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One year old Pivo, a Nigerian Startup backed by Y-Combinator, which raised $2 million has shut down!
Pivo offers banking services to Nigerian customers.

2023....was indeed a graveyard for African Fintech!

The Mantra should be "Use Local" Patronize Local"

Opari exit Payday, welcome Bitmama!

Payday, fintech backed by Moniepoint, is in talks to be acquired by BitMama, a Nigerian crypto exchange startup, three months after Tech Cabal exclusively reported that Payday was speaking to potential buyers.

What a year 2023 was indeed. A grave yard for Tech companies!

Peter Obi: "Even as I am still studying the 2024 fiscal budget as presented to the National Assembly last week, I cannot wait as I am compelled to ask : what is exactly wrong with us as a country?"

"I ask this question because it is hard for me to understand some of the recent happenings in our nation, in these critical times. The recent news about a budget provision of N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President is both shocking and disheartening, considering the many important challenges facing our nation.

"Just recently in the Supplementary Budget, the sum of N2.5 billion was included for the renovation of the Vice President's residence in Abuja, which means that he already has a residence. Again, during the budget presentation, I heard the sum of N3 billion was allocated for the renovation of the Vice President's residence in Lagos. If we total all these sums, we would have budgeted the sum of N20.5 billion for the housing of the Vice President.. "

"..at this critical time when we are not just the world’s poverty capital, but more people are falling into poverty, with so many Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from. Our health facilities have collapsed, and unemployment is skyrocketing. I am convinced that 99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living in the current residence of the Vice President. Several people employed in the universities are not being paid."

"Just to give an example, the salary of a professor in a Nigerian university is about N400,000, which without removing tax is about N5 million a year. What we have budgeted for the housing of the Vice President who is already luxuriously housed is, therefore, the annual salary of about 3000 professors! This is the finance needed to develop the much-needed human capital."

"The budget of N5 billion for student loans, which is yet to be disbursed is only a tiny percentage of the cost of the Vice President’s new home. We are projecting to use four times the amount for educating ALL Nigerian indigent students to house the Vice President, and we are being told there is nothing wrong with us. I am sure the major teaching hospitals in Nsukka, Lagos, Ibadan, and Zaria did not receive this much capital vote in the budget this year. We have had leaders that were exemplary in the past."

"Most Nigerians may not know that the popular 1004 flats in Lagos, was a land allocated for the building of a Presidential Mansion for the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed. He sternly turned down the offer and instructed that the land should be used to build blocks of flats for civil servants. That is the kind of sacrificial leadership worth emulating. Our leaders must therefore stop the recklessness and insensitivity to the plight of the masses."

"We need leaders who show compassion and are willing to sacrifice for common progress and development. Such compassionate and frugal leaders are critical in our journey to the New Nigeria." -PO

https://x.com/PeterObi/status/1731662305614574042?s=20

When funds alloacted for training are mindlessly looted by leaders, tell me what you get? A massacre of poor innocent villagers by air!

SSFeedsNigeria:
Zoogeria has become a full time criminal state under the certificate forger and druggie.

Spit!

Some people mothers and elders are protesting they can no longer afford panla and bonga fish in the village, yet this werey on cheap powder from Asiwaju is talking of HE Peter Obi, an astute fine gentleman of rare qualities. Can this man of the people called Obi be compared with a Grandpa with leaking orifice; according to Rauf?
Hell no!

There's a need to truly and fully de-radicalize these APC Ronu people! If it was a Regional Govt, wetin concern us with who they elect.
They can not make bad leadership decisions and expect everywhere to be quiet. As part of my patriotic commitment Bulablu go hear am hot for my hand.

Do you see Igbos talking about Obaship tussle?

You can not elect idiots who ruin lives, both Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas and expect everyone to understand. These people no dey think at all.

From Buhari to Asiwaju! They didn't even deem it fit to apologize to Nigerians for bringing in a monster who ruin lives & economy for 8 years including their own!

Tufiakwaaaa this kind people!

BitterTruth0001:
Here comes the Fulani apologist

Even when his own people were slaughtered en masse by marauding herdsmen .

Where are the cows ?

Was it religion or party loyalty that blinded you to the atrocities of the herdsmen with the tacit support of the president ?

