STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

OSINBAJO TO BANKERS:
TAKE ON TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS

*VP lists housing, renewable energy financing as priority for banking & finance sector

*Adds: Job creation, poverty reduction should be target
The banking and finance sector has over the years played significant roles in the economy, but emerging challenges require that the sector takes on more transformative projects such as housing and renewable energy, among others, in ways that significantly impact job creation and poverty reduction, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Abuja at the opening session of the 14th Annual Banking and Finance Conference themed “Economic Recovery, Inclusion, and Transformation, the role of Banking and Finance”. President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier declared the conference opened and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame also delivered the keynote address.

In their separate remarks, Presidents Buhari and Kagame commended leaders in Nigeria’s banking and finance sector for their contributions to the development of Africa’s economy. President Buhari specifically urged the sector to support his administration’s efforts in job creation and poverty alleviation, listing some of government’s achievements in the areas.

According to the Vice President, “it is time for the sector to take on some of the transformative big-ticket items that would fundamentally transform our economy. Such matters include consumer finance but housing finance in particular.”

He noted that a focus on how to finance housing is critical.

Referencing an African Development Bank (AfDB) survey, Prof. Osinbajo said “the housing sector may support poverty reduction and inclusive growth in two general ways. First, housing construction contributes to economic output, creates employment, and generates a demand for materials and related services. Second, improved housing raises the standard of living of occupants.

“That study (AfDB survey) says for example that the benefits of housing for individuals accrue in large part through better health and sanitation, and of course this improves the overall human capacity of our citizens who are able to own these houses. Housing also generates large multiplier effects in terms of employment and output. Employment is created for both skilled and poorer, unskilled workers.

“The evidence also suggests that there is a symbiotic relationship between housing finance and financial sector development. Housing finance helps to develop the financial sector itself and helps to contribute to economic growth. So, these were the justifications that we also advanced for our mass housing initiative in the Economic Sustainability Plan.”

Challenging the banking sector on participating in the Federal Government’s Mass Housing programme, the VP noted that “the finance sector appears shy or simply has not found the right housing finance model that will work.”

On renewable energy and mitigating the impact of climate change, Prof. Osinbajo said “one of the chief considerations especially for developing countries is how to pay for the massive transition to renewable energy. How do we pay for moving from where we are especially fossil fuel-based power sources to renewable energy? This is a significant challenge but it is also an enormous opportunity.”

Citing the example of the Federal Government’s solar power initiative, Prof. Osinbajo decried the low interest shown by Commercial Banks to catalyze installations or manufacturing for Solar Power Naija programme.

He explained that “the challenge of under-electrification of the rural and poor and it's associated impacts on our economic well-being and security cannot be overstated. The climate change challenge is a massive one in more ways than we can imagine.

“I would like to encourage the Bankers Committee to refocus on supporting the Solar Power Naija to ensure that in the next few months we can catalyze access to the N140 billion and create 5 million connections that can multiply to eliminating our electricity access deficit and creating jobs.”

While commending the sector for its efforts in improving service delivery over the years, the VP noted that “going forward, the banking and finance sector must take advantage of the new opportunities that are opening up and also adapt to domestic and international developments.

“The rapid changes in the technology sector mean that financial technology companies and payment service companies are now an inescapable part of the banking and financial landscape.”

Prof. Osinbajo also suggested that financial inclusion being critical to the objectives of recovery, inclusion and transformation, should be prioritized “especially in this COVID era, for the poor and more vulnerable sections of society so that they can keep their micro-businesses alive and handle risks and uncertainty.”

Other dignitaries who spoke at the event include Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, among other bank executives across the country with several participants also joining virtually.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
14th September 2021

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT BUHARI SETS UP HEALTH SECTOR REFORM COMMITTEE, NAMES VICE PRESIDENT OSINBAJO AS CHAIRMAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the setting up of a Health Sector Reform Committee to commence the development and implementation of a Health Sector Reform programme for Nigeria in collaboration with the State Governments and the FCT administration. This is sequel to a Health Sector Diagnostic Review Report developed by a consultant, Vesta Healthcare Partners and the Federal Ministry of Health.

The committee will undertake a review of all healthcare reforms adopted in the past two decades and lessons learnt and factor them into the development of the new Health Sector Reform Programme.

The committee which is set up for a period of six months under the Chairmanship of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has members drawn from private and public sector health care management professionals, development partners, representatives from the National Assembly as well as the Nigeria Governors Forum among others.

Other members are: His Excellency Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State ; Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister of Health; Mr. Alex Okoh Director General BPE; Prof Ibrahim Abubakar, a Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at University College London and Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health; Mr Babatunde Irukera, Director General, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council; Senator( Dr) Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe; Dr. Adedamola Dada; Dr. Sani Aliyu; Dr. Mairo Mandara; Dr. Haliru Yahaya, Emir of Shonga; Professor Uche Amazigbo ; Director Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health; Dr Faisal Shuaib; Prof Nasiru Sambo; Dr Ifedayo Morayo Adetifa; Dr Gambo Aliyu;

Others in the committee are: Dr Betta Edu ( Chairman Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum representing National Council on Health); President Nigeria Medial Association; President Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; President National Association of Nigeria Nurses & Midwives; President Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria ; Mrs Temi Marcella Awogboro ; Dr. Muhammad Sadiq; Dr. Azubike Tagbo and World Health Organization, Nigeria.

Vesta Healthcare Partners and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are to serve as resources persons and have observer roles in the committee.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has also approved the appointment of Dr Ifedayo Morayo Adetifa as the new Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The President has named him as a member of this important committee.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 06, 2021

���������� ����� �������

�������� ����� ������ ������� �� ����� ����������������� ������� ����������� ���� �����

*������� �����-������ �������� ����� ����� ����� $93� ��������
*�� ��� �� �������� �����

While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers limitless opportunities for the industrialization of Africa, authorities across the continent must take the right policy actions to actualize them, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

He stated that such actions include the protection of local industries and improving value chains.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this in a message delivered today at a ‘Roundtable on Industrialization in Africa themed “Positioning African Industries for Economic Transformation and Continental Free Trade”, organized by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to celebrate its Golden Jubilee.

According to the Vice President, “for certain, the AfCFTA is indispensable if industrial development is to take off in Africa because it offers wider markets and economies of scale which are essential for manufacturing to be competitive.

"We must take policy actions to create an environment in which businesses can thrive. To start with, we must adopt the right type of macroeconomic and industrial policies.

“It is important for African governments to provide a stable macroeconomic environment which avoids and smoothens out volatility in prices, sharp deteriorations in the current account and budget deficits and of course, rapid accumulation in debt burdens.”

Speaking on actions that will boost manufacturing, Prof. Osinbajo said “on the industrial side, policies like tariffs, quotas, subsidies and non-tariff barriers which protect our infant industries so that they can create jobs and enable learning are vital.”

He then added that “well negotiated rules of origin are important in the context of the free trade agreements as they are key to preventing trans-shipment and the deflection of trade. Without them, firms from non-state parties could set up simple labelling operations in one member State with a view to shipping already finished products to another member State without really adding any value.”

Prof. Osinbajo observed that it is important for MAN to involve itself in an advisory capacity to government negotiators "as we go further into the rules of origin negotiations (these rules negotiations have, of course, started), but I think as we go on, we should get more contributions and advise from MAN.”

“Our manufacturers must also strive to become competitive after clearly specified time periods so that they can withstand the ever present danger of stiff competition from imports. In other words, while our manufacturing industries must be nurtured and supported, they cannot remain infants forever,” the VP added.

Emphasizing the point about enhancing industrial competitiveness, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “one of the ways to increase the competitiveness of African industries is to develop and deepen regional value chains wherein production systems starting from conception and design right through to supply of raw materials, processing, transport, storage, marketing and sales take place within our countries and continent.”

Citing examples of Nigeria and South Africa, the VP explained thus: “when we export commodities to the rest of the world, we are also exporting jobs and the positive spillover effects such as learning that come with manufacturing are lost.

"Happily, we are already beginning to see some green shoots emerging in this regard as Nigerian fertiliser blenders obtain phosphates from Morocco for blending with urea produced in our petrochemical plants. Similarly, South African car manufacturers already buy leather for car seats from Botswana. We however need much more of such activities.

He said there are a number of other things that need to be put in place quite quickly "if we are to see the kind of manufacturing activity that we desire. First of all, we need to develop a strong infrastructural base. Extensive, cheap and affordable infrastructure is vital for the success of our economies.

“We must build a network of roads, bridges and rail that will facilitate the movement of goods and people just as we build the electricity plants to power our factories and the broadband networks that lubricate modern business. It would also be essential in the interim to develop sites with dedicated infrastructural and regulatory structures like Special Economic Zones and Shared Facilities for small businesses.”

Prof. Osinbajo added that another major objective of policies aimed at preparing industries for AfCFTA “must be to ease payments across borders and implementation of the protocols on free movement of persons”.

Continuing, the VP said in the pre-recorded message “it is particularly important in this regard to rapidly operationalise the effort by Afreximbank to establish a Pan-African Payments and Settlement Platform. This will go a long way in creating the desired continental payments system and also in facilitating cross-border informal trade which is estimated to be about $93 billion per annum.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN is leaving Abuja today on a short visit to Arusha, Tanzania where he will be received by his Tanzanian counterpart, Dr. Philip Mpango.

While in Arusha, Prof. Osinbajo would visit the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR), an African Union agency in Arusha, among other engagements before he returns to Abuja on Monday.

����� ������,
������ ������� ��������� �� ��� ��������� �� ����� & ���������,
������ �� ��� ���� ���������.
2nd September 2021

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

"WE DON'T WANT ANY CHILD IN NIGERIA DENIED BASIC EDUCATION", OSINBAJO SAYS AT GIRL-FRIENDLY NATIONAL DIALOGUE

*VP adds: Government’s social and entrepreneurial programmes have affirmative component for women

It is the plan and purpose of the Federal Government that no Nigerian child is denied access to basic education, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Abuja where he was guest of honour at the National Dialogue Forum on the Girl-Child in Nigeria, themed “Towards A Girl-Friendly Nigeria” organized by the Women Arise for Change Initiative in collaboration with the African Child Policy Forum, Ethiopia.

Highlighting the efforts of the Buhari administration in the area of improving access to education for the girl child in Nigeria, the VP stated that the Federal Government has “committed in word and deed to education so as to ensure that no child is denied access to free basic education.”

“We believe that free and compulsory education of girls is game-changing in many respects, as it has been empirically shown to positively impact age of marriage, and even maternal and infant mortality,” he said.

The VP added, “In 2020 the Federal Executive Council approved a World Bank credit facility in the sum of $500 million to finance the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project, to improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted areas of participating States, which are Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Plateau.

“The project is aimed at creating safe and accessible learning spaces, advancing an enabling environment for girls, and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Federal and State governments to support girls’ education and empowerment.”

According to the Vice President, the project, which targets girls between the ages of 10 to 20 years with a strong focus on disadvantaged adolescent girls, has so far benefitted over 6 million girls and boys.

Prof Osinbajo explained that the Buhari administration will continue to put the needs of the girl-child in Nigeria at the forefront of laws, policies and practices to ensure their safety, education and health.

The VP highlighted ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to improve the welfare of the girl child in Nigeria, including the enactment of the Child’s Right Act of 2003, and more recently, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015.

While he urged for more action from State Governments to ensure the domestication of these Acts in the States, Prof. Osinbajo said the National Economic Council (NEC) – which the VP chairs - is working with the States to ensure their adoption.

“We have made a point of working with the States to ensure that they adopt these Acts in their States. This led to the creation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) unit as a special NEC project headed by a special adviser to track implementation of relevant policies,” he said.

Prof. Osinbajo also urged State Governments to be more proactive in addressing issues related to the girl-child.

“While the Federal Government must remain focused and committed to advancing effective approaches to keeping girls safe, most of the efforts will occur at the State and local government levels.

"Gender-responsive measures that will transform education systems and address the barriers inhibiting girl child education must be introduced in States. And we are committed to ensuring that these initiatives happen," the VP assured.

He then noted the impactful steps taken by the Rule of Law Advisory Team in the Presidency towards achieving a strong justice response system in supporting women and girls.

“Since 2016, the Rule of Law Advisory Team in the Presidency has been taking a range of steps. We have formed strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders, local and international, including the European Union Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, The Cans Foundation and Ford Foundation, all of whose commitments have proven valuable in supporting our efforts to succeed.

“To ensure effective coordination of responses to cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the Rule of law Team supported the establishment of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Response Teams across the country.”

