The leadership of the Kaduna State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers says travellers in the state have reduced by over 50 per cent as the Yuletide approaches.

The state NUTRW Secretary, Malam Bature Suleiman, disclosed this on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Suleiman said the development was due to the high cost of transportation fare which was occasioned by the increment of fuel pump price.

“People no longer travel but only prefer to send messages to their loved ones. Sadly, if you go to our motor parks now, you will see a lot of vehicles waiting without passengers.

“People don’t have money to travel until it becomes necessary; they prefer to waybill messages,” Suleiman noted.

He said commercial motorists were running at a loss due to the poor economic situation of the country, adding, “Apart from the increase of fuel price, we have a lot of bad roads, and a lot of policies taken on the transportation sector are not favourable.”

The official lamented alleged multiple taxes which members of the union had been paying, describing the situation as very bad.

He said, “There are lots of revenues attached to transportation as the government now seems to have its focus on the sector. Currently, there is an increment so much that what the driver would get at the end of the day is nothing to write home about. Drivers would just be doing the work without any gain in it.”

The official lamented alleged multiple taxes which members of the union had been paying, describing the situation as very bad.

He said, “There are lots of revenues attached to transportation as the government now seems to have its focus on the sector. Currently, there is an increment so much that what the driver would get at the end of the day is nothing to write home about. Drivers would just be doing the work without any gain in it.”

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has disclosed that 70 per cent of the service’s revenue comes from Lagos State.

According to him, the Lagos State Government are planning new collaboration to enhance the economic growth and prosperity of the entire country.

He said this on Thursday in Lagos during the CGC 2023 Conference with the theme ‘Leveraging Data Analytics for Secure and Efficient Trade Facilitation in Customs operations.’

According to Adeniyi, Lagos houses 40 per cent of the Customs commands in the country.

“Lagos houses 40 per cent of our commands, contributing over 70 per cent of our monthly revenue. It is not just a location on the map; it is a cornerstone for Nigeria Customs Service, symbolising the integral role in the economic narrative of our great nation.

Customs impound 25 vehicles with smuggled goods
“And as we navigate through the agenda of today, we will hope that the synergy of Lagos and Customs inspire us to enhance operations and contribute significantly to the economic prosperity of Nigeria,” Adeniyi said.

The CGC said the service had adapted to the ever-evolving landscape of global trade, beyond its traditional role of safeguarding borders.


“Customs has evolved into a vital catalyst for economic growth and development in this era, characterised by relentless change. Customs has emerged as a paragon of resilience and adaptability, eagerly embracing technology and global best practices to remain at the forefront of its mission and standing at a crossroads of innovation, and tradition,” he added.

Earlier, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had stated that the state would continue to ensure that “it has all the capability and capacity to be resilient, resourceful, and be the beacon that holds the nation together.”

“We are indeed excited with what Lagos and NCS have built. We want to make this place a bigger home for you. We want to make it a nicer environment for you,” he asserted.

dre11:
Ports Authority, Customs, Others’ Budgets Missing From Tinubu Government’s 2024 Budget, BudgIT Laments



https://saharareporters.com/2023/12/14/ports-authority-customs-others-budgets-missing-tinubu-governments-2024-budget-budgit

RushManni:
Don't jur like this falana guy ..... Man is one of the problems of this country - would rather prefer to keep mute at attrocities specially if it's some people than call a spade a spade.

The Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, has appealed to the National Assembly to increase his ministry’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year, saying the N1.57trn allocated to it was not enough to fight the insecurity in the country.
The minister made the call on Wednesday when he appeared before a joint National Assembly Committee on Defence to defend the ministry’s 2024 budget proposal.

Badaru said the rising cost of operations and the increase in the price of diesel and fuel necessitated the call for an increment of the ministry’s allocation



In the 2024 budget, the Ministry of Defence was allocated N1.15trn for personnel; N116.5bn for overhead and N308.2bn for capital, totaling N1.57trn.

But the defence minister said the allocation was not enough to fight insecurity.

“I appeal to the distinguished senators and honourable members to review the ministry’s budget given the prevailing economic situation to enable the ministry to function effectively.

“You are already aware of the inflationary trend and the cost of diesel, petrol, and operational costs. The overhead is very low, and we urge you to support us to see how we can improve our overhead,” he said.


