SATURDAY 2ND MARCH 2024

Citing Breach of Regulatory Provisions, CBN Revokes Licences of 4,173 BDCs

James Emejo in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe and Kayode Tokede in Lagos

Department,

Tributes Pour in as Abimbola Ogunbanjo is Buried Dapo Abiodun, Amosun, Daniels,

Oluchi Chibuzor

A torrent of tributes poured in from prominent Nigerians during the funeral service of the former

Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States last month.

The late Ogunbanjo, who was

Dangote, Obaigbena, Duke, Ighodalo, others pay respects

buried in Lagos

knows why He called him home at this period.

“Our God is a God of different

Continued on page 5

NLC, TUC Reply Tinubu, Say Labour Desirous of Effective Governance Not Partisan

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Ugo Aliogo in Lagos

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday, responded to President Bola Tinubu’s criticism of the series of strike actions the organised labour had embarked upon since he assumed office, saying that its major concern was to get the government to address the pervasive hunger, unemployment, housing, insecurity and escalating cost of basic necessities in the country.

Equally, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, said it was the right of the trade unions to embark on protests and strike actions to pressure the government to meet their demands, when necessary.

Tinubu, had on Thursday, admonished the NLC leadership during the inauguration of the Red-Line Railway Project in Lagos, accusing them of overreaching themselves and trying to act as the sole voice of the Nigerian people.

Continued on page 5

Politics

L-R: Son of the late Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Rotimi Ogunbanjo; widow, Titi Ogunbanjo; daughters, Ladun Ogunbanjo; Mosun Ogunbanjo; and Lape Adebayo, at the funeral service for the late Ogunbanjo held at The Church of the Nativity, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos… yesterday

PHOTO:

Edo Guber: INEC Gives Political Parties 20 Days to Upload Data of Nominated Candidates

PDP constitutes post-primary election reconciliation committee

Chuks Okocha and Adedayo

Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties 20 days to upload the personal particulars and names of their nominated candidates to the commission's portal.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement yesterday, stated that the portal would open on

Monday, March 4, 2024, by 9:00am and automatically shut down at 6.00pm on Sunday, 24th March, 2024.

He added that the Access Code to the portal would be available for collection by the National Chairmen of political parties from yesterday, March 1, 2024.

Olumekun said: "As provided by the timetable and schedule of activities for the forthcoming off-cycle Edo State Governorship election, the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties expired on 24th February 2024.

"The next activity is the submission of nomination forms by political parties via the dedicated online portal.

"The Commission has earmarked a period of 20 days for political parties to upload the Personal Particulars (Form EC9) and Names/List of Nominated candidates (Form EC9B) of their candidates to the portal which will open at 9.00am on Monday 4th March 2024 and automatically shut down at 6.00pm on Sunday 24th March 2024.

"Access Code to the portal will be

available for collection by the National Chairmen of political parties from today (yesterday)." Olumekun further said to help political parties ensure seamless nominations, the Commission would once again organise refresher training for two Liaison Officers per party.

He noted that the training commenced yesterday, and ends on Monday, March 4, 2024, at the Media Centre of the Commission in Abuja. Olumekun, stressed that the Media Centre would also serve

as the Help Desk during the period of nomination of candidates in case any political party needs assistance.

"The Commission wishes to draw the attention of Political parties that 20 days are enough to upload the nomination forms of only two candidates per party (Governorship candidate and running mate). Therefore, there is no reason to request for extension of time and none will be granted beyond Sunday 24th March 2024," he added.

The commission said political

NLC, TUC REPLY TINUBU, SAY LABOUR DESIROUS OF EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE NOT PARTISAN POLITICS

Tinubu had also advised the labour leaders to wait till 2027, if they were keen on holding elective public offices.

However, in a statement signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the labour centre said its sole focus was on advocating for effective governance that prioritises the welfare and security of all HeNigerians said that the use of veiled threats against labour by Tinubu was unacceptable.

The NLC President pointed out that Tinubu's insinuation that labour lacks the moral ground to challenge his administration, merely nine months into office was worrisome.

"We find these remarks, particularly those concerning the role of labour in governance to be profoundly at variance with the struggles faced by ordinary Nigerians under existing policies.

"President Tinubu's insinuation that Labour lacks the moral ground to challenge his administration, merely nine months into office, is deeply troubling. Moreover, his focus on partisan issues and the distant 2027 election cycle, rather than the urgent needs of the populace, further underscores a disconnect from the realities faced by Nigerians on a daily basis.

"It is regrettable that the President seems oblivious of the profound hardships endured by millions of Nigerians. The pervasive hunger, unemployment, housing insecurity, and escalating costs of basic necessities such as food and healthcare demand immediate attention and decisive action.

"Yet, instead of addressing these pressing concerns, President Tinubu appears preoccupied with political calculations and future electoral prospects.

"The NLC wishes to emphasise that our primary objective is not to vie for political positions, including that of the President,” Ajaero added.

According to the NLC leader, the sole focus of the congress was to advocate for effective governance that prioritises the welfare and security of all Nigerians.

“We urge President Tinubu to redirect his efforts towards fulfilling this fundamental duty of public office, rather than engaging in political rhetoric," he added.

Ajaero said it was imperative, “that we refocus our collective energy on addressing the substantive issues that have been the subject of engagement between Labour and the government since June 2023.”

According to him, “some of the critical matters that beckons for urgent attention include; wage increases, social welfare programmes, infrastructure development, and the revitalisation of key sectors such as education and healthcare.”

He added that in order to avoid the dissipation of energy, it was important for government to focus on the real issues affecting the workers and Nigerians in general.

He said the organised labour had engaged the government since June 2023, after the fuel subsidy was removed.

While tracing the genesis of the current face off, the NLC President said: "The issues are around the nonimplementation of agreements reached between us and the government.

"For example, on June 5, 2023 after the hike in the price of PMS, the following agreements were reached between us and the government on - review proposal for wage increase and award including framework for timing and implementation, review the programme of cash transfer and proposed inclusion of low-income

TRIBUTES POUR IN AS ABIMBOLA OGUNBANJO IS BURIED

seasons and only him knows why he allowed this sudden and painful event to happen. This is a painful event to us, but it’s for us to know we are travelers on earth.

“Bimbo was intentional about the things he did, he was a good, loyal, dependable associate and consistent friend to me. He was a mentor and had an infectious deep smile on his face as he lived a life of impact.

“If tears could bring back the dead, Bimbo will be here today; if God calls you home today what will be said of you?” he asked.

Delivering his sermon, the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Church of Nativity, Right Reverend, Ifedola Senasu Gabriel Okupevi, said the Holy Bible makes it clear that there was time for everything on the earth.

The clergy, reading from the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verses 1 and 2, noted that the passages made everyone know that death was imminent.

He said, “This time we are mourning, sad, and weeping because our dear brother Abimbola is no more; we believe that we will meet again at the resurrection in paradise. His time is up and that is why he is gone. He is no more concerned about the economic woes of this world and travelling up and down.”

Admonishing the congregation, the clergy urged everybody to emulate Ogunbanjo's virtues in using his resources to help others.

According to him, “Watching a documentary about him yesterday (Thursday), late Ogunbanjo used his resources to touch lives leaving a legacy for others to emulate.

“He has done his bit, let everyone use your influence to do good; it’s the legacy left behind by Ogunbanjo. Look at Nigeria, palliatives are not going round. Let us try to help those around us we can help.”

For the family he left behind, the clergy drew their attention to the Book of I Thessalonians Chapter 4 verse 13, which states that, “they must see him asleep and not dead.”

The late Ogunbanjo's daughter, Ladun, who struggled with emotions and tears to take the Bible reading from Psalm Chapter 128 verse one to eight, described her late father as someone who would be sorely missed.

In his vote of thanks, his son, Timi Ogunbanjo, thanked the Lagos and Ogun state governments and various groups for their immense support.

The funeral service attracted the late Ogunbanjo's friends, associates from across the country, which included the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the THISDAY and ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Senator Gbenga Daniels, Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; Segun Awolowo, and members of Igbobi Old Boys Association.

earners in the programme and review issues hindering effective delivery in the education sector and propose solutions for implementation."

Others include, "to revive the CNG conversion programmes, review of the framework for the completion of rehabilitation work on the Nation’s refineries and review of framework for the maintenance of roads and expansion of rail networks across the country."

He pointed out that agreements were reached but the Committee that was saddled with working on them was never inaugurated and none of them was implemented until labour was forced to organise a nationwide rally before the president gave his personal commitment.

"However, Mr. President, nothing came out of your promises. It took another round of protests for the October 2, 2023 agreement to be reached. We outline the agreement below so that your government will tell Nigerians which one it has been able to implement," he explained.

The NLC said issues they were protesting against were neither election nor perhaps seeking to take over the president's job.

He listed the items on the October, 2023 agreement to include the N35,000

Wage Award, that Port Harcourt Refinery will come on stream by December, 2023, that 25,000 cash transfers to 15 million poor household would be implemented, tax waivers for workers, small businesses and general public, government interference in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and RTEAN to be stopped

He said the agreement further stated that CNG buses and 55,000 conversion kits would be provided, visitation to the Refinery to monitor completion of the Port-Harcourt refinery, that the National Minimum Wage Committee would be set up immediately, that outstanding Wages and Salaries for Tertiary Education workers in all federally – owned educational institutions to be paid, Fertilizer initiative to farmers across the nation and provision of funds for MSMEs across the nation

In addition, the NLC President said states and private sectors were to be compelled by the federal government to give Wage Award to workers

"We would want Mr. President to show us the items his government has implemented in this agreement. Perhaps, the Government wants to tell Nigerians that we do not have right to ask that it complies with the

agreement it willingly reached with us?

"But beside all these, in the two MoUs signed with this government on the 5th of June and October 2nd 2023, which item has his government implemented beside rhetoric. The first MoU has seven items while the second has 15 items. It has been a chain of broken promises not only to Labour but to hungry Nigerians

"President Tinubu's administration must be held accountable for the commitments made in previous agreements with Labour. It is disheartening to note the apparent lack of progress in implementing these agreements, despite repeated assurances from the government.

"Nigerians deserve transparency and tangible results, not empty promises and bureaucratic delays.

"Furthermore, the use of divisive language and veiled threats against Labour by President Tinubu is unacceptable. It is incumbent upon all stakeholders to foster constructive dialogue and collaboration in addressing the myriad challenges facing our "Violencenation. and intimidation have no place in a democratic society, and any attempt to suppress dissent will only exacerbate tensions and undermine our collective efforts towards progress

parties should ensure strict compliance with the timelines.

Meanwhile, following the controversy over conduct of the Edo State governorship primary election, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a reconciliation committee headed by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed. The setting up of the reconciliation committee was pursuant to the provisions of the constitution and guidelines of the party.

and prosperity.

"Finally, the NLC reiterates its unwavering commitment to championing the interests of Nigerian workers and the broader populace. We call upon President Tinubu to heed the voices of ordinary Nigerians, prioritise governance over politics, and take meaningful steps towards building a more inclusive and equitable society."

Similarly, reacting to Tinubu’s comment, Osifo, while speaking in an interview on a television programme yesterday, said: “I could speak for the Trade Union Congress; we are not politicians, we are unionists, and it is our right to protest. It is a fundamental right of every single Nigerian. So we don’t have issues with protests when need be; people must exercise their rights, and people must protest.

“In terms of waiting till 2027 to enter politics, I don’t think that is something we could dabble into because, as an individual, I am not a card-carrying member of any political“Whatparty. I am interested in is the welfare of my members and indeed the entire Nigerian masses. So, the president is alien to us because the right to protest and strike is that of the workers.

CITING BREACH OF REGULATORY PROVISIONS, CBN REVOKES LICENCES OF 4,173 BDCS

Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, reassured foreign investors that the central bank would settle the outstanding FX liabilities of the five remaining banks within a few days.

Cardoso, who stated this during the Investor Virtual Call which was facilitated by the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), further reiterated that the country had so far attracted $2 billion in foreign portfolio inflows this year.

Continuing, Hakama said the affected BDCs failed to observe at least one of the regulatory provisions namely payment of all necessary fees, including license renewal, within the stipulated period in line with the guidelines as well as their inability to render returns in line with the operational guidelines.

The BDCs also failed to comply with guidelines, directives, and circulars of the apex bank, particularly Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Counter-Proliferation Financing (CPF) regulations, the bank added.

The CBN acting director further stressed that the central bank was currently revising the regulatory and supervisory guidelines for BDC operations in the country.

She said when effective, compliance with the revised regulations would be mandatory for all stakeholders in the sector.

On February 23, the apex bank issued revised regulatory and supervisory guidelines to sanitise BDC activities in the country.

The exposure draft revises the permissible activities, licensing requirements, corporate governance and Anti-Money Laundering/ Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) provisions for the operators, and sets out new record-keeping and reporting requirements, among others.

The proposed framework, among other things, prescribed a minimum capital requirement of N2 billion for national BDC

firms as well as N500 million for state operations. However, addressing investors at the NGX engagement, Cardoso said, “Basically, what we have done with those is that we have paid as much as we can to the point where we have cleared the backlog of all the banks save five.

“All the banks’ genuine and verifiable backlogs have been cleared, save five. We are confident that we will shortly be in a position where the whole issue of forwards will be behind us. I would say in the next few days we should be in a position where the balance of the five would have been put behind us.

“I have tried as much as possible to be consistent on this matter. I don’t make promises I don’t fulfill. The last time I spoke on this matter, I was confident that within one month, we would be more or less out of it and I’m saying again that right now, I think in the course of the next few days, maybe a week and a half, this should be put behind us.”

The apex bank governor also revealed that Nigeria had attracted $2 billion in foreign portfolio inflows this year. He said, “Last year, the total amount of inflow to the best of my knowledge from FPI was down to $ 3 billion. Already this year alone from the little we have done; we have attracted $2 billion. My point is this, with the right policies, approach, and open and transparent mechanism flow will start coming.

“We have done as much as possible to move the market to a more transparent and open market such that those who play in it can get the confidence that arguably lost over some time.”

On the nation's foreign reserves, he noted that it has appreciated by $2 billion and is further expected to go up in a positive direction amid CBN’s policies implementations. Cardoso said, “All the different measures we have taken towards boosting our reserves and indeed

creating more liquidity in the market have started paying off.”

Responding to the hike in interest rate, CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, said, “As regards interest rates, I think that the MPC has been quite clear regarding direction, which wants for government securities in terms of treasury bills and bonds.

“I think that the direction is generally upwards and we are working to ensure that these rates are consistent with the tightening policy that is required to stem inflation over the short to medium term.

“We are confident that shortly, we will be able to bring inflation down to a target of now 21.4 per cent in the medium term, and these measures are required so that we tighten money supply and provide the necessary instruments to liquidity in the system.”

The CBN deputy governor said, “And so, while there is the major issue of crowding out the private sector, we do believe that in the short to medium term, there are moves to ensure that we're able to break inflation in a way that allows us to be able to prepare better for the future.”

Earlier, the Chief Executive, NGX Group, Mr. Temi Popoola, stressed that investors play a critical role in capital formation and help to among other things, improve price discovery and efficiency in the markets.

According to him, foreign investors help to provide market liquidity and strengthen FX liquidity.

CBN sells N1.06tn in OMO as interest rate on 361-day bill rises to 21.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, as the CBN continued in its ongoing effort to manage liquidity in the financial system, it sold N1.06 trillion in its latest open market operation (OMO) auction.

OMO is one of the monetary policy tools the apex bank uses to control money in circulation and inflation.

The auction, which held on March 1, 2024, attracted substantial interest from investors, with the CBN setting stop rates as high as 21.5per cent.

The auction was in three categories based on tenors: 95-day, 179-day, and 361-day OMO bills.

The apex bank offered N75 trillion in 95-day bills, with a stop rate of 19.00per cent, and received a subscription and total sales of N37.05 billion.

The 172-day bills saw N75 billion on offer at a 19.5 per cent stop rate, as investors subscribed N8.25billion, leaving CBN to settled for N6 billion.

Subscription levels for the 361-day OMO bill was robust, reflecting heightened investor appetite amidst the current economic landscape.

The 361-day bills recorded the highest rate at 21.5 per cent on a N350 billion amount offered by CBN.

Investors subscription stood at N1.09trillion and CBN eventually selling N1.01trillion for the 361.-day OMO auction conducted March 1, 2024.

Bids ranged from 19.0000% to 19.0000% for the 95-day bills, 119.4600% to 22.0000% for the 179-day bills, and 20.6900% to 23.5000% for the 361-day bills.

These ranges show the variability of investor expectations regarding yield, with some investors willing to accept lower rates, while others aimed for the higher end of the spectrum.

However, the naira versus dollar exchange rate sustained its gain for three consecutive days on the official window yesterday, but depreciated marginally on the parallel market.

On the parallel market, it depreciated to N1,575 to a dollar yesterday, from the N1,550 to a dollar it exchanged on Wednesday. On the other hand, at the official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange (NAFEM) the naira exchange rate closed at N1,548.25 to a dollar, signifying a N46.86 gain compared to N1,595.11 it closed on Thursday.

FG: Over 100m Nigerians without Access to Reliable Electricity, 70% of Power Consumed by Households

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government yesterday admitted that despite all its efforts, including sinking over N5 trillion into electricity subsidies in the last few years, over 100 million Nigerians still do not have access to reliable power supply.

Speaking on the last day of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, the Special

South

Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verhejen, said that Nigeria’s macroeconomic difficulties and unreliable power supply have severely impacted the productivity of the commercial and industrial sectors.

“Despite all the interventions and subsidies, over 100 million Nigerians still do not have access to consistent and affordable electricity. This lack of access directly impacts

their ability to achieve meaningful income growth as a lack of reliable electricity limits productivity and restricts economic expansion.

“Between the number of people living in poverty and those without access to electricity in Nigeria, is not accidental. Clearly the link between electricity consumption and economic development is well established across different countries in different income strata,”

she argued. Represented by the Team Lead on Power in her office, Eriye Onagoruwa, Verheijen, while comparing several nations, stated that while South Africa has 23,392 kilowatt hour annually, Nigeria has the least, with 2,548 kilowatt hour annually, translating to around 212 kilowatt per month. She noted that businesses that operate in environments like

Nigeria, continue to struggle with high operational costs and lower productivity, making them less competitive, both globally and locally.

This, she said, in turn clearly affects job creation and limits income growth opportunities.

“Nigeria's macroeconomic difficulties and unreliable power supply have severely impacted the productivity of the commercial and

African Billionaire, Wiese, Says Business Exodus from Nigeria Won’t Last

Sunday Ehigiator with agency report

South African Billionaire and Former

Chairman of Shoprite Holdings Limited, the continent’s largest grocer which left Nigeria in 2021, Christo Wiese, yesterday, opined that Nigeria’s

New NIS CG Vows to Control Illegal Migration, Foster Bilateral Relations

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The newly appointed Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, has promised to develop policies that would prevent illegal migration, safeguard the lives of Nigerians and foster positive bilateral relations.

Nandap, made the promise yesterday, in Abuja, during her decoration with her new rank by the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

The Comptroller General, while expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Interior for her new appointment, said: “As I step into this role, I want to first assure our fellow Nigerians that I am fully prepared and committed to serving our nation with utmost

dedication and integrity.

“I am not unaware of the socioeconomic challenges and pains facing our beloved country, and I pledge-to use the functions of the NIS to alleviate these struggles to the best of our ability.

“To that end and under the guiding principles of the "Renewed Hope" agenda set forth by his Excellency, President Tinubu's administration, we will strive towards unity, growth and development. We will prioritise the welfare of our immigration officers and enhance the ease and efficiency of engagement between Nigerian citizens and the Immigration service.

“We will focus on improving the entry and acclimatisation processes for compliant foreigners through various visa and residency programmes.

large and growing population was impossible for businesses to ignore, noting that a recent exodus from the West African state won’t last.

Wiese, in an interview on Bloomberg TV, said, “How do you ignore an economy like this? Sooner or later the big players will enter again,” the billionaire declared.

In December, Procter & Gamble Co. also ditched Nigeria, with at least three other global conglomerates in recent months announcing they are exiting Africa’s most populous nation and second-biggest economy.

Many African countries, like Nige-

ria, developed as single-commodity economies which meant that when the price of that product falls, the currency and consumer spending take a hit, making it difficult for foreign investors to get a return.

“Most foreign investors, including South African investors, I think have adopted an attitude when it comes to Nigeria that it’s too early,” Wiese said. “We’ve got to wait for things to settle, for the economy to develop more and then for governments that adopt the correct policies.”

The entry of several global firms into Nigeria was heralded with

fanfare. For example, as Nigeria’s former vice president cut the ribbon on Procter & Gamble Co.’s diaper production line in 2017, the $300 million facility near Lagos, was hailed as a symbol of the country’s economic ambitions. In December, P&G said it was leaving the West African state.

The US consumer goods giant was not alone. In recent months at least three other global conglomerates have announced they are exiting Africa’s most populous nation and second-biggest economy.

Glo Takes Stress Off Businesses with

Globacom has introduced a strategic business solution that enables compa- nies and businesses to outsource some of their non-core operations and focus on their core competencies, leading to improved efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced customer experiences.

The “Glo Outsource Pro” enables companies to delegate specific op- erational activities, such as customer support, finance and accounting, IT services, human resources, and supply chain management to Globacom which

Burna Boy Renovates Physically Challenged Persons' Home in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Popular music artist, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as 'Burna Boy' has renovated an abode for the physically challenged in Rivers State, partnering with a non-profit organisation, REACH Foundation Nigeria.

The renovated facility, Cheshire Home in Borokiri, Port Harcourt, has long been a pillar of support for the physically challenged in the city, unfortunately, poor finance of the facility had caused a decline in its functionality,

negatively impacting on its beneficiaries. Following the deplorable state of the facility, Burna Boy, through REACH initiated its renovation in July 2023, to restore the physical infrastructure and reignite the hope and well-being of its beneficiaries.

Unveiling the renovated facility yesterday, the Chairperson, Board of Directors, The REACH Foundation Nigeria, Halliday Floretta said the event portrayed love for humanity and mankind. She added, "We are a charitable organisation with the aim

of reaching out to the most vulnerable in our communities. It is with this that we connect with those who have something to give and help them actualise their vision.

"We sincerely thank the sponsor for supporting this Cheshire Home renovation project, we lack words to appreciate Mr. Damini Ogulu and his team for their continuous trust in the Reach Foundation, through their numerous supports, we have been able to impact several communities and lives.

leverages its expertise, technology, and economies of scale to optimise processes and deliver high-quality results that would impact positively on their operations, Globacom explained in a statement.

The offering was designed to “help companies maximise cost-effectiveness, boost productivity, and improve effectiveness in the marketplace by helping them look after some non-core sections of their business so they can focus on their core activities,” the

industrial sectors. Over the years this has resulted in low productive use of electricity.

