₦airaland Forum

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Kola Abiola has promised to stop payment of subsidy on petroleum products.

Kola Abiola made this promise while speaking in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday.

He said, “We are growing to run a market economy to create liquidity first and that doesn’t mean government will not step in from time to time.

“The oil and gas is very germane, we have corruption, we have leakages, but more importantly our production is too low. We need to at least reduce 3 million barrels a day to make the number work. We need to stop importing fuel.

“We need to reestablish domestic production. We need to get the value added from our oil. After 63 years of crude oil production, we are still importing products and all we do is export. All these will be stopped,” he said.

Similarly, the PRP candidate also vowed to improve on the welfare standard of the men of the Nigeria Armed Forces.


He said, “We nee to address the security architecture. The will is there, we need to ensure implementation and look at the welfare of our armed forces.

“If you meet a bandit leader and he says there’s no difference between you and us, what would you say?

“The trust has been eroded, the common man cannot feel the presence of a government, I’m coming with zeal to change this mindset,” he said.

The PRP presidential candidate stated that Nigerians must vote for their future, adding that “it is not about sentiment.”

Recall that Kola Abiola, had earlier in the year declared that he will win next year’s election by repeating his father, late MKO Abiola’s feat during the June 12, 1993 election.

The PRP presidential candidate said he was out to disrupt the process and win next year’s election.

He explained that he led the campaign planning and execution that earned his late father “victory” during the controversial election when he was 28 years.

The PRP candidate vowed to adopt grassroots approach and pursue a recruitment drive that “will change the face of politics in Nigeria.”

Similarly he said he wanted to “reset” Nigeria with his party, which is one of the oldest in the country.

He said, “I want to be president because I believe it is time for complete reset of Nigeria. And I did not make any mistake by joining PRP. I did my homework thoroughly before joining the PRP. And I joined it because it is the only party that has no baggage, no problems or legacy issues. It is the only party that can convince the younger generation to get involved in the game, and not just to elect leaders.”

Kola Abiola also said he was not intimidated by other more popular candidates from other political parties, saying he was confident of his chances to win them even in the North.

“The chances of Kola Abiola is a surprise factor. Check the whole northern states, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa states, I will win those states again for PRP,” he said.

Kola Abiola is the first child of late M.K.O Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 annulled presidential election.

A former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Adams Oshiomhole said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar does not have the moral justification to preach unity in Nigeria.

Oshiomole made this assertion while speaking in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

He said, “You (Atiku) can’t manage your household, you are a serial divorcee and you want to preach unity and family to me?”

According to the former governor of Edo state, Atiku is a “serial betrayer” and the “weakest” of all the frontline candidates for the 2023 presidential election.

Oshiomhole, a deputy director general of the Presidential Campaign Council of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, said Atiku is the “weakest link right now among the three leading candidates” including Tinubu and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

He said Atiku lacks character and consistency having moved from the PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), back to the PDP and to the APC and finally to the PDP since 1999.

“For Atiku, if he is not the candidate, he takes a flight to Dubai. But you are talking of someone who upon leaving office, supported his wife rather than himself, talk of selfless service and gender equality.

“It speaks to character. When you have sense of belief, you cannot be jumping from one party to the other every other election,” he said.


According to the former governor, Atiku’s ambition is just about himself and not about Nigeria

He also said Atiku cannot be trusted as echoed by aggrieved PDP governors known as the G5 or the Integrity Group.

“PDP governors said we can’t trust him, every agreement we made with him, he broke it; he is a serial betrayer of agreements,” he said.

The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, has dismissed the allegation claiming that he collected $28 million to blackmail the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Soludo made this dismissal while speaking with newsmen in Awka after the Thanksgiving mass for Most Rev. Paulinus C. Ezeokafor in celebration of his 70th birthday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

He, “If I had truly received $28 million to blackmail my brother, Peter Obi, I should be extremely wealthy as of today.

“For those forging blackmail and all that, including the one they said I collected bribe to say what I said, I asked them to bring it so I will use it to construct roads for Anambra people. If Soludo is into bribery, I would have been a multi-trillionaire now.

