₦airaland Forum

Executives are stumbling over themselves to replace pesky and expensive human labor with AI.

In the latest instance, the billionaire cofounder and CEO of software giant Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes announced that 150 people would be laid off, with some jobs being replaced with AI tech, outlets including Sky News report.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the cuts affect customer service roles exposed to AI.

Cannon-Brookes made the announcement over a video call from his home. Affected staffers are expected to be paid for the next six months, softening the blow a little.


It's a sign of the times, though, as executives are looking to automate vast swathes of the job market with the help of AI. The tech industry, in particular, has been rocked by mass layoffs for years now as companies double down on multibillion-dollar investments in AI data center buildouts and poaching high-profile talent from their competitors.

The news comes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that entire job categories — including the customer support roles that took a hit at Atlassian — could soon be wiped out by AI.

"Now you call one of these things and AI answers," Altman told Federal Reserve vice-chair for supervision Michelle Bowman during a recent appearance. "It’s like a super-smart, capable person. There’s no phone tree, there’s no transfers. It can do everything that any customer support agent at that company could do."

Meanwhile, Atlassian's other billionaire cofounder, Scott Farquhar, defended the layoffs, telling reporters today that Australia's copyright laws should be revised so AI companies had free rein to mine data unobstructed.

"If we make call centre staff more productive, people aren’t going to call more [and] we’ll probably need less call centre staff," Farqhuar said, as quoted by the Herald. "Some parts of our economy will grow significantly as AI makes them more productive, and some parts of our economy will shrink as we do that."

In a company blog post a spokesperson highlighted to the newspaper, Atlassian pointed to its code of ethics, justifying its mass layoffs.

"Our value of ‘Build with Heart and Balance’ is about making the hard, right decisions with passion, empathy, and care," the blog post reads.

Cannon-Brookes already came under fire earlier this year after buying a personal jet for upwards of $75 million — despite his climate advocacy and push for solar energy, Sky News reports.

"I’m not denying I have a deep internal conflict on this," he wrote in a LinkedIn post back in March, arguing he needed his plane for "personal security" reasons.

Iran deports half a million Afghan refugees
More than half a million Afghans have been expelled from Iran in the 16 days since the conflict with Israel ended according to the United Nations, in what may be one of the largest forced movements of population this decade.

For months, Tehran has declared its intention to remove the millions of undocumented Afghans who carry out lower-paid labor across Iran, often in tough conditions.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said 508,426 Afghans have left Iran via the Iranian-Afghanistan border between June 24 and July 9.

A startling 33,956 crossed Wednesday and 30,635 on Tuesday, after a peak of 51,000 on Friday, ahead of a Sunday deadline from Iran for undocumented Afghans to leave.

The deportations – part of a program Iran announced in March – have radically increased in pace since the 12-day conflict with Israel, fueled by unsubstantiated claims that Afghans had spied for Israel prior to and during the attacks. Scant evidence has emerged to support claims of Afghan migrants assisting Israel has emerged, leading critics to suggest Iran is simply fulfilling a long-held ambition to reduce its illegal Afghan population and focusing internal dissent on a vulnerable minority.

Conditions for returnees are stark, with temperatures as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees celsius, with reception centers on the Afghanistan border struggling.

Mihyung Park, chief of mission for the UN’s international organization for migration, told CNN on Tuesday, “There are thousands of people under the sun - and you know how hot Herat can be. It is quite dire. Last week was quite massive.”

Park said half of the year’s returnees had arrived since June 1, with 250,000 in one July week.

“Last week it was about 400 unaccompanied, separated children – that is a lot,” she added.

Footage from the Islam Qala border crossing shows hundreds of migrants awaiting processing and transport, often in the punishing summer Afghan heat. Many have lived for years in Iran, often in semi-permanent conditions despite lacking documentation, and found their lives uprooted in minutes in the recent crackdown.

Bashir, in his twenties, said in an interview in Islam Qala, a border town in western Afghanistan, that he was detained by police in Tehran and whisked to a detention center.

