The federal government, on Wednesday, unveiled the first-ever hotel at the main building of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA).

Speaking at the unveiling of the hotel, called Sami Court, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, said the management of the hotel has been a major stakeholder in the Nigeria’s aviation sector for long and the initiative was one of the contributions to the sector to improve passengers’ comfort while on transit.

He also said: “This is not just a one-off event, it is part of the new management drive and policy direction to collaborate with the private sector to improve passengers’ comfort.

“The CEOs and other managers of the aviation sector are working hard behind the scene to attract private sector into investments in the airport and aviation sector. This is just one of the results. In the next few months to come, we will unveil more packages for you.

“This is part of the vigour that this new management team is bringing into the sector.”

Also speaking, the managing director/chief executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, said the hotel is made of 22 rooms with fitted amenities that will ensure the comfort of passengers.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said an “unverified report” indicated that state governors received N30 billion each from the Federation Account to ameliorate inflation and the high cost of food in their respective states.

Last September, the federal government said N2 billion was released to governors out of the N5 billion loan it offered to each state as a palliative to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

During the plenary on Tuesday, Mr Akpabio said information available to him indicates that apart from the first tranche of funds given to the governors, an additional N30 billion was also to them through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

“I must say that unverified report has it that each of the state governments in the last few months has received additional N30 billion from Federal Inland Revenue Service outside their normal allocations from the Federation Account to assist them in ameliorating the food situation,” he said.

The senate president advised the governors to utilise the funds judiciously to reduce the high cost of food items and other challenges facing the country.

“We believed that every state government should utilise the funds received towards ensuring that food is available in the country.

“So, the state governments have a lot to do. They are closer to the people and I do not want to mention local government because most of the local governments are controlled by the state governors.

“My belief is that if the state government does what is needed, then the local government will be involved in sharing to make sure that these things get to the people. But we must not overlook the fact that Nigerians are not going to be interested in stories.

“Nigerians want to see action. Nigerians want to eat and we will provide food for them, there is no excuse. Despite what we met on ground” Mr Akpabio added.


Sponsored hardship protest

Mr Akpabio also referenced protests staged against the high cost of food items and the cost of living in different parts of the country.

On Tuesday, residents of Ibadan protested the high prices of food and other commodities.

Two weeks ago, residents of Minna, Niger State, trooped out in large numbers to protest the rising cost of living.

Last Monday, residents of Sokoto also protested the high cost of living in the country, calling on the government to find a lasting solution.

But, the senate president claimed that many of the protests were sponsored by some group of people against the federal government.

He said the protesters and their sponsors failed to recognise efforts made by the Senate and the federal government to fight inflation in the country.

“The situation is revolving daily. You can see a lot of protests here and there but those people are not aware. Most of those sponsored protests are not aware of the kind of efforts being made by this Senate to tackle the situation together with the joint management team of the Federation Government of Nigeria.

“There is no father that will want to see his child sleep in the night without food with the stomach grumbling, so we must provide. That is why I said we must not limit our discussion to – we will not import food, wherever we can find food to put on the table of Nigerians, we shall do so”.

Mr Akpabio explained that the worsening state of the economy was caused by COVID-19, insecurity and the N30 trillion Ways and Means advancement obtained by the Muhammadu Buhari administration from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“It is an uncommon situation which has been execrated by many factors, from COVID-19 to insecurity to inflation, to even the ways and means of N30 trillion that put so much pressure on the Central Bank of Nigeria and left a very big gap in the financial situation such that if this government inherited this situation it tried to feel the gap. It means that people will not eat, salaries will not be paid, and nothing will be done until the gap is filled. We have taken it and we must move on,” he said.


UK, US also grappling with bad economy

In his contribution, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, noted that the high cost of living and worsening economic situation are not peculiar to Nigeria.

Mr Jibrin said other developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America are also grappling with bad economic situations.

“What is happening presently in Nigeria is not something that is happening in isolation. It is not only Nigeria that is facing this economic challenge. It is something that has an international dimension.

“The world economy is not in its best shape as we speak. As we speak, the United Kingdom’s economy is in recession. They are in recession as we speak. The price of goods and commodities in the whole world has risen everywhere, in the U.S. name it. So, it is not peculiar to Nigeria.

“The Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East crisis have created a situation where prices of goods and commodities all over the world have gone up. So what is left for us here is to look at our own problems and try to summon these problems and that is exactly what we are doing. We should stop thinking that it is only Nigeria, No” he added.

The deputy senate president said the federal government is doing its best to resolve the worsening situation of the economy.

“Yes, we are facing challenges occasioned by what is happening internationally. We have to look at the problems and how we deal with the problems and this is exactly what we are doing.

“Of course, our security situation is not what we want it to be. We understand that the CinC (Commander-in-Chief) is doing his best in collaboration with service chiefs and other security agencies. They are doing their best.

“The government is doing its best, the president is doing his best. What we need to do is to have everybody coming together, a full collaboration of everyone” he said.

Mr Barau also called on state governors to support the federal government in resolving the challenges facing the country.

“The state governments should come on board. Let us not leave everything on the shoulders of the federal government alone. They should come on board. When we were talking about fuel subsidy, we removed it and the state governments are having more money now. They are getting a lot of money. So let them bring what they are getting to collaborate with the federal government to deal with this problem.

“But particularly, issues of commodities. Buy them and give out to the poor. The president has directed that food should be released from the statutory reserve of the federal government. Now we want the state government to also make the same pronouncement. Let them also come with their own money. Let the local government also come along.

“Here, we have seen what the senators are doing. A lot of grains are distributed to their constituencies so also members of the House of Representatives. I am distributing about two hundred thousand grains to two hundred households. Let us hear what the state government will do, let us hear what the local government will do, let us not leave all the problems on the shoulder of the federal government,” Mr Jibrin said.

The country’s capital importation increased by 66.27 per cent to $1.08 billion in the fourth quarter of last year (Q4 2023), compared to $654.65 million in the preceding quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed yesterday.

This was also slightly higher than $1.06 billion recorded in Q4 2022 by 2.62 per cent.

According to the Nigerian Capital Importation Report for the review period, Lagos State remained the top destination for foreign capital inflows into the economy with $771.68 million, accounting for 65.38 per cent of total importation.

This was followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with $370.80 million or 34.07 per cent and Rivers State with $6.00 million or 0.55 per cent and Ekiti with $0.01 million.

Despite foreign trips abroad allegedly to woo investors, the report revealed the quantum of resources squandered by state government officials in the guise of attracting capital inflows.

Nonetheless, the NBS stated that Other Investment type accounted for 54.64 per cent or $594.74 million of total capital importation in Q4.

This was followed by Portfolio Investment with $309.76 million or 28.46 per cent of total share.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounted to $183.97 million or 16.90 per cent.

According to the NBS, the production/manufacturing sector recorded the highest inflow with $450.11 million, representing 41.35 per cent of total capital imported in the review period.

This was followed by the banking sector, which represented $283.30 million 26.03 per cent and financing which contributed $135.59 million or 12.46 per cent.

Capital Importation during the reference period originated largely from the United Kingdom with $267.24 million, with a share of 24.55 per cent.

This was followed by Mauritius with $226.18 million or 20.78 per cent and The Netherlands with $149.93 million or 13.77 per cent.

Others include Singapore, $144.25 million, and South Africa with $116.37 million.

Under the review period, agriculture-related investment amounted to $0.42 million, construction, $0.25 million, IT Services $9.08 million, financing $135.59 million, oil and gas $2.04 million and telecoms $22.84 million as well as transport $0.14 million among others.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has expressed its readiness to distribute seized food items to Nigerians to help mitigate the current hardship in the land.

It said the distribution will be done after all the food items have been certified fit for human consumption.

Recall that hundreds of young Nigerians had taken to the streets in some parts of the country to protest the current hardship in the land and the high cost of food items.

Responding to the critical challenges of food security and the soaring costs of essential food items in Nigeria, Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday unveiled plans by the service to distribute seized food items to Nigerians.

The service National Public Relations, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement, issued on Tuesday, said through the action the Comptroller General is reaffirming his commitment to advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s food security agenda.

According to him, the commitment is deeply rooted in the Service core mandate of serving the best interests of the Nigerian people, and thereby fostering economic stability and prosperity.

He said the urgent imperative fuels the need for a proactive stance to safeguard food availability within Nigeria and alleviate the detrimental effects of scarcity on citizens.

“Furthermore, to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians and improve access to essential food items, the Nigeria Customs Service will facilitate the direct disposal of food items forfeited to the Federal Government. These items will be certified fit for consumption by relevant agencies and made available to ordinary Nigerians nationwide through equitable distribution in our Areas of Operations.

“The modalities for the disposal will be communicated through NCS formations nationwide, with a firm commitment to transparency, fairness, and public safety. It is our pledge that this exercise will be managed diligently to ensure that the benefits reach those most in need.

“The NCS remains resolute in its dedication to safeguarding the nation’s food security and advancing the economic well-being of all Nigerians. With the unwavering support and cooperation of the public, we will surmount these challenges and pave the way for a more prosperous future for our beloved nation” he added.

Some federal civil servants on Tuesday in separate interviews with our correspondent confirmed that the Federal Government has started the payments of the November 2023 wage award.

The payment of wage awards to Nigerian workers was one of the deals agreed upon by the organised labour and the Federal Government as one of the ways to mitigate the effect of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol.

However, the government at a time suspended the payment of the wage award, a move which was criticised by activists and other stakeholders

The development came amidst reports that the government had slashed the wage award allocation by N100bn in the 2023 supplementary budget.

The Nigeria Labour Congress had described the government’s action as dishonourable, while the Trade Union Congress also urged the government to pay civil servants the wage awards or risk industrial action.

A senior civil servant who confided in PUNCH Online, however, said some civil servants had started receiving the wage award for November 2023.

“Payment came in this morning, others have also confirmed receipt in my agency,” the source said.

Another senior civil servant in one of the Federal Government-owned schools outside Abuja also confirmed the development saying,” Yes, the November 2023 wage award has been paid.”

Following an ultimatum given by the organised labour, the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, noted that the government would again resume the payment of the wage awards.

There is a growing concern over the huge maintenance cost of Nigeria’s presidential aircraft, Air Force 001, which serves President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as it gulps billions of naira.

A senior official familiar with the maintenance of the presidential fleet told Daily Trust that between the routine maintenance and purchase of parts, the aircraft had been guzzling huge amounts of money.

He said it was not a new trend as that it had been going on for a while, making the erstwhile Presidential Air Fleet Commandeer, AVM AA Yaro, to recommend that it should be demobilised.

The Air Force 001 is a 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) bought during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the cost of $43m.

Boeing began the production of the BBJ in 1998, and it initially cost $36m for the unfinished aircraft. It now sells for $41m for a used one and $71m for a brand new aircraft.

While the age of an aircraft does not matter in terms of its performance, our correspondent reports that the maintenance cost increases unlike newer and more modern aircraft.

