refuge in the house of a community leader in the area following earlier unrest during the day in Mangu town when the gunmen rounded them up and slaughtered them right at the community leader’s house.

Several houses were also razed in the village which is on the outskirts of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp

in the state.

A resident of the affected Community, Mr. Hosea Ibrahim said the skirmishes that happened in Mangu town yesterday were a decoy to distract attention from the villages so they could have their way.

“For the second time, Kwahaslalek has come under attack by gunmen in recent days. They came at about 12:30 am and killed over 25 people, mostly women and children.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, Mr. Joseph Gwankat, confirmed the killing, anddescribed it as horrible.

“I couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town on Tuesday. Now, I have just been told that Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night and about 30 people were killed.

efficient, and customer-focused tax administration system.

Adedeji, “Through innovative organisational restructuring and process optimisation, FIRS is committed to fostering a taxpayer-friendly environment that aligns with global best practices and positions Nigeria as a leader in contemporary tax administration.

“As we unveil this new chapter in the history of FIRS, I urge all of you to embrace change, to be pioneers in this transformative journey, and to envision the future we are collectively building. Together, we will redefine excellence in tax administration, setting new standards and inspiring others to follow.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the federal government will provide all the support required

by FIRS to enable it to deliver on its mandate.

Fagbemi said an effective tax administrative system wa critical for growth and development, noting that adequate taxes must be collected to fund government infrastructure and social programmes while also supporting the operating environment.

He said it was important that tax laws and administrative processes were all-inclusive as well as stakeholder centric and not just tax payers centric.

He advised, “However, the story is changing. We have seen a massive improvement in tax collection with the changes in FIRS over the years.

“The FIRS now contributes about 70 per cent of the nation’s total revenues. Yet, a lot of tax revenues are left uncollected.”

thursday JANUARY 25, 2024 • T H i s d ay

37

NEWS

SMIRNOFF ICE CHILL AND WIN BIG PROMO...

L-R: Marketing Manager, Mainstream Spirits/Ready To Serve, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Uche Onwudiwe; Corporate Relations/Company Secretary, Rotimi Odusola; Director, International Premium Spirits, Reserve and Modern Trade, Viola Graham-Douglas; Marketing/Innovation Director, Mark Mugisha, and Commercial Director, Adesanya Olusanya at the press conference announcing the launch of the Smirnoff Ice Chill and Win Big Promo in Ikeja, Lagos…yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

Again, Two Killed in Fresh Herdsmen Attack in Benue George Okoh in Makurdi

Just barely a week after three security personnel were killed by herdsmen in Agatu Local Government Area(LGA) of Benue State, two other persons have been reportedly killed in fresh attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on Ikpele

and Okpokpolo communities of Agatu Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.

The attackers, according to a resident, also destroyed several houses in the communities and left many people injured.

According to local sources, the herdsmen came to the communities in their numbers

Police Apprehend Buhari’s Associate forAlleged Incitement AhmadSorondinkiinKano

The Kano State Police Command has apprehended former President Muhammadu Buhari’s associate, Alhaji Abdulmajid Danbilki, popularly known as ‘Danbilki Commander’, who allegedly called for civil unrest in a radio programme in the state.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Kano, the state Commissioner of Police, Husaini Gumel, alleged that Danbilki’s utterances were capable of inciting the people to undermine the present administration.

According to him, the suspect has since been charged to court and subsequently remanded at the Goron Dutse Correctional Centre.

He said: “Danbilki was remanded by a Magistrate Court, which sent him to the correctional facility of Goron Dutse, where he will stay till February 6 for determination of his bail application.”

The CP further revealed that the suspect featured in a local radio station programme, and a viral video inciting people to resist any attempt by the state government to remove Alhaji Aminu Bayero as the Emir of Kano.

Tuesday night at about 11 p.m. from neighbouring Nasarawa State.

“The attack happened on (Tuesday) night. They attacked

As part of measures to ensure that its financial services are fraudproof, millions of OPay users in Nigeria have been asked to link their accounts with the National Identity Number (NIN) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as all non-compliant accounts would be dropped from the platform at the end of March, this year.

The Director of Card Business, OPay, Precilia Olayemi, who disclosed this yesterday during a press conference in Lagos, said OPay is in Nigeria “to bank the unbanked and to make financial

services affordable.”

Olayemi, who was accompanied by the Head, Marketing and Communications, Adekunle Adeyemi, Director, Partnerships, Ikponmwosa Kolawole Odiase, and Head, Business Development and App Partnerships, Adekorede Adewole, said the security features on the verve cards and other financial services rendered by OPay cannot be compromised by fraudsters.