Own up to your tribal bigotry man and don’t hide under chivalry /need to defend Fulani

He may get away, but he will still pay the price!

MrColdsweat:
He has impoverished Nigerians already. He will always have his way.

Since he's no G-d but mere mortal, he will be humbled till he leaves there!

Shaaa what do I know, person wey don sell his body, soul & everything to Satan, he has nothing to lose again!

MrColdsweat:
You're talking about a man with god complex. He feels he must have his way and doesn't give a damn.

Lol....

online4business:
Na you I wan hustle? If you get money leave the shit hole let people wey wan suffer suffer in peace na.

Pristine664:
Lol we all know the dimension 2027 election is going already. Broke shaming everyone that did not support your Agulu fake messiah will not still win you presidency or even VP.

This 10th Generation werey, you again? It appears you no get work ohhh!

Oga Carry your hustle comot here. Na Asiwaju matter and he travel for COP 28 Dubai we dey handle here!

online4business:
My Uganda friend brought this to my notice ooo e shock me ooo.

Make I scheme to get Uganda visa fast traveling to Rwanda from Uganda anytime I present naija passport them dey always stop me.

Thank God say I sabi the language of the military (Swahili) small and my daughter get Uganda passport.

My scheme is very easy instead of sending money to Nigeria back here na to open Uganda bank account.

Send $3-5k every month and try to collect it in the bank.

Na me and manager go sit down before them go fit give me the money.

If I do am like that twice them go call me come invest and I tell them my demand before investing a dime.... Citizenship to protect my investment.

If them no ready to play ball I move to Gambia (na my money)

Uganda govt dey fear people wey get money no be small because of terrorist attack.


This should be a walk in the pack for me... Some NGO work in Uganda self na easy way to gain citizenship but I no fit work for free for NGO wey dey make money.

They are in a world of their whole when issues of intelligence gathering is concerned! There are lots of Classified Docs which shows how foolish some of those we call leaders are! How they signed off the country away under bogus Joint Ventures!

bigpicture001:
only God knows what was left out for us to read in the cleared pages...they said its secret...

the US too good abeg!!!

Na when he comot there or another person enter there we go find the truth.. for now make he dey play!

IbrahimSalihu:
It baffles and often aches me how we got to this level of social media degeneracy in which publications are let loose in their wildest representations. Cautions are now thrown overboard on issues that require facts with zero consideration for the readers' intelligence. The situation becomes more unfortunate when one is the subject of writing.

A post alleging that the Director-General State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Bichi, CFR embezzled palliative funds meant for the personnel of the secret Service is already making the rounds in the social media. However, a close friend who works in that organization revealed that no such funds have been received by the DSS. This makes me wonder how people like Jackson Ude who posted the defamatory piece on X feel comfortable to write untruths about others.

I was further made to know that the social media publication was a handiwork of some unscrupulous and over-ambitious high-ranking officers in the DSS who seek to occupy the seat of the DGSS. The way they have chosen to achieve their goal is character assassination. This is done to cause the disaffection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR against the DG. What they fail to realize is that Tinubu is such an intelligent personality who doesn't act or take decisions based on hearsay but facts before him. Has anyone wondered why Tinubu reappointed Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)? Mr President has seen the new wave in the NNPCL since its incorporation as a public limited company under the leadership of Kyari, possibly reason he felt he should continue as the helmsman.

Read more: https://www.vigil360.com.ng/exclusive-report/58-special-reports/23665-allegation-of-palliative-fraud-against-dgss,-yusuf-bichi-unfounded.html

They love it that way! Bunch of misfits!

Splashme:
Shithole country

What an ingenious way to raise IGR for his son to buy more properties abroad! I only pity the maggots here who could not afford the $10k USD for the slot!

orisa37:
CSU-CUTE SUPER UNIT.

From selling white powder in Chicago down to selling travel slots to Dubai! Las las when every country on earth know una finish, we go leave Nigeria for una enter our own Biafra since both old & young, refine & agbero, christian or muslim, pastor or alfa or juju no wan get sense!

Werey if you no mention other tribe and places you no fit talk. Have you seen a man from Jalingo or Warri as deceitful as you guys. Abeg leave other people from una character ni. They no be like una.

Gamesmart:
In a referendum, I can predict most Nigerians would offer to give you Biafra. I can put money on it.