It would be recalled that a month to the expiration of the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the aircraft was sent for a comprehensive maintenance ahead of the inauguration of Tinubu’s government.

But since Tinubu took over and inherited the aircraft, it has been sent for other rounds of scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance.

Sources privy to the operation of the presidential fleet confirmed that the aircraft had amassed over $5m in maintenance bills, constituting nearly half of the over $10m liabilities inherited at the presidential fleet.

A source said, “Due to the age of the aircraft, maintenance cost has increased in recent times, and the amount of money spent on maintenance is huge. I am wondering how long it would take to continue to spend this much on maintenance when it could have been disposed of and a new one purchased.”

The General Secretary, Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (SLAMEN), Sheri Kyari, advised that purchasing a new one would be better to reduce the maintenance cost.

Kyari said, “It is better for the government to buy a new one. How much is a brand new aircraft? They should be able to get something much better from Boeing. For me, Boeing is still the way to go.”

Findings by our correspondent revealed that neighbouring countries have fairly newer aircraft compared to Nigeria. For instance, Ivory Coast, apart from having two Gulfstream aircraft in the presidential fleet, also operate A319 and A320 for longer trips. Senegal uses A320Neo and A319 in addition to other smaller jets.

For most African countries, the Airbus and BBJ have become the choice aircraft used for presidential movement with the capacity to convey at least 30 passengers in a VIP cabin.

An aircraft engineer who did not want his name in print said, “Even the US president’s aircraft is older than our president’s. Is the US president not flying a 747? That aircraft cannot be less than 30. You can actually put a brand new engine on an aircraft and it becomes new.

“Again, we must acknowledge that the president is an important personality. So, you cannot micromanage things for him. He deserves something better, but when we know the history and maintenance record of the aircraft, we can decide to say, ‘Okay, this is what we should do.’”

The parallel section of the foreign exchange market recorded a new all-time low on Monday after the naira depreciated to N1,730 per dollar.

The naira fell by 8.13 percent from N1,600/$ recorded on February 16, 2024.

Currency traders at the street market quoted the buying price of the dollar at N1,700 and the selling price at N1,730 — leaving a profit margin of N30.

“Customers are demanding for the dollars so much and it is affecting the market,” a black market trader known as Aliyu said.

At the official window, the naira depreciated by 2.65 percent to N1,537.96/$ on February 16 — from N1,498.25 per dollar on February 15.

According to data from FMDQ Securities, a platform that oversees foreign exchange trading in Nigeria, the local currency hit an intra-day trading high of N1,631 and a low of N1,000.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in furtherance of its efforts to stabilise the naira, made certain policy changes in the past week.

On February 15, 2024, the CBN announced it had placed limits on the transfer of proceeds from crude exports by international oil companies (IOCs) to offshore parent company accounts.

CBN also halted cash payments of personal travel allowance (PTA) and business travel allowance (BTA) — directing banks to adopt electronic transfers.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the allegations against Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), are so numerous that the federal government does not know which charges to pin on him.

Akpabio made the remarks on Sunday during a thanksgiving service organised by Barinada Mpigi, senator representing Rivers south-east senatorial district.

The number three citizen also blamed the economic hardship sweeping through the land on the policies and actions that “they took”.

He did not specify who “they” entails.

Akpabio further said the prevailing hunger and economic hardship are consequences of almost 60 years of rot.

He appealed to Nigerians to be patient, while promising that the current administration will deliver on the promises they “campaigned and danced” around the country for.

“So the kind of debt and the economic mess that we are in… and lots of people do not understand,” Akpabio said.

“I remember President Obama saying you cannot know Washington until you get to Washington. So by the time we went in to look at the economic situation of the country, it was terrible.

“So you know that the former governor of central bank, we don’t even know what to charge him with.

“Whether to charge him for putting foam on top of a pail, or to charge him for illegal possession of firearms, or to charge him for printing notes without income. I don’t know what we’re going to charge him with.

“But what we know is that yes, there is hunger today because of the kind of policies and actions that they took and we recognise that, and I think every political party should recognise that there is hunger and we’re battling to ensure that Nigerians can sleep with their eyes closed.

“There is insecurity. We’re battling to ensure Nigerians can eat three square meals a day.

“But rest assured that we campaigned for this job, we campaigned and danced around the country. We will not let you down.

“We will get to the bottom of it. All we need is patience. The rot that has happened in Nigeria for so many years, for almost 60 years, cannot be solved in six months. So what we need is patience… patience from all quarters.”

The event, which took place in Koroma, Tai LGA of Rivers, was also attended by Dave Umahi, minister of works; Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers house of assembly; and other dignitaries.


BACKGROUND

Emefiele was suspended on June 9, 2023, by President Bola Tinubu, who also ordered a probe into his tenure as governor of the apex bank.

He was subsequently arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and on July 25, he was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on “illegal possession” of firearms, at a federal high court in Ikoyi.

He was later granted bail in the sum of N20 million. However, he was rearrested by the DSS on the court premises on the same day.

In August, the court struck out the suit after the federal government filed an application to withdraw the charge of “illegal possession of firearms” against him.

A fresh 20-count charge was then filed before the federal capital territory (FCT) high court by the federal ministry of justice.

He was subsequently arraigned at the FCT high court in Abuja, on a six-count charge bordering on procurement fraud, and remanded at the Kuje correctional facility.

On November 8, Emefiele was granted bail and released, after spending 151 days in detention.

On January 18, the federal government amended the criminal charges filed against him.

The charges, formerly six counts, were increased to 20 counts.

The amended charges border on alleged breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The Lagos State Government is set to relocate computer village from Ikeja to Katangowa in the Abule-Egba area.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, disclosed this on Saturday during a joint inspection and enforcement carried out by Lagos State Building Control Agency in conjunction with some law enforcement agencies and other relevant government agencies in charge of emergency related matters.

Babatunde said the Lagos State Government was trying to re-organise markets in the state.

He said, “We are trying to re-organise all our markets. I will give an example; in Ikeja, we have the Computer Village, which is being relocated to Katangowa.

“Hence, it is not just the Computer Village alone; there are other activities that would happen in the Katangowa market.”

According to him, in the next coming weeks, the efforts of the government on the Katangowa market will be seen.

He added, “We are moving those people who seem to be on the road in Ikeja and obstructing traffic, into a proper market big enough with all the services, with crèche for their children, schools, playground, churches, mosques, storage room, warehouses, some accommodation and hotel facilities.

“We are trying to do things properly, we are working on all of these things to ensure that we re-generate, re-develop, innovate, conserve and anything we need to do in terms of the terminologies we have in urban development, will be put to play in Lagos in way that we would have a greater Lagos rising.”

The relocation was supposed to happen in 2017 but was stalled.

In 2023, the state’s former Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowose, said all arrangements had been made to relocate the traders.

Banks are inducing their customers to sell the foreign currencies domiciled in their branches, The Nation has learnt.

Some of the banks, it was discovered, have developed platforms to sensitise customers on how the dollar deposits in their domiciliary accounts can be converted to naira.

In a note via SMS to customers, some of the banks said domiciliary account holders can change United States (U.S.) dollars in their accounts to naira directly on its internet banking platform instantly.

The SMS read: “It is as instant as a regular transfer between accounts. The service is available between 9am to 4pm Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.

“Customers are expected to log into their internet banking platform, go to FX transaction portal and select FX sales.”

Although the bank claimed the rate was competitive, it pegged transaction rate at N1, 450 to the dollar.

The rate was lower than the N1, 510/$ exchange rate at the black market yesterday.

The bank also pegged the daily transaction limit at $50,000.

When contacted, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), confirmed the development, saying: “Yes, it is true that banks may contact customers who have domiciliary accounts and recommend converting their foreign currency to naira.

“However, it is important to note that this is not a mandatory directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Rather, it is simply a service being offered by the banks.”

The anonymous official noted: “Currently, the official exchange rate for selling foreign currency is actually higher than the black market rate. Therefore, converting through your bank could be a beneficial option.

“Having more foreign currency flow through official channels will help to stabilize the market and boost the economy.

“It is important to understand that banks are in the business of facilitating financial transactions, including foreign exchange.

“While they may suggest converting your foreign currency, the decision ultimately lies with you. There is no obligation to sell your foreign currency, even if your bank recommends it.”

An official at a commercial bank told this newspaper that “We will not be the one to initiate that move but if we have customers who may have inflows and want to sell, what we will do is to tell the customer to write an instruction that I have so and so amount inflow, please sell at the prevailing rate.

“We will now broadcast and tell other customers that we have someone who wants to sell, so amount provided we have people that agree to whatever rate the customer is willing to sell.

“But the reality is, if a customer is selling and he says I want to offload at N1,400 and we don’t have someone who is willing to buy at that rate, we will continue to push until we get someone, but if eventually they don’t see anybody, they can now say please reduce it. That’s the essence of willing buyer willing seller.

“But he will definitely be the one to initiate that request, not the bank. We cannot prompt them because it will look like we are forcing them to sell”.

Although the black market exists, it operates outside official regulations and carries inherent risks.

Utilizing official channels like banks is generally considered safer and more transparent.

A 36-year-old man, simply identified as Jamilu, was on Tuesday knocked down by a car while attempting to escape with a woman’s foodstuffs at the Kwali market in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

Witnesses said the incident happened around 11am when the suspect pretended to assist the woman to carry her foodstuffs from the market to board a vehicle by the road side.

They said the woman, Mrs Patience Raphael, finished buying food items which comprised of rice, beans, garri, yam, among others which she packaged in a sack.

A witness, Ibrahim Audu, said the woman was trying to get a truck pusher to carry the sack but that the suspect pretended to help her to the road side.

Audu further said, “In fact, I was even the one that was trying to call a wheel barrow pusher to come and carry the foodstuffs for the woman when the man came to help carry the load. As he was rushing to cross the road in order to escape with the load he was knocked down.”

He added that the suspect who sustained bruises and a fracture was taken to the hospital by vigilantes.

Recall that City & Crime reported that a similar incident happened last week when a truck pusher escaped with a woman’s bag of rice and other food items at the same market.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of his son-in-law, Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, as the new Managing Director/CEO of Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

Ojo, who was a member of the House of Representatives, is married to President Tinubu’s eldest daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday, announced the appointment of Ojo and other executive management teams of parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

According to the statement, Mr. Shehu Usman Osidi was appointed Managing Director /CEO of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

Three Executive Directors were also appointed for FMBN.

They are Mr. Ibidapo Odojukan, Executive Director (Finance & Corporate Services); Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdu, Executive Director (Loans & Mortgage Services); and Ms. Chinenye Anosike, Executive Director (Business Development & Portfolios).

Four Executive Directors were appointed for FHA.

They are Mr. Mathias Terwase Byuan, Executive Director (Housing Finance & Accounts); Mr. Umar Dankane Abdullahi; Executive Director (Business Development); Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, Executive Director (Project Implementation); and Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok, Executive Director (Estate Services).

The statement read in part: “New FMBN CEO, Shehu Osidi, is a banker with over 30 years of work experience, including 13 years of experience in mortgage banking. He is an alumnus of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government as well as the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Housing Finance.