“No other organisation has this technology we have designed whereby cards can be linked, soft linked using technology to make payments which is why our agents are able to sell cards.”

LaleyeDipo inMinna

The Niger State Government has taken three Hydro Power Stations, namely Shiroro, Kainji and Jebba, to court for the payment of over N136 billion accumulated ground rent.

The rents were said to have accumulated between 2017 and 2022.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has stated that it is strategically opening new frontiers to explore the creative human resource of youths in the region under its Holistic, Opportunity Project of Engagement (HOPE) initiative.

The NDDC Project HOPE initiative was unveiled in July 2023 with the promise to create 1,000 jobs through strategic partnership and skill development of youths in each of the nine states of the

region.

In his assessment of the impact of the project so far, the NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, expressed delight that over 300,000 youths from the region have so far registered on the project HOPE data registration platform to be part of the initiative.

Ogbuku reassured the region that the HOPE initiative is real, and would be sustained, adding that the data base will not only help the commission to select the right persons, but will help to monitor their progress.

houses were counted. People have deserted their homes and are seeking shelter in neighbouring towns and villages,” a source said.

The suit was filed at a Federal High Court in Minna on behalf of the state government by the Niger State Board of Internal Revenue Service (NGSBIRS).The defendants in the suit are North South Power Company Limited (NSPC), Kainji Hydro Electric Plc (KHE) and Mainstream Energy Solutions (MES). Joined in the suit

are the Federal Ministry of Power and the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMC).

In the statement of claim, the state government demanded the payment of N111, 725, 207, 100 ground rent from KHE and N21, 970, 920, 100 from Shiroro Hydro Electric Plc (SHE).

It also prayed the court for “an order directing the defendants to pay to the plaintiff an interest on the judgment sum at the rate of 10 per cent per annum till the money is liquidated” in addition to asking the court to order the defendants to pay the cost of litigation as may be assessed.

NGO Decries Continue Retention of TIC Officials in Kwara LG Councils

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A non-governmental organisation, Kwara Progressive Development Movement (KPDM), yesterday decried the continued stay in office of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) chairmen in the administration of the 16 local government areas of Kwara State.

The group described the TIC contraption as illegal and unconstitutional.

KPDM, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and save the local government areas in the state from destruction.

The group National Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Alhassan, made the submissions

in Ilorin while speaking with journalists on the state of local government administration in the state.

Alhassan, who allegedly raised the alarm over alleged financial recklessness on some of the TIC chairmen in the state, said: “Some of them have turned the councils into their ‘personal corporations’

and conduit pipes to perpetrate various forms of fraud in the local government councils.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart in the state alleged that all entreaties to make the state Governor, AbdulRaman Abdulrazaq, see the illegality in TIC administration were unsuccessful.

Edo 2024: Ize-Iyamu, Imuse Join Edo Governorship Race Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Iyamu, has again joined this year gubernatorial race after his friends yesterday purchased the party’s nominations and Expression of

Interest forms for him.

Also, former state APC Chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd), has joined the governorship race.

He noted that in spite of the great human and material resources in the state, the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki has not been able to fulfill the legitimate expectations of the

people.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Committee of Friends for Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Emmanuel Momoh, said the forms, which were purchased without his knowledge, would be presented to him in Benin-city, the Edo State capital.

He said: “It was deemed

necessary by a team of friends who felt that Pastor Osagie needs to come into the 2024 governorship race, and with the wisdom of God, we are here today on his behalf to procure the forms for him, and we want to let you know that it was done without him making a single contribution.

Adeniran, who was allegedly electrocuted at the Agege Stadium during the school’s inter-house sports on February 9, 2023, the deceased mother, Mrs. Blessing Adeniran, was at Ikeja High Court yesterday to testify on what transpired on that fateful day.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala.

Those charged alongside the school included Ademoye Adewale (a cotton candy vendor), Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao (Principal), and Victoria Nwatu.

Adeniran, who was being

cross-examined by counsel to the second defendant, Richard Ahonaruogho (SAN), went back to a sudden phone call from the management of the school on January 20, 2023, when the deceased fell ill during school hours.

Christland School: I Met Lifeless Body of My Daughter on the Hospital Bed, Mother Claims

Funke Olaode

In continuation of the negligence case filed by the Lagos State Government on March 31, 2023, against the management of Christland School, Opebi, Lagos, over the death of Whitney

Edo Guber: Guidelines in Line with Electoral Act, Designed to Widen Participation, Says LP Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Labour Party (LP) has clarified NDDC: We’ll Continue to Explore The that its guideline for the Edo State primaries released Creative Human Resources of N’Delta governorship recently as approved by its national Blessing Ibunge inPortHarcourt

in the night. Two bodies have so far been recovered.

