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As you step out of the streets of Maiduguri and Jalingo, capitals of Borno and Taraba states, different aromas of fast food attract potential buyers. Daily Trust on Sunday reports that because of the economic situation in the country, many Nigerians now resort to boiled sweet potatoes and cassava because of their affordability.

Taimakon gaggawa, also known as “emergency aid,” is increasingly becoming popular and the most sort after by the poor and even the middle class because of its affordability.

Majority of commuters and passersby in Maiduguri and Jalingo are now smartly bypassing suya and roasted chicken spots that used to be everyone’s favourite to buying sweet potatoes and cassava cuisines due to hard economic realities.

Daily Trust on Sunday toured the streets and other public places in Maiduguri and Jalingo, where a very large number of vendors sell cassava to regular customers for breakfast and lunch.

Also, buyers of boiled and cassava tubers interviewed by our correspondents said that as the prices of cereals soar, sweet potatoes and cassava became the choice of the poor, and probably the future of Nigerian fast food.

A housewife, Aisha Abubakar, said sweet potatoes and cassava had become saviour to millions of households in Nigeria.

“If you go to the market today you would see a mad rush for cassava, sweet potato and their products: garri, tapioca, cassava flour, cassava cake, ‘dan wake’, potato flakes and other delicacies in the streets because they are among the cheapest so far.”

"Everyone is looking for a way to deal with the difficult economic situation and these tubers are now their options,” she said.

One of the sweet potato vendors, Mustapha Ali, who claimed to have spent 15 years in the business, said it had become the only staple food people buy without break because of its affordability, and it requires less ingredients to prepare.

"Last year, we were very few in this business because not many people bought it as it was just considered a snack. They took very little of it, but because of the economic hardship now, the demand has increased and many have resorted to it. I now cook and sell at least two bags of sweet potatoes every day,” he said.

Another seller, Modu Mustafa, said that despite the high demand, the price of sweet potatoes still reduced from N23,000 to N18,500 per bag.

“Few days back, we used to buy a bag of sweet potatoes between N23,000 and N25,000, but as God would have it, it is now N18,500, making life easier for the poor,” he said.

Taimakon gaggawa, also known as “emergency aid,” is increasingly becoming popular and the most sort after by the poor and even the middle class because of its affordability.

Majority of commuters and passersby in Maiduguri and Jalingo are now smartly bypassing suya and roasted chicken spots that used to be everyone’s favourite to buying sweet potatoes and cassava cuisines due to hard economic realities.

Daily Trust on Sunday toured the streets and other public places in Maiduguri and Jalingo, where a very large number of vendors sell cassava to regular customers for breakfast and lunch.

Also, buyers of boiled and cassava tubers interviewed by our correspondents said that as the prices of cereals soar, sweet potatoes and cassava became the choice of the poor, and probably the future of Nigerian fast food.

A housewife, Aisha Abubakar, said sweet potatoes and cassava had become saviour to millions of households in Nigeria.

“If you go to the market today you would see a mad rush for cassava, sweet potato and their products: garri, tapioca, cassava flour, cassava cake, ‘dan wake’, potato flakes and other delicacies in the streets because they are among the cheapest so far.”

“Everyone is looking for a way to deal with the difficult economic situation and these tubers are now their options,” she said.

One of the sweet potato vendors, Mustapha Ali, who claimed to have spent 15 years in the business, said it had become the only staple food people buy without break because of its affordability, and it requires less ingredients to prepare.

“Last year, we were very few in this business because not many people bought it as it was just considered a snack. They took very little of it, but because of the economic hardship now, the demand has increased and many have resorted to it. I now cook and sell at least two bags of sweet potatoes every day,” he said.

Another seller, Modu Mustafa, said that despite the high demand, the price of sweet potatoes still reduced from N23,000 to N18,500 per bag.

“Few days back, we used to buy a bag of sweet potatoes between N23,000 and N25,000, but as God would have it, it is now N18,500, making life easier for the poor,” he said.

Yusuf Aminu, a sweet potato consumer said the increased demand for the food in Maiduguri was overwhelming.

“If you go to the markets and roadsides, it will look as if it’s only sweet potatoes that everyone is selling, both cooked and raw. Both the poor and the middle class patronise it,” he said.

Taraba

In Taraba, findings revealed that cooked cassava is now a major staple in most homes in the capital city as majority of the residents have resorted to it.

