₦airaland Forum

OVER 2M JOBS SAVED, CREATED, AS FG RELEASES N288B FOR ESP/COVID-19 IMPLEMENTATION

Osinbajo: We won’t allow vast majority of our people suffer

New ICUs, Molecular Laboratories & Isolation Centres underway in 52 Federal Tertiary Health institutions

Pharmaceutical industries get N1bn support for unused raw materials

Bio-vaccine laboratory expected soon_

4000km federal, rural roads projects advancing steadily

5.8 M farmers enumerated under Mass Agric scheme

With the release of about N288B out of the N500B appropriated for COVID-19 intervention programmes under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), at least 2.1 million jobs have been saved, including new ones created, while over 4000km of federal and rural roads are at least 30% completed since the commencement of the ESP months ago.

These were some of the highlights emerging from today’s meeting of the Economic Sustainability Committee presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, at the Presidential Villa.

While noting the considerable progress recorded, Prof. Osinbajo affirmed the President’s resolve to always look out for the Nigerian people, and urged members of the committee “to bear in mind that the vast majority of our people are not allowed to suffer.”

Ministers and heads of agencies executing the Buhari administration’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) reported significant improvement in the implementation of the plan, as the Federal Government ramps up funding for projects across sectors to impact more Nigerians. Already more than 50% of the appropriated sum for the ESP has been released.

Under the Survival Fund scheme specifically, 1.3 million jobs have been saved, and another 774,000 jobs created from the Public Works Programme. This is apart from the total 26,021 jobs created from construction and rehabilitation works.

Other highlights include the release of 100% (i.e. N5bn) appropriation for the COVID-19 Aviation intervention; 50% funding (N26bn) for the Public Works scheme hiring 774,000 persons across the country, among others.

Commenting on the reports presented by ESC members at the meeting, Prof. Osinbajo said “I think that it will be fair to say that on account of the very good work that you all have done, we were able to get out of recession much faster than anyone would have imagined, although only marginally.”

Urging ministers and heads of agencies implementing key programmes of government not to rest on their oars, the Vice President noted that “it is important for us to continually bear in mind that we really have a duty to ensure that the vast majority of our people are not allowed to suffer. So, I feel we should be thinking more about the next thing that we need to do.”

In digital skills support for youth and women, anchored by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba reported that N1.5b which is 50% of the amount appropriated for the scheme primarily targeted for job creation has been released to the ministry.

He added that priority programmes for the intervention is the training of 600 youths (100 from each of the 6 geo-political zones) on VSAT technologies who will also be supported with laptops and stipends.

The Minister noted that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has received N625 million (representing 50% of appropriated funds) to implement an empowerment scheme for women through capacity building in innovation and vocational training.

For the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, the Minister said N2.6 billion representing 50% appropriation was released for implementation of youth employability improvement scheme through;

*Capacity building in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies
*Positioning Nigerian youths for digital remote jobs
*Equipping of youths digital/robotic training centres across the 6 geo-political zones.

Another key highlight of the progress report is the release of N1.25 billion (50%) to the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons for implementation of programmes for vulnerable and displaced persons, specifically:

*The construction of 400 housing units for persons of concern in Zamfara, Yobe, Katsina, and Edo states; 8 PHCs and others
*Empowerment of 900 persons of concern with skills, starter packs and startup capital.

The Minister also reported that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development received N2.45 billion representing 7.5% of N32.45 billion for cash transfer to the poor and vulnerable, while the balance of N30 billion is being processed.

In strengthening health system, the Minister said 52 Federal Tertiary Health (FTHs) Institutions received N23.57 billion (N853m each) for the establishment of ICUs, Molecular Laboratories and Isolation Centres.

The progress report presented by the minister showed that in 38 FTHs implementation is at an average of 47% completion with procurement process completed and equipment supply in progress.

Expected outcomes from the interventions in the sector include 520 fully equipped ICU beds available in FTHs; 52 Isolation wards with an aggregate of 1040 beds and associated patient monitoring equipment and 52 molecular labs with the capacity to carry out a minimum of 150 PCR test a day.

Other releases for the health sector, according to the minister include, N10 billion for the establishment of a bio-vaccine laboratory; N5.02 billion representing 50% to the Federal Ministry of Health for implementation of the following projects:

*Surveillance and Epidemiology
*Establishing Laboratory
*Point of Entry;
*Infection Prevention and Control
*Case Management
*Health-related communication
*Research and Development

In his presentation, the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Nanono, said N17 billion has been released for rural roads project under the ESP while about 5.8 million farmers enumerated out of which the data of 3.6 million have been validated.

In the works sector, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said a total number of 4,350 direct jobs were recalled and 18,321 indirect jobs were created through the engagement of the contractors and suppliers handling different works across the country.

Members of the ESC most of whom attended the meeting include Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Trade and Investment Minister, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Nanono; Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
25th March 2021.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the renewal of the appointment of Mr. Alexander Ayoola Okoh as the Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) for a second term of four years in accordance with the provision of Section 17 (1)(a) and (2)(a) of the Public Enterprise (Privatization & Commercialization) Act, 1999. 

This renewal will take effect from 10th April 2021.

The BPE is the Federal Government agency charged with economic reforms especially the privatization & commercialization of government-owned enterprises in the country. BPE also serves as the secretariat of the National Council on Privatization. 

In the last four years, BPE has witnessed a notable invigoration in its activities.  

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity 
Office of the Vice President
25th March 2021

*Adds: _“Workers showed understanding in their demands”_

The commitment of the Buhari administration to the welfare of workers in Nigeria is evident in several Federal Government policies including the legislation of the minimum wage, tax exemption for minimum wage earners and the preservation of public service jobs in spite of two recessions, among others.

Making this statement earlier today at the opening session of the 2021 National Labour Advisory Council, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, also commended workers and other social partners for their cooperation and understanding in the resolution of issues in the industry, saying “workers also showed understanding in their demands.”

According to the President, “our government has always been and we remain resolutely committed to the welfare of workers. Indeed, one of our first actions in office was the massive bailout to States, the majority of which, were owing workers’ salaries in many cases for between 6 and 12 months.

“As Federal Government, we ensured that despite two recessions in six years, and severely dwindled national resources, no jobs were lost for this reason.

“Indeed, we not only implemented a new national minimum wage but we also last year, put forward legislation that ensured that minimum wage earners would pay no income tax.

“We established the largest Social Investment Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa and we have since expanded many of its component programmes including the Conditional Cash Transfers for the poor from 2.6 million households (13 million persons) to 7.2 million households (about 30 million persons) and COVID-19 Rapid Response for the Urban Poor which now has 4 million households (20 million persons).”

Speaking about Nigeria’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the President noted that “Nigeria has ratified this convention and is today practising its provisions. So, we can without equivocation, assert that Nigeria supports tripartism in labour relations as a fundamental pillar of good governance.”

Said the President: “The ILO Convention promotes the application of a founding principle of the ILO which established the bringing together of governments, employers and workers through tripartite social dialogue to develop, implement and promote international labour standards governing all aspects of the world of work.

“We will continue to consider the four pillars of the ILO policy framework to tackle the COVID-19 crisis in our journey to build back better, that which was destroyed by the pandemic.