“Today is very special. When we came into the service, it was the first time, Obi and I are meeting at a public event and in a Catholic Church which the two of us belong to. I think it was divine.

“When I came in, I quickly went to where he sat and hugged him, people watched with bewilderment as if it was a drama, asking if it was not the same people quarrelling,” he added.

Speaking about his tirade on Obi, Soludo simply said it is political, adding that he spoke with Obi about two times just last night.

The Anambra governor said politics has not crept into their relationship as brothers.

He said, “There is no rift between Obi and me at a personal level. Nobody snatched each other’s wife. What appears to be the rift between us is fundamental political differences. Nothing else.

“On the fundamental differences we have, we are going to meet in the next few weeks. We’ve agreed to discuss and iron out our differences,” he added.

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2023 elections, Omoyele Sowore, has challenged the presidential candidates of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a political debate.

Sowore challenged the presidential candidates while speaking in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The AAC presidential candidate challenged the candidates of the opposition parties to a debate to discuss ideas to move Nigeria forward.

Sowore stated, “Bring me and Obi to discuss our ideas on your show, I guarantee that he would not come.”

“I know the other two people will not show up – Tinubu and Atiku dare not show up…They should be afraid because anybody who has got no idea should be afraid.

“They should be afraid because anybody who has got no idea should be afraid.”

When asked whether he is angry with Obi whose support base is mainly with youths, Sowore, said, “Was I angry about Peter Obi in 1992, 1993 when I fought the military? Peter Obi was not even known.

“Any campaign that is childish and that doesn’t address the issues is relevant but not important.”

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has said the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi represents the body and soul of the Igbo people in the 2023 general elections.

Ohanaeze also called on Nigerian people to disregard any opposing view from the South East, describing such “as the usual distraction and thorns that trail the path to victory.”

This was made known in a press statement entitled ‘Obi represents the body and soul of Ndigbo’ signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia on Wednesday.

Ohanaeze said the declaration was pertinent as the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spokesman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed asked whether the Igbo group is supporting Obi as the presidential election is three months away.

The statement quoted Baba-Ahmed as saying “We don’t know whether they are in support of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party or not. The nation can see what is happening now and if the South East fails to line up behind Obi, they should not blame anybody.”

Reacting to this, the statement clearly said Obi solidly has the backing of Ohanaeze and the entire Igbo people describing him as “our illustrious son.”

“And by all standards, Obi is a good commodity that defies bad market. As it stands, Obi represents the body and soul of the Igbo for the 2023 general election,” Ohanaeze said.

It asserted that the contrary voice from the Igbo people is likened to that of Judas, Jesus Christ’s betrayer in the Bible, Christian’s Holy Book.

It read partly, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor reassures the Northern Elders Forum and indeed the whole Nigeria that the South East of Nigeria or better put, the Igbo are solidly behind our illustrious son, Mr Peter Obi.

“There is no gainsaying the distraction by the negligible minority-elite who by the aid of social media have over-exaggerated their self-worth, authority, power and political relevance. Instructively, the Christian religion informs that in every twelve, there must be a Judas.

“This is a statement of fact, history, experience and a socio-political imperative. In other words, it is rather inconceivable to expect everybody to support Obi. What is important is that the Obi-Datti movement has gained the support of over ninety per cent Igbo and continues to swell with time.”

The group stated, “Ohanaeze will not join issues with those who are opposed to the collective Igbo aspiration with the hope that, as in every ideology, more converts will key in when the logs of wood in their eyes are cleared.

“The Ohanaeze support to Obi is not because of his Igboness as rightly pointed out by Baba -Ahmed, what goes for Obi today is the awesome quality service he rendered to his people as a governor; and of course, the dispositional humility, character comeliness and intellectual acumen that define his public conducts.

“As a governor, Obi was busy setting standards of good governance for posterity, while some other myopic, timid and mundane governors were busy with the unconscionable primitive acquisition of wealth to the detriment or impoverishment of the very masses that voted them into office.

“On behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and indeed all the Nigerian compatriots, we commend the Northern Elder’s Forum for stating that “we will give our support to the best man who can heal the wounds in the land because actually, everybody in Nigeria is marginalized right now.”