A Jalingo-based journalist, Ya’ u Ibrahim, said that in the face of the high cost of foodstuff, cassava products became the solution.

“You don’t need ingredients to cook cassava, all you need is groundnut cake and spices and you will have a delicious meal for the day,” he said.

Ibrahim said he opted for cassava when rice, yam and maize became costly, adding that he only spends N1,500 on cassava to feed his family.

"Also, cassava is still cheaper even though prices of food items have dropped in the state,” he added.

A civil servant, Mallam Umaru Abubakar said he opted for cassava when he could not afford to buy rice or maize because of its cost.

According to him, in the past he did not like eating cassava but the situation has forced him to eat it regularly.

"Two months ago, my salary was not enough to buy a bag of maize because it was sold at the rate of N57,000, but with N1,000 l can buy cassava to feed my family,” he said

President Bola Tinubu has tasked members of his cabinet and other top management staff of the civil service to work together, change the narrative of Nigeria, and bring economic prosperity to the country.

The president said this at the closing ceremony of a three-day cabinet retreat which took place in the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

He also obtained a promise from them that they would work for Nigerians and work as a team to achieve for the country.

Tinubu said: “Since we are one family and one nation, and we are in this vehicle together, to change the narrative and bring about economic prosperity of our country; are we ready?”

"Poverty is not a shameful thing but it’s not just acceptable. If you check your history, there’s a trace of poverty in it but we should find a way to dig ourselves out of it,” Tinubu added. “So, it is left for you and me to navigate his ship out of poverty. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

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A recent visit to the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos was a beehive of activities with thousands of Nigerians leaving the country. From findings, majority of them were going with a one-way ticket, which means that they have no intention of coming back soon, if at all they would return.

This is the reality of the moment as the japa syndrome that has hit the country’s fabric has continued unabated, with thousands of Nigerians leaving the country on a daily basis in search of what is usually known as the greener pastures in Europe, America and other countries, where they believe there are opportunities.

The founder of a medical facility in Lagos recently complained how he lost virtually all his personnel (doctors and nurses) to the Japa syndrome, leaving him virtually stranded and unable to cope with the number of patients trooping to his clinic. This is the case in other sectors as citizens flee the country while the country’s human resource is badly depleted.

In the first half of 2023, the United Kingdom, which is unarguably the first country of destination by many Nigerians, especially those going for further studies with their dependents, said it issued some 132,000 visas to Nigerians.

According to Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, “In the first half of the year we granted approximately 132,000 visas, which include visit, work and study.

“In the previous full year before that, we issued about 324,000. In that year, the United Kingdom issued about three million visas, and of the number, 324,000 were issued to Nigerians, which is about 10 per cent.”

Apart from the United Kingdom, those going on irregular migration through the Sahara desert are also in thousands despite the risk involved as shown in the figure of evacuation. In the first half of 2023, no fewer than 4,000 Nigerians were stranded in different countries, especially the Middle East and were evacuated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in different exercises.

The IOM, through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme, also repatriated over 3,000 Nigerians from Libya alone in 2023, with majority of the returnees languishing in Libyan detention camps before the help of the IOM came. They were arrested after failed attempts to cross to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.

While this migration, whether regularly or irregularly, otherwise known as Japa, has continued, some foreigners are not seeing an entirely hopeless situation in Nigeria as many of them also troop to the country on a daily basis for businesses.

Foreigners find solace in Nigeria

Findings by Daily Trust on Sunday indicate that many foreigners from China, India, Lebanon, United Kingdom, among others, have also found Nigerians as home, leveraging on opportunities in the country in oil and gas, construction, telecommunication sector, among others.

Our correspondent gathered that foreigners trooping into the country for businesses have virtually tripled in recent times, with China leading. Also, Indians, Lebanese, among other nationals have made Nigeria their homes, working in various sectors.

From Ikeja GRA to Victoria Island, the Lebanese community in Nigeria has grown over time, becoming one of the largest diaspora communities in Nigeria with about 75,000 people. The existence of blue chip companies owned by Lebanese, as well as construction sites belonging to their nationals, has seen some of their kinsmen playing significant roles in their operation.