“New FHA CEO, Oyetunde Ojo, is a former Member of the House of Representatives with over a decade of work experience in the housing and hospitality industries. He holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.

“In view of President Bola Tinubu’s historic approval of the establishment of Building Materials Hubs across all six of the nation’s geo-political zones; financing and establishment of a National Social Housing Fund for low-income and vulnerable groups, and land reforms to collaboratively streamline access to land across all states and unlock nearly $300 billion of dead capital in the sector, his expectations are high that the above-named appointees will hit the ground running in the delivery of affordable housing for millions of Nigerians in need, while providing millions of new job opportunities for Nigeria’s talented youth population presently searching for work.”

BY AKINWALE YEKEEN


President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment and reappointment of chairpersons of boards and chief executive officers of agencies under the ministry of health and social welfare.

In a statement on Thursday by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, Tinubu approved the appointment of Mansur Kabir as the chairman of board of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

He also reappointed Mojisola Adeyeye as the director-general (DG) of the agency and appointed Olajide Idris as the DG of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

By Press Release


PRESIDENT TINUBU APPROVES LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE SECTOR

In furtherance of his determination to bring world-class standards to Nigerian public health administration and to manifest his commitment to deliver affordable and quality care to all Nigerians under governance and regulatory frameworks commensurate with international best practice, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment and reappointment of the following Board Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare:


(1) National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC):

Board Chairperson: Mansur Kabir

Chief Executive Officer: Moji Adeyeye


(2) National Blood Service Commission (NBSC):

Board Chairperson: Abba Zubairu

Chief Executive Officer: Saleh Yuguda


(3) Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN):

Board Chairperson: Afolabi Lesi

Chief Executive Officer: Fatima Kyari


(4) Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN):

Board Chairperson: Wasilat Giwa

Chief Executive Officer: Ibrahim Ahmed


(5) Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN):

Board Chairperson: Babajide Salako

Chief Executive Officer: Tosan Erhabor


(6) Moddibo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola (MAUTH): Chief Medical Director / CEO: Adamu G. Bakari


(7) Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua (ISTH): Chief Medical Director / CEO: Reuben Eifediyi

Futhermore, as part of efforts to bolster the resiliency of Nigeria’s public health surveillance and security architecture, President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to assume office on February 19, 2024:

(8 ) Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC): Director-General / CEO: Olajide Idris

Moreover, it is pertinent to note that President Tinubu has painstakingly considered the wealth of experience of each qualified and aforementioned Nigerian, who will be tasked with driving his Renewed Hope Agenda in the sector, some details of which include the following:

New NCDC Director-General/CEO, Olajide Idris, received his MBBS degree from the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine, after which he obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from the Ivy League’s Yale University in Connecticut, United States of America. He would go on to serve as the Commissioner of Health in Lagos State from 2007 to 2019, after serving as the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health from 1999 to 2007.

New NBSC Chairperson, Abba Zubairu, PhD, has served as the Medical Director of the world-leading Mayo Clinic in the United States of America, following a long career in which he served as a Resident Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Hospital as a Post-Doctoral Fellow, and undertook a Clinical Fellowship at the Harvard Medical School’s Transfusion Medicine Programme during which he obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Science at the same institution.

New MDCN CEO, Fatima Kyari, PhD, is a renowned ophthalmologist and Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Medicine (FNAMed) who obtained an MBBS degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, after which she obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine before she obtained a Doctorate degree in Public Health from the same institution.

The President expects that the new leadership across this critical human development sector will substantially raise the standards of healthcare service delivery for the exclusive benefit of all strata of the Nigerian population as his administration is committed to implementing a whole-of-government approach to transforming the sector to enhance the aggregate national quality of life and productivity. Owing to the high cost of historical underperformance in the sector, the President anticipates the immediate and effective implementation of new policy frameworks to reposition the sector under the able leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

The United Kingdom’s economy has entered a recession as its gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.3 percent in December 2023.

According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the fall in GDP was due to a decline in all main sectors of the economy.

This is the “mildest recession” witnessed in 50 years — unlike the huge drop of over 1 percent sometimes seen, according to BBC.

The ONS said the real GDP fell 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.

The agency said hard-pressed households cut back on spending in response to soaring interest rates and rising living costs.

The UK GDP was estimated to have increased by 0.1 percent for the full year in 2023, following a growth of 4.3 percent in 2022.

According to ONS, this is the weakest annual change in real GDP since the financial crisis in 2009, excluding the year 2020, which was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2023, following an unrevised fall of 0.1% in the previous quarter,” the UK statistics agency said.

“While the economy has now decreased for two consecutive quarters, across 2023, GDP is estimated to have increased by 0.1% compared with 2022.

“In output terms in Quarter 4 2023, there were falls in all three main sectors in the latest quarter with declines of 0.2% in services, 1.0% in production, and 1.3% in construction output.

“In expenditure terms, there was a fall in the volume of net trade, household spending and government consumption in Quarter 4 2023, partially offset by an increase in gross capital formation.”

Meanwhile, ONS had said the country’s inflation rate was 4.2 percent in January 2024 — the same rate as December 2023.

The rate was said to be a result of the fall in food prices which stood at 5.1 percent in the 12 months to January 2024, down from 5.2 percent in December 2023.

Also prices of goods annual rate slowed from 1.9 percent to 1.8 percent while services annual rate rose from 6.0 percent to 6.1 percent.

Commenting on the report, Jeremy Hunt said high inflation is the single biggest barrier to growth which is why halving it has been our top priority.

“While interest rates are high – so the Bank of England can bring inflation down – low growth is not a surprise,” Hunt said.

“But there are signs the British economy is turning a corner; forecasters agree that growth will strengthen over the next few years, wages are rising faster than prices, mortgage rates are down and unemployment remains low.

“Although times are still tough for many families, we must stick to the plan – cutting taxes on work and business to build a stronger economy.”


LIKE UK, JAPAN GDP SLIPS INTO RECESSION

In a similar way, Japan, the third largest economy unexpectedly slipped into recession.

In a report submitted by the cabinet office on Thursday, the country’s GDP shrinked at an annual pace of 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The report showed both households and businesses cut spending for a third straight quarter.

All domestic demand was particularly weak, while external demand, which is captured by exports of goods and services, made a positive contribution.

Also, the Japanese Yen dropped to lowest level against the United States dollar – first time in more than 33 years

The Yen tumbled 6.6 percent against the US dollar since the start of 2024.

The data confirms Japan’s economy as fourth-largest in the world in dollar terms last year as Germany now has the world’s third-largest economy.

There was commotion at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a car caught fire in front of the party’s main entrance.

The car painted in red, with registration number TSE – 423 – AA, Benue State, was coming from the Barcelona Hotels on Blantyre street, in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja, when it suddenly caught fire.

Our correspondent who witnessed the incident approached the driver of the car but he refused to speak.

The incident occurred when some members of the APC from the North Central staged a solidarity rally with the party’s national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, whom they said must not be removed before the end of his tenure.

Daily Trust reports that some workers at the secretariat who were around the entrance gate were shouting ‘fire, fire’, a development that led to mad rush for safety.

It took the intervention of some drivers and security operatives at the APC secretariat to put off the fire.

Our correspondent reports that after putting off the fire, the red car was pushed away from the entrance gate and parked around the Stallion Court, also on Blantyre street.

Another eye witness who simply gave his name as Abdullahi, said, “The driver acted fast, if not, it would have been a black Wednesday.”

The photographs showing the site of the helicopter accident that killed Herbert Wigwe, the chief executive officer of Access Holdings, have been made public by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi Wigwe, and former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Abimbola Ogunbanjo perished in a tragic Airbus EC130 helicopter accident at the California-Nevada border in Halloran Springs.

NTSB officials were observed inspecting the debris at the accident site in the publicly released photos following NTSB board member, Michael Graham’s announcement of his visit to the scene.

Graham highlighted the agency’s commitment to conducting a comprehensive investigation, mentioning that the team utilized overhead drones to map the wreckage and captured detailed photographs.

The sum of $4.5 billion cannot be accounted for in Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves between 2018 and 2019, an audit report of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) has revealed.

The annual audit report details the expenditures and finances of the government’s ministries, departments, and agencies within a financial year.

According to the report, Foreign Reserves, which stood at US$42,594,842,852.75 in December 2018, decreased to US$38,092,720,200.72 in 2019. By a simple calculation, US$4,502,122,652.03 could not be accounted for.

The infraction happened in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who is currently facing corruption charges.

Shaakaa Chira, the Auditor-General of the Federation, called on the CBN to provide justification for the ‘missing funds’ noting that CBN’s ability to maintain a stable exchange rate is at risk.

“This violates Section 25 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 mandating the Bank to endeavour to maintain external reserves at levels considered to be appropriate for the economy and the monetary system of Nigeria.”


More diversions, less accountability

The report also revealed an ‘unsubstantiated’ decline of over $8 billion in foreign reserves between 2019 and 2020. According to the Auditor-General, as of the close of business on 30 June 2020, total reserves stood at $35.7 billion as against $44.7 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 30 June, 2019.

“The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at the CBN, particularly its inability to effectively manage economic variables that could impact negatively on the reserve”, he said.

In addition to these infractions in the Foreign Reserves, the CBN failed to account for the total funds recovered from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between 2016 and 2019, despite the Commission’s continuous activities in relation to forfeitures of looted funds to the federal government.

The Recovered Funds component of the foreign exchange inflow of $40,502,645.06 was last reported in 2015. There were no reports of Recovered Funds between 2016 and 2020.

“This violates Section 14(3) EFCC Act, 2004, which states that all money received by the Commission under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section must be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation”, Mr Chira noted.

According to the Auditor-General, no compelling explanation was given for the depletion of the Reserves, as this could lead to loss of public funds and inability to fund the budget.


CBN’s response

In response to these infractions discovered by the Auditor-General, the CBN noted that the Bank has constantly communicated with the Federal Government through its Monetary Policy communique on ways to boost the reserves. One of the engagements gave birth to the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI), where gold will be purchased in local currency and added to the reserve.

“The Bank has intervened heavily in the agricultural sector of the economy to boost the production of certain commodities that could be exported to earn foreign exchange and reduce pressure in the reserves,” the CBN response said.

According to the CBN, these interventions in the forex market were necessary to maintain a stable exchange rate that would lead to macroeconomic stability in line with the bank’s mandate.

Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve by a monetary authority in foreign currencies to ensure that a government or its agency has backup funds if their national currency rapidly devalues. Foreign exchange reserves are also called international or external reserves.


‘CBN’s credibility at stake, erodes trust from citizens and investors’ — Experts

Lukman Rahim, an Associate Chartered Accountant and lecturer at the University of Jos said that the CBN’s inability to account for missing funds has far-reaching implications that affect the lives of ordinary citizens in practical and tangible ways, as well as undermines the overall integrity of Nigeria’s financial institutions.

