Sora can create videos of up to 60 seconds featuring highly detailed scenes, complex camera motion, and multiple characters with vibrant emotions.
Prompt: “Beautiful, snowy Tokyo city is bustling. The camera moves through the bustling city street, following several people enjoying the beautiful snowy weather and shopping at nearby stalls. Gorgeous sakura petals are flying through the wind along with snowflakes.”
We’ll be taking several important safety steps ahead of making Sora available in OpenAI’s products.
We are working with red teamers — domain experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content, and bias — who are adversarially testing the model.
Prompt: “Several giant wooly mammoths approach treading through a snowy meadow, their long wooly fur lightly blows in the wind as they walk, snow covered trees and dramatic snow capped mountains in the distance, mid afternoon light with wispy clouds and a sun high in the distance creates a warm glow, the low camera view is stunning capturing the large furry mammal with beautiful photography, depth of field.”
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says Nigeria cannot continue to subsidise electricity, adding that the nation must begin to move towards a cost-effective tariff model, as the country is currently indebted to the tune of 1.3 trillion naira to generating companies (GenCos) and 1.3 billion dollars owed gas companies.
Adelabu, addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, said only 450 billion naira was budgeted for subsidy this year but the ministry needs over 2 trillion naira for subsidy.
He said state governments will now be allowed to generate power independently to supply power to their states.
On the grid that has collapsed for about six times between December 2023 and now, he said this was caused by shortage of gas, ageing machines in the grid value chain, low capacity to evacuate generated power, and destruction of power stations in some parts of the North-East geopolitical zone of the country.
He said the Transmission Company of Nigeria has over 100 abandoned projects due to variations on contract figures as a result of the fluctuations of the forex, hence the company will not award any new contracts till all such projects are completed.
The minister also said over 50 billion naira has been earmarked in the 2024 budget to build mini grids to supply power to remote areas.
He said electricity distribution companies (DisCos) should sit up otherwise anyone found wanting will have his licence withdrawn.
The minister also said he has reached out to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to help provide security for power infrastructure.
Former senator and social activist, Shehu Sani, has urged the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to investigate the allegation of usage of "juju" (charm) by the goalkeeper of the Ivory Coast national team, Yahia Fofana in the just concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“FIFA should investigate the alleged use of Juju by the Ivory Coast Goalkeeper as circulated in the images and take measures. If FIFA failed to do so, next time we should go with the crew of our native Doctors,” the Senator wrote on social media.
A video that has been circulating on social media shows something allegedly fetish around the Ivorian goalkeeper, Yahia Fofana’s waist while playing in one of the matches.
The black material around his waist, secured with a white rope, was visible at the back of the goalkeeper,
SaharaReporters had reported how Nigeria’s national football team, Super Eagles was defeated on Sunday night during the AFCON final match.
Though many Nigerians have faulted the Super Eagles' performance at the AFCON final, the team captain, Ahmad Musa said that despite the twists and turns of the game, the team stood strong, displaying resilience and determination that resonated with fans across the nation.
“Despite the twists and turns of the game, our team stood strong, displaying resilience and determination that resonated with fans across the nation.
“To all our incredible supporters, your unwavering dedication and chants lifted us higher than ever before. Your passion for the game and for our country is truly inspiring.
“In a time where economic challenges weigh heavily on our shoulders, let us carry the same spirit of unity beyond the football pitch and into every aspect of our lives.
“As we face the hurdles ahead, let's remember that together, we are stronger. Let's channel the same energy and comradeship we experienced during the tournament into tackling the obstacles that lie ahead. Let's embrace our diversity as a strength and stand united as one nation, one team, one family.
“Thank you, Nigeria, for your undying support. Let's continue to strive for greatness, both on and off the field,” he had written.
In line with the newly-reviewed procedures on arrest and bail of suspects by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has directed that sting operations at night time be stopped in all the Commands of the EFCC.
He gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal of the Commission in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Already, many of the suspects duly profiled by the Command have been released, while profiling of suspects yet un-released will be completed, without further delay.
The Commission wishes to assure the public that it will not relent in its adherence to the rule of law, in the exercise of its mandate.
Dele Oyewale Head, Media & Publicity November 1, 2023
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) took its latest step towards stabilising the naira after selling almost $90 million in the spot FX market on Tuesday, its first sale of dollars in the market since September 2023.
Sources familiar with the matter told BusinessDay that the CBN sold the dollars at a rate as low as N1490 per dollar, with more than half of the 34 banks that bidded securing between $2-5 million.
The sale is aimed at improving dollar liquidity in the market and breathing life into one of the world’s worst-performing currencies this year.
“Rather than fix rates, the CBN called banks to bid freely, and that’s good for the market,” a source told BusinessDay.
The CBN had frozen dollar sales at the spot market in order to deal with a foreign exchange demand backlog that was undermining investor confidence in the apex bank’s latest currency reforms.
The apex bank’s intervention in the spot market has been a long time coming. The CBN had said it would intervene in the market from “time to time” as far back as October 12, 2023.
“As market liquidity improves, these CBN interventions will gradually decrease,” the apex bank said in a circular dated October 12.
The latest intervention by the CBN however pales in comparison to the average of $25 million it sold daily in the market last year.
“CBN being back in the market is highly commendable, as its presence will boost trading liquidity,” another source familiar with the matter said.