Continuing Prof. Osinbajo explained that in 2019, the President directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a special panel to investigate cases of unlawful arrests, assault and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Federal Capital Territory following complaints of raids of night clubs and arrests of women by the Police.

In the same vein, the VP emphasized the importance the Buhari administration places on ensuring that women have significant representation in government programmes, including the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) and Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP).

“From 2015 we have ensured that Government’s social and entrepreneurial programmes have an affirmative component for women. Of the 2.4 million beneficiaries of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), 1.2 million were women; that is 56.4% of beneficiaries. A total of N38B in loans has been disbursed over the last four years.

“Of the 1.1 million beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), about 1m are women - over 98% of beneficiaries. For our youth employment programme N-Power, of the 526, 000 employed, 40.4% are female," he disclosed.

Prof. Osinbajo added that under the Federal Government’s ESP Survival Fund's Payroll Support Scheme, out of the 307,173 employees that have benefited; 130,880 or 43% of beneficiaries are female owned businesses.

He further said that “of the 94,318 Artisan beneficiaries of the scheme, 40,386 are female artisans - over 41% of beneficiaries, while 35% of FG grants to MSMEs have so far gone to female MSME owners.”

Although he noted that there is a lot more to be done, considering the country’s huge population, limited resources and deep discriminatory social, cultural practices and attitudes, Prof. Osinbajo emphasized that the Federal Government remains committed to advancing the cause of the girl child.

The Vice President commended Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin and her Women Arise for Change Initiative team for being at the forefront of ending all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

“We must continue to focus on the deep, systemic dysfunction of cultures and social norms that not only enable discriminatory actions against the girl-child, but also allow it to fester,” the VP said.

He further urged that the National Dialogue Forum should consider all of the critical issues related to the development of the girl child in Nigeria.

Present at the event were the Women Affairs Minister Dame Pauline Tallen, Dr. Okei-Odumakin and Dr. Joan Nyanyuki, Executive Director of African Child Policy Forum, representatives of diplomatic missions and development partners.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
31st August 2021

���������� ����� �������

*IN RESOLVING CONFLICTS, LEADERS MUST MAKE SACRIFICES, RISK POPULARITY — ��������*

**VP welcomes Muslim group, calls for more inclusive interfaith dialogue*

In situations of conflict, including ethnic and religious tensions, leaders must be willing to make sacrifices even at the risk of their popularity in order to attain long-lasting resolutions, peace, and progress, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today when he received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, a delegation from the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) led by its Executive Chairman, Mr Disu Kamor.

MPAC is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion of peace building and interfaith cohesion, among other objectives.

According to the Vice President, “there is a need to understand first of all, that there is no way that we can deal with the tensions between the faiths and ethnicities in Nigeria today unless those in leadership are prepared to make some important sacrifices.

“Those sacrifices are sacrifices even in what you say, how you say it, and then sacrifices also in the acknowledgment of whatever people are saying and the willingness to accept.

“It is very important that we don’t diminish the importance of language and respectful non-violent communication so that we are able to keep our discussions at a level that ensures that we don’t degenerate too quickly to violence.”

Citing the examples of the sacrifices made by the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela and Imam Abubakar Abdullahi of Barkin Ladi, in Plateau State, the VP said “we can all talk nicely and say the right things but unless people are prepared to make some concessions which may cost them popularity within their own group, we cannot move forward.”

(Nelson Mandela, who had spent such a long time in jail under apartheid before he became President still pushed for a South Africa where even his tormentors got equal treatment like his fellow black South Africans. In Nigeria more recently, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi in 2018, put his life on the line to save the lives of over 200 Christians who took refuge in his mosque when some gunmen attacked the village of Nghar Yelwa in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and sought to kill the Christians.)

“These are stories of people who are not only political or religious leaders but just ordinary people, doing the right thing. Unless we are prepared to not just talk about it but to make an open display, first of all, of those who are doing the right things, but more importantly, challenging our leaders to say the right things and to be prepared to risk some popularity in order to do so, then we will just be wasting a lot of time,” Prof. Osinbajo submitted.

In addition to leaders making sacrifices, the Vice President said the notion of respectful dialogue is also crucial especially “at this time”.

His words: “the whole idea of promoting respect for other faiths and people of other ethnicities and beliefs is a very important thing especially now in our country with what we are seeing.”

Commending the Muslim group’s efforts in promoting interfaith cohesion, the Vice President noted that setting up an inclusive platform for interfaith dialogue should be an important consideration by concerned stakeholders.

“I think it is something that is important, especially one that takes into account younger people, professionals who are not necessarily religious leaders in that sense, maybe there might be a way to have a more inclusive interfaith dialogue.

“We are at a point in time in our history, where people who are responsible and like-minded from all of the faiths and ethnicities should come together to do something,” the VP explained.

Earlier in his presentation, the leader of the group, Mr Disu Kamor said MPAC has been involved in programmes and activities aimed at promoting cohesion among people of different faiths over the past decade.

He said the group is ready to collaborate with other stakeholders deepening efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence and dousing the tensions across the country among people of different faiths.

����� ������,
������ ������� ��������� �� ��� ��������� �� ����� & ���������,
������ �� ��� ���� ���������.
30th August 2021

���������� ����� �������

�� ������� ������’� �������� �� ���������, �������� ����������� ������ �������� ��� �����, ��� ����� ������� �� �������

*���������� ����������� ��������, ���� ������ ���� ��������

*��: ��������� �� � ��������� ����������, ����� ���

Detailing some of the ongoing and completed Federal Government projects in the Southeast, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, affirms that the Buhari administration considers the zone a strategic industrial, trade hub, and a major player in Nigeria's economic growth.

The consideration and the projects would also help in lifting people out of poverty.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this earlier today at the inauguration of two completed projects in Anambra State: the MSMEs Shared Facility at the Ogbunike Leather Trading Cluster, and the Awka 120MVA 132/33kV Sub-Station.

The VP observed that the Second Niger Bridge Project which connects Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha in Anambra State has now achieved 65% completion and will be completed by October 2022.

Besides, he noted that the concession of the Onitsha Inland River Port is in its final stages, while both the draft Concession Agreement and the Full Business Case (FBC) have been transmitted to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for necessary action.

According to the Vice President, “let me also assure you of this administration’s commitment to seeing through the major infrastructural projects that will have a transformative impact on this zone. The Second Niger Bridge Project which connects Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha in Anambra State has now achieved 65% completion.

"By the time it is completed in October 2022, the Project will offer significant socio-economic benefits for the contiguous States and indeed the entire nation by easing traffic flow, improving road safety, and creating greater opportunities for residents and neighbouring States, thereby regenerating economic life.”

Continuing, the VP noted that the concession of the Onitsha Inland River Port is in its final stages, adding that once the Port becomes operational, it will effectively decongest the Apapa ports and ultimately translate into a reduction in the cost of imported goods.

"The cumulative effects of all these measures is to open up the Southeast and our resolve to pursue these projects to their completion is an indication that the administration sees the zone as a strategic industrial and trade hub. They also demonstrate our conviction that Anambra State and the Southeast at large, have a huge role to play in our drive to foster economic growth and lift our people out of poverty. The commissioning of this facility here today is a milestone in our nation’s economic adventure," he says.

On the Ogbunike Shared Facility project, the Vice President said the initiative would transform businesses within and around the cluster, hugely increasing their production capacity.

“I am told this leather cluster has about 2000 stores with almost 30,000 MSMEs operating here. So, I have no doubt that this facility will be of immediate value to all of them. When asked, some of MSMEs operating here said they are able to produce 200 to 400 shoes a month, using manual processes. With this facility, the MSMEs located here would now have a potential monthly production of 96,000 shoe soles, 44,000 slippers, 44,000 shoes and 22,000 boots.

“This project will also help provide relative succour to MSMEs by also housing a One-Stop Office for MSMEs. This arrangement brings all relevant regulatory agencies under one roof to enable MSMEs requiring services or facing difficulties to access them with ease.”

On the Awka Power Station, the VP said “the commitment of the Buhari administration to ensuring the completion of this Awka NIPP 132kV Grid Substation now provides a hitherto unavailable 70MW additional power capacity for driving industrial growth and boosting the economy of the State, with positive knock-on effects on employment and socio-economic upliftment for residents of the State.”

Prof. Osinbajo explained that beyond commerce, the power project “is also connected to the new ultra-modern airport at Umueri,” noting that “we are looking here at a substantial addition not just to power capacity, but more importantly at the capacity of the residents of this State, and businesses in this State to be more effective.”

While thanking the Vice President, Governor Willie Obiano, acknowledged the support the State has received from the Federal Government across different sectors including MSMEs, infrastructure projects, among many others.

He noted that thousands of small businesses have benefitted from schemes implemented by the Federal Government including direct disbursements to businesses in the State.

Speaking earlier, a representative of the Shoe Manufacturers Association of Anambra State, Chief Clement Okemefuna Emesim, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for fulfilling a promise made in 2018, while appealing to governments to patronise the products from the leather hub in the State.

����� ������,
������ ������� ��������� �� ��� ��������� �� ����� & ���������,
������ �� ��� ���� ���������.
24th August 2021

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

2023: OSINBAJO HAS NOT DECLARED INTEREST IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

There has again been a flurry of activities, such as the release of campaign style promotional videos, banners in the Social Media and even the deployment of political posters in some parts of the country, including the FCT and Kano, insinuating that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has joined the 2023 Presidential Race.

The Office of the Vice President wishes to reiterate a statement on the same subject, made earlier in May this year.

The Office of the Vice President is not in any way connected with the distribution and deployment of any 2023 political posters whether on the streets or in online videos, banners and the like on the Social Media.

All these are simply needless distractions from the urgent tasks of governance needed in our country at this time.

Prof. Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as Vice President in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to the security challenges and working to further boost the economy.

Therefore, we ask that people desist from such publications while we all deal together with the challenges confronting us as Nigerians, and resolve them for the benefit of our people, and the enthronement of peace and prosperity in the land.



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President

���������� ����� �������

*A LEGACY OF FAITH, CHARACTER, SERVICE CAN INFLUENCE COMMUNITIES, NATION* – ��������

_*VP pays tribute to Delta State Governor’s father during thanksgiving service_
 
_*Says Pa Okowa, member of Awo's party, devoted his life to public service_

A legacy of faith, character and selfless service to God and man is the ultimate inheritance that can influence communities and the nation for good, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
 
The Vice President stated this today during the thanksgiving and celebration of life service for late Chief (Sir) Arthur Uzoma Okorie Okowa (JP), 88, the father of the Delta State Governor, at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Owa-Alero, in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the State.
 
Describing the late Pa Okowa as an outstanding educationist, committed public servant, and progressive, the Vice President stated that he was honoured to join many others to celebrate the life and times of a “man who devoted his entire life to public service, to his community, and to the church.”
 
In his tribute to Pa Okowa, the Vice President noted that his community, state, and the nation, have been blessed by the life of the late teacher who “took education and discipline so seriously that he made it his life work, that he saw public service as a calling, and politics as an important component of service to one’s community and to one’s people.”
 
He said, “we have been told already that the late Sir Arthur Okowa was a devout Christian of the Anglican faith. Today as we celebrate the exceptional life of this great son and leader of the traditional kingdom in his hometown of Owa-Alero, we are reminded of this scripture in Proverbs 13:22: 'a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.'  I think it is obvious that the inheritance a good man leaves cannot just be houses, money or other forms of material wealth.
 
“In any event, there is no guarantee that material wealth can last generations. It must be something more enduring; ultimately, it is a legacy: a legacy of faith, character and selfless service to God and man. It is only such a legacy that influences that trajectory of the lives of children and grandchildren and, indeed, both communities and nation. There is no doubt that Pa Okowa has left an inheritance for his children’s children, and for his community, for his state and nation.”
 
Prof. Osinbajo added that Governor Okowa's father was committed to the education of his own children, and of others, and that was an example of public service with integrity.
 
According to him "a father’s faithfulness to the education of his own and others is example of public service with integrity, and his commitment to his faith has given an inheritance that has endured and will, by God’s grace, continue to endure.”
 
Prof. Osinbajo noted that “the nation and the state benefitted and still benefits because of the decisions that Pa Okowa made by the services of the well-bred and disciplined leadership of Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State”, who was once a Local Government Chairman, Senator and now Governor of the State.
 
“The story of educational development in many communities in Delta and Edo states cannot be told without the extensive contributions of the late Pa Okowa. Indeed, there are entire communities that owe the level of their educational development to the labours of this great educationist.
 
“But Pa Okowa was also devoted to progressive politics, one of the leaders of thought in the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, in Ika and Anioma areas under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”
 
Condoling with the Okowa family, Prof. Osinbajo prayed that God Almighty will comfort them and that Pa Okowa’s memory and legacy will remain forever blessed.
 