“Firstly, the Central Bank’s credibility is at stake, eroding the trust that citizens and investors have in the financial system. This lack of confidence can lead to a decrease in foreign investment, hindering economic growth and stability,” he said.

According to him, the depreciating value of the national currency, coupled with rising inflation rates, directly impacts individuals’ purchasing power.

“Everyday essentials become more expensive, making it challenging for families to meet their basic needs.”

“On a broader scale, the missing funds hinder the government’s ability to invest in crucial sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. These sectors are vital for the long-term development and well-being of the nation”, he added.

Emmanuel Yoko, Director at the Nigerian College of Accountancy, shares the same concern. To him, the missing funds will lead to increased debt collection and servicing, negatively impacting the masses.

“The missing funds would have forced the government into debt collection to meet with her essentials, thereby plunging the economy into more debts and the attending complexities that come with its payment”, he said.

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mohammed Sanusi, has said rather than blaming President Bola Tinubu for the present hardship in the country, accusatory fingers should be pointed at his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, over the way he handled the economy.

The former emir of Kano, who spoke virtually on Sunday at a religious event in Abuja, maintained that the immediate past administration failed to properly manage its economic policies.

According to him, Buhari turned a deaf ear to reasonable advice on how to take Nigeria out of its economic woes.

He said he would, therefore, not be able to meet the expectations of a section of Nigerians who wanted him to criticize President Tinubu over the current economic difficulties in the country.

The former royal father stated: “I have been, over the years, talking about the pending crisis ahead of the current economic hardship. Any economist who has studied monetary policy in the last eight years knows that Nigerians will fall into this difficult situation.

“The difficult situation Nigerians are facing is just the beginning (if the right decision is not put in place) because Nigeria is not exceptional; such situations happened in Germany, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Venezuela.

“The previous administration turned adamant about our appeal for corrective measures (on the economic policy). I have said in the presence of the now sitting president in Kaduna state, any politician who tells you that things will be easy, don’t vote for him because he is lying. People merely dismissed my advisory as a political statement.

“If I am to be fair and just to President Bola Tinubu, he is not to blame for the current hardship; for eight years, we were living a fake lifestyle with huge debt from foreign and domestic debts. The Central Bank of Nigeria owes over N30 trillion, which resulted in debt service surpassing 100 per cent.

“I can’t join other Nigerians criticising Tinubu on the current economic hardship, and I am not saying he is a saint free from wrongdoing, but in this current economic situation, President Tinubu is not to be blamed. I will also speak if I see any wrong economic policy of the Tinubu administration in the future

“It’s injustice for anyone to blame the Tinubu administration for the current economic hardship because there is no other alternative than the removal of the fuel subsidy. After all, Nigeria cannot even afford to pay the subsidy. In the last eight years, the Central Bank continued to print more money, and the Naira continued to depreciate. There is too much naira in circulation because the CBN is printing the currency without restraint.

“The economy was poorly managed, and they are not willing to take advice; in the last eight years, apart from sycophancy, nothing has been done; those sycophants are those buying the dollar at the rate of N400 and selling it at the rate of N600 to N700.

“A boy who has no record of service has a private jet and owns houses in Dubai and England just because he is buying dollars at so a rate and selling them.

“I can only plead with the people to endure the hardship, and those who have the means to help the downtrodden should do so.

“I am also pleading with commoners to live according to their earnings; we must not peg our lives above our earnings in this difficult situation where people are looking for what to eat.

The inability to manage Nigeria’s wealth over the years has been identified as the main reason for the decline of the country’s economy over the years.

Before 2015, the country had generated billions of dollars in forex. Nigeria’s economy grew 12.7% between 2012 and 2013. And in 2013, the Nigerian economy was rebased from 270 billion dollars to 510 billion dollars, making it Africa’s top economy.

The increase of about 90% was attributed to new sectors of the economy such as telecommunications, movies, and retail which were previously not captured or underreported

However, a 10-year analysis by Daily Trust on Sunday, of some economic indices from 2013 to 2023, revealed a major trend of increases in inflation and prices of essential commodities.


Inflationary trend

The hope of maintaining a single inflation figure is one of the objectives of an economic powerhouse like Nigeria.

According to data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria’s inflation figure was on an average, in the range of 8.5 percent in 2013. The country started the year with a 9 percent inflation in January, but it floundered to end the year on 8 percent.

The average figure for 2014 was 8.1 percent. The inflation figure was 8 percent in January and ended with 8 percent. While in 2015, the average inflation rate was 9.01 percent with 8.2 percent recorded in January and ended in December with 9.55 percent.

In 2016, the country could no longer maintain the single digit inflation rate with the figure jumping to 15.6 percent on average. It entered the year with 9.62 percent and ended it with 18.55 percent.

In 2017, it slowed to 16.5 percent, recording 18.72 percent in January and reduced to 15.37 in December.

In 2018, the figure went down to 12.13 percent on an average having recorded 15.1 percent in January and 11.44 percent in December.

The downward trend continued in 2019 with prices of commodities increasing on an average of 11.3 percent. The year saw an 11 percent increase throughout the calendar month starting with 11.37 percent in January while ending with 11.98 percent by December.

In 2022, the average inflation rate was 18.7 percent starting with 15.6 percent and increased to 21.34 percent by December.

For 2023, the figure averaged at 24.52 percent starting with 21.82 percent in January and peaked at 28.92 percent in December.


Devaluation of the naira

At the heart of the rising inflation over the years is the dollarization of the Nigerian economy. With the country dependent on importation to meet the needs of its people, the excessive need for dollars for importation of goods put a strain on the naira.

According to a data obtained from the CBN, worth-to-the-dollar-naira saw at the Inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market (IFEM) from 2013, at N159.3 per dollar, rose to N164.9 in 2014, then N195.5 in 2015.

It further increased to N253.5 in 2016; N305.7 in 2016; N306 in 2017; N306.9 in 2018; N358 in 2020; N435 in 2021; N461 in 2022 and N900 in 2023

With Nigerians not having access to the IFEM rate from banks, they took to the parallel market, which is sourced from Bureaux De Change (BDCs).


Food inflation rose by average of 186%

The rise in food prices across the country has further reduced what the average Nigerian could save from his/her income.

Data from the CBN showed that food inflation increased, on the average, by 9.7 percent in 2013. In 2014, it reduced to 9.4 percent, but increased to 9.8 percent in 2015. It climbed further to 14.8 percent in 2016. In 2017, it was 19.5 percent, but dropped to 14.4 percent in 2018 and 13.7 percent in 2019.

It, however, recorded a spike in 2020 to 16.1 percent which later increased to 20.4 percent in 2021; 20.8 percent in 2022 and 27.7 percent in 2023.


400% change in price of 50kg bag of rice in 10 years

The situation has led to an increase in the price of 50 kilogram of a bag of rice. The price of rice, which is a staple food in almost every home in the country, has seen its rise doubling the minimum wage of the average worker.

Starting from N12,000 in 2013, the price of 50kg bag of rice reduced to N10,000 in 2014 which it maintained in 2015 till it increased to N13,000 in 2016.

It further rose to N16,000 in 2017 and N18,500 in 2018. In 2019, it was N19,500, then N26,000 in 2020. A little decrease was recorded in 2021 as it came down to N25,000 before it skyrocketed to N40,000 in 2022; N60,000 in 2023 and currently, over N70,000 at various markets across the country.

209% increase in 2KG of golden penny wheat in 6 years

The Selected Food Price Watch compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also showed an increase in the price of a 2kg bag of Golden Penny wheat from N639.24 in 2017 to N662.89 in 2018; N676.2 in 2019; N749.8 in 2020; N967.46 in 2021; N1,203.88 in 2022 and 1,976.5 in 2023.


257% rise in 1kg of maize in 6 years

Maize, which is an important staple in most homes, including local dishes, has also seen an increase in price.

According to the NBS, maize price rose from the average of N161.90 in 2017 to N160.42 in 2018; N153 in 2019; N207.51 in 2020; N274.39 in 2021; N329.05 in 2022 and N589.7 in 2023.


Cement price rose by 150% in 10 years

According to media reports, a 50kg bag of cement rose from N2,000 in 2013 to N4,000. The product sold for N2,500 in 2013 before dropping to N2,000 in 2014 and it maintained the same level in 2015. It went up to N2,300 in 2016.

In 2017, however, the price of cement price rose to between N2,700 and N2,800; while in 2018, it dropped slightly to N2,570. But in 2020, it rose to N3,600. In 2021, the price shot up to N4,000; N4,200 in 2022 and N5,000 in 2023.


Petrol price increased by 570% in 10 years

The country’s abundance in crude has not translated into a lower price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

The product sold for N97 per litre in 2013; was brought down to N87 in 2015, increased to N145 in 2016, and was reduced to N125 in 2020. It rose again to N165 in 2021; N195 in 2022.

Due to the removal of subsidy in May 2023, the price is astronomically, and it sold at N617 per litre before the end of last year. It is still within that price range up to today.

The price of a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas, which normally sold for N2,700 in 2013, rose to N3,000 in 2014; N3,300 in 2015; N4,000 in 2016 and N4,452.83 in 2017.

In 2018, the price was N4,332, but came down to N4,176.20 in December 2019 from N4,121.15 in November 2019 and N4,082 in 2020.

However, in 2021, the cooking gas price spiked to N7,332.04; N10,248.97 in 2022 and N11,155.15 in 2023.


Salary increased once as purchasing capacity reduced

Amidst the high cost of living witnessed during the period under review, the federal government only increased the minimum wage once.

The pay rise, which was done in 2019, saw the wage increased from N18,000 to N30,000. But the continuous downward spiral of the exchange rate of the currency against the dollar made purchasing power of citizens to wane.


Workers, pensioners groan

A civil servant, Abigail Daniel, said the failure of the government to stem inflation, caused her to live from hand to mouth as she could not save from her salary.

“The salary is not increasing at par with the commodities in the market. What you purchase in the market today would have changed price the next time you visit. I feel like I am into slavery because I see no progress in what I do in life. If I spend all my salary on food, how am I supposed to take care of myself or my children during emergencies? How should I support my husband when the need arises.”

Daniel stated that the economy has been battered to the point that her family relies on the goodwill of her customers to purchase foodstuff on credit till her salary is paid.

A pensioner, Abdulrasheed Oladayo, said despite retiring early from the civil service, he could not beat the current economic challenges despite having taken up a teaching job in a private school.

“The economic situation we found ourselves in the country is dire and one needs a strong will to survive the turbulence. I am thankful to God that I live in my own house. I had a car to ferry me to where I teach but with the situation now, how I am expected to get fuel to drive myself to work. My body is becoming frail, so very soon, the salary will not and I will have to depend solely on my pension. But the meagre sum is very little to cater for my needs”, he said.

On his part, Ibrahim Sadam, said: “I was doing fine with the little work I had in a factory in Kaduna before the layoff of many staff in the company. Since then, it has been hard for me to get another job. I have four children and a wife to provide for without a job and how should I scale this without”.