Similarly, the Chinese community has grown in leaps and bounds owing to the various construction projects handled by Chinese construction giants in Nigeria like the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC) handling various railway projects. The CCECC constructed the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway, Abuja-Kaduna rail, Kaduna-Kano rail, the four new international airport terminals, among other projects.

In addition, findings by our correspondent showed that many Chinese are working at various quarry sites across Nigeria.

Our correspondent recently visited the popular Chinese Village in Lagos, which has become a marketplace for their nationals in the state, where they live and ply their trade.

According to an official of the village, more Chinese nationals troop into the village on a daily basis.

“If you need any special Chinese attire or product, you see hundreds of China Town vendors in this village. They are here making a living and contributing to the economy of the state and Nigeria in general,” the manager said.

India is another big community in Nigeria spread across the South and northern part of the country. According to India’s High Commissioner in Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian, there are no fewer than 60,000 Indians who have made Nigeria their home. In all, there are estimated 90,000 Indians in Nigeria working in various industries, especially the manufacturing sector.

In most cases, they are filling vacancies in management and technical positions, especially where the expertise is lacking in Nigeria. But many Nigerians have also raised questions about the abuse of expatriate quota.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that expatriate quota policy enables foreign companies to recruit foreign employees to work legitimately in Nigeria.

Visas-on-arrival doubled

Checks by our correspondent revealed that the number of visas-on- arrival (VoA) issued at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos has doubled since the policy was implemented in line with the ease of doing business policy of the federal government.

From 38,000 VoAs issued at the busiest airport alone in 2018, the number grew to 53,644 in 2022. While efforts to get this year’s figure were futile as the immigration declined to release it, our correspondent learnt that more people are coming into the country for businesses.

Opportunities abound in Nigeria – Foreigners

Some foreigners who spoke with our correspondent said opportunities still abounded in Nigeria despite the Japa syndrome.

An Indian who has made Nigeria his home said there were opportunities for the people to explore, especially in the technology and start-up ecosystem.

The Indian businessman, Anil Rai, who resides at Ilupeju, Lagos said, “Nigeria is known for having many different cultures and lots of good things to offer. One important thing is that there are various opportunities for both people and the environment. People in Nigeria are friendly to one another and show a lot of respect to their bosses at work. They are also eager to learn new things and use new technology.

How to reduce the Japa syndrome

On the Japa syndrome, he said that while there are opportunities in Nigeria, there are also challenges.

“The problem is the economic situation, interest rate and inflation. When I talk to people who actually engage in the Japa syndrome, they talk about their children, the education system in the country and other practical things. There are lots of elements but that is up to the new Nigerian government to make sure that these things are tweaked and the economy would be growing again.”

He said if the economy of Nigeria grew, jobs would be created and the Japa syndrome would reduce.

The spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has lamented that the Supreme Court turned deaf ears to the several pleas made by the party.

The apex court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed the petitions filed by the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, against the election of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.

Reacting to the judgment, Tanko, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Thursday, said, “As far as we are concerned, we have brought out our cases beyond reasonable doubt, but the court chose to look at the other side and turn a deaf ear to our plea. And they have taken their decision.

“As democrats, we will not do anything otherwise but rather resort to the masses’ court — the public and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They can analyse this judgment vis-a-vis what they are facing at the moment and what’s the credibility of the leadership already enthroned.”

Tanko added, “We’ll continue to be law-abiding and follow the dictates of democracy. Don’t forget that democracy also gives room for people to speak on issues if they feel they are being offended. So we have done our bit and we will leave this particular issue now to the masses’ court.”

He insisted that the party asked for Tinubu’s disqualification because of their belief that he was not qualified to run for election.

He added, “Also, we made a plea as regards the interpretation of the 25 per cent qualification of the Federal Capital Territory.

"We also made a plea as regards the issue of the processes in which INEC followed according to the Electoral Act which all fell on deaf ears.”

The spokesman added that Obi would make pronouncements on his political future soon.

The National Cybercrime Centre unit of the Nigeria Police Force has successfully uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate operating a cybercrime recruitment and mentoring hub in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The PUNCH reports that during police interrogation, the arrested suspects – Bernard Joseph, 27, Emmanuel Joseph, 22, Obasi Ikechukwu, 19, Anijiofor Tobechuckwu, 26, Andrew Moses, 19, and Israel Ezekiel, 19, confessed to their various degrees of involvement in cybercrime including identity theft, hacking and trading of hacked Facebook accounts, romance scam, computer-related forgery and other computer-related fraud.