Besides the Vice President, others who joined the Governor of Delta State at the thanksgiving service included former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, several State Governors, senior government officials, captains of industry and other dignitaries.
 
����� ������,
������ ������� ��������� �� ��� ��������� �� ����� & ���������,
������ �� ��� ���� ���������.
21st August, 2021

���������� ����� �������

*A LEGACY OF FAITH, CHARACTER, SERVICE CAN INFLUENCE COMMUNITIES, NATION* – ��������

_*VP pays tribute to Delta State Governor’s father during thanksgiving service_
 
_*Says Pa Okowa, member of Awo's party, devoted his life to public service_

A legacy of faith, character and selfless service to God and man is the ultimate inheritance that can influence communities and the nation for good, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
 
The Vice President stated this today during the thanksgiving and celebration of life service for late Chief (Sir) Arthur Uzoma Okorie Okowa (JP), 88, the father of the Delta State Governor, at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Owa-Alero, in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the State.
 
Describing the late Pa Okowa as an outstanding educationist, committed public servant, and progressive, the Vice President stated that he was honoured to join many others to celebrate the life and times of a “man who devoted his entire life to public service, to his community, and to the church.”
 
In his tribute to Pa Okowa, the Vice President noted that his community, state, and the nation, have been blessed by the life of the late teacher who “took education and discipline so seriously that he made it his life work, that he saw public service as a calling, and politics as an important component of service to one’s community and to one’s people.”
 
He said, “we have been told already that the late Sir Arthur Okowa was a devout Christian of the Anglican faith. Today as we celebrate the exceptional life of this great son and leader of the traditional kingdom in his hometown of Owa-Alero, we are reminded of this scripture in Proverbs 13:22: 'a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.'  I think it is obvious that the inheritance a good man leaves cannot just be houses, money or other forms of material wealth.
 
“In any event, there is no guarantee that material wealth can last generations. It must be something more enduring; ultimately, it is a legacy: a legacy of faith, character and selfless service to God and man. It is only such a legacy that influences that trajectory of the lives of children and grandchildren and, indeed, both communities and nation. There is no doubt that Pa Okowa has left an inheritance for his children’s children, and for his community, for his state and nation.”
 
Prof. Osinbajo added that Governor Okowa's father was committed to the education of his own children, and of others, and that was an example of public service with integrity.
 
According to him "a father’s faithfulness to the education of his own and others is example of public service with integrity, and his commitment to his faith has given an inheritance that has endured and will, by God’s grace, continue to endure.”
 
Prof. Osinbajo noted that “the nation and the state benefitted and still benefits because of the decisions that Pa Okowa made by the services of the well-bred and disciplined leadership of Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State”, who was once a Local Government Chairman, Senator and now Governor of the State.
 
“The story of educational development in many communities in Delta and Edo states cannot be told without the extensive contributions of the late Pa Okowa. Indeed, there are entire communities that owe the level of their educational development to the labours of this great educationist.
 
“But Pa Okowa was also devoted to progressive politics, one of the leaders of thought in the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, in Ika and Anioma areas under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”
 
Condoling with the Okowa family, Prof. Osinbajo prayed that God Almighty will comfort them and that Pa Okowa’s memory and legacy will remain forever blessed.
 
Besides the Vice President, others who joined the Governor of Delta State at the thanksgiving service included former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, several State Governors, senior government officials, captains of industry and other dignitaries.
 
����� ������,
������ ������� ��������� �� ��� ��������� �� ����� & ���������,
������ �� ��� ���� ���������.
21st August, 2021

Youth And Sports Development: JCI Honours Sunday Dare With Special Recognition Award.

In appreciation of his contribution to the development of Youth and Sports in Nigeria, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare was yesterday bestowed with a special recognition award by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Northern Conference in Abuja.

The conference with the theme "Securing and Transforming Our Collective Future" was convened to gather young Nigerians to proffer solutions to security challenges facing the nation. The JCI lauded the Minister for the innovative initiatives of his Ministry which placed premium on empowerment of the youth, stating initiatives like the National Youth Investment Programme (NYIF), Digital Skill Entrepreneurship Employability Leadership (DEEL) amongst others are commendable, hence the award.

The Honourable Minister in his acceptance speech thanked the group for the award, emphasising that the Annual Conference provides a platform for Nigerian youths especially the members of JCI and their stakeholders to share experiences and exchange ideas on contemporary security issues affecting various sectors in the country. "I believe that this conference will generate new ideas, innovations and strategies to address the identified challenges", the Minister enthused.

Mr Dare further stated that Security is multi dimensional. "The youth need job security. Educational security through quality education. And of course the security against robbers, bandits, kidnappers and terrorists. We have seen a massive improvement in the curtainment of the activities of boko haram, banditry and other terror activities under President Buhari. Government remains committed to providing adequate security. The greatest security the youth need is employment through job security”, the Minister emphasised.

He intimated the conference that the partnership of the Ministry with IBM, Google and Microsoft has led to the training of over 100,000 youths for Digital skills under the DEEL programme, restating the commitment of the Buhari administration to do more to provide opportunities for advancement of youth, urging the JCI to take advantage of various initiatives of the Youth and Sports development Ministry to increase potentials for employability and leadership.

Statehouse Press Release

NIGERIA WILL GET A NEW BEGINNING – OSINBAJO

It is in the nature of God to create new beginnings and Nigeria is on course for one, regardless of all doubts, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

He stated this while featuring at the ongoing 25th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God – The Americas, themed: New Beginning.

Prof Osinbajo, who is also a pastor in RCCG, cited the biblical story of Nathaniel who doubted whether any good thing could come out of Nazareth, and declared with optimism that despite people doubting if anything good would come out of Nigeria, the country will experience a new beginning.

According to him “today, many men are saying the same about our nation Nigeria, even men of God, but this is the textbook case of how God works, He is set to give Nigeria a new beginning.”

The VP stated that “in the midst of current travails, the God of new beginnings is about to change our story. He is about to do something new. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

The Vice President went further to say that the ideal person ready for a new beginning is one who requires the strength of God to show forth in their weakness.

He observed that “God did not create us to be independent of Him, He did not endow us with the strength to succeed without Him.”…The God of new beginnings did not create us to be self-sufficient. We need Him.”

The VP spoke at one of the sessions of The Americas Convention of the RCCG featuring the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, the Continental Overseer of the Church in the American Continent, Pastor James Fadel, and other guest speakers drawn from around the world.

The Convention of the RCCG in the US is reported to be the largest gathering of Nigerians anywhere in the US, Canada, and  Southern and Central American countries.

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,
Office of the Vice President
19th August, 2021

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE


I WILL GREATLY MISS AHMED JODA'S WISE COUNSEL-OSINBAJO

"He was an exceptional statesman"

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has described the late Alhaji Ahmed Joda as an "exceptional statesman, committed patriot, outstanding technocrat and bridge builder."

In a statement he signed personally, Prof Osinbajo said he will greatly miss Alhaji Joda's "profoundly wise counsel on a wide variety of economic and social issues."

Joda was Chairman of the Presidential Transition that followed the victory of the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket in the 2015 election.

Below is the full text of the Vice President’s statement today on the transition of the elder statesman who passed on yesterday:

"I join the President in expressing sincere condolence to the family and associates of an exceptional statesman, committed patriot, outstanding technocrat and bridge builder: Alhaji Ahmed Joda.  

I will greatly miss his profoundly wise counsel on a wide variety of economic and social issues. We have lost a passionate believer in a nation, where all, regardless of faith or ethnicity can live together and achieve their dreams in peace. 

We pray that the Lord will comfort his family, associates and the people of Adamawa State from whence he hailed. May his memory always remain blessed."

Released by

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President
Office of the Vice President
14th August 2021

���������� ����� �������

*AGRIC, TECH COLLABORATION BETWEEN NIGERIA, VIETNAM WILL DEEPEN RELATIONSHIP – OSINBAJO*

**VP to Envoy: _Let’s explore opportunities for our young people_

_**Vietnam recognizes Nigeria’s role in Africa as enormous_

With the opportunities existing in agriculture & technology in Nigeria and Vietnam, both countries will benefit from effective collaboration in these sectors and thereby deepen their friendly relationships.

Prof. Osinbajo made this assertion on Monday at the Presidential Villa during a courtesy visit by the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Nigeria, Luong Quoe.

“There are specific areas where we have talked about in the past, agriculture is one. There was also talk about cashew processing and rice growing and rice processing where Vietnam has shown great innovation and great success. We think that these are areas where we certainly can do a lot more with cooperation.”

The Vice President also noted that other areas of collaboration between Nigeria and Vietnam would be in the interaction of young people actively engaged within the technology space in both countries.

According to him, “I know that Vietnam is doing interesting things in technology and telecoms sectors. I think that we should look for opportunities where young people in Nigeria and Vietnam can interact especially in technology and share ideas, innovation, and their different attainments. I certainly would like us to explore that possibility, especially in the area of technology with our young people.”

Prof Osinbajo further stated that there was plenty room for cooperation, and one of such ways is being effective in establishing relationships and ensuring the relationships endure if both countries are “able to structure the Bi-national Commission and then also some of the economic collaboration through agriculture and technology.”

The Vice President thanked the Vietnamese Government for the kind donation of medical supplies comprising of Droplet Resistant and Antibacterial Fabric Masks, Medical Face Masks and Real–Time Reverse Transcriptase (RT-PCR) Diagnostic Panel for SARS-COV 2 to the Nigerian Mission in Hanoi, Vietnam, in addition, to the donation of 100,000 high-quality 4-Fly Anti- Bacterial Medical face masks by a Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Company known as ANH THU Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Investment Joint Stock Company–PSD Group.

In his remarks, Ambassador Quoe commended Nigeria’s role in Africa “as being enormous” and stated that Vietnam “would always wish to have Nigeria’s support in multilateral forums, most importantly the United Nations.”

He also mentioned that the economic potential between both countries is huge and hopes Nigeria “would soon recognize Vietnam as a country of full market economy and Nigeria and Vietnam would sign an agreement on investment, promotion, and protection.”

The Ambassador added that “there are five to seven thousand Nigerians studying and helping in the development of the economy of Vietnam” and also requested the consideration of direct flights between Nigeria and Vietnam.

Also present at the meeting was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and other top government officials.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
10th August, 2021

Tokyo Olympics: Amazing Facts About The Performance Of Team Nigeria 

The Tokyo Olympics has had its fair share of drama on and off the sport's arena. Team Nigeria is no exception but in the middle of all those distractions, Nigeria made very important progress at the games.

Here are eight amazing facts about Nigeria's performances at the Tokyo Olympics. 

1. Nigeria got a bronze medal in long jump, 25 years after Chioma Ajunwa won gold in Atlanta 1996.

2. Nigeria won a silver medal for wrestling, first Olympic medal ever in the history of the sport.   

3. 21-year-old Enoch Adegoke became only the third Nigeria to get to the Finals of the 100 Meters Men event. 

4. Nigeria bagged 2 medals, a silver and a bronze, placing her  68 out of the 205 countries at the Tokyo Olympics and 4th in Africa. 

5. Nigerian Olympians made a record 5 finals at the Tokyo Olympics.

6. Nigerian Olympians set several new personal best PBs records in Athletics

 7. Nigeria reached the final of shot put for the first time in her history.


8. Nigeria performed better at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when compared with London 2012 Olympics with zero medal and the  Rio 2016 Olympics with one bronze medal.

There is much to hope for the future. As the Minister for Youth and Sports said, "Most of our athletes are young and debutants – experiencing Olympics for the first time. They remain committed patriots who gave their all and I have nothing but pride for their tenacity and commitment to deliver smiles to the faces on Nigerians. We have started building a new generation of Young Nigerian athletes. There is much hope." #Olympics2020

Other giant strides include:

Team Nigeria:

WON TWO OLYMPIC MEDALS
-Silver Medal in Wrestling by Blessing Oborududu.
-Bronze Medal in Long Jump by Ese Brume.

PRODUCED 5 OLYMPICS FINALISTS
1.Enoch Adegoke - 100 meters men
2. Ese Brume- Wome. Long jump
3. Tobi Amusan- 100meters women hurdles
4. Blessing Oborodudu-67kg free style women wrestling
5. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi- shot put.
A record achievement.

ATHLETICS
Enoch Adegoke becomes Nigeria's first 100m Olympic finalist since 1996 clocking 10.00s in heat 2 of men's 100m semis! 25 years after Davidson Ezinwa at Atlanta '96

#Tokyo2020: Enoch Adegoke has beaten powerful prowess like Asian record holder, Femi Ogunode, British star, Zharnel Hughes and 2021 World leader Travon Brommel to win his100m heat in a huge Personal best of 9.98s, which makes him 10th joint fastest Nigerian in history.