The minister said heads of military units consume large quantities of fuel and diesel to carry out their official duties.

He assured that all funds appropriated in the budget would be judiciously utilised.

“Instead of fighting in one sector, the bandits or insurgents run into another sector, that was the intent of the supplementary budget, and we assure the senators that we will track this expenditure and make sure the monies appropriated will be utilized fully, and we will account appropriately”.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmad Lawan, said there would be no justification for huge budgetary allocation for the ministry if there was no improvement in security across the country.

He said it was paramount to establish how the money allocated to the ministry improved security.

“If you are given N100bn, how has it improved the security situation in the country? It will not augur well to appropriate money without justification,” he stated.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has appointed Fayoade Adegoke as the new Commissioner of Police for the Lagos State Command. The redeployment was contained in a signal signed by the Force Secretary, AIG Olanrewaju Oladimeji.

Adegoke will take over from Mr Idowu Owohunwa, who had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon Ikoyi, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that before his new posting, Adegoke was in charge of armament at the Force headquarters in Abuja.

While serving in that capacity, he was sent for a course at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, where he graduated alongside 96 distinguished Nigerians in the Executive Course 45.

BluntCrazeMan:
Preamble:
During the 2023 campaign period, part of the things which Peter-Obi promised that he would do in order to increase the “productivity” of the government workers was to phase-out the “Monthly Salary” system, and introduce an “Hourly-Pay” system, where the hours of work by the workers are calculated and paid at the end of the agreed periods of payment.

He promised that there would also be flexibility of how the workers chose to be paid...
Either Weekly, Biweekly, or Monthly.

He envisaged that this system would make workers to have control over their works by knowing exactly what they are supposed to do, and do it.. Then they can clock-out at the first job in order to go to the next job where their expertise are also needed and clock-in.

There won't be any fear of paying double salary to anyone who works at more than one place at a time.


Basic “Hourly Pay Rates” are calculated and paid for 8 hours per day.
They are the payments which are taxed by the Government.
(Any other extra hours above the maximum 8-hours are counted separately and paid as overtime, with some additional added percentages to it)

Then, 5 days per week. (That is, the weekdays).
Works that were done on the weekdays are the ones that were taxed by the Government.
(For someone who had worked completely for 5 days in any week, any other extra days above the maximum 5-days are counted separately and paid as overtime, with some additional percentages to it. Nevertheless, if the person didn't work completely for 5 days within the weekdays, and he hoped to cover-up the days of work within the weekend, he doesn't get an overtime on the number of weekend days of work which are below 5 days in a week,, but those works which he did on the weekends would not be taxed)

Then, for those that are paid monthly, Each month consists of 4-weeks..
Thus, actually making it 13-months in a year..
(And not the 12 months we used to know)

..
NOW, TO THE MAIN REASON FOR OPENING THIS THREAD:

The current minimum basic monthly pay in Nigeria is N30,000..
Which translates to N187.50 for each hour of work,, or N1,500 for each day at work, and N7,500 for each week.

The current minimum basic hourly pay rate in the United Kingdom (both for Government Workers and Private Workers) is £10 (ten-pounds)..
Which is about N11,000 in Nigeria - going by the CBN’s official rate for conversion..

I am not advocating for Nigerians to be paid up to N11,000 per hour of work in Nigeria.. To be frank, that amount is too high for the Nigerian economy to carey.. but at-least, something reasonable enough which our economy can actually carry at the moment.

LET US JUST SUGGEST WHAT WE THINK IS FEASIBLE AND OBTAINABLE..

What amount (in Naira) should be the “Minimum Basic Hourly Pay Rate” for the Nigerian Workers,, Both the Workers in the Government Establishments and those in Private Firms, including those who are employed by individual employers.

....
..
My own personal Opinion...
I am suggesting any amount between N1,500 and N2,000... (Per Hour Ooo.. Not Per Day)
It is still too small compared to other countries, but it is actually what the economy can actually sustain for now, and at the same time, bring out the very best outputs in the workers..

(To put it into the contest we can understand:
N1,500 per hour means:
N12,000 per day.
N60,000 per week.
And N240,000 per month..
...
.
N2,000 per hour means:
N16,000 per day.
N80,000 per week.
And N320,000 per month..)