“This situation has led to a scenario where a disproportionate amount of the available power is consumed by the residential sector, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of final electricity consumption.

“Furthermore, over 70 per cent of Nigerians live below the middle income international line of poverty, which is set at about $3.20 per day, rendering them unable to afford electricity access,” she noted.

However, she explained that President Bola Tinubu was addressing the foundational problems that when resolved will help to increase energy access to Nigerians. She said a multi-agency team involving the ministry of finance, ministry of budget and planning, the ministry of power and the office of the special adviser on energy is actively pursuing reforms and initiatives aimed at expanding access to electricity and enhancing its productive use.

Secondly, she stated that her office was playing an important role in providing secretarial and coordination support for the presidential metering initiative.

Outsourcing Offer

company added in a statement.

Besides the benefits of efficiency and cost reduction, “Glo Outsource Pro” also promotes technology upgrade, competitive advantage and improved effectiveness in the marketplace.

With Glo Outsource Pro, organisa- tions are able to contract out their inbound and outbound call centre activities, inbound technical helpdesk, social media management, data mining for planning purposes and general

back office support. “It will also help them in the areas of teleprospecting, customer campaigns/onboarding, retention campaigns, collections, sales campaigns, etc”, Globacom said. It noted that the offering was mostly suited for large and medium corporate businesses in banking, energy, oil and gas, FMCG, manufacturing, distribution, utility, internet service providers (ISPs), logistics companies, MSME, etc.

Kano Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated by Saudi Medical Doctors

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

A Saudi Arabian medical and surgical team has completed the separation surgery of Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina, at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh.

A press statement by the Saudi Press Attache in Nigeria, Mohammed Alsahabi, stated that

the operation was sponsored by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

"The Saudi Arabian Medical and Surgical team has completed the separation surgery of Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina, at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in

King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh."

He said the procedure, which began on Thursday morning, marked the culmination of meticulous planning and execution by a dedicated team of medical professionals at Children's Hospital in Saudi's capital Riyadh.

Alsahabi, further explained that the surgical intervention unfolded in nine planned stages, lasting approximately 14 hours.

L-R: Chief of Staff to Governor of Enugu, Victor Udeh; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh; Clerk to Enugu State House of Assembly, Dr. Emma Udaya; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; and Secretary to State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, during the signing of the New Enugu City Development Agency Bill, Enugu GIS Bill, and ENSIEC Amendment Bill into at Government House, Enugu...yesterday.

Yoruba Monarchs Decry Incessant Killings, Seek Urgent Intervention

Insist herdsmen attacks responsible for food scarcity

Fidelis David in Akure

Traditional rulers in the South-west region have decried the incessant killing of traditional rulers in the region as well as the maiming of citizens across the country.

The monarchs disclosed this during

the maiden edition of Yoruba Security Summit held as a result of insecurity in the South-west and killings of royal fathers in Ekiti and Kwara states.

The summit hosted by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi was held at Ile-ife.

At the end of the summit, a com-

munique was issued and signed by the Ooni alongside other monarchs, including Deji of Akure; Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade; Owa-Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, among others. The monarchs said it was worri-

some and embarrassing to receive sad news oftentimes about how traditional rulers and citizens were being kidnapped and murdered.

"The security summit noted that there have been organised systematic attacks on Traditional Rulers and eminent sons and daughters of

Yoruba land by suspected herders. "The summit further noted that the herdsmen attacks have been largely responsible for food insecurity and food scarcity in the South-west because of the organised attacks on farmers who, for fear of attacks, stay away from farmlands.”

Naira devaluation: MTN Nigeria Declares N137bn Loss in 2023

Kayode Tokede

MTN Nigeria Communications

Plc, yesterday announced a N137 billion loss in its audited result and accounts for period ended December 31, 2023, from the N348.73 billion profit declared in 2022. The loss was attributed to the

naira devaluation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The telecommunication company on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) declared N177.89billion loss before tax in 2023 from N518.82billion profit before tax in 2022, as the net loss for the year resulted in a depletion of its retained earnings

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Director-General of the Kano Hisbah Board (Shariah Police), Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, has resigned his appointment barely 24 hours after Governor Abba Yusuf, expressed shock over alleged human rights violations committed by some members of the Board.

In a meeting with Chief Imams of Jumaat Mosques at Kano Government House, Yusuf had decried the way and manner the Shariah Police maltreated some young men and women including students of various institutions of learning.

"I saw the video clip, it is disheartening. A man grabbed a young girl and threw her into a Hilux van as if she were a goat.

"They were using sticks and hitting these young persons and chasing them even as they were trying to run"Whataway.would it be like if this kind of cruelty led to spinal cord injury in one of them?

"We need not to be too hard on the young ones lest they stray away. We need to treat them with kindness and be gentle on them so that they realise their mistakes and do the right thing," the governor had lamented.

and shareholders’ fund to negative N208.0 billion and N40.8 billion, respectively. Its capital expenditure (capex) increased by 13.2per cent to N571.0 billion (up 24.5 per cent to N449.3 billion, ex-leases).

The group declared N2.47 trillion revenue in 2023, representing an increase of 23 per cent from N2.01trillion reported in 2022.

The company explained that the demand for its services was resilient despite the overall challenging operating conditions.

In 2023, the company recorded a foreign exchange gain of N93.8 billion (58.3per cent unrealised) from the revaluation of our financial assets

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Pius Anyim, yesterday defended himself against the allegation that as government scribe under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, he attempted to sabotage the just-inaugurated Geometric Power Plant in Aba, Ab a State.

A widely circulated opinion piece titled: “The Dark Side of Aba Power Project” had alleged that Anyim, a former presidential aspirant, was

and a foreign exchange loss of N834.3 billion (82.8per cent unrealised) from the revaluation of financial liabilities.

These led to the reported net foreign exchange loss of N740.4 billion in 2023, bringing its net finance costs to N951.5 billion, up 341.9per cent.

This resulted in the reported loss after tax of N137.0 billion and a depletion of our retained earnings and shareholders’ funds to negative N208.0 billion and N40.8 billion, respectively.

The CEO, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, in a statement explained that, “2023 witnessed a very challenging operating environment characterised by rising inflation, currency

bent on scuttling the project when he was SGF.

“Emeka Offor, who was blocking the project had Pius Anyim, secretary to the government of the federation, in his pocket, while Sam Amadi, the chairman and CEO of NERC, was beholden to Anyim.

“Together, they managed to pull the wool over the eyes of former President Goodluck Jonathan, keeping him out of the loop with spurious procedural and legal issues.

“Their delay tactics slowed down

devaluation and foreign exchange shortages, complicated by geopolitical disruptions and cash shortages in Q1 arising from a redesign of the naira. These factors created severe headwinds for our customers and our business during the year.

“The inflation rate increased throughout the year, reaching 29.9per cent in December 2023 – the highest reading in 18 years – with an average rate of 24.5per cent.

“This was further exacerbated by higher fuel prices, arising from the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023, with the average prices of diesel and petrol up by 66.4per cent and 257.1per cent in 2023 to N1,416.8/ litre and N600/litre, respectively.

the take-off of a project financed by a consortium of American investors, local and international banks, as well as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private-sector arm,” the writer had alleged.

But describing the writer of the piece as a ‘hireling’, Anyim said he had spoken with Prof. Barth Nnaji, who vehemently disclaimed the writer and undertook to release a formal statement in that regard.

He stated that at that time the

It further stated that, "Yoruba people should take full control of their forests, homelands and farmlands. That the Amotekun corps should be strengthened in terms of being given recognition and to be transformed to the status of State Police.

"Motivation, finances, training and retraining of personnel and that those who are familiar with nooks and crannies of our forests should be recruited into the Amotekun.

“Provision of training grounds for its personnel. Provision of adequate budgetary allocations to the Amotekun corps. The summit agreed that a department of Forest Amotekun corps be created." Besides, it urged traditional rulers in the region not to abandon the use of supernatural power in protecting themselves and territories against attacks by bandits.

"That the Yoruba, especially the traditional rulers should make recourse to their natural resources including natural powers to combat banditry and kidnapping; that Yoruba Obas should not jettison traditional values.

"That government at all levels should recognise the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture.

projected started, he was not in government, stressing that it was necessary to ‘educate this hireling’ on how government works.

“If he is knowledgeable, he would have known the following: That the privatisation programme was under the office of the vice president, and privatisation of the power sector was led by the ministry of power and until the last segment of the programme, Prof. Nnaji was the minister of power.

Continues online

Tony Icheku in Owerri

The Imo State Police Command yesterday, arrested a 300-level student of Imo State University, (IMSU) identified as Francis Marvelous, 21, for allegedly stabbing to death a final year student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Henry Okoye stated, that the suspect was arrested after a distress call received from the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of FUTO, Patrick Egwu,

and convoy patrol promptly moved to the university and arrested the suspect who was almost lynched at the scene by angry mob.

“The arrest was sequel to a swift response to a distress call received from the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of FUTO, retired DSP Patrick Egwu, by police operatives on convoy patrol who promptly arrested the suspect who was almost lynched at the scene by an angry mob. “The body of the victim was recovered and rushed to Federal Medical Center, Owerri where he was confirmed dead and deposited at the mortuary.

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Duport Midstream Company Limited, Mr. Akintoye Akindele, was yesterday, arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja, over alleged $5.6 million fraud.

In a four-count charge brought against him by the office of the Inspector General (IG) of Police, the accused was alleged to have diverted the sum of $5,636,397.01,

and N73,543,763.25, belonging to Summit Oil International Ltd. Akindele and his company, which was the second defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/570/2023, were said to have committed the act between 2017 and 2021, when they allegedly converted the said sum received from Shell into personal use.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge, following which his lawyer, Chief James Onoja, moved his bail application.

Although, counsel to the pros-

ecution, Mr. Simon Lough, did not objected to the grant of the application, the judge however slammed a stringent bail condition on the defendant.

Trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling stated that although the accused claimed that a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has already admitted Akindele to bail in the sum of N500,000, there was no evidence before the court to that effect.

The judge subsequently grant

bail in the sum of N750 million, with two sureties in like sum. The sureties, according to the ruling must own landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. In addition, the sureties who must swear to an affidavit of means are to also deposit their statements of account with the registrar of the court. Justice Omotosho, however, held that since the defendant came to court from his house, the court will permit him to enjoy the bail of the FCT High Court, till March 8.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State (left), in a handshake with the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Ogbonnaya Okoro, when the union leaders paid governor a working visit in his office in Umuahia…recently

LAUNCH OF TEF CASE STUDY...

Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and Group Chairman, UBA, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu (fifth from left); Faculty member and Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School(HBS), Prof. Paul Gompers (sixth from left), flanked by students of the HBS during the introduction of the TEF case study as part of Harvard’s Curriculum in Boston, Massachusetts… Thursday.

Atiku Calls for Setting Up of Infrastructure Development Unit in Presidency

Vice President

general election, Atiku Abubukar, has called for the establishment of an Infrastructure Development Unit (IDU) within the Presidency. In a statement he signed, a

Tinubu Congratulates Pastor Adeboye on His 82nd Birthday

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has rejoiced with the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye as he marks his 82nd birthday today.

The President, in a statement issued yesterday, by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, celebrated the grace of stewardship and leadership upon the life of the Adeboye.

Tinubu congratulated Adeboye on hitting another milestone and joined the body of Christ in thanksgiving for the General Overseer's

remarkable life of impact that transcends cultures and borders.

The President thanked the Lord's servant for his regular prayers for the country and his wise counsel, noting his patriotic zeal and manifest determination to see Nigeria succeed.

Tinubu prayed for the continual well-being of the General Overseer and his wife, in addition to many more years in the service of God Almighty.

Also yesterday, the President congratulated a distinguished Nigerian, Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila, as she turned 94 years old today.

EU, IIDEA Engage Commissioners of Women Affairs on Gender Equality, Rights

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

In a bid to advance gender equality and human rights in Nigeria, the European Union (EU), in partnership with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA) and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, has launched a collaborative initiative by organising a two-day conference for State Com- missioners of Women Affairs and their Permanent Secretaries.

European Union’s Programme Manager on Democracy, Rule of Law and Gender, Laolu Olawumi, noted that the event was designed to provide Commissioners of Women Affairs and their Permanent Secretaries with the technical support needed to address and tackle issues affecting women, children, and other vulnerable groups nationwide.

Set against the backdrop of International Women’s Day 2024, the conference marked a significant step towards achieving this year’s theme, “Inspire Inclusion.”

Olawumi elaborated that the conference’s structure was designed to furnish Commissioners with the tools required to effectively confront and resolve rights issues. Moreover, the event served as a knowledge-sharing forum beyond its primary role of offering technical assistance.

Olawumi added that the EU’s support included ensuring that planning, budgeting, and implementation

processes were inclusive.

This strategy promotes the full participation of women, children, and persons with disabilities, integrating inclusivity into governance and societal development.

Under the leadership of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju KennedyOhanenye, the conference fostered a meaningful exchange of insights and strategies among the Women Affairs Commissioners, bolstering their ability to advocate for gender equality within their jurisdictions.

The event was part of the recently inaugurated second phase of the European Union’s Support to the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II) programme implemented by IIDEA and based on the achievements of its preceding phase.

copy of which THISDAY obtained yesterday, the former vice president stated that establishing an IDU in the Presidency, with a coordinating function and a specific mandate of working with the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), would help fast track and drive the process of infrastructure development in the country.

According to Atiku, this would also strengthen the capacity of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to promote Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the construction and management of infrastructure across the country.

He also said it would help to broaden the scope of InfraCredit

to complement the operation of the IDU by de-risking investments in infrastructure to build investor confidence in taking risks and investing capital.

Other goals of the unit, he said, was that it would "open up the entire power sector from generation to transmission for private investments.

"Going forward, the goal of every developing country must be to achieve universal access to electricity, ensuring that every citizen benefits from reliable power for daily needs, education, healthcare, and economic activities.

"This would be in line with the SDG 7 (Sustainable Development

Goal 7), which aims to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. In this way, Nigeria must double efforts to support the likes of Prof Nnaji.

“Nigerian governments both federal and state must provide the business environment that will make the private enterprises more competitive by reducing their costs of set-up and operations, improving their margins and making government policies more predictable.”

He added: "In particular, the authorities must create an environment that will enable distribution companies to recover full costs for power supplied to their consumers with firm commitment to a metering

programme for all customers.

“The scourge of electricity theft must be dealt with through a viable partnership between investors in the distribution companies and the government with legislative support for prompt action against electricity theft.

"Attention must be paid to improve access to credit by enterprises willing to invest in the power sector.

"Government must incentivise the private sector to increase greenfield investments in the development of off-grid solutions to intensify electrification, particularly of rural communities not yet serviced by the grid."

Iwu, Ogunsola, Others Make Case for Export of Nigeria’s Medicinal Plants

Oluchi Chibuzor

Natural medicine expert, Prof. Maurice Iwu and other notable academicians have said Nigeria is ripe for the export of some of its indigenous medicinal plants to the rest of the world.

This was as the experts said they would help attract more research funding to validate more of the country's medicinal plants to ensure they are safe and efficacious.

Iwu stated this yesterday, in Lagos, while delivering a keynote address titled, ‘Beyond Lifespan: The Use of Rasayanas in the Treatment of Ageing and Age-related Diseases,’ at a valedictory ceremony in honour of Prof. Joy Okpuzor, who retired voluntarily from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

He noted that more awareness needed to be done for people to embrace medicinal plants.

“People should know that they can still treat themselves without necessarily depending on people, not to exhaust our own foreign reserves and or importing some things we can make locally. No country is self- dependent or totally independent of others for drugs.

We still have to buy those we don't make, but to buy everything from outside is wrong.

"My main concern is Nigerian people; if they can embrace what they have, government inclusive, and that way we will be able to move forward. Right now, Nigerians should be able to export a lot of our own medicinal plants either processed or finished products, to the outside world.”

He said for most of the diseases particularly the chronic ailments

that people would spend money on, such as hypertension, diabetics and so on, there are indigenous products for them.

According to him, “Things that are as simple as the ordinary zobo, for example, are very good for people who have high blood pressure. If you go out there you will see displays of various sophisticated, well packaged medicines that are from our Nigerian plant. That is the essential message."

Also, the head of the African

Union committee on standardisation of traditional medicines, said Africa must begin to bring its medicinal plants into focus.

The celebrant, Okpuzor, who had directly trained nine doctorate students, 80 masters students and 180 undergraduate students in her 33 years of active service at UNILAG, retired as a professor in the department of Cell Biology and Genetics and delivered her inaugural lecture titled, ‘Nature's Work Gang: Their Role in Life Processes’.

Uzodinma, Emenike, Party Leaders, Delivered Polling Units for Tinubu, Says APC

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has said Governor Hope Uzodinma and Chief Ikechi Emenike remain true leaders of the party in the Southeast and Abia State, respectively. Chairman of APC in Abia, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, made the clarification in a statement

Pharmacists Commend NAFDAC, PCN for Enforcing Relocation of Kano Drugs Market

Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have commended the National Food and Drug Administration of Nigeria (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) for enforcing the relocation of all value chain operators in the drug distribution channels from the Sabongari Drug Market in Kano to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre

(CWC) in the city.

According to PSN President, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, the bold step by NAFDAC and PSN as the principal regulatory agencies, was the only way to redress the monumental problems in the drug distribution channels in the country.

‘’The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) commended the proactive disposition of the

PCN and NAFDAC which are the principal regulatory agencies in the value chain of drug distribution in Nigeria for sealing the Sabongeri Drug Market in Kano, to enforce the relocation of all operators in this location to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) which has been commissioned for operation in Kano since 2023,’’ a statement quoted Usifoh to have said.

he issued in Umuahia following spate of media attacks on the Imo Governor and Emenike, who was the 2023 governorship candidate of APC in Abia State.

He particularly noted the recent attack launched by an opponent, saying that his claim of being a member of Abia APC was spurious, adding that "nothing can be farther from the truth."

According to the Abia APC Chairman, the person had been identified through, "reliable enquiries as a jobless economic refugee in Abuja," who was recruited to play the scripts of his sponsors to disparage genuine and hardworking APC leaders.

"The said person is neither a member of the Abia State chapter of APC nor has he, in any way, associated with the activities of the party in Abia State," he said.

"It is despicable and condemnable that those who refused to participate, or openly worked against APC during the 2023 general elections, now wish to reap where they did not sow," he added.

Ononogbu stated that it was a

height of deceit and misrepresentation for somebody who was not in Abia during the 2023 general election to hawk figures of purported polling booth scores of APC leaders.

He said: "Since he likes to hawk figures, he should, for instance, provide the polling unit results of each of the listed so-called founding members of APC in Abia State

"Since they all claim to love President Tinubu, they should have at least delivered their polling units to him. Or was it that they were blinded by their hatred for Governor Hope Uzodinma and High Chief Ikechi Emenike that they all returned zero votes in their polling units for President Tinubu?

Ononogbu challenged the person and his co-travellers to be bold enough to publish their polling booth presidential election results vis-à-vis that of Chief Emenike to rate their electoral values.

He noted that "of the three states without APC governors, Abia State is the only one that secured a seat in the House of Assembly. And this is Chief Emenike's immediate constituency."

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former

and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023

Discrimination obstructs HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, argues Leopold Zekeng

To Protect Everyone’s Health, Protect Everyone’s Rights -

Leopold Zekeng

TEvidence from the Nigeria PLHIV Stigma Index Survey revealed that 24.5% of adults aged 35-44 and 21.7% of young adults aged 18-24 have experienced stigma and discrimination. In some instances, key populations in Nigeria have experienced discrimination, violent law enforcement practices, arrests and other forms of human rights violations. Violence and discrimination against women and girls also remain pervasive. These violations often shove persons living with HIV and key populations to the margins of society, denying them access to life-saving health and social services, including HIV services.

Globally, 38 countries have pledged to end HIVrelated stigma and discrimination through the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate all Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination (Global Partnership). These are hard-fought gains. Nonetheless, Nigeria is yet to formally join the Global Partnership.

However, the unwavering commitments and investments by stakeholders including the Nigerian government, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), UNAIDS, Global Fund, United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other partners, have been instrumental in catalyzing progress towards ending stigma and discrimination in Nigeria. Communities of persons living with HIV have also been at the frontline of combatting stigma and discrimination. Recently, the Community of Practice to address HIV-related stigma and discrimination in Nigeria was launched by the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Association of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria (ASWHAN) and Association of Young People living with HIV in Nigeria (APYIN). The platform seeks to facilitate capacity strengthening, exchange of best practices and promote synergy amongst stakeholders in addressing stigma and discrimination in health care, education, workplace, justice systems, communities, emergency and humanitarian settings.

When marginalized communities are criminalized or stigmatized, their vulnerability to HIV infection increases, and their access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services is obstructed. Countries that are beating the AIDS epidemic are doing so by repealing laws and policies that discriminate, by expanding

Ahuman rights for all and by allowing marginalized communities to lead the response.

EVIDENCE FROM THE NIGERIA PLHIV STIGMA INDEX SURVEY REVEALED THAT 24.5% OF ADULTS AGED 35-44 AND 21.7% OF YOUNG ADULTS AGED 18-24 HAVE EXPERIENCED STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION

Public health is undermined when laws, policies, practices or norms enshrine punishment, discrimination or stigma for people because they are women, key populations, or persons living with HIV. Discrimination obstructs HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, and holds back progress towards the end of AIDS.

We have hope, however, from communities on the frontlines. As Dr. Martin Luther King noted, “Social progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of people.” It is the communities most affected by discrimination that are leading the pushback against the erosion of their right to health, against the right to life. They are uniting their efforts to protect and advance human rights. They need, and deserve, all our support. The right path strengthens entire societies, making them better equipped to deal with the challenges we face today and those that are emerging.

The right to non-discrimination as guaranteed under Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights treaties and standards, is the cornerstone of international human rights law. Having ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other relevant treaties, the Nigerian government has an obligation to ensure that national laws and policies do not discriminate against people and that all persons including persons living with HIV are protected against such discrimination by third parties.

Furthermore, the Global Aids Strategy requires that all countries including Nigeria create an enabling legal environment by removing punitive laws, introducing and enforcing protective legislations and policies, and eradicating the abuse of criminal and general laws to target people living with HIV and key populations. Discrimination against anyone is harmful to the health of everyone. For Nigeria to deliver on the promise to end AIDS by 2030, action is urgently needed to advance the protection of the human rights of everyone, everywhere. The Zero Discrimination Day, celebrated around the world every March 1st, presents an opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its commitment through ensuring the domestication and effective implementation of the HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act in all states across Nigeria, formally joining the Global Partnership, committing to take actions on HIV-related stigma and discrimination across all six settings; and letting communities lead in addressing stigma and discrimination.

