DiamondsAreFore: The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has announced that the federal government will reclaim idle silos across Nigeria due to massive post-harvest losses currently estimated at $10 billion annually.
This was disclosed in a statement via the Minister’s official Facebook page on Friday.
According to Kyari, a committee will be constituted to review contractual clauses and performance, and “any silos left idle will be reclaimed while defaulters of the contract face sanctions.”
He stressed that it is unfortunate that some concessionaires have abandoned their silo facilities, highlighting that going forward, strict compliance will be enforced.
FG’s Move to Revive Silo Concession Programme
According to the statement, the Minister on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) led by its Director General, Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh, alongside the Commission’s Head of Legal, Director of Contract and Compliance, and other management staff.
The meeting focused on reviewing the performance of Nigeria’s silo concession programme, which was earlier introduced to address the government’s inability to optimally utilise its silo complexes due to funding and operational constraints.
On his part, the ICRC DG, Dr. Ewalefoh, emphasised that only private companies with real operational needs for silos should retain them.
He warned that “abandoned silos would be retrieved by the Federal Government,” adding that some concessionaires have failed to remit required returns to government coffers. “A new committee will be established to review contractual clauses, assess performance, and set clear intervals for evaluation,” the statement partly reads.
Senator Kyari highlighted the urgent need to revive silo storage facilities as a pathway to reducing Nigeria’s massive post-harvest losses, “currently estimated at $10 billion annually.”
“Storage facilities are essential to our food security drive, as they directly address wastage and ensure year-round availability of staple crops,” he added.
The Minister added that the Ministry, working with ICRC, will intensify oversight, enforce compliance, and ensure that only competent private operators manage silo facilities, in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR’s agricultural transformation agenda aimed at ensuring national food security.
Insight into Concession Programme According to the statement, out of the 17 silo complexes concessioned to five private companies, only Flour Mills of Nigeria, which operates three silo complexes under three separate Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), has met all conditions and is performing optimally.
“Many concessionaires defaulted on their payment obligations, with only Flour Mills consistently meeting performance and financial conditions,” the statement added.
The Ministry’s review process revealed that several concessionaires failed to put silo facilities into optimal operating condition despite earlier agreements, highlighting that there is little or no progress in some facilities, with reported cases of vandalism and perimeter fence collapse in locations such as Ikorodu and Ogoja.
Backstory
The Nigerian government had, in 2022, revealed its plan to lease and earn N18 billion from the process.
This was disclosed by the then-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar.
Abubakar disclosed that the FG planned to concession 19 silos to enable private sector participation in food storage for farm produce.
[quote author=Boxnaijatv post=136791351]😳😱Drama as Hilda Baci’s Gigantic Jollof Pot Collapses during Guinness World Record attempt 🙆🏾♂️😭 | #BoxNaijaTV
Celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has begun serving food from her giant jollof rice pot at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, after more than eight hours of cooking.
Videos circulating online showed Baci and her team serving steaming plates of rice to thousands of attendees, with large portions of the rice remaining from the 200 bags used.
One clip taken around 4 a.m. captured the massive spread, with onlookers exclaiming, “200 bags of rice no be anybody mate!” “Hilda Baci is feeding Lagos”
The pot of Nigerian jollof rice took an unexpected turn when the massive pot suddenly collapsed while being hoisted for weighing. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
PUNCHONLINE reports that the event, which began on Friday, drew a huge crowd of Gen Zers, millennials, food lovers, and celebrities, and it has been described as a festival of Nigerian jollof.
Baci, who previously earned global recognition for her Guinness World Record cooking marathon in 2023, said the goal of this record attempt is to showcase Nigerian cuisine on the world stage.
Celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has begun serving food from her giant jollof rice pot at the Eko Hotel and… pic.twitter.com/BAiYEzSAOD
meobizy: Where is Phyna actually from? She claimed she was Igbo who grew up in Edo State and now her sister is buried in Ogun State. Na money no dey to transport the body or nobody wants to claim a corpse? Good to see her and Groovy are still in good terms.
Reality TV star and actress Phyna has laid her younger sister Ruth Otabor to rest.
Ijeoma Josephina "Phyna" Otabor was born on June 2, 1997, in Ekpon, Edo State, Nigeria.
1] Something is totally off here ... Otabor is a popular Edo surname.
What should have been a modest milestone in a life ostensibly dedicated to public service has instead morphed into a multi-phase extravaganza, spanning cities within Nigeria and reportedly extending beyond its borders, all funded at least in substantial part—by the very taxpayers whose plight the NDDC was established to alleviate.
In the annals of Nigerian public administration, few spectacles encapsulate the grotesque disparity between elite indulgence and grassroots deprivation as vividly as the recent Reports indicate that over 5 billion naira of public funds were squandered on this opulent affair, a figure that, if verified, represents not merely fiscal irresponsibility but a profound moral bankruptcy. This easily endeavors to dissect the layers of this scandal, arguing that Dr. Ogbuku’s actions reflect a deeper malaise in Nigerian governance: a predilection for frivolity that perpetuates the cycle of poverty in regions like the Niger Delta, where oil wealth has long been siphoned off to fuel personal aggrandizement rather than communal upliftment.