Analysts, however, say the CBN needs to conduct the sale professionally and consistently in order to reap the full gains of its interventions.
“This is step one; the next step is to establish a pattern for the sales, and then the exchange rate trajectory will begin to change,” one of the sources said.
The naira gained on Tuesday to N1499/$, according to data by FMDQ Securities Exchange, which calculates the rates. That’s up from Monday’s record-low of N1,534.39 per dollar.
The CBN’s intervention in the market is the latest in a long list of moves aimed at boosting liquidity in the FX market and holding the rates in the official and black market from flying apart like they did after the naira was first allowed to trade freely against the dollar last June.
The Abuja-based bank has introduced better transparency around pricing in the official market, asked banks to offload excess dollars and removed the cap on transactions done by International Money Transfer Operators (IMTO)s to lure in diaspora dollars.
The CBN has however been urged not to lose sight of fully clearing the backlog if it wants to fully restore investor confidence in the market. Governor Olayemi Cardoso put the dollars owed by the CBN in forward contracts alone at $2.2 billion in an interview this month.
“Settling the CBN’s overdue dollar obligations will help rebuild confidence in the central bank and the naira,” one investor said.
“Sharing comprehensive information on Nigeria’s reserves position would facilitate a more complete assessment of the external situation,” the investor added.
Nigeria’s external reserves data has been viewed with suspicion since US-based JP Morgan’s shocking revelation that the CBN only holds about 10 percent of what it claims to have in net external reserves. JP Morgan is the Nigerian government’s foreign banker.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week projected that Nigeria’s foreign reserves may see a record fall to $24 billion in 2024.
The CBN denied the JP Morgan report, but its struggle to clear the dollar backlog owed to investors and businesses raises questions about whether it does have the $33 billion in external reserves that it claims.
As Much As ₦1Million May Be Demanded As New Minimum Wage If Tinubu Government Doesn’t Check Inflation – NLC
Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress has said that organised labour may demand up to N1 million as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers if the rising inflation remains unchecked.
Ajaero said the demand for organised labour would be determined by the cost of living which has skyrocketed since President Bola Tinubu came to power following the removal of fuel subsidy and other policies.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday issued a 14-day strike notice to the Nigerian government.
The unions, in a statement, said they were furious over the government’s failure to implement a 16-point agreement signed in October 2023, which aimed to address the “massive suffering” caused by the hike in petrol prices and naira devaluation, policies blamed for the worsening hardship and inflation.
The NLC and TUC issued a stern ultimatum to the government to honour its part of the understanding within 14 days starting from Friday, February 9, 2024.
In an interview with Arise News on Sunday evening, Ajaero said, “This N1 million may be relevant if the value of the Nigerian (naira) continues to depreciate; if the inflation continues unchecked because the demand of labour is equally dependent on what is happening in the society.
“You will remember that by the time we were contemplating N200,000 (as minimum wage), the exchange rate was about N800/N900 (to a dollar). As we talk today, the exchange rate is about N1,400 or even more.
“Those are the issues that determine the demand and it is equally affecting the cost of living. And we have always said that our demand will be based on the cost of living index. You will agree with me today that even a bag of rice is going for about N60,000/N70,000 or more. A bag of locally produced corn is about N56,000 or more. Foodstuff is getting out of reach, now are we going to get a minimum wage that will not be enough for transportation even for one week?
“You have to factor in these issues and that will determine the federal government’s commitment to this negotiation. It is not just that they want to give us a minimum wage. The old minimum wage will be expiring by April and ordinarily, the federal government ought to have set up a committee six months before that time so that negotiation would have commenced but the federal government didn’t do that until (recently when) they inaugurated a committee and the committee has not sat.
“It appears we have going to work within one month or two to agree on a figure and I doubt how those ones are going to… especially when you look at the people that the federal government assembled as members of the committee. They looked at some of the governors that are not paying even the existing minimum wage and even they have a minister of budget who didn’t implement his minimum wage as a governor.
“If you have these people in the government team on the issue of minimum wage, some of us have not seen a bright future in the work of this new minimum wage committee,” he said.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced significant reforms in the foreign exchange market, signaling a stride towards a market-driven exchange rate mechanism, potentially paving the way for a free float of the Naira.
This follows last week’s circular removing caps on international money transfer operations. The CBN’s recent circular outlines pivotal changes, including the discontinuation of a cap on the spread in interbank foreign exchange transactions and the lifting of restrictions on the sale of interbank proceeds.
“A key objective of the ongoing foreign exchange market reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria is to promote a market-based price discovery system,” the circular states, marking a shift towards a more liberalized forex regime.
“Under the new guidelines, forex transactions will operate on a “Willing Buyer and Willing Seller” basis, ensuring more flexibility in the exchange rates determined by market forces. The CBN emphasizes the importance of transparency and ethical standards, mandating that “Authorized Dealers are to continue to conduct their foreign exchange transactions…and to strictly adhere to high ethical standards.”
Lifting Caps and Restrictions
The circular explicitly states the removal of any cap on the spread between buying and selling prices in the interbank foreign exchange market.
This move is expected to enhance the liquidity and efficiency of the market by allowing more room for price negotiation.
Furthermore, the lifting of restrictions on the sale of interbank proceeds is anticipated to increase the availability of foreign currency in the market.