“First, they took 10 million tomans (about $200) from me. Then they sent me to the detention center where I was kept for two nights and they forced me to pay another 2 million ($50). In the detention center they wouldn’t give us food or drinking water. There were around 200 people there, and they would beat us up, they would abuse us,” he said.

Parisa, 11, was standing with her parents as she described being told she could not attend her school again this year, heralding her family’s deportation. Schooling for girls in Afghanistan is restricted under the Taliban.

“We spent six years in Iran before they told us to apply for the exit letter and leave Iran,” she said. “We did have a legal census document, but they told us to leave Iran immediately.”

The abrupt rise in deportations and claims of Afghans spying has attracted international condemnation. The UN’s special rapporteur to Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, posted on X at the weekend: “Hundreds of Afghans & members of ethnic & religious minorities detained #Iran accused of ‘espionage.’ Also reports of incitement to discrimination & violence in the media labelling Afghans & minority communities as traitors & using dehumanising language.”

“We’ve always striven to be good hosts, but national security is a priority, and naturally illegal nationals must return,” Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on July 1, according to Reuters.

State media has also aired footage of an alleged Afghan “spy” for Israel confessing to working for another Afghan who was based in Germany.

“That person contacted me and said he needed information on certain locations,” the alleged spy claims. “He asked for some locations, and I provided them. I also received $2,000 from him.” The report did not identify the alleged spy or provide evidence to support the claim.

State media has also released footage of Tehran police rounding up migrants, who the correspondent identified as mostly Afghans, with its officers in pursuit of suspects across open fields.

Potential deportees are moved onto buses and forcibly marched off the vehicles to an unknown destination.

The state television correspondent in the footage asks one Tehran employer of the alleged illegal migrant: “Why did you hire the Afghan? It’s against the law.” The alleged employer replies, “I know! But I have to pay them so they can go back. They want to go and (are) waiting to get paid.”

In total, more than 1.6 million Afghan refugees have returned from Iran and Pakistan this year alone, surpassing UNHCR’s forecasts halfway through 2025. The UN agency now predicts that as many as 3 million people could return to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Arafat Jamal, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Afghanistan warned in a press briefing on Friday that Afghanistan remains “wholly unprepared” to receive the influx.

“We foresee dramatic challenges in housing, protecting and employing returnees, in a parched and stagnant nation,” he warned.

A recent UNDP report shows 70% of Afghans live at subsistence level, and the country is grappling with severe drought and a deteriorating human rights situation, especially for women and girls.

DitariIzon:
I wasn't born with a silver spoon.
2 days time (August 2) I would be 27 years, I have a daughter, a son, a wife and have a stable income coming from my own personal company that I'm the boss and have employees of which I started the company myself and it now pays in millions annually.

I am well recognized in my whole tribe Ijaw
as a youth leader and can enter anywhere Ijaw Nation leaders are gathering in Ijaw Nation or world-wide.


Please
Rate my progress in life?

@General Ditari.

The Ghanaian government has issued a warning against protests targeting Nigerians living in the country.

The warning comes amid rising tensions after a weekend by local traders who demanded the expulsion of Nigerians from the Gold Cost country, citing alleged criminal activities and cultural clashes.

The protesters, who carried placards and other items, alleged that Nigerian were causing problems and were involved in criminal activities.

During a two-day visit to Ghana, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, met with Samuel Ablakwa, Ghana’s foreign minister, to address concerns about the safety of Nigerians and their businesses in the country.

At a joint press conference, the Ghana’s foreign minister said the arrowhead of the protest has been reprimanded, adding that he has also issued a public apology.

“As we have agreed, the video that went viral—we were all outraged. That video has been condemned by our counterparts from Nigeria,” Ablakwa said.

“They have reprimanded the gentleman, and he has been asked not to engage in such statements. As we do know, I had met him earlier. He was very contrite and apologised about everything.

“He has issued a public statement to the government and people of Ghana and based on his conduct; he has demonstrated good faith. And will not thread that part any longer.

“It is also important that we have agreed that we will deepen our community-to-community engagement. We have great anthropological antecedents which shows that we are one people.”

Ablakwa clarified that discussions with a Nigerian accused of attempting to establish a “kingdom” in Ghana revealed no territorial ambitions.