Stop deluding yourself that Nigerians are desperate to hold on. The secession of SE does not have negative impact on the average man in Oyo, Jalingo, Warri etc. It is the average Igbo man that it would negatively affect.

The lack of allowing Biafra is just typical national land defense and the disregard & dislike the North have for Igbos; not because they love or need them.

Look my friend, its in the best interest of sane people to deradicalized you lots from APC-RONU syndrome. I have done the best i can. A set of people determined to be backward, envious and anti-progressive, would always have results to show for it!

Fine brains? hahahahahahhahaha. We don see wetin this fine brain dey vote. Tufiakwaaaaa From "Think Osibanjo vote Buhari" down to "Emilokan" we all know how it ended and going to be!

Till date, with notable exception of Lagos, no other SW state is comparable with any SE state. If na like drop any! Best for best, worse for worse.
Roads, Education, Real Estate development, Health, Human development MDGS etc

Afford inter state connectivity? This people sef. You dey inside one mud house for SW dey prepare budget for Five SE state governors kwo? Our governors no dey borrow borrow at least they try for that. Despite the relative priviledge of Lagos, its still the most indebted city in Africa!

So much for Amotekun when Yorubans are refugees in Benin Rep? Hahahahahahhahahaha!
I know deep inside you wish Amotekun is ESN or Ebube Agu. Any killer herdsmen wey stray leave Middle belt or SW enter our forests no go return. That one na sure bet. Straight to allah for their own fair share of virgins!

Igbolaka? See his sneaky, slimmy deceptful nature. We all know who rushed to Abeokuta crying "Emilokan" like a kid whose babe was snatched by a better off ladies guy. HE Peter Obi is definitely a lover guy. See how everyone dey gush for the nigga. Do you want to compare him with some one whose anus is leaking, according to Rauf?

Victim mentality? Well, we are not wired like you guys to accept rat, roaches and drug dealers as leaders. We, i mean the common Igbo man on the road, dont give a shit about presidency, we only care about good policies. We all know how Minna, Iragbiji, Abeokuta, Daura, Otueke is second Dubai ni......

A real startegist? We know you guys love crooks and criminality. No wonder you can it Strategy. Well, we all know people whose mothers can no longer afford panla gbonga fish we use in feeding dogs. Continue with your strategies while your mom starve. Weerey!

Finally, that Atiku you called a thief has built successful businesses, tell me the one Asiwaju build other than selling white powder and now slots to COP 28 Dubai?

Nuff said. Time to go hustle. Reply you later!

Gamesmart:
Let me school you on what people with fine brains can do.

Apart from special fiat, it is not rocket science to build your own state roads. It is not like if federal roads occupy even 0.000001% of Igboland for there not to be enough space to build your own state road network. So those are all silly excuses!

SE states definitely cannot afford interstate rail lines. Very few states in Nigeria can.

You can build your own vigilante group network. Just label it "religion enforcers" and let anyone come and argue nonsense with you when they have their own Hisbah. Did Yorubas not build Amotekun?

The reason so-called "criminals in the north" would not take an Igbo from the South is because of the issues I am discussing in this thread. This last presidential election was a case of Igbo-lokan but the Igbo brand is so bad across Nigeria, especially in the North, they don't trust the tribe, they find them irritating and arrogant. That is the price for the behaviours affecting your brand that I am talking about on this thread.

And don't be foolish with this your victim mentality that is prevalent in the usual SE narratives and be saying it is "they" who are stopping us from getting to Presidency. Igbos had 8 good fcking years to strategise and plan how to get the presidency, what the fck did they do?

A real strategist came in and took it from them!!!

SE had 8 bloody good years to organise themselves, work with other regions and produce the highest quality candidate possible. Who did the SE present to us to vote for? You know his name?

His name is bloody Atiku!

Yes, fcking Atiku because we all know only APC and PDP had the political machinery to win Presidential elections in Nigeria. And the SE have made it clear for years that PDP is their own and supported party. You had 8 bloody good years to get a grip in the party and get quality Igbo candidates like Okonjo-Iweala, Soludo, Oby Ezekwensili (not chalartans like Peter Obi) in prime position but you did nothing because, unfortunately for the region, the culture is strongly individualistic.