Willing Buyer, Willing Seller Basis
The CBN has mandated that authorized dealers conduct their foreign exchange transactions on a “Willing Buyer and Willing Seller” basis.
This directive aims to foster a more transparent, competitive, and efficient market, where exchange rates are determined by the market participants themselves, without fixed rates imposed by the regulator.
In addition to promoting market-based pricing, the CBN’s circular stresses the importance of maintaining high ethical standards and transparency in foreign exchange dealings. Authorized dealers are expected to adopt appropriate price disclosures and ensure transparency in transactions, which is crucial for building confidence in the new system.
What this means
The move could be interpreted as a step closer to a free-floating Naira, where the currency’s value would be determined by supply and demand dynamics without direct intervention from the central bank.
While the circular does not explicitly announce a full transition to a free float, the reforms indicate a significant shift in policy direction.
Analysts view this development as a positive step towards aligning Nigeria’s foreign exchange market with global best practices. A market-driven exchange rate mechanism can enhance competitiveness, attract foreign investment, and potentially reduce the volatility associated with forex scarcity and speculation.
However, the transition to a fully free-floating currency requires careful monitoring and supportive fiscal policies to mitigate potential risks, such as excessive currency volatility and inflationary pressures. The success of these reforms will depend on the implementation fidelity and the overall economic policy framework of the Nigerian government.
Other implications
The implementation of the CBN’s foreign exchange market reforms, moving towards a more market-driven exchange rate system, necessitates complementary fiscal policy reforms to ensure the stability and growth of the Nigerian economy.
Specifically, reducing fiscal deficits and increasing government revenues are critical steps that need to be taken alongside these forex reforms. A reduction in fiscal deficits can help curb inflationary pressures by limiting the need for government borrowing, which often leads to an increase in money supply.
Increasing government revenues, through measures such as improving tax collection and diversifying the economy away from oil dependency, can provide the government with more resources to invest in critical infrastructure and social services without resorting to excessive borrowing.
In addition, the shift towards a market-driven exchange rate, as indicated by the CBN’s recent policy changes, has significant implications for inflation and the cost of imports in the short term.
By allowing the Naira’s value to be determined by market forces, prices for imported goods, which are often indexed to the exchange rate, could experience volatility as the market adjusts to the new regime.
This could lead to short-term inflationary pressures as the cost of imports rises, affecting consumers and businesses that rely on foreign goods and services.
However, this policy also has the potential to restore foreign investor confidence and attract much-needed foreign investment into Nigeria. Additionally, by making imports more expensive, the policy could naturally curb excessive reliance on foreign goods, encouraging the development of local industries and reducing the trade deficit over the long term.
Flutterwave, Africa’s most valuable startup, will contact over 6,000 account holders across 35 banks and financial institutions to recover ₦19 billion (*$24 million) illegally transferred by POS merchants after a High Court ruling on February 1.
“In 2023, we discovered that certain POS device merchants abused their access by conducting unauthorized transactions. In response to this, we temporarily suspended the accounts where funds were improperly transferred,” Flutterwave said in a statement to TechCabal. The company insists that no customer funds were lost.
The February order —a Mareva injunction— lets Flutterwave recover the funds and assets of the identified account holders, which is crucial because the account holders may have spent the funds received in October 2023.
“We continue to actively engage with the relevant authorities to investigate and address the situation,” Flutterwave added.
An earlier court order placed debit restrictions on those accounts two months after the incident, court documents obtained by TechCabal show.
Per the most recent order granted on February 1, 2024, 35 financial institutions, including Opay, Paga, Palmpay, Access Bank, VFD Bank, Zenith, Polaris and Providus Bank, must share the email addresses and telephone numbers of the account holders.
Flutterwave will contact the over 6,000 account holders “through their respective email addresses and by SMS and Whatsapp messages to their respective telephone numbers,” per court documents seen by TechCabal.
The fintech company may use a recovery agency for this, a lawyer familiar with similar processes told TechCabal.
A timeline of the incident
“On 10th October 2023, there was a technical glitch in our client’s operating system, which resulted in funds being automatically transferred to the bank accounts of customers listed in Schedule A of this memorandum,” a letter from Flutterwave’s lawyers said.
Immediately after the “technical glitch” was discovered, Flutterwave contacted the bank and fintechs, notifying them of the glitch and the resulting erroneous funds transfers.
“The merchants listed did not provide any service to our client and were not entitled to funds that were erroneously transferred and have continued to keep said funds,” the letter from Flutterwave’s lawyers added.
Flutterwave also offered indemnity to the banks if they reversed the erroneous transfers. Typically, a reversal request would require the receiving bank to also go to court to seek further approval.
Flutterwave incident highlights the importance of KYC
The success of Flutterwave’s recovery efforts will depend on financial institutions like Opay, Palmpay and Moniepoint having accurate customer information. It also relies on banks having up-to-date information on their customers.
However, recent fraud incidents show this may not always be true. Neobanks, in a drive to boost financial inclusion, have popularised easy-to-open accounts with lax KYC requirements, and traditional banks do not necessarily have accurate information either. For instance, customers are not mandated to tell their banks when they change addresses, emails or phone numbers.
These KYC troubles are happening while there’s also a significant rise in fraud attempts in Nigeria’s financial services industry, and traditional banks have placed the blame on the neobanks.
