₦airaland Forum

by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

Nigeria has been witnessing an increase in the rate of exchange for one dollar to one naira. This has led to mixed reactions from different quarters.Today, the official rate of a Dollar to one Naira stands at N415.46. The dollar to naira rate has been hovering between N411-415 between November 2021 and July 2022. This represents an increase from N359 to one dollar in July 2019. One Euro is officially N422.1994 while one Pounds Sterling is N501.731.

The story is drastically different on the black market, where a significant amount of exchange happens. A dollar could sell as high as N705.

What is the implication of the rising exchange rates?

The impact of the low value of the Naira does not only affect your “japa” plans; here are three sectors that are affected by the increase in exchange rates.

Food and Agricultural Produce

Nigeria still imports a large amount of its food components, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics, puts Nigeria’s total Agricultural import as at Q1,2022 at N443.36 bn. As at Q1, 2021, Nigeria imported a larger percentage of its Agricultural produce from America and Europe, with both accounting for N514 billion of the total N630 billion spent on Agricultural produce imports in the quarter.

Nigeria’s looming food crisis is driven by local forces like insecurity and compounded by the country’s heavy dependence on imports even for agricultural produce. Goods imported at high exchange rates are increasingly expensive and by implication increasingly unaffordable.

The more costly it becomes to import these products, the more the average consumer pays. Already, bread bakers have been reported to have hiked prices of bread by 20% in the country, signalling an increased cost of production that has translated into increase in the sales price of bread. The cost of Spaghetti, biscuits, chinchin, all products dependent on wheat, have also increased.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/economy/this-is-why-you-should-care-about-the-rising-exchange-rates-and-the-nairas-fall/

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by Dennis Amata

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially ended the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which started last year.

The total number of registered voters who completed their registration (online and physical) at the close of the CVR exercise stood at 12.29 million.

On June 28, 2021, INEC resumed the CVR and has since then given weekly updates of the online pre-registration and the physical completion of registration by voters.

The CVR was initially scheduled to end on June 30. However, on that day, the Commission, through its National Electoral Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, announced an extension of the exercise to ensure that all eligible Nigerians get registered.

The CRV was first extended by 15 days, then another 2 weeks, bringing the total duration for the extension to 31 days (July 1st-31st).

This new deadline elapsed on Sunday, July 31st, and the electoral Commission has stated there would be no further extension as they need to carry out other functions, which among others, include the clean up of the voter register for double and multiple registrations.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/2023-election-completed-pvc-registration-across-nigeria-in-5-charts/

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By Ode Uduu

From January to April, the Federal Government (FG) paid N405.93 billion in interest on ways and means. However, this expenditure was not budgeted for while preparing the initial budget for the year.

By extension, the year’s budget might have increased from N17.1 trillion to N17.5 trillion within the first four months. If this goes on, an addition of over N1 trillion might be added to the budget by the end of the year from this unbudgeted line item alone.

This detail was contained in the FG consolidated fiscal report for the year from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

A breakdown of the recurrent-debt expenditure shows that N4.749 trillion was budgeted. This comprises N3.609 trillion for total debt service with N2.206 trillion budgeted for domestic debt service and N1.103 trillion budgeted for foreign debt service) and N207.71 billion for sinking funds.

By the budget, N395.8 billion will be spent monthly on debt. N300.77 billion of both domestic and foreign debt and N22.56 on sinking funds.

This gives N1.583 billion for recurrent debt expenditure for four months. Debt service for the first four months was budgeted at N1.203 trillion; N835.36 billion for domestic debts, and N367.72 for foreign debts. N90.24 billion was budgeted for sinking funds.

Actual expenditure on recurrent debt shows that the FG spent N1.939 trillion for the first four months. N1.532 trillion was spent on debt servicing. Of this amount, N1.199 trillion was for domestic debts, while N334.24 billion was for foreign debts.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/new-line-expenditure-increased-fg-budget-by-n405-93-billion-in-4-months/

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#NotebookGate: Yet Again, Makinde-led Oyo Govt Awards Contracts Worth N694 million to Companies Owned by Cronies

by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

Review of data from Oyo State open contracting portal reveals a now familiar trend of contract irregularities as the state again awarded contracts worth N694 million to persons closely linked to the governor. The Seyi Makinde-led Oyo state government has been linked to several contract irregularities and the “friends and family” pattern of awarding contracts has seen the state award a total of N1.2 billion between 2019 and 2021 to a recurring name, Oriyomi Hamzat and cronies. 

In earlier investigations published by Dataphyte, the Oyo state government violated its Procurement law in the award of contracts worth N998 million. The two-part report also established that the sitting governor of the state, Seyi Makinde may have abused privileges of his office, as contract beneficiaries were linked to him, raising issues of conflict of interest.

A review of the Open contracting portal of the state has revealed yet another abuse of the contracting process by the state in the award of contract for notebook production worth N694 million in 2021.
Thirteen of Fourteen Contracts Awarded to Company Owned by, Linked to Oriyomi Hamzat

Fresh investigations show that on the 23rd of December 2021, the Oyo state government awarded fourteen different contract lots for the production of the now famous notebooks. The contract amount per lot ranged between fifty-million naira to sixty-two million naira.

The notebooks are meant for students of public secondary schools in the state.

The following companies got contracts; Insider Multipurpose Ventures, Sure Etiquette Media Plus Limited, Porsche Diversify Ventures, Icon Printing Press, SEWA International Ventures, JEDA Global Ventures, ASP Integrated Ventures and Landgard Investment Limited.

Review shows that of the fourteen lots; Insider multipurpose ventures got two contracts worth N118 million, Sure Etiquette Media Plus limited got two contracts worth N112 million, Porsh Diversify Ventures was awarded two contracts worth N112 million, Icon Printing Press got two contracts worth N102 million, SEWA International Ventures with two contracts worth N100 million, JEDA Global Ventures with two contracts worth N100 million and ASP integrated ventures had a contract worth N50 million.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/public-procurement/notebookgate-yet-again-makinde-led-oyo-govt-awards-contracts-worth-n694-million-to-companies-owned-by-cronies/

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#NotebookGate: Denial Backfires, Reveals More Procurement Irregularities in Oyo State

by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

Oyo State government’s attempts to defend itself against the revelations in Dataphyte’s report of “Notebook Gate” has backfired spectacularly leading to even greater indictments on its public procurement processes under the current administration.

The Oyo state government through its Ministry of Information released a statement following Dataphyte’s report of bid splitting and contract inflation, to deny that the state awarded cost-inflated contracts.

The press release which was completely silent on contract splitting by Hamzat Oriyomi, claimed that contrary to the N2,100 cost reported by Dataphyte and republished by several news platforms including Sahara Reporters, stated the Oyo state government awarded the exercise book contract at N150 per copy and to 8, not four companies.

Governor Seyi Makinde, during his speech at the one-year anniversary of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi’s Radio Station also did not comment on his friend’s violation of the public procurement law but swore to resign as Governor of the state if investigation showed the notebook contracts were inflated.

Following Dataphyte’s request for evidence to back the claims in the press release, the commissioner for information, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun provided a list of the names of the contractors but referred Dataphyte to the state’s bureau of public procurement for details of the amount awarded to each contractor.

According to the Commissioner, the eight different companies who got the contracts were; Insider Multipurpose Ltd, SURE Etiquette Media Plus, JEDA Global Ventures, OPAL Multinational Resources Limited, ASP Integrated Ventures, PORSH Diversify Ventures, SEWA International Ventures and ICON Printing Press Consult. The Commissioner had stated that the state government awarded the contract in 14 lots to 8 contractors. He further noted 2.7 million notebooks were to be supplied at the price of N150-N180 by these 8 contractors.