Many houses were burnt.

In fact, within the attacked communities, at least 17 burnt

Accumulated Ground Rents: Niger Sues Three Hydro Power Stations for N136bn

Edo State governorship OPay Users Urged to Link their The candidate of the All Progressives (APC) in the 2018 Accounts with NIN, BVN Congress election, Pastor Osagie IzeCharles Ajunwa

Ikpele, Okpokpolo, and other places all night yesterday, and we are yet to get the exact number of persons killed.

“There was a serious battle

leadership is in line with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Labour Party constitution.

In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, LP said no doubt, the guideline has widened the scope of participation within the party as all members of the party from the Ward level would have one role or another to play in the emergence of the party’s

candidate.

He said it was consequent upon these, that all members of the party from the Ward level would be nominating two delegates each who will converge on their various local government areas to nominate five delegates each that will participate in the

primary election scheduled to hold on February 22 to produce a candidate for the party.

According to Ifoh, “Article 27 of the party’s constitution gives the leadership of the party the power to make rules and guidelines for the conduct of primaries that will elect public officers.”

Customs, NAFDAC Destroy Fake Drugs, Food Items in Sokoto

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed a large quantum of counterfeit goods

certified to be unfit for human consumption in Sokoto.

This action, according to the Comptroller of Customs, Sokoto/ Zamfara Area Command, Musa Omale, is in line with the Service mandate of smuggling suppression.

Omale noted that the Command

carried out the destruction of seized items certified by NAFDAC to be unfit for human consumption.

The destruction, which took place at Kwanawa Dumping Site in Sokoto, was witnessed by heads of other security agencies, which included the Nigerian Army, NSCDC, Nigerian

Police among others as well as government officials.

The NCS boss explained that “Section 245 of NCS Act 2023 empowers the Service to seize goods that contravene customs and excise laws and be disposed in such a manner the service directs.

38

GamingWeek

Thursday, January 25, 2024 • T H I S D AY

Edited by Nseobong Okon-Ekong | gamingweek1117@gmail.com | Tel: 08114495324

How National Lottery Trust Fund Drives ‘Good Causes’ with Strategic Intervention TR

The National Lottery Trust Fund, established by an act of the National Assembly, plays a crucial role in managing a percentage of proceeds from gaming and lottery activities in Nigeria. These include intervention in education, health, social services, disaster management and infrastructural projects. Collectively, the interventions are termed “good causes,” according to the Executive Secretary of NLTF, Dr. Bello Maigari, Iyke Bede reports

A

typical season at the Abuja headquarters of the National Lottery Trust Fund witnesses critical meetings by staff of key departments going through an assortment of requests from communities and stakeholders in different sectors across the country, appealing for urgent assistance.

Guided by civil service rules and other extant statutes, the NLTF employs a bottom-up approach, conducting surveys and engaging field officers to identify needs across the country. Requests for interventions go through approval processes, including potential review by the Federal Executive Council, normally accessed through the Ministry for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, currently

supervised by Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo.

Regarding intervention, Dr. Bello Maigari, Executive Secretary of the NLTF observed that a set of policies and strategies are in place to discern areas requiring them.

Maigari stated that the NLTF had developed a policy and a strategy for that “and this is to do with the compilation of the needs of the entire country in the areas I mentioned earlier: health, water, sanitation, relief management and basic infrastructure — it’s all-encompassing.”

The NLTF boss added, “We do this through a survey, through what we call a bottom-up approach. We engage all our field officers who are located in the six geopolitical zones to interface with communities in villages and local governments to harvest these needs and confirm

Zephaniah Jisalo, Minister for Special Duties and InterGovernmental Affairs

Dr. Bello Maigari

these needs through the state governments. If it concerns health, we meet the state ministry of health.

If it concerns education, we visit the state ministry of education and confirm those needs and bring these needs to our headquarters in Abuja, where we sit down, analyse them and put them in a database.

“This database is structured into a programme. When the board sits, it decides what area we are going to intervene in. It decides the sector.

We fast-track it to the ministry for approval and subsequently to the Federal Executive Council. Once approval is granted, we come back to implement the project.”

Since assuming office in February 2019, Maigari has implemented a policy framework guiding interventions in various sectors

regulation further adjusted this to two per cent, with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission retaining one per cent.

To enhance public awareness, the agency plans to engage with the media and design programmes highlighting its activities. Maigari acknowledged the need for awareness and enlightenment, expressing the intent to make the NLTF more visible to Nigerians.