The Force Headquarters made the development known on Wednesday, noting that an investigation and operation were initiated in response to a series of intelligence reports that indicated a deep involvement of the syndicate in various cybercrimes, including Business Email Compromise, Romance Scams, and High Yield Investment Program Fraud.

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, while reiterating the commitment of the Force to combatting crime at all fronts irrespective of its dynamics, has directed the Director, NPF-NCCC, Uche Ifeanyi, to take no break in ensuring the safety of individuals and enterprises online.

The Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said, “Upon receiving the intelligence, a team of Cybercrime Forensic Experts and Investigators were detailed on the case, painstaking effort expended in clinically investigating the case which led to the arrest of six (6) suspects at their hideout in the Dantata estate area of the FCT and the recovery of several digital gadgets and effects used in perpetrating their criminal enterprise on the 13th of September, 2023.

“The suspects namely Bernard Joseph aged 27, Emmanuel Joseph aged 22, Obasi Ikechukwu aged 19, Anijiofor Tobechuckwu aged 26, Andrew Moses aged 19, and Israel Ezekiel aged 19, summarily confessed to their various degrees of involvement in cybercrime including identity theft, hacking and trading of hacked Facebook accounts, romance scam, computer-related forgery, and other computer related fraud punishable under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015.

"It is pertinent to state that the investigation is ongoing and efforts to apprehend the fleeing members of this criminal network are underway. Meanwhile, the arrested suspects will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.

"The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. Olukayode Egbetokun, while reiterating the commitment of the Force to combatting crime at all fronts irrespective of its dynamics, has directed the Director, NPF-NCCC, Uche Ifeanyi Henry, to take no break in ensuring the safety of individuals and enterprises online. He also urges parents, wards, thought leaders and social/religious institutions to outrightly condemn this menace and partner with the Police in ensuring a safer digital space for all.”

Adejobi stated that the police force urges “landlords/landladies, facility owners, to expose any such cybercrime recruitment centre and mentoring hubs noticed in their areas or houses. We need to break the conspiracy of silence and expose the evil doers in our society.

“We want to reassure the public that we will continually work with partners, stakeholders, and other relevant security agencies to decimate activities of cyber criminals and other criminals across the country.”

The FPRO added, “The Nigeria Police Force, therefore, counts on your support and unwavering commitment to tackling crimes and criminality in the country. Finally, members of the public are enjoined to remain vigilant and report any suspicious online activities through our dedicated e-reporting portal at www.incb.npf.gov.ng, and via email at policecyberunit@pf.cybersecurity.gov.ng.”

The Nigerian Army has killed one suspected member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network in Imo State.

The army equally said it has nabbed a suspected escapee of the Jos jailbreak, Chimezie Chukwu also known as Bigi during different operations in the South East region of the country.

This was disclosed on Sunday, in a statement by the spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA II, Jonah Unuakhalu, and shared on the X (formerly Twitter) page of the force.

Unuakhalu stated that the troops of Sector 4, who were on checkpoint duties in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state, tried to arrest the suspected IPOB/ESN member but fled in order to escape arrest which forced the troops to open fire on him thereby leading to his death.

He said, “Troops of Sector 4 deployed at Forward Operational Base in Okigwe, Imo State while on checkpoint duties spotted an identified IPOB/ESN member on a motorcycle. When ordered by the troops to halt and alight from the motorcycle, he took to his heels in order to escape arrest. All efforts to stop him proved abortive forcing the troops to open fire and neutralised the suspect. Items recovered from him are, two live rounds of 7.62mm Special, One ITEL Mobile phone, One small bag containing charms, the sum of Two thousand three hundred naira only and One Qlink motorcycle.”

He disclosed further that in a joint operation with the Department of State Security, troops of Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force in South East, raided a suspected hideout of IPOB/ESN in Ugbakwa Village in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State which led to the arrest of Bigi, a suspected drug peddler who escaped during a jailbreak in Jos.