WRESTLING-
Blessing Oborududu broke the jinx in the wrestling family with an Olympic Silver medal to show for it.

LONG JUMP
ESE BRUME.- Silver medalist. Long jump
I'm her own words!
“I’m super excited that I made it to the top three at the Olympics. Honestly, I can’t contend with my joy.
“This medal means a lot to me. It doesn’t matter the color",

CANOEING : Ayomide Bello
Quite decent representation from Nigeria's Ayomide Bello, who is for a fact the first African female to compete in Canoe Sprint at the Olympics.

Her #Tokyo2020 campaign has come to an end as she finishes 3rd in the quarter-finals of the C-1 200m with 47.326s.

SWIMMING: Abiola Ogunbanwo, new national record in Swimming. A first since 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics: Facts About The Puma Contract and Its Aftermath By Chibuike Anyanwu

Yesterday, the media was awash with news about the termination of kits supply contract by Puma to Team Nigeria. The deal signed in 2019 before the appointment of the current Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare was supposed to lapse in 2022. The contract signed by the then leadership of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Ibrahim Gusau had a Non-Disclosure Agreement without the supervision of the Ministry, in total disregard for due process.

Mr Dare on assumption of office discovered that funds for the Puma kits contract was paid into personal accounts and the then Gusau-led AFN signed a confidentiality clause in the contract with PUMA which prevented them from revealing details of the contract to the supervising body,the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. This is the bone of contention which is antithetical to transparency and accountability mantra of the Buhari administration.

The contract has led to an ongoing legal battle between the sports ministry and Gusau. In addition, Gusau, alongside Sunday Adeleye, technical director of the body, were dragged to court by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for alleged diversion of over $75,000.

Therefore, it becomes pertinent that the Ministry protects Nigerian athletes by refusing to allow them adorn the Puma branded apparel at the on-going Tokyo Olympics because because it is a subject of criminal investigation.

While there has since been a legitimate AFN leadership led by Tonobock Okowa elected by over two-thirds of members since June 2021, the Gusau has continued his campaign of calumny against the Ministry and Nigeria's interest by wilfully sabotaging preparations for the Olympics and expending a whooping N2.7bn to sponsor negative stories in the media. He was responsible for refusing to release details of testing to athletes to ensure that Nigeria fails, and the Minister is disgraced, just because their criminal diversion was stopped in its tracks.

It is quite incongruous that some publications claimed that the Department of State Security (DSS) cleared Gusau of any wrongdoing. That is quite laughable because the DSS is in charge of State Security. Its purview does not extend to investigating criminal matters or corruption allegations. As at today, Gusau has been charged to court by the Police and a "Prima facie" case has been established against him for misapplication of funds and criminal diversion.

It really stands logic on its head that Sunday Dare, a lawyer and seasoned administrator who had served meritoriously as a National Commissioner in Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) amongst other roles in public and private sector would be negligent in his handling of preparations for the Olympics or wilfully bring Nigeria to disrepute in any form.

The crime of the Minister is that he refused to bend the rules and join in the bazaar of sharing the loot, hence Gusau vowed to bring him down, after the emergence of a new board of the Athletics Federation led to his ouster.

Now that the contract has been terminated, let's see how Gusau will refund the $2.7m. Nemesis is catching up sooner than later!


Chibuike Anyanwu, a sports analyst wrote from Enugu

Tokyo 2020: Adegoke Makes History As 3rd, 100m Olympics Finalist    
   
Enoch Adegoke, Nigeria's sprint sensation who made history Sunday as the third man to make the final of the 100m event at the Olympics after the duo of Davidson Ezinwa and Olapade Adeniken suffered a hamstring injury that truncated his bid for the gold medal.     

Hamstring is a muscle strain injury caused by rapid acceleration activities when running or initiating a running activity. It is common in sports such as soccer, football and track.
   
It is however gratifying that despite the setback, Adegoke joined the exclusive club of sub-10 seconds runners after racing home first in 9.98 seconds in his first-round heat to qualify for the 100m semifinal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.

A home grown talent who was developed and nurtured through the National Youth Games of Federal Ministry of Youth And Sports Development (FMYSD), Adegoke was personally adopted by the Honourable Minister Sunday Dare who put his money where his mouth is by promoting the Adopt-an-Athlete initiative of the FMYSD.

The belief in the career progression of Enoch Adegoke by the Minister culminated in Adegoke competing in the finals of the 100m event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Though he bowed out due to the hamstring injury, he remains a hero and a pride to Nigeria.

*Tokyo Olympics, Nigerian Athletes And Matters Arising By Musa Keffi*

Nigeria’s participation in this year’s edition of 2020 Olympics has been trailed by controversies and hullabaloo over some athletes’ disqualification to participate based on failure to complete the three-out-of-competition tests, the failure of the out-of-competition anti-doping test by Blessing Okagbare and other sundry matters. Some have blamed the challenges on the incompetence of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) to plan for the Olympics in 6 years, concluding it is an indictment on the Supervising Minister, Sunday Dare. One wonders how Dare, just less than 2 years in the saddle can be made to account for 6 years. As an avid sports enthusiast that has followed events in the sector over the past few years, I’d attempt to throw more light on issues so that proper perspectives can be deduced.

The disqualification of 10 athletes though unfortunate is not unconnected to the power tussle in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) that began to rear its ugly head in June 2017. It will be recalled that the current Minister assumed office in August 2019 but that is not to say he hasn’t tried to resolve the conflict. A new President of AFN, Tonobok Okowa emerged in June 2021 in what was widely acclaimed to be a rancor free election, bagging the support of most States Athletics Association Chairmen. But hardly had the dust settled before another charade emanated from Kebbi where the former President, Ibrahim Gusau literarily declared himself “autonomous President” in what analysts termed a kangaroo election. This distractions obviously culminated in the inability of the AFN to apply all due diligence in preparing athletes for the competition. It is instructive that the AFN has since accepted responsibility for lapses and is putting in place measures to ensure the performance of other athletes is not negatively impacted by the set-back. The Minister has also apologized directly to the athletes and promised to make their welfare a priority.

Purveyors of the rumor mill soon went to town with a fallacy that gained traction. They alleged that Samsung S21 phones given to disqualified athletes had been retrieved. This has turned out to be untrue as the Director, Federation of Elites Athletics Department (FEAD) in the FMYSD, Simon Ebhojiaye Friday debunked the rumour stating that “ _no official of Team Nigeria or National Organizing Committee (NOC) took away any entitlement of any athlete_ ”. He also addressed issues relating to welfare, revealing that payment of allowances to athletes commenced last week, and is still on-going. It is gratifying that some athletes have corroborated the Director's statement by refuting on social media, the speculation that their phones were seized.

Another unfortunate incident that trailed the on-going Olympics is the provisional suspension of Nigeria’s sprint queen, Blessing Okagbare by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing the anti-dope out-of-competition test, when she had already qualified for Semifinals of the women’s 100m sprint. She was discovered to have tested positive for the Human Growth Hormone, a prohibited substance.  Some have also blamed the Sports Ministry for this, forgetting that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) though under the Ministry is an independent body that tests athletes and give a clean bill of health, which the Ministry has no control over. Besides no agency or official can be with an athlete 24/7 so the onus falls on athletes, especially those that are considered veterans to ensure due diligence in what they eat or consume. Besides, she was only suspended for further investigations and she can still be certified innocent after going through the five stages of AIU disciplinary process.

Despite the set-backs, there are heart-warming positives coming out of Tokyo 2021. For instance, Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha has qualified for the 100m event, Oluwatobiloba Amusan is also at the semi-finals of the Women’s 100m hurdles and the triumph is not restricted to women as Enoch Adegoke beat the fastest man in the World, Bromell Travon in the 100m men heat and is headed for the semi-finals. The resilience of the Nigerian spirit is at work. Despite what seems like daunting challenges, we never cave in. The Tokyo 2021 might still turn out to be one of our best outing in recent times as Nigerian officials and the contingent have showed remarkable determination to surmount pitfalls and make the country proud.
 
*_Musa Keffi* , a Sports Analyst wrote from Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital_

News Of Purported Arrest Of Al-Makura, A Fallacy Of Mischief Makers - ASO.

The attention of Senator Tanko Al-Makura and the Al-Makura Support Organisation (ASO) has been drawn to the news of his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sensationally carried by Premium Times and another unknown blog, earlier this evening.

While it is true that the EFCC invited the Sneator to answer some questions bordering on some allegations to which he responded appropriately and effectively debunked, he was at no time detained and has since returned to his residence to have dinner with political associates.

The Al-Makura Support Organisation (ASO) warns mischief makers to desist from campaign of calumny against the respected Senator who has served Nasarawa State meritoriously for 10 years, first as a two-term Governor, and currently as a Distinguished Senator with unblemished record.

Sen. Al-Makura won't be distracted by the antics of detractors as he remains committed to working assiduously to continue exemplary representation of his people at the National Assembly. He remains focused on the vision of galvanising a repositioned and reformed APC.


Segun Tomori

Director, Media & Publicity
Al-Makura Support Organisation (ASO)

���������� ����� �������

*EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION WILL HELP ADDRESS SUB-REGIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES - OSINBAJO*

_*Nigeria, ECOWAS sign MoU on implementing Early Warning mechanism, centre_
 
Since security threats confronting Nigeria and the rest of West Africa are becoming more violent, asymmetric, cross-border by nature, and spreading faster than before, the need for an effective sub-regional collaboration on early warning systems has become a necessity, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
 
Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the implementation of an Early Warning mechanism and for the establishment of a National Early Warning and Response Centre in the country.
 
The Strategic Framework for the establishment of National Early Warning and Response mechanisms was adopted by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at the 45th ordinary session which held in Accra, Ghana in July, 2014.
 
According to the Framework, the establishment of the early warning system is to provide real-time information on events or other incidents likely to affect social peace and security in the West African region. It also seeks to provide information on the occurrence of social and political events and climate change.
 
A major objective of a national Coordination Centre for the early warning mechanism is to strengthen the ECOWAS strategy for information sharing among Member States, so as to avert or reduce threats.
 
According to the Vice President, “I don’t think there is a better time for this process (than now) which will lead to full implementation of the Early Warning and Response System. We are at a time nationally, and sub-regionally, where the security threats that confront us are becoming more violent, they are asymmetric, spread faster than before, and they are cross border in their nature.
 
“There is no question at all that this is a moment when we really should be looking at how to collaborate in real-time and in increasingly more imaginative ways in sharing information, and also in sharing competence in order to confront our security challenges.”
 
Commending the sub-regional body for its foresight in the design of the regional warning system, the VP said “the clear expansion of the ECOWAS early warning and response network to include terrorism indicators is a very important thing.
 
“I think this has helped a great deal in not only focusing on terrorism, which is, today, possibly the most lethal threat that we face, but also in giving us an opportunity as a sub-region to bring the very best possible ideas and to be able to check these threats as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”
 
While assuring partners of the Buhari administration’s commitment to the programme, the Vice President said “the administration will ensure that the early warning and response system is implemented and we look forward to working with you – ECOWAS -in ensuring that it is fully implemented.”
 
On his part, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, said the signing of the MoU was a consolidation of discussions held at different levels by ECOWAS leaders to find ways of containing threats to security in the sub-region.
 
Also in his remarks, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, said the signing of the MoU reiterates Nigeria’s commitment to promoting peace and security in West Africa.
 
He recalled that the regional early warning mechanism was set up by the ECOWAS 1999 protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security, and to support the region in anticipating, mitigating and responding to challenges of human security.
 
“In order to support member states in strengthening their capacity in preventing human security challenges, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in 2014 signed a supplementary Act, adopting the policy framework on the establishment of national early warnings, and rapid response mechanism,” he added.
 
While commending the Vice President’s leadership and support, Brou appealed to Nigeria to sign an Executive Order to give legal backing to the planned National Centre for Early Warning and Response System.
 
Senior government officials present at the ceremony included the Ministers of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.); Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed; Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq; Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; and National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), among others.
 
*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
*14th July, 2021*

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

LIFTING 100M NIGERIANS OUT OF POVERTY:

WHAT WE NEED IS A SIMPLE, COMMON SENSE APPROACH, SAYS OSINBAJO

*VP chairs inaugural meeting of National Steering Committee on Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy

*Governors, Ministers in attendance

How the Buhari administration plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years will not be based on a business as usual approach, but a very simple, common sense strategy that will deliver the results as the President promised, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Expressing the strong hope that this way, the Committee will be able to achieve rapid progress, Prof. Osinbajo said "in order not to make this merely, another of those high-sounding committees that eventually achieve nothing, we have to be very intentional about our objectives and how to achieve them.”