To contextualize this, one must first recall the mandate of the NDDC. Established in 2000 under the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc.) Act, the agency was conceived as a bulwark against the environmental degradation, economic marginalization, and social unrest plaguing the oil-rich Niger Delta. Its core responsibilities include fostering sustainable development, infrastructure projects, and poverty alleviation programs for the nine states in the region—Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
Dr. Ogbuku, appointed to this pivotal role by divine providence or political patronage (depending on one’s perspective), was entrusted with stewarding resources to address the vulnerabilities of millions who endure polluted waterways, crumbling infrastructure, and endemic unemployment. Yet, in a cruel irony, his golden jubilee became a theater of excess, where the vulnerable were not invited to share in the joy but were instead indirectly footing the bill through diverted public coffers.
The celebrations unfolded in a series of ostentatious phases, each more lavish than the last, highlighting a deliberate detachment from the realities of those he serves. Phase one, held in Port Harcourt, the heart of the Niger Delta saw Dr. Ogbuku’s second wife orchestrate an event replete with celebrity appearances, chartered flights to ferry in entertainers, and hefty honoraria.
It is alleged that each celebrity received $20,000 merely for showing up, a sum that could fund scholarships for dozens of Niger Delta youths or repair dilapidated schools in oil-impacted communities. This Rivers State extravaganza set the tone for what followed: a blatant display of wealth that mocks the daily struggles of fishermen whose livelihoods are poisoned by oil spills or farmers whose lands are rendered infertile by environmental neglect.
Not content with one venue, the festivities migrated to Yenagoa in Bayelsa State, where another round of revelry unfolded, further straining resources that could have been allocated to flood control measures or healthcare initiatives in a region prone to ecological disasters. But the pinnacle of profligacy was reached in Abuja at the Transcorp Hilton, where rooms were fully booked for guests, including an array of on-call companions—euphemistically termed “baddies”for what was dubbed phase two.
This hotel takeover, with its implications of hedonistic excess, transforms a birthday into a symposium of indulgence, where public funds lubricate private pleasures. And lest we forget, whispers of international extensions to the celebrations suggest a global footprint, perhaps in exotic locales, amplifying the insult to a populace confined by poverty to their degraded environs.
Yet, the most egregious episode occurred on a private island in Lagos, where Dr. Ogbuku and his coterie of friends and colleagues reportedly engaged in an all-night bacchanal featuring invited strippers. This event, shrouded in secrecy but leaking through the sieve of social media and insider accounts, reeks of unbridled irresponsibility.
In an era where public officials are expected to embody ethical leadership, such shenanigans not only erode public trust but also perpetuate a culture of impunity. One cannot help but draw parallels to the Roman emperors of antiquity, whose orgiastic feasts precipitated societal decline. Here, in modern Nigeria, a man tasked with development descends into debauchery, funded by the sweat of the oppressed.
This is not mere personal failing; it is a systemic symptom, mirroring the Nigerian state’s propensity to prioritize ephemeral thrills over enduring progress.
At the heart of this lies a philosophical question: What does it mean for a leader, elevated by circumstance to a position of stewardship, to celebrate in isolation from those he is mandated to serve? Dr. Ogbuku’s ascent to the NDDC helm was not the result of aristocratic birthright but of a confluence of opportunities, political, social, and perhaps providential that placed him as a custodian of the Niger Delta’s aspirations.
In conclusion, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s 50th birthday saga is a microcosm of Nigeria’s existential crisis: a nation where opulence coexists with oblivion to suffering. It challenges us to demand better, to envision a leadership that celebrates with the people, not at their expense.
Until such a paradigm shift occurs, the Niger Delta will remain a symbol of unfulfilled promise, its people languishing while their guardians feast. Let this serve as a clarion call for reform, lest we perpetuate a legacy of frivolity over fraternity.
Reports indicate that over 5 billion naira of public funds were squandered on this opulent affair, a figure that, if verified, represents not merely fiscal irresponsibility but a profound moral bankruptcy.
My takes: It's totally inconceivable that a man who is a public office holder would squander over 5 billion NGN of public funds on his 50th birthday party as a Gen X.
This is a wild rumor though, BUT a forensic audit of the parastatal he heads MUST be done to verify or debunk this report. Period.
LZAA: Transfer aggression? Says the person with the bolded texts Btw you still haven't answered the questions 1.Is your country industrialized? 2.Is there 24 hour power supply? You can't tax people willy nilly in a country with an ailing economy It's not done And as per the new power law The power grid collapsed this week and darkness reigned supreme Hope you have spread the word to the Discos and Gencos? Smh
@LZAA
I propose that you be calm, and things will pan out right depending on your perspectives to life. The continued focus on negative energy/imagery will ONLY bring back negative results because we live in a world of vibrational cause-and-effect. This is why I stay far away from those who relentlessly think and speak negativity. There's a constitutional amendment review coming up in Nigeria and hopefully, those geopolitical, security, and economic inneficiences that have slowed Nigeria down for decades will be sorted out as well.
LZAA: How many functional industries does this country have?
Is there 24 hour electricity?
Is this country an export or import dependent nation?
You people should think before saying things out of hand Infact the government of the day is basically destroying the economy with this move Jeez!!! Smh!