“What has remained the curse of the third world is in the choice we make at every occasion. While our ugly past has been defined by selfishness, greed, injustice, ethnic and religious sentiments, the enlightened Nigerian youths of today are more imaginative, proactive, creative, rational and cosmopolitan.

“The prevailing poverty and hardship do not recognize the boundaries of ethnicity and religion. Therefore, Nigeria is at a critical juncture with a choice between our characteristic vicious circle on one hand and the virtuous circle annotated with wealth creation and sustainable national development on the other.

“Finally, Professor Obiozor is not just an erudite scholar, he is also a prophet. He long predicted that any party that nominates its presidential candidate outside the South East of Nigeria will surely have problems.

“Expectedly, the more the crises in the other political parties, the more enlarged the Obi-Datti coast will become. It is worth reiterating that the justice and equity the Igbo seek in Nigeria have found a providential expression in Obi.

“This is because, every Nigerian, big or small, young or old, knows that it is the turn of the South East to produce a president for Nigeria come 2023, going by the rotation and zoning principles that have been entrenched in Nigeria since 1999.

“We hereby urge Nigerians to ignore any contrary opinion from the South East as the usual distraction and thorns that trail the path to victory.”

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has promised to wipe out Boko Haram and help businessmen revive and expand their business in order jump start the economy if elected President come 2023.

Atiku made the promise while addressing a crowd of party supporters at the PDP Presidential Campaign in Gombe, Gombe State, on Monday.

He also promised to assist in putting in place policies to jumpstart businesses and help businessmen expand their business in order to revive the economy which is currently in a terrible state.

Atiku who spoke mostly in Hausa said, “What I want to pledge here in Gombe is to ensure that we give businesses the support to set-up industries that will give youths both males and females jobs.

“Recall it was the PDP that built the Dakin-Kowa Dam to provide electricity to the North-east and give farmers the opportunity to farm, I will create wealth and jobs in Gombe State, if you give me the mandate.

“I promise you that if you elect me what we have started, I will ensure that the electricity that will be provided from Dakin-Kowa Dam will be sufficient to the entire North-east.

“ I will enhance farming so that our farmers will have the opportunity to farm both during raining and dry seasons.”

On his other plans for the North East Geo-Political Zone, Atiku said, “Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe are all interconnected; therefore, I will ensure that we build roads to enable smooth trip within these states with ease and ensure that commercial activities thrive, most especially.

“I will return peace to the state because without peace all these pledges that I made cannot be actualized, I will wipe out Boko Haram. Book Haram is nothing.

“We have wiped out Boko Haram in Adamawa, What will stop us from wiping out Boko Haram in Borno or Yobe or anywhere they are in this country. Therefore give us the mandate.

“When Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Prime Minister most of you were not born, dont you want another Tafawa Balewa in the North-east? This can only be actualised by voting PDP and here I am the one that will give you the opportunity to produce another Tafawa Balewa.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the Chairman, PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel said, “When PDP was in power, how much was a tin of milk, how much is a tin of milk today? When PDP was in power, how much was a bag of rice, how much is a bag of rice today? When PDP was in power, how much was one orange, how much is an orange sold today?

“We just want to let the People know that PDP is coming back to make sure that our economy bounces back, to make sure that our naira regain in strength, to make sure you have more milk in your tea.

“PDP is coming back to bring the economy back, to make sure there is light, to make sure no more darkness, to make you have access to many things you are not having now.“

Also the Director General of the PDP Campaign Council Tambuwual said, “We know that the Wazirin Adamawa is here at home in Gombe and when the PDP gets to power in 2023 Atiku will ensure security, peace in Gombe and Nigeria at large.

“We know that Gombe is a commercial center, we shall ensure that wealth is revitalised and bring development, commerce in Gombe and the country at large.

“Youths both male and female will get jobs in the country, farming will be revitalised and the country as a whole. I know the people of Gombe know this, which is the agenda of his government if elected.“

National Chairman of the PDP, Sen. Iyiochia Ayu, while addressing the crowd, appealed to the people of the state to vote for the party in all elections because it was the only political party which has the capacity to transform Nigeria. He noted that the party had done it before and was prepared to do it again.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso can not match pro-Asiwaju Bola Tinubu rally, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Kano.