“Through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, there is the Entrepreneur Support Programme which includes vulnerable workers amongst the urban poor…”

The President also listed the following:

*the Artisan Support Fund;
*Payroll Support Fund for small scale businesses;
*Business Formalisation aimed at encouraging Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by offering free registration for upcoming businesses by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC);
*Guaranteed Off-take Stimulus Scheme for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs); the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for young entrepreneurs of N75 billion for 3 years, all aimed at supporting the labour force.

According to him, “we also intend to expand the N-Power programme from the present 500,000 to 1 million persons; and the Central Bank of Nigeria has activated its programmes in Agriculture and Manufacturing.”

The President then urged participants at the meeting to take the opportunity of the gathering to “consider the implications of the rapid and fundamental changes to the world of work occasioned first by technology – the disruptive innovation and lately by the COVID-19 induced changes to the way we work.”

Present at the opening session of the Council include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN; the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku; President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, among others.

*Laolu Akande,*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,*
*Office of the Vice President.*
23rd March 2021.

SpatialKing:
A useless and unresourceful man like that

Compare him with your father, you will know who is useless

ITS UNPRECEDENTED, TRANSPARENT, FAIR & IMPACTFUL, MSME SURVIVAL FUND BENEFICIARIES TELL VICE PRESIDENT

_*Over 146, 811 transport sector beneficiaries so far paid_

_*At least 307,173 Payroll Support beneficiaries paid_

_*114,557 Artisans Track beneficiaries receive payments_

Beneficiaries of the Buhari administration’s Survival Fund from the Transportation and Education sectors have hailed the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) scheme, praising the President and his deputy for the success of what they described as an unprecedented, transparent, fair, and impactful programme.

Responding during two different feedback-focused virtual interactive sessions earlier today, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN declared that the President wanted to do more, and would be encouraged by the success stories of the beneficiaries and the impact created.

“What the President wanted was to pay every private sector employee (in the education sector). But the cost was humongous so we had to rationalize,” Prof. Osinbajo noted regarding the payroll support aspect of the Survival Fund.

He added that the feedback from the beneficiaries of both the transport and Payroll Support schemes will encourage the President. “It is good that most people have received the fund, by the time I report back to the President, it will encourage him. “

Responding to beneficiaries in the Transport sector, the VP noted that “Mr President has asked regularly about the progress of the MSMEs Survival Fund. He is particularly concerned about what we can do for transport workers. So you can be sure that we're going to be focused on this issue.

“It was in recognition of the importance of road transportation to the economy that the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), set aside specific funds, the MSMEs Survival Fund, with a special focus and emphasis on road transportation workers.

“We want to make sure that the economy survives, what we are doing is not a favour to the transport industry. We think it is important that this industry survives in the interest of our nation and our economy and the interest of the people of this country.”

In his remarks to the payroll support group, the VP said “I also want to thank all of you, the school owners and beneficiaries. One of the very important things for us, when we were drafting the Plan and design, was that we wanted to look at certain critical sectors of the Nigerian economy that required intervention in the wake of the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we recognized that schools were vital...”

Prof. Osinbajo said, “We designed the ESP to focus on certain critical sectors, and the education sector, particularly private schools, was one of them because, during the lockdown, private schools were in a much difficult place. So, we felt that we should also support private schools through the MSME Survival Fund platform.”

As the Survival Fund enters its 7th month, the Steering Committee led by Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum and representatives of beneficiaries in the Transportation and Education sectors held a virtual meeting with the VP to express their appreciation for the implementation of the scheme.

The President of the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN), Alhaji Musa Muhammed, said the implementation of the Survival Fund was unprecedented in the history of the country, noting that beneficiaries remained indebted to the government for the show of concern during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

He however urged authorities to do more for the sector by creating a Transportation Bank to cater to the growing needs of road transport operators in the country.

The Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Tony Asogwa, while appreciating the effort of the Vice President and the coordinating committee for a smooth implementation of the scheme, noted that the scheme was not a tribalistic programme as beneficiaries are spread across persons from the different ethno-religious backgrounds.

In the same vein, Alhaji Yususf Usman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), said over 60% of members of the group had received payments under the scheme and appealed to the Federal Government to also look into the plight of the owners having catered for the workers.

On her part, Mrs Precious Ukpe, representative of Bookyard International School, PortHarcourt, Rivers State, said the intervention from the Federal Government has been very impactful, noting that it enabled many schools to resume normal activities.

Another beneficiary of the Payroll Support, the Proprietor, Adebabs Inland Montessori School, Mr Babatunde Lateef, thanked the Buhari administration for the payroll support for private schools, adding that "I wish this scheme can continue for long for private schools across Nigeria."

Speaking on the transparency of the scheme the Vice President noted that “the first problem is that we are limited by the resources available to us. But it was very important for us that this process be a transparent process so that it is an auditable process, anybody can check where money is going, who is receiving money and how many people have received money.”

“And this is one of the reasons why we are extremely proud of the work that has been done by the survival fund steering committee under the very able leadership of the Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment. They had ensured that this is a transparent process.

“It was at the urging of the Hon Minister that we brought in one of the very important private sector players – the Chairperson of First Bank Nigeria PLC, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, to co-chair the MSMEs Survival Fund, so that we could bring in private sector discipline and the efficiency of the private sector into this whole thing,” the Vice President added.

The Vice President appreciated the feedback from both the private school owners under Payroll Support and beneficiaries from the Transport sector, noting that their positive response was evidence of the excellent work being done by the Survival Fund scheme.

He added that the Project Delivery Office of the MSME Survival Fund will also look at the suggestions and address the issues raised.

“I can assure you that we will look at the suggestions raised and see how we can address them,” he said.

Earlier in her remarks, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum said that since the enumeration of the first set of beneficiaries on 17th January, 2021, a total of 155,920 beneficiaries in the transport track have so far been approved for payment while 9,109 pending cases are being processed for payment.

The Minister added that the balance to be enumerated is about 19,689 but noted that only 22% of female beneficiaries in the track were reached because of the peculiar nature of the transportation business.

The Minister noted that the education sector alone had about 850,000 applications during the one week the survival portal was reopened, compared to about half of the number when the portal was first opened for six weeks.

She said that so far, 43% of the Survival Fund beneficiaries are females.

“At least 100,000 employees in the education sector have been paid as at the last count, and more employees in this sector have been whitelisted for approval of payment. Private schools play an important role, government cannot do it alone in terms of educational provision. So going forward, whenever we find the opportunity to assist, we would do as much as we could,” she stated.

So far, over 146, 811 transport sector beneficiaries have been paid under the Transport Track 30,000 one-off grant; at least 307,173 Payroll Support beneficiaries have been paid, and 114,557 Artisans Track beneficiaries have received payments under the scheme.

Preparations are ongoing to pay the balance of beneficiaries under the various tracks while prospective beneficiaries of the General Grant and Guaranteed Off-take Scheme are being enumerated for payment.

Speakers representing stakeholders from the six geo-political zones in the education sector include, Mr Babatunde Lateef from Adebabs Inland Montessori School, Lagos represented the South West; Mrs Precious Ukpe from Bookyard International School, Rivers State represented the South South; Mrs Esther Egwu from United Christian Academy Ltd, Abia State represented the South East; Mrs Maryam Bukar from Petrol Talent Global Model School, Borno State represented the North East; Mr Edward Tetteh from De Grate Jewels International Academy, Abuja represented North Central, and Nuhu Nuhu from Excellent Science College, Kano, represented the North West.