Listen... learn to read posts properly before responding to posts here. This is NOT a thread for you to spread disinformation or transfer aggression. If you have NOTHING BETTER to say, I propose you get off my mention!
By the way, under a new law signed this year, power supply has been decentralized so, each State can build it's own power plant and distribute, and hence achieve near-contrant power supply. Ogun State just built a power plant to boost power supply and things are looking up gradually. Same with Abia State.
With the new tax collection system, it will be more efficient and transparent for you folks in Nigeria and foreign-based Nigerians who have investments in Nigeria to pay taxes on time and reduce MULTIPLE TAXATIONS! These are NOT extra taxes or burdens being imposed on Nigerian citizens. Accountability would be taken more seriously and taxes would be used for what they are meant for. If NOT, you vote the politicians out during ever election cycle. That's the intention. Period.
It's an impressive thing to introduce the new Tax ID as it would help to streamline tax collections and remove the inneficiences in the older systems.
All over the world, citizens are required to pay taxes promptly from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Canada, etc, where taxes are VERY high. These are some of the countries some Nigerians like to use to measure their own country and leaders, BUT those citizens pay taxes for development whole a large number of Nigerians who should be paying taxes like to evade taxes and I remember that the former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode did say that ONLY 500,000 Lagos State residents were paying taxes out of a 20 million population. I MUST add that contrary to online opinions among some Nigerians, the funds or checks given to American citizens during the COVID-19 lockdowns WASN'T for free, but has to be paid back through taxes down the road.
Therefore, this move will make it easy for Nigerians to demand firmer accountability from their governments at different levels when they pay their taxes promptly. Period.
DrMB: Do you run a business, earn income, or plan to open an investment account in Nigeria?
Did you know you’ll soon need a Tax ID for banking, insurance, and pensions? What happens if you don’t get one before January 1, 2026?
The new Tax Acts are here to ensure fairness, everyone who earns taxable income contributes, while protecting low-income citizens. But first, you need a Tax ID.
THE NEW TAX ACTS & TAX ID — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
⭕️Only someone who engages in economic activity to earn income is taxable - taxable person.
⭕️All taxable persons to register with the tax authority & obtain a Tax ID.
⭕️Banks & other financial institutions are required to request a Tax ID from taxable persons.
⭕️Your NIN or CAC RC No. will serve as your Tax ID.
⭕️Your existing TIN remains valid.
Taxable ID is a unique number linked to your identity.
⭕️You can obtain one from FIRS, State IRS, or JTB offices. It is also available online via FIRS website.
⭕️Tax ID is free.
⭕️For registered businesses, your personal TIN/Tax ID is sufficient.
⭕️Unregistered entities [NGOs, incorporated trustees, and other registered entities inclusive] visit the FIRS or apply online with your CAC documents to get one.
⭕️Foreign-based Nigerians can obtain a Tax ID using their NIN for banking or investment purposes in Nigeria. Check the NIMC website.
⭕️Foreign companies and non-resident entities providing services to Nigerian customers need a Tax ID. However, those on passive incomes like dividends, royalties, rent may not need to register but must provide relevant information.
⭕️Govt Agencies are not exempted from taxes - all must register for tax and obtain their Tax ID.
⭕️A taxable person without a Tax ID may not be able to operate bank accounts, insurance policies, pension accounts, or investment accounts by 01 Jan 2026.
⭕️There are other sanctions also applicable to taxable persons without Tax ID.
⭕️This process will simplify identification, reduce duplication, and close loopholes that allow tax evasion.
⭕️There will be fairness so that everyone who earns taxable income contributes their share while protecting low-income citizens who are not taxable.
⭕️Foreign-based Nigerians can obtain a Tax ID using their NIN for banking or investment purposes in Nigeria. Check the NIMC website.
⭕️Foreign companies and non-resident entities providing services to Nigerian customers need a Tax ID. However, those on passive incomes like dividends, royalties, rent may not need to register but must provide relevant information.
⭕️Govt Agencies are not exempted from taxes - all must register for tax and obtain their Tax ID.
⭕️A taxable person without a Tax ID may not be able to operate bank accounts, insurance policies, pension accounts, or investment accounts by 01 Jan 2026.
⭕️There are other sanctions also applicable to taxable persons without Tax ID.
⭕️This process will simplify identification, reduce duplication, and close loopholes that allow tax evasion.
beerfraud: Nearly a month after banned drugs were recovered from an SUV that mowed down two pedestrians in Lutyens’ Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, police have arrested a Nigerian national, named as Ndubuisi, for allegedly supplying the contraband to the car’s driver.
The accident, which took place on the morning of August 10, occurred when the SUV allegedly hit and killed two men sleeping on a pavement near Gyarah Murti in Chanakyapuri.
The 26-year-old driver, Ashish Bachchas, was arrested on the spot, while the vehicle was seized.
According to The Indian Express, Ndubuisi, aged 40, was arrested in Southeast Delhi’s East of Kailash.
A senior police officer said the accused was questioned to uncover the wider drug syndicate.
The officer further said it was suspected that Ashish was supplying drugs after receiving consignments from Ndubuisi, which he distributed at parties and to individuals.
Eight Nigerians arrested in India for drug trafficking Ashish initially told the police that he was unaware of the drugs found in the car. However, he later admitted that he had received them from a Nigerian national residing in Southeast Delhi.
