₦airaland Forum

TOP 10 THINGS OSINBAJO HAS DONE

1. VP’s involvement in TECH brought about the following:
***Google Inc. in July 2020 announced plans to establish its first Google Launchpad Space outside the United States in Lagos
***Facebook, in September 2020 made public its decision to open an office in Lagos as part of its planned expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa.
***HUAWEI on the other hand last November promised the Vice President that the company will position Nigeria as a technology centre for the African continent and give more jobs to young Nigerians.

2. #EndSars Protest
***VP Osinbajo influenced the President to dissolve SARS as a unit of the Police Force

***VP Osinbajo brought about the idea of judicial panels in all states of the federation to deal with cases of police brutality. This was adopted by State governors at the National Economic Council.

3. #EconomicSustainabilityPlan
With VP Osinbajo chairing the Economic Sustainability Plan, the country was able to exit recession faster than anticipated. Several beneficiaries have benefitted from the various tracks such as the Payroll Support Track with 296,032 Employees , Youth Beneficiaries – 242,746 – 82%. The Artisan Track:
166,00 Artisans, Youth Beneficiaries – 64,740 – 39%, Others – 101,260 – 61%

Formalization Support Track
100,000 Business Names Registered
Youth Beneficiaries – 92,000 – 92%
Others – 8000 – 8%

***VP Osinbajo launched the ESP Cash Transfer Scheme facilitated through a wholly technology-based approach called the Rapid Response Register with plans to give 1million households COVID-19 N5000 monthly Cash Transfer for 6 months.

4. #MSMEs
***MSME Clinics have been held in 27 States, twice in Ebonyi across the country including the FCT. 7 One-Stop-Shops for MSMES - Cross River, Kwara, FCT, Abia, Bauchi, Osun, Plateau.

***FG has also launched Shared Facilities for MSMEs in Oyo, Bauchi, Benue, and Lagos. This is to allow MSMEs without the financial capacity to own their equipment and the opportunity to go into a fully equipped cluster style facility to pay a token to use such equipment.

***Over 400,000 MSMEs have so far participated in the MSME clinics nationwide. About 300,000 new business names have been registered by the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) at a reduced 50% price of N5000, down from the normal N10,000.


5. #Social Investment Programmes - SIPs (under VP’s Office) over 12million direct beneficiaries
***Homegrown school feeding programme in 35 states feeding 9.9million children. More than 107,000 cooks engaged.
***Over 500,000 graduates benefitted from N-Power scheme.
***Over 2.3million market women, traders, artisans, farmers across all 36 states of the country and FCT, under Government Enterprise & Empowerment Programme, GEEP.
***Over 3million poor and vulnerable households have registered on National Social Register and more than 1million families are currently benefiting from Conditional Cash Transfer.

6. VP Osinbajo has always stood for the rule of law and in the interest of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity. In his capacity as VP, it was VP Osinbajo (then as Acting President) who fired the former DG, SSS, when he violated the sanctity of the National Assembly and violated the Nigerian constitution. VP Osinbajo defended democracy and described the invasion as an assault on Nigeria’s democracy that should not be tolerated. Also, Osinbajo Saved the party, APC, from litigation by suggesting APC EXCO members become Caretakers.

7. #EaseOfDoingBusiness
The work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (inaugurated by President Buhari in August 2016) and the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) has resulted in Nigeria moving up 39 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings since 2016. In the last 3 years, Nigeria has twice been adjudged one of 10 Most Improved Economies in the Rankings.

8. #NigerDeltaNewVision
VP Osinbajo embarked on a peace keeping mission across the Niger Delta states engaging in strategic engagements with stakeholders and people in the region to ensure that peace and stability are maintained. This ended the series of pipeline explosions, restored the maximum oil productivity, and helped terminate the recession. The take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State. The University was granted approval in January 2018 by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective 2017/18 session and commenced academic activities on April 12, 2018. President Buhari approved 5 billion Naira in take-off grant for the Maritime University.


9. #NationalLivestockTransportationPlan
The NLTP is a creation of NEC, chaired by VP Osinbajo and State Governors and is completely distinct from the now-suspended RUGA: The RUGA initiative was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2019. The VP had publicly rejected RUGA and instead articulated the NLTP which has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria, including through ranching along a market-oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.



10. #EnergisingEconomies and #EnergisingEducation
Osinbajo approved the provision of solar power to markets around the country such as Ariaria in Aba, Sabon Gari in Kano, Sura in Lagos, etc, as part of the energizing economies initiative of the Rural Electrification Agency. VP Osinbajo also commissioned solar power plants in Universities such as Alex Ekwueme University, in Ebonyi, also Bayero University in Kano.

The VP is also canvassing for a just transition from gas to cleaner ways of energy for Nigeria and other African countries. He has also spoken on several occasions against the defunding of gas projects by international finance cooperations. He believes that Nigeria’s rich deposit of gas should be considered first as source of energy before we transition to cleaner energy.

Nothing but the truth. If you don’t join politics, your idea will just end on paper without implementation

SpatialKing:
The most useless VP ever

Your comment makes you look very foolish

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN presides over the National Economic Council Meeting in the State House, Abuja. 15th Oct, 2021. Photos; Tolani Alli

chatinent:
This slowmo should just shut up!

Comments like this shows how drugs have damaged the lives of our youths. Shame

Bains the existing shareholding structure as well as the shareholder value of each of our esteemed shareholders. We are positioned to continue delivering strong earnings with the support of all our stakeholders.”

Also, speaking on the development in the industry , the Chief Executive Officer, Kunle Ahmed, said “We are grateful for the continuous support of our shareholders during this process. We assure you of our dedication to the company's continued growth and profitability through the continual delivery of exceptional services to our customers. The fundamentals of the business remain extremely strong with an enviable financial capacity that supports our growth ambitions.”

The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 153,000 employees serving 105 million clients in 54 countries. In 2020, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 96.7 billion and underlying earnings to Euro 4.3 billion. AXA had Euro 1,032 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.