While the information on the State’s Public Procurement portal did not tally with what the Commissioner claimed, his list exposed many fault lines in the state’s procurement process.

The state bureau of procurement must have missed the relationship between the governor and his friends who have since 2019 been awarded multiple contracts worth between 500 million and 640 million.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/investigations/notebookgate-denial-backfires-reveals-more-procurement-irregularities-in-oyo-state/

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#NotebookGate: Contract Inflation, Suspicious Award of Contracts Trail Oyo State’s N998 Million Notebooks Project

by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

Dataphyte review of the Oyo State Open Contracting portal has shown that secondary school notebook contracts awarded up to N998 million between August 2019 and December 2020 have been subject to contract inflation, fraudulent contract bidding and contract ambiguity.

The contract, awarded in three batches, is to supply customised notebooks for secondary schools in the state. The first set of twelve contracts totalling N456.504 million was awarded on August 28, 2019.

The second set was awarded in June 2020, with a total value of N94.196 million and described as “production of second batch exercise books for students of public secondary schools in the state”.

Third set awarded in December 2020, at N446.370 million was for the supply of 212,505 copies of sixty leaves notebooks. The description stated the notebooks are meant for the 2020/2021 session of public secondary schools in the state.

Contract Inflation: Should a copy of Sixty Leaves Notebook Cost N2,100?
The December 2020 contract raises concerns as to why it will take N446.370 million to supply 212,505 copies of sixty leaves notebooks. On the open contracting portal announcing the award of the contract, this is the description for this particular award “Production of 212,505 copies of 60 leaves customised exercise books for students of Public secondary schools for the 2020/2021 academic session” and this would be supplied at the contract value of N446, 370, 480.

By this budget each copy of the 60 leaves notebook cost the state N2,100 to print.

But should one customised sixty leaves notebook cost N2,100?

Checks by Dataphyte show that a non-customised Sixty leaves notebook in Mokola, Ibadan, costs a hundred naira (N100).

Dataphyte sought quotations for a similar description of goods from printing presses and the quotes put each copy of customised notebook at between N200 and N230, one printing press offered N158 per copy of Sixty leaves customised notebook, also, the higher the number of copies, the lesser the price for each copy. At the maximum cost of N230, 212,505 copies should cost around N48,876,150.

The quoted price by the state government appears exaggerated even if other services like delivery of the notebooks to each school and design of the customised pages were factored into the costs

In case of supply of one Sixty leaves notebook for N2100 in December, 2020, the Public Procurement act states that;

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/investigations/contract-inflation-suspicious-award-of-contracts-trail-oyo-states-n998-million-notebooks-project/

by Data Dive

On Wednesday, the Nigerian naira took a scary dance step towards a dangerous direction, sending many Nigerians into a panic mood. After days of heightened interest in its performance, the naira finally crossed the N700 to a Dollar mark as the country continues to suffer a shortage in the supply of the United States’ currency in the foreign exchange (FX) market.

Reports from forex dealers in different parts of Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub, showed that the Naira was exchanged for the greenback at N705/$1, while the hard currency was bought from holders between N697/$1 and N700/$1.

The naira-dollar disparity has raised concerns among Nigerians, creating unease in an already tense social atmosphere. Yet the conversations have remained on the surface, triggering endless “debates” on social media. As analysts and policy experts continue to interrogate the situation, the fundamental drivers of these economic uncertainties have remained largely under-discussed.

Dangerous Deficits, Devastating Results
While the peoples’ obsession with the poor performance of the naira has been quite understandable, the underlying dynamics at play are rather complex. Inevitably, their impact on the overall economy has been devastating.

Last week, the 2022 fiscal performance report for the first quarter of the year showed how the government deficit spending shot up to N3.09 trillion in the first quarter of 2022. The pro rata spending target for the first quarter of the year was N5.77 trillion, while the actual spending as of April 31 was N4.72 trillion. The huge deficit, expectedly, was funded by borrowing.

Interestingly, in the last few years, the nation’s budgets have been built around staggering deficits, a worrisome development that continues to generate ripples among observers and global rating agencies.

For instance, the government’s 2022 budget was projected to be N17.32 trillion, 18 per cent higher than the 2021 budget. Recurrent (non-debt) spending is estimated to amount to N6.91 trillion, which is 40 percent of total expenditure, and 20 percent higher than the 2021 Budget. Aggregate capital expenditure of N5.96 trillion is 35 percent of total expenditure, inclusive of the capital component of Statutory Transfers, GOEs (Government-Owned Enterprises capital), and project-tied loans expenditures. At N3.61trillion, debt service is 21 per cent of total expenditure, and 34 percent of total revenues.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://datadive.substack.com/p/debts-deficit-and-nairas-dangerous

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by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

The Universal Basic Education Programme is aimed at ensuring free education for Children at the primary school level and three years of Junior Secondary school. The program was launched in September 1999 while the law establishing UBEC was signed in 2004.

Part of the provisions of the programme is provision of funds to assist states in implementing ideals of the programme. For UBEC, 2% of the Cumulative Statutory releases of the country’s consolidated revenue fund is set aside to fund the programmes and projects.

A Dataphyte review of the UBEC portal shows that between 2005 and 2021, thirty two (32) states did not access over N48 billion in UBEC funds available for improving basic education across all states.

The reason for the failure to access funds that are crucial to the educational outcomes of the states is likely because of the way the UBEC funds are structured. To access allocated UBEC funds, states must match the grant amount available up to at least 50%.

Section 11, subsection 2 of the law states that “For any State to qualify for the Federal government block grant pursuant to sub-section 1(l) of this section,such State shall contribute not less than 50% of the total cost of projects as its commitment in the execution of the project”.

What this means for instance is that, Ogun state has the highest amount of unaccessed funds up to N3.672 billion in the 16 years under review. In 2021 Ogun State could have accessed N946 million in UBEC funds, but to receive the “windfall”, it must match the amount of the grant offered up to 50%. This means Ogun State must provide the sum of N946 million and these funds must be for basic education and within the project areas that the fund covers. This means Ogun State must provide at least N473 million to access the available grant.

[color=#225e96]Continue reading:[/color] https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/development/nigerian-states-fail-to-access-n48-billion-in-ubec-grants-in-17-years/

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by by Ode Uduu

Yet again, Nigeria’s “pali” is not tracking globally.

The Visa-Free Index is an assessment of the value of a country’s passport based on the number of countries the passport holder can access without visas or with a visa on arrival.

Nigeria ranked 100th out of 112 in the global ranking of visa-free countries. This position is jointly held by Nigeria and Ethiopia. In Africa, Nigeria occupies the 23rd position and the 13th position in West Africa.

The Henley & Partners ranked countries with data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These countries were ranked based on the country’s passport power, scoring each passport on the number of destinations a holder of such a passport can access visa-free.

Visa-free, refers to access to different countries without applying for a visa before travelling or ability to get a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry.

Continue reading: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/nigeria-ranks-100th-out-of-112-globally-on-visa-free-index/

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Ondo Govts’ N1.145 billion on School Renovation Projects is Marred By Incomplete, Substandard Implementation

by Olanrewaju Oyedeji

Ondo state, in the South Western region of Nigeria, has 948,353 public primary school students to its 1164 public primary schools. By this, it would mean that there would be an average of 814 students to each public primary school in the state.