A team of officers from the police station was then constituted to search for the suspected Nigerian national, the officer said.
The team eventually nabbed Ndubuisi from his residence before subjecting him to interrogation.
“He had come to India in 2010 on a student visa. His visa expired in 2012, but he continued to stay in the country illegally. He also lived in Goa for a few years before returning to Delhi,” the officer added.
“He had come to India in 2010 on a student visa. His visa expired in 2012, but he continued to stay in the country illegally. He also lived in Goa for a few years before returning to Delhi,” the officer added.
“Over two dozen people connected to both accused have been questioned. We believe more arrests will be made in the drug supply case in the coming days,” the police said.
The messages provided evidence for authorities to seek an aggravated murder charge against Robinson on Friday — the only one that carries the death penalty.
Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck by a single bullet shortly after being posed a question on his “American Comeback” college speaking tour about transgender mass shooters.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” asked attendee Hunter Kozak.
“Too many,” Kirk responded.
“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kozak followed up.
multiplatforms: ... _May go for assets forfeiture to recover Enugu funds_
...How Sujimoto channeled contract money to estate projects
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured a court order for the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, who is being investigated by the Commission over failure to deliver 22 Smart Green School projects in Enugu State after his company was paid over N5 billion by the state government.
Sources at the EFCC said the remand order was obtained from the Commission as Ogundele would have to explain how he spent the N5.7 billion without executing the contract.
There were indications yesterday that the EFCC might seek a court order to seize the funds in Ogundele’s personal and company’s accounts, which had earlier been frozen, the Enugu funds were allegedly diverted to his private accounts and to Sujimoto estate projects in Lagos.
An EFCC source said the remand order was secured from a magistrate court to detain him until the anti-graft agency was able to complete investigation. It is recalled that both the personal accounts of Ogundele and Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, had earlier been frozen in addition to seizing his international passport.
The source said there is proven evidence of the said sum paid to Ogundele, adding that EFCC was equally in possession of the terms of the contract and the documents showing his failure to comply with the contractual obligation.
“He is expected to explain how he spent the N5.7 billion or refund the money. His case looks straightforward,” he said.
The source said Ogundele’s accounts were frozen in case they get to a stage where they would approach the courts for forfeiture of the funds therein.
He said as from next week, the building contractor will interface with top officials of Enugu State Government on the award of the 22 Smart Green Schools to Sujimoto.
The EFCC had declared Ogundele wanted penultimate Friday for alleged money laundering.
Ogundele immediately went on X to blame the Enugu State Government for the EFCC action, saying the contract was underpriced, also citing inflation.
Enugu State responded moments later, alleging that the suspect disappeared after collecting N5.7 billion as 50 per cent mobilization fee to deliver 22 Smart Green Schools in six months, being February 2025.
“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.
“Rather than play to the rules of the contract, Mr. Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs and the use of inexperienced workers and quack engineers.
“None of his sites little jobs done on the sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the structural drawing.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive.
“He equally refused to attend the periodic projects briefing organised by the state government for all contractors or take numerous calls and messages put across to him.
“In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice but to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds paid to him.
“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award.
“In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.
“It is also on record that he has not shown up at the sites or made himself available to either the state government or the law enforcement agencies
“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, which have no choice but to start the construction afresh.
“It is equally noteworthy that there were other firms awarded multiple number of Smart Green School projects and they are delivering quality jobs on target.”
The Enugu State Government’s statement was accompanied with pictures of the project sites as abandoned by Sujimoto, which were taken by the joint team of officials of the state and operatives of the EFCC during the May 8 and 9 site visits, showing that the project sites were mostly at the levels of foundation and DPC, with a few at the stage of block work.
Also, findings showed that many other contractors had equally completed multiples projects. Chief Ikeje Asogwa of Intasog handled 12, while, Surv. Ugo Chime of Testimony Enterprises handled, Chinedu Nwobodo (Petit) of Albond Limited, and Chief Charles Mba of CDV Properties and Development Limited, among others, handled 10 Smart Green School projects each.
MD/CEO of Ever Progressive Integrated Resources Venture, Benneth Nwatu, said, “Our company has completed multiple projects here. For example, we handled the Smart Green School at Ugwuomu Nike, the one at Queens School, and another one at Inyi in Oji River.
“One thing about the governor is that he is somebody who is happy when somebody shows capacity. When we completed the project at Queens School within six months, the government graciously awarded us more jobs. The ones we are handling at Ekulu Girls and Iva Valley are also almost completed,” he stated.
He equally commended the governor for the upward review of the contract sum by the state when inflation bit hard to ensure that none of the projects failed.
I follow Sijibomi and Sujimoto on IG among several global business and political icons and I remember full well that the young man passionately stated his housing partnership with Enugu State. He came off as someone who truly loves Enugu State despite being a successful Lagos-based luxury construction guy and more.
I'm surprised that things went completely south months later. It's surreal. He should just refund the money already paid to him and cut his losses since the site has been awarded to another construction company.
Sijibomi [who is a lawyer and worked in the banking sector analysing different markets] should have simply stuck to his impressive niche luxury houses and apartments construction in Lagos State and other contiguous locations instead of accepting the Enugu State project which he said the Governor didn't have enough money to cover in an earlier video. I hope he pulls through and reconciles his differences with Enugu State. Sijibomi has always been a fighter from his teenage years and he will definitely bounce back wiser.