Associations and unions from the Transport sector represented at the meeting include the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers; Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners; National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners & Riders Association; Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria; Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle & Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria, and God is Good Motors (GiGM).

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

Photos; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN engages with Private School Owners Beneficiaries of the MSME Survival Funds. 22nd March 2021.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

HOW BUHARI ADMINISTRATION IS SUPPORTING GROWTH OF ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, BY OSINBAJO

*BOI N300m loan at single-digit interest rates for creative sector

*VP celebrates Burnaboy & Wizkid

Adds: “…we are at the cusp of a revolution in entertainment production, creative talent and services”

In recognition of the strategic importance of the entertainment and creative sector in growing the Nigerian economy, the Buhari administration has in the past few years introduced several initiatives to harness the abundant potentials in the country, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this over the weekend in a message delivered at the opening of the Ogidi Studios – a Lagos-based world-class creative complex, hosting recording, film production, animation, and writing studios, owned by the Temple Company.

According to the Vice President, “last year the Federal Government handed over the control of the National Theatre to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers’ Committee. The Bankers’ Committee has committed to an investment of N25 billion as initial funding for the development of the Nigeria Creative Centre at the National Theatre, Lagos.

“The sector will receive support from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Creative Industry Funds Initiative, an initiative that gives financial support to the technology and creative sector at single-digit interest rates.

“The Bank of Industry in collaboration with the National Council for Arts and Culture also has a N300 million loan package for the creative sector, the package provides the funds to the sector at single-digit interest rates with a tenor of four to five years.”

Speaking about the gains of consistent and deliberate efforts by the Buhari administration over the years, the Vice President noted that the sector and the country are now better positioned to benefit from the entire value chain.

He said: “But perhaps more importantly, with the Ogidi Studios, Nigeria now operates on the same level of sound and video technology with the major global players. Now the stars, not just Nigerian stars, but from all over the world have a place in Lagos that is as good as any studio they have ever recorded in.

“World-class script writing, music recording, video making, and editing can take place under one roof, at the Ogidi Studios.

“The entire value chain in music and entertainment can now be local. So we are at the cusp of a revolution in entertainment production, creative talent and services, and a major economic opening for business in Nigeria.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo explained that “the world knows it and the smart money is already going after the trail. Last year, Netflix, opened its first African office here in Lagos and is investing millions of dollars to buy and generate authentic African content on its platform.

“A couple of years earlier, the Universal Music group established itself firmly here and there are many others waiting to make their bid for a piece of the action.”

Assuring that with the quality of investments, the future is promising for the sector, the Vice President said, “this is really the private sector putting its best foot forward in the entertainment industry, the future is certainly looking very bright for the industry. And we are all looking forward to the greater investments.”

While commending the owners of the Ogidi Studios for raising the stakes in the entertainment industry, the Vice President said local creative talents can now fulfill their dreams as “world-class script writing, music recording, video making, and editing can take place under one roof, at the Ogidi Studios.”

Referencing the stories of Burnaboy and Wizkid who took the entertainment industry by storm and winning the Grammy Awards, Prof. Osinbajo noted that the environment has been prepared for Nigeria to produce more creative talents across the value chain in the industry.

Prof Osinbajo said: “on the 14th of March 2021, Burnaboy and Wizkid took the entertainment industry by storm winning the Grammy Awards and established themselves as amongst the best musicians in the world. Burnaboy won in the “Best Global Music Album” category for the “Twice As Tall” Album and Wizkid; the real starboy, in the Best Music Video category for his feature in the song ‘Brown Skin Girl’.”

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

Reno Omokri the identity thief
Wendell Simlim comes to mind

Igbos are the real slaves

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT


FG AGENCY TO NEC:
COVID-19 VACCINES DELIVERED TO 35 STATES, FCT

*NEC pledges support for national broadband penetration plan




Informed that the COVID-19 Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccines have now been delivered to every state in the country except one, the National Economic Council (NEC) rose from its monthly meeting today urging Nigerians to participate in the vaccination when it is their turn.


NEC also welcomed the integration of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to support the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on vaccine accountability and transparency.


Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN who chaired the meeting, commended the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for smooth coordination of the nation-wide distribution of the vaccines.


State Governors, FCT Minister, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, other ministers, and heads of government agencies and parastatals, participated in the virtual meeting.


Making a presentation to Council, the NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Fiasal Shuaib, “all States except Kogi have received their Vaccines, noting that Kogi State was yet to receive due to the non-repair of their Cold-Chain Store coupled with the State’s concerns around the contradictory information about the vaccines.”

“The vaccination application has been launched in most States’ Treatment Centres even against distractions and criticism of the FG’s efforts to ensure availability of vaccines in the Nation. The roll-out of the vaccines across Healthcare Front-line Workers and other Health Support Staff was scheduled to commence by March 15, 2021, in some States, with the intention of wider coverage after the training of the States’ Health workers across board.”


To ensure accountability in the distribution of the vaccines, Dr Faisal informed NEC that “the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had been co-opted to support the PTF on Vaccine Accountability to ensure the safekeeping of the vaccines.”


He added that “there was a need for tight security around the Vaccines in the States to avoid being vandalized by hoodlums. Meanwhile, there was a plan to commence weekly record of a dashboard showing level and efficacy of the inoculation by the end of Monday, March 15, 2021.”


He also assured that the second tranche of the Vaccines would be received in the country before the second dose of the Vaccines intake is concluded.


Council also received an update from the National Economic Council (NEC) ad hoc committee interfacing with the presidential taskforce on COVID 19 to ease the lockdown of the economy by the Chairman of the Committee Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor Delta State, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu.


On the implementation of broadband access in the country, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Ali Isa Pantami sought the support of NEC in the formulation and implementation of policies that will ease broadband penetration in Nigeria.


He said: “All States should support us by adhering to the N145 Right Of Way (ROW) charge per linear meter. The long-term benefits are far more than the initial fees being collected.”


Before the NEC consensus to peg the ROW charge at N145, there were instances the fees varied between N5000 – N10,000.


“We need a Point of Contact in each State as the interface on broadband and digital economy issues, and each State is also encouraged to have an institution or department to handle requests regarding broadband and the digital economy.”


Highlighting some of the benefits derivable in increasing broadband access in the country, the minister noted that “the World Economic Forum predicts that over 60% of global GDP will be digitized by 2022 and that within the next decade, digital platforms will be used to create close to 70% of new value.”


Pantami added that “the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy in both the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020) and the entire year 2020. This was based on the Q4 2020 Report on Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released.”


Further highlighting the achievements in the ICT sector, the Minister disclosed that “the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy in both the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020) and the entire year 2020. This was based on the Q4 2020 Report on Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released.”


Other highlights are as follows:


EASE OF DOING BUSINESS SUB NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT SURVEY

On the Ease of Doing Business, Council received a presentation of the Sub National Environment Survey from Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole.

The key opportunities identified in the Subnational Baseline Environment Survey for improving the business climate across the States of the Federation were presented for Council’s consideration and approval.

She informed Council of the readiness of the PEBEC Secretariat to support State Governments in the development of their respective State Reform Action Plans, with a recommendation that the specific findings of the survey report for each State be reflected in the Action Plans.