The high ratio of students to school is perhaps why the state government awarded contracts for the renovation of six classrooms in 53 primary schools in the state. The contract for all the schools is worth N1.145 billion.

These contracts were awarded between 2019 and 2020 and the Dataphyte project tracking team visited 6 of the 53 primary schools who are beneficiaries of these renovation contracts.

In May 2020, the state government awarded a contract worth N20.177 million for the renovation of six classrooms and offices at L.A Otapete primary school located in the popular Idanre Local government.

The contract was meant to be executed in four months and was awarded by the state SUBEB. From the date of award, the renovation should have been completed by October 2020.

According to details on the state’s open contracting portal, Adramyte Nigeria limited, a company founded in 2007 although inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission portal, got the contract.

When Dataphyte visited the school in May, 2022, there were no visible signs of renovation and the classes were in a poor state.

Speaking on the contract, a personnel at the school, Mrs Olowokande I.O noted that no work has been done at the school. “They came in 2020, saying that they wanted to renovate the school, they removed the roofing and then fixed it back but since then we have not seen anybody again. In September 2021, the persons that removed the roofing sheets came again, they did a gutter and even the gutter has collapsed”.

Continue reading: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/public-procurement/ondo-govts-n1-145-billion-on-school-renovation-projects-is-marred-by-incomplete-substandard-implementation/

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by Ode Uduu

Four hundred and thirty-eight rural electrification projects were completed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in 2017 as contained in the 2017 budget. These projects are to ensure the provision of electricity in rural areas to improve access to electricity.

On one hand, the completed projects mean expanding the already burdened grid to accommodate additional load.

On the other hand, although it provided energy to the rural areas, the energy provided cannot be judged clean because of its source. At least 75% of the on-grid electrification projects in the country are thermal-powered.

Electrifying Rural Areas
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in its 2017 budget, made provision of power to rural areas through 471 projects approved by the government. To achieve this, the agency made provision for the construction of mini-grids and expansion of ‌ grids.

Data available shows that the agency completed 438 of the 471 projects proposed in 2017. This shows a 92.9% rural electrification project performance from the 2017 budget.

Most of the projects were ‌in the north-central region of the country. The region had 103 of the 117 electrification projects completed, as stated in the budget. In the south-south, 77 out of 85 projects were completed and in the north-west,76 of 79 projects were completed.

Measuring the regions based on most projects completed as proposed, the south-west, which has fewer projects, completed most of its projects. Out of 54 projects, 53 were completed, representing 98.12%. At the extreme end is the north-central with 88.03% completion rate. Other regions had a completion performance above 90%.

Continue reading: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/energy/electricity/off-grid-options-for-rural-electrification-is-better-for-nigerias-clean-energy-goals/

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Agenda 2023: Trumping an Incumbent, Turbaning an Insurgent, Tending an Inpatient

by Editorial

Saturday 16th July 2022.

0400 hours, Ede, Osun State

Ademola Adeleke woke up from sleep in his private suite in the palatial family home. He pressed hard on the pillow as he lifted his weight off the 2-seater sofa in his room.

The Senator could hear the voice of his Personal Assistant in the adjoining living room in what appeared to be a discussion with his chief security officer about the change of plans on the time of movement, and the route, to the polling booth where oga (their principal) will cast his vote.

Mr Adeleke immediately falls on his knees, begging God for the third time since he retired to his room at 2.30 am: “My Father, my Father, please give me victory today. Let not my enemy triumph over me. Let not Oyetola or any other candidate triumph over me. Let affliction never arise in my life the second time. Let me dance the dance of victory today. Make me the Governor today. Baba, demi lade Governor leni…”

0430 hours, Near Munhaye Village, Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State

Adamu Aleru opened his eyes and scanned his moonlit room. He rolled his body aside, reaching under his pillow for his sidearm. He could hear the voices of women and girls in the courtyard. He heard the frantic bleating of the rams about to be slaughtered, the thuds of cows marching to their deaths, all donated by Ali Zakwai, Bello Turji, Danboko, Sanata, Isuhu Yelo, Damina, and Mai Shamuwa Bello, and other notable bandits for the day’s celebration.

He paused to reflect as he reached for his kettle, “Since 2019, I have been declared WANTED BY THE POLICE; today, I am WANTED BY THE PALACE. Before, they wanted to attack and arrest me; today, they want to appoint me Sarkin Fulani and adorn my head with the royal Turban….”

Adamu was jolted back to consciousness by the voice of Ayuba cutting through the somnolence of dawn as he called the people to the fajr prayers.

“Allahu Akbar”, Aleru reechoed the Muezzin’s chant. “Allahu Akbar”, he repeated all the way as he filled his kettle with water for the ablution. “Wanda Allah ba ya gafartawa babu shi”, he muttered as he stepped out to join his lieutenants for the congregational prayer.

0500 hours, Duchess International Hospital, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State

“You are all good, Sir”, the Physician assured the inpatient in Duke Suite. “We will return at noon for the preparations.”

“Please rest the leg, Sir. We’ll need it just as calm for the procedure”, the Orthopaedic surgeon counselled.

“Thank you, Doc. Campaigns have ended. I won’t be trekking today,” Yemi Osinbajo quipped. The two clinicians laughed as they escorted Nigeria’s Vice President out of the suite’s private examination room into the living room.

Four cold-faced security details nodded at the doctors as they made for the door out of the suite.

Then the VP attempted a slow and steady stride into his cosy room.

Sitting on his bed, the patient no. INP2 reached for his iPad on the bedside drawer, the table lamp guiding his hand. He then retires his legs slowly in the plum eiderdown and opens his Bible app.

He scans Psalm 23 and highlights two lines that read, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me”.

He slid fully into the downs, lying on his side, and continued to read the Psalm on the iPad. And he read on even when the iPad screen had timed out.

History pessimistic, Humans Optimistic
By the time the sun set on Saturday 16th July 2022, three Nigerians had made history.

One, by the name of Ademola Adeleke, had been voted to topple the incumbent governor of his State. The other, Adamu Aleru, a notorious serial killer declared wanted by the Nigerian Police, had been decorated with a turban as an exemplary community leader in the presence of Nigerian State officials. The third, Yemi Oshinbajo, became the first incumbent Vice President to be an inpatient or placed on anaesthesia in a hospital in Nigeria since 1999.

Recent events highlight the emerging prospects for free and fair elections and the youth’s growing disgust for entitled and irresponsible leaders. On the other side, one sees the ruling elite’s effort to arrest the chaos encircling the country and their own imminent overthrow – by the youths’ ballot or the terrorists’ bullet.

For instance, President Buhari suddenly found his voice on the closure of Universities for the umpteenth time during his administration. Suddenly, Vice President Oshinbajo now appears empathetic with the state of healthcare in the country by submitting himself to the scalpel in Nigeria, even if it had to be in a highbrow Lagos hospital built only for Dukes like him.

Toppling an incumbent party and its governor through the people’s ballot and Turbaning a mass-murderer who kills his own people for a living prefigures the dual path to political leadership in Nigeria come 2023 – a steep double lane of vice and violence that leads backward side by side the double lane of vision and virtue that leads forward.

Indeed, the lead-up to the 2023 elections appears to be another watershed moment in the 30-year cycle of the nation’s political history of recurring misery, following the aborted progress in 1963 and a political stillbirth in 1993. Yet, while history is pessimistic, humans are optimistic.