Dr Zekeng, UNAIDS Nigeria Country Director, writes from Abuja

Daniel Ighakpe argues that although Artificial Intelligence has a range of exciting applications, it also poses many challenges

in the development of intelligent software and systems.

For example, if you have watched movies such as ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ or ‘Terminator,’ you would have seen examples of humanoid robots often associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). These robots used to exist only in the imaginations of the creators of such movies, but today AI robots are slowly transforming into a reality.

So, what really is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a method of making either a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or a software, to think intelligently like the human mind. Artificial Intelligence is accomplished by studying the patterns of the human brain and by analyzing what is known as the cognitive process – that is, the mental operation the brain performs to process information - including obtaining information, processing the information and then storing it in the memory to be accessed again. These AI studies result

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is usually classified broadly into two categories: Weak AI (or Narrow AI): This refers to systems that are designed to perform specific tasks and are limited to those tasks only. These weaker AI lack general intelligence but perform their designated tasks very well. An example of weak AI is voice recognition software like Siri or Alexa which are popularly used on mobile phones.

Two, Strong AI: Also known as General AI, this refers to AI systems that have human-level intelligence or even surpass human intelligence across a wide range of tasks. Strong AI would be capable of understanding, reasoning, learning and applying knowledge to solve complex problems in a manner similar to the human mind. The development of strong AI is still largely theoretical at the moment, though. It has not been fully achieved yet.

What are some of the ways that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used positively? In other words, what are some of AI’s advantages or benefits? Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a wide range of applications across several industries and domains. Here are some notable ones: In the Health Care industry: AI-powered

robotics could support surgeries that are located near highly delicate organs or tissues of the body, and therefore help to reduce blood loss or the risk of infection. It could also help in better diagnosis, better medical imaging analysis, better drug discovery and better medical treatment.

In the Finance industry, AI could help in fraud detection due to its capability to analyze large amounts of data. It could help to quickly detect anomalies or patterns that signal fraudulent behavior, thereby helping to reduce the frequency of fraud in the financial services industry.

In the Technology industry, AI could help in Cybersecurity – detecting and preventing cyber threats and enhancing response mechanisms. These are just a few examples of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied in various fields and some of the advantages or benefits it has, including greater accuracy for certain repeatable tasks such as assembling vehicles or computers; decreased operational cost due to greater efficiency of machines; improved decision-making in certain situations; and so on.

However, as with any other concept or innovation, Artificial Intelligence also has its disadvantages and potential dangers. What are some of them? They include: Job loss due to increased automation,

leading to greater unemployment; taking over our creative tools because of the desire for more efficiency instead of encouraging human creativity, especially in the artistic field; possible cybersecurity concerns; lack of transparency over how decisions are arrived at, resulting in less than optimal solutions; a potential to create misinformation as well as inadvertently violating laws and regulations. There is also the potential danger of using AI technology to create weapons that we cannot even understand and that could also fall into the wrong hands, which could be catastrophically dangerous to humans.

So, although Artificial Intelligence has a range of exciting applications with the potential to transform our daily lives and how we work, it also poses many challenges. It is a complicated picture that often summons competing images: a utopia for some, a dystopia for others. The reality is likely to be much more complex.

So, will Artificial Intelligence eventually be a blessing or a curse? Only time will tell to what extent it will be used - either for good or for bad. With great power comes great responsibility, after all! Ighakpe is ICT & Coding Instructor at

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP...

Shettima: Tinubu Provided Alternative Political Platform Under Obasanjo’s Presidency

Says president served as sanctuary for victims of political persecution

Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu provided an alternative political platform for Nigerians as Governor of Lagos State during the era of then President Olusegun

Obasanjo.

According to him, while other governors were busy wining and dining with Obasanjo's government, Tinubu remained steadfast as an alternative platform for the nation's political system.

Addressing members of the new

Aiyedatiwa Swears in Six Commissioners, Assigns Portfolios

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, yesterday, swore in all the six newly appointed commissioners, who were recently confirmed by the state House of Assembly.

The governor also inaugurated the new Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Philip, as well as eight Special Advisers, at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome) in Akure.

The commissioners included:

Mr. Emmanuel Igbasan, Engr Razaq Obe, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac, Olukayode Ajulo (SAN), Mr. Akinwumi Sowore and Mr. Oyeniyi Oseni. The Special Advisers are; Olugbenga Omole, Olamide Falana, Alabi Johnson, Summy Francis, Dr Olawunmi Ilawole, Babalola Ayoade, Abdulganiy Muhammed and Prof. Simidele Odimayo.

The governor charged the newly sworn-in cabinet members to see this appointment as a call to service, to deliver more, in the delivery of good governance to our people.

"You must be dedicated, up and doing and focused in the discharge

of the duties and responsibilities expected of your office. It is equally important that you see yourselves as servant-leaders and not lords in your respective MDAs. Kindly cooperate with your Accounting Officers. You are expected to work in partnership with them and ensure you are guided by relevant rules and regulations in the performance of your duties and responsibilities.

"The entire State is looking up to you to bring to bear your wealth of experience, skills and competencies in your new assignments. It is no more news that our country is facing hard times economically and as a State, we are not immune to these challenges. As Commissioners and Special Advisers, you are coming on board at a very critical time.

"It, therefore, behooves you to come up with creative ideas and policies geared towards alleviating the sufferings of our people. We cannot afford to fail in this regard. This time requires us as political leaders to lead by example and be prepared to make necessary sacrifices by shunning ostentatious lifestyles.

Tinubu Reappoints Anuwe, Lawal as FGN Power CEO, Secretary

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of three new members for the management team of the FGN Power Company Limited. This was in addition to the reappointment of Kenny Osebi Anuwe and Prof Mamman Lawal as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Company Secretary/Legal Advisor of the company, respectively.

A statement issued yesterday by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, listed the new appointees to include Chief Technical Officer (CTO) - Ebenezer Olawale Fapohunda; Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)Babatunde Daramola Oniru and

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - Julius Oyekola Olabiyi. The appointments were made in recognition of the critical role of power supply in driving enterprise and industrial development, and as a part of comprehensive efforts to reform the power sector and ensure energy security for all Nigerians. The President also anticipated that with the full constitution of the management team, the FGN Power Company Limited would work assiduously to realise the core objectives of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) in close collaboration with Siemens Energy through a holistic overhaul, modernisation, and expansion of the national grid.

Board of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) at the State House, Abuja, the vice president also reminisced that Tinubu was a bridge builder who made sacrifices as a sanctuary for victims of political witch hunts.

Highlighting Tinubu's role as a sanctuary for victims of political persecution, Shettima said the need for leaders to invest in building bridges could never be wished away, noting the president's contributions in providing an alternative platform for the Nigerian political system.

He said: “President Bola Tinubu made sacrifices and built bridges. He was a veritable sanctuary for victims of political witch hunts. When other governors were struggling to have a seat at the dining table with Obasanjo. Way back then, he provided an alternative platform for the Nigerian political system."

The vice president also acknowledged Tinubu's positive impact on the nation, attributing the President's success to divine blessings and purity of his heart.

He said: "The road that led us to the Tinubu Presidency did not happen by chance. This is a man whose trajectory is characterised by making sacrifices for the good of the nation."

Shettima charged the newly

appointed Board of the NCPC to demonstrate unwavering devotion to duty. He reminded the board members of the importance of religious commitment in addressing the challenges facing the nation.

The vice president said, "All of you here were picked because of your religious devotion. We cannot condone what is taking place in the system. We must all strive to

make a positive impact to attain the Nigeria of our dreams."

Speaking earlier, NCPC's Executive Secretary, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, expressed gratitude to Tinubu for the opportunity to serve on the board.

He also commended the vice president's exceptional leadership, recounting instances of support for the church and efforts to foster peace and harmony in Borno State.

According to him: “Your antecedent and what we have known about you are immense. When we came to Maiduguri, Borno State, I was the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

“The then CAN chairman in Borno State said to us that they have an exceptional governor, who supported Christians and rebuilt churches destroyed by Boko Haram."

Economic Hardship: Jos Inmates Protest Plans to Slash Food Ration

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Inmates at the Jos Correctional Center in their hundreds yesterday protested plans by the authorities of the facility to reduce their consumption of rice and beans as a result of the increase in the price of essential commodities.

THISDAY gathered that the officer in charge of feeding had called the inmates together to inform them of the discussion with the contractor supplying them food over the increase in the price of food items in the market and the

plan to reduce their consumption of rice from four times a week to twice per week. This disclosure reportedly angered the inmates resulting in violent protest by them as they threw stones and other dangerous objects at the staff of the center.

When contacted, the Controller of Corrections, Plateau State Command, Mr. Ibinule Raphael, who confirmed the incident, said the protest by the inmates was a result of the plan by the contractor feeding them to reduce their rate of rice consumption from four to twice weekly.

He added that while the person in charge was trying to convey the message of the contractor to the inmates, there was pandemonium as the new plan to eat rice twice a week did not go down well with the inmates.

He said, “So this morning, as usual, I went to the yard to see what was going on there. I saw an officer addressing the inmates, and when I asked what was going on, he told me he was briefing them on the outcome of his conversation with the contractor that is billed to supply them with food this month.

Harvard Business School Unveils Tony Elumelu Foundation Case Study

Oluchi Chibuzor

At a time of renewed geopolitical interest in Africa, and an increasing questioning of traditional development finance models, Harvard Business School on Thursday, released a case study examining the role and impact of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), and its unique approach to catalysing entrepreneurship in Africa.

The Foundation, one of Africa’s

leading funders of young entrepreneurs, has pioneered an innovative approach to seeding, capacitising and networking young entrepreneurs across Africa.

Drawing directly from Tony Elumelu’s entrepreneurial journey, his acknowledgement that luck and chance played an important role in his success, the Foundation democratises luck, spreads opportunity, in a sector agnostic approach, and has developed a bespoke infrastructure that reaches

every country in Africa.

The Foundation is a direct expression of Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, that the private sector must play a pivotal role in Africa’s development, and that investment must seek social, as well as economic returns.

The case study, the first of its kind, focused on African philanthropy, was launched before a class of graduate students at Harvard Business School and explored the Foundation's unique

Ogun, International Partners to Engage 100,000 SMSEs, Youths

Ogun State government is set to train 100,000 small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), especially youths, on emerging technologies, towards attaining the peak in the digitalThiseconomy. would be done through GetFundedAfrica Technologies (GFAT) in partnership with Microsoft, Google and Meta.

Delivering a keynote address during the official launch of the training at OgunTechHub, Abeokuta, tagged, "Gateway Skills Programme", the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Cyber Security,

Senator Shuaib Salisu, said the empowerment would be an opportunity for SMSEs and youths who want to be self-reliant, get equipped with relevant technology skills enabling them upgrade to digital marketing.

Salisu, who expressed optimism that the programme would revive the economic situation in Nigeria, said the state has the potential to drive the programme in achieving the desired goal.

Also speaking, Special Adviser on ICT, Mr. Dayo Abiodun, said the partnership with Microsoft, Google and others was a deliberate attempt by the state government to expose small

business owners, as well as young graduates to hidden benefits of digital economy, calling on beneficiaries to get registered, trained, certified and start working immediately, among other opportunities.

On his part, the Co-founder, GFAT, Mr. Adebowale Omololu, explained that the programme was designed for SMSEs and young graduates in Ogun, to be the first beneficiaries before other states, giving them necessary support to develop carriers in ICT, access finance and mentorship to grow their businesses, noting that digital economy is a pathway for thriving entrepreneurship.

approaches and transformative initiatives, showcasing how the strategic philanthropy offered by TEF was driving positive change and elevating countries and communities.

Country Director, World Bank, Shubham Chaudhuri (left) with Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, during a meeting at the World Bank office, Abuja…recently

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

POLITY

Daewoo Deal: Mele Kyari Pushes Gas Frontiers, Eyes LNG Opportunities

Tayo OLU,

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, has long grappled with the irony of exporting crude oil while relying heavily on imported refined fuels. The situation, driven by the near-inoperable state of its domestic refineries, has hampered economic growth and exposed the nation to the vulnerabilities of global oil price fluctuations.

This challenge led the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under the leadership of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mallam Mele Kyari, to commence an ambitious gas development strategy. A major proof of this drive was the signing of a $741 million contract between the NNPCL and Daewoo Engineering and Construction to rehabilitate the idled 110,000-barrel-per-day Kaduna Refinery.

The quick-fix maintenance contract was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021 as part of a $1.4 billion package to repair the Kaduna and Warri refineries. The urgency stemmed from NNPC’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s energy security.

The contract, while significant, serves as just one piece of a broader strategy of the Kyari-led NNPCL focused on unlocking Nigeria’s gas potential and establishing itself as a global supplier of clean and affordable energy.

The Kaduna Refinery rehabilitation project, targeted for completion in 2024, aims to restore production to 60 per cent capacity and significantly improve Nigeria’s fuel security. This, coupled with the ongoing upgrades of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, signifies a multi-attack approach towards ending dependence on imported fuels. Additionally, NNPC’s partnership with Dangote Industries for a stake in their upcoming 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery is expected to further boost domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on external sources.

Restoring the Kaduna Refinery is more than just a technical overhaul; it represents a multifaceted approach to unlocking economic benefits for Nigeria, including increased revenue generation, reduced demand for foreign currency, a new supply of raw materials to industries, enhanced employment opportunities, and advancements in technology transfer.

Unlocking Gas Bonanza

Despite this potential, Nigeria’s vast gas resources still present an untapped opportunity to position the nation as a global supplier of clean and affordable energy. Nigeria flares an estimated 260 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually, which could be channelled into LNG and domestic gas-topower projects.

NNPCL aims to fully harness these opportunities under its “Decade of Gas” initiative launched in 2021. Kyari’s

Kyari

leadership has led to significant strides in this direction, evident in NNPC’s agreements for floating LNG projects.

Beyond immediate fuel security concerns, the Kyari-led NNPCL is actively pursuing strategies to monetize Nigeria’s estimated 203 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves and unlock the potential of another 600 Tcf in unproven resources. This ambition is evident in several key initiatives, including:

Floating LNG (FLNG) Projects: The NNPCL in August 2023 partnered with both Golar LNG and UTM Offshore for the development of FLNG projects. These innovative facilities will enable gas processing and export directly from offshore fields, offering a faster and more cost-effective solution compared to traditional onshore LNG plants.

Strategic Partnerships: Recognising the expertise and financial resources needed for large-scale gas development, the current NNPCL leadership has actively engaged with international players like South Korea’s Daewoo E&C consortium. These collaborations will unlock foreign direct investment, technological advancements, and access to new markets.

In January, Kyari personally led the NNPCL team to further discussions in Seoul, South Korea, with a consortium led by Daewoo E&C. The discussions were aimed at deepening NNPCL’s drive to tap into the nation’s gas resources and collaborate on opportunities for greenfield and other gas development projects. The collaboration can leverage South Korea’s expertise in the LNG sector and boost Nigeria’s gas monetization efforts.

Additionally, the recent commissioning of the 23,000 cubic meters of ultra-modern Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Carrier by Temile Development Company, in collaboration with NNPC, further underscores the commitment to cleaner energy in Nigeria.

It was also a demonstration of NNPCL’s commitment to encouraging domestic participation in the gas sector. Notably, in January 2024, NNPCL partnered with Temile Development Company to co-finance the construction of a state-of-the-art Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processing facility within Nigeria. The collaboration not only strengthens domestic LPG supply and distribution but also showcases NNPCL’s dedication to building strong partnerships with indigenous players, promoting technological advancements, and contributing to the overall growth of the Nigerian gas industry.

Positioning For Clean Energy Future

The global energy landscape is undergoing a significant shift towards cleaner fuels and by prioritising gas development, the NNPCL is not only addressing domestic energy needs but also positioning Nigeria as a reliable supplier of clean energy in the international market. The move aligns with the national goals of reducing dependence on biomass and promoting cleaner energy sources for domestic consumption.

The urgency of harnessing Nigeria’s gas resources was further underscored by the revelation that Nigeria lost $1 billion (N891 billion) to gas flaring in 2023, according to data released by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) (HYPERLINK: https://nosdra.gasflaretracker.ng/) . This staggering figure, representing a 27.03 per cent increase compared to 2022, highlights the immense financial and environmental cost of not effectively utilising this valuable resource.

By transitioning towards a gas-focused strategy, NNPCL aims not only to unlock economic opportunities and diversify the national energy mix but also to curtail the damaging practice of gas flaring and contribute to a more sustainable future for Nigeria.

However, Nigeria’s path towards self-sufficiency and a gas-driven future is not without challenges. Security concerns, particularly pipeline vandalism, have hampered previous efforts to boost gas production and exports. Additionally, attracting investment for large-scale projects requires a stable operating environment.

Despite these challenges, the potential benefits are undeniable. By addressing security concerns, improving infrastructure, and creating a conducive investment environment, Nigeria can unlock the full potential of its gas resources which in turn will lead to economic diversification, job creation, and a transition towards a cleaner energy mix.

L-R: President of Angola-Nigeria Business Council, Princess Fifi Ejindu and the Vice President of Angola, Esperança da Costa at her office in Luanda

L – R: Minister for Communications and Digital innovation, Bosun Tijani; Head, Emerging Business, Access Bank, Chioma Ogwo; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job creation and MSME Temitola Adekunle-Johnson during the Inaugural Job Creation and MSME Quarterly Communications forum held in Abuja.

L-R: Mother of late Jemila Abubakar, Mrs. Victoria Abubakar; Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Creative Officer, Noah’s Ark Group, Mr. Lanre Adisa and Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Asido Foundation, Dr. Jibril Abdulmalik during the 4th Jemila Abubakar Essay Competition/Investiture Ceremony held in Ibadan.... recently

L-R: Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Muoka; Managing Director/CEO, FITC, Chizor Malize; HCIB, MIoD, Director General, NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuua; Founder, The Gage Company, Mr Johnson Anoh; and Director, Entrepreneurship Village, Dr. Joy Smart Francis during the NITDA COCreate west Africa Tech Expo in Lagos… recently

Udemba

Eben Joels: FG Must Promote Policies That Facilitate Access to Credit for SMEs

Eben Joels is the Managing Partner at Stransact Accounting and Audit, an RSM correspondent firm in Nigeria. In this interview with Adedayo Adejobi , he assesses the 2024 budget, the inflationary pressure in the country, among other issues. Excerpts:

What’s your forecast for the rest of 2024 in terms of the economic outlook?

The economic outlook for 2024 is contingent on proactive economic policies and global dynamics. A comprehensive strategy addressing inflation, exchange rate and security challenges is crucial for steering the nation towards sustainable economic growth.

Overall, I can say that the economy will be better this year, though not a total transformation but it will be better. The local economic environment will be better than in 2023, this is tied to the gradual phasing out of the current impact of petrol subsidy and FX reforms on the non-oil sector, and higher crude oil production relative to 2023 levels amid supportive oil prices. If the CBN can have a better grip on inflation and exchange rates, it will be positive for the economy. If inflation continues to trend downwards globally, then it will be good for the economy because it will reduce the extent to which imported inflation will affect local prices.

Some experts say the Nigerian economy will witness tighter fiscal policies and monetary policy restrictions. What are your expectations?

Expectations for tighter fiscal policies and monetary restrictions align with the need for stability. Balancing these policies to manage inflation while promoting economic growth will be crucial to the economy.

How do you see the risk to the inflation outlook?

Risks to the inflation outlook are significantly driven by various factors including global economic conditions, oil prices, and supply chain disruptions. Mitigating these risks demands a holistic approach, combining prudent fiscal measures with effective monetary policies.

How high will inflation be in Nigeria in 2024?

Prospects for 2024 are intertwined with resolving current challenges. Inflation projections rely on successfully implementing comprehensive economic reforms, managing external pressures, and fostering a conducive business environment. I do not see the country resolving all those challenges so I will go with the same level of inflation.

Where do you think Nigeria’s future economic growth will come from?

Nigeria’s future economic growth will come from its people. The skills of individuals will become the highest earners of forex in the next decade. Our growth will come from our ability to tap into the knowledge economy. Diversification, technological innovation, sustainable development initiatives, and investments in key sectors, such as agriculture, technology, and renewable energy will go a long way if the economy is to grow.

How do you resolve the anomaly of a tightening labour market during a recessionary period with high-interest rates?

Firstly, targeted fiscal policies that stimulate job creation and support businesses are crucial. Government initiatives such as infrastructure projects, incentives for hiring, and direct support to industries facing challenges can inject liquidity into the economy, encouraging businesses to maintain or expand their workforce. Additionally, programs that focus on upskilling the workforce to meet emerging demands can

Dr. Orji

enhance labour market adaptability. Secondly, monetary measures should be carefully calibrated to strike a balance between inflation control and supporting economic recovery. While high interest rates are typically used to curb inflation, a delicate equilibrium must be maintained to avoid stifling economic activity. CBN may consider adopting subtle approaches, such as forward guidance, to provide clarity on the policy trajectory and instill confidence without causing undue restrictions on borrowing and investment.

Furthermore, fostering an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and innovation can be instrumental. Policies that reduce regulatory burdens, facilitate access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and promote research and development can spur economic dynamism and create new job opportunities. Resolving this complex situation requires policymakers to walk on a delicate balance between monetary and fiscal measures. Striking the right equilibrium involves not only managing interest rates judiciously but also implementing targeted policies that directly address the structural challenges in the labor market.

Talking about big brands coming into Nigeria and FDI, how did you convince RSM International, one of the largest accounting networks in the world, to come to Nigeria through your firm Stransact? What exactly is your relationship with RSM?

According to the United Nations, the population of Nigeria could reach 730 million inhabitants in 2100. The country’s growing young population means that public infrastructure is stressed but this presents an opportunity for future economic growth under the right political environment. It was not difficult to let RSM see the importance of Nigeria if the network intends to deliver on its strategy to be a leading global accounting, tax, and consulting organisation globally. RSM has been around for over a century. They are the fifthlargest accounting firm in the USA, the world’s largest economy. RSM is also probably number 5

in Germany in terms of revenue after Ebener Stolz, Germany’s 6th largest firm joined our network. What is important for the network is the commitment of the member firms to certain values which we call the RSM DNA. Upon interaction with RSM 4 years ago, the network was convinced that Stransact is a firm that shares its DNA. We built our firm on values. Unleashing the human potential is why we exist. We are still improving our processes and methodologies and as soon as our internal quality attains the global standards set by RSM, we shall be rebranding as RSM in Nigeria.

Beyond banning the street sale of dollars, what else can we do to unify our exchange rate?