Prof. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja on Friday at the inaugural meeting of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy Steering Committee held at the Presidential Villa.

Addressing members of the committee, Prof. Osinbajo said government would adopt a different and more effective approach in actualizing the objective of eradicating poverty in the country for the sake of delivering results.

According to him, “I really want us to approach this as much as possible, commonsensically, so that we are able to resolve all the issues and focus on the real progress.

“I want us to look beyond all of what we are going to be doing, there is going to be a considerable amount of paper work, but a lot of common sense is what grows economies. It's what other countries have done, not really reinventing the wheel. So, I want us to focus on those commonsensical things, so that we can actually move forward.”

Citing the example of Bangladesh where a poverty reduction strategy was also implemented, the VP noted how the country's manufacturing sector was key.

“Bangladesh actually exports more garment than we export oil,” the VP said.

According to him, “countries that have managed to get out of poverty have created a lot of jobs through industries, and they have developed intentional strategies.

"We must look at what others have done, the smart things that other people have done, and adopt.”

He also spoke about agriculture. “We really have to think smartly about how we are funding agriculture," he said.

"I think we really need to take a deep dive because governments have made several efforts at poverty alleviation but generally speaking, they have not yielded the sort of results they should yield, and I think it’s because there is a lot of focus on documentation and paper work and very little commonsense approaches,” the VP added.

Prof. Osinbajo explained that National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy is meant to be a national strategy, not just a federal effort and it is aimed at taking 100 million people, nationally, out of poverty within a target time-frame of 10 years.

His words: “I just want to emphasize that it is a national strategy as opposed to a federal strategy which is why the steering committee is made up of federal as well as state officials.”

While also emphasizing the role of the private sector, the VP said “essentially, this effort must also be directed at how to facilitate private sector creation of jobs. The fact is that there is no way that the Federal Government or the State Governments can create the number of jobs that we need.

“We need to take a few broad looks at the features of what constitutes our present predicaments in terms of job losses and unemployment.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said efforts will be made to focus attention on creating opportunities for Nigerians to earn decent livelihoods in addition to equipping them with the necessary vocational skills.

At the meeting today, members in attendance included Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is also Nigeria Governors Forum Chairman, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; Ministers of Agriculture, Muhammad Nanono; Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, and Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige also attended, while the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba joined the meeting virtually.

Later at the end of the inaugural meeting, and while fielding questions from journalists, Governor Sule of Nasarawa State said “the whole essence of the committee is for the government to be able to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.”

He said that having reviewed the Terms of Reference (TOR), the Steering Committee is now constituting the technical working group and the National Social Protection Network and then resume its meeting after the Sallah break.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
9th July 2021

���������� ����� �������

*HOW FG’S COVID-19 STIMULUS PACKAGE HAS BEEN HELPFUL, BY OSINBAJO*

*Over 2m jobs saved, created as FG release 100% budget component of ESP funds

*1. 3M jobs retained through Payroll Support

*36 States received N50b

*7 local airlines receive N2.84b

*Over 6 million farmers enumerated to benefit from agric sectoral support

*President approves fertilizer subsidy for over 1 million farmers.

Thanks to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 stimulus package, the Nigerian economy did not degenerate as feared and at least over 2 million jobs have been both created and saved with the implementation of the Economic Sustainability Plan.

Although the target of N2.3 trillion estimated to be spent under the plan has not been achieved just as yet, the Federal Government appropriation part of that total being N500 billion has been completely released by the end of May, making it possible to attain several objectives of the ESP directly supporting a few million Nigerians.

While a total of 2,100,021 jobs have been saved and created all together, the breakdown of the figures indicate that 1.3 million jobs have been retained through interventions in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) space, including the Payroll Support.

The 774,000 jobs from the Public Works Programme and 26,021 Jobs from construction /rehabilitation projects across the country were among those freshly created.

These were some of the highlights that emerged from a virtual meeting of the Economic Sustainability Committee measuring implementation presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on Monday.

Commenting on the implementation of the ESP, Prof Osinbajo said the 100% release of funds appropriated in the budget for the programme was commendable and urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to expedite action on the release of funding components of the ESP that are dependent on financing from the bank.

According to the VP, “our budget funds were released in total. I thank the Honorable Minister of Finance for ensuring that it was done promptly, which means, in effect, that as far as the budget goes, we have been able to do what we practically promised to do.

“I know that if we were able to infuse N2.3 trillion into the Nigerian economy, we will not have the employment figures that we have today, we will not have the problems that we have today, they will be significantly reduced. Even with what we are able to do with the budget, growth figures at least indicate that things have not degenerated as badly as many had thought.

“So, you can imagine what we could have done if we were able to fully implement what we thought we would be able to implement. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case. We hope that in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to get some good response on more funds that we expect to get from the CBN which will help us to make some progress on the implementation.”

According to a summary by the Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Prince Clem Agba, construction/rehabilitation of 3,707 km Federal roads across the federation under Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is at 65% completion.

In the agricultural sector, over 6 million farmers have been enumerated, 3.6 million passed the first stage of validation and 2.4 million scaled the second validation stage. The Minister added that 129,000 crop farmers and 38, 333 animal farmers have been profiled for the Interest Free Loan Support for the dry season farming cycle.

He added that under the COVID-19 intervention programme for the health sector, the establishment of 520 Intensive Care Units (ICU) Beds, 52 Molecular Laboratories and Isolation Centres at Federal Tertiary Hospitals is at 67% completion.
The Minister also reported that 485 water points have been constructed/rehabilitated by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources across the federation.
Giving a summary of the funding performance, Prince Agba said N500 billion representing 100% of the total sum in the budget has been released to all the programmes of the ESP as at May 30, 2021.

Detailing the breakdown of the releases, the Minister said, the economic cluster received N202.462 billion which represents 100% of the appropriation to the cluster while N61.589 billion which also represents 100% appropriation was released for the creation of jobs for youth and women.

The Social Intervention Programme and Support to Persons of Concern received N34.957 billion; WASH Programme and Energy Support to Vulnerable Communities received N22.315 billion; support for building a resilient health system received N116 billion; support for the operations of Security Forces was put at N15.674 billion, and the 36 States of the Federation received N50 billion,” the Minister explained.

In the aviation sector, the Minister said N5 billion has been released to support local airlines, ground handlers and other aviation allied businesses.

According to him, “7 scheduled operators, comprising Dana, Overland, Airpeace, Azman, Aero, Arik and Max Air received N2.84 billion; 20 non-scheduled operators, comprising Cargo and Private Jet Services received N949, 909,000; 5 ground handling operators, including NAHCO, SAHCO, Presion Aviation, Batuke Resources Ltd and Swissport Intl Ltd received N233,333,000; The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies received N196 million; Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria (ACHAN) received N196 million; 7 In-Flight Catering Services Operators received N233,333,000 and Aviation Fuel Operators received N233,333,000.”

Updating the meeting on the implementation of the Agriculture for Food and Job Plan, the Technical Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Andrew Kwasari, said the construction of 340 km of rural roads across the federation under Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have been completed.

He added that the clearing of 3,200 hectares of land in 8 States have been completed, while the President has granted approval for fertilizer subsidy to over 1 million farmers already enumerated under the Agriculture for Food and Job Programme.

On his part, the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad said the Solar Power Naija Programme under the ESP was progressing steadily with more communities to be connected under the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) 100,000 solar connections, among other components of the programme.

He added that the agency under the Energy for All initiative has completed the connection of 200 Primary Healthcare Centres and 104 schools across the country to solar power with plans to connect more schools and health centres.

Under the Social Housing Scheme, the Managing Director of the Family Homes Fund, Mr Femi Adewole, said the scheme is progressing steadily as the financing agreement between the Family Homes Fund and the CBN has been finalized while the Ministry of Finance has provided the necessary guarantee for the project.

He added that the disbursement request for N30 billion to finance a total of 29,600 homes will be submitted to the CBN for processing before the end of this week.

Other members of the Economic Sustainability Committee present at the meeting included, the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Minister of Works and Housimg Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Labour & Employment, and representative of the CBN Governor, among other officials.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
5th July 2021

Al-Makura Support Organization (ASO) Launches Personalised Display Graphics (PDG) For Social Media Platforms.

https://getdp.co/9YP

As part of strategies to generate a buzz around Sen. Tanko Al-Makura's candidacy for All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, the Media & Publicity Directorate of the Al-Makura Support Organisation (ASO) has launched Personalised Display Graphics (PDG) for social media platforms.

The PDGs was conceptualised to showcase the potentials and innate qualities of Senator Al-Makura that endeared him to his teeming supporters across the country. Al-Makura is widely acclaimed to be an astute administrator, cool-headed, cerebral and a listener, and is therefore seen as a UNIFIER, needed to unite the diverse tendencies within the APC and build a cohesive party.

As a former two-term Governor who rose through the ranks of politics from being a youth leader in the 2nd Republic to representing his constituency in the then constituent assembly, a business man of international repute, Al-Makura is deemed as possessing the requisite EXPERIENCE needed to effectively lead the ruling party. His open door policy which doesn't discriminate between tribe, religion or ethnicity makes him the kind of DETRIBALISED leader for the times.

During our consultations across the country, one recurring attribute of Al-Makura is that of a BRIDGE-BUILDER - he has built relationships across the country, beyond his constituency, State and region, and that feat cannot be possible without being POLITICALLY SAVVY.

Therefore, our PDGs depict that we support Sen. Al-Makura for APC National Chairman because he is a UNIFIER, DETRIBALISED, a BRIDGE-BUILDER, POLITICALLY SAVVY and possess the cognate EXPERIENCE to lead a repositioned and reformed APC that will sustain the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari, and build on it.

The Personalised Display Graphics can be created by anyone in very simple steps;

- Click on the link below
- Upload your picture (preferably a full face picture)
- Input your name in the space provided
- Download

After which the graphics can be used on Whatsapp profiles/status, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms to build momentum around the candidacy of the man we know as "the best man for the job".

History beckons, let's kick-start this campaign on a high pedestal. Together, we can!

Thank you.

Segun Tomori

Director, Media & Publicity
Al-Makura Support Organisation (ASO)

���������� ����� �������

*WHY KANO IS HOME TO ALL NIGERIANS – OSINBAJO*

*VP graces coronation of Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero
 
Beyond its proud history and traditions, Kano is a melting pot of diverse tribes and cultures and a place that is home to all and for all Nigerians, where they can co-exist peacefully regardless of differences, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
 
Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Kano, during the coronation of Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as the 15th Emir of Kano, where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari.
 
The event which drew dignitaries from far and wide featured, besides the administration of the oath, and the formal presentation of the Staff of Office to the Emir, traditional rites, prayers, recitals and speeches.
 
The Vice President, who conveyed the President’s warm felicitations and personal good wishes to the State government and people of Kano, described the coronation as ‘historic’, while noting that Kano is revered as a major commercial and economic centre in sub-Saharan Africa.
 
“It is only the tolerance of the culture of Kano, where opposite ideas can co-exist peacefully, that you could have a thriving free market economy, with several millionaires and yet also be the base of radical left of Centre political ideas.  This is after-all the city of the socialist man of the masses, Mallam Aminu Kano and many of his disciples.  Kano is also the home of the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote,” he said.
 
He added that, “we are all proud of this city; proud of its legacy of tolerance and warmth and very proud that it indeed remains home to all and for all Nigerians, regardless of tribe and ethnicity, and the melting pot of diverse tribes and cultures assimilated into a robust, vibrant and cohesive whole.”
 
Congratulating the Emir of Kano on his coronation, the VP said, “Your Royal Highness, it is this great city over which God has given you the good fortune of being Monarch, a privilege which you know comes with the obligation of preserving these rich traditions of brotherhood of all tribes and tongues. 
 
“You inherit not only one of the most revered thrones in Africa, but on a more personal level your great father was known for his wisdom, courage and integrity. He loved his people and served them with honor and complete commitment. You have a goodly heritage but a particularly difficult act to follow. But we are confident that by the grace of God you will exceed the reputation of your illustrious forebears.
 
“So today, as you ascend the throne of your fathers, carrying with you the love and trust of your people. I can only offer you a prayer: I pray that this land will prosper in your reign, I pray that the Almighty God will be merciful to you and to the people of this land, and that his hand will be upon you to guide and direct you daily. Your family and tribe will increase, your days will be long, and as your days so shall your strength, your wisdom and your favour with God in Jesus name. Amen.”
 
While also congratulating Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje for “midwifing a generational change of guards that only a few will experience in their lifetimes,” Prof. Osinbajo added that “the swearing-in and handing over of the Staff of Office to the new Emir of Kano is in fulfillment of the extant law and practice of the installation of Emirs.”
 
Dignitaries present at the event included the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; several governors, including the Governors of Katsina, Aminu Bello Masari; Kebbi, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Kogi, Yahaya Bello; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; Zamfara, Bello Matawalle.
 
Also present were the Ministers of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (Retd.); and Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono; as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Abubakar III, and other traditional rulers.
 
*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
3rd July 2021.

���������� ����� �������

*GOVTS, COMMUNITIES COLLABORATION WILL BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR NIGERIA’S MINING SECTOR*

*REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE MAIDEN EDITION OF THE STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT ON SUSTAINABLE MINING TITLED: RESURRECTING OUR BURIED PROSPERITY ON THE 1ST OF JULY, 2021.*

*PROTOCOLS*

As of 1940, Nigeria was already globally a leading producer of Tin, Columbite and Coal. Potential coal reserves are today estimated to be as high as 3billion tonnes. much of our coal is high-grade clean and bituminous with a low sulphur and ash content.

Even farther back in 1913, gold in commercial quantities had already been found in parts of Northern Nigeria and what is now Osun State. Bitumen was discovered as far back as 1900 mostly in the Southwest Zone, the bitumen belt covering what are now Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, and Edo States and today with deposits in excess of 42 billion tons we have the second-largest bitumen deposit in the world and almost twice our oil reserves.

How about iron ore? We have the 12th largest iron ore deposit in the world, more than 3billion tons. Besides, the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) confirms that Nigeria has over 44 mineral deposits in commercial quantities in over 500 locations across the 36 States and Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. These minerals range from industrial and energy minerals, such as iron ore and coal, to gemstones, including sapphires, rubies and emeralds.

So buried in the ground in various parts of Nigeria are riches that could ensure that no Nigerian is unemployed, underfed, or neglected. And this is not mere speculation because, before the discovery of oil, Nigeria developed its infrastructure, roads, rail, dams, provided free education in the western region for example, from the proceeds of minerals, agriculture and taxes.

But with the discovery of oil, these incredible riches have remained buried in the ground for decades. In many parts of the country, you find illegal miners with poor equipment essentially scraping the surface of these deposits. Some better-equipped operators are able to do more, but they largely exploit cheap labour, and pay next to nothing in taxes or royalties, and cause environmental damage that is never remedied.

It is clear that unless we get the management of our solid mineral resources right, we would continue living in the terrible paradox of suffering in the midst of plenty. The problems are numerous but solvable. The principal issue is that of the challenges of implementing the regulatory framework. While the Ministry of Mines and Steel has the legislative mandate to regulate mining in the country, many States and local governments have embarked on the imposition of their own rules and regulations on miners in their States, including issuance of Registration, Permits, Community Development Agreements (CDA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on miners. Some State Governments, in a bid to shore up their revenues, impose illegal fees, taxes, and levies on foreign and local licensed mining companies and operators.

Enforcement of these taxes often leads to the frequent arrests and harassment of licensed miners and their workers, and closures of mining sites. This happens frequently. Regrettably, such actions by State Governments constitute a major disincentive to prospective investors in the sector and invariably jeopardize the efforts of the Government to deepen the mining industry in Nigeria. There is no way this will ever benefit the majority of our people. Then there are the huge security concerns that always develop in the struggle for control of mineral resources in poorly regulated, unregulated or ungoverned spaces. Almost invariably, these situations lead to criminal activities and particularly, the proliferation of weapons and armed groups. This is true historically and more evident now.

On the African continent, we have ample examples of how resource extraction can trigger an increase in criminality. Here in Nigeria, armed banditry hiring and equipping of armed groups by illegal but powerful mining concerns in many resources-rich areas is clearly fuelled by the chaotic regulatory environment.

It is for these reasons that this strategic engagement with the leadership of the 774 local governments is critical. It is apt and timely especially as the Federal government through the Ministry of Mines and Steel seeks to fully implement its robust and wide-ranging remit in policy and legislation.

This engagement will certainly help in explaining the regulatory framework to the governments at the community level where most of the mining activities take place. It will enable the ministry and other stakeholders to get direct feedback from the local government authorities and those who have to deal with these issues daily.

But where are we today? In 2016, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in collaboration with industry stakeholders formulated The Roadmap for the Growth and Development of the Nigerian Mining Sector Industry. The road map addresses some of the tensions between the Federal Government and subnational entities in relation to mining.

The Roadmap which identifies partnership with mining communities as one of the “critical levers of success” states that “success in Nigerian mining requires partnership across multiple communities, stakeholders and institutions” and also stresses that “the role of state governments as both co-investors and sector champions is critical.” It further asserts that “a sustainable growth model” for the sector can be found “only through government innovations and partner action e.g. community engagement mechanisms, shared investment and co-creation of opportunities.”

Section 19 of the Nigerian Mines and Minerals Act establishes the Minerals Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO). In each state which is composed of representatives of the Federal, State, and Local Governments and is designed to serve as a platform for fostering synergy in mining operations across all tiers of government.

Consequently, the Act accords communities the status of co-investors in the development of mineral assets. The Minerals Resources and Environmental Management Committees are important in bringing order, fairness, inclusion, and equity to mining and its value chains. Mr. President has also mandated the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) to prioritize the orderly and efficient development of 7 strategic minerals in the Mining Roadmap namely Coal, Bitumen, Limestone, Iron Ore, Barites, Gold, and Lead/Zinc ore to support local industries and for export of processed mineral products.

The Ministry was further mandated to strengthen synergy with State Governments and relevant security agencies for the enhanced security and safety of mining areas. The Ministry is also expected to foster collaboration with the private sector in growing the mining industry in order to create employment opportunities.

Recently also, as part of the post covid efforts to preserve existing jobs and create new opportunities N6 billion was approved for the Mining Sector under the current Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), for the development of Mineral Processing Clusters (MPC) across the six (6) geo-political zones of the country to promote large-scale investment in mineral exploitation. It is gratifying that the Ministry has recorded considerable progress on these Mining Process Clusters.

And on security in mining areas, as part of broad efforts to re-engineer the national security architecture to more efficiently confront our challenges, the President recently approved a raft of measures aimed at ensuring the security of mining concerns and mining sites. These measures which will be driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser in concert with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development will be hugely significant in creating an enabling environment for the growth of the sector.

A few things emerge from the regulatory and policy framework that I have just shared and you’ve heard quite a bit about it in earlier statements made, and I will make some suggestions:

1. Mining is constitutionally under the Federal Government of Nigeria.

2. Mining revenues go to the Federation Account and is shared between the Federal Government, States and Local Governments. States where resources come from get 13% derivation in addition to their share.

3. The Federal Government cannot effectively regulate mining without actively, and deliberately working with States, Local Governments and mineral-producing communities.

4. The Federal Government, States and Local Government have to jointly develop working arrangements to ensure that mining is attractive to investors, profitable for States and Local Governments, not just from proceeds but also from personal income tax paid to States by mine workers and staff of mining companies.

5. The communities where mines are located must also have some direct benefits aside from jobs for their residents. We must find a formula for compensating the communities for environmental degradation and erosion.

6. There must also be a framework for ensuring that environmental degradation is remedied.

7. We must discourage the export of raw minerals, refining, processing or beneficiation is the only real way to maximize our mineral wealth and create good paying jobs and opportunities for our people.

This engagement today should lead to the production of or the fine tuning of a clear working document that spells out with clarity the roles and responsibilities of each party, the FG, the States, the Local Governments and the mining communities. Even where these roles and duties have been defined in existing legislation, this is an opportunity to simplify the language, explain the relationships, take input on implementation concerns, and get everyone’s buy in.

We must commend the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the Hon. Minister, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite and the Hon. Minister of State, Mines and Steel, Dr. Uche Ogah, for this initiative. I think the Ministry has been fortunate in having able, dynamic and farsighted ministers since we came into office in 2015. Well done indeed. I can only encourage you to continue to approach your role as the regulator and administrator of the nation’s mines and metals sector with open mindedness and flexibility especially in your collaboration with the States and local governments.

I must also urge all officers of the Ministry to rededicate themselves to the realization of the set target of a 6% contribution of the mining sector to the nation’s GDP by 2025.

FinaIly, let me say to all participants that this engagement is one that could be a game changer for mining in Nigeria, and it could mean a new era of huge earnings and prosperity for our people from our mining resources. But this will only happen if we adopt a collaborative and cooperative approach. If we work together, we will reap far more than we could ever gain by working alone.

It is now my special privilege and pleasure to declare open the maiden edition of the strategic engagement on Sustainable Mining by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development with Nigeria’s Local Government Chairmen and other critical mining stakeholders.

I wish you all fruitful engagements.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank you.

Released by:

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
1st July 2021

BEING THE TEXT OF THE PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NORTH- CENTRAL APC STAKEHOLDERS FORUM RELEASED ON THE 1st OF JULY, 2021
 
Members of the Press, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
We, members of the North-Central Critical Stakeholders Forum of the All Progressives Congress (ACP) have watched with keen interest the unfolding development in our dear Party and wish to present our position to the generality of our Party members in particular and the nation in general:
 
1.            We commend the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) for a job well done so far. We particularly note the tremendous success of our party registration and the revalidation exercise which culminated in the registration of about 40 million strong APC members nationwide. This is an unprecedented development in the nation’s political history and as a Group; we wish to commend the leadership of the Party for this feat.
 
2.            The influx of opposition Governors and chieftains into our party has no doubt bolstered our base and the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) deserves a pat on the back for this. but we must be careful not to lose the ideological focus of our party in the wake of defections. Defectors must be willing and made to abide by the progressive ideology of the Party rooted in good governance and accountability which our party is renowned for.
 
3.            We note the time-table released for congresses from the Ward to State level. Though belated, it is a step in the right direction. We urge the caretaker committee to resist the temptation to shift dates of the congresses under any guise. Though the extension of the tenure of the caretaker committee has become imperative, we make bold to say it can only be legitimate by a resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC). Therefore, we call for an immediate convening of a NEC meeting to ratify the extension of the caretaker committee's tenure and approve timelines for congresses and the National Convention.
 
4.            It is also imperative for this to be done so that our party does not face any legal conundrum over the conduct of the congresses vis-a-vis the powers of the Caretaker Committee to superintend over it especially after their extended tenure which ought to expire by 30th June, 2021.
 
5.            We also urge the caretaker committee to summon a meeting of the National Caucus, as a prelude to the NEC meeting in line with Article 12.5 of the APC constitution as amended. It has been the tradition of the APC to hold an expanded National Caucus meeting before NEC meeting. This is more crucial at this time as we need all hands-on deck to forge a common ground as we race towards the National Convention.
 
6.            Considering the contribution of the North-Central to the fortunes of the APC, we strongly  
deem it right for the position of the National Chairman to be exclusively zoned to our region, The north central is a bridging region between the north and the South. More so, such will be a signal of all-Inclusive governance in the party.
 
7.            After wide consultations, we have zeroed in on Distinguished Senator Umaru Tanko
Al-Makura, Senator representing Nasarawa-South in the National Assembly and two-term Governor of Nasarawa State and a candidate with impeccable administrative credentials and astute political pedigree, and a unifier as our consensus candidate.
 
8.            We believe that Sen. Tanko Al-Makura possess the requisite qualities, temperament and experience needed to lead the APC, not only to victory in 2023 but to consolidate on the achievements of the Caretaker Committee and deepen the progressive ideology of the party.
 
 
9.            We urge party stakeholders in other regions of the federation to throw their weight behind Sen. Al-Makura and let's have a repositioned APC that will be formidable enough to sustain and build on the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari.
 
THANK YOU
 
SIGN
PRINCE SANI OGU SALISU
FORMER COMMISSIONER
YOUTH AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
KOGI STATE
FOR NORTH CENTRAL APC STAKEHOLDERS

*���������� ℙ���� ℝ������*

*OSINBAJO LEADS COLLABORATION WITH UN TO IMPROVE FOOD SYSTEMS IN NIGERIA*

*It fits into Buhari’s plan to lift 100m Nigerians out of poverty, says VP
In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda to lift 100m Nigerians from poverty within a decade and the globally acclaimed Sustainable Development Goals, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is leading the Federal Government’s collaboration with the United Nations to improve Nigeria’s food systems.

The effort is to attack the menace of hunger, combat malnutrition, reduce poor diet-related diseases among others.