NOW, YOU CAN SUGGEST YOURS...

The country’s external reserves fell by $520.22 in five weeks, figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed.

According to CBN’s data on movement in reserves, the figures which stood at $33.396bn as of October 31, 2023 fell to $33.004bn as of December 7, 2023.

The CBN had earlier revealed that the reserves which commenced January 3, 2023, at $37.07bn fell to $33.237bn as of September 29, 2023.

Speaking recently at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s 58th Annual Bankers’ Dinner and Grand Finale of the Institute’s 60th anniversary in Lagos, the Governor, CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, said, in recent years, the continuous decline in Nigeria’s crude oil production had further weakened the already inadequate economic diversification.

He said, “This has led to a decline in government revenue and foreign exchange inflows, while simultaneously witnessing a growth in public expenditures and a deterioration in macroeconomic indicators, which has constrained our policy options. Consequently, we have seen the fiscal deficit and public debt increase, placing additional strain on external reserves and contributing to exchange rate instability.”

A thorough assessment of the economy revealed significant challenges, including high and rising inflation, inadequate foreign exchange supply, depreciation of the exchange rate, limited external reserves, weakened output, and high unemployment, he said.

CBN says counterfeit notes in circulation as naira scarcity persists
These challenges, he added, had led to increased interest rates, discouraging investments in productive activities.

Within the banking system, he said, high inflation had affected asset quality and solvency ratios.

Additionally, the persistent depreciation of the naira poses a significant risk for domestic banks with foreign exchange exposures, Cardoso said.

However, he added, “The removal of petrol subsidy and the adoption of a floating exchange rate, among other government policies, are anticipated to have positive effects on the economy in the medium-term.

“These measures are expected to enhance investor confidence, attract capital inflows, stimulate domestic investment, and ultimately improve the level of external reserves.”

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday told multinationals operating in Nigeria on Thursday that his administration was determined to remove all bottlenecks to the smooth running of their businesses.

This was as he said no obstacle was too big to be removed to make Nigeria a safe-haven for large-scale investments.

“We are very focused on resolving all investment-related issues. There is no bottleneck that is too difficult for us to remove in our determined march toward making Nigeria the African haven for large-scale investment in all key sectors.

“We need each other,” the President told a visiting delegation of the management of Shell Group led by its Global Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, Ms. Zoe Yujnovich, at the State House, Abuja.


The President’s remarks followed the recent exodus of several multinational companies from the country in the past months.

A PUNCH analysis of separate notices filed by several companies show that at least five multinationals have wound down operations in Nigeria in the last 10 months.

But in a statement signed Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu expressed confidence in the potential for increased investment from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria.


Emphasising Nigeria’s longstanding ties with Shell, which date back to the discovery of the country’s first commercial oil field in 1956, the President assured the Shell delegation of his administration’s commitment to securing and fostering both existing and new investments.

“We have made progress since our last meeting. I will continue to support and encourage you on this path.

“There is no doubt that there is a significant focus on investment in and around the continent. I am spearheading Nigeria’s global march for new investments at home.

“In view of our long-term relationship that has been established over the years, we want you to do more, and we are ready to encourage you in every way possible,” he added.

Shell’s Global Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, Ms. Zoe Yujnovich, on behalf of the Shell Group, affirmed the company’s intent to sustain its investment legacy in Nigeria.

This includes a particular focus on deepwater and gas sector opportunities, with a pledged investment of $1bn over the next decade to enhance the domestic gas value chain and support the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas project.

She announced an upcoming $5bn investment in the Bonga North project, located off Nigeria’s coast, saying it underscores Shell’s commitment to the country’s energy sector.

Ms. Yujnovich expressed eagerness to proceed with this significant venture and noted the series of prospective investments Shell is considering in Nigeria.

Accelerating inflation and the foreign exchange shortage in the country have been having adverse impacts on the businesses of oil marketers, OPEOLUWANI AKINTAYO writes

The country’s high inflation trend and scarcity of foreign exchange are beginning to take a serious toll on the businesses of oil marketers. They claimed that the cost of a truck of Premium Motor Spirit or petrol had risen by 268 per cent, since the government ended the subsidy regime on May 29.

The Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, of Satellite Depot, Akin Akinrinade told The PUNCH that inflation that resulted from the badly managed foreign exchange had pushed one truck of petrol from N7m in May to N25m currently.