I believe CBN policy reforms are ongoing. It does not appear that CBN has applied all the fixes they intend. Do not forget that the events in the CBN itself have dampened the confidence of the global community, and have held us out further as a country with very poor governance. It is a sad thing for the country for a CBN governor to be accused of all the things the last CBN governor was accused of. I would like to stay naive and hope that he’s not guilty of such reckless actions, the impact of which is on all of us. It will take some time for the CBN itself to gain the confidence the world had in it as a trusted regulator. But more importantly, our foreign reserves which were depleted severely, need to start growing again. Remember that the last time we moved closest to a convergence between the parallel market and official market forex rates, our foreign reserves were at an all-time high. The amount we spent on importing petroleum and similar products was not what we have now. Hopefully, as we stop spending our forex earnings on importing petroleum, the Naira will gain significant mileage. However, I seriously fear that if those in charge of governance do not act quickly, our economy is at risk of being completely dollarised. We hope to see those days when global events that push the price of crude oil to very high levels, translate to a windfall for Nigeria rather than hardship for Nigerians as it is right now.

Some have said Nigeria’s debt may not be sustainable with almost 90 per cent of its revenue going for debt servicing. What is your take on this?

I do not share this view. Unfortunately, most of the debts we take are not used for the purposes for which they were meant. They are stolen by officeholders. If we plug the leakages, the infrastructure deficits we have are such that, if we channel our national debts to fix them, there will be a consequential quantum growth in our GDP that will make the borrowings more sustainable.

The World Bank has said 130 million Nigerians are facing multidimensional poverty. What is the way to reduce this number?

I saw a report recently that said there was a marginal reduction in the number of people in absolute poverty in Nigeria in the last 6 months. We cannot reduce poverty if people do not have jobs. In certain societies, jobs are as important as life itself. In Japanese society, a man’s right to work is as important as his right to life. These are societies with enough social cushion for those at risk of poverty. It will take us a while but we should do more about small businesses who are the largest employers everywhere in the world. Our small businesses here get aesthetic support from the government. We need to borrow a leaf from the US Small Business Administration (SBA). If there’s no actionable program to spur the growth of small businesses, the government, and big businesses by themselves cannot lift enough people out of poverty.

TRIBUTE

Oladayo Popoola at 80: A General as Exemplar

Tunde Olusunle

If not for the military coup of December 31, 1983 which torpedoed Nigeria’s Second Republic and threw him into the public glare, he would have remained the anonymous military professional he had always been.

About 20 years before that putsch which terminated the administration of President Shehu Usman Shagari and threw up Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State, he had enlisted in the Nigerian Army. He desired to pursue a career in a vocation he had long salivated about.

Beginning from 1964 when he was in the fourth form in Aiyedaade Grammar School, Ikire in the old Western Region, he had begun this quest. That year and the following, he wrote entrance examinations for the Nigerian Defence Academy, (NDA), Kaduna but was not offered admission.

Fate finally beckoned to him in 1967 when the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War impelled the military authorities to recruit more officers. His possession of a West African School Certificate, (WASC) enabled his integration into the army via short service commission in 1967.

Thereafter, he was posted to the “Federal Guards, Lagos” most probably the contemporary equivalent of the “Brigade of Guards” which was responsible for the security of the seat of federal administration. He found himself in the thick of battle in 1968 in Asaba, in the former Midwestern State, surviving a bullet graze to his head.

Between 1971 and 1975, he was an instructor at the Nigerian Military Training College, (NMTC), Zaria jetting off to India within the period to attend the Battalion Support Weapons Course, in 1974. He equally had on-the-job training at the Royal Army Records Office, Stanmore, England in 1976. He trained at the Army Command and Staff College, (ACSC) between 1977 and 1978, which prepared him for elevation to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From Port Harcourt to Yola and thenceforth to India and Kaduna, the itinerant imperative of his job took him regularly around.

Whereas his regimental calling kept him away from the public sphere, things changed in January 1984 when the Buhari government posted Oladayo Popoola then still a Lieutenant Colonel to his home state of Oyo as Military Governor. The Oyo State of that time is today’s Oyo and Osun.

Buhari was unceremoniously unseated on August 27, 1985 barely 20 months in office and replaced by Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida his Chief of Army Staff, (COAS). Babangida believed that military officers overseeing the states as chief executives would be more objective in the discharge of their duties if they served outside of their home environments.

Reaffirming his confidence in Popoola, Babangida redeployed him to Ogun State in 1985 and remained in office until 1986 when he returned to regular military duties.

Popoola promptly overcame the initial shock of his transmutation from strictly military to a quasi-political official regimen. He needed to de-politicise the civil service; manage a bloated bureaucracy with as many as 44 Permanent Secretaries at the apex of statecraft and reorganise an education sector substantially bastardised in the name of politics. The “free education” programme enunciated by the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN) and operationalised in the South West where the party was dominant, ensured state governments picked the bills for primary and secondary school pupils.

Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde (left) congratu- lating Major General Oladayo Popoola at the 80th birthday thanksgiving hosted in honour of the retired General in Ibadan…recently

The Oyo State Executive Council under Popoola, however, was compelled to reintroduce fees at the secondary school level, to forestall the breakdown of education at that level. He equally deftly navigated the time bomb of the rotation of the chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Chiefs, unwittingly planted by his immediate predecessor, Dr Omololu Olunloyo. His 20-month “apprenticeship” in Oyo State facilitated his seamless integration into the Ogun State system when he succeeded Donaldson Oladipo Diya September 4, 1985. Popoola met a disinterested populace and disenchanted civil service, allegedly terrorised by his predecessor in consonance with the “no-nonsense” mantra of the Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon government.

Popoola introduced a rare populist programme, the “Village Square Meeting” which took governance to the people. Commissioners and senior civil servants were encouraged to visit the people of Ogun State in their communities and villages, by the Popoola milieu. They discerned the sentimentts of the people and relayed same to the military governor for necessary action. He wrote personalised letters to privileged indigenes of Ogun State who stayed away to avoid collisions with the Diya government.

Upon attaining the rank of Colonel in 1986, Oladayo Popoola was posted to the Army Headquarters as Director of Personnel Services in the Adjutant-General’s Office. He attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos in 1990 and returned to the position of Director, Manpower Planning, Army Headquarters in 1991. Side by side with his military duties, Popoola registered for a part-time, five-year course in Law at the University of Lagos. He was excused to attend the one-year programme preceding the formal call-to-bar of attorneys, at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1991, the same year he was promoted Brigadier-General. Back at the Army Headquarters his favourite grounds, he became Director of Personnel Services

in 1993 and soon after, Director of Legal Services.

He was Chief of Administration in 1994; Chief of Logistics from 1997 to 1998 and then General Officer Commanding, (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army headquartered in Enugu. Concurrently, he was appointed member of the Provisional Ruling Council, (PRC), the highest policy and administrative body of the military government. That was the moniker crafted and preferred by Sani Abacha the army General who swept aside the “Interim National Government,” (ING) situated by his former principal, Babangida, at the beginning of his reign in November 1993.

Popoola was promoted Major-General in 1996. As Chief of Administration, (Army), he fully supported the initiative of a post-service housing scheme for the Army under the Abacha government. Popoola had justified his proposal against the backdrop of the imperative for decent accommodation for officers and men who wholly and selflessly invest in safeguarding and defending the country. Sources close to the former military Head of State recall that Abacha bought into the proposal chiefly because of the flawless integrity of the initiator, Oladayo Popoola. The Nigerian Army Housing Scheme has since been replicated by other services, military and paramilitary.

Indeed, the self-funding scheme has since become a pacesetter for the nation’s then nascent affordable housing industry.

In March 1999, he chaired the Presidential Committee on Development Options for the Niger Delta. The Committee recommended increased funding for infrastructural development in that oil-bearing catchment of the country, and the setting up of a “Niger Delta Consultative Council,” (NDCC). He retired voluntarily from military service after logging 32 eventful years in service, in 1999. Many of his colleagues have been recycled in the nation’s political scheme especially with the advent of democratic rulership in the past 25 years. Popoola, however, has functioned from the quiet corner of a private entrepreneur and community leader, within the context of Ogbomoso his birthplace and Oyo State at large.

For over six years, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Precious Cornerstone University, (PCU), which is located in Ibadan, as part of the reinvestment of his experiences into the national development project.

Oladayo Popoola was born on February 26, 1944 in Isale Ora,Ogbomoso. He grew up at Nguru in present day Yobe State, Abeokuta and Ibadan owing to the itinerant character of his father’s vocations as tailor and trader. He attended Baptist Day School, Ijaiye, Abeokuta for his elementary education, and African Church Secondary Modern School, Apata, Ibadan as well as Aiyedaade Grammar School, Ikire for his secondary education.

A thanksgiving service was held in Ibadan on Monday February 26, 2024 to commemorate the event of his 80th birthday. Governor Seyi Makinde lauded Popoola’s uncommon altruism. He alluded to manner in which Popoola competently steered a crack team of elder statesmen, including Professor Daud Sangodoyin to amicably resolve the contestation between Oyo and Osun states for the ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH).

The institution was a subject of fiery controversy between Oyo and Osun states having being actualized before the excision of contemporary Osun State in 1991, from the ribs of the erstwhile monolithic Oyo State, with campuses in the original owner states.

Olusunle, PhD, poet, journalist, scholar and author is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (FANA).

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

Our Icon at 90: Izoma Philip Asiodu

Izoma Phillip Ifeanyi Asiodu. What a name! What a man! It is always a name that fills one with awe, admiration, and sheer respect.

Here is one of General Gowon’s Super Permanent Secretaries. He was among the first-generation postindependence Nigerian bureaucrats who laid the foundation for the administrative structure of modern Nigeria. He is an encyclopedia of contemporary Nigerian history, politics, geography and even the psychology of the country. Not only that, he also contributed a lot to regional integration in West Africa.

He belonged to a group so vast in intellect, so noble in character and so very far-sighted in public administration. You had no idea of the meaning of the term ‘all-rounder’ until you met Chief Asiodu. He was knowledgeable about everything. He was limitless in his scope. From the early days of Chief Asiodu, to the legendary Izoma Asiodu, you were drawn and compelled to admire the man.

Here is a portrait in unalloyed loyal friendship [sticking with Chief Edu to nurture NCF], dedicated stewardship [steering the ship of NCF for so many decades] and a man of a razor-sharp memory, even at this age of 90 years!

The Izoma is a National Treasure here, in detailing the history of not only NCF, but indeed Nigeria, through the ages. He currently serves as the President, Board of Trustees, of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), a position he assumed after meritoriously serving as Chairman, National Executive Council of NCF for many years.

Over the years, each NCF event was important to the Izoma and he would gladly attend all of them. He would meet the mighty man/woman of distinction and the lowly student, with equal respect and cordial interaction.

He never sits on the fence. He takes a position in every situation. Not even the anonymity of the civil service tradition could alter that sensibility.

It was his foresight and unswerving sense of commitment that informed his teaming up with the Late Chief S.L. Edu and other well-meaning people to blaze the trail in Nigerian environmentalism. Their pioneering efforts led to the setting up of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation in 1982. He has a tremendous chunk of credit for numerous achievements recorded by NCF over the years.

There are numerous achievements by the organization. But the ones that stand out include influencing the establishment of the then Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Park Service and various environmental legislations.

Many have written and many more will still write about Izoma Phillip Asiodu, his unquestionable qualifications and his myriad of achievements and awards.

Some of his quotes include “I have strongly canvassed for a practical approach to support Nigeria’s efforts on forest rehabilitation and a focus on an agenda for rebuilding Nigeria’s vegetation cover to at least 25%, even if it will take some years to achieve.”

While making an opinion on national development, he said “I have no doubt that the solution to our problem does not lie in disintegration.”

Izoma Asiodu occupies a unique position in the history of the Nigeria’s public service and nature conservation.

NCF cannot thank Izoma Asiodu nearly enough. We wish you sir, not just a happy birthday, but all the very best always.

May your children, grandchildren, and generations of yours yet unborn, reap bountifully from the altruistic seeds

you have sowed all your life.

May peace, happiness and unqualified good health be yours, sir till the end of time.

We cannot help ourselves in doffing our hats to you sir. 90 hearty green conservation cheers to our dear unforgettable Izoma!

Mohammed is a former NCF Education Manager, First Nigerian Head of School, Corona Schools Trust Council and Ezeala is a Former Communications Manager of NCF and Founder/Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Development Agenda magazine

Asiodu

Adetoun Mohammed and Paddy Ezeala

Ferdinand

Email:

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Kunle Afolayan and daughter, Eyiyemi

Beverly Naya and Efa Iwara in a scene from Insecure

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Late Mohbad

Leading Cast in Orisa, Odunlade Adekola Embodies Humility, Respect

Known for his ability to seamlessly represent Odunlade Adekola has demonstrated a remarkable range in his roles, intense and complex protagonist. His locally and internationally.

Taking center stage in his own production, the tale of a king, Adefolarin played by Adekola, being summoned to a witches’ disrespectful and proud. Showing no remorse, the witches decide to punish takes us through a journey that shows

the consequences of our actions and the world at large. The kingdom gets thrown into chaos as news of the king’s madness spreads like or less left the King’s people to

birthed ills brings, Adefolarin to repentance but was it too late at this point?

Kosoko, Dele Odule, Muyiwa Ademola, Eniola Ajao and a host of others the actors masterfully embodies the complexities of their characters, seamlessly transitioning

why humility and respect should remain key on one’s path to success and staying strong in success.

magnetic personality and infectious energy ages. Whether he’s eliciting laughter with his impeccawble comedic timing or impression long after the credits roll. With numerous award-winning performances to his name, Odunlade Adekola continueslywood and inspire aspiring actors with his unparalleled talent and dedication to his craft embedded with messages.

Gospel Music Minister, Orinayo Shares

Inspirational

Journey to Success

Igospel music, one name stands

through soul-stirring melodies, Kehinde Omowonuola known her musical journey began in the hallowed halls of her family’s church, where she as a member of the children’s choir.

Recalling her humble beginnings, Orinayo reminisces, “My music life started right from childhood when I was a children’s choir member in my family’s church. I continued singing until I graduated to the a little bit challenging because of the styles and patterns, but I was encouraged by our music director. So, I found it interesting

For Orinayo, music wasn’t just a hobby—it

God to be a song minister. I took From her earliest days, music has been an integral part of her life, shaping her identity and purpose. Gratefully acknowledging the source always come through the inspiration of God. Mostly when reading the scripture, listening to moral tapes, Her songs, infused with spiritual and wide, bringing joy, hope, and Despite the challenges she faces sustains her, “My major challenge

power of technology, releasing her singles, these channels, she fosters a community the Lord.

Looking to the future, Kehinde’s aspiraShe stated, “I aspire for more of the Holy Spirit to continually dwell in me throughout As she continues to spread God’s mes-

to all who listen. With each note she sings, the joy of the gospel to a world in need of hope.

Lagos to Unveil 12,000 Seat Entertainment Centre

igeria, boasting a youthful population exceeding 220 music industry, has

$100 million Arena in Lagos, the bustling commercial hub of the nation. promises to become the epicenter for major ranging from performances by both globalmatches, WWE shows, and much more. Its multifunctional layout ensures that it will be a dynamic space accommodating a wide rangeally, the Arena is poised to emerge as Africa’s platform for local and international artists to showcase their talents, but also creates exciting opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange. As anticipation mounts for the

industry, promising unparalleled experiences for audiences and artists alike.

Recently, the consortium led by the Persianas ceremony for the proposed 12,000-capacity arena

around entertainment and sports as is expected and global sports and entertainment company, Oak View Group which is behind the £365

Other partners include Yinka Folawiyo, ChairChairman of Persianas Group, Tayo Amusan, expressed enthusiasm for the long-awaited Project Arena, stating, “Project Arena has been a long time coming and it is an honour to bring this project to life. This project is monumental in

a home audience, something that has been

UFC among others. This is indeed an exciting Umar-Sadiq, echoed Amusan’s sentiments, stating, “We are excited to be a part of this watershed

moment with great potential to re-position theplanning, collaboration and dedication of all

Adekola

L - R His Royal Highness, The Oniru of Iruland, Lagos, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal; His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Mr. Tayo Amusan, Chairman, Persianas Group; Senator John Enoh, Minister of Sports Development; and Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq

Orinayo

Abimbola Olashore: Belt Tightening in Times of Economic Hardship Should Start from Govt. Officials

Prince Abimbola Olashore is a seasoned investment banker who over the years has acquired in-depth knowledge and vast experience in financial advisory services and other sectors in the economy. He is an engineering graduate of the University of Hull, United Kingdom, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain. Olashore, who presently is the founder of Lead Advisory Partners, which offers consultancy services to corporates and SME also has interest in agricultural as well as the education sector, where is the Chairman of Olashore International School, an institution committed to excellence. In this interview, he speaks about the current state of the Nigerian economy, how to reset the economy as well as opportunities in the education sector. Dike Onwuamaeze brings the excerpts

Can you tell us about your background and experience in the banking industry?

My background cut across three different professions. I started with engineering even though people do not know about that; later I became a chartered accountant and I had a career in banking. I left what they called formal banking in 2016, and started my own investment firm. I have been a bit involved in the financial sector for quite a while. But nowadays, I spend much time on a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are also very active in the financial sector and also in the informal economy of Nigerian. From that perspective one is still very much in touch with what is going on. The advantage of a career in banking is that it gives you opportunity to meet almost all the players in the industry, which gives you a fairly good idea of what is going on. And especially if you have been involved in policy formulation you are also good at critically assessing where we are and you ask yourself: are we going in the right direction?

Why did you leave engineering for a career in the financial services sector?

That is a long story. But if I am to go back, I will say that right from school I was good in the sciences, which meant that I either became a doctor or an engineer. But I hated biology. At the same time, I think my natural interest was that I was also good in mathematics. This was why accountancy was a major interest to me. The first time that I had to do JAMB, I put accountancy as my first choice and engineering as second choice. I remembered people telling me that I was very confused. Why these very extreme courses that would ask me. The second time I did JAMB, I switched it around and put engineering as my first choice and accountancy as second choice. My natural instinct was to become more of an analyst. So, I did engineering but as I was graduating I sold all my textbooks on engineering because I didn’t think that it was for me. I did not even join any engineering institute in The United Kingdom. So, I came back to Nigeria and decided to become an accountant. So, I started studying accountancy for three years. I trained with Deloitte. By the time I was finishing the banking boom was upon us and I came into banking where I started my career. But I am still very much active in the three professions. Late last year I was in Abuja, as the guest of the Nigerian Society of Engineers where I delivered a paper for the body of fellows. I have gone full circle.

Now let’s talk about Nigeria and recent development in the country. We have seen protests in some states over the rising economic hardship. What do you think is the way out of this predicament?

Before we talk about the way out, it is always good to put things into perspectives. The situation in Nigeria is about the case of the chicken coming home to roost. A lot of things have been said about the productive capacity of this economy; about our propensity for importation; about policies that would promote local industries; about fiscal and monetary policies that will encourage productivity; and how to ensure that Nigerians move away from instant rewards to delayed gratifications. A lot has been said about Nigeria as a country, the structure of its economy, the constitutional constraints that are not promoting hard work. A lot have also been said about our rule of law. These are all issues that nobody can say that he is not aware. In the past when we had global crisis that should have forced us to rethink, Nigeria has always been very lucky. It was either that we have reserves to cover it or that we are able to get ourselves out of it. But now we have a big problem. We have a problem of production, as we are not producing. I always laugh that ever since I have been doing analysis on the Nigerian economy, our oil production has always been around two million barrels per day (mbpd), I always go to other countries that were in the two

Olashore

million barrels per day bracket with us and out of nowhere Mexico has moved to seven million; Kuwait moved from two million barrels, but Nigerian leaders where so satisfied with two million barrels per day because of the structure of the country’s oil and gas sector. If you are not doing anything in terms of production and somebody is just crediting you money, there will be no incentive for you to reinvest. So, when we should have re-invested in our oil industry we did not. Instead we saw the place as a cash cow where you extract revenue from. Now, Nigeria is not even producing two mbpd.

In the past we were battling against fluctuations in the price; but all of a sudden, in the last couple of years we are now battling with acute reduction in the volume that we are producing. So, we have a problem from a revenue perspective. Nigeria’s population has grown from the time it gained independence till now. We also structured the economy in such a manner that the federal government is in charge of everything whereas government should be an enabler, creating an environment for the private sector to take

Abimbola Olashore: Capacity of Govt. to Finance Nigeria’s Financing Needs is Weak

What is mine should be mine and if you are going to take it from me you should pay me adequate compensation. But these two are totally missing in Nigeria. The government passed the law that everything below the ground is its own because of oil. Now, it is almost impossible to get the federal government out of it. These are all issues that have been agitating our minds and have brought us to where we are now. So, we have been playing around the edges without addressing the issues. There was a motion in the National Assembly recently that we should go back to the parliamentary system of government. Why won’t there be food crisis when farmers cannot go to their farms because of insecurity? We have crippling high inflation because too much money is chasing few goods. We compounded the problem by borrowing and releasing money to unproductive ends. We ran a deficit budget for eight years and were borrowing heavily under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari. The basic things that would have moved us forward were not addressed even though I must give him credit for infrastructure. The money printed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under Ways and Means was enormous and must be drawn back. The central bank governor has said there will no longer be borrowings until the government extinguishes its outstanding Way and Means. So, how do you get the money back from the economy? It will be through a very painful process. Interest rate must go up significantly; naira must also depreciate because we are chasing dollar with too much naira. So, the prevailing high interest rate, inflation and exchange rate should be traced back to when we were playing the ostrich. Now the price has to be paid and the government cannot do it alone. But my biggest problem is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration did not manage Nigerians’ expectations very well by preparing citizens for the hardship. But how could it have done it when those in government are living large? These are some of the things we cannot just understand. Belt tightening should start from the government because leadership has a role to play in everything we do. It is the government that sets the tone for the behavior of everyone. If the government is going to give you a contract, would you trust it? Would you trust it if the government says that it will do this? Everywhere in the world government payment is taken without debate because it has the ability to borrow to make sure that it meets its obligations. If the biggest player is not meeting its obligations, can it set the tone for behavior?

So, are those saying belt tightening, tightening theirs? Are the people saying buy Nigerian products to support local production buying locally made goods and services? I still cannot understand why government’s institutions are buying cars but are not buying Innoson’s vehicles? Government should give him (owner of Innoson Motors) cash upfront for the cars it will need in two years’ time so that it will modernise and improve its products because that is how most people start. If you want to travel as a government official, you should fly Air Peace. But do we see examples of that? If you say that you want to enhance the healthcare system, do not announce it when you are going abroad for health tourism.

So, what kind of investments should Nigeria have made in the oil sector over the years?