Ganduje made this assertion while speaking in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

The Kano state governor challenged Kwankwaso, his predecessor to hold a rally in the state to test his popularity.

Ganduje defended the large turnout of supporters for Tinubu in the state earlier in the day.

He said, “Kwankwaso is a presidential candidate, there is no doubt about that. But equally, we are on the ground and many of his people are now in our political party,” he said.


“So, if Kwankwaso thinks that he can win the party, let him hold a march like this and compare what will happen if he can do so.”

On the possibility of his party losing ground to another of his predecessors turned political rivals, Ibrahim Shekarau, Ganduje questioned the political relevancy of the former Minister of Education over his switching of allegiance.

He said, “Pertaining to Shekarau, we won our election without Shekarau. Later, we invited him into our party and he decided to leave the party to Kwankwaso’s party.

“Later on, he left that party to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he was originally. So, you can see that these are nomads in politics. You expect that people who run from one party to another will lose followers.

“Once you change your political party, you cannot carry everybody to where you want to go. You will leave some followers. He left a majority of his followers in APC and then he left others in NNPP. He then left many there. Where he is now, well, we will live to see,” he said.

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Iyiochia Ayu has assured Nigerians that the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar will hit the ground running upon declaration as the president of Nigeria in 2023.

Ayu made this assurance while speaking at the official commissioning of the People’s Democratic Institute (PDI), at Asokoro, Abuja, on Friday.

He stated, “While the others are utterly confused about how, where or when to even begin their campaigns, PDP is already preparing for governance.

“Our Presidential candidate, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, has already exhibited his intellectual preparedness in his publications that are already in the public space for everyone to access and scrutinize.

“It is not an accident of history that he commissioned the Institute at its inauguration in year 2000 and, is today, recommissioning it in preparation for the task ahead, Post-May 29, 2023.

“His Excellency is not someone who acts on whims or impulse. He works with thoroughly developed ideas and his love for the Institute had been a pillar of support to it when it flourished.“

The PDP National Chairman describes the PDI project as a fulfillment of one out of the promises he made to party members on assumption of office.

He said, “When we came on board in December last year, we promised to revamp the PDI, and today, God has made it possible.

“The place is fully computerized with state-of-the-art equipment, resource materials and the requisite personnel to deliver strategic data and statistics to enable the incoming Atiku Abubakar administration to hit the ground running.

“PDP will not waste six months in the Presidential Villa thinking of what do with power.

“Although the party has a robust package for making Nigeria workable again, the Institute has been revamped and repositioned to provide research data that will help President Atiku to unlock our national potentials, secure the country, energize our productive sectors, stimulate wealth creation, empower youths and women, create jobs, revitalize agriculture, stabilize the educational sector and, altogether, be an alert and effective commander-in-chief.“

While commending party members for their support, Ayu singled out Governor Seyi Makinde for his support in making the resuscitation of the PDI a reality.

He said, “ I cannot end this address without acknowledging the special support of party faithful, especially His Excellency, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state. It is largely because of him that we are here today. Thank you, Your Excellency.

“I use this opportunity to also thank party members across the country for their continued support and prayers. And we further sue for cooperation and unity of purpose. We are stronger together.

“Our focus must remain on retaking power from the ruling APC next February so we can commence the restoration work which was truncated in 2015.“

The PDP chairman equally appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to keep his word of ensuring that the 2023 elections are free, fair, transparent and credible. Both the presidency and the APC must not intimidate INEC or its functionaries in any way: let every vote count.

Ayu also said, “The party maintains that we will not accept the questionable harvests of votes from inaccessible areas as happened in previous elections under the APC.

“Finally, we renew our call on the international community, especially the US, European Union, the Commonwealth and the African Union to sustain their interest in the democratic project in Nigeria through diplomatic pressures, political contacts and large, high-calibre observer missions.”