At the PDP (national party of the Igbos) presidential convention, guess what proportion of the Igbo delegates voted for an Igbo candidate.

Come on, take a wild guess.

You can do it.

Okay, let me tell you: Bloody only 10% of SE PDP delegates voted for an Igbo presidential candidate. You will rather blame Yorubas and Hausas than yourselves.

The rest of the PDP Igbo delegates probably took money from Atiku and Wike to vote for them; and majority of the Igbo delegates ended up voting for Atiku to be Presidential candidate in an election that should have been Igbo-lokan. Even Peter Obi knew that was what was going to happen, he shockingly avoided contesting with PDP and ran sharply to Labour.

Now, as usual, people like you would not see this. You will embrace victimhood, blame others and say "they hate us and they don't want Igbos to transform Nigeria", instead of looking inwards about how your tribe does things.

Nah! You are your own worst problems because of your individualistic nature, arrogance, aggressiveness against others, delusions of superiority, get-rich-or-locked-up-trying and lack of strategic foresight & discernment, if one is blunt and truthful.

2023 elections was the easiest time to get a Igbo Presidency. I can guarantee you now that it is unlikely to happen in another 30 years now; and it was SE's fault! Stop this ridiculous and persistent "victim-siege mentality" that fuels and justifies your hate!

Such sneaky, slimmy piece folks! The werey dey try sound smart like he is "woke"

Wahabfuture:
That dude is a joke trying to sound smart 😃😂

Off course i know he is fully aware. But i tell you most them are ignorant of what the stakes are.

Wahabfuture:
Do you actually believe he’s not aware of that, when you tell them to allow the Igbos to go peacefully they will get scared

COPA28: Tinubu under fire for travelling with 1,114 contingent



President Bola Tinubu has come under fire after it emerged that Nigeria’s contingent to the Climate Change Conference (COPA28) holding in Dubai is 1,411, making him the Africa leader with the highest entourage, and the third largest representation of foreign delegates after China and Brazil.


Nigerians have been expressing their anger, particularly on social media, about the large Nigerian delegation attending the event, which also drew over 97,000 participants from over 100 countries of the world.


A look at the data from the CoP28 organisers’ registration platforms revealed that 1,411 Nigerians had registered to attend the event with many Nigerians suggesting they were all funded by the Federal Government; a claim the Presidency has rebuffed.

According to carbonbrief.org, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the largest-ever registered delegation of any country with 4,409 badges followed by Brazil with 3,081 and then China and Nigeria, which have issued 1,411 badges. Nigeria’s delegate rose from the 169 delegates that attended from Nigeria last year.

In contrast, Kenya’s President, William Ruto, reduced his delegates from 189 to 51. The conference, which started on Thursday, November 30, and would end on Tuesday, December 12, is an avenue for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rise and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change showed that out of the 1,411 that Nigeria registered as delegates, 590 were sponsored by the Federal Government. They include the president, 25 ministers, the chief of staff, five directors general, several directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and officials with different titles. Others were allegedly sponsored by the state governments, nongovernmental and corporate organisations. The Federal Government would have spent not less than N850 million for flight tickets alone for the 590 persons, which excludes hotel accommodation and other expenses.

• Obi decries it as showmanship

Reacting to the development, many Nigerians took to social media to condemn President Tinubu’s actions. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, in a series of tweets via his X handle, described the president’s actions as wasteful and an unnecessary showmanship, where Nigeria is competing with China on the size of delegations. He said the vast majority of those in the Nigerian delegation were either non-relevant civil servants or relations, friends, and hangers-on of high government officials, and most of them hardly understand or have anything to do with climate change.

“In a twist of sad irony, let me congratulate the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for matching the great China with the same number of contingents at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria’s contingent to COP28 totaled 1,411, the same number as the Chinese contingents. While China’s budget for 2024 is about $4 trillion, about $2,860 per head; Nigeria’s budget is about $33 billion, about $165 per head. China has a high Human Development Index (HDI) with a ranking of 79 out of 191 countries measured and Nigeria has a low HDI, with a ranking of 163 out of 191 countries measured. Nigeria has more people living in ‘multi-dimensional’ poverty than China, despite the fact that China has seven times Nigeria’s population.