Number one, the structure of investment was joint venture. So as a partner Nigeria should bring out its counterpart funding for oil explorations. But Nigeria was not bringing its own funding. So, our partners fund the projects and pay themselves first. That was defective ab initio. We should have been paying our own part of the investment and tax them afterward. What we did with the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) is a perfect model of how we should have done things. We already have a model that can work and that model must be replicated in every of our institutions. We saw the oil industry as a cash cow and we never did our own investments. Some countries do not have oil like us but go and see their state petroleum companies. Instead of making investments to ramp up our production we were so contented with the money that we were making. It did not matter to the decision makers in Abuja, when the oil industry started becoming dangerous and insecurity problem was building up until Warri became a no go area; Port Harcourt later became a no go area. Who invests in a place that is unsafe? This is why I can say that there is something wrong with the structure of our country.

What is your view on the CBN’s floating of the Naira?

Let us start with the problem because we must

narrow the gap between the official and parallel forex markets. The gap used to encourage all kinds of malpractices and needed to be closed. We should not have such disparity in the market. No country leaves its currency on a free float. They use other tools to manage it. In our own case we have problems with the tools we need to manage it. Some countries will raise interest rate to compensate people to invest in their markets. But our biggest problem right now is on the fiscal side because of the structure of our country that shares money among the tiers of governments every month that has got nothing to do with each government’s productive capacity. Was anything done to the governors that were converting FAAC allocation to dollars when this abuse first started in 1999? Nothing! But everybody saw it. I was in banking then and what the governors were doing was changing money and buying houses abroad. What happened was that same people that had the money came back to pervert democracy. The problem we have with the Naira is loss of confidence in its ability as a store of value. It is now an emotional thing to see foreign currency as a store of value.

The CBN has given notice of an impending recapitalisation of the banking system. What is your take on this?

I was in the system during the last round of banking recapitalisation. They probably know better whether the banks are in the position to play the roles they are expected to play. Banks are meant to be the intermediary between the surplus and deficit parts of the financial system. So, they are meant to finance big ticket transactions. But the question is whether they have the buffer in terms of their capital? I think that is what the CBN is saying. Nigeria is in need of serious financing and the capacity of the government to finance Nigeria’s need is getting weaker. So, we now look at the banks. Are they capable? We need the banks to be strong and able to finance big ticket transactions. Obviously, capital plays a role because it is the buffer if things go wrong. So, N25 billion that was a big money in 2005, is nothing today. It is barely $25 million. I think that this recapitalisation is a method to say to weak banks to go and merge together. The capital increase is a way to consolidate the industry. Because when you have weak banks that are fragmented, they are the ones that will take all kinds of risk to stay afloat. And their risk taking is what that will endanger confidence because it will only eed one or two of them to fail and there will be a run on everybody. Mergers in developed countries are matter of moral persuasion. But Nigerians will prefer to go to court even if their banks are failing. Today we still have banks that failed since the 1990s that have not been liquidated because they are in court. Can those banks be reopened? They have been dead. But guess what, their depositors have not been paid up till now. We have a legal framework that makes it difficult for us to do in Nigeria what is a normal business practices elsewhere. So, what that means is that

are exporting for secondary school education is invested in schools in Nigeria. It is Nigerians that must invest in Nigeria to make Nigeria grow. These are what I call the low hanging fruits. We must ramp up our oil production to about three mbpd. Oil is a wasting investment and we have about 20 years window to exploit as much as we can before other alternatives comes up. The beauty about some of the oil companies that are leaving is that indigenous companies are buying them. Hopefully they will invest more. These is not rocket science, but commitment and carrying Nigerians along by living by example, within five years it will be a different story. Nigerians are actually patriotic but they are learning from their leaders. I feel sorry for people under the age of 40 in Nigeria. They never saw Nigeria work normally and have taken our dysfunctional behavior as normal behavior.

You are an investor in the education sector, what is your assessment of Nigeria’s educational system?

you must use a crude method like capitalisation to force them. To me capitalisation is the crude method for other things that do not work. In abroad you do not hear them talking about capitalisation. They talk about capital ratios that if you cannot meet them you will go and merge.

Were there lessons you learnt from the 2005 banking capitalisation exercise to guide the industry?

Oh yes, there were many lessons. First of all, we must learn to be proactive. When you see signs, be proactive about them and do not wait until things get out of hands. Our political environment is enabling individuals to be bigger than institutions. From a central bank perspective, there should be more stringent regulation and also rule of law to ensure adherence to policies. What happens is that all of us are players but you see somebody committing offence and he gets away with it while you are there trying to play by the rule and you are not making money. But other people who are not playing by the rules are being celebrated. It will get to a point that you will want to join them. If there is punishment for bad behavior, you that want to keep your name will not do it. But has there been any punishment for bad behavior in our society till today? Why do we believe that these things do not matter? Government must set the moral tone; it must set the tone for behavior. Once you hold public office you are no longer a private citizen. And everything you do has a signal. Government must stop giving credibility to bad behavior. The problem we have in Nigeria is that it is the leaders that will cause the revolution that people talk about.

What do you think can be done to reset the economy?

First of all, the Nigerian economy is very simple. What is the biggest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? Agriculture. So face it. It is the biggest contributor to employment; it enhances food security and it is where we have comparative advantage. So, how are we able to get people back to the farms? As a family we have two farmlands. One is about 50 hectares of land and I have not been there for over two years now because of insecurity challenge. So, I am only cultivating the smaller one that is about eight hectares. The middle belt is the food basket of Nigeria, but a lot of people are not going to their farm lands because of ethnic and farmers-herdsmen clashes. So, the first thing is to ensure that people start going back to their farms. The second thing is to make the farms more productive with enhanced technology. To me the solution is in agriculture. Another area that is viable that we can make more money from is mining. We have to look inwards and look at our natural resources and think about how we can add value to them. We missed the boat in investing in hospital and education. Thank God private investments have come into health. In Nigeria today, there is nothing that cannot be diagnosed. Government should now say ‘no more medical tourism.’ Let us conserve our foreign reserves. Much will be achieved if the amount of money we

Education is an area that needs investments because it is always changing. Going to school is not the only way of getting educated. Sometimes I tell people that after going to university that they also need to develop social skills and networks. For us we have decided that education is an area we have invested. We have our flagship, which is the Olashore International School that is delivering world class education in our local setting. It is a Nigerian school but it enables our students to compete globally. We have always tried to encourage as many people as possible to go into education. The biggest challenge with education now is that people see it as if there is money in it. There is no money in it. All the money you generate is also reinvested. When we built the school, Tower Aluminum told us that they are giving us 10 years guarantee on the roof. By the time the 10 years was coming up and we are looking at the cost of re-roofing it was almost 10 to 15 times the amount we used to do it initially. Did our school fees go up 15 times? Where do you get the capital to reinvest in physical structure? Government blows hot and cold with taxes. One year they will say you are tax free and another year they will say you are not tax free. Education requires investment if you want it to stand the best of time. Technology plays a very big role in education. The solid walls you built 30 years ago for classrooms may not allow Wi-Fi to penetrate. How often do they revamp the curriculum in Nigeria? The inspectors will say that we are expected to deliver English, Mathematics and the sciences. Fine! But what people need today are skills. Nobody listens if I say I want to do vocational education. The students do not even want to pay for it. In Nigeria we put a lot of premium on certificates whereas premium should be on skills. Education now means that you must blend formal education in the curriculum and also make sure that you are giving those students skills that will be useful for the world they are going to live in. Let me give you an example. If anyone enters my school today at the age of 10 in 2024 and spends six years with us and another four years in the university that is a minimum of 10 years. Therefore, the child will enter the workforce in 2035. So why am I giving him skills for today’s market? I must try and prepare him for the market of 2035. As a school I have to anticipate what industries that will be relevant in 2035 and beyond? What will be the environment in 2035 and beyond and make sure that my school will deliver it? But if you will tell people to pay for that they will say no. My concern is how I can deliver a kid with skills and attitudes that will be relevant in 2035 and beyond. Otherwise your students will not be relevant. What that means is that you keep on investing. I happened to be in the UK in January and spent three days at BET Educational Fair so that I can know the future of education. I told my board members that we will deliver students that will still be globally relevant and at the same time make sure that they are also relevant for Nigeria. So, it is a challenge. But we are enjoying it and are quite happy about it. We are adding three tripods to the basic education. Tripod number one is sports. I have just built eight football pitches because I want it to be a centre of excellence in training footballers. We are starting what we call Olashore International School Football Academy. Beyond skills football requires a mindset to cope with both success and failure. Another tripod is technology where students will learn robotics, coding etc. The third tripod that we have not started has to do with creativity and drama. These are the key areas that we believe are for the future. So let me give my children skills apart from basic vocational training in carpentry etc.

Olashore

Taming Insecurity in the FCT

Folalumi Alaran, in this report examines the current state of insecurity in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), its impact on nightlife and measures by security agencies to stem the tide

As the sun sets over Abuja, casting long shadows across the city’s streets, a darker narrative unfolds, one that strikes fear into the hearts of its residents – the resurgence of ‘one-chance’ robbery. In the heart of Nigeria’s capital, where the Aso Rock once symbolised safety.

A growing wave of insecurity has tainted the once serene, safe and peaceful atmosphere that defined the FCT in the past, striking fears into the hearts of its residents.

Merchants of evil who hawk a medley of malevolent items have assaulted its serenity and turned the once peaceful city into a nightmare

Virtually on daily basis are statistics and headlines and narratives that underscore the grim reality faced by those who have fallen victim to this growing urban menace.

Of the many security problems confronting the nation’s capital and its residents, the ‘one-chance’ menace and abductions for ransom loom large.

In the latter, no place is safe. People are kidnapped on the road, business places, farms and in the comfort of their homes

While many victims have lost their lives, even after their loved ones had struggled to pay ransom, some are still in captivity.

Several victims of ‘one-chance’ have also shared their harrowing experiences, revealing that falling prey to one-chance is not solely about carelessness.

The ordeal of a young man named Kolawole AbdulMajeed underscores the dire situation the hands of these marauding anti-social elements: “I was working late and I left the office around 8pm in the night. This happened around Area 11 in Abuja and the men in the taxi would never come across to you as criminals. They were four in number and in their early 50s. As I stopped the car and was getting in, the man in front started screaming the moment I shut the door.

“He complained that I had used the car door to hit his hands, while he was sitting in front. How could I have hit the back door with his hands in front?”

Little did AbdulMajeed know that while they were tying to distract him with the door drama, they had taken his phone and wallet from his bag. When they were done with what they wanted to do, they asked him to go down.

His experience echoes through the suburbs, where the ‘one-chance’ cases have found a renewed foothold, leaving residents on edge.

The criminals have mastered their craft, operating as syndicates that lay traps for unsuspecting passengers.

As the city grapples with a resurgence of such incidents, FCT Police Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police Josephine Adeh, in response to THISDAY’s enquiry, spoke about how the recent cases of insecurity, particularly the “One Chance” syndrome, impacted the safety of residents and visitors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to Adeh, there has been a drastic decrease, rather than an increase in insecurity, particularly “one chance” robbery. She stated that the immediate past FCT Commissioner of Police (CP) ensured the decrease in insecurity, a feat she argued that since assumption of office, the new CP Benneth Igweh has consolidated on.

For Adeh, the FCT is relatively calm now.

But many would wonder aloud: “have we not always heard this?” Yet, to many residents, the rate of kidnapping has continued to spike.

On the specific measures being taken to address the rising concerns about kidnapping within the FCT, the IGP recently launched the Special Intervention Squad (SIS), headed by the present Commissioner of Police, CP Benneth Igweh to address security challenges, particularly kidnapping.

The creation of the SIS seems to have yielded positive results, as several kidnappers’ camps were busted, kidnappers arrested, victims rescued and reunited with their families and loved ones.

Igweh has rolled out a new security approach to ensure the safety of those who engage in social activities during the evening hours. The presence of highly professional police operatives would be felt in such places to boost the confidence of individuals engaging in social activities at night, Adeh said.

However, in the suburbs, the situation is worsening. One of the suburbs that have witnessed a spate of criminal activities in recent weeks is Kurudu, one of the border communities with Nasarawa State.

Despite the presence of a Divisional Police Headquarters, criminal gangs, which were reportedly dislodged from some communities in Nasarawa State have found a safe haven in Kurudu.

Homes of many residents were said to have been broken into during the night and robbed by heavily armed criminals. According to reports, there are several joints where criminals feast on banned substances and hard drugs around Kurudu,

which aid their activities While the FCT, the once safest place in Nigeria, now battles an influx of criminals, including terrorists and bandits, exploiting the city’s vulnerabilities, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike has pledged to combat insecurity.

Despite that pledge, the reality of ‘one-chance’ cases and other security challenges persist, leaving residents in fear.

The Secretary of the Command and Control Centre at the FCTA, Dr. Peter Olumuji, provides insights into the challenges posed by these crimes and the measures taken to address them.

In an interview, he sheds light on the security landscape, the balance between safety and nightlife, and the specific areas in the FCT that demand heightened vigilance.

He revealed the complexities of the security challenges and the impact on the city’s vibrant nightlife.

“Naturally, we have challenges of ‘one chance’ and kidnappings,” he admitted, adding however that security agencies have intensified their efforts, effecting numerous arrests and significantly reducing these crimes.

The suspects, he claimed, “are either fleeing the FCT or aiding in the identification of their accomplices.”

Addressing concerns about nightlife, Olumuji dispelled the assumption that people are avoiding public spaces.

He asserts, “We go out many times to those places to look at these places that people go to for fun during the weekend, and we realised that there is no reduction at all in the level of people who go out in the FCT to clubs.” Despite increased security consciousness, fun-seekers continue to embrace the nightlife, he summed up.

The security chief delved into the delicate balance between maintaining a secure environment and allowing for a vibrant nightlife. He argued that security agencies cannot restrict nightlife, emphasising the importance of maintaining a robust economy fueled by social activities.

According to him, there has been no official announcements restricting movement in the night, adding that residents are free to move at any hour for any legitimate activity.

On specific areas of concern, Olumuji pointed to flashpoint areas around the FCT – Bwari Area Council, Kuje, and Kwali. However, he assured that strategic security measures were being implemented in these communities, with a focus on collaboration with the traditional institutions.

Empowering the natural leaders popularly known as traditional leaders and fostering a strong reporting template through call centres and emergency lines have contributed to a decline in crime rates in these areas, Olumuji said.

He acknowledged the impact of ‘one-chance’ crimes on public transportation, revealing measures the FCT administration is putting in place.

These include providing mass transit vehicles, ensuring registered

and painted cabs, and increasing awareness among residents about personal safety in public transportation.

As Abuja grapples with the menace of insecurity, Olumuji’s insights provide a glimpse into the ongoing efforts to strike a delicate balance between security and maintaining the vibrancy of the city’s social life.

The challenge remains, but with strategic measures and community collaboration, Abuja aims to reclaim its status as a safe haven for both residents and those seeking the thrill of social-- day or night.

The key to curbing ‘one-chance threats lies in overhauling Abuja’s disorganised urban transit system. The absence of structured transportation infrastructure and the prevalence of unmarked cabs contribute to the criminals’ ability to operate with impunity.

The residents of the FCT are raising their voices, demanding more decisive action from the government to address the growing menace.

The Director of Security Services Department at the Office of the Minister FCTA, Adamu B. Gwary, sheds light on the comprehensive measures initiated by the FCT administration. However, residents are questioning the effectiveness of these efforts, pushing for more concrete steps to ensure their safety.

“It is not only to the FCT per se; it is a national issue,” Gwary said, underscoring the widespread nature of the security challenge. Yet, the discontent among residents is palpable, with many expressing frustration over the perceived inadequacy of the current strategies.

The town hall meetings and public sensitisation campaigns, while commendable, are being criticised as insufficient in the face of the rising threat.

Residents, now more than ever, demand transparency and accountability from the government in addressing the foreseen challenges of recent abductions and kidnappings.

The call for enhanced collaboration between the community and security agencies is met with skepticism, as some residents question whether their concerns are genuinely being taken into account.

“We need more than just sensitisation; we need tangible action,” asserts a frustrated resident, reflecting the sentiments of many who feel that the government’s response falls short of their expectations. The emphasis on “See Something, Say Something” is met with skepticism, with residents questioning whether their reports are genuinely making a difference or merely disappearing into bureaucratic processes.

The controversy deepens as the discussion turns to selfdefense. Some residents, feeling abandoned by the current security measures, are contemplating acquiring weapons for their protection. This provocative move highlights the trust deficit between the government and the people, with individuals expressing a lack of faith in the authorities’ ability to provide adequate security.

In response, Gwary rejects the idea of residents arming themselves, sparking a heated debate. Residents argue that if the government cannot ensure their safety, they should have the right to take matters into their own hands. This shift in public sentiment places added pressure on the government to reevaluate and bolster its security strategies.

The controversial twist amplifies the urgency for the FCT administration to reexamine its approach to tackling insecurity. Residents are not just seeking assurances; they are demanding tangible results and a swift, effective response. As Abuja grapples with its security challenges, the government now faces the challenge of not only ensuring safety but also regaining the trust and confidence of its disillusioned residents, emphasizes the need for effective transport systems and encourages commuters to take precautions.

The call for change echoes in the proposal to brand Abuja’s cabs and commercial vehicles, creating a central database for easy identification and tracking. The lack of organisation in the city’s taxi system allows criminals to exploit the chaos, posing a serious threat to public safety. While innovative services like Bolt and Uber attempt to fill the void, their shortcomings contribute to the overall vulnerability. As Abuja grapples with this worrisome trend, the plea for enhanced security measures becomes urgent.

Law enforcement’s reluctance to patrol vulnerable areas and booby-traps for criminals raises questions about their commitment to public safety. Nyesom Wike’s administration faces a critical juncture, with the need to trademark commercial vehicles and taxis, creating a safer, more organised urban landscape.

Ultimately, the battle against one-chance in Abuja goes beyond law enforcement – it’s a collective effort to reshape the city’s transportation system, enhance security measures, and protect the lives of its residents.

Only through comprehensive changes can Abuja reclaim its reputation as a safe haven and restore tranquility to its bustling streets.

Wike

UBA: Enhancing Customer Experience, through Innovation

Oluchi Chibuzor

As the structure of banking in Nigeria continues to evolve, issues of customer satisfaction are increasingly becoming the focus of financial institutions. From the banking hall to the numerous alternative banking channels, banks are developing platforms to ensure their customers get the best of services amid the rising competition in the industry and dwindling revenue.

In the last two decades, bank customers have not only surged in number, but have continued to manifest changes in lifestyle and behaviour. This customer lifestyle evolution has made innovations in financial products and service delivery a necessity, as banks now have to create and recreate financial products to be in line with current social and business realities and ensure that these product innovations meet the rapidly-changing choices of their customers.

In fact, changes in customer lifestyle have followed the unprecedented breakthrough in technology, which changed the way business transactions are conducted and the way we live.

For the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, one of the leading banks in the country, the financial institution has continued to make customer satisfaction as well as the changing lifestyles of its customers the focus of its brand strategy.

UBA is Africa’s global bank with a rich history spanning over seven decades. The bank which is headquartered in Lagos, is one of the most recognised financial institutions to originate from Sub-Saharan Africa with thriving operations in 20 African countries, the United Kingdom and France and is the only sub Saharan African bank with a deposit taking license in the USA. It opened for business in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

UBA provides corporate, commercial, SME, consumer and personal (retail) banking services to more than 27 million customers, served through diverse channels: over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points with 2,669 ATMs, 87,223 PoS, and robust online banking services. Additionally, UBA offers pension custody and related services.

A segment of its customers that spoke with THISDAY, in separate interviews, narrated their banking experience with UBA.

In the interview, Okafor Hyacinth Ejike of Hycharis Industries Limited, who banks with UBA, revealed that he has been banking with UBA for 14 years now, “and in that 14 years I would say that the bank has done very well.”

“I was able to secure facility from the bank to support my business which is what every customer looks up to. There was one of their branch managers at Oyingbo market, when he was posted to that branch, he went round the market appealing to us to open account with the bank.

“Their facility is okay and I like the composition of their management. The bank is doing well and I believe they can do better. For those not banking with UBA: I want to say they are losing much because the bank’s customer relationship is encouraging.”

Prince Saturday E-Izebhigie, who is a vendor an operates Sezi Enoze Commercial Enterprises, said his attraction to UBA was the Chairman of its Board, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

E-Izebhigie, said he was with Elumelu when the founder of Heirs Holdings was with All States Trust Bank, and, “when he moved to Standard Trust Bank as acting MD, I also moved with him. I was the one that encouraged the bank to open its Ojuelegba branch. I like their staff because they are cooperative.”

Another customer of UBA, Olayinka Junaid said: “their services are good. I have been banking with the bank since about 2020, and I must commend their services.”

Junaid, who is a cement dealer, however, urged UBA to do more for small businesses and make allowances for overdrafts and other forms of facilities.

Similarly, Olubunmi Kuforiyo, who operates Erika Multi-Services Limited, spoke glowing about the services of UBA.

“The bank has been good to me so far and I have been operating a corporate account with the bank in the past five years. I enjoy the internet banking

because even whenever I am out of the country it is very effective.

“My new account officer has been very good and very helpful unlike the immediate past one,” Kuforiyo added.

However, Kuforiyo urged the financial institution to role out more products that would be easily accessible to micro, small and medium sized enterprises.

On her part, Stellamaris Uzowulu, who is a savings account holder of the bank hailed the financial institution for making it easy for her to access her funds or carry out transactions from her banking app whenever she wants.

“There are some banks that you will always encounter network failures and you find it difficult to execute transactions, but that is not the case with UBA. Their mobile app is user-friendly and I don’t have the challenge of downtime,” she added.

UBA has carved a niche for itself and continues to stand out as the leading Pan-African financial institution, consistent in introducing numerous first rate innovative products with customer satisfaction in mind.

The bank has invested significantly in cutting edge technology in a bid to boost its overall services to customers. The development is a further demonstration of the bank’s unalloyed commitment to ensuring premium services as well as reaffirming its dominance across Africa.

In a bid to reinforce its commitment to first-rate experience, the lender had introduced Leo the Chat Banker and did not rest on its oars as it innovated with more firsts by launching on Facebook and on WhatsApp, following which it created Leo Apple Business Chat’ for Ios on iPhone and iPad.

The UBA mobile App is a one stop shop for all banking transactions. The app, which is a total upgrade from the former one has new features including four amazing themes and a more amazing graphical interface, just as it has another neverbeen-seen before feature where it blurs your account balance when you cover your phone’s censor.

The app was tailor-made to give customers what they want, how and in the way they want it.

The UBA Mobile App is like a personal finance manager built with a distinctive user interface that has changed the face of banking.

UBA which is known for its culture of excellent service, has continuously innovated all of its business segments, whilst delivering top-notch operational efficiencies and best-in-class customer service. Over the years, the reward for creating such superior value has come in form of customer

satisfaction and numerous local and international awards, thus consolidating their leadership position in Africa. For the bank, those awards are evidence of the diligent execution of its strategic initiatives geared towards customer service fulfillment.

The Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, had stressed that the bank’s customer policy had helped them to achieve their goal, as the staff had been more committed to attending to and solving customer needs.

“I can tell you today that we have a UBA where staff are more committed to the ideals of customer experience, and these were very significant strategies that really helped us with that result.

“Our primary business strategy is to continue to focus on the customer – the undisputed employer. To achieve the above, our esteemed customers and the dedicated workforce are very critical to us even with the best of processes and technology.

“We are committed to ensuring a positive experience for our customers across all our touch points. We will continuously strive to simplify and streamline our process and ensure systems stability and reliable IT architecture to support our operations. We will proactively interrogate our systems, services and resources in order to constantly surpass the expectations of our customers.

“We will continue to make significant investments in training and development, nurturing our talents and unceasingly create excitement within the Group by rewarding excellent performance via promotion, recognition and other forms of rewards,” Alawuba added.

The UBA GMD had stressed that his primary strategy, “is to focus on the customer and this informs our Customer First (C1st) philosophy which ensures that we always put our customers first. The bank achieves this through the deployment of three key levers – People, Process and Technology – to give our customers the best offerings and services.

“Our business strategy is built on being the bank of choice for individuals and businesses across the African continent and for those who are wishing to do business in Africa.

“UBA emphasises the core values of Enterprise, Execution and Excellence and aims to be the leading financial services institution as well as the undisputed Sustainable Financial Institution in Africa.

“The bank’s strategic goal is to be a dominant leader in all the markets and geographies where we operate; to be the payment rail for funds and trade flows into and out of Africa and to be present in key global financial centres to foster our Africa reach.”

Alawauba (left) and Chairman, UBA, Tony Elumelu

‘Nigeria Needs to Export More, Ramp Up Oil Production to Boost FX Supply’

The Chief Investment Officer, Asia, Middle and Europe, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Manpreet Singh Gill and the Head, Wealth Management, Nigeria, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Lanre Olajide, in this joint interview speak about the global economy, the pathway for recovery for the Nigerian economy. Obinna Chima presents the excerpts:

MANPREET SINGH GILL:

What is Standard Chartered Bank’s global outlook for 2024?

Our global outlook for 2024 is called ‘Sailing with the Wind.’ We are starting the year on a relatively optimistic note and specifically we mean the United States economy, because that is the one that matters to markets around the world, including Nigeria. In the past two years inflation has been a concern. But the good news is that things are going in the right direction. I think economic growth will be one key factor because we have got more resilient growth than any of us were expecting this time last year, so we think there is room for that to extend to the early part of 2024. In the early part of 2024, we are still optimistic about the equities market and we believe that the rally we have seen since Q4 2023, can still extend, which is a positive sign for risk assets worldwide. One key reason why we call it ‘sailing with the wind,’ is to what extent will those winds change as we go through the year. That is because if you look at long-term recession indicators, they haven’t stopped sending warning signals. I know we had this discussion last year and we never got a recession. But I think what the indicators are telling us is that we can’t stop being vigilant in 2024. Now, we do expect Fed to start cutting rates, but we think it is something that will only start mid-year. So, that is for the United States. I think China is in a different place, and what we are really forward to is stability and some of that have to come from government policies. Looking at emerging markets and thinking from the point of a Nigerian investor, we have to still look at the US interest rates because they still set the tone in terms of global dollar liquidity. Emerging markets tend to do well when US yields are falling and the US dollar weakens. I think this year we would start to get lower dollar yields and that is supportive to risk assets worldwide, especially in emerging markets. I think on the dollar; we are not expecting much weakness.

LANRE OLAJIDE:

What is your assessment of the Nigerian economy since the present administration took over?

The government came on board in May last year and straight away they started a series of reforms. Those reforms are necessary as far as we are concerned. To be honest, they are very painful, but nothing was unexpected. Things had been quite tough in the last couple of years. We had sort of allowed them to deteriorate, so the process of fixing things would take some time and we probably have to go through some pain before we go begin to see some gains. Specifically, they started with fuel subsidy removal, followed by the FX reforms, which continues to reverberate up till now. So, we would see a continuation of that, we would see new once come up and we would see tweaks to the old policies because you and I from where we stand can debate whether some of them are working or not. But generally speaking, our outlook is more positive this year than it was last year. From quite a number of things, especially from personal savings perspectives, the market did very well last year. The Nigerian stock exchange saw almost 50 per cent gain last year. This year it has continued and as we speak, it is at about 37 per cent gain year-to-date. It was one of the best performing markets last year in spite of all the turbulence and instability that we see. So, we do expect the stock market to perform well this year also. The All-Share Index has crossed 100,000 point, which is very good. Market capitalisation today is about N57 trillion, so we are making some good progress. Clearly, the government has shown that it is interested in investment and all of those. So, I think those would be positive. For the macro-economy, inflation would probably trend lower this year, especially when you consider the base effects. For foreign exchange, we have seen some more devaluation this year. We probably would see the currency swing a bit this year – it would go up and come down, until water finds its level. Supply is a

major thing as far as foreign exchange is concerned and the government has been trying to increase oil production. A lot of success was recorded last year, as far as oil production is concerned and we hope that is continued to stem the tide in oil theft and all that. The Dangote Refinery is coming up and we would begin to refine our own crude oil and it would to some extent, relieve the pressure on foreign exchange. There have been some reforms from the Central Bank of Nigeria in recent times, just trying to attack the foreign exchange challenge. Again, Nigeria is an import-dependent nation and if you don’t rein in the exchange rate, inflation would continue to impact it in addition to all other things driving it. Generally speaking, the macros may not improve significantly, but there are still lots of opportunities as the government continues to drive these reforms which ultimately we think would take us to where we want to go.

From where you sit, what can be done to address the challenge in the foreign exchange market and from what we are seeing in the stock market, some have argued that it appears to be a bubble, what is your take on that?

For me, the foreign exchange challenge is primarily a demand and supply issue. The demand for dollar is incredible. We are an import-dependent country and almost everything we consume is imported. If you have an economy that runs that way, then your supply must also go up. But there is a deficit in supply. So, the first thing we needed to do is to reduce the imported stuffs that we consume. We absolutely need to export more to generate more foreign exchange so that we can take care of the supply side and I think this is where ramping up oil production comes in to help with foreign exchange receipts. The Dangote Refinery like I said is the right thing in the right direction. Production has started and as it continues to increase and improve, it would contribute its own quota. For the stock market, there would always be suspicion of bubble here and there. But if you look at some of the quoted companies, their fundamentals are sound. But I think at the end of the day, it is a question of working with the right partners in terms of what you are doing. If you are not an expert, do not go to the stock market and stake your money. Work with people who have expertise, good knowledge and are competent in managing wealth and investments generally. I don’t think it is a bubble. Will it do as well as it did last year? In my honest opinion, it is possible. Like I said it did almost 50 per cent last

year and year to do it has done about 37 per cent as at today. Of course we are going to see profit-taking coming on at some point during the year, but I think generally speaking, we are headed for another good year of performance in the stock market.

Those who are argue that the stock market rally may be a bubble base their argument on the fact that when you look at economy, the macroeconomic indicators are largely on the negative side and do not reflect what is happening in the stock market?

It is a fair point, especially when you consider things from the manufacturing point of view. But if you look at the financial services, the fundamentals are strong. A lot of the banks have not been negatively impacted by the foreign exchange situation, because banks are prepared for these shocks and are well hedged. A lot of them have operations outside Nigeria, so they have dollar assets. If you look at the oil and gas sector, lots of good things are happening there. The deregulation is good for business. For me, I would say the most challenged is the manufacturing sector, but other than that, I think every other sector is in good stand.

Looking at the CBN, towards the end of this month we are expected to have Monetary Policy Committee Meeting (MPC), what are your expectations?

To be honest with you, there have been some criticism of the CBN because we have had a new Governor for some time now and the MPC has not held. But I would say sometimes you don’t rush to do things. He met a few concerning issues on the ground which are being largely sorted out. When the MPC meets, what are our expectations? We do expect interest rate to go up. As the government tries to battle inflation, interest rates would go up. But on the other side, you don’t want to stunt growth when interest rate goes up, cost of borrowing becomes high and you are talking about businesses that are struggling already. So, you want to encourage growth, you don’t want to stunt it. But you have to achieve that balance, which is the headache that most central banks have to go through. Look at the Fed in the United States, over the last two years they have been fighting inflation aggressively and they have had to sacrifice some growth on the altar of fighting inflation. It looks like success has been achieved now, and they can then begin to tone down what they are doing in terms of fighting inflation. I think same would happen to Nigeria. For now, inflation needs to be combated head-on.

MANPREET SINGH GILL:

As a bank, what investment opportunities are

you offering Nigerian investors?

There are few, but I am focusing more on the global opportunities because that is what we look at. Firstly, within the equities market, I think a few regions look important. So the US can be considered because that is where we expect resilience. It could be the broad market or preferred sectors, but we still like technology because it is a cyclical sector. Japan is another one and we talking about Japanese equities, because it is cyclical, just like the United States, but it is a whole lot cheaper. In China, sector strategy can be employed.

LANRE OLAJIDE:

To provide a bit of context, as this concerns Nigerian clients, we don’t offer direct equities in Nigeria. What we do is that we offer mutual funds. We also have stand-alone bonds. So, from a fixed income perspective, we have those bonds. Mutual funds help you express whatever you want to express and are a very good way of giving exposure to our clients.

What do you think are the best investment opportunities in Nigeria presently?

We spoke about the Nigerian stock market earlier, if you saw 50 per cent in a stock market last year, you can’t afford to ignore such a market. Today, it has gained over 36 per cent. So, I would advise that you take a position there. This is in spite of the fact that Standard Chartered Bank does not offer direct equities, but we offer fixed income securities. I will definitely advocate for our local fixed income securities as well. But I will tell you that one pain point for a lot of investors in Nigeria today is currency devaluation. So, you definitely want to do products that help you hedge against that risk. That is where Eurobond and mutual funds come in. Mutual funds can be spread across all these funds as you like. I am not going to say put all your money in dollar-based assets because here in Nigeria we consume naira and you need to generate some income from the naira perspective.

How can investors asses Standard Chartered Bank’s wealth management products?

We have made it very easy to assess. The first step is that you open an account. You can walk into any of our branches, speak to any Relationship Manager. Our Relationship Managers are trained and certified and they can speak to you about investments. If you are digitally inclined, go online and invest. You can monitor your portfolio on the digital platform.because we have invested a lot on our digital platforms.

Gill (left) and Olajide

L-R: Registrar, Trinity University, Mr. David Oyejide; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Council, Trinity University, Pastor Samuel Olatunji; Group Managing Director, SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, Dr. John Obaro; Founder, MitiMeth, Mrs. Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro; and Former Minister of Industry, Chief (Dr.) Nike Akande; at the Conferment of Honorary Doctor of Science Degree on Dr. Obaro during the Trinity University Convocation Ceremony in Lagos, recently

Social Media Bit

: “Nigerians always fall for pity cards” Lord Lamba says as he sues Queen Mercy Atang for custody of their daughter because he can’t allow another man to raise his child.

Lord Lamba is fighting for custody of his daughter with Queen Mercy Atang after the reality star got engaged. In a legal documents shared online, Kelvin Anagbodu, better known as Lord Lamba, said he wants custody of the child because he doesn’t want another man to raise his child.

Only women with multiple body counts want grand wedding ceremony, Nigerian man says

The 30-year-old tested positive for testosterone after Juventus’s first game of the season against Udinese and was given a hefty punishment by an anti-doping prosecutor’s office in Italy on Thursday, as reported by La Repubblica. Pogba’s lawyers had rejected a plea deal and hoped to get their client a lighter sentence after claiming that he had accidentally ingested the substance that caused the positive test.

07064693603

: I once felt an erection from my Father when I hugged him, says Broadcaster, Katherine Obiang Broadcaster and actress Katherine Obiang, has disclosed that she once felt an erection when she hugged her father one morning. Following this encounter, she realised that her interactions with her father had to change and that she refrained from hugging him as she used to.

She disclosed this on the Jasiri show while giving her opinion on the trending video of movie director Kunle Afolayan dancing with his daughter, Eyiyemi.

Appearing on Channels

: Moses Bliss and Marie Wiseborn have their traditional wedding in Ghana Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga said that cryptocurrency trading website Binance will “destroy” Nigeria’s economy if not checked.

Television, Onanuga alleged that Binance was arbitrarily fixing foreign exchange rates.

Dramatising giving the Eucharist, robed up in priestly regalia for a music video that has no connection with Christianity is disrespectful, Solomon Buchi slams Asake

Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba has reportedly been handed a four-year ban from football after failing a drugs test last August.

: Lagos laws allow a side chick to contest her sugar daddy’s will if she isn’t included in it, Nigerian Private trust advisor says

Aba residents rejoice as they experience days of uninterrupted power supply following the installation of the Geometric Power Plant.

Basketmouth mocks former Abia State Governors

07052343083

Auto Firm Introduces Jetour X90 Plus, Reveals Unique Features

Jetour has unveiled some of the unique features of its new model, X90 Plus, also called Cruise, just introduced to the Nigerian market.

The auto firm, Jetour Mobility Service, said in a statement that the model comes with luxury, power and opulence.

It notes that the introduction of Jetour into the Nigerian auto market brings with it excitement and great expectations because of its background and offerings.

Its rich background is directly associated with the fact that Jetour Automobile is a new brand launched by Chery Holdings in response to the market trend and consumer demand, it adds.

Available in the Nigerian market are Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) like the X70-Liberty, X70 Plus-Elegance, X90 Plus - Cruise and the Dashing.

Of all these, it says the X90 Plus - Cruiseremains the lead of the pack, offering fantastic and mouth-watering features that are hard to find in its class.

Part of the statement read, “With the Jetour X90 Plus, what you find are affluent experience,

intelligent safety and world-class luxury that last throughout your journey, be it city drive or long-distance adventure.

“Compared to its peers, the Jetour X90Plus offers enviable maneuverability and stability courtesy of its 1780mm height and exciting interior space based on its 4858mm length and 1925mm width.

“Its sophisticated nature is emboldened by the hexagonal chrome plated front grill, complemented by Tri-LED headlights. Connecting its double waistline is a new angular designed bumper, stealthy housing front cameras and radar sensor.”

The vehicle’s appearance is further enhanced by its 20-inch alloy wheels and suspended roof design with contrasting side pillars.

Jetour X90 Plus rear design finishing is facilitated by the LED taillights, chrome tipped dual exhaust and bigger tailgate with blacked-out D-pillars.

The vehicle offers 35 smart storage areas with flat folding rear seats, just as the panoramic roof, 36 decibel noise insulation, and the CN95 air filter further boost its interior ambience.

According to Jetour, the X90 Plus “expansive

cargo and cabin space fits everything and everyone you want to take on your next adventure. Enjoy total luxury and comfort of the Jetour X90 Plus 5/7-seater layout.

“The X90 Plus advanced virtual cockpit utilizes dual 12.3 inches HD centre touch screen. A uniquely integrated central control screen offers seamless control of all comfort functionality.”

The 5-Star safety rated vehicle comes with 75% high strength steel body cage, 360-degree panoramic camera with front and rear radar, as well as advanced safety features like lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and micro electric cruise control.

This vehicle, coming from China, which is the fastest growing automobile market in the world, comes in different colours and shades.

Interestingly, with the Jetour X90 Plus, it is not all about appearance, as the SUV is backed by a powerful engine.

Its 1.6 litre four-cylinder Turbo engine is made to deliver 197 bhp of max power, just as its 7-speed DCT transmission powers the front wheels seamlessly. It also comes with a 2.0 litre Turbo engine that delivers 254 bhp of max power in addition to the 1.6 L engine.

Hyundai Motor Wins Six 2023 Good Design Awards

Hyundai Motor Company has been recognised yet again for its innovative design competitiveness by winning six top honors at the 2023 GOOD DESIGN Awards in the U.S., including four in the Transportation category and two in the Interactive Media category. Notably, Hyundai’s N Vision 74 ‘rolling lab’ achieved a global design awards ‘grand slam’.

“We feel a tremendous sense of honor to receive acknowledgment from the GOOD DESIGN Awards for these significant vehicles and innovations,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai & Genesis Global Design. “This recognition serves as a testament to the exceptional dedication exhibited by our team of visionary designers, who poured their unwavering passion and commitment into this project, alongside our collaborative engineers at the R&D center. It highlights the remarkable competitiveness of Hyundai’s design identity within the global market.”

The GOOD DESIGN Awards are selected through collaboration between The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in Chicago, Illinois, and The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies in Europe. They announce award-winning works in various categories for Fortune 500 and global

Hyundai IONIQ 6

leading companies every year.

Hyundai Motor achieved the honor of having four products, including N Vision 74, IONIQ 6, Azera and Kona, selected in the Transportation category.

TIPS OF THE WEEK

Why is Rear Wheel Drive Better than Front Wheel Drive?

W D F

It really depends on your driving style, experience, and if you’re looking for performance. A front wheel driven car is generally considered safer because it is much harder to have oversteer since the rear wheels won’t swing the back end out and start spinning if they break traction. And if you experience oversteer you can just give it gas and the car will straighten out because the front end will just pull the rest of the car until the back end follows. This creates a safer driving experience, especially for newer drivers. FWD cars also are easier to do a handbrake turn in. If the car is a manual trans car, you can stay in gear while pulling the handbrake and not stall because the rear wheels will be locked, but the front (driven) wheels will still be free to move. If you simply pull the handbrake on a RWD car without dipping the clutch, you’ll stall out and look like a buffoon. However, FWD has its downsides, which is where you can really see RWD make a difference, especially in a performance setting. Because the front wheels of a FWD car are receiving power and doing the steering, and there is so much weight up front with the engine and drivetrain, it is much easier to experience understeer. This can create problems in a track day because you’d have to slow down a lot more than the other guy to go through the corner and not continue straight (this applies to AWD cars as well, but an AWD car can accelerate out of a turn faster than other drivetrains so it makes up for it). However, since the steering and driven wheels are separate in a RWD car, each component can do its job to the fullest extent without having to do anything else, giving a more responsive ride. This also translates to less understeer in corners generally. If you’re a proper hoonigan, you can take your RWD car out for some drifting fun. So there isn’t a clear “better” drivetrain, it really comes down to what you want and need the car to do. Both have their pros and cons in both daily and performance driving.

(SSource:Quora)

SGF Approves Appointment of Deputy Corps Marshal, 818 Other FRSC Officers

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Distinguished Senator George Akume on 27 February, 2024 approved the appointment of Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), Muhammed Kaigama Kabo to the rank of Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) to represent the North-east Geopolitical Zone. He also approved the promotion of 818 other senior,

A statement issued by Assistant Corps Federal Road Safety Corps, Jonas Agwu, Commanders (CC) promoted to the rank of Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), 56 Deputy Corps Commanders (DCC) to the rank of Corps Commander (CC) and 63 Assistant Corps Commanders (ACC) to the rank of Deputy Corps Commanders (DCC).

promoted to Assistant Corps Commanders, 63 Superintendent Route Commanders to Chief Route Commanders, as well as 186 Route Commanders elevated to the rank of Superintendent Route Commander.

In addition, the SGF also approved the promotion of 89 Deputy Route Commanders to the rank of Route Commander as well as 343 Assistant Route Commanders (ARC) to the rank of Deputy Route Commander (DRC).

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation expressed delight over the level of transparency and objectivity that heralded the to show more commitment and rededicate themselves to

In particular, the N Vision 74 high-performance hydrogen hybrid ‘rolling lab’ achieved a grand slam by winning all four major global design awards (iF, IDEA, Red Dot, GOOD DESIGN) with this award.

Bennett Oghifo

Jetour X90 Plus

TECH HUB

Addressing Surge in Cyber Threats

Cybersecurity experts blame economic hardship for the recent forecast of a rise in cyber threats in Nigeria in 2024, writes Ayodeji Ake

The Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), an association which is the umbrella body of all cyber security professionals in Nigeria, in a recent report forecasted a rise in insider threat in Nigeria by the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The association’s report for 2024 partly read: “In anticipating the road ahead, the CSEAN National Cyber Threat Forecasts 2024 points to a continued surge in mis/ disinformation, ransomware attacks, attacks against vulnerable government’s online assets, crypto scams, benefit and employment scams, information and credential theft, AI-enabled threats, impersonation scams, insider threats, cyber hacktivism, and web defacement.

“Amid these economic hardships, cybercrime has become an increasingly attractive option, offering substantial illegal earnings. Businesses and organisations must adopt various measures to combat this growing threat.

“These include increasing employee pay to better align with the cost of living, offering financial incentives for loyalty, conducting ethics training emphasizing cyber security responsibilities, monitoring employee behaviour, and implementing robust cyber security protocols like multifactor authentication.

“In light of the events of 2023, where Nigeria witnessed the disruptive force of cyber hacktivism following the coup d’état in Niger, it is highly likely that 2024 will see an increase in similar activities.

“Nigeria must adopt a multi-faceted approach. Strengthening cyber security infrastructure is paramount.

“This involves investing in advanced security technologies and enhancing the capability of cyber security personnel.”

In a bid to tackle the rising threats, the association revealed its collaboration with law enforcement

Reacting to the prediction, an Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence expert, Mr. Daniel Akinyemi, who is the founder of Pepework International Nigeria, argued that the major cause of the increase of cyber threats could be traced to economic hardship biting hard in Nigeria.

He lamented that cyber threats have been a major component of snail development technology-wise and need to be quickly regulated.

He described cybersecurity threats, “as acts performed by individuals with harmful intent, whose goal is to steal data, damage, and disrupt computing systems. Because of the economic hardship, a lot of people have resulted in attacking websites and individuals.

“A lot of scam projects are going on daily online. Unfortunately, even the genuine websites are being duplicated and they use it to perpetuate evil, scamming people of their hard-earned money.

“It’s a serious issue everyone needs to pay attention to, especially in this cash-crunch economy where people are going through a lot.

“Cyber threat is on the rampart. Truly, the global economy is not nice at this time but the Nigeria economy is tougher right now.

Some frustrated or depressed Nigerians have resorted to cyber threats as a means of survival. Not everyone has the guts to be bandits or kidnappers, but they could start cloning websites to scam unsuspecting individuals.”

He revealed rise in cyber threats on social media platforms through links from unknown sources used by perpetrators to hack into phones.

“I receive a lot of cyber threats daily on social media. I have been sent links as Short Message Service (SMS) and email. And once the link is clicked, it exposes your data. We need to be mindful of links from an unknown source. A lot of WhatsApp has been hijacked because of link clicks and its rampart,” he said.