“The forex has been badly managed and this has impacted on the landing cost of PMS, and by extension the pump price. The cost of doing business has also gone up astronomically. A truck of petrol that was N7m in May this year is now N25m,” he said.

According to Akinrinade, the downstream business has been unstable as a result of the high cost of products.

“Business is really unpredictable now. Bank lending rate is also very high, contributing to the high cost,” he said.

The PUNCH reported earlier this month that oil marketers were beginning to sell off their filling stations over scarcity of petrol, and their inability to afford products from private depots due to high cost.

Findings showed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had cut down on product supply to IPMAN members due to scarcity, forcing many to sell off their stations to bigger downstream companies.

“If our members say they need about 100 trucks of petrol, what we get from NNPC would be five trucks, and it does not go round. Since NNPC is still the only one importing, they sell at an official price of N556 per litre to DAPPMAN while DAPPMAN sells to us at N616 per litre. When we add transportation and charges, the pump price would be around N630 per litre.

“Who would buy such from us at N630 per litre? And remember that our members have major marketers to contend with. MOMAN sells at lower prices because they get products directly from NNPC. But our members have to buy from DAPPMAN at N616 per litre,” a source close to the matter told The PUNCH.

According to the source, IPMAN members are closing shop because they are running at a loss and cannot afford to buy products from DAPPMAN due to the high cost and lower patronage.

“The product is scarce to get, and even banks are unwilling to give us loans because they do not want their money to be tied down,” the source added.

The National Controller Operations of IPMAN told The PUNCH that members of the association were being sidelined and frustrated out of business.

“Your findings are true because our members are not getting products, and we are beginning to sell our stations because we can’t meet up with high prices of products at private depots. They are frustrating our businesses.

“For instance, the challenge that the satellite depot has was due to vandalism of the pipeline that brings product here. NNPC told us the pipeline had been repaired and that we would get the product but up till today we are yet to get the supply.

“But maybe things will be fine when the refineries finally begin production in December. But as we speak, we are not getting supply from NNPC and we can’t even afford products from DAPPMAN. And once this depot doesn’t get the product, you can be rest assured that the whole of Lagos and South-West will be affected,” he told The PUNCH.

A former Chairman of MOMAN and Chief Executive Officer, 11 Plc, during an interview, told The PUNCH that the removal of fuel subsidies by President Tinubu in May had caused an increase in prices of petrol, and would result in major downstream companies buying over smaller ones.

“Since there is no longer a subsidy, smaller companies would not be able to sustain their businesses, and would be bought over by bigger companies like ours,” he said.

The removal of the petrol subsidy by President Tinubu in May spurred the prices of petrol to skyrocket from N185 per litre to between N585 and N620 in Lagos State and its environs, and N700 and above in the North.

A source in the NNPCL, who anonymously, because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told The PUNCH that the company was not under any obligation to supply products to other marketers since the downstream sector was deregulated.

“Whatever NNPC is doing now is to relieve the sector. The company is not under compulsion to supply the market. Petrol is now deregulated and marketers have been issued with import licences. So, let them go ahead and import. Our own stations have products and we are selling to the public,” the source asserted.

Independent marketers have been unable to import products due to the significant depreciation of the local currency against the dollar and the increase in crude oil prices in the international market.

Brent price started the year at $76.93 per barrel and went up to $96.16 in September, before dipping to $74.29 on Thursday.

The naira has weakened from 460/$ in May to 887.16/$ on Thursday, following the unification of the country’s exchange by the Central Bank of Nigeria in June.

The development comes on the heels of a recent call by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other stakeholders in the oil and gas sector for the development of new energy sources as part of efforts towards the realisation of the United Nation’s zero emission targets by 2050.

The Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, during an oil and gas conference in Lagos, pushed for a reduction in costs of renewable energy production in Nigeria, stating that current high cost might hamper adopting it as the country journeys towards energy transition.

According to Kyari, high production costs would impede the adoption of clean energy in Nigeria.

In his words, “Cost is, therefore, another limitation of renewable energy and the financial barrier. If not addressed, it would impede the adoption of clean energy, especially in this part of the world with very limited economic resources.”