Fidelity Bank, a commercial bank that holds ₦3.1 trillion ($2.1 billion) in customer deposits, blocked transfers to several neobanks over concerns that neobank wallets and accounts were an easy way to move monies that had been fraudulently obtained, TechCabal reported in October.
In December, the Central Bank of Nigeria mandated all financial institutions to implement stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) measures, requiring all customers to provide their bank verification number (BVN) or a national identification number (NIN) for account or wallet opening by March 2024.
I have a theory that NLC are doing controlled Opposition.
This is how to curb any protests that might form.
They sense tension in the land, they (NLC) quickly make it about themselves and call for strikes, protests etc and all energies and attention go there, then they kill it by calling it off thereby killing off any desire for anyone else to protest.
If I were a dictator, that’s how I would control the populace.
Like vaccination, you send out a weak virus to make the body immune to stronger virus.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has revealed that Nigerian nurses and midwives must have a minimum of 2 years post-qualification work experience from the date of issuance of permanent practicing licence before their certificates can be verified by foreign nursing boards/councils.
This revelation was made on a circular titled, Revised guidelines for the verification of certificate(s) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for practice abroad.
The council disclosed that nurses who apply with provisional licenses will outrightly be rejected. It also disclosed that all applicants who seek to relocate must have an active practicing license with a minimum of six months to the expiration date.
The revised guidelines, effective from March 1, 2024, aim to streamline the process and enhance the standards of nursing education and practice in alignment with global best practices.
Key Guidelines and Requirements:
Eligible applicants must possess a minimum of two (2) years of post-qualification experience counted from the date of issuance of their permanent practising license. Applications with provisional licenses will be categorically rejected.
The Council will require a Letter of Good Standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s workplace and the last nursing training institution attended.
Responses to these requests should be directed to the Registrar/CEO of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Applicants must hold an active practicing license with at least six months remaining before expiration.
Applicants are required to visit the official portal at https://licence.nmen.gov.ng/ to log in and start the verification application process by clicking on the dedicated link.
A non-refundable fee per application must be paid through the portal for verification to Foreign Boards of Nursing. This fee covers the cost of courier services to the applicant’s training institution(s), place of work, and the respective Foreign Board.
During the application process, applicants are instructed to upload Certificates of Registration only; Notification of Registration will not be accepted.
Applicants will receive timely notifications via email and dashboard regarding the status of their verification application.
The verification application process is expected to take a minimum of six (6) months as against the 2 weeks it initially took.
The implementation of these guidelines officially commences on March 1, 2024. The council stated that all pending verification applications before this revision will be processed according to the previous guidelines.
South West Fulani Chiefs condemn killing of Ekiti Obas, call for action
The South West Fulani Chiefs have expressed their deep concern over the tragic killings of Ekiti traditional leaders. They urge immediate action to address these acts of violence.
Reacting to the unfortunate development, Chairman of the South West Council of Fulani Chiefs and Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, said, "It is worrisome to see criminal acts escalate to the point of causing ethnic tensions. We are calling on the government, security, and intelligence agencies to proactively address crime, to prevent it from leading to ethnic and religious conflicts. It's crucial to act decisively against criminality to foster a sense of unity among our people."
Details of these were contained in a statement dated February 8, 2024 and released to the Nigerian Press by the Media Team of Sarkin Fulani of Lagos.
Through this statement, Alhaji Bambado II said, "We also want to address the quick judgment some may have towards other ethnic groups based on media reports of criminal activities. It is important to remember that crime does not belong to any particular group. Just as there have been criminals identified as members from other tribes, it is unfair to single out the Fulani community in cases of crimes in a way that suggests profiling them as if they are good for nothing than criminality. Ethnic profiling is not the solution to our security challenges; it's the responsibility of the authorities to enforce the law impartially.
"We also wish to clarify that the Fulani community, like any other, is committed to the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria despite the challenges we face. We stand against any form of crime, regardless of the perpetrator's ethnic or religious background. Our stance remains firm: If a Fulani individual commits a crime, they should face the consequences as dictated by law.
"The recent accusations and media portrayal of the Fulani community in the wake of crimes in the South West are concerning. We urge everyone to refrain from jumping to conclusions without evidence and to work towards unity rather than division.
"In the light of the recent killings of two Ekiti traditional rulers, we express our condolences and condemn these acts in the strongest terms. We appreciate the efforts of the Ekiti State Police Command in clarifying the situation and preventing further ethnic tensions."
"Let's remember that crime is a societal issue, not tied to any particular group. By working together, respecting the law and avoiding unjust accusations, we can overcome the challenges we face. Let's unite in our efforts to make Nigeria a peaceful and prosperous nation for all," the South West Fulani Chiefs said according to their Chairman and Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado.
SIGNED: MEDIA OFFICE OF SARKIN FULANI OF LAGOS HRH Alhaji (Dr) Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II
I wrongly stated that Ondo was still owing salaries on ChannelsTV this morning. That is old information.
Governor Aiyedatiwa informed me this morning that he cleared the remaining one month and is even paying the extra N35,000 top up to civil servants as directed.
Late Governor Akeredolu cleared the 5 out of 6 months arrears left by Former Governor Mimiko.
Ondo has done the right thing and I have confidence in Gov Aiyedatiwa. Other governors should take a cue if they are still.owing salaries, pensions and gratuities. Now is the time to pay off and ensure our people have money for survival.
Apologies to Gov Aiyedatiwa and the good people running my state. We are known for high standards. Higher Higher...