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council said the party has a good product in the person of Atiku Abubakar who has the experience and capacity to provide leadership for our nation.

The PDP chair also expressed delight that the party under his leadership was enjoying the privilege of revamping of the research/intellectual arm of the party after several years of inactivity.

He said, “When we founded the PDP, we conceived it to be an organic party that would evolve and always be in sync with the developmental needs of the people.

“The founding fathers of this great Party were visionary patriots who sought to establish and bequeath to this great country a functional democracy.

“No society develops by fiat. It comes about by the rigorous work of carefully studying situations and analyzing them before evolving and implementing sustainable solutions. That was the idea that birthed the PDI on 31st August, 2000.

“It was supposed to be the Think-tank for the Party, an ideation center for the rigorous intellectual work of research, socio-economic analysis, policy development, training and capacity building of political actors, and the strengthening of our democratic institutions and culture.”

According to him, the PDI lived up to its bidding: it hosted programs for both domestic and international audiences, engaged in research-based publications, and contributed significantly to the capacity-building of our Party functionaries nationwide.

This, his said, explained why PDP’s 16 years in power were action-packed, eventful, impactful and useful.

In an apparent jab at the ruling All Progressives Congress, Ayu said, “PDP was not hurriedly conceived as a propaganda machine just to access power – it came to power with a mission.

“And we understood that democracy is not a one-man show something to be run on adhoc arrangements – democracy is about mass participation, shared ideas and shared prosperity.

“PDI is, therefore, the Party’s tool for generating ideas, thoroughly researching them and rigorously analyzing development options/policies for good governance and National development.“

He, however, expressed regret that after more than a decade of eventful activities, the Institute lost its accommodation in Wuse II, and had to be located in a Porta-cabin at the party’s national headquarters.

Speaking about the days event, Ayu said, “Today, however, marks another turning point in our Party’s fortunes. The deliberate actions of the current NWC have revived hope for the survival of the Institute.

“ It is now comfortably accommodated in this structure which has been rented, renovated, furnished and equipped for PDI to effectively re-engage the purpose for which it was established.

“The renewed hope for a better Nigeria is being midwifed by salient milestones that PDP is making in the rebirth of the Party and its return to its winning ways.

“The Party is again preparing itself adequately and shall hit the ground running, when, by the grace of God and the votes of Nigerians, PDP returns to power next year“

All Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) needed for the 2023 general elections would be ready before December.

The assurance was given in Abuja on Thursday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education and Information Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye.

He gave the assurance while speaking as a panellist at a seminar on “Optimising technology to safeguard people’s will’’ organised by the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association.

Okoye said BVAS to be used in 27 states were already available.

“We will have the full complement of the BVAS for the 2023 elections; both in the 176,846 polling units and in the 8,809 Registration Areas on ground before December.

“We shall have a BVAS in each polling unit and we are going to have at least two stand-by BVAS in each of the registration areas,’’ he said.


The commissioner also said that at the end of on-going nationwide display of voters register on Nov. 25, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu would address the nation on the modality for collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

He said while the PVCs of those who registered before Jan. 15 were ready for collection, those that registered between Jan. 15 and July 31 would be ready December.

Speaking on the security of INEC’s ICT platforms, Okoye said beyond the provision of adequate security against hacking, there was also adequate backup for the platforms.

He said that going by INEC’s performance in recent elections in Osun, Ekiti, Anambra and Osun, citizens’ confidence in the Commission had continued to improve.

Okoye said that with the optimising of technology, INEC had been able to build portals for political parties to nominate their candidates online.

It had also built portals for observers and the media to register for election observation as well as portal for voter registration


He added that the Commission had also enhanced its technology to improve on voter accreditation during elections, which made it to jettison Card Readers for BVAS.

The national commissioner also listed the design of another portal for real time INEC Results Viewing Portal to eliminate rigging of elections.

“What we have done is to try and see in what ways and by what means technology can assist the Commission to do its work better and that’s exactly where we are today,’’ Okoye said.

In his contribution, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo, who spoke on “Issues in voter registration and managing voters’ role’’, advised voters to play their roles in ensuring that the 2023 general elections were not manipulated.