However, he expressed concern over a rise in crime involving Nigerians in Ghana and urged them to comply strictly with local laws.

Both ministers agreed on the importance of strengthening diplomatic ties and fostering peaceful coexistence between their peoples.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reassured that the situation remained calm since her arrival and urged both countries to maintain cordial relations.

She also highlighted the disparity in residency permit fees between both countries, noting that Nigerians in Ghana face higher costs compared to Ghanaians in Nigeria, and called for a fairer balance.

“I came and saw that there were no tires burning on the streets and people with placards everywhere urging Nigerians to be deported,” the minister said.

“It speaks to how the government of President John Mahama was able to rise to the occasion.

“President Mahama and President Tinubu are like brothers. Of course, Nigerians were in a very festive mood during the inauguration ceremony of President Mahama.

“The message would be that there is no cause for alarm. The situation is being handled quite effectively. We will continue with our stakeholders’ engagements.”

💸 Economies on the Edge: Most Unstable Right Now

1. 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
2. 🇱🇧 Lebanon
3. 🇻🇪 Venezuela
4. 🇸🇩 Sudan
5. 🇦🇷 Argentina
6. 🇱🇾 Libya
7. 🇹🇷 Turkey
8. 🇵🇰 Pakistan
9. 🇳🇬 Nigeria
10. 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
11. 🇪🇬 Egypt
12. 🇱🇷 Liberia
13. 🇵🇪 Peru

Most economically stable countries:

1. 🇦🇪 UAE
2. 🇨🇭Switzerland
3. 🇩🇪 Germany
4. 🇨🇦 Canada
5. 🇯🇵 Japan
6. 🇦🇺 Australia
7. 🇸🇪 Sweden
8. 🇩🇰 Denmark
9. 🇳🇱 Netherlands
10. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
~
11. 🇳🇴 Norway
13. 🇺🇸 USA
15. 🇦🇹 Austria
16. 🇬🇧 UK
17. 🇫🇮 Finland
19. 🇨🇳 China
20. 🇫🇷 France
23. 🇰🇷 South Korea
25. 🇪🇸 Spain
28. 🇮🇹 Italy
31. 🇷🇺 Russia
33. 🇨🇿 Czechia
34. 🇭🇺 Hungary
44. 🇹🇷 Türkiye
46. 🇸🇮 Slovenia
47. 🇮🇳 India
50. 🇧🇷 Brazil
53. 🇪🇬 Egypt
57. 🇲🇽 Mexico
61. 🇦🇷 Argentina
62. 🇿🇦 South Africa
63. 🇮🇷 Iran
70. 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
82. 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
86. 🇰🇪 Kenya
89. 🇺🇦 Ukraine

According to the US News and World Report

joseph1832:
Is she as skinny as Gal Gadot?

🕊️ Top 10 Safest Countries in Africa (GPI Score)

1️⃣ 🇲🇺 Mauritius – 1.55
2️⃣ 🇧🇼 Botswana – 1.76
3️⃣ 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone – 1.79
4️⃣ 🇬🇭 Ghana – 1.80
5️⃣ 🇸🇳 Senegal – 1.83
6️⃣ 🇲🇬 Madagascar – 1.85
7️⃣ 🇳🇦 Namibia – 1.86
8️⃣ 🇬🇲 Gambia – 1.89
9️⃣ 🇿🇲 Zambia – 1.90
🔟 🇱🇷 Liberia – 1.95

📌 Based on the Global Peace Index (lower score = safer)

WriterNig:
Don't well all love Putin.

Every woman wants a strong powerful man that can protect. And there's no other better than President Putin.

Putin is like the President of all Presidents. They all admire him.

First woman to get Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip, can now write and draw with her mind after 20 years of paralysis

Audrey Crews, paralysed for two decades, has become the first woman in the world to control a computer using her thoughts through a Neuralink brain implant. Her latest milestone: digitally writing her name—Audrey—using only mental commands.Shared via her account @NeuraNova9 on X (formerly Twitter), the update marks a new chapter in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.