Poor policy implementation, bane of Nigeria’s economy–Experts

A senior economist at SPM Professionals, Paul Alaje, said Nigeria’s economy had continued to deteriorate due to weak implementation of polices.

Alaje, in a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday, said: “The approach to solving it will be the supply side approach, when you look at the food prices, there is a general shortage, which will create food crisis this year. The supply of petroleum is another major reason we have inflation in Nigeria as it has affected production cost.

“The way-out is to improve supply from agriculture and agro-allied sector through government policies on farm hubs in each local government.

“Nigeria needs Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), but we can’t attract that even if the naira is at N5,000 to a dollar. No one will come into the country when they are not safe and the currency is volatile,” he said.

Also speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, the chief executive officer of Economic Associates, Dr Ayo Teriba, said Nigeria’s economic downward spiral was triggered by an external shock as global commodity prices collapsed in the second half of 2014.

Teriba, an economist, said: “The reason for the rising inflation is that the economy passed through devaluation. We can’t do anything about inflation but we can do something about the exchange rate.

“The solution is to get FDI as desperately as India had been getting it. They got $500bn in FDI since 2015. We are still fooling around with oil and gas.

“Since we unified the exchange market, the volatility comes down to supply shortage. Whatever you can do to get FDI large enough to raise our reserve threshold to $50bn or $100bn we should do it. This is because it will stabilise the exchange rate, if the rate is stable, inflation will come down. In 2015, when the exchange rate moved to N510 in the parallel market and people were worried that it might go to N1000, eventually it was stabilised to N360 and it stayed in that figure till the next 3 years until the pandemic.

“That is what we should be aiming for now, we should not accept defeat, but look for reserves to bring the exchange rate back to below N500 and like we saw in 2017, inflation fell for the next 18 consecutive months. So, if we are able to stabilise the exchange rate, inflation will fall by itself and allow the naira to appreciate. If the exchange appreciates, the economy will deflate”, he said.

Death, they say, is inevitable. But depending on the circumstance, it could come with a rude shock to the grieving family members, friends, colleagues and acquitances.

On some occasions, the dead at times unknowingly foresee their death but oblivious to the grieving family members, friends, colleagues and their acquitances.

Group managing director/CEO of Access Corporation, one of Nigeria’s mega Banks, Herbert Wigwe, who died from an helicopter accident in the United States on Friday, appeared to have a premonition of his death.

In a cryptic January 19, 2024 post on social media, a day after the burial of Abdul Imoyo, head of media at Access Bank, Wigwe admonished his followers and members of the public to appreciate life, saying ‘Let us number our days.’

He wrote: “Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.

“Let’s honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days.”

LEADERSHIP reports that a chopper transporting Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Holdings, crashed, killing him as well as about five others in California, United States.

Sources said the chopper was headed to Las Vegas when it crashed near a border city between Nevada and California on Friday night.

Wigwe, his wife and son were in the helicopter when it crashed in California near the Nevada border, as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group).

Six passengers were onboard, however, no survivors found so far.

The US government confirmed all on board dead.

Written by Our Correspondents


Food insecurity in Nigeria could get significantly worse as criminal elements now engage in large-scale theft of farm produce just days, and sometimes hours, before farm owners come to harvest their crops.
The scale of theft is different across states of the country. While farmers in southern states have to deal with petty thieves, the desperation, hunger and insecurity in the north create the atmosphere for large-scale criminality.

LEADERSHIP Weekend was able to gather reports of theft and criminal activities on privately owned farms from at least 15 states across the regions of the country, some of which appear in this report.

This is just as the World Bank has warned of increased food insecurity in seven states in the Northwest and Northeast regions of the country, blaming insecurity, armed conflicts and the reduced standards of living.
The states that the World Bank named as being under threat of severe food crisis include Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

Findings by LEADERSHIP Weekend, however, suggest that the food crisis is being worsened by the ECOWAS sanctions on Niger Republic, which can no longer import food from ports in West Africa, and the falling value of the Naira against CFA Franc, which is the currency used by most of Nigeria’s neighbours.

The underlining circumstances are making the diversion of foodstuff from many of the states in the Northwest and Northeast to neighbouring countries more profitable.
Nigerian governors had recently stated that food in country is cheaper in Nigeria than in most West African states. However, they did not acknowledge the impact the value of the Naira on all this.

According to Prof. Hassan Ishaq Ibrahim, agricultural economist at Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, there could be a threat of famine in areas that have suffered prolonged conflict or unabated insecurity which prevent farmers’ access to their farms.

“In such areas, unless there are deliberate measures put in place by government at all levels, famine in such places may be inevitable.

“Whether or not there are early warning signs indicating food shortages, there is no doubting the fact that in such areas that suffer persistent insecurity and unwarranted attacks which prevent farmer access to their farms, there will be certainly be a decrease in food production in such areas,” he said.
On the insinuation that farmers now prefer to sell their produce to neighbouring countries because of the Naira losing value, coupled with the fact that Niger Republic can no longer import food through seaports in the ECOWAS region, Prof. Ibrahim said he could not authenticate that, but stressed, however, that every farmer had the right to sell their farm produce wherever brings them maximum profit.

Farmers who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend would only admit to having challenges over insecurity and the large-scale theft of their harvest, but were less open about suggestions that their crops and foodstuff are ending up in neighbouring countries.

LEADERSHIP Weekend also discovered that most of the thefts go unreported and as such no official investigation has been conducted by either the federal government or state governments to assess the impact of the theft and put numbers to how much it costing the economy.


Bauchi

One farmer that that has struggled since falling victim to some criminals is Gayus Musa. He is a 38-year-old man based in Boi, Bogoro LGA of Bauchi State. He says that he laboured to feed his family following activities of suspected thieves in his farm shortly before harvest.

Musa, who has a family of six, lost nearly half of a hectare of guinea corn farm to thieves who invaded it at night and went away with the crops, denying him the fruit of his labour.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, he said, “With the current turbulent economic times, losing such a huge crop yield is not easy to contend with, considering the daily food needs of my family.
“The invaders usually strike farms in the community at night when most farm owners are asleep.”

Nursing the wounds, Musa said he could not offer his family three square meals as he used to because of the impact of the loss and hike in the prices of food items.
“Previously, I sold a percentage of the harvest to pay my children’s school fees, but now I do not know what to do,” he said, adding that he did not report the matter to the police.
“I turned to God to comfort me and replenish the loss,” he said.


Jigawa

Another victim is Lukeman Abdulmalik, a graduate and young farmer who resides in Kano but cultivates rice, wheat, pumpkin, onion and water melon in neighbouring Gabarun, Ringim, in Jigawa State.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Kano, he said after his NYSC, he did some jobs and invested some of his income in agriculture, which he ventured into in 2021.
According to him, the move yielded good results and he made gains.
That was until last year, 2023, when his farm was invaded by unknown thieves who harvested his two acres of rice farmland worth over N2 million over night.

Abdulmalik explained that he had two different farmlands – four hectares and two acres, which he leased, noting that sometime in June last year he planted rice on the two acres of farmland with an expectation of harvesting nothing less than 60 bags, but when it was ripe for harvest, he lost everything.

“Due to inadequate rainfall last year, I had to pump water to irrigate the farm because rice produces more in a waterlogged area. I pumped water after every four days when there was no rain and I spent nothing less than N7,000 to N8,000 to buy fuel, especially after the removal of fuel subsidy, to pump water from my borehole.

“After three months, when it was due for harvesting, it was harvested by unknown people. Though the villagers, as I was told by someone from the village, that sometime in the past the villagers had a clash with some herdsmen. It was few months after the clash that the incident of theft on farms began. I know a friend of mine whose his own farm was set ablaze and he lost produce worth over N4 million.”

Abdulmalik did not report the incident to the police; he left everything to God.
“Actually, it affected my capital because it seemed I was starting over again. The loss was huge, about N2 million worth of rice was stolen. I felt like quitting farming and it affected me mentally, but life must continue and I will still continue in 2024.
On how he sells his farm produce, he said sometimes he transports them neighbouring states like Kano, Abuja or Lagos and across the border in Niger Republic, depending on the prices on offer, while sometimes he takes them to the local market, especially with the increase in cost of transportation.


Akwa Ibom

Distraught farmers in Akwa Ibom State, struggling to stay afloat under the current economic meltdown, have lamented the additional burden imposed on their agribusiness by draught and pilfering by criminal elements.
Some of the affected farmers, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend, especially from the rural communities, lamented low yields coupled with theft by local residents hard hit by hunger.

“We caught local thieves who have been stealing our produce before we harvest them. And because of the issue of our cassava, palm fruits, yams and other crops being harvested by thieves, we have to resort to wholesale harvesting at once to clear the farm for another round planting,” Enebong Ntiero, one of the affected farmers in Ika Local Government Area, lamented.

“We had to resort to jungle justice of rough-handling and sometimes dragging them naked with rope on their neck around the villages as a deterrent because the police would release them back to the community because of lack of money to pursue the case,” said another farmer, Ini Etim, a Youths Council secretary of Udianga Enem village in Etim Ekpo LGA.
“What we need is government subsidy for all-year-round planting because what we are experiencing, especially the draught, calls for government intervention through donation of durable high yield seedlings and security,” Akpan Akang, a member of farmers’ cooperative in Uruan LGA said.
The pleas of the affected farmers appear to have gotten government’s attention as the administration of Governor Umo Eno has come up with an interventionist scheme to aid the farmers.


Osun

Farmers in Osun State are vulnerable to the pilfering of their farm produce by hoodlums.
While some have outrightly abandoned farming for other businesses, those left behind are licking their wounds silently.
A retired civil servant, Mr Ademola Adeolu, who invested a fraction of his gratuity in farming in his village, suffered losses not to bad weather but the activities of criminal elements.

Narrating his experience to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Osogbo, Mr. Adeolu said his maize farm was invaded by thieves and over 40 per cent of his farm produce was harvested prematurely and taken away.

Adeolu said he had to harvest the leftover crops hurriedly to avoid further theft, which eventually led to the loss of the capital invested, adding that he had not recovered from the loss till today.
Adeolu said he did not report the incident to the police because he preferred to abandon farming rather than “waste his time pursuing a lost cause”.

While many farmers in the state are caught in the same web, it was gathered that farmers in the state sell their farm produce at local markets while some middlemen take up the responsibility of selling at neighbouring states for higher profit.

Farmers in Osun predominantly deal in cash crops such as cocoa, cola nut, coffee and cashew nuts and the produce are mainly exported.


Katsina

Farmers in Katsina State also experienced cases of stolen farm produce before and during harvest time due to the economic hardship and high cost of living in the country.
Findings show that mostly women and children under the guise of labourers are involved in this act.

Mama Talatu Sani, in Danja local government, said she was surprised when she woke up one morning to discover her beans had been stolen from the farm a few days to the time she was to harvest them,
According to her, she only cried out and complained to the community and left everything to God.