The AXA ordinary share is listed on compartment A of Euronext Paris under the ticker symbol CS (ISN FR 0000120628 – Bloomberg: CS FP – Reuters: AXAF.PA). AXA's American Depository Share is also quoted on the OTC QX platform under the ticker symbol AXAHY.

The AXA Group is included in the main international SRI indexes, such as Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4GOOD. It is a founding member of the UN Environment Programme's Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.

WHY OSINBAJO ADVOCATES FOREX POLICY THAT CURBS ARBITRAGE & CORRUPTION, OFFERING NIGERIANS CHEAPER DOLLARS

Our attention has been drawn to statements and reports in the media mis-characterising as a call for devaluation, the view of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN that the Naira exchange rate was being kept artificially low.

Prof. Osinbajo is not calling for the devaluation of the Naira. He has at all times argued against a willy-nilly devaluation of the Naira.

For context, the Vice President’s point was that currently the Naira exchange rate benefits only those who are able to obtain the dollar at N410, some of who simply turn round and sell to the parallel market at N570. It is stopping this huge arbitrage of over N160 per dollar that the Vice President was talking about. Such a massive difference discourages doing proper business, when selling the dollar can bring in 40% profit!

This was why the Vice President called for measures that would increase the supply of foreign exchange in the market rather than simply managing demand, which opens up irresistible opportunities for arbitrage and corruption.

It is a well known fact that foreign investors and exporters have been complaining that they could not bring foreign exchange in at N410 and then have to purchase foreign exchange in the parallel market at N570 to meet their various needs on account of unavailability of foreign exchange. Only a more market reflective exchange rate would ameliorate this. With an increase in the supply of dollars the rates will drop and the value of the Naira will improve.

The real issue confronting the economy on this matter is how to improve the supply of foreign exchange, but this will not happen if we do not allow mechanisms like the Importers and Exporters window to work. If we allow this market mechanism to work as intended, we will find that the Naira will appreciate against the dollar as we restore confidence in the system.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
12th October, 2021

Osinbajo is today, in Nigerias political chess game, the most barraged and bruised person in the hands of familiar and unfamiliar folks who have their eyes on Nigeria’s presidency. These folks have forgotten that ALL POWERS BELONG TO GOD. His word cannot be broken!

Osinbajo is a man I respect so much

GLOBAL NET-ZERO EMISSIONS:
GAS PROJECTS SHOULD NOT BE DEFUNDED, SAYS OSINBAJO IN LONDON, AHEAD OF COP26 SUMMIT

*VP headlines UN High-Level event on Energy Transition, meets COP26 President-Designate

*Interacts with academic community at Imperial College, Global Energy Alliance

In its commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Federal Government is already making efforts to use large shares of clean energy sources, but "limiting the development of gas projects, poses dire challenges."

This is why the international community should understand that the plan to defund gas projects in the run up to the global Net-Zero emissions target would be unhelpful to developing countries like Nigeria.

This was the crux of the presentations Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, made on Friday at different meetings in London at the High-Level United Nations event on the Energy Transition plan in Africa with special focus on Nigeria.

The meetings included first, a closed-door session with COP26 President-Designate, Mr Alok Sharma, a cabinet rank British Minister and the Chair of the UK Government’s COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC) at Whitehall. Then an interaction with the academic community at Imperial College followed by meetings of the Global Energy Alliance and presentations on the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan and Nigeria's Integrated Energy Plan.

Prof. Osinbajo observed at Imperial College that Africa as a continent is home to the world’s youngest fastest growing population and in order to create jobs and enable climate-smart industrialization, "the scale and quality of electricity services must increase significantly."

Continuing, the VP noted that the scaling up in the Nigerian context is based on clean energy, a reflection of the FG’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

He said this "means building sustainability into our economic planning, and so our Economic Sustainability Plan, includes a plan to provide 5 million homes with cleaner energy through its decentralized solar power programme. This means an estimated 25 million Nigerians would have access to solar power.

“The first phase of this plan is already underway, and we think that this sort of programme will very quickly ramp up our progress towards net-zero emissions."

But he explained that the moves to defund gas projects wouldn't help the "whole enterprise," which "requires gas, especially if we are putting it on the grid. We want to be able to put renewable energy on the grid, we need power for industry, and of course, we are looking at the significant cost of that.”

According to him, "limiting the development of gas projects, poses dire challenges for African nations, while making an insignificant dent in global emissions. Energy demand in Nigeria and across Africa is set to rise, as indeed it must, to deliver the industrialization, jobs and economy-wide progress people deserve.”

In addition, the VP explained that “the energy access element of the transition must be linked with the emission reduction aspect of the transition. For too long we have considered these to be parallel tracks. However, pathways to reaching net-zero by 2050 have to include first ending energy poverty by 2030.

“If energy access issues are left unaddressed, we will continue to see growing energy demand being addressed with high polluting and deforesting fuels such as diesel, kerosene and firewood.”

On current energy consumption patterns globally, Prof. Osinbajo noted that "energy consumption in developing countries has doubled in the last 15 years, and is expected to grow another 30% in the next fifteen years. So making capital available to fulfil the growing energy demand in these regions of the world is central to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

He highlighted the disparity in global energy investments, noting that “while representing just 15% of the world’s population, high income countries received 40% of global energy investment in 2018. Conversely, developing countries with 40% of the world’s population received just 15% of global energy investments."

The VicePresident said “Nigeria has already made a commitment to have 30 percent of our electricity supply from renewables by 2030. Also natural gas is currently used for industry, fertilizer manufacturing, and cooking – which are more difficult to transition than power generation."

He affirmed that Nigeria is "resolutely committed to all of our national determined contributions under the Paris Agreement, and we have in fact updated our commitments in our new Energy Transition Plan. So for baseline business as usual (BAU) projections, estimated BAU 2030 emissions are now at 453 MTCO2e (metric tons of Carbon dioxide equivalent), increasing 31 percent from a 2018 baseline of 347 MTCO2e.