Lessons learned: Do NOT take up capital-intensive projects in times of economic uncertainties unless there's a very firm guarantee in the project clause of an upward review in the contract sum. Period.
multiplatforms: Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has welcomed the ban on exportation of raw Shea butter by President Bola Tinubu, saying the step will encourage more production and strengthen the local value chain of the prized cash crop.
The President’s directive comes as Kwara State prepares to launch its 50 tonne - daily capacity Shea processing factory in Kaiama, the second largest in the country and the biggest owned by a state government.
The Shea butter factory is one of the many economic projects of Governor AbdulRazaq.
Governor AbdulRazaq said the presidential directive will spur local production, improve quality, and generate jobs across the value chain.
He said the Shea butter factory in Kaiama is meant to stimulate economic activities in Kwara North, given its potential to hire a multitude of local workers, including women farmers and pickers.
“Locating the factory within Kaiama puts the people at the centre of local Shea production, ensures local ownership of benefits, such as job creation, reduced post harvest losses, and value retention in Kaiama,” the Governor said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This project exemplifies backward and forward integration as it combines raw material sourcing, processing, and market access in one locality.”
Kwara and Niger, among others, are the hearts of Shea nut trees in Nigeria. Kwara North alone is credited with over 250,000 nature and producing trees spread across 6,000 hectares of land.
That's impressive BUT security matters a lot for agribusiness in Kwara State to grow exponentially. Reading about the horrendous cases of criminality online about gangs of foreigner non-state actors who have crept into that State, it's time to take the bull by the horns and decimate them NOW!
aylipple: Thank you for further insights into this topic. Ironically, I also made reference to Onne as a Sea Port instead of a River Port; I've taken note of the appropriate term.
You're right about Calabar River Port - it's largely comatose as a result of lack of dredging as well as legal bottlenecks impeding investments.
I also have to add after reading your detailed and well-informed response that instead of carpeting Lagos all the time, people like VDM (never seen a young Nigerian so passionate yet highly ignorant & basking in their ignorance) should instead be praising the state for shouldering the responsibilities of the other irresponsible state governments.
Truth is, if a minimum two states in each geo-political zone got their acts together, the pressure on Lagos would reduce drastically.
@Aylipple
My pleasure.
I absolutely agree with your submissions right ABOVE.
Indeed, I saw where you referred to Onne Port as a "Seaport" BUT I knew instantly that it was an "honest error" from you. Your post shows you're a well-informed man and I was glad to see your passionate, refreshing post in the defense of all the sacrifices that Lagos State (the smallest Nigerian State in terms of landmass) has made over the decades on Nigeria's behalf. It's those other folks such as VDM and his largely ignorant followers, including some journalists with media outlets such as AIT that I was referencing for incorrectly referring consistently to "River Ports" such as Calabar, Warri, Onitsha, Onne, etc, as Sea Ports.
On second thoughts, it occurred to me that this VDM's knowledge deficit and social blunder on video about the role of Lagos could be used positively with officials of Lagos State inviting him over on a tour to know more about how Lagos State works and the geopolitical dynamics of Nigeria over the decades. His YouTube platform can then be used to properly educated his largely ignorant followers. The ONLY snag I see is that the bigots and paid secessionist trolls who regularly visit his YouTube channel because they love to see bad news or concocted disinformation about Lagos State will not like him again... Just like they did to Reno Omokri. Lol.
Lol. Nobody should be expecting any record breaking misadventures from me soon. Well, anything can happen.
@Folake, I just logged in and saw your mentions along with others.
@Bolded Okay then, you're such a "cheeky" woman. Lol
Indeed, anything can happen down the road if the "celestial forces" fall on you, and... BOOM!... you'll get listed in a mad cool category of the Guinness Book of World Records leading to world-wide recognition for you.
By the way, I had a good laugh when I saw the videos of the Lagos-based young man who twerked his "masculine backside" [in January 2024 for a whole 3 hours 30 minutes] right into the "Guinness Book of World Records." What I admire though is the "mental power" associated with doing that twerking for 3 hours 30 minutes. I personally do NOT have the patience for even 10 minutes of twerking my own backside.
Whoa! I enjoyed reading your feedbacks here and wish you a fun-filled, great weekend ahead.
Social commentator Verydarkman criticized the concentration of opportunities and development in Lagos, arguing that it is stifling growth in other parts of Nigeria.
He questioned why nearly everything must be centered in Lagos while the rest of the country struggles
aylipple: Tbh, I tried my best to listen/watch this video with a balanced perspective and after enduring the ignorant & even sinister takes about Lagos by VDM for 5 minutes, I just had to stop there for my sanity.
First of all, whatever “privileges” or opportunities that abound in Lagos aren’t because a former governor of the State & a Yoruba man is President today; those perceived privileges far predate his tenure as Nigeria’s President. As obvious as this is, I just had to restate it because there are too many ignorant & too proud to learn/or read people on the internet today.