"Troops of Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA II on Friday 20 October 2023 in conjunction with the Department of State Security Enugu State Command conducted a raid operation to suspected Indigenous People of Biafra and it’s armed affiliates the Eastern Security Network hideout in Ugbakwa Village in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

"During the raid operations, troops apprehended one Mr Chimezie Chukwu AKA Biggi an escapee of Jos Prison Break known to be a drug peddler, gunrunner and also specialized in armed robbery. Items recovered from him include six mobile phones, three mobile phone batteries, one Moniepoint POS and ATM card, two packs of substances suspected to be cannabis and the sum of One Hundred and Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty Naira only. The suspect and recovered items are in the custody of the DSS for further investigation.”

"Additionally, troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA II acting on credible intelligence also conducted raid operations to suspected IPOB/ESN camps at Ogbunka in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“On arrival, the camp was already abandoned by the terrorist group. However, troops recovered three abandoned Sport Utility Vehicles which are Two Toyota Highlanders and One Mercedes Benz ML 350 efforts are ongoing to identify the owners of the vehicles,” the statement read.

The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, believes politics has become the only lucrative business in Nigeria.

The legal icon spoke during the 11th convocation ceremony of Afe Babalola University on Saturday, lamenting that education is gradually being relegated to the background with politics taking centre stage.

The ABUAD founder recounted his experience with a first-class graduate who turned down further education after a master’s degree because he saw a secondary school colleague who didn’t go to a higher institution achieve material success in politics.

"I was the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and a young man came out with first class in Chemistry and had the highest score that year. I called him and said, ‘I am going to give you a scholarship to do your master’s.

“He was very happy and he agreed; he passed his masters. I had forgotten all about him, then he came in and said, ‘Sir, thank you for the scholarship given to me’ and I said ‘Yes, proceed to your Ph.D.’ and he said ‘No’ and I said ‘Why?’

"He said, ‘My colleague who was in class with me in secondary school did not go to university; he is the chairman of the local government of my place. He is riding a car; he has a house.’ I was depressed.

“I said, ‘What do you want to do now?’ He said, ‘I want to go into politics.’ I wept inside me. That is what your country has made of Nigeria. The only business in this country today which is lucrative is politics,” Babalola said.

He said that while he does not disapprove of any political ambitions, he believes that politics has become less ethical and more of personal gain than about serving the public good.

“I do not say you cannot be a politician but to be a politician is different from what we have now. Who thinks that politics is for making money? Politics is for service,” the legal icon added.

“I was a Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor before and I never had a kobo because I saw it as service. People go now to make money from public money given to them.”

According to him, the nation lacks strong leadership and high-quality education.

“Our problem in this country is leadership in Africa. People believe that when they come out of university, they should go and work or alternatively, go into politics,” he said.

“What we need in this country is quality education. When you have quality education, you have power and when you have power, every other thing submerges,” Afe Babalola said.

Pandemonium broke out at the Oja Oba area of Ilorin in Ilorin West Local Government area of Kwara state on Thursday morning following an accident involving a Hilux Van belonging to the Federal Correctional Service and some commercial motorcyclists known as Okada riders.

The accident reportedly left four people dead while two others were injured.

The accident was reported to have happened at about 8:40 am when one of the correctional service vehicles rammed into some Okada riders at the Isale Oja roundabout while conveying the inmates to the court.

As a result of the accident, the people in the area began a protest during which one of the vehicles in the convoy was vandalised while the inmates in the vehicle were quickly evacuated by the police and kept at the police station ‘C’ division, Oja Oba, for safety.

Though the people in the area alleged that four people were killed in the accident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Frederick Ade Ogidan, who confirmed the incident said that no life was lost in the accident, adding that the victims were critically injured and were receiving treatment in the hospital.

As a result of the confusion, security men drawn from the police and the state service were drafted to the area and condoned off the areas around the palace of the Emir of Ilorin and blocked the roads leading to Oja Oba, Isale Oja, Idi Ape and Ago Markets.

"The incident happened this morning at a roundabout in the Oja Oba area when one of the vehicles of the Federal Correctional Service and some Motorcyclists collided. Four people were involved and were seriously injured and have been taken to the hospital for treatment, none of them has died as I’m speaking now. They are being treated in the hospital and they are responding to treatment.

"The accident was caused by over-speeding and refusal by some road users to give those who are on emergency the right to pass,” Ogidan stated.

Ogidan, however, advised the people to always give vehicles that are on emergency services the chance to pass when driving on the road.

The spokesperson for Kwara police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, also confirmed the incident saying that six people were involved and were receiving treatment in the hospital.