Adeleke and the Nigerian Education Curriculum
Senator Ademola Adeleke’s election as the Governor of Osun State is a story of fame, failure and fortitude. But his election story began with his education.

Born in Enugu into the aristocratic family of Adeleke in Ede, he was nursed by both cleavages of fame and fortune. He waltzed through 4 missionary primary and secondary schools but emerged as a classic case of academic failure. It appeared he was destined to learn directly from life rather than be coached about it in a classroom.

Mr Adeleke is not alone. He belongs to a dynasty of accomplished merchants, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs who did not have a great time in formal school. Two cases in point are Tony Elumelu and Peter Obi, who excelled in the corporate world far above what they ever did in the classroom.

Continue reading: https://www.dataphyte.com/editorial/agenda-2023-trumping-an-incumbent-turbaning-an-insurgent-tending-an-inpatient/

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#PanamaPapers: John Doe Breaks Silence 6 Years After, Reveals “the Russian Government wants me Dead"

by Joshua Olufemi

The year was 2015. The plot began with a message “Hello. This is John Doe. Interested in data?” Two reporters with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer were on the other side as recipients of the message.

What followed was over 2.6 terabytes of secret data containing more than 11.5 million financial and legal records managed by the offshore company Mossack Fonseca (MF). Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian company helps different politicians, businessmen and celebrities and criminal rings set up shell companies hidden in webs of secrecy from both regulators and public eyes.

Fast forward to April 2016, investigative and data journalists across the world had dived into the data leaks through a collaborative reporting adventure led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and began to report what was tagged the Panama Papers.

Nigeria’s foremost investigative journalism platform, Premium Times exclusively reported how Nigerian lawmakers, government executives including APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and business giants like Dangote and Hakeem Bello-Osagie operated shell companies hidden away in Panama and other tax havens.

It’s 2022, and John Doe, the whistleblower who started it all, has granted an interview for the first time since the leaks.

Panama Papers Journalists across the world are back to report new and unknown sides to the story. The interview reveals new claims from John Doe. Chief of these is that the Russian government is after his life and have deployed disinformation propaganda to discredit various reports, organisations and supporters of the Panama Papers Investigations. Key highlights include the financial agreement John Doe entered into with the German Police and the untold story John Doe nudged Panama Papers muckrakers to uncover.

Read the full interview conducted Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer for DER SPIEGEL.

In 2015, an anonymous whistleblower calling themself “John Doe” contacted the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and leaked more than 2.6 terabytes of secret data to two reporters, including millions of internal emails. They originated from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, one of the most important service providers in the global business of offshore firms. Following the revelations, which came to be known as the Panama Papers and were published under the auspices of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign from their posts, as did others. The leak sparked massive protests in London, Reykjavik and elsewhere and it triggered the launch of thousands of investigations worldwide. Stricter rules have applied in the world of shell companies ever since. Governments managed to recover more than $1.3[1] billion in lost tax revenues.

So far, “John Doe” has only spoken out publicly on one occasion, in the form of a manifesto published four weeks after the Panama Papers emerged. In it, the source called on policymakers to take action to combat global inequality. Since then, there have been books, podcasts and documentaries about the leak, and even a Hollywood movie starring Meryl Streep. But the whistleblower has remained silent.

“John Doe” recently contacted the two former SZ journalists, who now work for DER SPIEGEL. To ensure anonymity, our interview with the source was conducted over an internet connection and encrypted using software that spoke the whistleblower’s answers. The interview, which took place in the presence of a witness, has been shortened for readability, lightly edited and, as is standard practice in German journalism, submitted to the interview subject for authorization prior to publication.

How are you doing? Are you safe?

I am safe, to the best of my knowledge. We live in a perilous world, and that weighs on me sometimes. But overall, I am doing quite well, and I consider myself very fortunate.

You stayed silent for six years. Haven’t you been tempted to reveal that it was you who made the secret offshore dealings of heads of states and heads of governments, drug cartels and criminals public?

I have often wrestled, as I think many people do, with issues of being credited for my work. Fame was never part of the equation. At that stage, the only concern was staying alive long enough for someone to tell the story. Making the decision to compile the data available to me at Mossack Fonseca took days and felt like looking down the barrel of a loaded gun, but ultimately, I had to do it.

You reached out to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, which initiated a collaboration of more than 400 journalists, coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). When you reached out to us, what did you have in mind?

When I contacted you, I had absolutely no idea what would happen or if you would even respond. I corresponded with many journalists who were uninterested, including at the New York Times[2] and Wall Street Journal[3]. Wikileaks[4], for its part, did not even bother answering when I reached out to them later on.

The global team started to publish the Panama Papers on April 3, 2016. What was that day like for you?

I recall it being like most Sundays. I met some friends for a meal and was stunned to learn that Edward Snowden had supercharged interest by discussing the project on Twitter.

The NSA-whistleblower, who now lives in exile in Russia, had somehow found out about the investigation and tweeted even before we had published about the “biggest leak in the history of data journalism” …

I remember seeing the posts fly by on social media by the thousands. It was like nothing I had ever seen. A literal information explosion. The people I was with were talking about it as soon as they heard. I did my best to act the way anyone else hearing about it for the first time would have.

Many experts compare the Panama Papers with Watergate. The most important Watergate source was Associate FBI Director Mark Felt, who went under the name “Deep Throat” and finally revealed his identity 33 years after Watergate …

I have thought about Mark Felt from time to time and the types of risks he faced. My risk profile looks a bit different than his. I may have to wait until I’m on my deathbed.

Why is that?

The Panama Papers involve so many different transnational criminal organizations, some of them with links to governments, that it’s difficult to imagine how it could ever be safe to identify myself. Felt primarily had to worry about Richard Nixon and his cronies, and Nixon resigned just a little more than two years after the break-in, rendering him powerless. Even in 50 years, it’s likely some of the groups I worry about will still be with us.

Did you tell anyone at all about your role in the Panama Papers?

After the news broke, I told only a few of the people I care about most.

So, you have remained silent now for six years. Why do you want to speak up now?

There have been several occasions over the past six years where I have been tempted to speak up. At each one of those points, it has seemed like the world was careening closer and closer toward catastrophe, and so the need to attempt to intervene has always seemed increasingly urgent. At the same time, however, I have had to balance a few factors.

Continue reading: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/panamapapers-john-doe-breaks-silence-6-years-after-reveals-the-russian-government-wants-me-dead/

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READ MORE: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/osundecides-5-numbers-to-note-from-the-osun-governorship-election/

by Dennis Amata

On July 16, the electorates in Osun State went to the polls. The exercise took the whole day, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the final results in the early hours of Sunday, which ended in favour of Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Although Gboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor of the state who came second in the race, has said he is still studying the outcome of the election, the people of Osun state have spoken; and the exercise has come to an end.

For us at Dataphyte, we bring the critical numbers of the just concluded guber election, from registered voters to rejected votes.

Number of Registered Voters

The number of registered voters as collated by INEC for the July 16 election was 1.95 million. In 2018, the number of registered voters was 1.68 million. This shows that registered voters increased by 16%.

Number of PVCs Collected

Only 1.52 million registered voters collected their Permanent Voter Card (PVC). This puts the collection rate at 77.8%, an improvement over 2018. In the previous election, the collection rate was 67%.

Percentage of Voter Turnout

Only 823,124 of the 1.95 million registered voters in the election eventually voted, putting voter turnout at just 42.16%. Compared to the 45.74% voter turnout of 2018, the turnout this year is lower not just than in 2018 but in all elections.