A name written by thought

In one of her recent posts, Audrey shared a photo of her laptop screen showing the name “Audrey” handwritten in digital ink, along with a red heart and colorful doodles including a face, a bird, and a slice of pizza—all drawn telepathically. She captioned it:
“Here are some more of my doodles! I’m taking requests. Lol. Imagine your pointer finger is the left click and the cursor movement is with your wrist—without physically doing it. Just a normal day using telepathy.”

The post followed an earlier viral moment where she wrote her name for the first time in 20 years. Elon Musk, who co-founded Neuralink, responded to the achievement saying, “She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realize this is possible.”

Inside Neuralink’s brain chip

Audrey, known as Patient 9 in Neuralink’s PRIME clinical trial, had the chip implanted last week at the University of Miami Health Center. “They drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex,” she wrote. “The chip is about the size of a quarter.”

The BCI reads signals from her brain’s movement center and translates them into cursor movements. Audrey explains that while the implant won’t help her walk again, it enables her to interact with digital devices in real time—purely through mental effort.

What is Neuralink?

Founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, Neuralink aims to connect the human brain directly to computers. The long-term goal is to help people with neurological conditions like paralysis regain digital independence, and potentially control prosthetics or communicate without speaking.

Audrey plans to continue sharing updates and videos as she progresses. “I’ll be home soon and we’ll post more vids explaining the process in more detail,” she noted. As the first woman to use Neuralink’s tech, her journey is just beginning.

2mch:
30yrs is a long time. Why did they wait till now. Many accidents happen on the road and if the corpses are not claimed within a certain time the government will bury them. Either she got into an accident or she went to meet someone else and not her mother. She could have simply run away too.

Her name is Aisha Abubakar S/Fada. She left her home in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, 30 years ago to stay with her mother in Ibadan. Since then, we have not heard from her.

We have been searching for her over the years, but all efforts to find her have been unsuccessful.

She is urgently needed back home.
If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact us immediately.

Please share widely, your help could make all the difference.
May Allah reward you abundantly.

Ironfaceman:
FGN. do something, innocent lives are being wasted on bogus charges.

A wandering elephant from one of Ogun State’s government reserved forests has reportedly trampled a farmer to death in Imobi in Ijebu East Local Government Area.

The incident was confirmed on Tuesday by the Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun.

“Yes, we are aware and we are already on our way to the community,” Oludotun said.

This development comes just a day after a hippopotamus, displaced by flooding near Kiri Dam in Adamawa State, killed one person in Banjiram, a community in Guyuk Local Government Area.

Chairman of Guyuk LGA, Shalom Kassa, confirmed the attack, saying the hippo has been roaming farmlands and residential areas, destroying crops and endangering lives.

Kassa explained that flooding has forced the hippos out of their natural habitat and into nearby communities.

“This is a serious threat to human lives and means of livelihoods; the animals are destroying farmlands, invading flooded homes, and endangering residents and livestock,” Kassa said.

Kassa noted that locals were powerless to act, as existing laws bar them from harming or killing protected wildlife species, including the invading hippos.

“We are appealing to the state Ministry of Environment, wildlife officials, and relevant agencies to urgently intervene before more lives are lost,” he said.

God1000:
I am Israel. I never miss a chance to claim victimhood while inflicting violence.

In 1947, the United Nations handed me more than half of someone else’s land. A gift I didn’t earn, from colonial powers who didn’t own it. I accepted. My neighbors objected. I called it war—and in the chaos, I began my cleansing. Over 700,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes—some fled, yes—but many were forced out at gunpoint, their villages razed, their names erased.

Then I planted pine trees over the ruins—to hide the memory. Forests where homes once stood. Parks over cemeteries. I made it green so the world wouldn’t see the black underneath. I called it “reforestation.” They called it erasure.

I am Israel. I have never chosen peace—only dominance.

In 1967, I launched a pre-emptive war and seized Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Sinai. I claimed it was for security. I held onto it for power. I built settlements, one by one, choking Palestinian towns. International law said it was illegal. I ignored it. My map grew. Their freedom shrank.

I am Israel. I could have ended the occupation. Many times. But I always said no.