The Federal Government and the United Nations had led series of public dialogues at national and sub-national levels that culminated today in the presentation of the Nigeria Food Systems mapping report to State governments across the six geo-political zones.

Prof. Osinbajo made the presentation at a Consolidatory Dialogue for the UN Food Systems Summit held in Abuja, attended by some State Governors, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Ms. Amina Mohammed, members of the Federal Executive Council, Nigeria's development partners, and other dignitaries from the academia, private and public sectors.

Speaking at the event, the Vice President said aside from the goal of realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and guaranteeing food security for a growing population, the sustainable food systems effort fits into the plan of the Buhari administration to eliminate poverty across Nigeria.

According to the Vice President, “for the government of Nigeria, our commitment to sustainable food systems is one of the key strategies for eliminating poverty across Nigeria.

“We know that our target of lifting a hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade is only achievable if we focus on substantially improving agriculture and food systems which assure us of not just good food, but also jobs.

“This perspective on addressing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty runs through our policy frameworks, including our recently launched National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, and our Nutrition Policy that addresses the issues of a sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food system.”

The President had previously named his deputy, the Vice President as Chairman of the Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy. The VP is also the Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition.

Emphasizing the need to develop more efficient food systems, the Vice President noted that “our food system must be resilient enough to significantly impact nutrition security, and our collective efforts must reduce the malnutrition numbers.

“We must realise that defining bold steps to improve food systems and by extension, food security ensures that children have improved health, early development, and increased intellectual and emotional readiness to learn.

“This translates to positive school engagement and improves the potential of children growing into healthy adults.

"On the other hand, imagine a generation of adults who suffer arrested physical and mental health, and the social and economic burden on their families, their communities, and the nation. Imagine the implications of approximately 50% of Nigeria’s population being at risk if we do not get it right.”

Prof. Osinbajo called on all stakeholders to translate the recommendations of the dialogues to prompt action, noting that “it would mean embracing the changes required in modernization of farming practices, mechanization, and reduction of post-harvest losses.”

“We must ensure that we practice environmentally sustainable production; we must empower our communities by creating jobs and livelihoods to sustain the food systems we desire,” the Vice President added.

Prof. Osinbajo said the call by the United Nations Secretary-General on sustainable food systems is apt and timely, noting that “it provides the opportunity to holistically re-examine all the elements of the Food System in Nigeria.”

He added: “I have no doubt that the 39 dialogues held nationally and sub-nationally have been accessible to all stakeholders and able to identify those challenges that still clog our wheel of progress especially in the relevant sectors.”

Other dignitaries at the event include Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Nanono; Health, Dr Osagie Ehinare; Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, and the convener of the Dialogue, Mrs Olusola Idowu.

Also at the event, Prof. Kola Amigo from the Ahmadu Bello University presented the findings from the various UN Food Systems dialogues held in the country and a group of Nigerian children similarly voiced their views on the dialogues.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
29th June 2021.

���������� ����� �������

*COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING, OSINBAJO ATTENDS PREMIERE OF NOLLYWOOD MOVIE, “THE SILENT BARON”*

Lending his support to the global campaign against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Friday evening attended the premiere of a movie titled “The Silent Baron”, a film produced by Mr Ifeanyi Ukaeru, in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to highlight the dangers of the abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.

Prof. Osinbajo was accompanied by the Executive Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd); the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, and other top government officials.

The movie premiere is part of activities marking the 2021 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking which falls on the 26th of June, every year. It is produced by Ekwe Nche Entertainment Ltd, the NDLEA, among other partners.

The movie features some internal challenges of agencies fighting drug barons and highlights how the couriers are recruited including by fooling ladies and their parents with false promises of taking the ladies abroad.

Starring some top Nollywood actors, the movie features the duplicitous life of a young man named Anselm, disguised as a foreign based professional who only visits Nigeria on short vacations. He lures young ladies with gifts, alluring words and under false pretences as couriers for his illicit drug trafficking business. In the end he was caught.

The movie brings to limelight, the commendable role of the NDLEA in the fight against drug trafficking especially at a time when the agency is aggressively exposing the menace with a significant number of arrests in the last couple months.

After watching the movie, a very delighted Vice President met some of the actors who were also present at the premiere, interacted briefly and took group photographs with the actors, movie producers and the production crew before departing from the event.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
26th June 2021

���������� ����� �������

*WHY WE DEDICATED A WEEK TO PROMOTE MSMES, HIGHLIGHT THEIR NEEDS - OSINBAJO*

The initiative to dedicate a full week to the intensive promotion of MSMEs in the country and highlight their needs is meant to further boost the potentials and achievements in sector, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Thursday in remarks delivered on his behalf by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the National MSME Discourse.

Aside the priority it has given to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in various ways including through the holding of MSME Clinics across the country over the years, the Buhari Administration dedicates this week to further build the profile of MSMEs and promote greater understanding of the sector.

Earlier this week the VP visited some MSMEs in Abuja and would be headlining the Annual MSMEs Awards on Sunday, among other events lined up for the week-long commemoration.

According to the Vice President, “given the priority it attaches to the MSME sector over the years, the Buhari Administration has supported MSMEs in various ways including through the MSME Clinics Initiative which is conducted through a partnership of relevant MDAs.

“The MSME Week is the latest initiative in this regard. Over the past few years, we have held a national MSME day in tandem with World MSME Day as declared by the United Nations. However, in order to further build the profile of MSMEs and promote understanding of the sector, we decided to dedicate the whole of this week to promoting awareness about the achievements of our MSMEs and highlighting their needs.”

Speaking on his participation in the week’s activities and other programmes scheduled to mark the occasion, Prof. Osinbajo said “two days ago as part of activities lined up during the week, I visited DLK Signature Limited which produces footwears, bags, and clothing, and also operates like a privately run shared facility. I also visited Roving Heights, an up and coming independent bookshop that combines a physical presence with an online presence.

“I was impressed by the vision, work ethos and organizational acumen of these outfits but my purpose was to encourage them and all other businesses in the MSME space and signal that the Federal Government is committed to supporting their efforts every step of the way.

“Other activities lined up for the MSME Week include an MSME Clinic in one of the States, this MSME National Discourse, a Fashion and Art Exhibition and National MSME Awards night.”

Recalling the Federal Government’s interventions in the sector, the Vice President said, the Clinics so far have been held in 27 States and the initiative has extended to encouraging States to establish one-stop shops and ‘Shared Facilities’.

Continuing, he said, “the Buhari Administration has also introduced a number of other schemes and initiatives aimed at supporting the operations of MSMEs.

"We have introduced arrangements in our development finance institutions to de-risk lending to MSMEs. Similarly, we have exempted small businesses with turnover of less than N20m from tax, while those with a turnover of less than N100m now benefit from a one-third reduction in the corporate income tax rate from 30% to 20%.

“Also equally notable is the support that the Federal Government extended to small businesses in the particular context of COVID-19 through the Economic Sustainability Plan. Through the Payroll Support Programme, we were able to help businesses across various sectors to keep their employees.

“In the same vein, artisans and transporters got support from the Survival Fund to help overcome the negative impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods. In similar vein are the MSME specific interventions in other ESP programmes like the Agriculture for Food and Jobs programme, the Family Homes Fund programme and the Solar Power Naija programme.”

“Taking the Family Homes Fund for instance, construction contracts with guaranteed off-take will be given to consortiums of young professionals in the building sector such as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, builders, etc,” the VP added.

Commending the National MSMEs Secretariat for the initiative to hold a National Discourse on MSMEs, Prof. Osinbajo noted that the theme of the discourse - Little Beginnings: Huge Impact- is apt.

He said the theme "clearly underlines the potentials of the MSME sector. It inspires hope, signals growth, and anticipates success. Moreover, it provides an important platform for stakeholders in the economy (particularly as it relates to the MSME sub-sector) to review, assess, take stock, and proffer solutions to challenges facing micro, small and medium scale businesses in the country.”

He urged participants to give further insights and throw more light on salient issues affecting small businesses, noting that “it would be helpful to gain further insight into programmes that financial institutions have for MSMEs as well as suggestions on how to overcome the constant complaint by small businesses about the costs that they face in doing business.”

Other dignitaries at the event included the Minister of State Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum; the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Mr Kayode Pitan; the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo; the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari; the Managing Director of Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Mr Tony Okpanachi, and representatives of Access Bank, NEXIM Bank, FIRS, NAFDAC, SMEDAN, SON, among others.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
24th June 2021.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT BUHARI INAUGURATES STEERING COMMITTEE ON POVERTY REDUCTION, ESTABLISHES PRIVATE EQUITY FUND

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated National Steering Committee (NSC) of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) to be chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, reiterating his commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years, with a well-researched framework for implementation and funding.

Speaking at the ceremony attended by the Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, some governors and top government officials, President Buhari noted that the NPRGS had already proposed the establishment of a private equity fund, the Nigeria Investment and Growth Fund (NIG-Fund), to lead resource mobilization drive and also manage the resources in a sustainable manner.

“This journey began in January, 2021 when I directed the Chairman of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Secretary to the Government of the Federation to collaboratively work together to articulate what that will lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten (10) years.

“I am happy to note that the process of designing this inclusive poverty reduction strategy recognized and addressed past mistakes as well as laying the foundation for a sustainable poverty reduction through the wide range consultations held at all levels of government, development partners, the private sector as well as the civil society,’’ he said.

The President added that the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy would address the underlying causes of poverty on the basis of which it developed programmes that would deal with the multi-dimensional nature of poverty within the practical context of comparative advantage of human and natural resources in the various geo-political zones.

He noted that:

“The major challenge before this National Steering Committee is to translate our good intention into positive impact of the average Nigerian so that we create an appreciative impact on the poverty situation in our country.

“If India can lift 271million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016, Nigeria can surely lift 100million out of poverty in 10 years. Fortunately, we have already started but we need to unlock the challenges of slow implementation, inappropriate targeting and absence of adequate resources.’’

President Buhari listed the responsibilities of the steering committee to include: anchor collaborative efforts; provide oversight for the implementation of the strategy; provide guidance to Technical Working Group and Federal Ministries, Extra Ministerial Departments and Agencies, subnational governments and other stakeholders on meeting the objectives of the programme as well as monitoring progress and any other effort that would enhance attainment of the objective of lifting 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years.

According to the President: “The performance of our economy despite COVID-19 gives me comfort that we can achieve our goal but we need to seriously scale up and work more with state and local governments.

“This call becomes more pertinent in the face of recent forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and our own Nigerian Economic Summit Group which all agreed that Nigeria needs to frontally tackle her poverty situation if our economic gains are to be sustained.’’

President Buhari said the National Steering Committee of Nigeria’s National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy also include Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Governor of Ekiti State (South West), Governor of Delta State (South South), Governor of Sokoto State (North West), Governor of Borno State (North East), Governor of Nasarawa State (North Central) and Governor of Ebonyi State (South East).

Other members of the committee are: Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Minister of Labour and Employment, Minister of Education and Minister of Health.

President Buhari charged the committee to commence work immediately so that the Technical Working Group would also begin putting the nuts and bolts together.

“You may, therefore, wish to consider providing immediate guidance to the TWG on the following, establishment of the NIG-Fund leveraging on the Development Finance Assessment Report, public and private sector funding; harmonise existing human capital development; scale up existing Poverty Reduction Initiatives such as the Social Investment Programmes, various agricultural support initiatives as well as support to Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises; and leverage on existing development partner support programmes and projects with potentials for quick-wins e.g the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus.’’

The President said the responsibilities were onerous, but expressed confidence that the committee will be able to lay the foundation and demonstrate, within the next two years, the practicality of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in or under 10 years.

“As you all know funding will always be a challenge especially in these times when resources are limited. The NPRGS has, thus, proposed the establishment of a private equity fund, the Nigeria Investment and Growth Fund (NIG-Fund), to lead our resource mobilization drive and also manage the resources in a sustainable manner,’’ he added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Vice President Osinbajo said the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy would consolidate other efforts of the government to reduce poverty which include N-Power, school feeding and conditional cash transfer.

The Vice President noted that the President’s position that local governments, states and the federal government should work jointly to alleviate poverty in the country will be properly reflected in the framework and implementation, stressing the need for access and inclusivity.