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (born Omotola Jalade, 7 February 1978) is a Nigerian actress, singer, philanthropist and former model. Since her Nollywood film debut in 1995, Ekeinde has appeared in over 300 films, selling millions of copies. Omotola is the second Nigerian and first Nigerian celebrity to receive over 1 million likes on her Facebook page. She currently has a total of 6.1 million followers on Facebook.
In 2013, she was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
In 2013, Ekeinde made a brief appearance on VH1's scripted series, Hit the Floor. On 2 November 2013, she spoke at the 2013 edition of the WISE- Summit, held in Doha, Qatar.
In 2014, she was honoured by the Nigerian government, when she became a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for her contributions to Nigerian cinema.
Personal life
Jalade married Captain Matthew Ekeinde in 1996. Together, they have four children.
The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.“
It is really saddening to hear about the passing onto glory of a truly detribalized Nigerian, a gem who promoted the culture and essence of who we are as a people through his folklore and songs. Uncle Jimi, as he is fondly called would be greatly missed and his works would continue to speak of the good man that he was.
My sincere condolences to his children, family, friends and loved ones. May his rest soul in perfect peace.
Dani Alves to face sexual assault trial in Spain, prosecutors seek 9-year prison ...
The 40-year-old Alves has been in pre-trial jail since January 2023, when he was arrested after an initial investigation by authorities in 24 Nov 2023.
No fewer than 50 accounts operated by influencers have been engaged to promote Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, on social media, FIJ can report.
Since taking up a ministerial role in the government of President Bola Tinubu in August 2023, Tunji-Ojo has made frequent appearances in the media, discussing his efforts to ease international passport registration and collection for Nigerians.
His public image in the media remained spotless until a contract scandal involving a company he personally founded became public knowledge in the first week of January.
Evidence emerged on January 7 that Tunji-Ojo’s New Planet Project Limited obtained a consultancy project from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, then headed by the troubled suspended minister Betta Edu. The scandal left him dusting his files to find a Corporate Affairs Commission’s (CAC) filing showing that he had resigned his directorship from the company since 2019, but the CAC did not reflect the change on its public portal. Nevertheless, he remains a shareholder in the organisation.
The discovery prompted calls for his suspension and investigation just like Edu, but these calls were swiftly countered by an army of social media influencers and some self-acclaimed civil society groups with no digital footprints until the scandal.
FIJ’s findings have now shown that Tunji-Ojo runs a well-oiled social media campaign, particularly on X, executed by a supervised network of hired influencers.
MODE OF OPERATION
Their operational mode is consistent with established social media coordinated campaign trends. Unlike what many might believe, most of the posts about the minister are not from spontaneous or self-motivated X users. In understanding how they work, FIJ looked at the timing and semantics of the posts, and the general behaviour of the accounts.
FIJ observed that once Tunji-Ojo posted, these influencers took it up and crafted their own contents around the subject, quoting his statements as they deemed fit or as determined in their central operation chambers.
As hired influence operators, they reposted and quoted tweets by the minister. They also curated their own content as a strategy to increase the likelihood of a greater reach — the higher the visibility, the more the strength of dominance the minister enjoyed on the platform.
Hashtags are central to influence operations. At least five hashtags — #RenewedHope, #NewDawnWithBTO, #RenewedHope, #NewDawnWithBTO, #SpotLightOnBTO and #BTO4RenewedHope — have been created and associated with the minister. These hashtags are mentioned in their posts to provide a metric for discoverability and monitor their effectiveness, and keep a tab on the trend of their paymaster’s activities.
Although #NewDawnWithBTO was created in 2023, it only became frequent on X after the scandal, which also coincided with the launch of an online passport application system by the minister. Between January 8 and 20, it appeared in more than 430 posts.
FIJ did not reckon with several other accounts that post about the minister without any of the hashtags mentioned above. This is because those accounts might have been his mere admirers with no material motivation.
FINANCIAL COST Evidently, some of these persons are not mere party supporters or the ministers admirers, but influencers who amplify information not for ideological reasons but for pecuniary gains, regardless of information credibility. Some influencers such as @lollylarry1, @jarmari01, @_chiefagbabiaka, @olaniranfaith, @abasisom and @samzyVG, most of whom used false identities, declared in their bios to be career influencers.
FIJ’s findings, however, showed that @lollylarry1 is a key figure handling the network. Members of the network exist in two broad categories: paid and unpaid. FIJ learned from a source that she was asking some X users, unaware she had been contracted to promote the minister, to help her post the minister’s activities on X.
A peep into her account further showed that she was involved in anti-EndSARS campaign by the government. She was also once involved in a social media campaign for Arora Akanksha, a young woman who aspired to become the United Nations’ Secretary-General in 2021.
Apart from that, some of the accounts have X verification badges. It also appears some influencers have more than one account for promotional purposes. Out of the 50 accounts, 22 have at least 1,000 followers, the highest being 154.6 thousand followers. Their moderate followings indicate they are mostly minor influencers.
For this reason, the size of each influencer’s followers determines how much they get. According to an article by OG Capital Finance, a micro-business financing firm, an average minor influencer earns between N30,000 and N60,000 per campaign or depending on the period of activity. This helps to understand how much goes into the minister’s influencing campaign alone monthly. This is aside his statutory media aides remuneration.