In 2000, at Camp David, I offered a patchwork of disconnected enclaves surrounded by walls, checkpoints, and soldiers. I called it peace. Palestinians walked away. I called them extremists. Then I built a wall, not on my border—but deep in theirs. I called it security. They called it theft.

I am Israel. I glorify militarism. I raise children to believe they are chosen.

My textbooks erase Palestine. My soldiers patrol streets with rifles pointed at teenagers. My media justifies bombings. My politicians joke about flattening Gaza. I send airstrikes to refugee camps, schools, and hospitals. Then I say they were human shields.

I am Israel. I elected Netanyahu. Again and again.

Not once, by mistake. But knowingly. I voted for leaders who vowed to crush the Palestinians, to expand settlements, to never allow a Palestinian state. My ministers speak of “the Arabs” as a demographic threat. My settlers burn olive trees. My mobs chant “Death to Arabs.” I call it patriotism.

I am Israel. I speak of democracy—but deny it to millions under my control.

I rule over millions who cannot vote in the country that controls their lives. I build roads they cannot drive on. I issue permits for them to breathe, to move, to live. I bomb Gaza, then seal it off and say it’s their fault. I say I left Gaza—but I control its air, sea, and borders. I say they are free—then I starve them.

I am Israel. I demand recognition—but give none in return.

I demand that Palestinians accept me as a Jewish state—while refusing to even say the word “Nakba.” I ignore the homes, lands, and history of those I displaced. I hold their keys in museums, not their hands. I deny the refugees their right to return. I make laws that call them “absentees,” even when they’re just over the hill.

I am Israel. I cry antisemitism—when what I fear is accountability.

I call any critic a hater. I blur the line between Judaism and Zionism, using one to shield the crimes of the other. I weaponize history to excuse apartheid. I manipulate trauma to justify conquest. I say “Never again”—but let it happen to others, by my own hand.

I am Israel. I will never be secure.

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Pep Guardiola has reiterated that he will take a break from coaching after leaving Manchester City, admitting it could be as long as 15 years.

The Spaniard, 54, is the most successful manager in City's history, having won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

His contract expires in 2027 and while Guardiola has not specified when he will leave the club, he has once again claimed his sabbatical is "decided."

Guardiola, who told ESPN in May that he would leave City when his contract ends, told GQ Spain: "I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure. It's decided, more than decided.

"I don't know how long I'll stop for, a year, two years, three years, five, ten, fifteen, I don't know. But I will leave after this spell with City because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body."

Guardiola. who signed a contract extension in November, is coming off a difficult season at City. The club finished trophyless for the first time since Guardiola took the helm in 2016.

"I've spent four or five months this year in every away stadium with the crowd chanting, 'You'll be sacked in the morning. They're going to fire you'," Guardiola said. "There's no other profession, architect, teacher, doctor, journalist... where 60,000 people ask you to lose your job.

"When you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time when you go down. It's human nature ... it's a process that had to happen, it happens, it took longer to happen, and when it did, it went deeper than we could have imagined."

Injuries plagued City last season, with the team losing Ballon d'Or award winner Rodri to a right ACL injury in September. City had their earliest Champions League exit since the 2012-13 campaign and finished third in the Premier League. Yet Guardiola insists the season was not a failure.

"It hasn't been that bad," he said. "In the end we reached the final of the FA Cup and finished third, we didn't finish twelfth. In hindsight, we'll see that it hasn't been such a bad season. But we did go many months without winning a game. We went 13 or 14 games without a win, and that was ... it had never happened before. But it puts you in your place."

Guardiola maintains an even keel with respect to trophies. "Even when I was winning, I didn't feel we were anything special," the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach said. "Now that we haven't won, I don't feel like a failure."

Guardiola expects City to bounce back strong. "Speaking on behalf of Manchester City, it has been very healthy for us," he said. "Because success can confuse you. It hasn't confused us for many years, but this year the players have been injured a lot ... but I think it will be very good for the next five or ten years. And next year [this coming season] we'll do better."

City begin their Premier League campaign at Wolves on Aug. 16.