Secondly, blaming Lagos for the perceived privileges the state enjoys is probably the most flimsiest excuse for daft, incompetent and visionless governors that have governed other states in the country at least, since 1999. Lagos has in the last decade provided a conducive atmosphere and the resources for private investors to invest in the state via the Lekki Deep Sea Port. The Badagry Deep Sea Port is already being set in motion (also to be financed majorly by private sector). What have the Governors of Akwa Ibom (the Ibom Deep Sea Port is still a mirage), Delta, Rivers, Ondo & Cross River done to attract investors to develop Sea Ports in their states? Just recently, we heard Alh. Aliko Dangote announce that he’ll soon break ground for the largest Sea Port in Nigeria in Ogun State; that’s what visionary leadership does.
If importers choose to receive their imports through Lagos (when the Eastern Sea Ports esp Onne is active and receiving cargoes), how’s this Lagos’ fault especially as the same people keep complaining about how chaotic Lagos Ports (Apapa and Tin Can especially) can be? What has stopped successive governors of Akwa Ibom State especially from going ahead with making the Ibom Deep Sea Port a reality considering its very huge economic potentials?
Fourthly, saying Nigeria needs at least 18 international airports is the height of ignorance and yet, Lagos is to be blame. Pray tell, aside from Lagos and Abuja (and probably Kano and Port Harcourt international airports), which other airports are economically viable? Do they’ve the commerce, population, conducive environment or even economy to support international flights? For someone who has traveled within and outside the country by air, I’m actually surprised VDM could make such an ignorantly bold assertion. Even the states that have airports for domestic flights, how viable have they been? Remember how the only airline at the time (Air Peace) was flying to Kaduna consistently but had to stop after Bandits almost succeeded in hijacking or attacking one of their aircrafts? If states don’t tackle the issues of insecurity head on and citizens of such states actively and tacitly support those threatening security, how’s that Lagos’ fault? Or you think international airlines don’t receive security briefings about active flash points of violence? The decision to fly from any particular airport anywhere in the world is solely the responsibility of the airline and I don’t see how or why Lagos has to be the scape goat as if they put a gun to the heads of the owners of the international carriers to fly into and out of Lagos or risk getting shot dead!
This video by VDM smells like an agenda (like something sinister is brewing underneath) and Lagos is the target. Aside listening to what he said in the video, I also listened for what he wasn’t saying - if he had made this video when PMB (God Rest his soul) was President, it would’ve been somewhat “ok” but doing this at a time when some northern political elite especially are crying over the perceived imbalance of project sites in favour of Lagos is bad timing. He also had to use the same video (where he blamed Lagos as holding back Nigeria) to encourage the call for Biafra? Lagos and Biafra in the same sentence? Nah, I can smell an agenda from a mile away and VDM is being used (knowingly or unknowingly) to push that agenda.
You wrote a succinct and brilliant piece up there.
I had nearly the same reactions you had towards the highly IRRESPONSIBLE, less than 7-minutes video that boy named VDM did when I FIRST saw it in my YouTube timeline a few days ago. I DON'T visit his YouTube channel BUT got curious when I saw a recent video of him in Ghana which was laced with heavy disinformation after the Ghanaian authorities rightly implemented the already existing GIPC laws which prohibit ANY foreigner from engaging in wholesale and retail trading at the same time. Retailing is largely exclusive for Ghanaians BUT some in Ghana with origins from the South East of Nigeria and more violated the investment laws of Ghana which have existed since the military era of Busia to engage in wholesale and retailing hence undermining Ghanains economically.
Edo folks of which I have relatives and associates are largely knowledgeable and fight injustice, BUT it's VERY clear that this VDM is NOT a highly educated person. He annoyingly kept on referring WRONGLY to the existing River Ports as "Sea Ports." For those who don't know, and I see many uninformed NL posters here, ANY port which is built along shallow rivers in Nigeria such as the "river Onne," "river Calabar" or "river Niger" is a River Port (Onne Port, Calabar Port, and Onitsha Port are River Ports NOT Sea Ports) while ANY port that is built along any Ocean or Sea such as the Atlantic Ocean is a Sea Port! The Lekki Deep Sea Port qualifies as a true Sea Port.I once read that this VDM was into po*rn movies in the past and this is the same guy some largely misinformed young people are listening to and clapping for? His agenda also shows he's patronizing the Ibos to generate online traffic to his channel BECAUSE a lot of those supporting him and his disinformation blindly on his YouTube channel and this same thread are from the South East of Nigeria.
I had to post a strong constructive message for him and his LARGELY ignorant followers in the comments section of that his channel stating CLEARLY why Lagos State isn't the cause of Nigeria's problems as IRRESPONSIBLY stated by him. INFACT Lagos State has for many decades taken the blows on behalf of Nigeria for the relentless surge of economic migrants from other parts of Nigeria and West Africa with the overstretched infrastructure in Lagos State due to bad governance in those States. Same for Rivers State, Kano State, and the FCT where economic migrants without enough skills flood to from other less-privileged States.