While the exact volume of the last fund is not specified, he noted progress and emphasised the importance of automation for efficient revenue collection. The NLTF acknowledges the need to upgrade skills, particularly in IT, to keep pace with advancement in the industry.

“The way to go in this industry is automation. We must design a

guided by a two-pronged approach: A targeted approach, generally covering issues of disaster and other emergency projects, or through a generic approach.

Notable areas of intervention include health infrastructure, where the fund addressed deficiencies in medical facilities and equipment across primary health care centres and tertiary health institutions.

Additionally, the current administration emphasises special interventions for women and children to empower vulnerable populations, aligning with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu.

Regarding funding, the percentage of proceeds directed to the NLTF has changed over time. Initially set at 20%, the National Lottery Act of 2017 reduced it to 7.5%. A recent

Africa Gaming Expo to Address Thorny Concerns Faced by Operators The first-ever Africa gaming conference and exhibition organized by Africans tagged Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) Lagos 2024 with the theme ‘Exploring the Future of Africa’s Gaming Market: Emerging Trends, Prospects and Opportunities’ is scheduled to hold at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos, from March 12 to 15.

The gaming industry has not only become a major economic activity but also a strong thrust in the financial technology (fintech) evolution globally. This is largely underpinned by its nexus with entertainment and tourism.

Equally, the gaming industry is of significant importance to the expansion of tourism and entertainment potentialities on the African continent.

Mr. Bashir Are, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority explained that AGE presents an unrivalled

Bashir Are platform to bring together gaming operators (sports betting, lottery, and casinos), gaming regulators,

African game developers, and other gaming stakeholders across the globe to discuss and examine the regulatory frameworks, emerging trends, challenges, opportunities, and prospects in the Africa gaming market.

AGE Lagos 2024 is conceived as a pivotal gathering that portends to foster and strengthen collaboration among leading stakeholders in the global gaming community.

This conference is therefore a point of convergence and confluence for key players in the gaming industry across the world.

Are who is also chairman of

the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria, said that the main objective of AGE Lagos 2024, is to further propel vertical and horizontal synergy through the exchange of ideas and peer reviews among industry experts, leaders, and stakeholders within Africa and the global market. It will also address some of the thorny operational concerns faced by operators across Africa.

The Africa Gaming Expo is promoted by Africa Gaming Expo Limited and endorsed

by The Federal Ministry of Tourism of Nigeria, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Botswana Gambling Authority, Ghana Gaming Commission, National Gambling Board of South Africa, International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA Africa), Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority in collaboration with the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria.

ADVISORY: +18 PERSONS UNDER 18 MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN BETTING, GAMING OR LOTTERY ACTIVITY

This inaugural edition of the expo is coming at a time when the gaming sector in Africa is facing exponential growth. It will be a veritable avenue for industry leaders, regulators, stakeholders from allied industries, and interested participants to discuss how to sustain the growth and ultimately seek options to develop and export African gaming platforms globally.

UT H

& RE A S O

N

system where we can collect our revenue real-time online without really wasting time depending on the good conscience of the patrons and licensees now that the industry has grown to this level,” Maigari noted. “We need to tap into that robust advancement in technology so that we will make the organisation more efficient and more effective in promoting good causes for Nigerians.”

In enhancing efficiency within the agency, Maigari highlighted the importance of consistently training its staff to acquire supplementary skills, thereby strengthening the overall efforts of the agency.

“We have a sizable number of staff. What is lacking is skill in a few areas. We are trying to upgrade our skills in IT, which is the current mainstay and driver of this industry. We are also trying to see how we can skill up in managing the fund and the processes of this organisation. Of course, we need to do better in legal matters; that is, having a team that will defend the actions of the organisation. Going forward, that will also add value to the work of the organisation. We are working in different areas to bring the National Lottery Trust Fund up so that our services will continue to be efficient, our resources will be managed efficiently, and Nigerians will better appreciate the organisation,” he added.

GAMINGWEEK TEAM Nseobong Okon-Ekong gamingweek1117@gmail.com | 08114495324 Iyke Bede ikennabede@gmail.com | 0703 044 7714 Akeem Lasisi lasaisai@yahoo.com | 08023687884 Vanessa Obioha vaysylver@gmail.com | 08069838305 Davidson Abraham davisiano.adm@gmail.com | +971 56 744 6013

39

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

THURSdaysports Odegbami, Lawal Harp on Discipline, Self-belief as Super Eagles Prepare for Indomitable Lions

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

AFCON 2023...AFCON 2023...AFCON 2023...AFCON 2023...AFCON 2023...