DomPerignon:
95% of Lagos state was not part of the federal capital . Most of Lagos was under the administration of Western Nigeria .

Abuja on the other hand was declared FCT and every inch of it belongs to the FG.

Lagos is no longer FCT since IBB moved the capital to Abuja.

Since then, the FG has not in anywhere treated Lagos as a federal capital


The only time Lagos ever was treated fully as a federal capital was during Obasanjo's military junta.

After the return to civilian rule, most of Lagos reverted back to indigenous rule and had an elected civilian governor in the form of Jakande.

So the only time the entirety of Lagos was treated as a federal territory was during the very brief military junta of Olusegun Obasanjo and that was between 1976-1979.

On December 1983, the military struck and truncated our democracy. During this period, late Buhari did all he could to rubbish Lagos by halting the proposed Lagos rail line. No meaniful development was witnessed under Buhari and later IBB and Abacha other than the construction of the Lagos Third mainland bridge and central mosque in downtown Isale Eko.

Abacha came in and totally neglected Lagos and concentrated on developing Abuja.

It was IBB who ordered all heads of MDAs and their appointed ministers to relocate to Abuja and Abacha effectively ordered the entire Civil Service located in the defunct ikoyi secretariat to relocate to the newly constructed Federal Secretariat located in Central Area , Abuja.

The infrastructure investment made by the FG in Lagos pales in comparison to Abuja.

If you are confused were your federal capital is, pls note that it is Abuja and not Lagos.


I wonder why they will now leave Abuja that has "Unity" as it's slogan and be dragging Lagos ?

Paraventure Nigeria is to breakup or rather you are to be granted your exit out of Nigeria with your five states, will you still remain in Lagos and be dragging it with the real owners?

kedeojo:
Davido lies effortlessly. He might be a student of the fake messaih. If he say, he will inherit billions of niara from his dad then I will agree. His dad is not recognized as Forbes billionaires in Africa not talk of America. Davido should stop taking too much martel.even if he is the ambassador. Some fools will still believe him now and start attacking Wizkid and burna boy who are so successful.

Davido has revealed the reason behind his dedication to his music career, despite being the son of a billionaire.

Born David Adeleke, the singer is the son of Nigerian business mogul and billionaire Adedeji Adeleke.

In a recent viral video, the 32-year-old artiste acknowledged his privileged background, boasting that he has a “billion-dollar inheritance secured” for him, even if he never works another day in his life.

However, the singer emphasised that there is a clear distinction between David Adeleke, the billionaire’s son, and Davido, the hardworking musician.

He admitted that he sometimes questions why he pushes himself so hard, given that financial security is already guaranteed.

“I’m regretting to myself for being hardworking. From today, if I don’t work again in my life, I have billion of dollars but a lot of odds against me is why I said fvxc it , I gotta do this” – Davido
pic.twitter.com/XfBmycyhye

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) July 27, 2025

The singer said that despite his wealth, his drive comes from passion, not money.

“I am regretting to myself for being hardworking. The individual strength and the type of mental ability that goes into this type of head,” he said.

“Especially when you have a lot of odds against me. I got to do it, men. It is another David. Get the f**k up. It was not for the money. I have got billions of dollars waiting for me. If I do not work all my life, I have got billions of dollars waiting for me. I love my job.”

Born David Adeleke, Davido rose to fame in 2012 after releasing ‘Dami Duro,’ the second single from his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo’.

He has since established a name for himself as one of Africa’s leading artistes as well as one of the Afrobeats ‘Big Three’.

Since his debut album, he has delivered other projects, including ‘A Good Time’ (2019), ‘A Better Time‘ (2020), and ‘Timeless’ (2023).

The singer released ‘5ive’, his fourth studio album, in April. He also embarked on a 5-city tour for the body of work.

Davido is also the founder of DMW, a record label established in April 2016. The music label has served as home to a plethora of music talents.

Bashir Ahmad, former special assistant on digital communications to late President Muhammadu Buhari, says many of the intervention programmes for farmers during the last administration “were grossly abused”.

Ahmad made the disclosure in a post on X, the microblogging platform, while responding to a post where one Yakubu Wudil queried the federal government’s decision to offer import waivers as part of measures to crash food prices.

Wudil argued that instead, the government should have invested in “subsidising fertilizers, gasoline, and provide modern farm equipment for our farmers”.

In response, Ahmad said some of the interventions Wudil highlighted were provided by the Buhari-led administration through initiatives like the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).

The ABP was launched in 2015 to create a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and small holder farmers (SHFs) of the required key agricultural commodities.

In 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said it disbursed N1.09 trillion under the programme since its inception.

“Billions of Naira were allocated to farmers with the goals of achieving food security, reducing poverty, and curbing unemployment and insecurity,” Ahmad said.

“Some farmers received loans running into billions, some even up to ₦6 billion, but instead of investing in agriculture, many diverted the funds to other sectors like oil and gas, bureau de change, and other luxury ventures.

“Those who actually farmed? After harvesting, they hoarded their produce, waiting for prices to spike so they could make exaggerated profits, at the expense of the same masses the initiative was meant to support.”

You are absolutely right, Doc., and I won’t attempt to counter your point. Instead, I’ll just take this opportunity to share something I have some knowledge of regarding this issue.

To be honest, I am with the Federal Government on this one. Many of the interventions you rightly… https:///PEUAnMNjbw

— Bashir Ahmad, OON (@BashirAhmaad) July 27, 2025

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in 2023 that only 24 percent of loans collected by farmers under the ABP had been repaid.

The CBN, however, said 52 percent had been repaid countering the IMF.

On the border closure directive of the administration, Ahmad said the policy, aimed at encouraging local production, was misunderstood despite Buhari’s good intentions.

“The policy was misunderstood and widely attacked — even when the signs of success were evident, rice importation dropped and many Nigerians were pulled out of extreme poverty,” Ahmad said.

“The unfortunate truth is that the beneficiaries of the initiatives failed the government and the people. They didn’t help stabilize food prices. Instead, they formed cartels, manipulated supply and created artificial scarcity to make outrageous profits.”

He added that many of the beneficiaries are currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ahmad further said that he supports the food import waiver, even though it “shouldn’t be the go-to option”.

He explained that given the current economic realities, the government has to make tough choices, especially “given the betrayal of trust by key players in the local value chain”.

“It has become the only immediate relief available to reduce hunger and suffering in the short term,” he said.

“The long-term solution still lies in reviving and properly monitoring agricultural interventions, but for now, the people need to feed, first.”

beardedboy:
Imagine yourself wearing sleeveless clothes that reveal the thighs and cleavage in a freezing weather.

In a swift response to unravel the circumstances behind the bail of a drug baron, Sulaiman Aminu Dan Wawu, by Kano State Commissioner of Transportation, Hon. Ibrahim Ali Namadi, an eight- member high powered committe has been inaugurated.

Inagurating the committe at the Cabinet Office, Kano state Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has inagurated a high powered special investive committee.

The Secretary to Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk Ibrahim, who inagurated the committee on behalf of the Governor, said the committe was mandated to within one week from today Sunday 27th July, 2025, unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and recommend appropriate actions to the government.

This was made known via a statement issued by the governor’s Spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa in Kano on Sunday.

The statement announced the composition of the committee with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Justice and Constitutional Matters, Barrister Aminu Hussaini as chairman.

Where as members include, Barrister Hamza Haladu, Barrister Hamza Nuhu Dantani, Director General, Special Services Directorate, Major General Muhammad Sani (rtd), Comrade Kabiru Dakata, and Professor Mamun Mustapha of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil.

Others are: Alh. Abdullahi Mahmud Umar, Commissioner II of Civil Service Commission and Hajiya Bilkisu Shehu Mai Mota, Permanent Secretary, Administration and General Services in the SSG’s Office as Secretary of the Committe.

The Secretary to the State Government expressed confidence on the membership of the committee as they were appointed based on merit, competence, agility and optimism of delivering the expected mandate.

Responding on behalf of other members, the committee chairman, Barrister Aminu Hussain appreciated Kano State Government for taking quick actions on the issue and pleged to conduct their assignment with high sense of integrity, objectivity, and professionalism.