4,094 Accredited Voters Didn’t Cast their Vote

One of the requirements stated in Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 is that voters must present themselves with their voter’s card to INEC’s presiding officer for accreditation before they cast their votes.

In line with this, 827,218 persons were accredited in the Osun governorship election. But the data released by INEC shows that 4,094 people did not get to cast their votes, as the total vote at the end of Saturday’s exercise was 823,124.

18,674 Rejected Votes

From the result released by INEC, 823,124 persons voted in the Osun state governorship election. Of this figure, a total of 18,674 votes were rejected.
Rejected votes account for 2.27% of the votes recorded in the election.

by Dennis Amata

The idea of a lifetime of near unbelievable salaries, allowances and privileges are clearly appealing to state governors whose terms are limited to a “mere” 8 years and even that is subject to winning their re-election bid which is not guaranteed as the current governor of Osun State can attest to.

Out of the 109 available seats in the upper chamber (Senate) of the National Assembly, 27 seats may be occupied by former and outgoing governors come June 2023.

If these 27 ex-governors or soon-to-be former governors win their respective senatorial seats in the upcoming election, it will mark a 42% increase from the number of ex-governors, 19 of them in the current senate, making the upper chamber an abode of former “Excellencies.”

Nigeria operates a bicameral legislature — the upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber is referred to as the Senate, while the lower chamber is the House of Representatives. The Senate has 109 members, and the House of Representatives has 360 members.

Unlike the elected executive positions (President and Governor) with a maximum of 2-term constitutional limit, the members of the National Assembly have no term limit. This means that as long as you play your politics well, you can always return to the chamber every four years as a “Distinguished Senator” or an “Honourable Member”.

To date, the exact amount these 469 lawmakers earn is unknown to Nigerians; however, in 2018, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, said that a senator earns N13.5 million monthly as a running cost and an additional N750,000 as consolidated salary and allowances. On the other hand, a house of representatives member is reported to pocket N9.3 million monthly.

This, alongside the allure of staying within the loop of power, might account for the number of former “Excellencies” turning to “Distinguished Senators” on the rise with each election cycle since 2007

In the 6th Assembly (2007-2011), 8 former governors made the Senate their home.

These 8 individuals joined the Senate immediately after they completed their 2-term constitutional limit as governors, except for Kabiru Gaya who served as a governor of Kano state from 1992-1993, about 1 year.

The next Assembly (2011-2015) saw an increase in the number of those who have served as governors going to the Senate. This time, the number increased to 9. Ahmed Aliero and 4 others who served in the 6th Assembly retained their seats, while Abdullahi Adamu, Bukola Saraki, and 2 others joined them as first-time Senators.

In the 8th National Assembly, the number increased to 13, a 44% increase from the figure recorded in the 7th Assembly, possibly signalling increasing interest in the Senate.

George Akume, who went to the Senate House immediately after he completed his 8 years as Governor of Benue state (1999-2007), retained his seat as a third-term Senator. Same as Kabiru Gaya of Kano state.

Adamu, Saraki, Goje, Dariye, and Yarima, who all served their 2-terms as governors of their respective states, returned to the Senate for their second term. Others on the list were first-time Senators.

https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/governance/27-ex-governors-may-become-distinguished-senators-in-2023/

Towards Improved Electricity Access – Scrutinising Nigeria’s Energy Regulatory Framework

Sarah Wolters

Low electrification worsens socio-economic inequalities and hinders industrial development. In this context, the Nigerian government committed to universal electricity access by 2030.

However, setting ambitious goals is not enough. To tackle the issue of low electrification rates, a stable policy and a reliable legal framework are key elements to support energy technology development especially because of the high investments required.

In Nigeria, the energy law shows supporting elements as well as barriers to wider electricity access.

The unclear allocation of roles regarding legislative competencies is one of the elements that potentially hinders wider electricity access. This circumstance causes confusion as the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) – imposed at federal level – supports regulations beyond the main electricity grid instead of cooperation with the state governments. Moreover, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulates more than what is stated in the EPSRA, which raises questions regarding the legal force of the regulations declared by the NERC. These confusions might slow down the improvement of electricity access and need to be clarified.

Furthermore, the Eligible Customer Regulations (ECR) created by the NERC contain good basic rules in section 37, but they are not enough to reach the goals stated in the ECR itself. These good basic rules are found in the definition of some rights and obligations of the suppliers, grid operators and customers. For example, there are regulations about a supplier of last resort who supplies a customer concerned in case the contracted supplier fails. However, the ECR does not contain enough elements for the promotion of a rapid expansion of electricity supply and the improvement of financial liquidity of the electricity industry although both aspects are stated as objectives in the ECR.


READ MORE: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/energy/electricity/towards-improved-electricity-access-scrutinising-nigerias-energy-regulatory-framework/


Sarah is a Placement Research Fellow with Dataphyte From the University of Edinburgh



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According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s inflation rate increased to 18.60% in June 2022. This is the highest inflation rate recorded in Nigeria since it reached 18.72% in January 2017. The high inflation rate has been attributed to the increase in energy and food prices and the depreciation in the value of the naira.

High inflation rates mean a decrease in the purchasing power of the naira, which means the naira can no longer buy as much as it used to buy when the inflation rate was lower.

Nigeria’s inflation rate as at June 2022, increased, year on year, by 0.84% when compared to the 17.75% figure recorded in June of 2021.

The urban inflation rate currently stands at 19.09% showing a percentage increase of 0.74% compared to 18.35% recorded in May 2022. The rural inflation rate also stands at 18.13% showing a percentage increase of 0.97 compared to 17.16% recorded in May 2022.

The food inflation rate recorded in June 2022 stands at 20.6% from 19.5% recorded in May 2022, showing a percentage increase of 1.23% when compared to the 21.83% recorded in June 2021. The increase in food inflation was caused by an increase in the prices of food items like bread, cereals, tubers, meats, fish, oil and other food products. The food sub-index also increased to 2.05% from 2.01% recorded in May 2022.

Core inflation stood at 15.75% showing an increase of 2.66% compared to 13.09% in May 2022. The highest increases were recorded in gas, transport travel by road, transport travel by air, liquid fuel, solid fuel and cleaning, repair and hiring of clothes.

Bauchi (21.99%), Kogi (21.37%) and Ebonyi (20.73%) recorded the highest headline inflation while Adamawa (16.14%), Sokoto (16.31%) and Jigawa (16.37%) recorded the lowest headline inflation respectively.


READ MORE: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/economy/nigerias-inflation-surges-to-18-60-highest-in-5-years/


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More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/energy/africa-needs-over-190-billion-each-year-from-2026-to-2030-to-achieve-energy-climate-goals/

A new report says achieving Africa’s energy and climate goals would cost over $190 billion each year from 2026 to 2030, with two-thirds going to clean energy.

Published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the report shows that there is a need to double energy investment this decade.

The report titled “Africa Energy Outlook 2022” sets out a path to bring modern energy access to all Africans this decade while creating new growth industries in critical minerals and green hydrogen.
Africa needs over $190 billion each year from 2026 to 2030 to achieve energy, climate goals

Average annual energy investment in the Sustainable Africa Scenario, 2016-2030. Source: IEA Africa Energy Outlook Report

According to the report, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent food, energy, and other commodity prices soaring, increasing the strains on African economies already hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The overlapping crises are affecting many parts of Africa’s energy systems, including reversing positive trends in improving access to modern energy, with 25 million more people in Africa living without electricity today compared with before the pandemic.”