Nigeria, Cameroon in another epic battle 40 years after

Femi Solaja with agency report

Pride will be at stake when Nigeria and Cameroon go to ‘War’ inside the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Saturday. Both teams will be seeking to pick the ticket to the quarterfinals of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations from this Round of 16 encounter that has rekindled memories of past outings between these arch rivals.

The clash and all the remaining matches of the AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire will be aired live and in HD on Sports Premium, Sports Life and Beta Sports channels on StarTimes, as well as StarTimes-ON mobile app.

But two of Nigeria’s football legends, Olusegun Odegbami and Garba Lawal, have insisted that the Super Eagles need to be extremely cautious, stay focused, be disciplined, and have self-belief when they step onto the field against the Indomitable Lions in Abidjan on Saturday.

Both giants of the African game have made a rendezvous at the same Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, following the Lions’ late surge that ensured a 3-2 win over The Gambia in Bouake on Tuesday, and Nigeria’s earlier second-place finish in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea.

Odegbami, a member of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON-winning squad and former captain of the team, who also played three times against Cameroon in 1975 (friendly game that Nigeria won 1-0), 1978 (All-Africa Games in Algiers that ended 0-0) and 1980 (a friendly game that ended 0-0), said the present crop of Super Eagles can achieve victory the way they did against the Lions at the same stage in Egypt four years ago, but must be extremely diligent and be very clinical with the opportunities that come their way.

AFCON RESULTS Namibia 0-0 Mali S’Africa 0-0 Tunisia Tanzania 0-0 DR Congo Zambia 0-1 Morocco “We may say that Cameroon have not pulled up any trees at this tournament, but the way they turned the game around against The Gambia sends a message. They are not to be taken for granted. I watched their game against Guinea and it was a fight-to-finish. We have been creating a lot of opportunities in our games but this time, we have to be clinical.

“Cameroon could prove to be a different proposition from the teams we have played against at this competition. Apart from the rivalry between our two countries, the present generation of Indomitable Lions have a point to prove. They want to be seen in the garbs of the likes of Rigobert Song Bahanang (who is their coach), Samuel Eto’o Fils, Patrick Mboma and Geremi Njitap, and going further back, the likes of Roger Milla, Theophile Abega, Gregoire Mbida and Francois Omam Biyick.”

Lawal, nicknamed Chindo, played four times against the Lions in 1997 (LG Cup), 2000 (AFCON final), 2003 (LG Cup), and 2004 (AFCON quarter-final). He says that self-belief will go a long way in steering the Eagles past the Lions on Saturday.

“They must go in there believing in themselves to do the job.

Self-confidence is a good feeling when approaching a game like this.

I see the Super Eagles getting past the Cameroonians if they believe in themselves and keep it tight at

ROUND OF 16 Nigeria Angola E’Guinea Egypt C’Verde Senegal Mali Morocco

v. v. v. v. v. v. v. v.

(Fixtures) Cameroon Namibia Guinea DR Congo Mauritania Cote d’Ivoire B’Faso S’Africa

(Sat. 27/1) (Sat. 27/1) (Sun. 28/1) (Sun. 28/1) (Mon. 29/1) (Mon. 29/1) (Tues. 30/1) (Tues 30/1)

Super Eagles players at training yesterday evening ahead of Saturday AFCON 2023 Round of 16 clash with Cameroon's Indomitable Lions the back.”

Nigeria and Cameroon have clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations seven times, with each team winning thrice and one game drawn.

Cameroon won the Final matches of the 1984, 1988, and 2000 AFCON tournaments, while the Eagles won the bronze-medal match 2-1 in 1992, defeated then Cup holders Cameroon 2-1 in the 2004 quarter-finals, and won 3-2 in the Round of 16 in

Egypt four years ago. Both teams drew 1-1 in the group phase in 1988, Samuel Okwaraji scoring a scorcher after only two minutes in Rabat and Roger Milla equalizing with a header when the Andrew Uwe-led Nigerian defenc thought they had kept him off-side.

As the Eagles returned to training on Wednesday, after resting on Tuesday, the match venue is also getting ready to welcome the

toe-poked a deflected pull-out past Joseph Antoine-Bell.

The Lions equalised just before half-time, Stephen Keshi unwittingly diverting the ball into his own net from a free-kick, and they seized the game by the throat in the second half, deploying the experience and exposure from playing three matches unbeaten at the 1982 FIFA World Cup finals in Spain. They won 3-1.

...Alhassan, Ekong Boost for Nigeria, Back to Full Training Super Eagles have been handed a massive injury boost ahead of Saturday’s AFCON 2023 Round of 16 showdown with Cameroon as midfielder Alhassan Yusuf resumed full team training yesterday.