“We are committed to the process and strongly believe the process has to be strong, fair, just and supported not just for Nigeria, but for most African countries and for many developing countries who have the same concerns that we have,” Prof. Osinbajo added.

Speaking about the expectations of Nigeria and other developing countries, the VP noted that “the ultimate goal of the global energy transition should be to achieve reliable net-zero-energy systems to power prosperous, inclusive economies.”

His words: “efforts are already underway in my country, and in countries across the continent, to include large shares of clean energy sources to fuel that growth. Renewables are the fastest-growing segment of energy today and will certainly be a key economic driver well into the future.

The VP then disclosed that Nigeria is about the first African country that has developed an energy transition plan that seeks to demonstrate its commitment to the global net -zero emissions.

Such a plan, according to Prof. Osinbajo "must be equitable, inclusive and just with a planet and people approach to the transition. As a practical matter that means transition plans that take into account the different realities of various economies and accommodate various pathways to net-zero by 2050.”

Prior to the engagement with the Imperial College students, the Vice President had met the President-Designate of COP26, Mr. Sharma, who is also the Chair of the UK Government’s COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC).

The discussions were around issues regarding the 2050 global Net-Zero emissions target and the need for the international community to align on the key elements of a just and equitable transition for all.

Other dignitaries that accompanied the VP to the meetings and engagements were Minister of State for Environment, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor; Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Ambassador Adeyemi Dipeolu; Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Amb. Sarafa Ishola, and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sustainable Energy for All (SE forAll), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, among others.

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

Osinbajo is a man of honour and excellence. I love him

Nadaken:
This man is a disappointment no matter how much he tries to distance himself from the vegetable


I don't expect anything from him as president, the north knows how to box him in his political correctness cell

Shame on you for being a disappointment to your family

Enjoy the monster you enabled

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY:
OSINBAJO HOSTS TEACHER OF THE YEAR AS FORMER STUDENTS SHARE 'SURPRISE' VIDEO COMMEMORATING VP'S 40 YEARS TEACHING ANNIVERSARY

*Say his teachings as university lecturer impacted their lives and careers positively

*VP sends greetings to all Nigerian teachers

In commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day - Tuesday, past students of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, have spoken about his contributions to, and impact on their lives and career paths, just as the VP himself welcomed the teacher of the year, Ms. Oluwabunmi Anani, to the Presidential Villa and sent a video greeting to all Nigerian teachers.

Several of Prof. Osinbajo’s law students, many of whom are today distinguished scholars and legal practitioners, unknown to their teacher, had produced a short video speaking glowingly of him; and many more among them also joined a virtual event celebrating the law teacher who started teaching in 1981 at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Osinbajo himself was only 24 then.

At different periods spanning the 80s, 90s and 2000s, Prof. Osinbajo was a lecturer and then Senior Lecturer of Law at UNILAG, Professor of Law and Head of Department of Public Law at the University. He also taught Law at the Lagos State University.

In a heart-warming 5-minute video which trended on Tuesday on different social media platforms, Osinbajo’s former students and alumni of UNILAG, each recounted how his lectures made them better students and successful career professionals.

According to his students, Prof. Osinbajo was a brilliant and an excellent teacher.

The Vice President's old students recalled memories of how he taught the Law of Evidence, with most of them observing that the then young, charming lecturer delivered lectures, quoted legal authorities and citations without using notes.

Among some of the former students of the VP who spoke in the video and at the virtual meeting yesterday were Prof. Fidelis Oditah, QC, SAN; Supreme Court Justice John Inyang Okoro; Mrs Bimbo Akeredolu, SAN; Mr. Wahab Shittu; Major-Gen (rtd). Pat Akem-Vingir; Prof. Adesoji Adesugba; a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Iduma Igariwey; and the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Presidency, Mr. Ade Ipaye.

Others included Ms. Onikepo Braithwaite of Thisday Newspapers; Mr. Joseph Chiedu Ugbo, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); Mr. Andrew Attah; Mr. Adekunle Awodiji; Mr. Bassey Ekwere; Mrs. Remi Ladega and Mr. Abdulrahman Abdurazaq, all legal practitioners.

There was also Mrs. Toyin Odusanya, who noted that Prof. Osinbajo also lectured her daughter. Ogun State Attorney-General, Gbolahan Adeniran, also spoke on the video, noting that the VP mentored and taught that it is the duty of Attorneys-General to ensure that "justice is placed at the heart of governance."

Earlier before the surprise video, the VP had earlier received the Maltina Teacher of the Year 2020, Oluwabunmi Anani, and members of the Nigerian Breweries Limited, NBL, who sponsored the award. While celebrating the teacher based in Adamawa State, Prof. Osinbajo told her, "you have done us proud, as teachers; by your passion and commitment. (Unlike you) many people end up teaching because they have no choice."

He continued "But teaching is the most important, because everyone is a product of teaching. We have to find a way to promote that notion, which is why the NBL initiative of the Maltina Teacher of the Year is good. We need more support for this kind of initiative so that teachers will be appreciated.

"We also have to invest more in teacher training and advancing the works of teachers in various ways. If a teacher is well-trained, he or she will have greater esteem and attract other people."

He added that while he shares the view that teaching is a calling, "we must find a way to make it more interesting."

The VP then said the Federal Government will do its part to ensure that teachers are better rewarded.

According to him “the President is concerned about improving the lots of teachers, but States have a role to play."

He disclosed that there were also moves to employ teachers into the public service starting from level 8 as against level 7.

Already, he said, “the Federal Government, on its part, has been doing a bit of work in trying to improve the lot of teachers. For example, there is a policy now, though not a law yet, it is still in the National Assembly, about moving the retirement age of teachers in the public service from 60 to 65. That’s an additional five years; then we are also looking at their remuneration.”

The VP then prayed for the Teacher of the Year, saying "God will help you as you help so many. You will not be disgraced in Jesus name."