The report further highlights that, although having the least blame for the problem, Africa is already experiencing more severe climate change effects than most other parts of the world, including massive droughts.

“Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions to date and has the lowest emissions per capita of any region.”

While reacting to the report, IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol, said that based on the current energy crisis, Africa has gotten the raw end of the deal from the fossil fuel-based economy, obtaining the fewest advantages and the greatest drawbacks.

He said the new global energy economy promises Africa a brighter future, with great possibilities for solar and other renewables to power its development – as well as new industrial prospects in critical minerals and green hydrogen...

More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/energy/africa-needs-over-190-billion-each-year-from-2026-to-2030-to-achieve-energy-climate-goals/

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More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/republished-the-story-that-got-wikkitimes-publisher-reporter-charged-to-court/

Haruna Mohammed, publisher of WikkiTimes, a Bauchi State-based platform, and Idris Kamal, a journalist with the outfit, were detained by officers of the Bauchi State Police Command after they honoured an invitation by the police on Tuesday 28th June 2022.

They have now been released on bail after 24 hours but not before they were arraigned before a Bauchi Magistrate court on charges of cyber stalking, criminal conspiracy and defamation of character. Their case has been adjourned to the 25th of July.



A press statement by the International Press Council decrying the detention of the two journalists and demanding their release had been published by Dataphyte and other media outlets.

The detention and subsequent arraignment of the journalists is connected with a WikkiTimes report that was published on Saturday, May 18.

The report details how Hussaini Musa Gwaba, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, received a series of threats before he was assassinated. It is republished below:

How Bauchi APC Chairman Died After Series of Threats

Prior to his death, the slain Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC Bauchi local government Hon Hussaini Musa Gwaba received a series of threats, allegedly from boys loyal to some party stalwarts in the State.



The Chairman was found dead in a hotel room in Bauchi. The slain politician rented the room immediately after he administered an oath of office to members of the Bauchi local government executive council of the APC.

WikkiTimes reliably gathered that the emergence of the assassinated Chairman angered Hon Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, a member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency. Multiple sources told this medium that Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi was not happy with the emergence of Mr Gwaba as Chairman of the party.

A source who pleaded anonymity told this medium that Mr Abdullahi considered the late APC Chairman as a “threat to his 2023 political ambition.”

Another source told this newspaper that members of the APC who are loyal to Mr Abdullahi held a parallel meeting, “where they inaugurated another set of APC leaders who are perceived to be loyal to the lawmaker, as against the slain Chairman’s led executives.”



“There was destruction of equipment during the purported emergence of the parallel excos at the LG party secretariat”, the source added.

WikkiTimes can report that Hon Yakubu Abdullahi is nursing for reelection after he was first voted to represent Bauchi Federal Constituency in the lower chamber in 2019.

The deceased Chairman was a loyalist to a former governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar who was alleged to have denied Yakubu Abdullahi APC ticket while he was governor of the state in 2019.

The fracas at the time compelled Mr Shehu to defect to the People’s Redemption Party under whose platform he won the election. He returned to the APC in February 2021.



“On that eventful night, he told his close associates that he would rather sleep elsewhere than his house in view of the death threats he has been receiving of late.

“The Chairman spent the night at the hotel up to Saturday morning. However, in the morning a woman identified as Hajiya Kaltume Katagum who was a former APC women leader in Azare visited him at the hotel.

“Few minutes after her arrival, she came downstairs shouting that Hussaini Musa Gwaba is dead in the room,” a source familiar with the incident told our reporter.

He said that the body of the late APC Chairman was found naked in his hotel. “It seems there was a penetration of injection on his laps”, the source added.

WikkiTimes gathered that Hajiya Kaltume was a retired health worker having worked at Bayara General Hospital.

The family of the slain chairman demanded an autopsy be conducted on his body to determine the true cause of his death. His body was sent to Jos for an autopsy before it was buried in Bauchi on Tuesday.

The autopsy details are not yet in the public domain as of press time.

SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, Police Public Relations Officer Bauchi State Command confirmed the assassination of Mr Gwaba in a statement.

He said three people were arrested as prime suspects but did not divulge further details


Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/republished-the-story-that-got-wikkitimes-publisher-reporter-charged-to-court/

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More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/inflation-may-push-an-additional-7-million-nigerians-into-the-trenches-this-year/

The number of people living in poverty in Nigeria is likely to increase by another 7 million before the end of 2022 because of high inflation. According to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU) published this month titled “The Continuing Urgency of Business Unusual”, Nigeria is living in a paradoxical multiverse where its growth prospects are improving but the overall macroeconomic framework is deteriorating.

The “trenches” is a slang popularized by Nigerians and it describes the rural areas like the ghetto, the streets or a tough situation, which is the most used iteration. For the 83 million Nigerians currently living in poverty and the 7 million more that may join before the end of 2022, they are “in the trenches”.

The biggest pain point however is food, the fuel that powers everyday hustle and bustle. Hardly a week goes by without fresh shock at the prices of regular food items purchased at a lower price one or two weeks earlier. The reality of inflation is even more glaring when the year-on-year change in food items’ prices is examined.

For instance, Michael, an Abuja resident “ported” from actual meat to goat intestines because of cost. He used to buy the full intestines of a goat for N1,500 in 2021. But today, a reduced portion of his goat intestine is sold for a minimum of N2,500. That is an increase of 66.7% in a year. According to him, other food items have also experienced similar increases resulting in him spending more on food alone now than he used to spend. He said that about 30-40% of his salary now goes to feeding.

Esther said her favourite catfish has increased by 80-100% in the last one year. According to her, she buys a medium-sized catfish for about N3,000 now, but before she used to get it for between N1,500-N1,700. The increase isn’t just limited to her catfish but other essential food items she consumes on a regular basis such as yam, pasta, noodles, beans, etc.

Like Michael, Esther is spending more on feeding today than she has ever had, even though her salary has remained the same in the last 2 years. She is saving less from her earnings and cannot afford to invest in the things that could potentially increase her purchasing power and pave a way for an escape from the “trenches”.

The story is not any different for Chioma, who now buys the popular Easy Bite bread in Abuja for N750 against the N450 that she used to get it.

Even the producers of Easy Bite as well as other brands are complaining about the rise in the price of the materials they use in their business. In fact, last Friday, bread producers and caterers through their national body — the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria — threatened to embark on a nationwide strike next month because of the hike in prices of bakery materials.

For Maryam, it’s her favourite morning snack — Akara. “I know the price of stuff is jumping up every day; I have no choice but to buy because I just have to eat but I knew things had really gone bad when my Akara moved from N10 for a piece to N20, and then to 3 for N50. To make things even worse, the size has reduced, which means that I have to buy more than usual to be satisfied”, she said.

Akara is fried bean pudding and the primary ingredient is beans, the cost of one “mudu” of beans has gone up by almost 50% between 2021 and 2022 depending on your location and the type of beans you buy.

Nigeria’s inflation figure has been on a steady increase for months now. In fact, the World Bank said the country’s inflation rate is one of the highest in the world today.

The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the inflation rate as of May was 17.7%; which is already above the 15.5% the World Bank projected that it will be by the end of 2022.

In January this year, the inflation rate was 15.6%. At the end of the first quarter of 2022, it was already 15.9%.

The increase didn’t stop there, it grew to 16.8% in April and then 17.7% in May, which means a further increase in the prices of food items.