Second, all the existing river ports in Nigeria require expensive annual dredging of the shallow waters which prevents big Ocean-going ships from coming to Calabar, Warri, and other river ports BUT fortunately, the Onne River Port in Rivers State is functioning optimally like you stated. Many maritime experts have stated over the years the major reasons why the "Eastern Ports" have NOT been profitable due to the shallow waters of the rivers which require constant unprofitable DREDGING, to the FACT that big ships find it unprofitable coming to the Eastern Ports since there is an absence of reliable major industries that deal with EXPORTS, hence, the shipping companies want to be able to bring containers of imported goods in and take containers of export goods out of those ports.The brilliant Edo State indigene, Mr. Lucky Amiwere, who is a licensed customs agent and maritime expert stated in one of his newspaper interviews nearly 10 years ago that the Calabar River Port should NEVER have been built by the wasteful Military Government in the late 1970s as part of the Eastern Ports and that it was a "political port." Amiwere further said Calabar River Port can be turned into a fishing port to maximize annual returns. He is indeed very correct BECAUSE the Calabar Port is located in shallow waters that require constant annual dredging which is NOT profitable.
So, from here on out, just like Lagos State has already done through the brilliance and foresight of the current Nigerian President 'Bola Tinubu, who (with Singaporean investors and partners, and the FG) facilitated from the early 2000s the construction of the Lekki Deep Sea Port for a percentage share of the iconic project, the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Ibeju-Lekki, and the Dangote Petrochemical Refinery, among other iconic projects under the Lagos State Master Plan, other States located close to the Atlantic Ocean should partner with Nigerian and foreign investors to construct there own Sea Ports in Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross Rivers States.
These are the specifics that the semi-literate called VDM doesn't know about and with some research would have prevented him from looking like a semi-literate. He keeps dabbling into what he knows NOTHING about, such as his recent unsolicited trip to Ghana which has further angered a lot of Ghanaians online and offline [who called for his immediate expulsion from Ghana] with the massive disinformation contained in his crappy videos, to this random, disinformation on Lagos State "monopoly." This youth (VDM) is CLEARLY NOT someone any person who wants genuine economic-based Information should be listening to. He should stick to soft-sell news and gossips for people of his social class instead. "VDM or whatever he calls himself clearly CANNOT give what he doesn't have. Period."
There's another YouTuber from Cameroon who I hear is based in Nigeria named "Ajim" who the Nigerian intelligence agencies MUST keep an eye on because he makes videos knocking the heads of Nigerians with Ghanains and SA cutizens while claiming to be supporting Nigeria. NOBODY asked this Cameroonian who says he's planning to become a Nigerian citizen to do that on behalf of Nigerians. A popular Nigerian female YouTuber ORIGINALLY from Cross Rivers (named Lily Ogini) based in Ghana recently EXPOSED this same "Ajim" Cameroonian guy in her recent video with concrete evidence showing he is being sponsored by a female and people with secessionist and anti-Ghana and anti-SA ideologies.
grandstar: Mr. Eazi is a venture capitalist. He invests in promising new companies. They are the type that invest in Facebook in its infancy. It is companies like that that many new startups go to for funding. You can say the investors on Shark Tank are venture capitalists.
It won't therefore be strange if he has investments in 18 countries in Africa. That simply means he has invested in companies in 18 different African countries, most likely being startups.
Do venture capitalist make money, or lots of money?
Lets look at the music company sold for $1bn. It might have been worth $5m when it started. Please note that Mr. Eazi is a venture capitalist. He invests in other people's companies. He therefore does not own the music company. He is a shareholder! He might own 5 or 10% of the company. So the $1bn sale may net him $100m. He might have invested only $1m.
Venture capitalist usually invest what they believe will be very fast growing companies. Just think of those who invested in Facebook, WhatsApp, Google and others when they were still very tiny, probably still working out of a garage? Those early investors today are billionaires.
Mr. Eazi is on is way to becoming a billionaire in 10 years max the way he is going.
That's why Dangote has lots of respect for him.
He is investing his money wisely, rather than flaunting it doing big boy like Davido and others. I am certain Eazi hasn't made up to 10% of what Davido or Wizkid have made but he may be far richer than them.
Also note that most venture capitalists usually have investors money. Investors might have given large amounts of money to invest for them. He could be controlling $500m on behalf of investors. If a deal goes through, he will own a percentage. Investors just need to have the confidence that you will grow their money.
Don't be surprised if Dangote has $50m invested in his company.
Your take on who Venture Capitalists are is absolutely spot-on. The early investors in start-ups usually make a lot of money running into millions and billions of USD when the company finally gets listed as an IPO on the stock exchange of choice.That's how investors and folks with foresight easily turn themselves into Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index-listed USD billionaires by looking ruthlessly at the long-term company fundamentals and disruptive innovations.
motymop: The death of Herbert Wigwe is a real eye-opener on how wealth works in Nigeria. You could see extended families stepping in, trying to lay claim to assets. The same pattern played out with the Ibru family after their founder passed.
Now, back to Otedola. Many don’t know he has a brother, Olurotimi, who is actively involved in running Geregu Power and holds major shares there. hat has already remove eazi from been groomed. (He also has an older step brother who was once a truck driver but now owns a farm.)
What people often forget is that Otedola doesn’t actually build businesses. His strategy has always been to invest, take majority control, list on the stock exchange, then exit by selling his shares. He’s more of a trader than a builder, with zero emotional attachment to the companies he backs.