Itodo, who was also a discussant, noted that politicians were already attempting to manipulate the 2023 elections and citizens must come up with strategy to negate those attempts.

He listed the attempts to include the compromise of the independence of INEC through the appointment of some National Electoral Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners with political and questionable backgrounds.

“From the screening of the commissioners by the Senate there was a report that one of the nominees admitted that he was an aspirant at the 2015 elections in one of the political parties, but today he is INEC commissioner.

“There are states we need to tag as `red flag’ states. We need to monitor the states from where these individuals had been deployed and push back any attempt to compromise elections there,’’ he said.

Itodo added that another attempt to manipulate the process was the registration of underage potential voters.

He advised citizens to take advantage of the on-going display of voters register and the INEC website to identify the underage registered, dead persons and foreigners and forward their claims and objections to INEC.

“For everyone who has been screaming that the voter register should be audited, the register is now in your hand. This is the time for you to contribute to the cleaning up of the voter register,’’ he stressed.

Another panellist, Chairman, Editorial Board, ThisDay Newspapers, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, who discussed “the anatomy of public distrust in election management’’, expressed confidence in the capacity of INEC to conduct credible elections in 2023.

Adeniyi urged Nigerians not to take the country’s election for granted but to defend it.

He advised politicians to go into the 2023 election with expectations that they would win, but in the event that they lose, they should not scatter the process


Former FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawrence Alobi, who was also a member of the panel, said security was fundamental to the electoral process, before, during and after the exercise.

“We already have reports on where political rallies were being attacked in Jos, Kaduna and Borno States,’’ he noted.

Alobi called for adequate training of security officers in democratic policing, adding that provision of security on election days must not be biased, and must be proactive.

“Untrained security personnel on election duty are a threat to the society and to election,’’ he stressed.

The retired police officer advised the electorate to vote responsibly; monitor behaviour of security agencies during elections and demand that law and other are followed.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has reemphasised the need for Nigerians to handle the new naira notes with dignity as strict consequences await those mishandling the currency.

Speaking at a sensitisation, enlightenment and bank fair programme held in Osogbo, Osun state on Thursday, ahead of the introduction of the redesign notes, the CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Mr, Osita Nwanisobi, said the Naira is a symbol of national pride and must be handle with care.

Represented by Akpama Uket, he said there are damning consequences for those who handle the Naira without dignity.

According to him, “The Naira remains a symbol of our national pride which must be treated with utmost dignity. I, therefore urged you not to spray, squeeze, or counterfeit the Naira, as default goes with serious consequences.

“As you all may be aware, the Central Bank of Nigeria, riding on internationalbest practice and Section 2 (b) of the CBN Act 2007, which stipulates currency management as one of its key functions, has announced the plan to redesign,produce, release, and circulate the new series of three banknotes, out of the existing eight banknotes, comprising N200, N500, and N1000 denominations, respectively, effective 15th December 2022; after its launch by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

On the various successful intervention of the financial institution, Nwanisobi said; “some of the Bank’s interventions which have recorded significant successes in providing the needed support for businesses to grow include the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP); the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF), which has supported entrepreneurship development with over N39.26 million.

“The Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) through Differentiated Cash Reserve Ratio (DCRR), where disbursements to 426 projects across the country stood at N2.10 trillion as at September 2022; and the 100 for 100 Policy on Production and Productivity (PPP) with cumulative disbursement of N93.39 billion to 62 projects within the aforementioned period. Others include the Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurship Scheme (TIES), which has recorded total disbursement of N332.43 million; the Healthcare Sector Intervention Facility (HSIF) with cumulative disbursement of N130.54 billion for 131 projects, comprising 32 pharmaceuticals, 60 hospitals, and 39 other services.”

Earlier in her address, the CBN Branch controller, Osogbo Mrs Daphne Madojemu, represented by Anthony Okoro, said the programme aimed to sensitise Nigerians on the activities of the Bank in promoting the country’s economic stability.

“This year’s CBN Fair was unique because it was informative and well articulated on all the bank’s policies especially on the newly introduced electronic Naira and the plan to redesign some of the bank’s notes”.