The World Bank’s initial projection that 6 million more Nigerians will be pushed into poverty this year was based on the projection that the inflation rate will hit 15.5% by the end of 2022. Today, halfway through the year it is at 17.7% which is 2.2% above their projection. Their projection of 7 million more people feel more accurate especially when drilled down to the real impact of inflation on the pocket of Nigerians.

The additional 1 million is attributed to the war in Ukraine which the World Bank explained is adding pressure to the country’s already increasing inflation rate.

“We project that the added inflationary pressure emanating from the war in Ukraine could push as many as one million more Nigerians into poverty, on top of the six million already projected before the war”, a part of the World Bank report read.

In addition to the durum wheat product, both countries export other products like mackerel, herring, dairy, and agricultural products to Nigeria.

What this means is that the unending war will heavily impact Nigeria, as the supply of these products will be disrupted and lead to an increase in the prices of commodities which will affect the purchasing power of Nigerians.

The increased inflationary pressure as a result of the war added to the already existing inflation in Nigeria compounded by factors like lack of flexible foreign exchange (FX) management, trade restrictions, and conflicting monetary policy goals as highlighted in the World Bank report.

In the last two years, an estimated 8 million people were pushed into poverty because of high inflation recorded, which averaged 17% at the end of 2021. With current projections, in 3 years 15 million people would be pushed below the poverty line.

Before 2020, the number of people living in poverty was 80.1 million. With an additional 15 million in the space of 3 years, the total number of poor persons will reach about 95.1 million.

95.1 million is 47.5% of Nigeria’s population; it simply means almost half of Nigeria’s population will be in the “trenches” by the end of 2022.

Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/inflation-may-push-an-additional-7-million-nigerians-into-the-trenches-this-year/

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More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/inflation-may-push-an-additional-7-million-nigerians-into-the-trenches-this-year/

The number of people living in poverty in Nigeria is likely to increase by another 7 million before the end of 2022 because of high inflation. According to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU) published this month titled “The Continuing Urgency of Business Unusual”, Nigeria is living in a paradoxical multiverse where its growth prospects are improving but the overall macroeconomic framework is deteriorating.

The “trenches” is a slang popularized by Nigerians and it describes the rural areas like the ghetto, the streets or a tough situation, which is the most used iteration. For the 83 million Nigerians currently living in poverty and the 7 million more that may join before the end of 2022, they are “in the trenches”.

For Nigerians, the reality of inflation knocks as soon as they wake up from the nightmare of swatting away real mosquitoes all night, power generator with black market fuel, expensive transportation to get to a job that barely pays enough to cover transportation expenses, and get back home to nurse fevers with expensive medication they can ill afford, deposited by the nighttime foes that are waiting to pounce again. And the cycle repeats.

The biggest pain point however is food, the fuel that powers everyday hustle and bustle. Hardly a week goes by without fresh shock at the prices of regular food items purchased at a lower price one or two weeks earlier. The reality of inflation is even more glaring when the year-on-year change in food items’ prices is examined.

For instance, Michael, an Abuja resident “ported” from actual meat to goat intestines because of cost. He used to buy the full intestines of a goat for N1,500 in 2021. But today, a reduced portion of his goat intestine is sold for a minimum of N2,500. That is an increase of 66.7% in a year. According to him, other food items have also experienced similar increases resulting in him spending more on food alone now than he used to spend. He said that about 30-40% of his salary now goes to feeding.

Esther said her favourite catfish has increased by 80-100% in the last one year. According to her, she buys a medium-sized catfish for about N3,000 now, but before she used to get it for between N1,500-N1,700. The increase isn’t just limited to her catfish but other essential food items she consumes on a regular basis such as yam, pasta, noodles, beans, etc.

Like Michael, Esther is spending more on feeding today than she has ever had, even though her salary has remained the same in the last 2 years. She is saving less from her earnings and cannot afford to invest in the things that could potentially increase her purchasing power and pave a way for an escape from the “trenches”.

The story is not any different for Chioma, who now buys the popular Easy Bite bread in Abuja for N750 against the N450 that she used to get it.

Even the producers of Easy Bite as well as other brands are complaining about the rise in the price of the materials they use in their business. In fact, last Friday, bread producers and caterers through their national body — the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria — threatened to embark on a nationwide strike next month because of the hike in prices of bakery materials.

For Maryam, it’s her favourite morning snack — Akara. “I know the price of stuff is jumping up every day; I have no choice but to buy because I just have to eat but I knew things had really gone bad when my Akara moved from N10 for a piece to N20, and then to 3 for N50. To make things even worse, the size has reduced, which means that I have to buy more than usual to be satisfied”, she said.

Akara is fried bean pudding and the primary ingredient is beans, the cost of one “mudu” of beans has gone up by almost 50% between 2021 and 2022 depending on your location and the type of beans you buy.

There is one culprit for all these food tales of horror — inflation. The significant increase in the prices of goods has contributed to a large extent to reducing the purchasing power of many Nigerians.

Nigeria’s inflation figure has been on a steady increase for months now. In fact, the World Bank said the country’s inflation rate is one of the highest in the world today.

The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the inflation rate as of May was 17.7%; which is already above the 15.5% the World Bank projected that it will be by the end of 2022.

In January this year, the inflation rate was 15.6%. At the end of the first quarter of 2022, it was already 15.9%.

The increase didn’t stop there, it grew to 16.8% in April and then 17.7% in May, which means a further increase in the prices of food items.

The World Bank’s initial projection that 6 million more Nigerians will be pushed into poverty this year was based on the projection that the inflation rate will hit 15.5% by the end of 2022. Today, halfway through the year it is at 17.7% which is 2.2% above their projection. Their projection of 7 million more people feel more accurate especially when drilled down to the real impact of inflation on the pocket of Nigerians.

The additional 1 million is attributed to the war in Ukraine which the World Bank explained is adding pressure to the country’s already increasing inflation rate.

“We project that the added inflationary pressure emanating from the war in Ukraine could push as many as one million more Nigerians into poverty, on top of the six million already projected before the war”, a part of the World Bank report read.

In addition to the durum wheat product, both countries export other products like mackerel, herring, dairy, and agricultural products to Nigeria.

What this means is that the unending war will heavily impact Nigeria, as the supply of these products will be disrupted and lead to an increase in the prices of commodities which will affect the purchasing power of Nigerians.

The increased inflationary pressure as a result of the war added to the already existing inflation in Nigeria compounded by factors like lack of flexible foreign exchange (FX) management, trade restrictions, and conflicting monetary policy goals as highlighted in the World Bank report.

In the last two years, an estimated 8 million people were pushed into poverty because of high inflation recorded, which averaged 17% at the end of 2021. With current projections, in 3 years 15 million people would be pushed below the poverty line.

Before 2020, the number of people living in poverty was 80.1 million. With an additional 15 million in the space of 3 years, the total number of poor persons will reach about 95.1 million.

95.1 million is 47.5% of Nigeria’s population; it simply means almost half of Nigeria’s population will be in the “trenches” by the end of 2022.

Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/inflation-may-push-an-additional-7-million-nigerians-into-the-trenches-this-year/

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I totally agree with you

Mickykarim:
"Oyebanji, the winner of the 2022 governorship election, recorded 51.9% of the total votes cast, slightly higher than the percentage of the total votes Kayode Fayemi of the APC secured in 2018 to become the winner.

In the 2018 election, Fayemi polled 197,459 votes which was 51.3% of the 403,451 total votes cast in that election.".