However, the minister might not be aware of this network or be responsible for remunerating them directly, according to Rosemary Ajayi, the founder of Digital Africa Research Lab and a researcher who has experience exploring the weaponisation of social media in Nigeria.
Ajayi told FIJ: “In Nigeria, there is a huge marketplace for dodgy social media ‘influencers’. However, one cannot conclusively state that this group of accounts identified by FIJ have been paid to promote Tunji-Ojo without further investigation.
“A quick analysis of many of the accounts shows them to be supporters of the ruling party predating Tunji-Ojo’s ministerial appointment. And in a situation where there is evidence to show that participants have been paid, it is possible that the perceived beneficiary is completely unaware of such campaign as it may have been sponsored by associates or aides hoping to curry his favour.”
Interestingly, Tunji-Ojo has a record of maintaining extravagant political operations. As a lawmaker that represented the Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency from 2019 to 2023, he appointed over 220 individuals as special advisers, special assistants and personal assistants in one swoop.
So police officers came to my place this morning & handcuffed me saying I was under arrest (for a crime they wouldn’t tell me about).
After searching through all my rooms for whatever evidence they could find, then proceeding to search through my phones, laptops etc (at this point already figured what this was about).
Asked me what I do for a living, told them I build apps & mobile games, you could clearly see over a dozen of them installed on my phones, and dozens more on app stores. Even just putting on my laptop right there on the screen was a mobile app I was developing.
Threatened that if they take me to the station the forensics would find anything implicating on my devices, even the ones I’ve deleted.
Told them unless they want to plant something on me, they wouldn’t see even as little as me charging someone an extra N100 for something not to talk of scamming.
Long story short, after looking through all my chats they figured I was clean, they then told me I should just be careful..
Apparently a neighbor of mine gave a “tip” to the police that they suspected I was into fraud. Cause they always see me at home and I seem to be doing so well.
Lol.
Funny cause I don’t even relate with a single neighbor in the estate
The only regret I have is not getting that officers contact, I really want to know who that neighbor is.
Credit: Somto
God Abeg,
Thank God you didn’t remember to get the details too, cos emotions can overrule and you would want to get back to the person. I’ve been labeled a fraud person too cos I was running gen constantly last year when there was power outage and the neighbor was not revealed
Of course, I have to tell you all what happened this morning.
It was indeed traumatizing but as someone who is already familiar with police harassment, this ordeal didn't catch me by surprise.
Nigeria really prepares you for the worst but this is definitely not how to live. 💔
So, this morning, I was stepping out of my house.
I was actually at the main gate. I was about to open the gate when I saw that someone was outside. He greeted me and I responded.
Then he said, "I am a NEPA official."
I'm like, "Ok, how may I help you?"
He said they came to check our electricity meters which is quite usual.
Based on street OT, I asked for his ID, and he said he doesn't have it. I insisted, so he started calling his colleagues to bring his ID.[sup][/sup]
What happened next shocked me to my bones.
This fucking guy OPENED MY GATE FROM OUTSIDE!!!
Like how I kid you not. He opened the gate. If you know how jam lock works, you will know that if you don't have the key, you can't gain access.
This guy opened my gate effortlessly before I could even ID him. Christ!!!
Now, they had access, so there was little I could do.
When he entered, like 10 men came in with him. Bro, none of them was on Police uniform except for one of them who was carrying an AK-47.
I was like "Fuccccccccck, kidnappers ti wole..." 😭😭😭
Next thing, he blurted out, "This is the Police..."
I quickly comported myself and requested for ID. He didn't have an ID but some other guy brought out a washed-up ID that was not even legible.
Then they ordered me to open my apartment.
I refused. That is where problem began!
They kept insisting that I must give them access to my apartment but I insisted on know why they want access to my apartment.
They told me they wanted to search my house, and I requested a search warrant.
They brought out a piece of paper and waved it in my face.
I told them to hand it over so that I could read it properly. They said they couldn't give me for security reasons.
So, I said "If you won't give me the warrant to read, I will not give you access to my apartment.
So, one of them went to my door and tried to forcefully open it.
Unfortunately for him, he could not force the door open.
You won't believe what happened next. These guys brought out the warrant and it was there and then they wrote my address on the warrant.
Apparently, the warrant was blank without an address or a specific name.
This basically means that they came to my house with a signed warrant that didn't carry my name or address. Ahhhh!
The guy who tried to force my door open, then came back and tried to get my house key off me. That was when I started struggling with him.
We dragged each other.
As e de drag my shorts, I de drag am back.
He wanted to remove my house key from my pocket by force, but emi gaan stubborn.
You'll have to kill me first before you have access to my home illegally. Fortunately, he was not able to get my key because I stood my ground.
Few seconds after that, the officer that led the squad ordered him to leave me.
He obeyed and the leader took me to one corner and started giving me lectures on how wrong it is for me to resist a police officer.
Emi? As e de enter my right ear, e de commot for the left one.
I insisted that I must read the warrant properly before anything else.
So, he asked them to give me the warrant so that I could read it to my satisfaction.
I said, "Now, you're talking..."
They didn't give it to me tho but they held it while I read it.
While I was reading, they had already ransacked my neighbors' apartments.
Apparently, I was the only one "trying to prove stubborn".
So, after reading the warrant, I opened my apartment for them to search but of course, I allowed only one of them to enter.