Similarly, Sani Garba Mairuwa in the Faskari local government, also lamented the ugly incidence which, according to him, made farming difficult and unattractive.
He said, “After completing all production processes coupled with the high cost of fertiliser, chemicals, and several other farm inputs, on the eve of the harvest we were devastated by the activities of thieves.
“I had lost about one-third of my maize before I hastily harvested them even before it properly dried. We have no choice but to mobilise and mount guard in our farms in the afternoon, midnight, and early morning.
“Some of the thieves strike during the early morning prayers when most farmers are focused in the mosques.”

By allAfrica and Boakai Fofana


The South African Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, said she’s been receiving threats after the country filed a complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice, The Citizen reported.

Ms Pandor requested that the country’s police chief increase her security after she was targeted on social media, she told journalists at the State of the Nation’s Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

South Africa filed a case against Israel to the ICJ in seeking an immediate halt to the country’s military attacks in Gaza, as well as a discontinuation of forced displacement to enable humanitarian access to thousands of Palestinians. Mr Ramaphosa, during his Sona24 on February 8, also called the military attacks a genocide – an assertion that the ICJ said is “plausible”.

The Southern African nation has a large Jewish community, with some of them pushing back while others support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and human rights for all Palestinians as well as Israelis.

Ms Pandor meanwhile emphasized that South Africa is determined to see the ICJ case through. She told the Mail and Guardian that the country “can’t back down now”.

By Kunle Akinrinade





A former Nigerian footballer with an Egyptian Division 1 team has asked his wife to explain the circumstances surrounding the death of one of their daughters, having denied him access to his children for about two years until his youngest daughter’s death a few days ago, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

The controversial death of a two-year-old girl has sparked a row between her estranged parents. The girl, Oluwanieremi Mirabel, was said to have died suddenly on February 2, 2024 in Abeokuta, where she lived with her mother, Omosalewa Ajayi (nee Sobowale)
The girl’s father, Samuel Ige Ajayi, said he had been denied access to the girl for almost two years until he was suddenly informed on the phone by one of his ex-wife’s relatives that his daughter had passed on.

The situation has stalemated the burial of the girl for days as Ajayi refused to take the body for burial, saying that something was strange about the death of his daughter.

Speaking with our correspondent, Ajayi explained that Omosalewa left his home in Lagos for her father’s home in Abeokuta, Ogun State with his two daughters in a controversial manner about two years ago.

He said that all pleas to make her return home fell on deaf ears as she insisted on separation from Ajayi and taking custody of the children.

Ajayi, a native of Igbaraodo, Ekiti State, and a former player with a top Egyptian football club, Waggi Degla FC, said he was deeply traumatised and that he suspected foul play in the sudden death of his daughter.

He said: “In October 2022, Omosalewa left our Lagos home for his father’s house in Abeokuta and lied to my father-in-law that I was not taking care of his daughter.

”I pleaded with my father–in–law in the presence of my wife to no avail. Despite my rebuttal of her lies, my father-in-law sent me out of his house. I left Abeokuta in tears as I drove back to my base in Lagos State.

“Since then, she has refused to return to my house and has not allowed me access to our daughters.

“Whenever I called her on the phone to speak with our children, she would prevent me from talking to them.

“One day, she suddenly called me on the phone that our second daughter was convulsing and that she was being taken to the hospital somewhere in Abeokuta.

“She said that they had run a test on her and I insisted on having a video call with her to ascertain that she was actually in a hospital.

“She initially turned the request for a video call down but later reluctantly granted it, and I was able to confirm that they were in a hospital.

“To my surprise, she went to a mediation centre and later the Magistrate’s Court in Isabo, Abeokuta and I was summoned for allegedly refusing to take care of my daughter’s health.

“I explained to the court that she left my home and had refused to allow me access to my children for two years until she informed me on the phone that our youngest daughter was sick.

“She lied to the police that I assaulted her when she led court bailiffs to serve me with the summons.

“The police however refused to detain me, citing the fact that the matter happened in Lagos and not Abeokuta.

“I spoke with my daughters in December 2023 after pressuring her and she prevented further conversations with my children until January 5, 2024 when I insisted on seeing my children, and she brought them to meet me at an eatery around Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta for a few minutes.

“On February 2, 2024, she called me on the phone that my daughter, who would have been three years old in March.

Since their birth and the last time I saw them, my daughters were hale and hearty. It was on February 2, 2024, that she told me on the phone that nothing must happen to Mirabel, our daughter and she hung up.

“A few minutes later, one of her cousins broke the news of my daughter’s death to me on the phone and I was devastated.

“My estranged wife must explain the circumstances surrounding my daughter’s death.

“Nothing was wrong with my daughters since they were born and up until I saw them about one month ago.”

It was gathered that after Ajayi refused to take the body of the girl for burial, the family members of his estranged wife sent emissaries to him and pleaded that he should reconsider his disapproval for the immediate burial of the child.

Omosalewa’s relatives were also said to have promised that Ajayi would henceforth have unrestricted access to his surviving daughter, who is still in the custody of Omosalewa.

It was for this reason that Ajayi agreed to bury his daughter on Thursday, February 8.

However, the former footballer said his wife has reneged on the agreement as he has been further denied access to his eldest daughter while no explanation is being offered about the circumstances surrounding the death of Mirabel.

He said: “Since the day I reluctantly buried my daughter following persuasions and pleadings from my wife’s family members, she had refused to honour the promise that I would have unhindered access to my surviving child living with her.

“I have not been told in clear terms how my daughter died or what led to her death.

“She (Omosalewa) must explain to me what led to my daughter’s death because the death was strange and no one has told me what led to it.

“She had them in the United States of America on my sponsorship, and I deserve an explanation about her death.

“Now, all I want is for me to see my eldest daughter, Oluwadamisi Mitchel.”

Contacted on the telephone, Omosalewa dropped the call when our reporter introduced himself and was trying to inform her about the purpose of the inquiry. Further attempts to reach her for comments were futile as she did not pick up the call again while an inquiry forwarded via a text message to her GSM number was unanswered at press time.

THE Port Harcourt Refinery is set to start operations following the supply of 475,000 barrels of crude oil by Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited.

The crude oil supply is the first to be made in the past few years, due mainly to the poor state of the plant, which called for the recent rehabilitation and testing to ensure readiness for sustainable operations.

Confirming the oil supply, Shell said: “This significant milestone was made possible through intensive preparations, collaboration and the dedication of the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal, BOGT and Port Harcourt Refinery Company, PHRC teams.”

It stated that some activities, including pressure and leak testing to assure pipeline integrity by relevant subsidiaries of the NNPC Limited and integrity and maintenance activities on the Oil and Gas Terminal, BOT Refinery export pumps and associated instrumentations were carried out at the terminal through diligent efforts of the BOT operations and maintenance teams.

“The recommencement of crude oil supply from the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal to Port Harcourt Refinery is a significant achievement and a game-changer for the industry and the country. The intensive preparations, collaboration and dedication of both teams involved were instrumental in overcoming challenges and ensuring a safe and efficient supply operation.

“This milestone will support the government’s aspiration of steady supply of petroleum products to the downstream market and other associated benefits to the economy of the nation,” Shell stated.

Already, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd said it has fulfilled its pledge of achieving the mechanical completion of rehabilitation work on Area 5 Plant of the PHRC.

It stated that rehabilitation work has been ongoing at the Refinery for over two years and the NNPC Ltd. had pledged to complete Phase One of the project (mechanical completion and flare start-up) of Old Port Harcourt Refinery (Area 5) by 31st December 2023. Speaking during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation project, which also coincided with the 15th Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, had said as of December 15th, 2023, 84.4% of Area 5 Plant, a key component of the Refinery, and 77.4% of the entire rehabilitation project has been completed.

ABUJA-THE Federal Government said yesterday it was considering importation of food as a critical option on the table to halt the high cost of items in the country in order to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

In the interim, the government has ordered the immediate release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice and maize from national grain reserve.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the President has directed that food would be made available, no matter whatever it will take.

The decision came after three days of deliberation by the committee, in reaction to the protests by Nigerians over high cost of food and other economic challenges.

The minister also said the government would mete out appropriate sanctions on food hoarders adding that emergency situations required emergency measures to ensure food was available to Nigerians.

He called on Nigerians to be patriotic and desist from hoarding food, while the government deliberately invest massively in food production.

On the consideration of food importation if the suffering continues, the minister said: “Now, the third item is that the government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary as an interim measure on the short run, to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians within the next couple of weeks.”

On the outcome of the meeting, Idris said: “Today’s (yesterday) meeting was again on the issue of difficulty, like I said two days ago, of putting food on the table of most Nigerians, and has come up with a number of measures to ensure that food becomes more readily available to Nigerians.

?”The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42000 metric tons immediately.

?”The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria, those who are responsible for producing this rice and we have asked them to open up their stores.

”?They’ve told us that they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tons of rice. This will be made available and we know that that is enough to take Nigerians for the next one month to six weeks, perhaps up to two months.

”They’ve agreed that they will make that available to Nigerians to bring it out to the market so that food can be made available.

“Now the whole idea of this is to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.

“42,000 metric tons from the strategic government reserve, about 60,000 metric tons of rice from the Rice Millers Association, they have them in all their storage facilities and government, in conjunction with them, after this exhaustive meeting, has directed that they also bring this out immediately so that food, I mean the price of rice, will come down significantly.

?”Now, with all these emergency measures, there is, of course, a directive to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to invest massively, in conjunction with Nigerian farmers and other producers, so that we can have better season coming up shortly. ?

“Now, we all know that dry season farming is happening. That will take effect very shortly, and that we hope will also contribute, because as soon as the dry season farming gets underway, it is the hope of government that food prices will also come down.


“Like I said, these are all measures that are taken to immediately, and as an emergency measure, bring down the cost of food items. In the long run, Federal Ministry of Agriculture is going to invest massively, so that Nigeria will recover its potential as a food basket and we don’t expect that going forward we are going to be faced with these challenges again. “

The minister warned those hoarding food items to desist from it, threatening that anyone found doing so would face the wrath of the government.

?He said: “Now government, of course, is also looking at all those who are hoarding these commodities because actually these commodities are available in the stores of many traders.

“Government is appealing to them, that they should open up these stores, make these commodities available in the interest of our nation. There is no point when the whole country is looking for this food, you are locking up this products so that you make more money and then Nigerians suffer.

?”Of course, government will not fold its arms. We know where all these major traders are. We know where all these major stores are. And if they don’t respond by bringing these commodities to the market, government will take appropriate measures to ensure that these products are made available to Nigerians.”

On the appropriate measures to be meted out on those hoarding the products, he said: “Well, you cannot hold the nation to ransom. You cannot have these commodities and you’re hoarding them in your stores when we all need them.

”We are in an emergency situation and we’ll take emergency measures to make sure this food is available to Nigerians.”

On whether how much rice and other food items would be sold was discussed at the meeting, the minister: “Yes, the government has looked at that and what I can tell you is that whatever the government will do to ensure that this food is made available to Nigerians at an affordable cost, the government will do.”