“Most importantly, the vast majority of those in the Nigerian delegation to COP28 are either non-relevant civil servants or relations, friends, and hangers-on of high government officials. Most of them hardly understand or have anything to do with Climate Change. This huge contingent is at public expense, and at a time when most Nigerians can hardly afford food and basic needs as a result of economic hardship. I pray earnestly that a day will come soon enough when we can focus on competing with China on productivity and the miracle of migrating the highest number of its citizens out of poverty over a relatively short time.

“As we have kept emphasizing, we must stop waste as an addition to our government and nation. We urgently need to cut the cost of governance and invest in production. We need to tie spending to necessity and national priority, pointing out that a New Nigeria is possible but we only need to do the reasonable and the necessary.”

An X user, Akintunde Babatunde, said: “The average cost for an individual to attend COP is about $4k. With 821 official party delegates from Nigeria, that is about $3.2 million. Well, that is average knowing that Nigerian officials are extravagant with state money. The cost will definitely be higher than this! I have been to COP countless times, so I can tell you for a fact that I know how this works. Nigeria registered over 1400 delegates out of which 821 are party or official delegates. If you’re an NGO, what you get is a party overflow badge.”

Be patriotic, offer solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, Abiodun urges spiritual leaders
• Presidency faults critics

The Presidency, in a piece titled ‘Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction,’ by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said President Tinubu and other senior officials of his administration attended the significant international event for serious business, and not for jamboree.

He said: “The people coming together to advance their different agenda and interests from governments, businesses and civil societies, are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and push for various mitigating actions.

“In Nigeria, like in so many other countries, interested parties, comprising government officials from both the federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists and journalists, are present in Dubai.

“Also, participating are agencies of the government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and the NDDC. Many youth organisations from Nigeria, especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions, whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities, are also represented.

“The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are over 20 journalists from various media houses.

“Their participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.

“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin.

“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone that registered is physically present.”

Ajayi also emphasized the significance of Nigeria’s participation in CoP28 and noted that President Tinubu has not only reaffirmed the importance of treating Nigeria and Africa fairly during the energy transition process, but also taken advantage of the occasion to broker agreements and entice new commitments from various spheres of influence.

“Like former President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders, who demanded fair deal and climate justice for Africa at previous UN climate summits, President Tinubu is leading the charge at COP28 on behalf of Nigeria and the rest of the continent, demanding from the West that any climate decision and action must be fair and just to Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially the debate around energy transition.

“President Tinubu has been unequivocal in his position that Africa, which is battling with the problems of poverty, and security, and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people, cannot be told to abandon its major source of income, which is mostly from extractive industries, without the West providing the funding and investment in alternative and clean energy sources.

“President Tinubu and other officials on the federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business not jamboree. Our president has been very busy representing our country well. Since Thursday morning when he arrived in Dubai, President Tinubu has spent not less than 18hours daily in attending very important sessions, pushing our national agenda while holding bilateral and business meetings on the sidelines.”
~ Culled from a post

COPA28: Tinubu under fire for travelling with 1,114 contingent



President Bola Tinubu has come under fire after it emerged that Nigeria’s contingent to the Climate Change Conference (COPA28) holding in Dubai is 1,411, making him the Africa leader with the highest entourage, and the third largest representation of foreign delegates after China and Brazil.


Nigerians have been expressing their anger, particularly on social media, about the large Nigerian delegation attending the event, which also drew over 97,000 participants from over 100 countries of the world.


A look at the data from the CoP28 organisers’ registration platforms revealed that 1,411 Nigerians had registered to attend the event with many Nigerians suggesting they were all funded by the Federal Government; a claim the Presidency has rebuffed.

According to carbonbrief.org, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the largest-ever registered delegation of any country with 4,409 badges followed by Brazil with 3,081 and then China and Nigeria, which have issued 1,411 badges. Nigeria’s delegate rose from the 169 delegates that attended from Nigeria last year.

In contrast, Kenya’s President, William Ruto, reduced his delegates from 189 to 51. The conference, which started on Thursday, November 30, and would end on Tuesday, December 12, is an avenue for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rise and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change showed that out of the 1,411 that Nigeria registered as delegates, 590 were sponsored by the Federal Government. They include the president, 25 ministers, the chief of staff, five directors general, several directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and officials with different titles. Others were allegedly sponsored by the state governments, nongovernmental and corporate organisations. The Federal Government would have spent not less than N850 million for flight tickets alone for the 590 persons, which excludes hotel accommodation and other expenses.