Discussing ways cyber threats could be reduced and controlled, Akinyemi mentioned two major ways – through the government and individuals.

He insisted that hardship inflicted on the people has left many with no option than venturing into cyber threats as a source of livelihood and until the hardship is addressed by the government, there is no way forward.

“The issue of cyber threat is a very important one that needs special attention, and solutions can be created in two forms. As a blockchain developer, I will tell you for free that we suffer cyber threats, and millions of dollars are lost to cyber threats.

“As earlier mentioned, the main cause of economic cyber threats is economic hardship, especially in Nigeria where the price of food is rising at almost the percentage at which the cost of living is rising, which means the government has a pivotal role to play.

“The government needs to look inward on how they can create more opportunities for Nigerians. In some countries, there is a program called the ‘Universal Basic Income’. When some people lose their jobs, the government gives them some amount of money to keep them mentally and physically balanced until they can get another job. Giving succour by the government will help to militate against cyber threats.

“It’s applaudable that the federal government is trying to give about N25,000 monthly for the past few months to 15 million households of about five members. That is a calculation of about 25 million people. The government also says that, if the plan succeeds, they are planning to sustain it is a good move.

“But outside the distribution of relief funds, the government should also consider the power supply and other opportunities. The power supply in Nigeria at the moment is not epileptic but paralytic which is frustrating a lot of business. Putting basic amenities in place is very important.” he urged.

Speaking further, he advised that Nigerians needed to be adamant about unusual links and conscious of the websites they explore.

Lending his voice to the malicious use of

Ehindero Urges Selfdevelopment Through Tech Training

Tech expert, Oluwafemi Ehindero, has stressed the importance of training and continuous learning by tech professionals.

He said this during the just concluded Tech Recruiting Mastery Training, where he promised to set an indelible mark on the landscape of tech recruitment.

The program accommodated a select group of 30 participants, each demonstrating a keen interest in honing their skills and knowledge within the dynamic field of tech recruitment.

The primary objective of the training was to cultivate a community of tech recruiters capable of attracting, assessing, and hiring top-tier tech talent. As the program concluded, participants showcased a mastery of skills that positioned them at the forefront of the highly competitive tech recruitment landscape.

The curriculum unfolded progressively, starting with an introduction to the intricacies of tech recruiting.

Subsequent weeks delved into technical skills and terminology, sourcing and screening candidates, interviewing and assessment techniques, and building a positive candidate experience.

AI according to the CSEAN forecast report, Akinyemi noted that AI has been a helpful and developmental technology, which is not the problem, blaming the users for the wrong use of the technology to perpetrate cybersecurity threats.

“What the government can do is to come up with policies and regulations the same way the government is trying to maintain law and order within the country is the same they should on all technologies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through its official website has given banking and email safety tips.

“Internet banking safety tips include: Never log on to your Internet or Mobile Banking using public WI-FI, your data can easily be stolen by malicious persons using the WI-FI Access; never open your internet banking by clicking a link, rather type in the banks URL manually to avoid being taken to a clone site where your data can easily be stolen; always two-factor authentication password for sensitive data such as your internet banking- This will give you an added layer of security for your data, and always have your internet/mobile baking Apps up to date as required.

“Email safety tips include: Do not open emails from unknown sources. Also, if an email looks suspicious it usually does not open; always look out for grammatical typos in the email, this is usually a sign that the email is fake; be careful when u download- Do not open or download attachments from someone you do not know, even if the sender is familiar.

“This might contain a virus or malware that will infect your device once opened; use Spam filters on your emails, this helps to keep spam emails away from your main inbox; and always report any suspicious activities on your email to your organisation’s IT department, they will advise you accordingly.

“Tips on how to protect data include Backup data; this helps with retrieving back data when your device is stolen, lost, or compromised; encrypt confidential information; create strong passwords and make it a habit to change them often; install Antivirus and Anti-malware protection - this places a security layer for devices; always have your device software up to date; turn off your Bluetooth when not in use, as it can be used by attackers for malicious activities; set up privacy settings on all devices and social media,” the NCC stated.

The program also addressed critical aspects such as employer branding, recruitment marketing, and the significance of continuing education and professional development in the fast-evolving tech landscape.

The final week of the program was dedicated to networking opportunities and the organisation of meetups or virtual events to foster community engagement.

Participants, upon completing the Tech Recruiting Mastery course, were awarded a Certificate of Participation, recognizing their active involvement and commitment to mastering the intricacies of tech recruiting.

The training initiative marked a significant milestone in the evolution of tech recruitment, creating a cohort of adept professionals ready to navigate the complexities of tech talent acquisition with confidence and skill.

Telegram Begins Ad Revenue Sharing in March

Social media platform, Telegram, has announced plans to launch its ad platform in March 2024, as channel owners would start receiving financial rewards.

This was revealed recently by Telegram Chief Executive Officer, Pavel Durov, via his channel.

He said the company would pay out rewards using Toncoin on the TON blockchain.

Durov, added that channel owners would receive 50 per cent of all revenue that the company makes from displaying ads in the channels.

The post read: “Next month, channel owners on Telegram can start receiving financial rewards for their work. Broadcast channels on Telegram generate one trillion views monthly. Currently, only 10 per cent of these views are monetised with Telegram ads – a promotion tool designed with privacy in mind.

“In March, the Telegram Ad platform will officially open to all advertisers in nearly a hundred new countries. Channels owners in these countries will start receiving 50 per cent of any revenue that Telegram makes from displaying ads on their channels.

“To ensure ad payments and withdrawals are fast and secure, we will exclusively use the TON blockchain. Similar to our approach with Telegram username and fragment, we will sell ads and share revenue with channel owners in Toncoin.

“This will create a virtuous circle, in which content creators will be able to either cash out their Toncoins – or reinvest them in promoting and upgrading their channels.”

Victor Osimhen Another Napoli Milestone

He may not have had a great outing for the Super Eagles at the recently concludedAfrica Cup of Nations inAbidjan,Cote d’Ivoire,in terms of goals scored.Since returning to his club,Napoli,however, Victor Osimhen has banged in five goals,his last being a hat-trick midweek,which takes his goal haul this season to 11,making him the third Napoli player to have scored double digit goals in four straight seasons alongside legendary Diego Maradona andAttila Sallustro

Nigeria international and reigningAfrican Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, was at his goalscoring best midweek for the Neapolitans.

The 25-year-old was at the centre of some of the most eye-catching highlights as Napoli demolished Sassuolo in their Serie A clash on Wednesday.

The Super Eagles forward netted a hat-trick to power Napoli to a 6-1 victory over Sassuolo at the MAPEI Stadium.

Sassuolo and Napoli traded early goals before Osimhen got his first of the night with an expert finish in the 31st minute to make it 2-1 for the Scudetto winners.

It was, however, observed shortly after Osimhen’s goal that a portion of the net that Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli was guarding had ripped off the crossbar.

The referee paused the game and requested that a masking tape be provided with which the net could be fixed to the large horizontal metal rod again.

When the tape arrived, goalkeeper Andrea Consigli, boasting a good 1.89m in height, was the best candidate to get the job done.

But Osimhen, who is not a short man by any means at 1.85m, took it upon himself to tape the net firmly back to the body of the crossbar.

The Super Eagles striker did a good job of it, and play resumed immediately after.

However, Osimhen showed no pity for the

plight of the Italian goalie barely five minutes later when he clipped home his second goal of the game and Napoli’s third of the night.

Moments into the second half, Osimhen bagged his hat-trick following a terrible defensive error from Sassuolo to add more misery on 37-year-old Andrea Consigli.

Osimhen has now scored in his last three games for Napoli since returning from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he helped Nigeria win a silver medal.

The 25-year-old striker found the net for Napoli in their 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout round tie.

He was also on target at the weekend as Napoli and Cagliari settled for a 1-1 draw.

This season, Osimhen’s goal tally has increased to 11, making it the fourth consecutive year he would hit double-digit goals for the Neapolitans.

Only the legendary Diego Maradona and Attila Sallustro have ever managed such a feat in Napoli’s history.

Osimhen moved to 13th spot in Napoli’s all-time scorers chart after he bagged his first hat-trick of the season within 16 minutes.

It was his second hat-trick against Sassuolo since arriving in Italy in 2020. The former Lille striker scored his first against the Neroverdi on October 29, 2022.

The treble also took Osimhen’s tally to five in three games for Napoli since returning

from the Africa Cup of Nations and his 13th across all competitions this season.

With this treble, Osimhen becomes the third player in Napoli’s history to score at least 10 goals in four consecutive Serie A seasons after the late Diego Maradona (between 1984/85 and 1987/88) and Attila Sallustro (between 1929/30 and 1932/33).

Osimhen has now scored 72 goals in 122 games for Napoli and he is now joint fourth with Paulo Dybala in Serie A top scorers standings with 11 goals from 15 games.

Meanwhile, Chelsea fans have all been saying the same thing after Osimhen scored the hat-trick for Napoli against Sassuoloon Wednesday evening.

His 11 goals so far this campaign follow a whopping 26 last season, 14 in 2021/22 and 10 in 2020/21.

Due to his form in recent years, Osimhen has been constantly linked to a switch to the Premier League. His latest hat-trick has now led to Blues fans wanting to bring in the £120millionvalued frontman more than ever.

There were some claims that Osimhen was going to cost too much for Chelsea but after his latest performance, fans disagree.

One supporter sarcastically posted on X: “He’s not worth the money” accompanied by laughing faces and Osimhen’s 9.7 match ratings.

Another wrote: “Todd Boehly, if you

were looking for a sign, that’s your sign. Chelsea would be unstoppable with Victor Osimhen.”

“Victor Osimhen is worth all the hype, get him to Chelsea this summer,” another fan said.

Meanwhile, Matteo Politano has said the return of Osimhen from the 2023 AFCON has given Napoli the needed hope, after their 6-1 victory over Sassuolo.

“We knew it was fundamental, we were missing this win and I think we proved today that we are a strong squad. It is a pity we lost so many points along the way, but if this is the approach, I am sure we can do well over the next few games,” Politano told DAZN.

“We needed a match like this, as it is important in terms of mentality and confidence, we had recently lost some of our self-belief. We stepped onto the pitch calm and knowing our capabilities.”

It was the first win since new coach Calzona took charge after 1-1 draws with Barcelona and Cagliari.

This is also the Nigerian’s second Serie A career brace and curiously the other one was also against Sassuolo.

“It is a difficult season, the third coach of the campaign, but many of us knew him already as he worked with Sarri and then Spalletti. From the first day, he showed us his style of football, even if we didn’t have many training sessions,” added Politano.

Osimhen om rampage against Sassuolo in the Italian Seria A

GLOBAL SOCCER

City, United Divide Manchester in 192nd Derby

Manchester City will continue their quest for an unprecedented fourth Premier League title against rivals, Manchester United tomorrow. While Pep Guardiola’s side have won eight of their 10 league games, recent victories against Brentford and Bournemouth have come by only a single goal. Chasing a relentless Liverpool and an improving Arsenal at the top of the table, it hasn’t always looked totally convincing

Fa mouth-watering Manchester derby tomorrow afternoon, as title-chasing Manchester City tackle long-time adversaries and top-four outsiders Manchester United in the Premier League.

Both teams come into the headline fixture on the back of progression to the FA Cup quarter-finals, as the Citizens demolished Luton Town 6-2 before the Red Devils eked out a 1-0 success over Nottingham Forest.

Following in the footsteps of one of Man United’s iconic frontmen, the indomitable Erling Haaland scored five goals in one game for Manchester City - not for the first time in his career - as the FA Cup holders cruised into the last eight of the 2023-24 edition at Kenilworth Road.

Becoming the first player since George Best 54 years ago to net at least five goals in one FA Cup fixture for a top-flight club, Haaland was set up by the equally excellent Kevin De Bruyne on four occasions before completing another quintet of strikes on the 58-minute mark, after which Mateo Kovacic capped off the decimation with a sublime sixth later on.

Two efforts from Jordan Clark - the first of which Haaland would have been immensely proud to score himself - offered Luton a slice of encouragement before Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut ran riot, meaning that back-to-back trebles are still on for the reigning English and European champions as spring approaches.

Sitting second in the standings with a one-point gap to make up to Liverpool, the Citizens will fall further behind their foes if the Reds overcome Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but after having their 11-game successful streak snapped against Chelsea, Guardiola’s men have responded with consecutive 1-0 league wins over Br entford and Bournemouth.

The hosts’ unbeaten run across all tournaments has now stretched to 18 matches, and should Man City find the back of the net at least once in Sunday’s derby, they will equal their club record of scoring in an outrageous 55 home games running; a feat they previously achieved between Janu ary 2012 and January 2014.

While Man City will do their utmost to equal a club record on Sunday, their hitherto noisy neighbours are out to avoid losing three successive Etihad

fixtures for

League era, having been humbled on their adversaries’ territory in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Man United have let a staggering 10 strikes fly past them in their last two Premier League away games versus Man City, but Andre Onana and co shut up shop in Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round affair with Nottingham Forest, where a Casemiro header in the dying embers set up a tantalising last-eight clash with Liverpool.

Still on a collision course to potentially meet Man City in a repeat of the 2022-23 FA Cup final, sinking the Tricky Trees was the perfect tonic to last weekend’s chastening 2-1 home loss to Fulham in the top flight, where Alex Iwobi’s injury -time winner condemned Erik ten Hag’s troops to their 10th top-flight loss of the season after a steady period of progress.

Sixth place in the table belongs to Man United after 26 matches, but Aston Villa currently boast a healthy eight- point lead over the Red Devils in the fourth and final Champions League place and will momentarily increase their advantage to 11 should they emulate Man City by beating Luton on Saturday. Ten Hag’s troops may arrive at the Etihad sporting the underdog badge - especially after October’s comprehensive 3-0 loss to Man Citybut they boast a perfect record of six wins from six games on their travels in 2024, and alongside Aston Villa vs. Liverpool, no Premier League matchup has seen more away wins than the Manchester derby.

PREMIER LEAGUE

TODAY

Premier League Table

ans will flock to the Etihad for

the first time in the Premier

Haaland headed past Onana in goal for Manchester United at Old Trafford

Peseiro Quits Super Eagles Job after Two Years in Charge

Portuguese coach, Jose Peseiro has sent a goodbye message to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the Super Eagles following the expiration of his contract.

Peseiro took charge of the Super Eagles job in May 2022 after coach Augustine Eguavoen failed to secure the World Cup ticket. Peseiro had just left the Venezuela job, and there were many doubts about his ability because of his average record.

The fears were exacerbated after he lost his first two games in charge. However, the Portuguese tactician bounced back, winning Sierra Leone in his third game and demolishing Sao Tome and Principe 10-0.

However, after those wins, the Super Eagles still had some underwhelming performances in the

run-up to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Initially, Peseiro’s contract expired in July last year, but he signed a six-month extension that would keep him in charge of the team until the end of the AFCON.

There were a lot of doubts about the team before the AFCON because of their unimpressive results, but they performed above expectations and finished second after losing 2-1 to Cote d’Ivoire.

Since the end of the tournament, there have been talks about Peseiro’s future, as his contract was supposed to expire at the end of February. There were links to the Algerian job. However, those talks were put to bed two days ago when the Algerian Federation announced the appointment of Vladimir Petkovic.

Sports Minister Charges Team Nigeria on New Records at African Games

With just seven days until the commencement of the 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana, all eyes are on Team Nigeria’s track and field to brace up for another history-making performances.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator Owan Enoh yesterday charged Team Nigeria athletes to shatter every record in and out of their sights, and solidify their names in history like past legends.

One name that resonates in

the annals of African Games history is Deji Aliu of Team Nigeria.

Aliu holds the esteemed record for the fastest 100-meter finish ever recorded in the Games, a remarkable feat achieved in 2003 when he blazed through the track in an astonishing 9.95 seconds at the edition hosted in Abuja.

Enoh said “just like Deji Aliu, I am urging you all to do wonders in Accra and shut down the tracks with your speed and agility. This is the

kind of moments where legends are made, thus I am charging you all to go for gold and go for broke.”

As athletes from across Africa prepare to converge on Accra for the 2024 African Games, anticipation is running high for another chapter of recordbreaking performances and unforgettable moments. With the stage set and the competition fierce, all eyes are on the track, where history waits to be made once again.

OGIG 2024: NLNG, NNPC Qualify for S’finals of Football Event

Semi-finalists for the football event of the 2024 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games have emerged after the quarter finals matches were decided yesterday at the Shell Residential Area Football pitch in Port Harcourt.

In the opening match of the last eight, NLNG defeated hardfighting PTI 4-2 after penalty shootout. The match which was highly contested ended 0-0 at regulation time.

Coach of NLNG, Dan Jumbo blamed their opponents PTI for dragging the game into penalties. “PTI players were tactically delaying the game and were

conservative in their approach. They didn’t play an open game. We were determined to win and thank God we achieved our aim.”

Looking ahead of the semi final, Coach Jumbo said, “For us, we will prepare very well and give it our best shot. As you know we can only prepare but victory comes from God.”

His opposite number Olayinka Ayinde of PTI said, “we accept our loss. Penalty game can be anybody’s game. We have tried our best and we accept defeat in good faith.”

With the defeat, Coach Ayinde said, “we have been ruled out of the Abuja finals because we lost here. Next edition we will prepare better.”

In the other matches the defending champions, NNPC overcame a stubborn Total Energies team by a lone goal while NMDPRA ended ExxonMobil run with a 3-0 win to also qualify for the semi finals.

In the semi finals pairings NNPC will take on NCDMB while the second semi final match will feature NLNG against NMDPRA. Both matches come up today at the same venue.

StarTimes Doubles NPFL Live Matches to Four

StarTimes has increased its weekly live broadcast of NPFL matches to four from February 2024, instead of the usual two live matches per week.

So, fans can brace themselves for an electrifying weekend as the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) serves scintillating fixtures on Beta Sports, channel 244 on StarTimes.

As the sun sets today at 5:30pm, Remo Stars will take on Bayelsa United. Remo Stars, renowned for their attacking flair, aim to extend their winning streak. Meanwhile, Bayelsa United, hungry for points, will be out to play party spoilers.

Doma United will square off against Sporting Lagos on Monday. The stakes are

Again, Masai Challenges African Leader to Invest in Sports Infrastructure

The President of Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri has called on Nigerian and African leaders, investors and corporate bodies to invest heavily in infrastructures as it is profit-yielding when properly managed.

The Nigerian spoke at the historic groundbreaking event of The Lagos Arena at The Palms in Victoria Island over the weekend,

He said, “I am so happy to be home in the midst of you all as we start this incredible journey with Chairman Tayo Amusan, his wife and family. I am here to tell you that sports and entertainment is now and we all have to support this project.

“I work in an arena like this in Toronto and I am telling you it is a money-maker; it’s about collaboration. I’m telling you in Africa that it is time; it is the real time in Africa and in Nigeria that we open our eyes and see sports as not only recreation and competition but as real business. Yes, we have to pay attention to that.

“Africa’s biggest talent and Africa’s biggest draw is its talent base. We have people; we have talents. There’s no way that we have people like Davido, Tiwa, Kizz Daniel, Whizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, Don Jazzy and I can go on naming more and more but they don’t have any good place to perform.

“We cannot have such people and then no arena in Accra, no arena in Lagos, no arena in Nairobi, none in Johannesburg and Abidjan. It’s a shame on us and I take responsibility for it; we should all take responsibility for it because what Chairman (Tayo Amusan) is doing will move this country forward and of course this continent forward.

high as both teams jostle for mid-table supremacy. Expect tactical brilliance and unwavering determination in this must-watch encounter.

Midweek, two matches were already aired live. Some of the other matches scheduled for this weekend like the Gombe United vs Shooting Stars match have been rescheduled to next Tuesday.

Battle of Ages 06 Set for Explosive Night Live on Beta Sports

Boxing fans are in for a treat as the Battle of the Ages Six boxing event gets set to take place tomorrow at the Molade Okoya Thomas Sports Hall in Lagos.

The night will feature seven exciting bouts, including an

international super featherweight contest between Sodiq Oyakojo (Nigeria) and Abdul Zongo (Burkina Faso). Several Nigerian boxers, including Jamiu Animashaun, Toheeb Hassan, and Segun Adeyemi, are also in action, promising

explosive performances and fierce competition.

The event is promoted by De-Lads Boxing Promotions in collaboration with Bet9ja and StarTimes. It will air live on Beta Sports channel 244 on StarTimes, starting at 4pm.

When this arena is built, everything is going to happen here in this arena. Now, think about it. Comedians will use it, business conferences and everything you can think of will take place here.

“Now let’s talk about the naming rights. Please, let me tell you a story. When I took over the job in Canada the arena my team uses was called the Air Canada Centre – that’s where Toronto Raptors play. During my tenure the naming right ended. Now, we did a deal for who the arena would be named after and that was for $800m for 10 years; yes, $800m. We did the deal for that arena in Toronto to be named The Scotia Bank Arena. So think about all the banks and companies we have here for what the naming rights of this arena.

“Every year we have 41 NBA games in that (Toronto) arena, 41 Hockey games, concerts, shows. As I speak to you Burna Boy is performing in that arena tonight and tomorrow and it’s sold out – everything from food to beverages too. We have to wake up in Africa. We have the athletes, we have the entertainers, the comedians and we have smart people.

“The NBA is here. They have put a league in Africa. They have put any other league elsewhere but they invested in a league in here in Africa. I’m appealing to everybody, take this arena here serious. My brother Tayo, Mr. Governor, everybody, I encourage you. Please let’s make this thing work.

“I am telling you, this is the future. This will change Nigeria; this will change Africa. Masai has for more than a decade lamented over the very poor state of the National

Stadium in Lagos. He did not miss the opportunity of the huge gathering at The Palms remind the Nigerian government of waste of a complex that should be yielding billions of naira annually.

Masai added, “And while we think of that please think about our National Stadium. Let’s fix that place. It is our landmark. That’s the biggest real estate in Africa but nobody knows but I am telling you this now. Please let’s help this man develop this place.”

It was leant that the Lagos State government is teaming up with the Persianas Group (owned by Amusan), Oak View Group, Live Nation, and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NISA) to construct Africa’s first 12,000-seat multipurpose event venue.

Governor Babajide SanwoOlu said that the commendable project will bring Lagos and Nigeria to the attention of the world and generate jobs for Nigerians. The arena will accommodate live performances of basketball events, concerts, WWE and many other events.

Amusan, Chairman of the Persianas Group, and Governor Sanwo-Olu, Minister of Sports Development John Enoh and Masai Ujiri performed the groundbreaking ceremony.

Amusan said the Arena will will have sports, entertainment and hotel facilities will create more than 15,000 jobs when it becomes fully operational.

“The Arena is anticipated to generate approximately 1500 direct and indirect employment, which will foster the growth of auxiliary industries related to entertainment and sports.”