The SGF said the poverty situation in the country assumed an enormous proportion, with an increasing population, adding that the situation was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the administration responded to the COVID-19 poverty fallout swiftly and was able to ameliorate the situation, and also ensured a quick exit from recession.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 22, 2021

*STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE*

*ELECTRIC CAR ASSEMBLED IN NIGERIA IS A FANTASTIC INNOVATION, I CAN TELL BECAUSE I JUST DROVE IT, SAYS OSINBAJO.*

_*VP also inaugurates FRSC’s National Traffic Radio, gives live traffic update_

After driving Kona, the assembled-in-Nigeria electric car at the ongoing Made-in-Nigeria exhibition, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, concluded that the drive was fantastic and the making of the innovative car is a showcase of what is possible in our country.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja today shortly after the unveiling of the Made-in-Nigeria fair featuring the exhibition of the first electric car assembled in Nigeria, among other locally manufactured products.

Aside touring the exhibition stands accompanied by top government officials, the Vice President drove the electric car alongside the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Jelani Aliyu.

Speaking to journalists shortly after a tour of the exhibition stands, and a ride in the electric car, Prof. Osinbajo said “it was a very good drive, fantastic. It just shows what is possible. I am glad to see that this is an assembled-in-Nigeria electric car. You can literally charge it anywhere. I think it is a very fantastic innovation; fantastic product, and I can tell because I just drove it.”

Other dignitaries at the event which is part of Nigeria’s 60th anniversary celebration include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, Ministers of FCT, Mallam Mohammed Bello; and Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Right after the exhibition, the Vice President also visited the Federal Road Safety Corps’ headquarters where he inaugurated the National Traffic Radio, 107.1 FM.

There he described the radio as “an important and strategic initiative in several respects. The service will enable effective dissemination of relevant information on road safety and the provision of up-to-date information on road conditions, as well as traffic status and security to the public.”

According to him, beyond the core objective of enhancing the operations of FRSC personnel, the radio station will also be useful in reaching far flung areas for teaching and dissemination of public health advisories and general information to Nigerians.

Prof. Osinbajo then featured during the radio station’s traffic report programme where he gave live traffic situation report across the country particularly from areas in and around the FCT, Jos and Lagos. He was funny and jovial about it.

“Good afternoon wherever you are in this great country, this is Yemi Osinbajo, your always ready, always accurate traffic reporter, updating you on the traffic situation across the nation.

“So, let’s go the FCT. As of a few minutes ago, the Keffi-Abuja inward section, traffic from Nyanya under bridge to Kugbo, towards the city centre, is slightly free flowing, no impediments reported.

“Umaru Musa Yar’adua way, the situation is report shows that there is free flow of traffic on both sections of the expressway. Kubwa-Katampe, Wuse-Berger, traffic services unit reports affirm that there is seamless traffic flow with moderate movement of vehicles.

“Traffic update along Lagos-Ibadan expressway as at 11:45 am did say that the inward corridor and section of the expressway is experiencing very slow but moving traffic from the stretch of lotto to NASFAT, Chinese company around Magboro, Punch-Arepo inward, Warewa, due to high influx of vehicles and the narrowed lane around the construction area. The sharp bend coupled with picking and dropping of passengers, all that is causing some slow movement around that area.

“Traffic from Plateau State from about 12 mid-day. General traffic within Jos-Bukuru metropolis is free flowing. Jos-Hawan Kibo, motorists are admonished to be mindful of hills and steep bends around Hawan Kibo.

“Also, Jos-Bukuru-Vom is experiencing free flow of traffic while motorists are advised to be careful around Ganaruwa hill. Jos metropolis, road users navigating inwards Polo-Gada Biu through the metropolis should be mindful of heavy duty vehicles and drive with extreme care. At Hill station roundabout to Polo roundabout axis is a sloppy terrain.

“So, the general conclusion is that road users are enjoined to obey traffic rules, avoid dangerous driving and use the roads as responsibly as possible. All is going to be well today, this is going to be a great and exciting day. I am sure you are going to have some really good news. Thank you dear listeners, stay safe always.”

Dignitaries at the event include Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, FCT Minister, Mallam Mohammed Bello and the FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity'*
*Office of the Vice President.*
15th June 2021

���������� ����� �������

*HOW GRASSROOTS PLANNING HELPED OUR SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES, BY OSINBAJO*

_*As VP inaugurates Nigeria’s first thrift-for-charity- 'DASH ME STORE_

*Kemi Adeosun gets applause for new initiative supporting the vulnerable via grassroot charities
One factor responsible for the impactful implementation of the Social Investment Programmes of the Buhari administration over the years is the realization that you can’t reach Nigerians if you don’t have a plan for the grassroots, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

This realization then influenced the structure designed for the SIP and is largely responsible for the successes of the programme (which is now regarded as one of the biggest social welfare schemes in the continent).

Prof. Osinbajo stated this Sunday in Lagos at the inauguration of the Dash Me Store, an outfit of the Dash Me Foundation founded by the immediate past Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

The store is established to mobilize resources for onward distribution to vulnerable people in the society via grassroot charities.

According to the Vice President, “I am excited to be here for several reasons, but most of all because of Mrs Adeosun’s commitment to the notion that all service to man is actually service to God, and she took that very seriously."

Prof. Osinbajo noted that “this is why, as Minister, she prioritized the Social Investment Programmes, when for the first time, the country voted almost N500B of our annual budget to welfare programmes which are called the Social Investment Programmes, which involved engaging 500,000 young men and women, and also giving microcredit to about 2 million traders and also a home-grown school feeding programme for 9.5 million children daily in public schools across the country.

“I am therefore really not surprised that she has decided to use some of her enormous talent and influence to establish an organization that raises funds and provides resources for indigenous grassroot charities working with orphaned and vulnerable children, disadvantaged youth, and victims of domestic violence.”

Speaking on the establishment of Nigeria’s first thrift-for-charity online store, Prof. Osinbajo said adding social enterprise to philanthropy with a structure that allows for resource mobilization for charity as well as creates the opportunity for people to earn a living in the process, should be the way to go.

His words: “what I think is happening here is that philanthropy is not like it used to be when all you needed was a good and kind heart and you didn’t need to plan or organize as you would a business for-profit.

“What Kemi and her team have done is to bring the new notion of social enterprise to this project. Philanthropy run with the discipline, attention to detail, and financial prudence of a successful business, and she can do all of that, and I am sure her team is imbibing that, given her background in finance in both private and public sector.”

Continuing, he said “the idea of this thrift-for-charity store is brilliant and the first of its kind in Nigeria. It is a unique model which does not just give to the needy in the conventional way of merely handing out donations.

“It is an innovative and structured way of aggregating donations to earn income to transform the lives of the vulnerable and needy while creating jobs in the process.

“I must say that your focus on funding grassroots charities is so crucial and I know that, having campaigned with you on behalf of our party, the APC all around Ogun and in every part of Nigeria, it is clear that you can’t reach Nigeria and Nigerians if you don’t have a plan for the grassroots.”

Earlier in her remarks, Mrs Adesoun said the idea of the store is to aggregate donations of different kinds for charitable causes, noting that Nigerians from different fields of endeavour and from across the country would be enabled via the online store to contribute to supporting the needy in the society.

She said the organization would work closely with charitable organisations in the grassroots to ensure that funds and other materials donated via the Dash Me Store get to actual beneficiaries.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
14th June 2021.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE


FG’S DIRECT INTERVENTIONS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SAYS OSINBAJO AT AREGBESOLA COLLOQUIUM



*N55 billion reserved to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund

*Over N170 billion in matching grants disbursed to states and FCT for Universal Basic Education


*N8 billion in Grants to States and private providers of Special Education


*N34 billion from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and FCT


*Commends former Osun Gov’s impactful leadership roles

Just like the implementation of the Social Investment Programmes, the Buhari administration has over the years deployed significant resources to address challenges in education and healthcare, in its efforts to address human capital development and related issues in the country, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this Saturday in his keynote address at the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Leadership Colloquium 2021 themed “Government and Big Development: Realities & Solutions for Nigeria”. The event was organized to mark the birthday of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Explaining circumstances where governments may need to intervene directly, including in human capital development, the Vice President said “direct state (government) intervention is crucial. You cannot have such conditions (such as in the country) and not have some direct interventions from government.”

His words: “The point is that, for many of the challenges that face a developing economy, there is very little, immediate term profit for private actors in addressing those challenges, but of course, there are huge medium to long term social and economic gains to be reaped.

“In order to fill that gap, government must come in, government must intervene. This intervention in my view, are the issues of big development. How do you educate the largest youth population in Africa? How do you ensure healthcare for that large number of people, and all of the various issues? These are the big development issues that confront us. And we must be able to find solutions to them.”

Making reference to some specific interventions of the Federal Government, Prof. Osinbajo said that “in our first budget, we devoted for N500 billion to our Social Investment Programme. 500,000 young graduates were engaged in the N-Power programme, and 9.5 million children being fed daily in the school feeding programme (just before COVID-19) across 34 States.

“The programme employs well over 135,000 cooks, and over 100,000 small-holder farmers linked to the programme, supplying locally sourced ingredients. At some point, this translated to 594 cattle, 138,000 chickens, 6.8 million eggs, 83 metric tons of fish, that are procured, prepared, and distributed every week. The higher outcomes for enrollment of pupils in school, retention and performance of students have all been empirically verified.

“There was also the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) – TraderMoni, MarketMoni initiatives where micro credits were offered to traders (about 2 million traders in all),” the Vice President added.

He further explained that “these programmes are important because they are in many ways government efforts at directly creating opportunities. A country such as ours clearly require a social welfare programme, a situation where those who cannot work and those who have no work and the vulnerable are provided with one way of earning something and provided with opportunities.”

In the health sector, the Vice President said “since the inception of this administration, we have done a few other direct social investment-type things aimed at human capital development.

“After the National Health Act was passed in 2014, the Federal Government in 2018 began including the 1% minimum portion of the Consolidated Revenue Fund – amounting to N55 billion to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Fund is designed to deliver a guaranteed set of health services to all Nigerians, through the national network of Primary Health Care Centers.”

In education, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “since 2015 also, the Federal Government has disbursed more than N170 billion in matching grants to States and the FCT under the Universal Basic Education Programme, N8 billion in Special Education Grants to States and private providers of Special Education, and N34 billion from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and the FCT.”

The Vice President added that the interventions were in line with the administration’s “commitment of lifting 100 million people out of poverty”, noting that “we recognize the threats posed by social immobility and deprivation”.

Responding to a question on the cost of running the public service, the Vice President said the focus should be “on people being in the right place in the public service. We have a large public service but you still have huge shortages in, for example, health and education sectors. So, there are massive shortages in many parts of the public service whereas you find redundancies in other aspects of the public service.”

He suggested that “we should be training and engaging more teachers, nurses, doctors and several other participants in the public service, and we may end up with more or less the same cost. But my view is that those costs themselves, so long that we are spending them right, so long as they are spent on the right quality of public servants, are costs that we should bear.”

“I am not certain that just a willy-nilly cost cutting is the solution, long term. Of course, we find within the public service, so many who are not qualified, many whose jobs are replicated, huge redundancies, we need to correct those redundancies, we need to ensure that those who are not qualified are either retrained or we let them go.

“But we must ensure that we do not allow ourselves to be trapped in a way of thinking that suggests that the problem is really just the cost of governance, so that if we just downsize, everything will be alright. I think the problem is a bit larger than that. I think we have to look at really, the professionalization of our public service, ensuring that we have the right quality of people in the right jobs,” Prof. Osinbajo added.

Commending the efforts of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as governor of Osun State, and describing him as “a repentant Marxist”, the Vice President said “he stands out as a reason why one should at least have some socialist blood in them while recognizing the fundamental role of markets and the public sector.”

According to him, “Osun State which Ogbeni governed for 8 years received the lowest in federal allocations but was for those years, the State with the lowest poverty rate. The incidence of poverty for the State of Osun was 10.9% in 2017 as against 37.5% in 2010. A sharp drop in the incidence of poverty between 2010 and 2018. As of early 2020 the incidence of poverty has fallen further to 8.2%. Why would a State with one of the least revenues record lowest levels of poverty?

“To a large extent, it is arguable that the social intervention policies he initiated and implemented were largely responsible. The State launched several job creation efforts - Osun State Youth Empowerment Program (OYES) hired about 20,000 young people.

“There was also the school feeding programme, the precursor to our National Homeschool Feeding Programme, serving 155,000 children at inception to over 250,000 children in all 1,382 public elementary schools in the State. 7000 jobs were directly created and 3700 cooks, most of them women. The programme led to an increase of 60% in primary school enrollment and all meals served were from farms and suppliers of food items benefitted from the programme.”

Aside the convener, other speakers and special guests at the colloquium moderated by noted broadcaster Mr. Boason Omofaye, included the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; the Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO, NBS, Mr Yemi Kale; President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr. Ayuba Wabba; the Vice Chairman of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, among others.



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
29th May 2021