The person I allowed entered my apartment and started turning my whole house upside down. They went everywhere in my house, even my trash can. They turned the trash out and said something about "forensic investigation". 😂🤣
Omo, he checked everywhere while I watched.
After about 30 minutes of searching, nothing was incriminating to see.
So, I asked them to leave. Now, this is the unbelievable part.
They asked me to change my clothes and I asked them for what? They said I must go to the station. Ahannnn
Go to the station for what
Them: We're not convinced that you're not a criminal.
Then I asked them what prompted this harassment in the first place.
These were their words:
"We were informed that some young people live in this house and you all don't go to work. You stay indoors always. So we suspect that you all are criminals."
Ahhhhhhh!
So, I asked them if they'd never heard of remote work or work-from-home before.
They said, "When you get to the station, you will explain what remote work is..."
See me, see wahala o!
I stood my ground and told them I was not going anywhere until they told me my offense.
All these while, my dogs were barking aggressively as they heard my voice while I was arguing.
So, they went around the house and the only police officer who was wearing a uniform and carrying an AK-47 cocked his rifle and aimed for one of my dogs.
Na there I craze finish.
I told him, "If you shoot my dog, that will be your last shot, I swear it with my life..."
I insisted that I won't go with them but when I saw that they had already packed my neighbors into their vehicles, apa mi jabo. 😭😭😭
My neighbors need to do better. Awon omo ase. 🤣
People on my street mediated and asked me to go with them, and because my neighbors had already succumbed, I got into their vehicle.
They drove us to Phase 4 police station in Kubwa and they started interrogating us. Asking stupid questions and lying, of course.
They took my neighbor's phones and laptops. They went through them.
I refused to hand them my phone but everything they requested for, I showed them. There was really nothing to see.
They wanted to check my bank apps and picture gallery, but I refused vehemently.
These guys were asking me how much my salary was. Asking me how I get paid monthly. Asking me what currency I get paid in, because they saw a lot of African Union documents in my house.
They made me show them my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts.
They requested to see my photo gallery and bank apps but I refused.
It was when they saw "Gbajabiamila" consistently on my accounts, that they decided to back down.
They equally harassed my neighbors too. In fact, they packed all the young tenants in the house.
While in the house, they tried to force my car open with a remote controller (I don't know where they brought that from).
They kept pressing the remote to unlock my car but the car didn't respond.
Can you imagine this level of unprofessionalism? Man!!!
From the information available, Phase 4 Police Command in Kubwa is a haven of rogues from top to bottom.
They promised me that they'll be back and I know that they'll be back. I full ground ooo but @PoliceNG @PoliceNG_CRU @FCT_PoliceNG, please take note.
I am back home now after hours of trauma in the hands of @PoliceNG.
This is what young Nigerians go through every day. This is not the first and I believe it won't be the last.
Bottom line is, we cannot continue to live like this. This should not be a way of life at all.
You can't be a young man, living by yourself, trying to make a way out of this huge mess of a country without those saddled with the responsibility of protecting you and maintaining law and order, being the main source of harassment and extortion.
Absolute madness!!!
When my friends call me, the most consistent question is, "Demola, what are you still doing in that country?"
That question is really heartbreaking. You may not realize it but it is a very heartbreaking question.
What am I doing in my own country? Ahhhh, this is sad!
Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress who has been called the Queen of Afrobeats. Savage sings in English and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, pop and hip-hop. Savage's contributions to the Nigerian music industry have earned her several achievements.
Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup vocals for artists such as George Michael and Mary J. Blige. After participating in the UK edition of The X Factor and graduating from Berklee College of Music, Savage signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2009.
Inspired by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, Savage moved back to Nigeria and signed with Mavin Records in 2012. She made an appearance on the label's 2012 compilation album Solar Plexus.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has certainly found a new hobby to keep himself busy, having failed to achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is increasingly carving for himself the role of opposition-in-chief to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government.
However, we notice that the former Vice-President, just like in his political contests, is also doing a poor job of it, offering pedestrian and uninformed interventions on our economy and other matters of public concerns.
Atiku's latest diatribe was another uncharitable commentary on the state of the economy and the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration in remoulding it for sustained prosperity.
Nigerians can easily see through the hypocrisy of Alhaji Atiku, who in accusing President Tinubu of poor response to the nation's challenges and causing pains and despair, didn't offer any better policy options in his run for the Presidency different from the economic reform agenda being pursued by President Tinubu.
All the major candidates agreed that the fuel subsidy regime, which had become an albatross on the economy, must end. They all agreed that the multiple exchange rates must be fixed. Where President Tinubu and Atiku differed was in selling NNPC Limited and other national assets. Atiku went for this so he could sell these important national assets to his friends and cronies.
President Tinubu removed the subsidy from Day One and announced moves to harmonise the exchange rates. Since then, he and his economic team have been working vigorously to harmonise the rates and also end the rampant and criminal arbitrage that the multiple windows allowed.
President Tinubu acknowledged, on different occasions, that the reforms his government is implementing will cause immediate pains, but will usher in an era of prosperity in the medium and long terms.
Minus Atiku, reputable local and international agencies who understand the situation the Tinubu administration found itself have commended the administration, having seen a policy trajectory that is clearly positive, realistic and sustainable.
Atiku’s claims that the private sector is shrinking and that multinational companies are leaving our companies in ‘droves’ are not grounded on facts.