He said, “Two out of the six people have been treated and discharged from the hospital while four are still recovering.”

The PPRO said that the police had restored peace to the area.

Big Brother Naija Season 5 winner, Olamilekan Agbeleshe, popularly known as Laycon, has questioned the behaviour of opposition party supporters in Nigeria over wanting the country to fail because their preferred candidate didn’t emerge as president.

The reality TV star wondered why citizens would wish for their country not to get better because of political differences.

On his X handle, the singer wrote, “Abeg wait to… so there are people (Nigerians, living in Nigeria) actively hoping and praying for things not to get better in this country“

To what end?”

Coming off his tweet was a massive backlash with with many asking him if it was the “prayers and wishes” of opposition party supporters that brought the current economic hardship in the country.

Laycon, in his reaction to the backlash, said he was misunderstood, stressing that the Nigerian leaders are a reflection of the Nigerian people.

He wrote, “I have always stood on the opinion that our leaders are a reflection of who we are as individuals. And as long as we as individuals don’t change, we’ll continue to experience what we give out. Living with the notion that disagreement means hostility and bad intention is wrong.

“I put out a tweet concerning a conversation I had earlier today and the mentions and response to the tweet shows how much some of you do not read to understand before replying. Take a moment and think before talking or typing.

“And yes, I believe our leaders are a reflection of us as a people. We have bad leaders. Yes, but bad people become bad leaders, not the other way around. The everyday people who make life hard for everyday people need only be in power for them to become leaders.

“The fuel attendants during fuel scarcity, the POS attendants during Naira scarcity, if they become leaders what would they do? The ones earning money in dollars, do you think they pray for the exchange rate to reduce or increase? Your super power of criticizing should be aimed at yourself once in a while.”

Nigeria has been ranked the second most prayerful country on earth. Afghanistan was ranked first with 96 percent prayer rate.

According to the Pew Research Centre, Nigeria took the second position with 95 percent prayer rate.

The Pew Research Centre is a non-partisan American think-tank based in Washington, D.C.

Recall that in 2019, Pew Research Centre’s surveys conducted between 2008 and 2017 revealed Nigeria as the most prayerful country.

Meanwhile, the likes of China (1%), UK (6%), Switzerland (8%), Austria (8%), Czechoslovakia (9%), Germany (9%), Estonia (9%) France (10%) and Denmark (10%) are the least prayerful.

Below is the full list for the recent survey of most prayerful countries:

1. Afghanistan: 96%

2. Nigeria: 95%

3. Algeria: 88%

4. Senegal: 88%

5. Djibouti: 87%

6. Iran: 87%

7. Iraq: 87%

8. Niger: 87%

9. Indonesia: 84%

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted Nigerians to expect floods as Cameroonian authorities release water from the Lagdo Dam.
The agency noted that nine states could be affected by the recent release of water from the dam, which is expected to last till the end of this month.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, during an emergency meeting where he gave an update on the release of water from Lagdo Dam and the consequential flooding of communities along the banks of River Niger and River Benue.

The states that may be affected are: Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa states.

Ahmed said the recent release of water by the dam has led to the displacement of 48,100 persons in 13 states of the federation and could lead to the destruction of crops and other infrastructure.


He added that since August 14 when the dam was opened, 28 deaths have been recorded and 159,157 persons have been affected.

The NEMA DG called on all heads of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to cushion the effects of the disaster.

He said: “NEMA has been alerted on sudden increased inundation of riparian communities and farmlands along the banks of River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states in the past 48 hours.

"The sudden situation is attributed to the rapid release of waters from Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon and has resulted in the displacement of several inhabitants of the affected communities.

“Furthermore, croplands and valuable infrastructure are at risk of getting washed away by the flood waters. Situation reports from Adamawa State confirm the upsurge of flood waters along the flood plains of River Benue.

"The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream states of Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa as the River Benue joins River Niger and flows to the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta.”

The agency cautioned authorities of state and local governments along rivers Niger and Benue basin areas to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that will arise due to the flooding of communities.

"I want to use this opportunity to alert authorities of state and local governments along rivers Niger and Benue basin areas to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that will arise due to inundation of communities by flood waters,” he said.

NEMA promised to give further updates as it expects to receive updates from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), NIMET, NEMA Operations Office in Yola Adamawa state, and from State Emergency Agencies of the frontline states.