NATIONAL MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) POLICY

Council received a memorandum for consideration and endorsement of the National Monitoring and Evaluation M&E Policy by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed.

The purpose of this memo is to seek the consideration and endorsement of the National Economic Council (NEC) for the approval of the National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Policy under the supervision of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning. The commitment of the Federal Government to strengthen monitoring and evaluation of (assessment of relevance, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability) policies, programmes and projects.


UPDATE ON ACCOUNT BALANCES


The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning reported to Council that the balances in the under listed accounts are as follows:

I. Excess Crude Account (ECA) balance as at 16th March 2021 stood at $72,412,384.88.

2. Stabilization Account balance as at 16th March, was 2021 N24, 994, 821,242.14.

3. Natural Resources Development Fund Account balance as at 16th March, stood at 2021 N90, 744,488,087.88.



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

18th March 2021

An American based lawyer, Michael Sevarino, has sued a representative of the Feminist Coalition, Modupe Odele, before the Supreme Court of the State of California for defamation of character, lies among other allegations.


In a suit filed by the law offices of Michael Sevarino, the plaintiff, Michael Sevarino alleged that Modupe Odele with twitter name @Mochievous, “issued reckless and malicious statement in which she accused Michael Sevarino, with Twitter handle @oldmanjingles of professional misconduct. (Defamatory Lies)”

Nigerians had earlier accused Feminist Co of withdrawing about $51,000 worth of Bitcoin from their donation wallet on the 5th of March silently for undisclosed reasons.

The allegations which generated furore, led to many social media users calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged withdrawal.

Speaking through his official Twitter handle, Sevarino said that Odele has left the United State for Nigeria, linking the move to the Feminist Coalition exit scam.


The tweet reads “Since I am trying to serve process on @mochievous right now, I know she has left the US for I presume Nigeria. The timing of this with the Femco exit scam seems like a remarkable coincidence. Also, most US based exchanges have ~50k withdrawal limits at the lowest KYC levels.....”.

He added that “Still holding onto that narrative huh? Ya girls a scam artist and a crook. Take off those rose colored glasses.”


In response, a Twitter user @joyceanzah wrote: “Most Nigerians aren't used to facing the consequences for their actions. It's why, when you take a matter up legally with them, they try spinning witch hunt or revenge conspiracy theories”.

*How to turn artisanal refiners into strategic partners in the oil-producing areas, by VP



The integration of artisanal and modular refinery operators into mainstream oil and gas sector promotes the inclusion of more local content in the industry and advance the use of home-grown technology in the refining of petroleum products, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.


Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in an address delivered virtually at a National Summit on the Integration of Artisanal and Modular Refinery Operations in Nigeria.


According to the Vice President, “we are confident that the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operations into the oil and gas sector will not only promote the inclusion of more local content in the industry; it will advance the use of home-grown technology in the refining of petroleum products and also curtail illegal oil activities in the Niger Delta regions.”


It will be recalled that following Mr President’s directive, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in 2016 embarked on a tour of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, in a bid to address lingering issues in the region.

This was preceded by the President’s meeting with Niger Delta leaders under the aegis of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF) which led to the PANDEF 16-point demand to the Federal Government and was subsequently captured in the Federal Government’s 20-point agenda to develop the region.


“One of the nagging issues we were confronted with during my tour was how to deal with the proliferation of artisanal refinery and its attendant negative environmental impact. Our solution was to promote the establishment of modular refineries,” Prof. Osinbajo recollected.


Speaking on how to resolve the issue, the Vice President noted that “these artisanal refiners will be seen as investors and considered for strategic equity partnerships with technical and financial partners.


“This vision is hinged on the commitment of this present administration to develop the region and ensure that the people of the region benefit maximally from the wealth of their land. Indeed, the New Vision speaks to a progressive partnership between the federal government, state government, private sector, and the local communities.”


Explaining the Federal Government’s position on the adoption of a viable model, Prof. Osinbajo said, “the transition from artisanal refineries to modular refineries has been delayed because of the operators’ expectation that this process will be fully underwritten by Government.


“However, what this framework envisages is a private sector-led partnership with equity participation from the state government or its agencies, registered local cooperative societies and the integration of regional refinery stakeholders, with the private investor having majority equity.”


While calling on stakeholders at the summit to fashion a workable and viable blueprint that will guide and facilitate the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operators, the Vice President said the gains of a seamless integration are enormous.


“We are confident that the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operations into the oil and gas sector will curtail illegal oil activities in the Niger Delta regions.


“It will also promote the availability of petroleum products, stabilize prices, eliminate shipping costs and provide employment opportunities for the youths in the region and Nigeria in general,” Prof. Osinbajo stated.


In addition, the Vice President said “we recognize that with enough artisanal and modular refineries in the country, we should be able to conserve foreign exchange now utilized for the importation of petroleum products and promote socio-economic development.


“The resultant proliferation of employment opportunities will also have the effect of curbing youth restiveness which is largely driven by a dearth of socioeconomic opportunity. With most of the youth engaged in productive endeavours, the region will be able to turn a new page in its history.”


The summit was convened by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Ita Enang. Dignitaries at the meeting include the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba; representatives of the Minister or Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; and Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.


Other dignitaries who joined the meeting virtually include Hon. Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, and Hon. Minister of Environment, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar.




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

16th March 2021

*How to turn artisanal refiners into strategic partners in the oil-producing areas, by VP

The integration of artisanal and modular refinery operators into mainstream oil and gas sector promotes the inclusion of more local content in the industry and advance the use of home-grown technology in the refining of petroleum products, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in an address delivered virtually at a National Summit on the Integration of Artisanal and Modular Refinery Operations in Nigeria.

According to the Vice President, “we are confident that the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operations into the oil and gas sector will not only promote the inclusion of more local content in the industry; it will advance the use of home-grown technology in the refining of petroleum products and also curtail illegal oil activities in the Niger Delta regions.”

It will be recalled that following Mr President’s directive, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in 2016 embarked on a tour of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, in a bid to address lingering issues in the region.

This was preceded by the President’s meeting with Niger Delta leaders under the aegis of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF) which led to the PANDEF 16-point demand to the Federal Government and was subsequently captured in the Federal Government’s 20-point agenda to develop the region.

“One of the nagging issues we were confronted with during my tour was how to deal with the proliferation of artisanal refinery and its attendant negative environmental impact. Our solution was to promote the establishment of modular refineries,” Prof. Osinbajo recollected.

Speaking on how to resolve the issue, the Vice President noted that “these artisanal refiners will be seen as investors and considered for strategic equity partnerships with technical and financial partners.

“This vision is hinged on the commitment of this present administration to develop the region and ensure that the people of the region benefit maximally from the wealth of their land. Indeed, the New Vision speaks to a progressive partnership between the federal government, state government, private sector, and the local communities.”

Explaining the Federal Government’s position on the adoption of a viable model, Prof. Osinbajo said, “the transition from artisanal refineries to modular refineries has been delayed because of the operators’ expectation that this process will be fully underwritten by Government.

“However, what this framework envisages is a private sector-led partnership with equity participation from the state government or its agencies, registered local cooperative societies and the integration of regional refinery stakeholders, with the private investor having majority equity.”

While calling on stakeholders at the summit to fashion a workable and viable blueprint that will guide and facilitate the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operators, the Vice President said the gains of a seamless integration are enormous.

“We are confident that the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operations into the oil and gas sector will curtail illegal oil activities in the Niger Delta regions.

“It will also promote the availability of petroleum products, stabilize prices, eliminate shipping costs and provide employment opportunities for the youths in the region and Nigeria in general,” Prof. Osinbajo stated.

In addition, the Vice President said “we recognize that with enough artisanal and modular refineries in the country, we should be able to conserve foreign exchange now utilized for the importation of petroleum products and promote socio-economic development.

“The resultant proliferation of employment opportunities will also have the effect of curbing youth restiveness which is largely driven by a dearth of socioeconomic opportunity. With most of the youth engaged in productive endeavours, the region will be able to turn a new page in its history.”

The summit was convened by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Ita Enang. Dignitaries at the meeting include the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba; representatives of the Minister or Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; and Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.

Other dignitaries who joined the meeting virtually include Hon. Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, and Hon. Minister of Environment, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar.

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

16th March 2021

*FriendsOfProf*
Friends and associates have come together to reflect upon the sterling qualities that define Vice President Yemi Osinbajo's personal and leadership style, and have for his traditionally low-key birthday celebration chosen to support social causes that are close to his heart.

The March 8th Initiative is undertaking a nationwide Ophthalmological intervention to provide succour in the form of surgeries and other therapeutic care for cataract and other eye defects.

The initiative will also disburse grants to MSMES via entries that opened at 12am on Monday, the 8th of March, 2021 and will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, the 14th of March, 2021.

Meanwhile eligible ages are between 18 and 35 and one-off business grants will be given, ranging from N100,000 to N1M for small businesses.

Many who reacted to the trend have commended the Vice President, stating that the March 8th initiative is a testament to his charismatic leadership which has endeared him to majority of Nigerians, as exemplified in the enormous goodwill.

The trend generated 4,000 engagements.

*Rohr, Ahmed Musa, Super Eagles*
Nigerians have taken to Twitter to react to the 24-man list for the Super Eagles AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho on the 27th and 30th of March respectively.

Most fans slammed coach Gernot Rohr for his team selection, especially the obvious omission of 25-goal striker Paul Onuachu, while free agent Ahmed Musa was called up.

They advised the Super Eagles tactician to place priority on incorporating local stars into the national team.

The trend and other similar hashtags generated over 50,000 tweets.

*Delta, Ibori*
The United Kingdom has agreed to return looted assets worth £4.2 million linked to a former governor of Delta state, James Ibori.

This follows a memorandum of understanding signed by Nigeria's Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami and Catriona Laing, British High Commissioner to Nigeria.

However, the development has generated controversy as to who the recovered loot should go to.

While many on social have argued that the money belongs to the people of Delta State, others maintained that it should go directly to the Federal Government's coffer.

Few also suggested that instead of remitting the funds to Delta state government to be relooted, the Federal Government should use it to execute people-oriented projects in the state.

Over 35,000 reactions followed the trends.

*Kano Lady, Saadat Aliyu*
A Kano-born young lady, Saadat Aliyu, has become a sensation after news of her android application ‘Helpio App’ filtered into the social media space.

‘Helpio App’ which was launched on August 6, 2020, on Playstore, is basically meant for reporting cases of sexual abuse.

According to Channels Television, Ms Aliyu who is the founder of Shamrock Innovations, Women and Youth-Centric Tech Innovation Hub in Kano, said that any person can visit Playstore on an android phone and install the app.

While many commendations and applauses came her way for profering solutions to one of the disturbing issues affecting women in the society, other Twitterians were more concerned about how Channels Television described the app developer as 'Kano Lady' in their headline.

Their observation got more traction leading to the emergence of 'Kano Lady' and 'Saadat Aliyu' as trends.

Happy birthday Professor Yemi Osinbajo

Happy birthday Prof. God bless you sir

Icon At 64

Prof

#ProfAt64

As Nigerians celebrate the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who turns 64 today, his Spokesperson, Mr. Laolu Akande is sharing insight into the VP’s leadership qualities in an interaction with the media last night soon after the President described the VP "as a reliable and dedicated deputy.”

Akande said the kind of relationship that exists between the President and the VP inspires “many of us, and can definitely energize significant national rebirth and development even at a time like this.”

He added that by following the President dutifully and faithfully, Prof. Osinbajo has demonstrated that good leaders are first good followers and to use the word of the President, "reliable" team members.

“Because Osinbajo is reliable in the discharge of his duties and cool-headed as Mr. President noted, he becomes an example that many are so willing to follow and emulate in life. I do,” the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, in the Office of the Vice President disclosed.

According to Akande, “ the reason why many younger people seek after Prof Osinbajo and their quest to have him attend to issues is because many see him as someone who is believable and they can relate with.

“The Prof. has effortlessly and managed quite comfortably to connect with the younger people and his messages easily resonate with them.

"Even his peers and in many instances those older than him also find him exemplary, all you need to do is to review what many of these or those ahead of him have said about him publicly. The latest is from the President when he said his deputy “is an incredibly patient politician who demonstrates remarkable intellectual and mental energy in the discharge of his duties.”

Continuing, Akande noted that “Greatness comes in twin pieces. You follow well and learn leading well. You work hard and understand the value of reward. Osinbajo is following well and  working hard."

He concluded that “So in moments when the seat is hot and the atmosphere is charged, people like Vice President Osinbajo, endowed with an incredible manifestation of the Grace of God, can stay in the game and point us as a nation and a people to what is increasingly possible when we follow right and lead well. Happy birthday my dear Prof!

Over the years, friends and associates have come together to reflect upon the sterling qualities that define Vice President Yemi Osinbajo's personal and leadership style and have for his traditionally low-key celebration.

THE MARCH 8TH INITIATIVE

(FRIENDS OF PROF)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2021 PROGRAMME

The March 8th Initiative is organised to inspire and promote communal, entrepreneurial and public-spirited endeavours within Nigeria in honour of the birthday of His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON. Last year, 100 young entrepreneurs received business-defining grants that helped grow and advance enterprise.

This year, the March 8th Initiative is expanding in terms of reach and scope. First, the Entrepreneurship Programme has been reorganised into 4 categories providing more opportunities for young Nigerians between 18 and 35 years old.

In addition, the March 8th Initiative recognises health workers nationwide who, in an extremely difficult time, continue to exhibit compassion, diligence, hard work and professionalism in carrying out their duties. Individuals are requested to nominate any health worker who has shown these qualities for a reward of N1 Million under a Health Grant Reward Category that acknowledges their invaluable service to our communities.

The March 8th Initiative’s MSME Grant for Small Businesses which kicked off last year with over 26,000 applications is back again this year to give one-off business grants, between N100,000 and N1,000,000 to small businesses in Nigeria.

Following its tradition of entrepreneurial empowerment, this year’s instalment of the March 8th initiative will spotlight growing businesses, supporting various stages of their entrepreneurial growth with funding to help their business take flight.

This Entrepreneurial Programme features four broad categories that cover varying stages of small business growth as follows: Big Idea Business Challenge, Business Support Challenge, Catalyst Support Challenge to Bold Innovation Challenge.

Entries open at 12.00am on Monday, the 8th of March, 2021 and close at 11:59pm on Sunday, the 14th of March, 2021.

All entries except those for My Big Idea Business Challenge must be submitted at www.march8th.ng.

Submit according to the category you are applying for.

So, hurry over to www.march8th.ng for more information, and to nominate the deserving health worker of your choice, as well as to apply for any of the grant categories that is applicable to your business stage.

Sobriety - if not austere aloofness - would ordinarily appear the chief trait that defines a varsity professor. This probably explains why far less public attention is paid to his other proficiency: master of spontaneous humor.
Answering a question during a campaign town-hall meeting in Benin City in 2015 ahead of the March 28 presidential elections, petite vice presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo literally brought down the roof by describing himself and gangling General Muhammadu Buhari as “the long and short of the matter”.
Such witty facility was again very much on display years later during a gala night hosted in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Government in honour of visiting Vice President.
During the event, which has since been entered as part of Nigeria’s social media’s folklore, popular comedian, Klint Da Drunk, had sought to blackmail the guest after handing him N5,000 by quoting the Bible that “When you give, you’ll receive back, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.”
Well, the solicitous comedian didn’t have to wait for too long to confirm his lottery. The Vice President soon replied him thus: “Everything has been going well until Klint Da Drunk gave me an expensive N5000. I’ve kept it close to His Excellency, the Governor (Nyesom Wike), in case he asks for it back because he can say that ‘I was drunk when I gave you the money’. I must remind him that the scripture that he referred to which suggests that if you give, you’ll be given more, is when you give to God and not to an Ijebu man.”
The hall erupted in rapturous laughter.
Of course, in Yoruba-speak, parsimony is thought to be cultural to the Ijebu.
No less memorable was Professor Osinbajo’s masterclass at the state banquet held to mark the nation’s 58th independence anniversary in 2018. That night, guests were held spellbound as the Vice President gave a command performance in stand-up comedy on “Nigerian Swag” with the virtuosity only a few among even professional comedians could have mustered. For several minutes, the high-ceilinged banquet hall at Aso Rock literally quaked with delirious laughter, passed on to several millions of viewers at home through the live telecast of the event.
It was a chronicle of the dancing skills of some of Nigeria’s political and business leaders, backed with videos.
“No one dances like us,” he started by teasing sarcastically. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re the distinguished senator representing Kogi West or the distinguished senator representing Osun west.”
What began as knowing giggles across the gallery soon exploded into a big laughter when the giant screen on cue showed Dino Melaye and Ademola Adeleke gyrating giddily, as usual, in flowing Agbada to Sunny Ade’s music. Followed by Aliko Dangote’s own swing in business suit. We also saw a clip of President Buhari’s rare public dance - a shy shuffle - in response to some praise-singing at a campaign rally. Followed by ex President Olusegun Obasanjo’s wild z-zag that appeared completely out of tune with the drumbeats.
Indeed, Prof’s capacity to give is evenly matched by the ability to receive. When, for instance, Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna named him as the “President of Short Peoples Association of Nigeria” and Adams Oshiomhoke as PRO at a public event, the television camera caught him laughing heartily.
But joking is only a pastime. Only when the Vice President steps onto the lectern in the lecture circuits or chairs a typical executive meeting are folks reminded of the profundity of his thoughts. Just above that facade of geniality and conviviality surely towers a prodigious mind equally at ease with the most complex ideas and turgid concepts.
Such duality of gifts - being free without being loose, to be simple yet profound - is what ultimately defines the enigma of Professor Yemi Osinbajo and distinguishes him as arguably one of the few most engaging leaders in the nation’s history. Which partly explains why he is widely hailed as “Starboy” today. Through him, we learn elegance in simplicity; and that ideas, while being easily accessible, can still be profound without being pedestrian.
Rigor is simply second nature to him. As close aides will attest, no one is ever sure of the final draft until Oga had finished speaking. Even while the event has started, he often continues to wrestle quietly with the speech on his I-pad, sometimes updating and clarifying the copy in light of matters arising, until invited by the master of ceremonies to speak.
Such is the intensity of his sense of spontaneity and clinical attention to details.
At he turns 64, Prof surely means different things to different folks. To the immediate past Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi (Sarkin Kano), he “has remained humble, caring, forgiving, honest and loyal”. Scholar and gifted international orator, Professor P.L.O Lumumba, had this to say on the occasion of his 63th birthday: “Men invariably rhapsodize fellow men in death and vilify them while alive. I choose to lionize you for your contribution to Nigeria and the world.”
According to Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of First Bank: “An excellent child of God, an excellent leader in character, integrity of purpose and diligence in his assignment and so much more.”
Hear Dr. Ola Brown, CEO of Flying Doctors: “I’ll like to really thank him for inspiring every young person in Nigeria.”
Varied as perceptions of Prof might be, there is however one point almost everyone is agreed: he brings scholarly anchor and clarity to bear in policy formulation and execution by the administration.
Indeed, long after the Abuja bureaucrats had closed for the day, the No. 2 citizen will often be found dissecting files in late hours in the halo of reading lights in the office, pince-nez balanced precariously on his nose’s tip. Those who, therefore, measure the stress of office by how rapidly his hair has turned grey may not be too far off the mark.
Nowhere is that brilliance and diligence more poignant than in his leading the team that fashioned the economic blueprint that bailed the nation out of a crushing recession, far earlier than projected by financial experts. Frighteningly enough, the 2020 recession descended barely two years after the nation limped out of an “economic pestilence” inflicted by the steep crash in global commodity prices in 2014/15, described as the “worst since 1982”.
The committee set up by President Buhari following the outbreak of Covid-19 last year had proposed a N2.3trillion stimulus programme named Economic Sustainability Programme (ESP).
In conception and execution, ESP followed the Keynesian model propounded by British economist, John Maynard Keynes, following the Great Depression of the 1930s. In short, ESP set out to reflate the economy aggressively by putting money in people’s pocket through a variety of measures ranging from cash handouts to the most vulnerable to soft loans to small and big businesses.
It is a measure of the efficacy of its prescription and a great tribute to the leadership provided the economic team by the Vice President that Nigeria’s economy recorded a marginal recovery of .11 percent growth for the last quarter of 2020, having suffered negative growth in the two preceding quarters consecutively.
Indeed, miracles don’t happen in economics; the trophies are earned. Clear-thinking must be backed up with scrupulous execution and diligent follow-up.
Why Nigeria’s recovery is particularly significant is that it came when almost all the big economies around the world (except China) are still in severe dire straits caused by C-19 pandemic, with many thinking their earliest possible date of recovery will be next year.
In a way, ESP’s relative success must be bad news to Prof’s traducers who had interpreted the setting up of the presidential economic advisory council in October 2019 as a diminution of his powers as the statutory head of the national economic council, blissfully ignorant of the uncommon chemistry between the President and his deputy. Rather than be distracted, the Vice President simply kept his eyes on the ball, thus demonstrating practically that nothing could come between him and his boss as far as achieving the administration’s objectives is concerned.
On a final note, a character sketch of Prof will be incomplete without due reference to his instinctive compassion. While visiting blighted communities in insurgency-ravaged Borno early in the life of the administration, he was sufficiently moved enough to personally undertake the mobilisation of funds thereafter from friends to set up a charity body devoted entirely to taking care of orphans.
The initiative is called North-East Children Trust (NECT) and has been involved with establishing learning centres providing comprehensive support to children between ages of five and eighteen years made vulnerable by the conflict in the North-East.
When in March 2020 the outrider of his motorcade, Inspector Ali Gomina, died in a fatal accident on the road to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, the distraught Vice President instantly cancelled the trip and personally visited the deceased’s home to console the family he left behind. Six months later, he fulfilled his promise by handing over the keys to a brand-new bungalow he built for the grieving family in their community, Gui, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. The community also received a gift of six blocks of classrooms.
Happy birthday!, Prof.

Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. But experts do not know how long that immunity lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. It’s good to get vaccinated

Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will halt the growing negative impact the virus is having on education, the economy, health care and countless other activities of a functioning society.

Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines work with your immune system, so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.

obonujoker:
Lol.... Antichrist 666 VP..... We've already watched you on YouTube that you are a NWO member... Although I'm not a conspiracy theorist

you need help

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib has hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Saturday be taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ot-bnVB5o

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

OSINBAJO TO PENTECOSTAL FELLOWSHIP:
WE ARE PURVEYORS OF JUSTICE, VOICES OF PEACE

*Conveys President Buhari's congratulatory message to outgoing PFN President
*VP thankful for solidarity visits that "encouraged me", honoured with award

At a defining moment in the history of the country, the church must stand as the light of the nation, and Christians as the purveyors of justice and voices of peace, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo gave the admonition yesterday at the 16th Biennial Delegate Conference of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) held at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu, Enugu State.

Speaking on the theme of the conference “the unquenchable light”, Prof. Osinbajo said “we must bear this gospel of Jesus Christ knowing that it is the beacon of hope and succour for our nation. As bearers of the gospel we are the reconcilers-in-chief.”

According to the Vice President, “we are the salt to the wounds of a nation, we are the voices of peace and unity where division and strife have arisen. We are the purveyors of justice, for all of those who are disempowered. The good news is that this light is unquenchable.”

Explaining the point, the Vice President said “what is this light? It is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God, who came to this world to pay the price for our sins so that we can attain eternal life in peace and joy. This gospel is the power of God for the healing and transformation of men and nations.”

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. It is the Wisdom of God,” Prof. Osinbajo added quoting the Scriptures.

The Vice President had earlier conveyed the felicitations of President Muhammadu Buhari to the outgoing PFN President, Revd Felix Omobude on the successful and glorious completion of his tenure in office and congratulated the incoming President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke.

Prof. Osinbajo also thanked the out-going President, Rev. Omobude for his invaluable service to the PFN especially in the manner he handled the affairs of the body “with impeccable integrity, fatherly understanding, maturity and Godly insight.”

On the stewardship of the outgoing PFN leadership, Prof. Osinbajo said “under your able leadership and in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria led by our brother, Rev. Dr. Supo Ayokunle, I received several solidarity visits. I am eternally indebted to you for those visits which greatly strengthened and encouraged me."

Commending the smooth transition in the leadership of the PFN, Prof. Osinbajo said “I must commend the smooth electoral process leading to the emergence of the President and his deputy unopposed.”

“This is as it should be. The PFN certainly has a lot to teach us, politicians. We pray that the Lord will give this executive good success in Jesus name,” he said.

In acknowledgment of his stand and support for the Christian faith and exemplary service to humanity, the PFN conferred on the Vice President a special award of the Defender of Faith.

Accepting the award, the Vice President thanked the PFN for the recognition, noting that “there can be no more coveted preferment than that conferred by one's brethren," and adding in prayer that "you all will receive not just honour from men here on earth but in the end also from the Lord God Almighty, in Jesus name.”

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State also received the PFN award of the Defender of Faith at the event.

Aside Bishop Wole Oke who was elected as PFN President, Archbishop John Praise Daniel, the Presiding Archbishop of the Dominion Chapel International Churches was also elected Vice President.

The Vice President who had attended the Federal Executive Council meeting before traveling to Enugu yesterday, returned to Abuja last night.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
4th March 2021

With the Presidency, in recent time, assigning more sensitive and economic stimulating functions to the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the nation's well-loved and duly elected second-in-command is definitely in the reckoning as the legacy of President Buhari’s administration is being shaped, write  Fatimah Bala and Blessing Ekpo.
This subtle and gradual ascension that positively impacts economic and policy will entrench one of Nigeria's most charismatic political figures as the custodian of President Muhammadu Buhari's legacy.
The first four years of this administration saw President Buhari and his second-in-command, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, working hand in hand to accelerate national growth, development, and cohesion. 
While the first four-year term lasted, President Buhari didn't hide his love for his deputy in words and deeds. At various fora, the President would be quick to refer to Osinbajo's loyalty and peerless commitment to serving the nation.
No wonder, Osinbajo, and his team were in charge of the administration's Special Intervention Programmes (SIPs) during the period. The SIPs include the Home-grown School Feeding Programme, Government Economic Empowerment Programme, N-Power, Trader Moni, and direct cash transfers to the "poorest families. The programmes then attracted an annual N500 billion budgetary vote. The Vice President also credibly led the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC), which Buhari commended and described as a "National Plan". The President had emphatically stated that the administration would focus on implementing ESC recommendations, including massive Federal Government support for local production, manufacturing, significant support for the informal sector and MSMEs, and the expansion of the Social Investment Programme to provide succour to more Nigerians.
Under the Vice President, the various Special Intervention Programmes (SIPs) were so impacting that the ruling party had to leverage it in the build-up to the Presidential election. It worked wonders at the grassroots level. At the peak of the campaign, President Buhari was so impressed that he admitted that his deputy's activities through the house-to-house campaign and market activations were boosting the All Progressive Congress and its candidates' popularity.

Paradigm shift...
But the honeymoon didn't last. Following a night of long knives and cudgels, an insider coup happened in the early months of the administration's second term, which slightly turned the tables against the Vice President. Though he denied being pushed aside, political pundits are yet to be convinced that Osinbajo didn't yield to various political permutations and maneuvering, which made him surrender some of his functions to the newly established Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development. 
While some contended that the decision to move the SIPs and other economic-driven activities away from his table was a politically far-reaching step to weaken the influence of the Vice President in government, others suspected that it was a gimmick to clip his wings ahead of the 2023 Presidential election.

It would be recalled that President Buhari had suddenly dissolved the Osinbajo-led economic management team and announced an Economic Advisory Council, EAC, to fill the gap.
The advisory council replaced the Economic Management Team, EMT, which then headed by Osinbajo. Despite the little shakeup in the Presidency, the Vice President remained statutorily, the chairman of the governing boards of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Boundary Commission (NBC), and the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA). He is also the statutory chairman of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) board of directors, a limited liability company owned by the federal government and Niger Delta states.
Beyond performing excellently well while overseeing some of the functions above, the Vice President also acted for the President while he was away with diligence.