His claim that the government's policies have created intense cost of living pressures are also not grounded on facts as recent comparative cost of living indices show that Nigerians still enjoy the lowest cost of living in Africa.
Instead of mouthing platitudes every time in a bid to earn cheap political mileage, Alhaji Atiku who presumes himself as the leader of opposition should tell Nigerians what he would have done better if he had been elected President.
Atiku should be honest enough to admit that President Tinubu inherited a weak economy, which to all intents and purposes and to ensure the survival of our country needs a complete overhaul.
The economy was plagued by decades of significant fiscal deficits, a low revenue base, high external and domestic debts, and huge debt service burden.
The national budget Tinubu met in 2023 showed that 97 percent of revenue was to be spent on debt servicing, with little reserved for capital, thereby foreclosing growth and jobs.
Confronted with this grim economic reality, President Tinubu faced a difficult choice of balancing the political and economic costs of reforms against the risks of economic recession. His government chose the former, to keep the economy afloat and set it back on the path of growth and prosperity.
President Tinubu is focused on solving our economic and security challenges. The fiscal and monetary policies his administration is pursuing are delivering unprecedented value to investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Nigerian Stock Exchange is outperforming others in the world and is now the best, not based on bubble, but record profits by many listed companies.
The administration has also embarked on comprehensive fiscal and tax policy reform that will drive speedy recovery and spur economic growth.
Nigerians and the global investment communities trust the ability and competence of President Tinubu to deliver progress and shared prosperity.
While President Tinubu and his able team are working very hard to make our country better, ensure our economy is stronger and more competitive, Atiku Abubakar and his cohorts may continue to bellyache.
However, they cannot stop the serious work of nation-building already set in motion by President Tinubu.
Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy
My Biggest Regret Is Pushing My Husband To Move Us From Mainland To Lagos Island After Change In Financial Status - Woman
She claims her husband changed his lifestyle after they changed location and he met new friends, started clubbing, always eating out, raising his voice at her now, takes drugs, sleeping in hotels for days, etc.
Court Jails Actress Six Months for Spraying, Stepping on New Naira Notes
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, February 1, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, an actress, to six months imprisonment for spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes at a social event in Lagos.
She was first arraigned on February 13, 2023 by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on two-count charges, to which she pleaded “not guilty”.
She was subsequently granted bail on February 15, 2023.
One of the court reads: “That you, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, on the 28th day of January, 2023, at Monarch Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos , within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Omoseyin, however, changed her “not guilty” plea to “guilty”, in view of the overwhelming evidence against her.
Following her “guilty plea”, the prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku called Abubakar Mohammed Marafa, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the matter.
Marafa recalled that, “the defendant was arrested by officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on February 1, 2023, and was handed over to the Commission on February 2, 2023 for further investigation".
According to him, the defendant’s statement was taken under caution, where she stated that she attended a friend’s wedding on January 28, 2023, and that she sprayed N200 and N100 Naira notes on the occasion.
“The defendant was processed and the videos of where she sprayed the money was found on her phone. Also, further investigations were carried out and the management of the event centre was invited. They also brought in the video footage of the said event.”
The prosecution counsel, thereafter, further applied to tender, in evidence, the letter from the ICPC and other accompanying documents , including the extra-judicial statement of the defendant, forensic report of her phone, a CD of videos showing her spraying the naira note, a flash drive from the event centre together with the statement of the representative of the centre.
Justice Aneke admitted them as exhibits and convicted the defendant, as charged. The defence counsel, Afuye Adegbola pleaded for leniency, saying, “ she’s a first-time offender; she is a mother of one; she is remorseful and pleads for mercy.”
He further pleaded for a non-custodial sentence on behalf of the convict.
Delivering judgment, Justice Aneke sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, effective from Thursday, with an option of N300,000 ( Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) fine to be paid into the consolidated revenue account of the federation.
Omoseyin bagged her imprisonment when she was arrested by operatives of the ICPC along Awolowo Road , Ikoyi, Lagos, after the video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned Naira notes at a party surfaced online. In the viral video, she was also seen flaunting wads of the new Naira notes. In her statement to the Commission, she claimed that she received the new Naira notes from her fans at the party and that she did not know the persons who gave her the money.
Items recovered from her at the point of arrest include a Range Rover.
Minister of State for Health explains why the federal govenrment sacked some medical doctors at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital #OAUTH.
One thousand five hundred staff at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) stormed the hospital on Thursday in protest against their sack by the management of the hospital.
The employees were on Wednesday asked to desist from coming to work.
The enraged workers lamented that they were laid off after working for months without pay.
The management of the teaching hospital employed the workers in 2022. However, the Federal Government said that the management and some workers were involved in job racketeering, leading to their sack.
Angered by the development, the affected workers besieged the hospital’s main gate on Thursday, chanting solidarity songs to express their grievances, asking the management to rescind its decision.
The main gate of the hospital was shut, and workers were not allowed entry. Also, services were disrupted by the protest.
The management of the hospital has yet to react to the development. Efforts to get the spokesperson to comment on it failed as she did not respond to several telephone calls put to her.
Science/Technology › ChatGPT Will Soon Be Able To Generate Videos. by nlfpmod(mod): 7:56pm On Feb 15, 2024
I kid you not. He opened the gate. If you know how jam lock works, you will know that if you don't have the key, you can't gain access.