The Antwerp star suffered a thigh injury in the team’s opening group

game against Equatorial Guinea.

It was initially feared Alhassan will miss the rest of the tournament, but a scan later showed it was not a major injury He has been undergoing his recovery and so missed the group games against Cote d’Ivoire and

Morocco Gift Côte d’Ivoire Passage to Round of 16 Morocco did host nation Côte d’Ivoire a colossal favour by beating Zambia 1-0 to send the Elephants into the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 by the back door.

Zambia needed a point from the Group F finale to deny the hosts the fourth and final qualification spot for the group stage's best third-placed teams.

But Hakim Ziyech slammed in from close range to send Zambia home, Côte d’Ivoire through and help Morocco top the group.

The Atlas Lions will face South Africa in the knockout stages on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire , who sacked boss Jean-Louis Gassetearlier on Wednesday after their disappointing group displays put the West Africans on the brink of an early exit, will meet Senegal in a mouth-watering last-16 tie on Monday.

For that, the Elephants owe a debt of gratitude to Walid Regragui's side for handing them a reprieve at the eleventh hour, ensuring another dramatic twist to

two teams. It was on the same turf where both teams battled out the 1984 AFCON final.

On 18th March 1984, Président Félix Houphouët-Boigny declared a public holiday to encourage football fans to troop to the stadium for the final, as public interest in the competition had waned following the group stage elimination of the Elephants. Nigeria got in front after 10 minutes when Muda Lawal

Guinea Bissau.

Also yesterday, Stand-in Captain, William Troost-Ekong is also back to full training after a knee complaint kept him out of the final group game against Guinea Bissau.

In a short video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Ekong explained that he will be back in the team training on Wednesday. " I’m not out of the tournament; I’m getting better, I am looking to return

to training the day after Wednesday (yesterday)", he said.

Ekong should be back in the team for the round of 16 match against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on Saturday. On Saturday, Nigeria tackle the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon for a place in the quarterfinal of the 2023 AFCON. The epic clash kicks off 9pm and it will be staged at the Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Fans Score Big with Goldberg, Life Beer & Zagg as Eagles Keep AFCON Hopes Alive

Morocco’ Hakim Ziyech (right) scored the lone goal winner against Zambia that helped host Côte d’Ivoire to sneak into the last 16 of the 34th AFCON ...last night end an enthralling, unpredictable set of group games.

Head coach Regragui was absent from the Morocco dugout against Zambia after being given

a four-match banby the Confederation of African Football for "post-match incidents" following Sunday's 1-1 drawwith DR Congo.

Two games of his ban have

been suspended for a year but the 48-year-old will also have to watch the last-16 meeting with Bafana Bafana from the stands, unless a Moroccan appeal succeeds.

Across Nigeria and beyond, AFCON 2023 has become an unforgettable experience, thanks to the epic partnership of Goldberg, Life Beer, and Zagg Energy Malt Drink.

From electrifying viewing centres to fantasy league battles and a shower of prizes, the tournament has been a non-stop celebration for fans and loyal Nigerian Breweries Plc customers.

On every match day, Goldberg's official viewing centres like Whispers Bar in Abeokuta and Farm City in Lekki, Lagos have seen passionate football fans and consumers enjoy the best moments of the matches.

"This is more than just a game," declares Aisha Bakare, a fan who scored big with a beautiful prize during the last group match, "it's a homecoming!"

But the magic spills beyond these venues. Goldberg's #Omolu-

abiGameOn and #NaijaGameOn buzz with pre-match predictions have enjoyed massive views and engagement from enthusiastic fans and consumers.

Fuelled by the refreshing coolness of Life Continental Beer, the selected live viewing centres across Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt have also been a beehive of activities.

Life Continental Beer adds a touch of cool with activations like the "Naija Penalty Challenge," while Zagg's on-ground games and social media buzz keep the fervour high.

Portfolio Manager – Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Olaoluwa Babalola, said these brands aren't just sponsors; they're champions of the Nigerian spirit.

"The Super Eagles embody our resilience and passion. We're proud to be part of their journey and we are very positive they will make us all proud!"

Thursday, January 25, 2024

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N400

MISSILE

Alex Gordy to NNPCL Management

“NNPCL has acquired 20 per cent equity interest in the Dangote refinery. However, it has not explained the valuation. So, the key factor here is accountability. We know at this point it is to be paid from future oil deliveries. But how would that be valued at market rates and the different rates with those supplies of petroleum from NNPC and consistent deductions from the Federal Government revenues? Or will it be from NNPC oil production?”-- Questions posed by the visiting EITI Technical Director to Nigeria

olusegunadeniyi the verdict olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Nigeria, 105Years Ago…1

F

ormer Governor of Cross River State, Mr Donald Duke, has a great deal of archival materials and enjoys discussing historical issues.