Lagos Rumbles for African Knockout Season 3

The stage is set for the Season 3 of the African Knockout Championship (AKO) scheduled for tonight at the Boxmall, Oniru, Lagos, after the 18 fighters, who will be fighting in different weight categories all scaled through their weigh-in.

The fighters all promised to give a good account of themselves during their introduction to the media.

One of the main attractions of tonight’s competition is the middleweight showdown between Nigeria’s Segun Ogunnoiki and Flex Munwe of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ogunnoiki popularly known as ‘Machinegun Shegz’, vowed to bring down any foe primed to halt his dream of emerging

winner

“I’m just too ready for this. It’s going to be war out there. I fear no foe and I can proudly say I’m ready to bring down anyone planning to destroy my desire,’ he stated.

For Jubril Inuwa Baba, who dumped Dembe for MMA, his Benin Republic opponent, Jean Do Santos would just be another of his victims.

“Nigeria is my country and I don’t think anyone is capable of beating me before my fans. I’ve recorded lots of victory and I’m ready to go for more success,” he promised.

Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations finals against Cote d’Ivoire would be reenacted in the confrontation between

Ugochukwu Melvin and Xavier Adams Boa of Cote d’Ivoire, as the African Sniper has promised to avenge the Super Eagles loss to the Elephants in the AFCON final.

Other fights include Nigeria’s Ugochukwu Melvin versus Cornel Thompson of Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria’s Dennis Johnson, Kenya James Opio, Bello Addulbasit, Israel Mano of Burkina Faso, Brian Bernard Seret, Jackiel Anyana, Jibidar Cynthia, Precious Okoh, Francias Ahizi amongst others.

Meanwhile, Convener and cofounder of 54 Limited, Natasha Belousova disclosed that all is set to host a successful championship which will be aired live on several media platforms.

Masai at The Arena

L-R: Xavier Adams Boa of Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria’s Ugochukwu Melvin set to replay 2023 AFCON final in their African Knockout Championship clash tonight

‘Deteriorate Further’ Wrong

“THE rising cost of living and hunger in the land can lead to social unrest if the situation is allowed to deteriorate further.” Please end the sentence at ‘deteriorate’—‘further’ is redundant.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY COMMENT of February 25 goofed twice: “…said the solution to the lingering kerosene scarcity lies (lay) in switching over to….”

“…time will come when more Nigerians will demand for it and the question of meeting the demand will surface.” ‘Demand’, when used as a verb, does not take ‘for’.

Sunday Leadership of February 25 takes over from the preceding medium with a headline gaffe and a back page blunder: “The Buni Yadi students (students’) massacre in Yobe”

“…as each of their dead children’s friends marry (marries), have children.”

Next is SOCCER STAR Front Page Bold Headline illiteracy of February 28: “Unstopable Chelsea”

Spell-check: unstoppable

Daily Trust of February 23 toed my misstep: “My experience in Edo is mix (mixed) bag of the good, the bad and the very ugly—CP”

“Ijaw youths split, accuse politicians of high jacking (sic) body” Is this loose thinking or carelessness” Get it right: hijacking.

“Some of the chairmen of the existing 13 council areas were not marching (matching) the allocation they collected with equivalent developmental efforts.”

“…it would be a major triumph of the rule of law and transparency campaign if the federal authorities stick to their gun (guns)—that the rules must be obeyed.”

“Well that’s the story making (doing or going) the rounds.”

“Ex-Governor Obi’s rare gesture has never and

may never be seen in (on) this shore for a long time to come.”

“To Gen Adebayo: enough of that (those) crocodile tears.”

“This man was virtually responsible for restoring back the world’s confidence in the dollar.” In readers’ interest, next time delete ‘back’ which is embodied in ‘restoration’.

“President Tinubu has all these abilities, he just have (has) to make up his mind….”

“Some may say that this may result into (in) inflation, no it won’t.”

“It bothers (borders) on the incredulous that people don’t pay tax in this country.”

“There must be some common issues that the centre will have to take care off (of).”

“Chief Rochas Anayo Okorocha returned to Owerri with pomp and pageantry.” A long time ago I came across this phrasal irritant created by Nigerians (“pomp and pageantry”)! The man returned in pomp and ceremony or pomp and circumstance. And for classical writers, simply pomp

“The contemptuous act of the duo, without fear of contradiction (a comma, please) had unleashed unprecedented damages (damage) to the image of Afenifere in the state.” ‘Damage’ is uncountable except in reparative circumstances.

“Money spent that could otherwise be expended into (on) production is spent on.…”

“Every feasible measure should be taken to shop (shore) up the value of naira from plummeting any further.”

“In order (other) words….”

“Iwo female undergraduate students of Bayero University Kano died on Thursday night, following a ghastly (fatal) auto crash.”

“The national conference committee has precedence (a precedent) offshore in South Africa.”

“The…issues bothering (bordering) on the credentials of the leadership.”

“However, with what we are now being treated to by the power players of yesteryears…” ‘Yesteryear’

is non-count, once more.

“To most Nigerians, he is the architect of the fragile peace that Nigerians are currently enjoying.” Inclusion of currency here is clearly uncalled for.

“Let government alleviate poverty, let the taps flow with portable water, let there be light as God commanded.” This way: potable water.

“Man arrested over wife’s death.” The man was arrested for his wife’s death.

“But let him bear in mind that whatever is good for the goose is equally good for the gander…” Fixed expression: what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

“…as Nigeria humbly joins the bandwagon of the poorest countries of the world.” Not yet time for celebration: climb or jump on/aboard the bandwagon.

“I also believed that dreams must preceed plans and plans must preceed building.” Spell-check: precede

“One of its main topic concerned the question.…” Just an observation: One of its main topics….

“…I saw something in Diana that was deeper than frolic and contrary to the exaggerated gossips and controversies of the tabloid and yellow press.” ‘Gossip’ is uncountable when reference is to ‘talks’, but I hate gossips (those who gossip—not gossipers!).

“Cape Verde police say that a new cadre of ‘Mules’ who can carry between 300 to 500 grams of cocaine, now specialized in supplying the local market.” Either: between 3 and 5 or from 3 to5. No alloy.

At Bukuru in the outskirts of Jos, they can no longer count breadwinners who have absconded on their finger-tips for the number continues to swell.” This way: on the outskirts.

“For the domestic fronts of multilateral imperialism—the comprador bourgeoisies.…” Get it right: the bourgeoisie (collective).

“NERC explains erractic failure of power” No erratic spelling!

When We, Super Eagles Failed TJ

KayodeTijani(TJ)isanintensesports reporter, researcher, presenter, editor, producer, archivist, statsman, and entrepreneur whose footsteps crossed countless Nigerian sporting tracks, fields and dreamlands. He shocked his admirers, colleagues, clients and beneficiaries - as he often did with his prodigious trove of sporting memorabilia - when he transited at age 55 on that Wednesday, the 7th of February, 2024.

The passionate fast-talking encyclopedia of Nigerian sports, especially football, worked for a few years with us many years ago, and his work ethics and admirable persona compelled one to say a word or two about this remarkable young man. However, there is another with whom he shared his earliest trysts with the trade, and whose relationship remained and flourished even until he breathed his last. Today, we surrender the column to the words and tribute of Dr. Mumuni Alao (renowned sports editor and Managing Director of the foremost sports publication enterprise, Complete Communication Ltd.) published a day before the Nigeria-Ivory Coast match titled “Super Eagles Must Win For Kayode Tijani”. Here we go…:

“I am writing this tribute reluctantly. In my Yoruba culture and, I guess, in most other cultures, the hope and prayer is that the young will mourn and bury the old, not the other way round. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes, the old have to bury and mourn the young. That is my sad lot with Kayode Tijani who passed away onWednesday, 7 February 2024. He was 55, four years younger than me…

Aliu Oluwakayode Tijani was born 6 July 1968, into the Tijani family from Epe in Lagos State. He attended Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School and Ansar-ud-Deen College, both in Isolo, Lagos where the family lived.TheTijanis are a renowned Muslim family within the neighborhood and devotees worshipped in the mosque built in their family compound. Kayode graduated from college in 1986 and proceeded to the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Lagos. He wanted to be a sports journalist. My first encounter with Kayode was in 1990

when he came to work with us at Complete Communications Limited. I was the editor of Complete Football magazine, and he was fresh from the NIJ. He was crazy about football, and he had a passion for keeping records and statistics, exactly the kind of chap that we needed at the time as a reporter/researcher. That was how he cut his sports journalism teeth working with Dr. Emmanuel Sunny Ojeagbase, Dr. Segun Odegbami, Frank Ilaboya, Ehi Braimah, Sunday Orelesi, and myself.

Apart from his sports archive which was already very impressive but growing at the time (he inherited loads of Shoot! and MATCH! football magazines from me, too), Kayode quickly demonstrated a knack for sniffing out exclusive stories which was our forte at Complete Football back in the day…

But Kayode was restless. He was full of energy. He didn’t stay long with us at Compete Football. After a year and a half, he moved on to become the pioneer sports editor of FAME magazine, a society publication launched by celebrated entertainment journalists Femi Akntunde-Johnson, Kunle Bakare, and Mayor Akinpelu. Every week, Kayode’s face appeared in the famous magazine where he wrote about famous sportspeople. Inevitably, he also became very famous.

Meanwhile, his reputation as a sports statistician and sports video collector continued to grow. If anyone in the media and advertising industries needed an old footage of the Nigerian football team from their days as the Red Devils through to when they became Green Eagles and later, Super Eagles, Kayode was the man to see. If you wanted footage of Nigerian former Olympians from the 1950s and 60s up to the 1980s and 90s; or videos of former boxing world champions Dick Tiger or Hogan Kid Bassey, Kayode had them on VHS cassettes. If you wanted exclusive interviews with Haruna Ilerika or Stephen Keshi or action shots of Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu, Rashidi Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu, Mary Onyali, Chioma Ajunwa, or Yusuf Ali for your sports documentary or television commercial, Kayode had them. When the VHS cassettes became

“An hospital’s distress call” I am averse to Elizabethan English. A contemporary output: A hospital’s distress call

Wrong: pay last respect to the dead. Stock expression: last respects.

“And there was also…in a continent where such basics as electricity supply were still luxuries for a generality of the population.” This way: on a continent.

Vanguard of February 29 ended the month on a lexical sour note beginning from its Views Page, as usual: “The gap between the rich and the poor is constantly widening as there is no concerted efforts (effort) by the powers that be (powers-that-be) to….”

“This explains the incidents of rural-urban drifts that have worsen (worsened) the security challenges in the cities.”

“NANS condones (condoles) with Wigwe’s family”

From Vanguard schoolboy blunders we move over to The Guardian of February 9 which nurtured two falsehoods: “Our committee has the responsibility to oversight (oversee) BPP….”

“…it is not to intimidate or witch-hunt them but to rub minds (dialogue, exchange ideas, discuss, talk, converse—not ‘rub minds’!) and enlighten….” How do you even ‘rub minds’?

THISDAY of February 6 grappled with basic grammar: “…the debate had far progressed beyond the introductory stage to the question and answer (question-and-answer) session.

“But the minister seems to have swam (swum) into troubled waters recently with allegations ranging from insensitivity to abuse of office….”

“Voters apathy mars election” News: Voter apathy…

“The presidency, also aware of its interests, may do same (the same).”

“…takes a look at the fallouts, recent studies and how women are coping.” New WOMAN: ‘fallout’ is uncountable.

outdated, he spent a fortune converting them into digital copies. When Kayode left FAME magazine and relocated to the United Kingdom for a while, his stock grew even further. During one of my trips to England, I appeared on his sports show on BEN TV and noticed how he had built up a sizable following amongst Nigerians in the diaspora. On his return from the UK, he decided to become a full-time visual content consultant and set up a media outfit, ‘Sport Xclusive’ to mine the lifetime investment he had made in archival records. He always said to me that he didn’t want a permanent job with any media organization again because of their penchant for owing staff salaries for months on end.

At various times in his career, Kayode was also a personal assistant to former Nigerian minister of sports, Chief Alex Akinyele; he was a correspondent for African Soccer magazine and co-founder of Sportlight, a daily sports newspaper which ran briefly in 1995; we worked together with others in the Organizing Committee of the 8th All-Africa Games, Abuja 2003, which brought him in contact with all shades of people in the Nigerian sports fraternity; he produced and presented several sports programmes on radio and television that cemented his place in the hearts of millions of Nigerian sports fans. In his own unique way, Kayode contributed immensely to the development of Nigerian sports, and he deserves to be celebrated.

When I broke the sad news of Kayode’s death on several WhatsApp platforms of distinguished sports personalities in Nigeria, shocks and commiserations flooded the platforms. From athletes, footballers, basketballers, table tennis players, and boxers to sports administrators, referees, coaches, and, of course, journalists, everybody knew Kayode Tijani and Kayode Tijani knew everybody! The

sadness of his passing at such a young age was shared by all…

Unfortunately, Kayode did not enjoy the best of health in his last years on earth, and that resulted in his death on 7 February 2024 the night when the Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana of South Africa to qualify for the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Had he been well, Kayode would certainly have been in Côte d’Ivoire to cover the Eagles’ journey as he had done at several competitions in the past. He would have been posting exclusive stories on his Social Media handles on Facebook and “X” (formerly Twitter) where he was very prolific…

My last word in this tribute goes to Kayode Tjani’s family, particularly his wife, Folashade Ebunoluwa; their three university undergraduate boys, Toyeeb Damilola, AbdulBasit Pelumi, and Abdulmalk Olalekan; and Kayode’s brothers and sisters. Nearly three decades ago when they got married, I was given the task to go and bring Shade from her family home to Kayode on the wedding night. Since then, I have watched how they sacrificed for each other affectionately and surmounted many hurdles together as a couple.

I have also been a witness to the great stress that Kayode’s poor health in his last years brought upon every member of his family. It tested to the very extreme their love and commitment to their son, husband, father, and brother, but they all stood firm and supported him till the very end. This is not to be taken for granted. It’s not all the time that people stand by their own in times of great challenges and difficulties. But in that respect, Kayode was greatly blessed with a truly loving and supportive wife, very courageous children, and extremely committed brothers and sisters. To the entire family of Aliu Kayode Tijani, I salute you for your steadfastness. May Almighty Allah reward you and admit Kayode into Aljanat Firdaos (the best of paradise).”

Tinubu to Organised Labour

Some labour unions should understand that no matter how we cling to our freedom and rights, to call for strikes within the first nine months of a new administration is unacceptable. If you want to directly participate in the electoral process, wait until 2027, if not, maintain the peace. Labour is not the only voice of Nigeria. –President Bola Tinubu to the NLC and TUC

OKEY IKECHUKWU

EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

As Katsina Elders Were Saying

An Igbo proverb says that the man who complained about the relocation of the village market because its current location suited his wife is not thinking of the needs and fortunes of the larger community. The Igbo will also tell you that a coffin merchant who says to a customer “I will give you a discount when you come for the next purchase” must be viewed with misgivings by all men and women of goodwill. There is also the Igbo saying that whoever makes a living by impunity, presumption and braggadocio will have a very hard time when widespread hunger, draught and famine compels everyone in the community to deploy his farming skills.

Which brings us to the outcry of Katsina Elders, among other allegedly ‘Northern’ voices, when news of the relocation of some departments of the Central bank of Nigeria and aviation ministry hit the airwaves. Like Senator Ndume, who opened with a rather virulent salvo, the Katsina Elders forum asked President Tinubu to either reconsider the decision or face the clear possibility of losing Northern support in the 2027 elections. The statement was that blunt; and to the point.

But what is this much-vaunted point? The reaction was very likely in anticipation of the potential socio-economic impact of a relocation of institutions of state on Northern Nigeria. The group accused some individuals of ill-advising President Tinubu, calling the presumes mis-advisers enemies of Nigeria who aim to undermine the unity of the country.

By implication the, Katsina Elders are saying that the unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is secured and maintained by the continued presence of certain government institutions in Abuja – or in the North, generally. Now, that is absurd, is it not?

Not quite done on the matter, the forum accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of supporting the federal government’s plan to relocate anything at all. Quite an “accusation”, wouldn’t you say? The group also asked why Wike was “inviting the Israelis to come and provide security to (sic) Abuja.” That is the business of Katsina Elders – I mean what a minister does, or does not do, in Abuja; right?

This group of wise elders said nothing when Miyetti Allah, a trade union of cattle dealers, set up a fully kitted alternative national security outfit, with its pilot test case in Nasarawa State. The group said nothing when the son of Professor Ango Abdullahi, Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, was kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train. The young man was held captive for months, until the full ransom was paid. Not even the subsequent kidnapping of Ango Abdullahi’s relation and her four children, shortly after the release of his son on ransom, was a matter of interest to Katsina Elders.

Even now, the Katsina Elders have not seen anything to worry, or talk, about concerning the routine pillaging of the North by marauders of northern Nigeria origins. Instead, they are very deeply concerned about what President

Tinubu should do, in order to please the North and get the support he would need to win the 2027 elections. In strident tones, the group said: “... we are telling Mr. President, as long as he is interested in coming back in 2027, ... to reverse these unconstitutional decisions. Whoever is advising him to take such decisions is an enemy of the country.”

Perhaps the revered Katsina Elders would recall a lengthy submission of four years ago, by the Northern elder statesman, Ahmed Joda. The latter sought to remind his brothers and sisters that Northern Nigeria was not developing its human capital. He also told them, in that well-publicized open expression of concern that the North no longer had the time to do so anymore; and that the region was now ill-equipped to fit into either the knowledge-driven world of today or the new world of tomorrow. He summed it by saying that the North needed at least 20 years of super-accelerated development of its human capital in order to be taken seriously in today’s world.

Is the foregoing the concern of most of the people speaking for the North today? What you see, instead, is the pursuit of the illusion of dominance. No one is asking whether the larger half of the youths of the region possess the skills for tomorrow, or anything that could make them part of a 21st century world in any way.

Everyone now overlooks the major point in Joda’s intervention, which revolved around the fact that the triumphalism of cattle herders will not take the North anywhere in the immediate and long terms. The herders’ illusion of invulnerability rests on a conspiracy to use national security framework to promote insecurity in specific regions of the country. Can this last forever? Has the headship of institutions of state helped the North, or created a “replacement generation” that can lead the

region into the future – even here in Nigeria?

There are abandoned, ungoverned and even ungovernable, spaces all over Northern Nigeria, due to terrorism and banditry. The North’s dominant elite lives in Abuja, while playing games with the very criminals that are wiping out northerners and laying their lands desolate.

An article which appeared on this page on April 17, 2019, titled “As the North Goes Under”, spoke of how a serving Secretary to the Zamfara State Government “…explained how he abandoned his farm and ranch because of cattle rustling and fear for his personal safety.” He confessed that “it was impossible to deploy law enforcement agents, even for himself, in any meaningful way” because they were mostly outnumbered, ill equipped and answerable to Abuja. As I write, matters have worsened very dramatically in Zamfara State over the years.

Remember that the government of Katsina State once signed an agreement with bandits; for them to stop robbing and maiming hapless citizens under Governor Maisari? What became of that agreement, and what did Katsina Elders say about it; and about the series of kidnappings going on in the state? What did they say, at that time, about the months-long kidnap of a Katsina State traditional ruler, and of the recent kidnap of a home-going bride and the 63 women accompanying her in the same Katsina?

Remember that Bauchi State signed an MoU on service delivery with development partners a few years ago? Remember also that the same Bauchi State has schools and other social amenities that are better not talked about here. The situation is hardly different in Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and other northern states. Even states with over 10% of their geographical spaces occupied by marauders have been drafting and implementing budgets and development projects covering these areas, where no one lives.

Is it just elite myopia, leadership illiteracy and abysmal ignorance at work here? Most of Nigeria’s poor are northerners. It is always the case, whether or not most high profile political and economically rewarding positions are held by Northerners. For the first time ever, beginning with the tenure of President Buhari, the North came out with the greatest evidence of a people’s failure to follow the rules of political and economic self-preservation.

What you find at most major social events organized by prominent politicians in most parts of the country today, but specially the North, is that the guests are overwhelmed by shabby looking youths. They are either generally prowling the vicinity, directly affronting guests, or raiding laid out servingfood tables. They are very hungry, and not yet very angry about that. They are looking for bits of leftover, a little cash gift here and there, perhaps a half empty bottle of water, oo a soft drink. Nothing more!

And the big men themselves are usually not embarrassed by the spectacle.

It should be easy for the Katsina Elders to see the disconnect between today’s world and the

illusion of relevance they are trying to sustain. School enrolment, the acquisition of vocational skills, professional development, and overall academic performance have not improved, and are not improving, in the North. But go and take a look at the recorded expenditures on education in the last ten years alone.

The North has not shown a significant increase in the number of people registering for SSCE, NECO and similar competitive examinations. And Northerners is being progressively wiped out by “their people” who come here from Chad, Mali, Niger and further away. Many Northern youths are begging in the streets, or in the forests, while those from outside Nigeria now dominate even the herding business; as they turn everywhere into a no-man’s-land. More and more foreigners may be the ones with Nigerian ID cards in the North. The total number of registered candidates for all competitive examinations from the 19 states of the north continues to stand much lower than that of one serious state in the South. Yet, the Katsina Elders are not looking in the right direction for their problems.

The roaming bands of marauders who have no conception of even Fulani/Muslim brotherhood may yet be the undoing of Northern Nigeria, unless the Northern elite wake up on time – if it still has time. The merciless, mindless and truly gruesome regular killing, the kidnappings and the rapacious banditry now has a life of its own. A new breed of wild young men, with predominantly predatory and anti-social skills, and who would rather pick up any healthy-looking man rather than say ‘Ranka dede’, are on the ascendant in Northern Nigeria. This is bad! Very bad for us all!

When you combine the foregoing with widespread drug abuse, poverty, open-ended criminality and elite insensitivity in one location, there you have the ingredients for brewing what is keeping most northern big men to Abuja and environs. Can they be in exile forever? I think not! Abuja itself is no longer safe. Many high-profile, and presumably impregnable, estates and exclusive neighbourhoods in Abuja are no routinely attacked; at the pleasure of bandits and kidnappers.

From the angle of business and simple economics, local economies have collapsed. Re-desertification has taken over the places abandoned by victims of insurgency. Farming and animal husbandry are in limbo, in places where they used to thrive. There is now no peace mind of for those who had the chance to make a difference but failed to do so. Thus, the elite must now spend so much on armed escorts and sundry security measures.

To the Katsina elders, as I said at the beginning of this piece, “...the man who complained about the relocation of the village market because its current location suited his wife is not thinking of the needs and fortunes of the larger community. ...whoever makes a living by impunity, presumption and braggadocio will have a very hard time when widespread hunger, draught and famine compels everyone in the community to deploy his farming skills”.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda