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The internet is a big part of our lives, connecting us to all sorts of information and services. But did you know there’s a hidden part of the internet called the Dark Web? It’s a secret place that’s gained a bad reputation because people can do illegal things there without getting caught. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Dark Web, how it started, what it’s used for, and the challenges it presents.
https://nigeriaolofofo.com.ng/the-dark-web-a-study-of-the-secret-internet/

In the digital age, data has become one of the most valuable assets. From personal information to sensitive financial details and business data, our online activities generate a vast amount of data every day. However, the convenience and accessibility of the internet also expose us to potential risks and threats to our data safety. Understanding how to protect our data while using the internet is crucial to safeguard our privacy and prevent falling victim to cybercrimes. This article aims to shed light on the importance of data safety and provide practical tips to keep your information secure online.
https://nigeriaolofofo.com.ng/understanding-data-safety-while-using-the-internet/

As an entrepreneur, marketing is critical to the growth of your business. It is one of the most powerful instruments to get your company up and running as it provides the platform to introduce your brand to the world. This is what is known as marketing/promotion and though we know that it may sometimes take a huge chunk of your budget, it is important to know that the result is always worth the expenses. Here are 10 major marketing tips that are extremely useful for promoting your brand, irrespective of your financial position.

https://www.msmehub.org/10-marketing-tips-for-startups/

In recent years and perhaps since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria, no other issue has been discussed on a national scale across political and ethnic divides like the subject of restructuring. It has assumed a prominent role in our national space and it has refused to be relegated to the background.

The meaning of restructuring itself is as different as the opinions of various socio-political stakeholders in Nigeria. A search for answers will throw up as many responses as there are respondents, each response modified to the aspirations and ideologies of the respondent.



The failure to achieve a national consensus on the issue is down to the divergence of idiosyncrasies around it. The etymology of the word restructuring itself depicts its meaning as a “re-organisation and alteration of an existing structure.” The clamour for restructuring arose from the perceived non-functionality, failure or inefficiency of an existing structure, which in this case is our governance model.

The elements to be included in the restructuring process have been suggested to include Fiscal Federalism, Resource Control, Devolution of Powers, Local and State Government Autonomy, State Policing, Regional administration, amongst others.

Others have asked that 1963 constitution be replaced with the current 1999 constitution. Various socio-cultural organisations in Nigeria have offered commentaries on critical national topics frequently. Amongst these are the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Afenifere, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Middle Belt Forum.

These groups in various ways and at various fora have brought restructuring to the frontline of national discourse. In various contexts, they have decried the numerous problems of the country and emphatically declared that only restructuring can save the nation from imminent collapse.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/persistent-restructuring/

Something happened last week, in Oba, Anambra State, Nigeria: the funeral of the mother of a man popularly known as Obi Cubana, which would seem to be a metaphor for the collapse of values in Nigeria generally, the effect of poverty – spiritual, mental and physical – and how that pushes the people to desperate ends. The burial of Cubana’s mum may be seen as a form of celebration, she died at 75, but it was a lavish send-forth that was terribly obscene. The town of Oba has certainly never witnessed anything like that. Not even in the entire Anambra state has anyone organised anything so loud and extravagant. This was not a celebration of life. It was a celebration of Money. Obi Cubana’s mother died in November 2020. It took him more than seven months to plan the burial and when he decided that it was time for the dead to be sent forth, his obvious intention was to organise the mother of all burials, such that even the living would envy the dead and wish to die. The only problem is that not many Nigerians would rather die knowing that it is not every one that would ever get that kind of burial. Oba is ordinarily a quiet town of nine villages, located between the commercial town of Onitsha and the industrial town of Nnewi. During the civil war, it was the last frontier of the Biafran Army. But that community will now be remembered for a long time, for the burial of the mother of a certain Obi Cubana. The role played by the social media, and by Cubana’s friends is remarkable: how a country lost its moral centre and has produced a generation of new Nigerians who worship money, ego, kudi. The excitement generated among young Nigerians who could not make it to Oba but who followed the event on social media and became excited, is a measure of the extent of the crisis that Nigeria faces.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/obi-cubana-oba-the-burial/

Over the years, national and international courts have prosecuted a good number of political leaders who incite others to commit acts of violence that have engendered war, terrorism, and genocide.

For example, a federal court in the United States sentenced Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, an al-Qaeda propagandist, in 2014 to life imprisonment for what his defense attorney called “mere talk”.

Even in Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Rwanda Genocide convicted eight persons, including a radio broadcaster and a Rwandan pop star for public incitement.

The huge punishment meted by international tribunals to individuals who promote and incite violence shows why the global community sees it as a dangerous crime against humanity.
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Nigerians Who Support and Incite Violence — Miyetti Allah (Part 12)
BY JOY ADAMS ON MAY 13 2021
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Over the years, national and international courts have prosecuted a good number of political leaders who incite others to commit acts of violence that have engendered war, terrorism, and genocide.

For example, a federal court in the United States sentenced Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, an al-Qaeda propagandist, in 2014 to life imprisonment for what his defense attorney called “mere talk”.

Even in Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Rwanda Genocide convicted eight persons, including a radio broadcaster and a Rwandan pop star for public incitement.

The huge punishment meted by international tribunals to individuals who promote and incite violence shows why the global community sees it as a dangerous crime against humanity.



In Nigeria, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) or otherwise called Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, in the last decade have shown that they are nothing but purveyors of dehumanising statements aimed at inciting one region of the country against another.

Miyetti Allah has been in the news since the inception of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for so many negative reasons.

One of the speeches that the Fulani socio-cultural association made that almost plunged the #EndSARS protest into a civil war was their allegation that some ethnic groups were planning to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The association brought in ethnic and regional coloration to the protest by claiming that some people from other regions were trying to intimidate the North to give up its rights to rule till 2023 and beyond.

The National President, Miyetti Allah, Abdullahi Hello Bodejo, frontally without showing any evidence, accused the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of being the major financier of the protest.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/nigerians-violence-miyetti-allah/

The plots and conspiracies for the 2023 presidential election have begun. Permutations have intensified on who will eventually capture the ticket of the two major parties. With the body language of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) looking up north, presidential candidates from the north seem more favoured to win the ticket of PDP.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, a Yoruba from north-central Nigeria, is believed to be a strong prospective contender for the ticket. A Muslim from the “Middle Belt” Kwara State, Saraki is well placed to bridge north-south divisions.

However, one of the challenges that Bukola Saraki might face is how to convince the core North that he is one of them, as he is seen as a Yoruba, even though Kwara State, where he hails from, is one of the 19 northern states. His father, Senator Olusola Saraki, who contested for the presidency in 1992 and 1999, faced the same challenge. The development made him to produce two posters with two first names. One bore Olusola, which was the Yoruba first name he was known to bear for years; and Abubakar, which was one of his lesser-known names that would have resonated with voters in the north.
The plots and conspiracies for the 2023 presidential election have begun. Permutations have intensified on who will eventually capture the ticket of the two major parties. With the body language of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) looking up north, presidential candidates from the north seem more favoured to win the ticket of PDP.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, a Yoruba from north-central Nigeria, is believed to be a strong prospective contender for the ticket. A Muslim from the “Middle Belt” Kwara State, Saraki is well placed to bridge north-south divisions.

However, one of the challenges that Bukola Saraki might face is how to convince the core North that he is one of them, as he is seen as a Yoruba, even though Kwara State, where he hails from, is one of the 19 northern states. His father, Senator Olusola Saraki, who contested for the presidency in 1992 and 1999, faced the same challenge. The development made him to produce two posters with two first names. One bore Olusola, which was the Yoruba first name he was known to bear for years; and Abubakar, which was one of his lesser-known names that would have resonated with voters in the north.
The plots and conspiracies for the 2023 presidential election have begun. Permutations have intensified on who will eventually capture the ticket of the two major parties. With the body language of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) looking up north, presidential candidates from the north seem more favoured to win the ticket of PDP.
The plots and conspiracies for the 2023 presidential election have begun. Permutations have intensified on who will eventually capture the ticket of the two major parties. With the body language of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) looking up north, presidential candidates from the north seem more favoured to win the ticket of PDP.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/presidential-contenders-bukola-saraki/

Governor Bello Matawalle recently formally announced his defection to the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) in Zamfara State. Speaking at a rally in Gusau, Matawalle said that he had been nursing the ambition of leaving his party, the PDP, for several reasons. His words, “I am now the leader of APC in Zamfara State and I am ready to work with each and everyone wishing to contribute to the rapid development of the party in the state.”

The National Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State was accompanied by 13 governors to congratulate Matawalle for defecting to the party.

Governor Bello Matawalle recently formally announced his defection to the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) in Zamfara State. Speaking at a rally in Gusau, Matawalle said that he had been nursing the ambition of leaving his party, the PDP, for several reasons. His words, “I am now the leader of APC in Zamfara State and I am ready to work with each and everyone wishing to contribute to the rapid development of the party in the state.”

The National Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State was accompanied by 13 governors to congratulate Matawalle for defecting to the party.



Two senators representing Zamfara State – Lawali Anka (Zamfara West) and Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) – Stephen Odey representing Cross River North also defected to the APC recently.

Many analysts opined that by the time all the defections are officially made and carried out in the Senate, PDP which started with 44 senators at the beginning of the 9th Senate in June 2019, would have only 37 Senators, while APC which started with 66 Senators would increase to 71.

29 May 2021 made it 22 years since Nigeria has been enjoying uninterrupted democracy. The challenges encountered and growth recorded so far have contributed immensely in ensuring the sustenance, stability, and consolidation of the system of governance in the country.

In 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the major political force in Nigeria’s political space and won the presidential election against an opponent who ran on a joint platform of two political parties namely: Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All People’s Party (APP).
https://thejournalnigeria.com/defections-apc-pdp/

The World Bank recently reported that inflationary pressure in Nigeria has pushed about seven million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020 alone. The revelation, which was contained in the bank’s latest report on Nigeria titled, ‘Nigeria Development Update: Resilience through Reforms’, was released about two weeks ago.

The bank’s report also noted the capacity of a high inflation rate, which will worsen poverty and undermine business activities in the country.

The inflation rate is one of the critical macroeconomic indices used to ascertain the health and well-being of an economy. In a country plagued by insecurity, rising prices and slow economic development, inflationary pressures will remain high. The recent high costs of living in Nigeria no doubt has stretched the people’s patience to the limits.
Nigeria’s inflation basket has been captured several times to indicate the rapidly changing consumption patterns of the people. The last revision of the country’s inflation basket was in 2009, which raised concerns about the impact of inflation in policy decision-making.

According to a recent statement released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s inflation rate stood at 18.12 per cent in April 2021, indicating the first decline in headline inflation in about 20 months. This surely has some effect on the growth and development of the economy. Research has shown that inflation in Nigeria is largely driven by food prices which have increased steadily since the country’s land borders were closed in August 2019.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/burning-hell-inflations/

It was cheering news when federal legislators ended their 20-year foot-dragging on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The bill was first sent to the National Assembly in December 2008 by the then President Umaru Yar’Adua. But it was never signed into law due to objections from the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over certain contents. Again in 2018, a version of the Bill, the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), was passed by the 8th National Assembly. However, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to it. President Buhari on September 29, 2020, transmitted the current PIB to the legislators.


The new PIB was titled: ‘A Bill for an Act to Provide Legal, Governance, Regulatory and Fiscal Framework for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, the Development of Host Community and for Related Matters’. The Bill, which was beset by disagreements, eventually awarded a three percent development fund to host communities.
Nigeria, due to corruption, inefficiency, high production costs, and security concerns, is said to have drawn only a small fraction of global petroleum investments. The PIB is supposed to provide a clearer framework for oil companies working in Nigeria, which currently produces around 1.9 million Barrels Per Day (BPD). It is also to attract new foreign investment to the country’s struggling petroleum industry.

The Bill also gives the legal power for the government to remove fuel subsidies. But if assented by the President, analysts feel petrol price will rise to as much as N280 per litre. Industry analysts are of the view that it is unripe for Nigerians to rejoice at the passage of the Bill, stressing that there are still many hurdles ahead of it.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/pib-oil-sector-nation/

It was the campaign posters of Rotimi Chibike Amaechi and Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, all over the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, that brought discussions on the possible presidential candidacy of Amaechi in 2023 to the front burner. The posters, which did not have the logo of any Nigerian political party, had the face of Amaechi as President, and El-Rufai as the Vice President respectively.

Interestingly, Amaechi himself has remained quite modest over his chances of becoming Nigeria’s next president. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he said “only God knows Nigeria’s next leader”.
The former Rivers State Governor subsequently parried every effort to draw him into making revealing comments. He consistently insisted that he is focusing on his job as a minister under President Muhammadu Buhari and would not like to be distracted. “I am still the Minister for Transportation and only God can tell who will be the President of Nigeria in 2023,” he insisted.

However, one area that gave a strong hint to Amaechi’s veiled interest in 2023 was the firm backing he gave to the call for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to respect the zoning formula agreed upon at the formation stage of the party. It is obvious that zoning the presidency to the south, as speculated by most APC faithful, could favour his candidacy to some extent.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/buhari-contenders-amaechi/

The alarming rate at which secessionist movements are rising up in Nigeria has been a source of great concern in recent times. Most times, the agitators assume a violent stance which leads to clashes with security forces and needless waste of lives and properties.

Nigeria; as a sovereign state with political leaders elected lawfully has repeatedly vowed that it will not watch idly while separatists set the country on fire; and that it will do all within its powers to keep the country united; an indivisible entity that will not yield to the efforts of those trying to balkanize it.

Agitations to opt-out of a union are not an uncommon occurrence globally, but on closer look, most of those who end up being successful and beneficial to all parties involved are those set in motion through dispassionate, logical and strategic frameworks. The world witnessed the disintegration of the mighty USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) into separate 15 independent states in 1991.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/secessionists-motives/

Prince Adedamola Docemo is the Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) before his appointment as the LASAA MD. He has over 12 years of cognate experience in outdoor advertising, media and telecommunication sector. He has also consulted for several agencies in the out-of-home and signage industry

In this interview with GODWIN ANYEBE, he spoke extensively on the mandate of LASAA in Lagos State, how the agency brought stability and orderliness to the outdoor, the impact of COVID-19 on outdoor advertising industry, how the agency motivated practitioners during pandemic among other issues.

Godwin Anyebe: Many people do not really know the mandate of your agency. Can you, please tell us what the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) was set up to do?
Prince Adedamola Docemo: Section 387 of the harmonized Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 clearly stipulates the statutory responsibilities and mandate of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA).

Our mandate revolves around the management, regulation and control of the signage and outdoor advertising environment in Lagos State. We are a Government Agency set up to redefine the signage and outdoor advertising industry through effective signage and outdoor advertisement regulation. We control outdoor structures to be used for signage and advertisements, issue licenses and permits for the construction and placement of outdoor structures in any part of the State. LASAA protects the environment from potential adverse impact from visual blights; controls the number, size and location of outdoor structures; ensures that outdoor structures are soundly and carefully designed, erected, modified, maintained or removed when no longer in use to avoid potential damages to lives and property. Additionally, we ensure that outdoor structures are compatible with surrounding land uses and the environment. We also control the pasting and display of posters on public structures and highways.

LASAA organises the procedure to regulate the ownership and operation of outdoor structures for the purpose of signage or advertisements under specific regulations as contained in this law; rejects, revokes or modifies a permit if found to be in violation of any of the provisions of this Law or the conditions for its grant; prepares and keeps all records related to the issuance and denial of outdoor structures permit as well as appropriate general records.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/lagos-lasaa-md/

Nigeria’s rising debt profile has been an issue of intense debate in the last few weeks. It was the recent PDP Governors Conference that sharply brought it to the front burner.

With increasing national interest, The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, also felt he should lend his voice to this topical issue. In his comment, Senator Lawan stoutly declared his endorsement for the current strategy of revving up debts to fund infrastructural development and other critical projects.

Senator Lawan argued that it is not feasible for the federal government to tax the citizens further in the face of the present economic situation, and the nation’s infrastructure must be developed.

According to Lawan “You cannot, in my view and judgment, tax Nigerians further for you to raise the money for infrastructural development; other countries do that, but we have serious situations across the country.



“So, you cannot heap taxes on the people. The only option left is for use to borrow responsibly, utilise prudently and economically, and ensure that the projects are self-sustaining; that they can pay back the loans.

“Our options are very limited as a country. First, we do not have the necessary revenue; Nigeria is poor, we should not deceive ourselves. Nigeria is not rich given the circumstances we live in, given the challenges we have.

“Our resources are so low; our revenues are so low; therefore, the option of not doing anything just to sit (because we have no money, we should not go for infrastructure development) is not an option worthy of consideration. You cannot keep the economy stagnant,” he added.

The senate president assured that the National Assembly would give full legislative approval to the Executive loan request to fund the 2021 Appropriation Act before it embarked on a recess in July.

For some time now there have been heated public debates, especially about the level of Nigeria’s indebtedness to China, including claims that Abuja is risking its sovereignty.

Read Also: Nigeria’s Debt to GDP ratio: Any Cause for Alarm?

Information from the Nigerian Debt Management Office reveals that: As at March 31, 2020, the Total Borrowing by Nigeria from China was USD3.121 billion (₦1,126.68 billion at USD/₦361). This amount represents only 3.94% of Nigeria’s Total Public Debt of USD79.303 billion (₦28,628.49 billion at USD/₦361) as at March 31, 2020. Similarly, in terms of external sources of funds, Loans from China accounted for 11.28% of the External Debt Stock of USD27.67 billion at the same date.



These data show that China is not the leading source of funding for the Nigerian Government.

It added that “The Total Borrowing from China of USD3.121 billion as at March 31, 2020, are concessional Loans with Interest Rates of 2.50% p.a., Tenor of Twenty (20) years and Grace Period (Moratorium) of Seven (7) years.

“ These Terms are compliant with the provisions of Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. In addition, the low-interest rate reduces the Interest Cost to Government while the long tenor enables the repayment of the principal sum of the Loans over many years. These two benefits make the provisions for Debt Service in the Annual Budget lower than they would otherwise have been if the Loans were in commercial terms.”

The DMO noted that The USD3.121 billion Loans are project-tied. The projects (eleven – 11 in number as of March 31, 2020), include the Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Idu-Kaduna section), Abuja Light Rail Project, Nigerian Four Airport Terminals Expansion Project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt), Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Lagos-Ibadan section) and Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Abuja – Keffi- Makurdi Road Project.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/senator-lawan-nigerias-debt-profile/

Corruption has been identified as one of Nigeria’s most stubborn challenges; it has been a recurring decimal in almost every facet of our national life and has been described many times as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of our nation. It pervades almost every level of government, the private sector, the informal sector, even religious organisations are not spared from the ravenous fangs of this hydra-headed monster.

The existential threat that corruption poses to the sustenance of our national life and society prompted President Olusegun Obasanjo to officially inaugurate the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in September 2000; just a year after the return of democratic rule to Nigeria. Their mandate was to receive and investigate reports of corruption and inappropriate cases; prosecute the offender. Additionally, they were set up to examine, review and enforce the correction of corruption-prone systems and procedures of public bodies, to eliminate corruption in public life, and to enlighten the public against corruption and related offences to enlist and foster public support in the fight against corruption.
In 2003, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was also established in the country partially in response to pressure from an international body called the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering; which named Nigeria as one of the 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community’s efforts to fight money laundering. Upon creation, the agency was charged to decisively tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes in all aspects of government and the society at large.

For any individual to succeed in business, he must prepare to navigate through uncertainties, as business, irrespective of the sector, is full of ups and downs.

In this light, any individual who desires to climb higher must learn to brush initial setbacks, and push ahead for ultimate success

The stories of two reputable entrepreneurs, Fola Adeola and Kessington Adebutu succinctly captures the power of consistency and creativity that catapulted the duo to the pinnacle of their areas of businesses.

Fola Adeola- A Street Hawker

Founder and chairman of the FATE Foundation, Tajudeen Afolabi Adeola had his secondary school education at Methodist Boys High School, Lagos. He obtained a Diploma in Accounting from Yaba College of Technology in 1975 and became a Chartered Accountant in 1980 following his training with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells, and D.O. Dafinone & Company.
He also received professional development training at notable institutions like Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.

Born into a large family in 1954, Fola Adeola did not have a privileged childhood. Even though his father was a bank clerk at the time, his income was not enough to provide for all the needs of his 17 children.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/successful-entrepreneurs-nigeria-first-jobs-part-16/

The Federal Government is working toward enhancing special economic zones to boost FDI in Nigeria’s economy and creating a large number of employment opportunities. This initiative is part of the government’s promise and effort to revamp the economic sector thereby generating massive national income.

It was in this light that The Federal Government announced the approval of four international airports in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones.

Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika while announcing this said “I am very glad to announce that Mr President has approved our four International Airports as Special Economic Zones. These are Lagos, Kano, Abuja & Port Harcourt. Our roadmap working,”
ECONOMY
Special Economic Zones: Trump Card for Economic Growth
BY OLAOSEBIKAN OMOLAYO ON JUNE 26 2021
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The Federal Government is working toward enhancing special economic zones to boost FDI in Nigeria’s economy and creating a large number of employment opportunities. This initiative is part of the government’s promise and effort to revamp the economic sector thereby generating massive national income.

It was in this light that The Federal Government announced the approval of four international airports in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones.

Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika while announcing this said “I am very glad to announce that Mr President has approved our four International Airports as Special Economic Zones. These are Lagos, Kano, Abuja & Port Harcourt. Our roadmap working,”



A few weeks ago, The Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, equally revealed that new special economic zones coming in the pipeline include Funtua FTZ for textile and cotton; Lagos FTZ for medical, as well as Kwara FTZ for agriculture.

Speaking while receiving top executives of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) led by Hajiya Saratu Iya Aliyu in his office, Adesugba said the move is to boost the industrialisation agenda of the Buhari administration.

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Since In the late 1960s, the economy of Nigeria has been based primarily on the exploration of crude oil. In 1973, an increase in world oil price led to rapid economic growth. This oil boom led to migration from rural to the urban centre thereby stagnating agricultural production and exportation of cash crops. Also, in about 1975, Nigeria was involved in the massive importation of basic food crops for domestic consumption using revenues generated from petroleum. The agricultural sector has remained in crisis since that period, especially with Nigeria’s rapid population growth.

Various government administrations have tried to deal with this problem by restricting agricultural imports. They also initiated programmes such as agricultural and indigenization plans, privatization and so on.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/economic-growth-trump-card/

It seems the emergence of COVID 19 came with the persistent rift in aviation relationship between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nigeria. Recently, the UAE reversed a travel ban on Nigeria, India and South Africa barring flights to and from the cities of Lagos and Abuja commencing from 21st of June.

The UAE had previously refused to fly passengers who did not have a pre-boarding rapid diagnostic test (RTD). However, last Saturday, it announced a new travel protocol that allows Nigerian travellers with negative PCR test results taken within 48 hours to departure to fly. It had published a travel protocol, noting that Dubai’s Committee on Crisis and Disaster Management had proposed new entrance protocols for travellers, beginning June 23, 2021, as part of reducing inbound travel restrictions.
This sudden re-imposition of the travel ban thus came as a shock to multitudes of Nigerians who had been looking forward to the lifting of the ban. The initial ban had been in place since February this year following a spat between the two countries over the methods for conducting COVID 19 tests on travellers to and from UAE. The face-off between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates over travel procedures has been a reoccurring issue.

The faceoff began at the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020. The UAE implemented several preventive measures to combat the virus’s spread, including suspending the issuance of UAE visas to all countries until March 17, 2020. After entering the pandemic’s recovery phase, the country loosened several restrictions on July 7, allowing travellers from a variety of countries to take the appropriate precautions, such as demonstrating negative PCR test results within 92 hours of arriving in the UAE.

Visitors from Nigeria were included in this category. However, Nigeria was compelled to ban Emirates Airlines following the lockdown on the country’s aviation industry.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/uae-vs-nigeria-aviation/

The statement said, “The US Mission to Nigeria is aware of websites and messages advertising the U.S. visa lottery. All of these sites are FAKE! The only accurate information on the visa lottery is available at ng.usembassy.gov and travel.state.gov. Addresses with .gov are the only accurate source of visa information.’’.

The Immigration Act of 1990 established the Diversity Visa programme, where 55,000 immigrant visas would be made available in an annual lottery. The programme started in 1995 and the aim was to diversify the immigrant population in the United States.



Some of the fake messages circulating online, especially on WhatsApp groups, announces an online registration for the migrant lottery and urged Nigerians to take a chance of living in the US by applying for the US Green Card lottery.

The message read, “The Green Card unlocks the door to the United States for thousands of USA fans every year. It allows the lucky Green Card winners permanent residence as well as unlimited work permits for the USA. Every year, the United States grants 55,000 Green Cards through the Green Card Lottery.’’

Unfortunately, the Diversity Visa program has always been abused by scammers and the purpose is to defraud unsuspecting but hopeful immigrants.

Earlier, the US consulate in Nigeria stressed on its website that Nigerians were no longer eligible for the Diversity Visa Lottery.

It stated, “Only people that were born outside of Nigeria or have parents that were born outside of Nigeria are eligible for the Diversity Visa. If you were born in Nigeria or to Nigerian-born parents, you are not eligible for the visa lottery. Some fake websites and emails attempt to mislead customers, posing as providers of official U.S. government information.’’
https://thejournalnigeria.com/visa-lottery-americas-immigration-policies-africa/

The high cost of governance in Nigeria has become a very disturbing phenomenon and has been widely acknowledged by many as one of the country’s most niggling problems. Regrettably, for one inconsequential reason or the other, many state actors at all levels in Nigeria do not seem to understand the importance and expediency of cutting the cost of governance.

The suffocating impact of the high cost of governance on our national life has made it assume a dimension of national emergency. With this high cost of maintaining the government, the economic fortunes of the country have recently been pronounced as uncertain, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgrading the growth prospects of the economy for 2021.



It is noteworthy that the trillions of naira Nigeria makes from oil annually, independent of other earnings like taxes, have yet to translate into desirable development because most of the country’s funds go into recurrent expenditure, like payment of wages, salaries, purchase of vehicles, allowances for overseas travels, accommodation, medical expenses, among many others, as evidenced in yearly budgets. This pattern is also obtainable in most states.

Government in the past has made attempts to address this perennial problem. To prune the rising cost of governance in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2011, set up a Presidential Committee on Rationalization and Restructuring of Federal Government’s Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

The committee, which was headed by former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, submitted its report, which contained far-reaching recommendations, some of which threw government employees into some sort of panic and apprehension. In the report, the committee reviewed the extant laws in sync with its mandate and submitted inter alia: “The average cost of governance in Nigeria is believed to rank among the highest in the world…If the cost of governance must be brought down, all arms of government must make spirited efforts at reducing their running cost.”

Out of the existing structure of 263 statutory agencies, the panel recommended a reduction to 161, with additional proposals that 38 agencies are abolished; 52 be merged, and 14 others be reverted to departments in various ministries.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/nlc-genuine-efforts-reduce-cost-governance-nigeria/

Ben Akabueze, director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation, stated recently at a World Bank event in Abuja, where the need for the government to raise additional revenues was discussed, that Nigeria is considering introducing an excise tax on telecoms airtime charges.

Akabueze said, “Last year, we found that 51 countries in Africa have excise on airtime charges, so we are looking at that as well as an area (to tax)”.



The telecommunication sector in Nigeria, which in the last five years has been a major driver of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government, has been undergoing the challenges of multiple taxations and levies from the federal, state, and local government authorities.

Recall that Nigerians had fought similar moves in 2019 by the federal government to introduce the so-called Bill entitled ‘Communication Tax Bill, 2019 (SB.12)’, sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume.

Key highlights of the Bill were electronic communication services that would be subject to the levy include voice calls, SMS, MMS, data usage (both from Telecommunication Services Providers and Internet Service Providers), Pay per View TV Stations, etc. The tax was to be paid together with the electronic communication service charge payable to the service provider by the user of the service.

The tax is payable, whether or not the person making the supply is permitted or authorised to provide electronic communications services.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/fg-plan-excise-tax-calls-telecom/

Which one is Iberiberism again o? What kind of English shall we not hear in this country?

Well, the word is not regular English language, neither is it my creation. The copyright belongs to former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who created something being fast accepted in English from the Igbo word, Iberibe, meaning foolery, trickery, or stupidity. It is the act of being deceitful or untrue.

Okorocha engaged in neologism when he created the word Iberiberism, and used it to describe political foolery and trickery or stupidity.



Let’s divert a bit. There was another Imo man, who was a master neologist. His name was Chief Ozuomba Mbadiwe, man of timber and caliber, pillar and caterpillar, the political juggernaut. He would tell us that “come would soon come to become,” and other such ticklish expressions.

I once interviewed Chief Greg Iheanacho Mbadiwe, who regaled me with his father’s ability to create words. He said as a boy, he was struggling with another young boy in his father’s compound, not knowing that the father was watching with keen interest from upstairs.

When the tussle became too long, Chief Ozuomba Mbadiwe bellowed: “Iheanachooooo. Will you slap that boy, and let him be seconsaimabalism.”

Holy Moses! What does the word mean? You will search all the dictionaries in the world, including the ones that have not been compiled, and you will never find the word seconsaimabalism. It’s a creation of Chief Mbadiwe, just as Okorocha created Iberiberism.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/beyond-iberiberism-nigeria-trudges-on/

Presently, Nigeria is confronted with a plethora of security challenges ranging from the ubiquitous farmer-herder conflict to banditry, kidnappings, abductions, and revived secessionist movements. The list seems endless. For a long time now, the Nigerian media space has been blackened with shocking reports of persistent violent attacks nationwide.

From the north to the southeast and west, the story is not too different. Newspaper headlines provide grim and saddening reports of insurgent attacks, bandit attacks, and all sorts of criminalities every week. Despite the heroic efforts of the country’s Armed Forces in trying to stem the tide of violence, precious lives are still being lost on a daily basis.

Regrettably, the population of the country’s Armed Forces is remarkably and extremely small in relation to the country’s landmass, the expanding theatres of conflict and the citizens’ expectations regarding a military that could crush insecurity and restore peace to every part of the country. Many soldiers have paid the supreme price in the fight to defend their fatherland, and the attrition rate in the military does not drop.

Even the President, Muhammadu Buhari has acknowledged the fact that Nigeria is facing “a state of emergency” as a result of ongoing insecurity which understates the complexity and multidimensional nature of the country’s security challenges.

To underscore Nigeria’s struggles in containing these enormous security challenges, the President in a recent virtual meeting with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, appealed to the US government to consider relocating its African Command (AFRICOM) from its current base in Germany to Nigeria or any part of Africa. The aim is to assist Nigeria and other African countries in combating worsening terrorism, banditry and other security vices.

Various diplomatic, scholarly, and practitioner perspectives have all discussed the links between the country’s current security challenges and the need for the country to rethink the structure of her security architecture.

With insecurity concerns assuming a wider scale and the theatres of engagement expanding to various nooks and crannies of the country, the urgency for massive recruitments into the Nigerian Army has never been more pressing than it is today.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/insurgency-banditry-nigeria-defeated-6-months/

Every year, over 39,000 Nigerians die from road crashes, according to the Global Status Report on Road Safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates road traffic fatalities in Nigeria at 39,802, while the estimated rate per 100,000 deaths stood at 21.4. Findings have also shown that trucks are involved in the large number of those killed in road crashes. Most of those large trucks are incredibly dangerous, especially when a report from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has revealed that a good percentage of people killed in large-truck crashes were the occupants of the other vehicles.

This means many drivers and passengers, including youths and children, who share the road with these mammoth-sized vehicles are at risk of very serious injuries and even death.

Though some accidents are due to uncontrollable circumstances, some accidents are avoidable with proper maintenance and protocols for large trucks.



Understanding this fact, the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, called for an improvement on the maintenance and standardisation schemes for vehicles, as most of them lacked safety measures like lighting, reflectors, and other parts.

Oyeyemi, who disclosed this recently in an interactive session between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), the FRSC, and Haulage operators in Lagos, stressed the need for an intervention from the Federal Government to ensure that truckers have fleet renewal rules while vehicles that had been on the road for 30-years should be scrapped.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) boss revealed that 90 percent of trucks in the country are over 30 years old, stating that “due to the age of the trucks, they frequently breakdown on the road, prolonging the days goods spend on the road before getting to their destination.”
https://thejournalnigeria.com/trucks-on-highways-adequate-enforcement/

Former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko, on 5 June 2021 challenged Southeast leaders on the spate of attacks going on in the region. In a statement, he challenged leaders of the Southeast of complicity in the attacks following their failure to rise collectively to condemn the actions.

In Wamakko’s words: “I, like all well-meaning Nigerians, have followed with disbelief, pain and disgust the happenings in the past few months in the Southeast and parts of South-South zones of Nigeria.

“As leaders of our people, we have been under intense pressure over the current situation. We cannot bear it any longer. If leaders from the Southeast feel they can allow their people to do what they want, we may have no choice than to stop dousing the increasing tension among our followers.”



The former Sokoto State Governor who lamented reprisal and unjust attacks on innocent Northerners in the Southeast pointed out that “the day the victim decides to pay back the aggressor, it will not be good for everybody.”

Wamakko explained why cutting off the supply of food commodities to the Southeast was on the cards of most northern food merchants. According to him, a truck carrying livestock en route Anambra ” was burnt down with all the animals around Awka.“
https://thejournalnigeria.com/ohanaeze-ndigbo-wamakko/

Recently, it was widely reported that Nigeria may launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the end of 2021, according to a central bank official.

Speaking at an online news briefing, Rakiya Mohammed, an information technology specialist at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said that the regulator had been exploring the possibility of CBDC for over two years, according to local media reports.

“Before the end of the year, the central bank will be making special announcement and possibly launching a pilot scheme in order to be able to provide this kind of currency to the populace.” Mohammed said.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/grown-digital-currency-nigeria-gain/

I have been privileged to interview quite a number of world leaders in the course of my journalism career. These include President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Ketumile Masire of Botswana, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan etc..not to talk of holding the microphone across the world in the presence of countless Presidents in my then capacity as President Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesperson. But no other encounter held as much memory and nostalgic feelings for me as my return to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday, June 9 to interview Nigerian incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.


It was my first return, not to the Villa itself, but to the President’s Residence since President Jonathan was driven out of that environment on May 29, 2015. As I walked from the parking lot in the Residence as we call it, I took in the familiar surroundings. I recalled I used to walk along the same paths, on a daily basis, as frequently as duty demanded. One day, we all followed our principal out of the Main Gate. How transient power can be. A sense of home and exile is definitely imprinted on the pavestones in the corridors of power. Today, you can pound it as if you were the mason who arranged the interlocking stones. Tomorrow, you could be exiled by circumstances from the same space, and your brief sojourn, with the effluxion of time, becomes a distant, fading memory.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/interviewing-president-buhari/

A few days ago, news broke out that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has moved to acquire 20 per cent stake in the 650,000 barrels per day from Dangote Refinery in Lagos.

The corporation in a follow-up statement signed by its Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru explained that the move was in line with the Federal Government’s policy to ensure energy security for the country.

The statement from NNPC revealed that there is “a Federal Government policy directive which stipulates the mandatory participation of the Corporation in any privately-owned refinery that exceeds 50,000 barrels per day capacity in keeping with its statutory role of safeguarding national energy security”.

Obateru stated that NNPC has identified at least six refinery projects in which it intends to seek equity participation, five of which are at the development stage with the Dangote Refinery being the largest of them.

He explained that NNPC, “the National Oil Company of Nigeria primarily has a dual role of providing stewardship for the nation’s hydrocarbon resources and adding value to the resources for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders.”

Observers are deeply divided about the benefits this will attract to the nation’s government and her people considering the organisation NNPC would be partnering with.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/nnpc-dangote-refinery-deal/

The assassination of a former Special Adviser on political matters to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak has continued to generate reactions in a development that has hitherto remained controversial. Gulak was said to have been attacked and shot dead in a Toyota Camry cab taking him and two others to Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight. According to a statement issued by the Imo State Police, a yet to be identified “armed bandits intercepted and attacked a Toyota Camry cab carrying Ahmed Gulak and two others who were on their way to Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight.”

One thing is however certain — the death of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain portends grave consequences for the country and must be handled with tact. In the midst of all the attempts to unravel whether it was orchestrated by secession proponents, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Unknown Gun Men (as propagated in the widespread reports) or whether it was politically motivated, it is important to see the assassination of Gulak as a ploy to destabilise the country. These anarchists are looking for an excuse to spark off inter-ethnic war and they are already laying the foundation.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/ahmed-gulaks-assassination-anarchists/

Although the storm in Kaduna State seems to simmer relatively, the smoke dispersed by the hot dry whirlwind to every nook and cranny still chokes many even to suffocating points. Governor of the state, Nasir el-Rufai is under fire for incessant vociferous termination of appointments of workers hiding under different guises.

Any case involving El-Rufai immediately goes viral on social media. Looking at his antecedents, one would recall how he stepped on toes in Abuja as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. His firm decision, thus, in sacking over 30,000 workers in the state since he became governor is not surprising.



The cause of the impasse between the Kaduna State Governor and the Labour Union in the state is not new. However, the dagger-drawn war took a new twist when the chief contenders on both sides engaged in verbal warfare, smacking every juice of leadership.

The Governor could be right to downsize the workforce in the state, so as to cut excessive recurrent expenditure in form of salaries and other overhead costs. However, the way and manner he executed his plan were clearly flawed in the face of the law and under all known rules of human relations.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/kaduna-labour-crises-sustaining-ceasefire/

This is not the best times in the relations between government, especially at the state level, and their workers. Very few states can presently claim any yummy or cosy relationship between the labour leaders and government. Most states are not even touching the new minimum wage with a long pole. They cannot try it when they still owe arrears of the old one. Most states claim they will need to use over 90 per cent of their monthly allocation if they must satisfy the demands of workers.

The recent conflagration in Kaduna that compelled the Federal Government to step in to negotiate came from disagreements over workers’ wages.
What many find shocking is that amidst the problem of dwindling resources, the issue of ghost workers is still eating deep and serving as a huge conduit pipe draining the economies of many states.

Just recently, Bauchi State announced the names of a total of 715 civil servants removed from the payroll of the Government as part of its efforts to address the problem of ghost workers in the state which has remained hydra-headed.

The disclosure was made by the deputy governor, Sen. Baba in Bauchi shortly after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, which was presided over by the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.

He said that the aim of the disclosure was to keep the people of the state abreast with the progress the government is making in addressing issues regarding salaries in the state, adding that the intention of the committee set up about some weeks ago is to have a sanitised payroll system.
https://thejournalnigeria.com/ghost-worker-govt-labour-relation/