• Obi decries it as showmanship

Reacting to the development, many Nigerians took to social media to condemn President Tinubu’s actions. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, in a series of tweets via his X handle, described the president’s actions as wasteful and an unnecessary showmanship, where Nigeria is competing with China on the size of delegations. He said the vast majority of those in the Nigerian delegation were either non-relevant civil servants or relations, friends, and hangers-on of high government officials, and most of them hardly understand or have anything to do with climate change.

“In a twist of sad irony, let me congratulate the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for matching the great China with the same number of contingents at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria’s contingent to COP28 totaled 1,411, the same number as the Chinese contingents. While China’s budget for 2024 is about $4 trillion, about $2,860 per head; Nigeria’s budget is about $33 billion, about $165 per head. China has a high Human Development Index (HDI) with a ranking of 79 out of 191 countries measured and Nigeria has a low HDI, with a ranking of 163 out of 191 countries measured. Nigeria has more people living in ‘multi-dimensional’ poverty than China, despite the fact that China has seven times Nigeria’s population.

“Most importantly, the vast majority of those in the Nigerian delegation to COP28 are either non-relevant civil servants or relations, friends, and hangers-on of high government officials. Most of them hardly understand or have anything to do with Climate Change. This huge contingent is at public expense, and at a time when most Nigerians can hardly afford food and basic needs as a result of economic hardship. I pray earnestly that a day will come soon enough when we can focus on competing with China on productivity and the miracle of migrating the highest number of its citizens out of poverty over a relatively short time.

“As we have kept emphasizing, we must stop waste as an addition to our government and nation. We urgently need to cut the cost of governance and invest in production. We need to tie spending to necessity and national priority, pointing out that a New Nigeria is possible but we only need to do the reasonable and the necessary.”

An X user, Akintunde Babatunde, said: “The average cost for an individual to attend COP is about $4k. With 821 official party delegates from Nigeria, that is about $3.2 million. Well, that is average knowing that Nigerian officials are extravagant with state money. The cost will definitely be higher than this! I have been to COP countless times, so I can tell you for a fact that I know how this works. Nigeria registered over 1400 delegates out of which 821 are party or official delegates. If you’re an NGO, what you get is a party overflow badge.”

Be patriotic, offer solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, Abiodun urges spiritual leaders
• Presidency faults critics

The Presidency, in a piece titled ‘Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction,’ by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said President Tinubu and other senior officials of his administration attended the significant international event for serious business, and not for jamboree.

He said: “The people coming together to advance their different agenda and interests from governments, businesses and civil societies, are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and push for various mitigating actions.

“In Nigeria, like in so many other countries, interested parties, comprising government officials from both the federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists and journalists, are present in Dubai.

“Also, participating are agencies of the government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and the NDDC. Many youth organisations from Nigeria, especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions, whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities, are also represented.

“The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are over 20 journalists from various media houses.

“Their participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.

“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin.

“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone that registered is physically present.”

Ajayi also emphasized the significance of Nigeria’s participation in CoP28 and noted that President Tinubu has not only reaffirmed the importance of treating Nigeria and Africa fairly during the energy transition process, but also taken advantage of the occasion to broker agreements and entice new commitments from various spheres of influence.

“Like former President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders, who demanded fair deal and climate justice for Africa at previous UN climate summits, President Tinubu is leading the charge at COP28 on behalf of Nigeria and the rest of the continent, demanding from the West that any climate decision and action must be fair and just to Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially the debate around energy transition.

“President Tinubu has been unequivocal in his position that Africa, which is battling with the problems of poverty, and security, and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people, cannot be told to abandon its major source of income, which is mostly from extractive industries, without the West providing the funding and investment in alternative and clean energy sources.

“President Tinubu and other officials on the federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business not jamboree. Our president has been very busy representing our country well. Since Thursday morning when he arrived in Dubai, President Tinubu has spent not less than 18hours daily in attending very important sessions, pushing our national agenda while holding bilateral and business meetings on the sidelines.”
~ Culled from a post