Last week, he sent me a treasured publication that speaks to our country’s past and may help explain some of the challenges we grapple with today. ‘The Nigeria Handbook 1919 (Issued with the approval of the Nigerian Government)’. Compiled by A.C. Burns of the Central Secretary’s Office, Lagos, the publication contains ‘Statistical and General Information respecting the Colony and Protectorate’ in the years preceding 1919. It was printed by the Government Printer in Lagos. “Please read page 128 to 134 on education and health but generally, an interesting read,” Duke had written in the message he sent me.

The moment I received the 304-page handbook, I knew straightaway that I would go beyond the area highlighted by Duke. And having read the entire publication, I am aware that there are aspects that could exhume ancient prejudices and animosities. But that is not my interest. I am more concerned by what we can learn about Nigeria of the past. Without history, according to the opening statement of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Social Science website, “a society shares no common memory of where it has been, what its core values are, or what decisions of the past account for present circumstances.”

And without such historical knowledge and inquiry, “we cannot achieve the informed, discriminating citizenship essential to effective participation in the democratic processes of governance.”

Divided into 21 chapters with nine appendices and 11 supplementary documents, the conclusion I drew after completing the publication is that for the British to extract maximum benefit from their colonial exploitation, they adopted a divide and conquer approach between Northern and Southern Nigeria. Since no conscious efforts at nation building were made by post-colonial leaders in the country, it is also no surprise that we continue to be dogged by mutual ethno-religious suspicions that hinder the peace and progress of Nigeria. But I should not get ahead of myself. My first curiosity was the identity of A.C. Burns, listed as the compiler. My online search yielded this: “Sir Alan Cuthbert Maxwell Burns (9 November 1887 – 29 September 1980) was a British civil servant who rose through the ranks to become governor of several colonies… He served in the Leeward Islands from 1905 to 1912 and then became Supervisor of Customs in Nigeria. In 1914, he enlisted in the West Africa Frontier Force. He served in the Cameroons Campaign and became Adjutant of the Nigeria Land Contingent. Burns was Private Secretary to Sir Frederick (later Lord) Lugard and then Huge Clifford during their times as governors of Nigeria.”

The handbook opens in Chapter One with the ‘Geographical and Historical’. The first paragraph characterizing our country jolted me from the start: “The Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria is the largest of the British West African possessions, its approximate area being 335,700 square miles, or nearly three times that of the United Kingdom.” As Duke

Lord Lugard

remarked in a follow-up message, “We were just a business entity to the British.” That’s generous. At least business entities have legal standing. Nigeria was just their possession!

The handbook had this to say on the country’s history prior to colonialism: “The history of Nigeria as a whole, prior to the advent of the British, has not been written, and it is sufficient here to observe that there existed several powerful kingdoms in the north, which, owing to the Mohammedan influences, had attained to a certain degree of civilization, while in the south, few of even such kingdoms as existed had advanced much beyond a primitive barbarism.” From here, the handbook provides interesting insights about the history of Lagos, as well as that of The Protectorate of Rivers, the Niger Coast and Benin, the formation of the Nigerian Regimen for the First World War, completion of the railway etc.

Let’s take the account of events preceding the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria which occurred five years before the publication: “While the southern portion of Nigeria was being brought under the control of the British Government, the country to the north was being developed by the Royal Niger Company which had been granted its charter in 1886. Treaties were made with the native chiefs, and trading and administrative stations established. In 1897, Nupe and Ilorin were subdued, and the same year the legal status of slavery was declared abolished throughout the territories of the company.

A conflict between the British and French troops seemed imminent, but an arrangement was at last come to and the boundary settled.

On 1st January 1900, the transfer of the Niger Company territory to the Crown took place; these territories becoming the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, with Colonel Lugard as the first High Commissioner. The Emirates

of Kontagora, Yola, Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Sokoto were subdued in turn, and a rising at Satiru in 1906 was suppressed. Numerous minor expeditions against truculent pagan tribes were also undertaken.”