?On his impression about a general concern of high-level inflation, not only food that affects the high cost of living in terms of prices of general goods, particularly as it affects forex, he said: “Well, people always talk about that, even some commodities that do not have direct dollar denomination are always quoted in dollar. That is unfortunate.

”We ask that Nigerians need to be more patriotic. Be our brother’s keepers and sell this thing at a margin that is not also killing to Nigerians. ?

“You know, you need to be patriotic at this point. This is an emergency situation. Every nation faces emergency situations like this. It is not the first time it has happened. Many countries of the world have faced this.”

Five months later, President Bola Tinubu is yet to appoint new ambassadors after recalling all those representing the country around the world.

Recall that President Tinubu on September 2, 2023, ordered the recall of all Nigeria’s ambassadors and envoys with immediate effect.

Daily Trust reports that Nigeria has 109 diplomatic missions worldwide comprising 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates.

Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has maintained diplomatic ties with many countries. Even though there have been reports of dearth of activities at some of Nigeria’s embassies, high commissions and consulates, experts who spoke to Daily Trust said countries were taken more seriously when they were visible diplomatically.

While asking Nigeria’s diplomats to come back in September, presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said, “The president is determined to ensure that world-class efficiency and quality will henceforth characterise foreign and domestic service delivery to citizens, residents and prospective visitors.”

He said the decision was sequel to a careful study of the present state of affairs at Nigerian consulates and embassies worldwide.

A former diplomat, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the long delay in appointing ambassadors could affect the relationship between Nigeria and some countries as some countries might not be open to deal with a lower diplomatic representation in their dealings with a country.

He said, “A Charge d Affairs may not be allowed to have meetings with a foreign minister of the host country because his position is just equivalent to that of a director. So, he may have limitations in handling serious issues which require higher authority from his host country.”

While speaking with a national daily recently, a Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Damilola Olawuyi (SAN), recalled that President Tinubu took office with a vow to put international diplomacy at the centre of the country’s development strategy.

He said, “There have indeed been positive signs of such increased global engagements, with Nigeria playing key roles in landmark international summits such as the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the most recent COP-28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“However, 2023 was generally a slow and underwhelming start in terms of a clear and discernible foreign policy agenda. Early blunders such as the outrage and backlash that trailed the rushed recall of Nigerian ambassadors were a preventable embarrassment for a country of Nigeria’s stature.

“Furthermore, more than six months after taking office, many of our diplomatic missions have no clear leadership structure in place, while uncertainties also surround our representation in the UN bodies.

“This means that no matter the excellent progress the president makes when he embarks on foreign missions, there is little or no structure in place for clear and actionable follow-up.

“No country will feel confident to engage with an ambassador whose future is hanging in the balance. There is, therefore, an urgent need to resolve the appointment of new and returning ambassadors as soon as possible, including Nigeria’s representation at UN bodies such as WTO, WIPO and UNESCO.”


‘We do things upside down in Nigeria’

A former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States (US), Joe Keshi, expressed reservation over the rationale behind the recall of all the ambassadors at the same time considering the work that would go into trying to replace them at the same time.

Keshi said, “Nigeria is a unique country; we do things upside down. Now, replacing them is a headache. That is why under Gen Sani Abacha they didn’t make that mistake…”

On the implication of not naming new ambassadors some months after recalling the serving ones, the diplomat noted that it took a long time to replace an ambassador.

He explained that, “You don’t just call somebody and say, ‘You, go to America.’ When you agree on the person you want to send, you have to send his papers and every other thing to the country, and until they (the receiving country) accept, you don’t announce.

“It is when they have concluded all the work, the background and everything, because we do the same thing. When they want to nominate somebody, they send all the details and we tell our NIA and DSS to check on the person. This could take six months, some have taken one year.”

Meanwhile, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Daily Trust that, “Meetings have been going on with stakeholders to ensure that the right people are appointed for the job in line with the president’s foreign policy direction.

“These people are going to be from all the 36 states, including the FCT. Some of them are career ambassadors and some are non-career ambassadors.”


‘New ones to be announced soon’

Corroborating what the foreign affairs ministry’s source said, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the spokesman to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said there was no cause for alarm as the government was working on the appointment of new ambassadors soon.

He said, “Their replacements are being worked on by President Tinubu. Very soon new ambassadors would be announced.”

He explained that there was no delay in the process of appointment of new ambassadors, adding that, “It is a natural process.”

He further said, “The task of selecting those who will represent Nigeria is not something that can be done in a day. You have to look at the track record of these people; you have to look at their loyalty and relationship to the government of Nigeria; you have to do security checks; you have to do background checks up to their primary schools, because these people will be representing Nigeria.”

Abdulkadir rejected the claim that activities had been on hold in Nigerian missions across the world as a result of the delay in the appointment of new ambassadors.

He said, “There are officers that have continued their work because they are staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the last month, I have gone to about four missions and things are going on. The work is going on.

“I just came back from Saudi Arabia; all the meetings that the minister had were handled by the staff of the mission; the acting ambassador and the consul-general.

“The chargés d’affaires have taken on the work of the ambassadors very well and finely. There are no lapses anywhere.”

While assuring that the relationship between Nigeria and host governments was intact despite not having ambassadors in place in the foreign missions, he said, “That is why we have a mission or an embassy in the country. There are people who are working in those embassies. Like I told you, everything is going on fine.”

Daily Trust further reports that in December, 2022, a report published by this newspaper showed that Nigerian embassies and consulates were in a sorry state and soiled by corruption.

The report was anchored by #OurVotesCount (OVC), an initiative of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS).

The independently funded report on some selected Nigerian missions, titled: “State of Nigerian embassies and consulates, 2022”, was presented by a former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, at an event in Abuja.

The report reads in part: “Although not in high proportion as with the case in most public institutions at home, the research found that some Nigerian embassies and consulates are also soiled by corruption.

“There are reported cases of visitors being asked to pay non-official fees for services that should either come for free or cheaper.”

The report also noted that Nigerian embassies and consulates were poorly funded, stressing that most of them were housed in unbefitting structures.

The report also noted non-digitisation of services, unavailability of courier services, outdated queuing procedures and biometric-related inefficiencies, lack of good physical infrastructure, poor internet and information technology facilities, limited level of interaction between embassy officials and Nigerians in the diaspora and poor staff attitude.

The report recommended the elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays that make it possible for corrupt tendencies, especially with regards to the imposition of extra charges for express services.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has called for patience over the ongoing economic hardships being experienced in the country.

The governor said this during a briefing in Ilorin with different segments of the state on efforts of the government to ease things for the people.

The sessions, which lasted for hours, involved labour union leaders from the transport, artisans, market unions and students drawn from various backgrounds in the state.

In a statement signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, AbdulRazaq said that different federal government committees are working round the clock to plug the spiraling fall in the value of the naira and its impacts on consumer goods.

According to him, “We (governors) held a meeting on Tuesday afternoon which I joined through zoom, and it is a continuation of previous meetings. The government is launching programmes to checkmate the rising food prices.

“Our major problem is foreign exchange. We are getting US dollars from sales of crude oil, whereas we have low sales at the moment. We used to experience pipeline vandalism.

“But since the assumption of Tinubu’s government, production of oil has increased. Not only that, the government realised recently that the crude oil we are, and will be getting in the next six months or so had been sold in advance. So, they don’t get value for whatever they are selling now. But gradually, things will change and we need your support to understand us,” he added.

AbdulRazaq said the government is immediately working to force down the cost of key staple foods by releasing grains from the strategic reserve and distributing the same to the people at intervals.

The devaluation of the naira, the Governor noted “meant that merchants from neighbouring countries are mopping up grains from Nigeria.

“This is because it is far cheaper to buy from the country and then resell at higher prices in their own countries, especially in the West African sub-region”.

Acknowledging the spike in inflation, he urged the people to be patient adding that the government’s investments in gas-powered vehicles will manifest after their distribution in the coming months.

Indications have emerged that lingering regulatory approvals have stalled Dangote Petrochemical Refinery’s plan to release aviation fuel (Jet A1) and diesel for sale in the Nigerian market in January, findings by The PUNCH have shown.

One week after the January 31 timeline set by the management of Africa’s largest refinery to begin sale of its petroleum product in the local market, the refinery is still battling to cross the hurdles of the several layers of regulatory approvals.

The development came almost a month after the refinery began the production of petroleum products at the expansive facility.

On January 12, 2024, Dangote refinery announced that it had commenced the production of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, and aviation fuel or JetA1.

The President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in a statement issued by his firm at the time, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support, encouragement, and thoughtful advice towards the actualisation of the project.

Dangote also thanked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NMDPRA and Nigerians for their support and belief in the historic project, as he revealed that the facility would pump out diesel and aviation fuel in January, subject to regulatory approvals.

He said, “We thank President Bola Tinubu for his support and for making our dream come true. This production, as witnessed today, would not have been possible without his visionary leadership and prompt attention to details.

“His intervention at various stages cleared all impediments thereby accelerating the actualisation of the project. We also thank the NNPC, NUPRC and NMDPRA for their support. These organisations have been our dependable partners in this historic journey.

“We also thank Nigerians for their belief and support in this project. We have started the production of diesel and aviation fuel, and the products will be in the market within this month once we receive regulatory approvals.”

The confirmed on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, the plant had yet to pump out diesel nor aviation fuel, amid an anxious wait by operators in the downstream sector and Nigerians consumers.

Findings showed major and independent oil marketers were keenly waiting for the sale of refined products from the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery even though the January 2024 target for the release of fuel by the facility passed.

But multiple officials of regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector revealed to The PUNCH on Wednesday that the facility had yet to complete the various stages of its regulatory processes.

It was gathered that officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority were still assessing the products being produced by the plant before the agency would issue regulatory approvals for the products’ release into the market.


Approval delayed

Multiple sources at both the Abuja headquarters and Lagos regional office of the NMDPRA, the regulator of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream oil sector, confirmed that the process for the release of regulatory approvals was still ongoing.

“Definitely before any release of products is made, approvals must have been granted and this is being worked. The appropriate department is working out the approvals.

“We cannot tell you exactly what these approvals consist of. But the fact is that for Dangote refinery to release products, the requisite approvals must be granted, because the regulator needs to look at the quality of the products, whether they (products) meet specifications, etc, before they are being released to the market.

“So the approvals are being worked on. However, I cannot give you the date when it is going to be completed, but just know that the process is ongoing and I’ll brief you on an updated position,” an official, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of authorisation, stated.

Also, oil marketers told our correspondent that they had yet to receive the commercial terms for the supply of products from the facility, stressing that this was still being awaited.

“The commercial terms are still being sorted out and we are expecting that information from the refinery as well,” the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Major Energies’ Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, stated.

The PUNCH had reported on January 15, 2024 that the seven major oil marketers in Nigeria had registered with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the lifting and distribution of refined petroleum products produced by the $20bn plant.

The report stated that dealers under the aegis of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (now MEMAN) confirmed that with the registration, they would commence the distribution of fuel produced from the facility once the commercial terms were sorted.

It further stated the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria also revealed that they met with the management of the Dangote refinery to discuss terms of product loading.