The Maltina Teacher of the Year Award, which aims to recognize and celebrate exceptional teachers in Nigeria, is open to teachers in all secondary schools across the country. While State Champions that emerge from the 36 States and the FCT are recognised and rewarded, the overall National Winner is picked from these State Champions after further assessment.

Anani, the current holder of the title, was accompanied on the visit to the Presidential Villa by Uzodinma Odenigbo, Head of Public and Government Affairs, Nigerian Breweries Limited.

After receiving Anani and later watching the suprise video, Prof. Osinbajo expressed excitement at the gesture of his former students, saying that teaching was something he did effortlessly because of his passion for it.

“I certainly did not except to be celebrated in this way. Yesterday when I was doing a video recording for the Teachers’ Day, I was saying, well, I must be close to 40 years; I didn’t realize that it was 40 years since I started teaching.

“But I am deeply grateful to all of you for the very kind words; your very generous remarks about me, about my humble efforts to pass information to you.

In the VP's own video to mark the World Teachers’ Day, he recalled how his teachers and lecturers positively impacted his life and career.

Thanking all teachers for their contributions, he said in the video, “on this special day, the World Teachers’ Day, I’d like to thank all teachers in this nation, wherever you may be; whether you are in a village or in the city or in town, I like to wish you ‘Happy Teachers’ Day.’

“We are extremely proud of what you do, we are extremely proud of your work. We sincerely appreciate all the sacrifices that you make every single day. We regard you as a major pillar of our society. Happy Teachers’ Day. God bless you.”

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
6th October, 2021

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE


VP OSINBAJO TO REPRESENT NIGERIA AT SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE'S PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be representing the President today in São Tomé city for the inauguration of Mr. Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, the newly elected President of Sao Tome & Principe. He will be joining other Heads of State and government, especially from Africa.

The new President of the island Central African country was declared the winner of the run-off election conducted on the 3rd of September, 2021, and is taking over from the incumbent President, Mr. Evaristo Carvalho.

The Vice President leaves Lagos this morning and would be accompanied by the Foreign Affairs Minister of State, Ambassador Zubairu Dada. He is expected back in Abuja later today.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
2nd October, 2021

The list of winners of the long awaited MSME Grant from the Friends of Prof Osinbajo acting under the aegis of *the March 8th Initiative* has been released.

Readers will recall that young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-35 had applied for these grants in March 2021 during the 64th birthday celebrations of His Excellency Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON.

According to the info contained on the group's website, a Panel of experts reviewed the applications totalling about 33,000.

Members of the Review Panel include:

Professor Onyeka Osuji – Director of the Commercial Law PGT Programmes, University of Essex, United Kingdom
Dr. Trevor Omoruyi – Senior Lecturer, Chester Business School, University of Chester, United Kingdom.
Associate Prof. David Acquaye – Head of Department of Accounting and Finance, Chester Business School, University of Chester, United Kingdom
Dr. Opeoluwa Aiyenitaju – Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Law, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.

At the end of the verification process, a total number of 355 Applicants were shortlisted as winners of the 2021 Entrepreneurship Grants. This is broken down below:

My Big Idea Challenge (N100,000) - 200 Winners

My Business Support Challenge (N250,000) – 85 Winners

My Catalyst Support Challenge (N500,000) – 35 Winners

My Bold Innovation Challenge (N1,000,000) – 35 Winners

*As seen above, the total prize money is 93 million, 750 thousand naira*. These funds will, no doubt, go a long way in assisting these young entrepreneurs.

Check out the list of winners on www. march8th.ng

AXA Mansard Insurance Plc has announced the launch of its new “chatbot” called ‘Nikki’ is to provide a better, faster, and convenient transactional experience for its online customers.

The introduction, Nikki on the website, www.axamansard.com is aimed at providing interactive robot assistance to customers whenever they require any services through the website, customers do not have to wait in line to be attended to by human agents, even though they are at liberty to, should speaking with an agent be their preferred option.

Speaking on the new development, Chief Client Officer, AXA Mansard, Mrs. Rashidat Adebisi said, they are committed to improving customer's experience and making it easier for them to transact seamlessly.

However, with the new offering, customers are able to complete tasks in a moment looking for products and prices to assessing the different packages and offerings, whilst also enjoying interactive robot advice.”

Nikki will provide customers with 24/7 access to advice on their insurance investment and health needs.

Adebisi added that the new offering will guide customers on how to investing funds, renewing insurance policies with making claims on an insurance policy, others.

As part of its commitment to protect the environment and sustainable lifestyle, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc has determined to manage impact on the environment by reducing resource use and promoting climate change awareness throughout the world.

The Chief Customer and Marketing officer, AXA Mansard, Jumoke Odunlami, who spoke at an event tagged tagged ‘ AXA Week for Good’
Said protecting the environment is a major step towards keeping the wellbeing of people and all living creatures.

As the Global Corporate Responsibility week, we take conscious steps to reduce activities that impacts the environment negatively and protect the world we live in.”

In line with this, the company lined up several activities which it wrapped around the theme ‘Zero Waste and the Importance of Recycling’, as highlighted

To this end , beach clean-up exercise: AXA Mansard's employees joined AXA employees worldwide in clean-up activities. The staff of AXA Mansard, on Saturday September 25, 2021, in partnership with ‘Let’s Do It World’ carried out their clean-up activity in Elegushi beach, Lagos with the aim of increasing the cleanliness around the ocean and improving the coastal and ocean ecosystem. The gathered waste items were donated to a recycling company in Lagos for proper use.

Speaking about the beach clean-up exercise, the Country Leader, Let’s Do It Nigeria), Olumide Coker, noted “We understand that this 1-day event does not guaranty a continuously clean beach.

We however hope that the exercise would send a strong message to all Nigerians, that we all have a role to play in maintaining a sustainable environment for us to leave in.”

Indigent school partnership: The company will also be partnering with a notable school in the country to promote the use of recyclable materials as payment for school fees and help supplement additional cost for educational materials required by qualifying students. This is to encourage school children to start recycling from a young age aiming to change the future of the country by having the next generation of children to adopt the habit of the recycling.

SME Webinar: On September 22, 2021, the company held an open webinar for SMEs and the general public, enlightening them on 'Zero Waste and The Importance of Recycling'. This was a very insightful session, as topics ranging from E-waste usage to income generation through recycling were vastly discussed.

AXA Mansard therefore uses this opportunity to reiterate its commitment to:       

Reduce our energy consumption through a focus on energy efficiency solutions that optimize the usage in our buildings. 

Reduce our office paper consumption and minimize the use of paper for our marketing and distribution activities whenever allowed by local requirements and regulators. 

Reduce our water consumption in all AXA Mansard’s facilities, Reduce the emissions derived from our business travel by minimizing the number of long-distance trips of our employees, stimulating the use of alternative means of communication.

Seek suppliers that support us in this journey through their solutions and business practices following the guidelines set in our Responsible Procurement Strategy.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

*FAIRNESS, EQUITY, RESPECT FOR RIGHTS OF OTHERS FUNDAMENTAL TO PEACE, SECURITY, SAYS OSINBAJO*

_*Receives CAN award of excellence at body’s 45th anniversary, describes body as a force for peace, unity & social justice_

_*CAN honours Imam Abubakar Abdullahi from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State_

_*VP urges leaders to be relentless advocates of freedom of worship, justice & the rule of law_


In pursuit of a more united and peaceful society, Christian groups and leaders of faith in Nigeria must preach fairness and equity at all times and be relentless advocates of freedom of worship, justice and the rule of law, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo, who was honoured on Saturday evening in Abuja with the Christian Association of Nigeria's Award of Excellence at a Dinner and Awards night organized to mark the 45th anniversary of the association, also delivered President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government’s felicitations to the foremost Christian body on the milestone.

Also, in his remarks after receiving the award, alongside other honourees, the VP noted that “fairness, equity and respect for the rights of others are fundamental to peace and security,” hence Christian leaders at all levels must strive to promote those virtues despite the challenges.

His words: “we must continue to let the important truth be known that Christ did not come to establish a religion or to condemn men, but to show all men that his own righteousness, not our righteousness or performance, is the qualification for eternal life.

“That the gospel commands consideration for the views of others, treating them as we would wish to be treated; non-violent communication, that our words must be words of grace seasoned with salt.

“We must, as an organisation and as individuals, remain constant and relentless advocates of freedom of worship, respect for human rights, fairness, justice and the rule of law.”

Commending the works of current and past leadership of CAN in promoting religious tolerance, Prof. Osinbajo said “CAN has not only been continually faithful to its founding vision, it has become a veritable force for peace, unity and social justice.”

According to him, “pursuant to the gospel, CAN has consistently spoken up on behalf of the “least of these” in our society.

“Importantly, the current and past leadership of CAN have acted in full realization and recognition of their roles as pivotal stakeholders alongside the Government, private sector in nation-building.

“We are proud of the role of moral compass of society and interlocutor for peace among the different faiths that CAN has played and continues to play in our nation.”

Continuing, the VP noted that “we are also proud of the enormous work that the current executive of CAN, ably led by His Eminence, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, has done.

“I am aware of your collaboration with the leadership of the Islamic and other faiths, to reconcile where there are conflicts, to pacify where there has been offence, and to reprimand where there have been misdeeds. Well done and congratulations.”

Speaking on dousing religious and ethnic tensions in the society, the VP said “as we have seen in the past few years not just in Nigeria but all over the world, there is a growing religious and ethnic chauvinism.

“An almost intemperate, vehement and often violent dismissal of the views of people of other persuasions without adequate consideration. At the same time there is the rise of identity and cultural politics. Brethren, the answer to hate, intolerance and conflict is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

On the call by CAN for the renovation of the National Christian Centre, Prof. Osinbajo gave a short presentation on renovation plan for the Centre, assuring that Christian groups and individuals would be mobilized to provide resources and complete the project.

Responding personally and also on behalf of other award recipients, Prof. Osinbajo said “I accept the award with great humility, being mindful that we are not necessarily the most deserving of Christians to be given any recognition. But that because of the special grace of God, by which we have been chosen to serve in the high capacities that we serve, we are in the advantageous position that our contributions will be more easily noticed.”

The VP dedicated the award to “the many who, daily, in different locations, distant and near, propagate this message of the love and reconciliation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in sometimes difficult, even life-threatening situations. And to the many who have suffered deprivation, and the families of those who have lost their lives by reason of their belief.”


Presenting the Award of Excellence to the VP, CAN President, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, said the honour was in recognition of Prof. Osinbajo’s outstanding performance in public service over the past years, both at state and national levels.

He said: “this Award of Excellence is conferred on you today in recognition of your invaluable contributions as an ideal Christian in the Nigerian political space and governance.”

Other award recipients include former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo; former Imo State Governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; several State governors; faith leaders, including past Presidents and General Secretary of CAN.

The Imam that saved the lives of over 200 Christians in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Abdullahi Abubakar, also received a special CAN recognition.

It would be recalled that the VP had received the Imam in the Presidential Villa in May 2019 and praised him severally in public for his acts of courage, sacrifice and tolerance when he stuck out his neck to protect Christians who were being pursued to be attacked during a conflict situation in Barkin Ladi on June 23, 2018.

Earlier on Saturday morning, the Vice President participated virtually in the 6th edition finals of the SimmonsCooper Advocacy Development (SCAD) Programme organized by SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP).

Speaking briefly during the event which was held live in Lagos, the VP congratulated the finalists of the SCAD competition as being among the best in Nigeria and anywhere in the world.

“Knowledge is so critical, and today, it is almost as if a completely new vista of knowledge has been opened, especially with technology and all of its various implications,” he said.

The event was attended by members of the Nigerian Bar Association, students of law and other disciplines from Nigerian universities, members of the Nigerian business community, among others.

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

Imagine an aide to an ineffectual buffoon doing this

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN attends the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KADINVEST 6.0) & commissions the Kasuwan Magani Market, Power Solar Plant in Kajuru local government, Kaduna state. 23rd Sept, 2021. � Tolani Alli

On Tuesday, a Delegation of Six Attorneys-General from the South-West States, led by Ekiti State Attorney-General, Mr Olawale Fapohunda visited VP Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, briefing him on the progress of justice reforms in their various States.

The Vice President who expressed delight at the visit commended the Attorneys-General for the “great work” that has been done in the States, observing the wide range of areas being covered by the Justice Sector Reforms.

The Attorneys-General in separate remarks during the courtesy call praised the VP’s efforts as Lagos State Attorney- General, attributing some of the gains recorded in their States to his innovative ideas.

They detailed different initiatives being implemented in their States centering around reforms on the administration of justice system.

In his response, Prof. Osinbajo urged the States’ chief law officers to leverage their network and individual positions to effect the desired changes in the justice sector.

Referring specifically to ongoing reform efforts in Lagos and other states, Lagos State Attorney General, Mr Onigbanjo, SAN said “Your Excellency, you laid a solid foundation upon which we are building on today. The reforms initiated by you as AG have been the basis for what we are doing and have done in Lagos.”

In the same vein, the Oyo State AG, Prof. Oyewo noted that “we are proud of your achievements and contributions to the development of the judiciary and this great country.”

On his part, Mr Fapohunda said the reform process in the States including in Ekiti is focused on law reform, institutional reform and general reviews in areas that have direct impact on the administration of justice system. He also praised the foundational justice reform works of Prof. Osinbajo in Lagos State.

The Attorneys-General and Justice Commissioners who visited represented Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Osun States.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUIIwKro3uW/?utm_medium=share_sheet

*Attorneys-General recall, commend Osinbajo’s efforts as Lagos AG

Six Attorneys-General from the South-West States visited Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, briefing him on the progress of justice reforms in their various States, many of which they said were inspired by the successes recorded during his stint as Lagos State Attorney-General.

The Vice President who expressed delight at the visit commended the Attorneys-General for the “great work” that has been done in the States, observing the wide range of areas being covered by the Justice Sector Reforms.

The Attorneys-General in separate remarks during the courtesy call praised the VP’s efforts as Lagos State Attorney- General, attributing some of the gains recorded in their States to his innovative ideas.

They detailed different initiatives being implemented in their States centering around reforms on the administration of justice system such as alternative dispute resolution, access to justice, capacity building for judicial officers, digitization and general infrastructure upgrade.

The presentations also included social protection objectives and improving the legal framework for enhancing the business environment in the States.

The Attorneys-General and Justice Commissioners were led on the visit by the Ekiti State Attorney-General, Mr Olawale Fapohunda. Others were Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN; Ondo State Attorney-General, Sir Charles Titiloye; Oyo State Attorney-General, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo; Ogun State Attorney-General, Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran; and his Osun State counterpart, Mr Olufemi Akande.

In his response, Prof. Osinbajo urged the States’ chief law officers to leverage their network and individual positions to effect the desired changes in the justice sector.

Commending their efforts, the VP noted that “just looking at the sheer range of the things that have been done, I really must commend you for a very great work.”

“I think there is need for us (especially at the state level), to ensure that prosecutions move quickly. It is important that we devote some time to how we can improve the pace of cases in our courts,” Prof. Osinbajo added.

Referring specifically to ongoing reform efforts in Lagos and other states, Lagos State Attorney General, Mr Onigbanjo, SAN said “Your Excellency, you laid a solid foundation upon which we are building on today. The reforms initiated by you as AG have been the basis for what we are doing and have done in Lagos.”

In the same vein, the Oyo State AG, Prof. Oyewo noted that “we are proud of your achievements and contributions to the development of the judiciary and this great country.”

On his part, the leader of the delegation and Justice Commissioner of Ekiti State, Mr Fapohunda said the reform process in the States including in Ekiti is focused on law reform, institutional reform and general reviews in areas that have direct impact on the administration of justice system.

He also praised the foundational justice reform works of Prof. Osinbajo in Lagos State.

“I align myself to what has been said, we are proud of what you did as AG in Lagos, some of the things being done today are based on your foundational works,” he concluded.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
22nd September, 2021

WHY WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON IMPROVING NIGERIA’S HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT INDICES – OSINBAJO

*Governor El-Rufai commends VP for leading HCD initiative of NEC

The Buhari administration alongside state governments will continue to ramp up its efforts towards improving the country’s Human Capital Development in Nigeria ensuring quality access to education, and health services for all Nigerians, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday at the Human Capital Development (HCD) Strategy Validation Event, which held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) to the President, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Ade Ipaye, delivered the VP’s speech at the event, which also had in attendance Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Mannir Yakubu; the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; representative of the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, state commissioners; and other senior government officials and development partners.

Nigeria’s HCD programme was launched in March 2018 by the National Economic Council (NEC), which is chaired by the Vice President. The NEC conceptualized the HCD programme with the realization that human capital development plays a critical role in addressing poverty and ensures participatory and sustainable economic growth. The programme is also designed to increase investments in the Nigerian people and improve the country's human development indices.

The goal of the National HCD Vision - which was launched at an extended meeting of NEC focused on the Human Capital Development in December 2018 - is for “Healthy, Educated and Productive Nigerians by the Year 2030”, with targets across three thematic areas; namely Health and Nutrition, Education and Labour Force Participation.

The Vice President commended the HCD Core Working Group (CWG), set up by NEC for its work so far “towards the development of Human Capital in Nigeria, and the diligent attention to all the details required to progress the course of Human Capital Development in the country.”

The CWG was established with a mandate to develop a National Human Capital Development Strategy, engage States to ensure prioritization of HCD, ascertain quick wins at the Federal and State Levels, and institute a robust countrywide Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to track progress.

Noting that stakeholders, including the ministers of health, education and others, have been making significant contributions towards moving HCD forward in the country, the VP added that, “we cannot do this quietly all the time, even though many of us wish we could. People have to know what we are doing; stakeholders have to be carried along, and the effects have to be so visible and to be publicized such that others would be fired up to join the efforts which we are making towards improving Human Capital Development in Nigeria. Hence, this communication strategy.”

He added, “we want to ensure that everybody has a shared understanding of the HCD objectives and its importance to Nigeria. Those of us here, right from the governors, ministers and state commissioners, directors and focal persons; we are the critical people to make sure that we first understand the programme, and we follow up on its implementation at all levels of government so that we can really begin to see the effects.”

“It is not enough to make all these grand plans and to even try to implement them, we must let the ripples spread; we must get other people to know what’s happening, to know that these are the benefits for our people in making this happen, and get them to come along with us to make it happen.

“Therefore, we need a strong and positive brand identity for the programme, which will inspire others to join in its objectives and implementation. Then, we need to streamline the HCD communications activities to people at the areas of most impact, those that should know should know, those that would benefit should also be aware of what entitlements that they should rightly expect.”

Also speaking at the event, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai commended VP Osinbajo for leading the HCD initiative for government.

“If we don’t invest in education, health care, nutrition and skills, our situation would get worse. This is why I must pay compliments to His Excellency, the Vice President, for being at the lead to getting the political attention needed to address this challenge, because it’s all about political will. We’ve spoken here, there is a clear strategy, now we talk about implementation,” Governor El-Rufai noted.

In the same vein, the VP also thanked Governor El-Rufai for his efforts in spearheading the initiative, adding that, “it is no wonder then that he is personally here with us this morning. He is someone that believes in the course, both in theory and practice of it, and we see it in motion in Kaduna State.”

The representative of the VP and Governor Rufai led other dignitaries at the event to unveil the logo of the Human Capital Development campaign.

The objective of the HCD Strategy Validation Meeting was to validate the outcomes of the HCD Communications Strategy event, present the HCD Brand Identity and launch the HCD website.

Also at the event were representatives of the National Assembly - including the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere and Hon. Tanko Sununu; Dr. Lanre Tejuosho; partners to the CWG, Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), Regional HCD Focal Persons, Media Experts, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), HCD Champions, other relevant stakeholders and government officials.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
21st September, 2021

Receives Sao Tome & Principe President-elect in Aso Villa

Africans must continue to make the extra effort in ensuring that elections in the continent go through the democratic process, remain transparent and fair, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

He said this today while receiving the President-elect of Sao Tome and Principe, Mr. Carlos Manuel Vila Nova who paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa.

On the 18th of July, 2021, elections were held in Sao Tome to replace President Evaristo Carvalho, whose tenure expired on 3rd September, 2021. Based on constitutional provisions, an outright winner did not emerge from the polls and a run-off led to the emergence of Mr. Vila Nova, who would be sworn in 2nd October, 2021.

According to Prof Osinbajo “there is no question at all that for those of us in Africa, we must make the extra effort to ensure that the democratic process is very transparent. It is such a pleasure to see that that was what took place in your country which led to your election.”

Speaking about areas of cooperation between both countries, the Vice President said, “we already talked about some of the areas of cooperation...your tenure might be an opportunity to bring some of those things to fruition.”

Prof Osinbajo reassured Mr. Manuel Vila Nova of Nigeria’s support to ensure that “your tenure is as comfortable and effective as possible as partners and friends.”

In his own remarks, President-elect Vila Nova expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting Sao Tome and also thanked the Vice President for his attention, stating that Nigeria is a “friendly country” and the relationship between both countries dates back many years.

In attendance at the meeting were the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, and a member of the Sao Tome and Principe's cabinet, Mr. Americo de Oliveira Ramos.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
20th September 2021

By Abdul Mohammed
As reprehensible as the murky waters of the Nigeria politics can be, one would be shell-shocked that it still has the proclivity of breeding some politicians, activists and individuals who canonize themselves as saints; clad themselves in the garbs and regalia of pietists condemning “sinners” and canonizing the “saints”. They technically assume the sacred throne of God, dispensing judgments and discernments, while forgeting when they judge others, they do not define them, but hypocritically define themselves.
In fact, they are without character or coherence. They are those metaphoric bats who are neither rats nor birds, but always bite and hide. This tribe of hypocrites orate, sermonise and evangelise integrity from the the den of corruption.
The accusations that have been coming in torrents against the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, easily and widely regarded the best VP ever, are ones that remind one of the biblical reference of the Book of First Samuel, chapter 16, verse 11, wherein David was not more than a Shepherd boy who loved to take care of his father’s sheep, but bereft of attention from his family and even despised by his brothers or were perhaps made to feel insecure by him.
Obviously, being extraordinarily good at his duties and those delegated to him by President Muhammadu Buhari, VP Osinbajo attracts envy and bitterness from those who wished they were in his shoes. Hence what seems their desperation to mount campaign of calumny against him in the media, both the traditional and the new media. But just like David, Professor Osinbajo is comforted and strengthened by his strong faith and confidence, drawn from a good conscience. Indeed, who God has blessed, no one can curse.
Love Osinbajo or loathe him for any reason, his good deeds will remain indelible and undeletable as the Nigeria’s most vibrant Vice President ever.
One good example was the recent attempt by mischief-makers to twist his comment on the security situation in the country. They went to town to scream that the VP declared that “kidnapping is over exaggerated and not entirely new”.
But the truth of the matter is that the VP, while fielding questions in New York, only made reference to the social media as being too hysterical most times. That information disseminated on such spaces is often not verified.
His exact words: “I really will urge that you don’t rely entirely for information on social media. I think that the social media tends to be hysterical about practically everything.