And the new beginning…
Signals that President Buhari's trust in his Vice President is yet to wane have continued to resonate in recent times. Of course, the Vice President's profile and his scope of responsibilities have quietly been rising since the beginning of last year, after multiple crises hit the country.
On the back of the COVID crisis and consequent recession, the President gave him the responsibility to coordinate Nigeria's response in the form of the Economic Sustainability Program, which has since helped Nigeria surprise most economists and exit faster from recession in less than three quarters.
For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari had, on March 30, 2020, set up the Economic Sustainability Committee(ESC) to develop a clear economic sustainability plan to run through 2023. At the maiden meeting of the committee, which Osinbajo chaired, it was spelt out that ESC was set up to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee was tasked with identifying fiscal and monetary measures to enhance oil and non-oil revenues in order to fund the plan, develop a stimulus package, and come up with measures to create more jobs while keeping existing ones. Other committee members are Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and others.
With the recent news that Nigeria has exited from recession, experts were quick to point out that the ESC team's activities made the journey smooth. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, also admitted that Nigeria's prompt exit was a key indicator of the success of the ongoing Economic Sustainability Plan approved by the Federal Government.
He said Nigerians should expect more as the implementation of the plan was gathering momentum.
Akande said this in a statement titled "Presidency: FG poised to do much more through the ESP" which he made available to journalists.
"Like we explained late last year after the release of the third-quarter figures, the Economic Sustainability Plan, which was a calculated intervention by the Buhari Presidency, is driving the Nigerian economy in the right direction-upwards, and Nigerians can expect more because the administration is unrelenting in its determination to pursue the steady recovery and growth of our economy," Akande noted.
Sequel to this, the President at the beginning of 2020, gave Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo the responsibility to coordinate the power sector reform program to improve Nigeria's power supply and encourage investments. Since his leadership, Nigeria launched the free metering program, launched the 5M Connections program to connect 5 million Nigerians currently off-grid in a 145 billion program now being launched this quarter, and implementing tariff reforms that have seen more than 100 billion naira in new investments in the sector for generation and increasing collection by power companies and stability in the power supply. On Feb 28th, 2021 Nigerians Woke up to the news that the nation’s grid wheeled over 5600 MW for the first time in history and this has continued to improve. 
Another major signal was the approval of the establishment of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) styled Infrastructure Company named Infra-Co with an initial seed capital of one trillion naira, whose Steering Committee first initiation and set-up the President asked his Vice President to chair. That task was initiated in February 2021 and will see Nigeria attracting 15 trillion naira in new investments in roads, bridges, dams, railway, airports, and ports alongside better commercial operation to avoid the debt and poor management trap of the past that destroyed prior infrastructure development. 
According to a statement issued by the Presidency to announce the partnership, it was envisaged that the entity would grow up to N15 trillion in assets and capital over time. The Infra-Co was designed to be one of Africa's premier infrastructure finance entities and will be wholly dedicated to Nigeria's infrastructure development. The entity has been developed with concept designs from the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The entity's initial seed capital will come from the CBN, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and the Africa Finance Corporation.
It has also been proved that the credit of the permanent restructuring of DisCo debts and structure of remittance of their revenue to the power ecosystem that has seen the first 100% remittance of debt owed to GenCos and TCN in January 2021 should also go to the Vice President with the support of relevant authorities under the work he leads in the Power Reforms Committee. 
In a way, the Power Sector Reform Committee's success gave the President the confidence to approve to implement the Infrastructure Fund program that emerged from the National Economic Council chaired by the VP.
Meanwhile, in a continuation of this trend,  at the February 24th, 2021 Federal Executive Council, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council delivered a presentation on the implementation strategy for the President's vision for pulling 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. The VP was recommended and accepted again to lead the charge through the National Council on Poverty Reduction
At the meeting, President Buhari admitted that this ambitious program of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty is a challenging but achievable one. He said the administration's ambitious policy of raising 100 million Nigerians out of poverty did not come by accident or "something we just bumped into," but a deliberate one that will be pursued with remarkable grit and determination.
President Buhari agreed with the council that the country required a poverty reduction strategy to usher in a "rapid, sustained, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
It will appear that the Vice President's continued endorsement by the President to lead his domestic agenda is solidifying his inevitable emergence as the guardian of the President's legacy of remaking the country from the grounds up. No doubt, the VP is emerging as the default flag bearer of the Buhari progressive era for years to come.


https://abujacityjournal.com/news.php?uin=acj03032153548

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OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

DON’T BLOCK FINANCING FOR GAS INVESTMENTS YET, OSINBAJO INSISTS IN DIALOGUE WITH EU

*VP adds: “Our commitment to energy transition is firm”


The forthcoming deployment of the 5 million solar power connections, targeting 25 million households across the country under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to the global green energy initiative.

“A just transition to net-zero emissions, probably one where gas as a fossil fuel is still supported, especially for those of us in this part of the world, is absolutely important, especially as it will enable us to phase-out more polluting fuels such as coal and diesel”, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo made the submissions yesterday during a meeting with a delegation of the European Union (EU) led by its Executive Vice President, Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, maintaining the advocacy that the international community should preserve financing for gas projects in Nigeria and other developing countries, during the transition to net-zero emission.

Discussions at the meeting held virtually focused on bilateral investment agreements between Nigeria and the EU cutting across diverse areas including technology, intellectual property rights, research and innovation, humanitarian assistance, energy access, and renewable energy.

According to the Vice President, “a point which I think we can talk about is the sort of support that we hope to get from the EU especially with respect to ensuring that we meet our commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Our commitment to energy transition is firm, and we think that for us, it is an area of comparative advantage. So, we are hoping to leverage that. I think that we will again be very happy to work on improving the investment environment to ensure that we are able to work as much as possible with the EU partners.”

Emphasizing the need to leverage opportunities to build a stronger partnership with the EU in the gas sector, the Vice President said Nigeria will explore the caveat in the EU green energy financing instrument to seek better ways of financing for gas projects in the country.

He said: “What we see is a growing trend among development financial institutions to withdraw from fossil fuel investment and recently, the World Bank’s decision to cease funding for upstream oil and gas development. The new restrictions on financing downstream developments appear to be considered by some countries in the West.

“We believe that well-intended as some of these actions may be, it is clear to us that they would disregard the importance of gas as a means of urgently addressing energy poverty for us and countries such as ours.”

Prof. Osinbajo recently has been raising the issue of financing of gas projects in Nigeria and other developing countries, advocating for more effective engagements since the campaign for the Net-Zero Emission by 2050 resumed.

At a meeting with the British Member of Parliament and COP26 President-Designate, Mr. Alok Sharma, last month, Prof. Osinbajo restated Nigeria’s support and commitment to the Climate Change agreement but cited the planned restrictions on financing of gas projects in African countries as a potential setback.

Also at the UN Dialogue on Food Systems in February, the Vice President stressed the need for the international community to consider as an option, the use of gas and other more environmentally friendly fuel sources as against what he termed “defunding gas projects” on the basis of gas not being environmentally friendly enough.

The Vice President also referred to the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) a Federal Government’s initiative to address one of the fallouts of climate change, promote sedentary livestock farming and address clashes between herders and farmers.

On his part, the Executive Vice President of the EU Commission, Mr Valdis Dombrovskis spoke on the importance of reviewing investment agreements between Nigeria and the EU, disclosing the commission’s plan to increase its external investment capacities.

On the Vice President’s call for sustained financing of gas investments in the country and beyond, the EU chief said the decision to phase out investments in fossil fuels was in line with the organization’s policy on promoting green energy initiatives.

He however urged authorities in the country to explore the caveat in the financing instruments to seek other ways of attracting investments for projects in the gas sector.

Officials present at the meeting include the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffery Onyeama; Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Ketil Karlsen; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Mrs Yewande Sadiku, among others.


Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
3rd March 2021