Similarly, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria stated that PETROAN had been engaging the management of the multi-billion dollar refinery for the supply of products from the facility.

The report outlined the seven major marketers to include 11 Plc, Conoil Plc, Ardova Plc, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, OVH Energy Marketing Limited, Total Nigeria Plc and NNPC Retail.


IPMAN awaits Dangote

When also contacted to provide updates on their engagements with Dangote refinery, the National President, IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, said independent marketers were still awaiting feedback from the management of the facility.

He said, “We are still expecting the products from them, but up till now they have not called us for the distribution of products. We heard that this is because they are still undergoing the regulatory approval processes.

“So we are waiting. They have also not given us the cost of their products. When they give us the cost, of course, we are going to let you know.”

Officials of Dangote refinery, however, preferred not to comment on the issue, as they have yet to provide responses to enquiries on the matter.

Requests for comments spanning days had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report on Wednesday.

Dangote refinery, Africa’s biggest oil giant is located at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos, and was inaugurated on May 22, 2023. It has a 650,000 barrels per day refining capacity, making it the world’s largest single-train refinery

The facility is to produce diesel, jet fuel, Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, polypropylene, among others.

The facility aims to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s refined petroleum needs, create jobs, and boost exports, as it sits on a massive 6,180-acre site and boasts the world’s longest subsea pipeline infrastructure (1,100km).


More jobs

It has its own 435 megawatts power plant, capable of supplying electricity to a major Nigerian city and the project is expected to create 135,000 permanent jobs in the region.

Dangote Group’s president described his refinery as a game-changer for Nigeria’s oil industry and a significant infrastructure development in Africa.

“This is a big day for Nigeria. We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone. This is an important achievement for our country as it demonstrates our ability to develop and deliver large capital projects.

“This is a game-changer for our country, and I am very fulfilled with the actualisation of this project,” Dangote stated in the statement issued by his firm on January 12, 2024.

The refinery has so far received six million barrels of crude oil at its two SPMs located 25km from the shore. The first crude delivery was done on December 12, 2023, and the 6th cargo was delivered on January 8, 2024.

On January 29, 2024, it was reported that the refinery was set to import crude oil from the United States in the coming months, as the $20bn facility intensifies moves to start pumping out refined products.

The report stated that Africa’s largest refinery’s move to import crude from the US was a sign of just how competitive American barrels had become in the global market.

The multi-billion dollar refinery, according to Bloomberg at the time, was also expecting two million barrels of crude oil from Trafigura Group in February.

The report stated that Trafigura Group sold two million barrels of WTI Midland to Dangote refinery for end-February delivery.

It said this was disclosed by traders with knowledge of the matter, adding that it was the first time that the giant refinery had purchased non-Nigerian crude.

Trafigura is a multinational commodity trading company headquartered in Singapore, with major hubs in various locations including Geneva, Houston, Montevideo and Mumbai. The group participates in the oil and petroleum products market.

They primarily trade in base metals and energy, including oil, and also other commodities like minerals and metals. They have activities involving US oil as a globally focused company.

Dangote refinery can load 2,900 trucks a day at its truck-loading gantries. The products from the refinery will conform to Euro V specifications, according to its management.

“The refinery design complies with the World Bank, US EPA, European emission norms, and Department of Petroleum Resources emission/effluent norms, employing state-of-the-art technology,” the firm stated.

Since the announcement by Dangote that the refinery had started producing aviation fuel and diesel, operators in the downstream oil sector have to continued to declare their readiness to distribute the commodities across the country.

For instance, when contacted and asked in January whether major oil marketers would be involved in the lifting of refined products from the Dangote refinery, or whether the facility would distribute the fuel itself, Isong, the MEMAN CEO, replied, “I confirm that we (major marketers) have met with him (Dangote).

According to Isong, all MEMAN members have registered with Dangote Petroleum Refinery to become marketers of its products. He had told The PUNCH that MEMAN members would have the product in their stations the moment it was available for sale.

“We have all registered with Dangote so that we call buy and sell. All my members are registered with Dangote. Whenever the product is ready and starts coming out, you will see it in our filling stations,” he said.

“I confirm that my members have registered with them. We were waiting for the production to start and now it has started and they will start discussing the commercial terms. So yes, major marketers and other players will buy for the market. The important thing was the registration.

“So now the commercial terms will be agreed with each marketer and then they will buy from them. There are several ways you can buy from them. They have loading ranks, over 90, so you can take your truck to go and pick. You can also use vessels to pick. Those are the two ways you pick products.”

Asked at the time to state how soon marketers would start picking products from the plant, Isong said, “I don’t know, but I know we started registration last year. So as soon as they say they are ready we will pick the products. Also as soon as the commercial terms are set, my members will pick.”

Former President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Dangote refinery in May 2023. The facility missed its crude oil refining target a number of times due to the non-supply of crude to the plant by oil producers.

It, however, started receiving crude oil batches of one million barrels each in December 2023 and got the 6th batch of one million barrels of crude last month. Officials at the plant had explained that the refinery required six million barrels of crude to commence production.

Meanwhile, the MEMAN CEO had expressed excitement about the coming onstream of the refinery but stated that he could not tell what the pricing policy of the refinery would be.

“It should be the market price because you need to recover your cost, and capital, and repay your loans. I don’t know what the market price will be, but I know that with my international experience in the economics of petroleum, nobody does this business to make a loss,” he stated.

The prices of diesel and aviation fuel are fully deregulated commodities, unlike that of PMS, which has been a subject of debate on whether it is being subsidised or not.

But operators explained that the cost of crude oil would play a major role in determining the cost of fuel from Dangote refinery.

Ondo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps has intercepted some trucks loaded with arms and other dangerous weapons and charms from entering the state from the northern part of the country.

Amotekun nabbed the suspects during operations that took place in three local government areas of the state.

Parading the suspects in Akure, the state capital, the state commander of Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the agency had been monitoring the influx of strange persons in the last couple of weeks within and around forest reserves and other parts of the state.

Adeleye, who said another set of 31 suspected criminals were arrested two weeks ago, explained that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had directed that buses carrying pupils in the state must be protected and placed on serious surveillance.

He said, “A couple of weeks ago, we started having a very heavy influx of strange people within our forest reserve areas and the Ondo State territory.

“Majority of these people who claimed that they were coming into the state as hunters, were arrested around the black spots where we have robbery operations and kidnapping in the local governments where they were nabbed.

“They surprisingly and carefully concealed and kept their weapons, bags of Indian hemp, and cutlasses under their vehicles and they claimed that they were coming from various parts of the country.

Adeleye added that the arrested 149 suspects have been profiled, while some of them are still being questioned.

The Federal Government yesterday moved to stem rising food prices in the country by directing the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention to immediately wade in.

Assuring Nigerians that there was no food shortage, the government alleged that saboteurs were capitalising on Naira’s depreciation to escalate the cost of food items.

Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu convened the meeting at the behest of the President.

Placard-carrying women and youths had on Monday taken to a major road in Minna, Niger State protesting the high cost of foodstuffs.

The protesters called on the political officeholders to save them from hunger.

However, Governor Umar Bago, alleged sabotage by a cartel which he accused of mopping up foodstuffs in order to cause hike in prices.

Bago, who said the Federal Government was aware of the activities of the cartel, alleged that the aim of its members was to cause hunger and incite the people.

While the Minna protest lasted Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said he would meet with the President over hunger in the state.

After the meeting, the Information and National Orientation minister Mohammed Idris said that food items would be released from the National Food Reserves to crash prices.

Idris explained that major millers and commodity traders would be engaged by the government in order to make the food items readily available.

He said: “We just rounded off a meeting. It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.

“What I will tell Nigerians is that the President has directed that government needs to step in to stem this tide. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.

“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has some food reserves. They are going to be made available to Nigerians. ⁣

“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores. To open it up, so the government will provide some intervention, discuss with them and provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.⁣

“What the government is noticing is that there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of the high cost and the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up.⁣

“All these issues were discussed, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(Yemi Cardoso) was at the meeting. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Wale Edun) was there and of course, the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser were there. The NSA was there because of some national security implications.

“All these have been discussed and like I said, this conversation or discussion is going to continue.”

The minister also assured that the government would continue to take steps to ameliorate the current situation.

He said: “This is just the beginning of that meeting. It is going to continue tomorrow(today) and the day after tomorrow. The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what happened in Minna yesterday (Monday). Government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on their tables.⁣

⁣“Of course, this meeting is not by itself exhaustive. It’s just like I said, the beginning.

“ I want to plead with you to understand with the government. By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard. But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon a solution will be in sight.

Asked if there were any immediate actions, Idris replied: “Some of them are dependent on the follow-up meeting on this hardship. The government is stepping in a big way to ensure that Nigerians have succour.”

Samuel Oamen





Operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSNL) owned by former freedom fighter, Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, in collaboration with security personnel, have arrested another vessel for crude oil theft in Bayelsa State.

The vessel MT Harbour Spirit, with IMO No. 8226272, is anchored at the Tantita facility in Oporoza.

Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) has said our food remains the cheapest in West Africa.

Chairman, and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, spoke in Abuja yesterday when he led his colleagues, Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), to a visit to minister of Agriculture and Food Security.

He noted neighbouring countries use Nigeria’s food to trade as they take Soya beans, among others, to get foreign exchange.

Abdulrazaq regretted that Nigeria could not achieve much with CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, which he described as challenging.

While maintaining that the trading is not bad, he said what needs be done is to ramp up production and increase yield per hectare so Nigeria can feed West Africa.

He said: “We have noted that food in Nigeria is the cheapest in West Africa and our neighbours are using our food to trade. They are taking our soya beans and others to get foreign exchange…

“We need to ramp up production and increase yield so we can feed west Africa, ourselves and export food…

“We could not achieve much with CBN Anchor Borrowers programme it was challenging. Food security is a one stop shop and we need to concentrate on what we are on for dry season farming”.

Kyari had informed the governors the aim is to increase production all-year round with the objective of driving down food inflation, create jobs, reduce poverty, engender growth and promote inclusivity.

He said he has sent out Expression of Interests to governors and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of the second phase of dry season food production programme under National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NASG-AP).

“We are putting behind us challenges encountered during the First Phase with Wheat in 15 states. After evaluation of some glitches that characterised that phase, and with stakeholders’ proposals, there will be additional guidelines for the Second Phase commencing soon…’’

“There is no question that if we get things right now, and without an iota of doubt with all hands on the plough, future programmes and projects will enable us more seamlessly achieve all-year-round agricultural production with beneficial consequences for Economic Empowerment, Inclusivity and ultimately wider opportunities for Value Addition, Food and Nutrition Security as well as Industrialization.

“The phase we are about to get into is particularly crucial because, unlike the phase one for Wheat Production, which involved only 15 States, the second phase will cover the entire country. We will therefore, like you to use the instrumentality of your offices as Governors to ensure the readiness of your respective States for optimal participation in this second phase for the cultivation of rice, maize, and cassava”.