“I think there is also a lot of politics involved in some of the information as it comes up.
“I think it is also important to point out that this new wave of issues of security came immediately after the elections.
“And there is always a connection between this issue of security and elections because many times, politicians’ arm several of these individuals during the electioneering period.
“Immediately after an election cycle, many of them, having nothing to do and with arms all over the place, resort to the fastest way of making money which is to abduct somebody and ask for a ransom. And that is just one side of the problem.
“But let me dimension it so that you can really understand it better.
“When people say there is security problem here and there, it is not one thing, it is several different things but if it is described as one thing then it will look bigger than it really is.
“And I am deeply worried about the fact that we might find ourselves unable to resolve these problems unless we drill down to see what the problems are.”
Now, from the foregoing, where did the Vice President deny that there was no problem or show insensitivity as the mischief-makers were trying to imply or insinuate?
Another favorite turf of these agents of misinformation and disinformation is religion. Of course, some critics of President Buhari are wont to accuse him of “Islam Agenda” rightly or wrongly. Now, without any proof or conscience, they are toiling hard to pin the label of “Christianization agenda” on the VP. This reached a rather ludicrous turn recently when the otherwise discerning columnist, Farouk Kperogi, joined in the retail of this fallacy.
In his article entitled “Pantami is my friend but he can’t be defended” (published on Saturday, April 17, 2021), the US-based writer wrote: “Yemi Osinbajo, for instance, has been accused of being an intolerant, narrow-minded Christian extremist who wallows in his Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) bubble, who employs only Yoruba people who belong to the RCCG.”
Mr. Kperogi must have penned these in a blur of incomprehension as this is acutely inaccurate. He did not hide his unfounded bias when he went further in his attempt to rehash false claims on Osinbajo in his follow-up article (on Sunday, April 18): “When You Piss Off Two Extremist Groups on Opposite Ends”.


Kperogi wrote: “The Pentecostal partisans, particularly of the RCCG crowd, are ticked off that I mentioned Yemi Osinbajo’s name in the column, even though I made it clear that while he (Osinbajo) has been accused of RCCG bigotry with solid evidence, to his credit, he hasn’t been associated with extremist and exclusivist religious rhetoric in his past homilies.”
This is another false representation of VP Osinbajo by Kperogi in his article, and that it was on a subject matter that has no remote bearing to the VP or his person, reeks of some sinister motives. But expectedly, the author was called out on social media by many Nigerians who knew better than to gulp his rooster and bull tales on the VP.
It is clear that Kperogi based his ridiculous comments on the VP on another ridiculous article by one Dr Musbau Akinbode titled “Osinbajo’s Stealth Christianization Agenda”, which was a regurgitation of spurious claims made in 2017 by one Dr. Ismaila Farouk. The claims made against Osinbajo in both articles are dead in the water.
Kperogi’s comments on the VP are not only riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehood, his attempt to subtly give wings to discredited opinions by fake news merchants should be condemned for what is it: a communication gaffe.
Overall, the salient point to note is that VP Osinbajo respects and sees everyone first as Nigerian, regardless of tribe, ethnicity or faith and this shows in the composition of staff in the Office of the Vice President, which has already been described as a mini-Nigeria. A little research by these people with adversarial mindset would have sufficed. Let’s have a little roll call of the key staff of Vice President.
A flip through the list of Osinbajo’s aides showed that Mr. Ade Ipaye, who is the head of his team as Deputy Chief of Staff, is not a Christian but a Muslim from Lagos State.
Other aides in his office are: Director of Protocol, Ambassador Abdullahi Gwari, Muslim from Yobe State; Special Adviser on Social Investments, Maryam Uwais, Muslim from Kano State; Senior Special Assistant on Legal, Research and Compliance, Dr. Balkisu Saidu, Muslim from Sokoto State; Senior Special Assistant on Economic Affairs, Edobor Iyamu, Christian from Edo State; Special Adviser on Power, Dr. Tochukwu Nwachukwu, Christian from Imo State; Special Adviser on National Economic Council (NEC), Donald Wokoma, Christian from Rivers State; Special Assistant on Social Investment, Mohammed Braimah, Muslim from Kwara State; Special Assistant on Inter-governmental Affairs, Abdul Rahman Baffa, Muslim from Kano State; Special Assistant on Economy, Peter Dimike, Christian from Imo State; Special Assistant to Power Team, Anita Otubu, Christian from Delta State; Zainab Edu, Assistant to Special Assistant on SIP, Kano State; Special Assistant to Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Bege Bala (BPE), Christian from Kaduna State; Assistant on Social Investment, Amina Edu, Muslim from Kaduna State.


Others are: Personal Assistant to the Vice President, Gambo Mansur, Muslim from Gombe State; Personal Assistant to the Vice President, Murtala Aliyu, Muslim from Kogi State; EA-DCOS, Nkoli Anyaoku, Christian from Anambra State; Special Assistant on Rule of Law, Zainab Buba Galadima, Muslim from Yobe State; Special Asssitant, Administration, Koko Iyamu, Christian from Akwa Ibom State; Personal Assistant to the Vice President, Edewede Akhidenor, Christian from Edo State.
Others are Special Advisers or Senior Special Assistants to the President seconded to the office of the vice-president. Those in this category are Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs (Office of Vice -President), Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Christian from Ekiti State, Special Adviser Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu (Office of Vice -President), Christian from Ogun State, Mr Louis Odion, Christian from Edo state(Senior Special Technical Assistant on Media and Senior Special Assistant to the President (Office of Vice -President) on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, who happens to be the only RCCG pastor among them. As a matter of fact, Mr Akande was based in the United States when he was hired. Wokoma and Tochukwu left after first term but now, the office also has Chris Ngwodo-SSA Policy and Ahmad Zakari, Special Adviser, Infrastructures.
From the above, any objective and discernible mind would be able to decipher facts from fiction, even by those who retail their supposed intellectual fecundity.

https://www.akelicious.net/osinbajo-the-parable-of-fruit-bearing-tree/

*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

RIP Pa Abiodun

RIP Pa Abiodun