IF THE ABOVE REFLECTS THE CURRENTT STATE OF THINGS IN THE ELECTIONEERING OF THE STATE. IT IS STILL ENCOURAGING.

Compared to the LOUD LOUTS irredentists of both INTERNET and SOCIAL MEDIA nuisance who beats the drum of separation ceaselessly to frightened electorates, saying there would not be any election in the state. THEY EVEN WENT TO COURT TO STOP THE ELECTION. Including, the security situation may have been partially responsible. However, an election took place, and a new governor was elected.

VOTE OR NOT. THERE WOULD BE A GOVERNMENT, WHICH YOU MAY EITHER HATE OR LIKE. THE EARLIER THE PEOPLE REALIZED THAT. THE BETTER.

If you decided not to participate and or partake in events and programs that shapes your destiny future and procreation. At your own peril. Life goes on and a government would be in place at any rate.

Kudos to INEC for a successful outcome.

Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/ekitidecides-ekiti-records-only-36-5-voter-turnout-lowest-since-2003/

Only 360,753 people out of the total 988,923 registered voters came out to vote in the just concluded Ekiti state Governorship election. This represents a meagre 36.5% voter turnout.

Compared to the 2018 guber election, voter turnout in the 2022 election dropped by 17.8%.



A review of the state’s governorship elections data from 2003 to date, with the exception of 2007 due to unavailability of the data, shows that the 2022 turnout rate is the lowest the state has ever recorded.

In the early hours of today, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2022 Ekiti governorship election. He polled a total of 187,057 votes to defeat his closest contender, Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 82,211 votes. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bisi Kolawole got a total of 67,457 votes and came third.

Oyebanji, the winner of the 2022 governorship election, recorded 51.9% of the total votes cast, slightly higher than the percentage of the total votes Kayode Fayemi of the APC secured in 2018 to become the winner.



In the 2018 election, Fayemi polled 197,459 votes which was 51.3% of the 403,451 total votes cast in that election.

PDP got 178,121 votes and came second, while SDP secured only 367 votes. The reverse is the case in the 2022 elections as SDP came second and PDP came third.

Voter Turnout in Previous Elections
In the 2003 election, only 43.5% of the total 981,753 registered voters turned out to vote.

In 2014, voter turnout increased to 49.1%, although the number of registered voters dropped.

The state had a total of 909,585 registered voters in 2018 but recorded only 44.4% voter turnout.



According to INEC, 988,923 registered voters were expected to participate in the 2022 election. However, only 360,753 came out to vote, which is 36.5% of the total registered voters.

#EkitiDecides: Ekiti Records Only 36.5% Voter Turnout, Lowest since 2003
The good people of Ekiti state have decided and given their mandate to Oyebanji of the APC, however, the voter turnout in yesterday’s election leaves room for questions such as this, would the outcome have been different had more people come out to vote?

Many Nigerians on social media have expressed their worries about the turnout rate, noting that it is extremely low especially when compared to previous elections.

Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna state said that the turnout in Ekiti state is below expectations, and noted that if the turnout rate reflects the perception of the whole country, probably towards the 2023 general election, then nothing different has changed.



“With all the hoopla about the surge in PVC demand, the voter turnout in Ekiti is far below expectations. If this reflects the country, nothing much has changed”, he said.

Another Twitter user, Oluwole Dada with the handle @oluwole_dada, also said that the turnout rate in the Ekiti election is a pointer that the uproar online may not lead to any difference in the anticipated upcoming general elections.

“The turnout of #EkitiDecides2022 may be a sign that the noise online may not lead to any significant difference in the 2023 general elections. The voter turnout today doesn’t show a significant difference from what we have had in times past”, Dada tweeted.

Many other social media users had similar reactions which begs the question, if Nigerians, particularly the youth will turn out to vote in the upcoming general election beyond the “noise” on social media.

This worry might be valid because the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) collection in Ekiti in 2022 is 12.3% higher than the 667,270 collected in 2018 but this did not translate into higher voter turnout.

On top of efforts to get more Nigerians to register for their PVC, there might be a need to carry these efforts forward into getting Nigerians to actually turn up to vote

cc: lalasticlala, seun, onila, farano, prettythicksme, mynd44

Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/ekitidecides-ekiti-records-only-36-5-voter-turnout-lowest-since-2003/

More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/ekitidecides-ekiti-records-only-36-5-voter-turnout-lowest-since-2003/

Only 360,753 people out of the total 988,923 registered voters came out to vote in the just concluded Ekiti state Governorship election. This represents a meager 36.5% voter turnout.

Compared to the 2018 guber election, voter turnout in the 2022 election dropped by 17.8%.

A review of the state’s governorship elections data from 2003 to date, with the exception of 2007 due to unavailability of the data, shows that the 2022 turnout rate is the lowest the state has ever recorded.

In the early hours of today, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2022 Ekiti governorship election. He polled a total of 187,057 votes to defeat his closest contender, Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 82,211 votes. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bisi Kolawole got a total of 67,457 votes and came third.

Oyebanji, the winner of the 2022 governorship election, recorded 51.9% of the total votes cast, slightly higher than the percentage of the total votes Kayode Fayemi of the APC secured in 2018 to become the winner.

In the 2018 election, Fayemi polled 197,459 votes which was 51.3% of the 403,451 total votes cast in that election.

PDP got 178,121 votes and came second, while SDP secured only 367 votes. The reverse is the case in the 2022 elections as SDP came second and PDP came third.

Voter Turnout in Previous Elections
In the 2003 election, only 43.5% of the total 981,753 registered voters turned out to vote.

In 2014, voter turnout increased to 49.1%, although the number of registered voters dropped.

The state had a total of 909,585 registered voters in 2018 but recorded only 44.4% voter turnout.


According to INEC, 988,923 registered voters were expected to participate in the 2022 election. However, only 360,753 came out to vote, which is 36.5% of the total registered voters.

#EkitiDecides: Ekiti Records Only 36.5% Voter Turnout, Lowest since 2003
The good people of Ekiti state have decided and given their mandate to Oyebanji of the APC, however, the voter turnout in yesterday’s election leaves room for questions such as this, would the outcome have been different had more people come out to vote?

Many Nigerians on social media have expressed their worries about the turnout rate, noting that it is extremely low especially when compared to previous elections.

Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna state said that the turnout in Ekiti state is below expectations, and noted that if the turnout rate reflects the perception of the whole country, probably towards the 2023 general election, then nothing different has changed.

“With all the hoopla about the surge in PVC demand, the voter turnout in Ekiti is far below expectations. If this reflects the country, nothing much has changed”, he said.

Another Twitter user, Oluwole Dada with the handle @oluwole_dada, also said that the turnout rate in the Ekiti election is a pointer that the uproar online may not lead to any difference in the anticipated upcoming general elections.

“The turnout of #EkitiDecides2022 may be a sign that the noise online may not lead to any significant difference in the 2023 general elections. The voter turnout today doesn’t show a significant difference from what we have had in times past”, Dada tweeted.

This worry might be valid because the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) collection in Ekiti in 2022 is 12.3% higher than the 667,270 collected in 2018 but this did not translate into higher voter turnout...

cc: lalasticlala, seun, onila, farano, prettythicksme, mynd44

More: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/ekitidecides-ekiti-records-only-36-5-voter-turnout-lowest-since-2003/

Source: https://www.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/elections/inec-new-guidelines-for-2023-elections-key-things-for-eligible-voters-to-know/