The narrative in Chapter Three, ‘Population, Religion and Languages’, is enough to ignite another firestorm between the internet warriors of Yoruba and Igbo, “the two chief tribes in the Colony and Southern Provinces.” Since it is not my intention to stir inter-ethnic Wahala, I leave others to do that when they read the handbook. Meanwhile, the total population of Nigeria in 1919 was put at 16,393,000 with 166,000 within the colony (Lagos), 7,690,000 in Southern Provinces and 8,537,000 in Northern Provinces. Incidentally, the population of the United Kingdom that same year (1919) was 19,559,000. This means their population at the time exceeded that of Nigeria by more than 20 percent! We have since reversed those statistics. While the estimated population of UK today is 67,691,439, that of Nigeria is 229,152,217--more than tripled theirs despite the wide disparity in our economic conditions.

I know some would rather live in denial about our largely unproductive population but it’s a reality we must, at some point, come to terms with.

In Chapter Four, ‘Constitution’, there is a piece of information that I found quite surprising. After highlighting the process that led to the 1914 amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria, the handbook then states, “The present headquarters and place of residence of the (Colonial) Governor is Lagos, which is also the headquarters of the Colony and of the Southern Provinces. The headquarters of the Northern Provinces is Kaduna which has also been selected as the future Capital of Nigeria.”

This is the first literature to reveal that Kaduna was ever penciled down by the British as a future capital city for the country.

I have also further researched this and cannot find such information anywhere. Yet, this is authoritative despite the disclaimer in one of the opening pages: “This Handbook is not an official publication but is issued with the approval of the Nigerian Government.”

Compiled by Lugard’s private secretary and printed by the Government Printer (and with approval), I wonder what could be more official. It is of course no surprise that the economy was designed for the benefit of the British to the detriment of Nigeria. Sample: “There have been five meetings of the Nigerian Council, in December 1914,1915,1916,1917 and 1918 respectively. At the second meeting, a resolution was passed pledging the Government of Nigeria to take over, after the war, six million pounds of the Imperial War Loan, which would be added to the public debt of Nigeria.”

By most historical accounts, the colonial administration faced fewer challenges in the North because of the well-established traditional ruler system. They were less successful in the southern part of the country which is evident in the handbook. “In some parts of Nigeria where native chiefs have shown a capacity to rule, and especially in the Northern Provinces, the Government exercises only an indirect control, the Resident assuming the

role of an adviser. In other parts, however, where there is no strong native authority capable of governing, the rule of the political officers is a more direct one, but even in such districts a native judiciary with powers limited in proportions to its ability and integrity is made use of with results that are increasingly satisfactory.”

Chapter Five details ‘Trade and Customs’ and provides a comprehensive picture of the economy of the country at the time. “The trade of Nigeria in 1918 was nearly five times as great as it was in 1900 and it is still increasing.

As the country is opened up and the means of transport improve, the raw material which is now inaccessible will be exported still in large quantities, the wealth and standard of living of the people will improve, and a larger amount of imports will be required to meet the increased demand…” Figures were provided in this highly revealing section that speaks to a relatively strong economy and balanced budgets at the time. In 1900, for instance, the amount for total imports was £1,735,244 while that for total exports was £1,886,883 with total trade amounting to £3,622,127. In 1913, total imports raked in £6,331751 while £7,097646 was realized for total exports. The amount for total trade was £13,429397. In 2018, £7,423158 was realized from total imports with £9,511970 made from total exports. That year, £16,935,128 was made from total trade.

Nigerians have long lamented how Malaysia grew its wealth on the strength of palm seedlings from Nigeria. Details from the handbook say a lot: “The most important of these exports are palm oil and palm kernels which in 1918 were valued at £5,937526 which is over 63% of the total value of all produce exported during the year.” So, almost two-thirds of Nigeria’s export proceeds in 1918 came from palm oil and palm kernels. Today, we import these same commodities. Chapter Six, on banking, currency, weights and measures, is also very detailed. But readers can take this: “The natives are very suspicious of and are unwilling to be paid in coins of Queen Victoria’s reign and half-crowns of any date. Native currency in the forms of cowries, manillas, and brass rods is still used in some parts, but further importation is prohibited, and the abolition of such native currency is being gradually effected. Barter still prevails in the more backward districts.”

Readers will enjoy the chapters on ‘Climate and Rainfall’, ‘Shipping, Ports, and Internal Communications’ and ‘Law, Courts, Criminal Statistics, Police and Prisons’. But Chapter Eight, ‘Mines, Manufactures and Fisheries’, is another reminder of squandered riches. “The mineral wealth of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria is now an accepted fact, and tin mining industry has become of great importance.

There is evidence that the existence of tin on the Bauchi plateau was known to the natives long before the advent of the British and they had smelted it on a small scale for many years. As long as 1885, this was known to the Europeans, but owing to the unsettled condition of the country no attempt at prospecting could be made…”

NOTE: Continued online

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. Email: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. Telephone Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com