But when you look deeper, family dynamics add another layer. In Africa, wealth created by one man is usually treated as “family wealth.” Naturally, billionaires in this position are very intentional about protecting their assets. Outsiders especially husbands married into the family are often excluded because they’re not seen as part of the core bloodline.
ednut1: i used to think like this. Until i did a consulting engagement for a company owned by a billionaire. We worked from a desk near their boardroom and saw him and family often. The daughter married a doctor based in the USA. Guess what the guy moved back to Nigeria and started working for the man’s company as a management staff.
Otedola’s son is autistic, his daughters are not business savvy. He only has his younger brother with him in this power plant. Dont be surprised if he grooms eazi to be a key partner/ manager in his business. Rich people are not stupid
motymop: People contributed money to support his activism. After that, he began referring to himself as a man of integrity even calling himself the only man with integrity in Nigeria. But since then, there's been little to no transparency about how the NGO funds have been spent.
He has been handing out ₦1 million here and there like it’s a giveaway. He has also announced various projects he is working on, a borehole here and there, To date, we’ve only seen evidence of maybe one project he claims to have completed. The rest? We only hear about them with no pictures, no reports, no documentation to verify anything.
There's a troubling lack of clarity between personal funds and NGO money, today, he will say, he used some his personal money and took some NGO money for a project, seems he can not seperate personal money from NGO money.
He constantly shows up in places uninvited, making it more about performance than purpose. There is no real accountability, just performative activism, constant storytelling and gaslighting much like the very politicians he claims to oppose.
If he truly considers himself a man of integrity, then the bare minimum would be to publicly publish a detailed account of how funds are being spent. That’s what integrity demands.
WizardOfNG: The pictures, for investigative purposes, are clear and definitive. He will definitely be identified. After that, he will be caught soon or he will kill himself to escape capture.
That's the only two option per how events will go down from this point on. USA is the most ruthless nation in the world per pursuit of an individual deemed 'public enemy number one' which is this guy at the moment.
folake4u: Yeah, yaji is very nice and I like meat-based cuisines.
Thank you, I'd check it out.
Well, there's this taste that yaji gives to noodles. The aroma and taste is divine.
Well, Nigeria have deep-rooted prejudices regarding cuisines especially for those whose eyes eat before their mouth.
That's mad cool. "So aromatic and tasty" depending on the ingredients used andcwho makes it... That's "yaji" for you. I had my schooling at an elite high school with boarding facilities decades back in a major Northern State, so, that's how I got more exposure to the Northern cuisines and ways of life. Nearly all Northern and/or Hausa foods are practically OK. That's why I spoke about confirmation bias and prejudices by some on this thread.
You're right about the last paragraph though. Presentation matters to many folks BUT once each regional or ethnic-based cuisine is served creatively and with attention to little details, then we're good to go.
The late American singer, songwriter, and dancer, Michael Jackson, has topped Forbes’ list of the 13 highest-paid dead celebrities with an estimated $115 million in earnings.
This was revealed in the 2023 annual ranking of the highest-paid dead celebrities, which was made available by Forbes on Tuesday, October 31.
According to Forbes, the 13 deceased musicians, authors, and other A-listers on Forbes’ annual ranking of the highest-paid dead celebrities earned $470 million during the past 12 months, a 70% decrease from the record-breaking $1.6 billion grossed in 2022.
Michael Jackson returned to the No. 1 spot for the first time in four years with an estimated $115 million in earnings. He’s followed by his late father-in-law, Elvis Presley, at No. 2.
The legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, tragically passed away on June 25, 2009.
Check out the list below:
1. Michael Jackson – $115 million 2. Elvis Presley – $100 million 3. Ray Manzarek – $45 million 4. Dr. Seuss – $40 million 5. Charles M. Schulz – $30 million 6. Prince – $30 million 7. Whitney Houston – $30 million 8. John Lennon – $22 million 9. Bob Marley – $16 million 10. Bing Crosby – $14 million 11. George Harrison – $14 million 12. Arnold Palmer – $10 million 13. Marilyn Monroe – $10 million
Bump.
The late American singer, songwriter, and dancer, Michael Jackson, has topped Forbes’ list of the 13 highest-paid dead celebrities with an estimated $115 million in earnings.
This was revealed in the 2023 annual ranking of the highest-paid dead celebrities, which was made available by Forbes on Tuesday, October 31.
According to Forbes, the 13 deceased musicians, authors, and other A-listers on Forbes’ annual ranking of the highest-paid dead celebrities earned $470 million during the past 12 months, a 70% decrease from the record-breaking $1.6 billion grossed in 2022.
Michael Jackson returned to the No. 1 spot for the first time in four years with an estimated $115 million in earnings. He’s followed by his late father-in-law, Elvis Presley, at No. 2.
The legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, tragically passed away on June 25, 2009.
You saw that error too... The OP probably doesn't know that Gbagada is right in Lagos, Nigeria. Maybe he thinks Gbagada is located in the Iberian Peninsula country of Spain.
I admit here and now, I may NOT have visited this discussion forum within the time frame that Babajide Adebanjo's exploits got reported in the news. I've got to read up on the story right away.
Besides, Folake, are we expecting any "record-breaking misadventures"... Erm, I meant "record-breaking adventures" in any field from our "baby lawyer" soon?
Politics › Re: Kyari-Nigeria Records Over $10 Billion Annual Foodcrop Losses by Konquest: 11:21pm On Sep 13, 2025