Acknowledging the role of renewables in helping to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change and reduce dependency on finite resources, Kyari added that the technologies of renewables were still struggling with many limitations that were yet to be addressed.

He listed some of the challenges to include the challenge of intermittency, reliability and predictability due to geological constraints and limited control of man and nature.

Kyari added: “While battery storage technology has addressed some of the intermittency challenges of renewable energy, the storage technology itself has challenges.”

He stated that the petroleum industry which had fuelled the progress of mankind for over a century was also confronted with its own inherent challenges and constraints associated with its continued production and usage.

According to Kyari, fossil fuel continues to be a finite resource of energy which means that the world’s reliance on it is unsustainable, bemoaning that the process of extraction and consumption of fossil fuels continue to leave a significant adverse carbon footprint on the environment especially if not done responsibly.

“As explorationists, we play a vital role in shaping the future of the oil industry. It is through your dedication, expertise and relentless pursuit of knowledge that will continue to unlock new frontiers, discover reserves and push the boundaries of what is technologically and economically feasible,” he averred.

While adding his voice to the need for new energy sources, the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote, pointed out that the world stands as a key point where adequate considerations must be made to address the energy dilemma which is achieving an appropriate balance between energy security, sustainability and affordability.

He stated that the role of petroleum explorationists was quite important, pointing out that their discoveries and evaluation were essential in establishing reliability and sustainability of the size of oil and gas reserves as a key component of the energy mix.

He noted, “The oil and gas industry has been a key pillar of global energy as it has powered and continued to power industrial and economic development across the world. I understand that we have about 208 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and about 600 TCF of unproven reserves. I hope we will put some effort into firming up the recoverable volumes on these unproven reserves.”

He stated the need to develop the proven reserves considering that gas was no longer a transition fuel, but a destination fuel.

He stated the call by stakeholders for other forms of energy must ensure that there is sustainable thinking behind any of such energy sources deployed.

On his part, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AMNI, said for Nigeria to grow its economy and to lift millions out of poverty, there must be renewed and intentional focus on repositioning its oil and gas industry to take advantage of the future demand.

He added that Nigeria must strategically diversify its energy portfolio mix to address the challenge of carbon emission while also providing sustainable and affordable energy to grow its economy, advising that investing in gas development projects and renewable sources would pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient energy future

The Managing Director of SNEPCO, Elohor Aiboni, said Nigeria as a country was vulnerable because of its dependency on fossil fuel for economic growth and low oil resource resilience.

She said 50 per cent of projected oil production was at risk in the event of Nigeria’s rapidly growing demography.

“With our population projected to double by 2050, it means that we are going to be creating more demand for the already lean resources we have if we do not do something about it,” she warned.

She stated that Nigeria had a huge energy gap despite its huge reserves, urging the urgent need to close the gap.

The Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria, has raised the exchange rate for cargo clearance from N783/$ to N952/$.

This is coming barely three weeks after the rate was increased from N757/$ to N783/$.

The PUNCH reported in November, that the exchange rate for cargo clearance was raised from N757 per dollar to N783 per dollar, representing a 3.4 per cent increase.

However, our correspondent observed on Thursday that the new rate has reflected on the portal of the Nigeria Customs Service.

post=127347033:

Can you even read at all ?
Education no be scam ooo....

Pandemonium ensued on Tuesday when hoodlums attacked officials of a task team belonging to the Lagos State Government during the road clearance exercise to open up the clogged Tincan Port access roads.

Our correspondent learnt that the task team which comprised the Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Nigeria Ports Authority, and the Nigeria Police, witnessed the brutal attack on the members.

The task team had on Monday embarked on the exercise to open up the inbound section of the Tincan Port access road as part of efforts to ensure free flow of traffic, enhance trade facilitation, and seamless evacuation of cargoes from the port. The team continued the exercise on Tuesday to create and implement a single-lane policy for truck movement to allow access for other road users.

However, our correspondent gathered that five minutes into the commencement of the exercise from Tincan’s second gate, thugs disrupted the operation.

During the incident, a LASTMA official sustained injury and also lost his phone, one of the thugs was arrested and taken to the task force office at Oshodi.

The road clearance team tactically withdrew from the Tincan Port Gate to prevent a total breakdown of law and order and high casualties.

PUNCH Metro gathered that efforts to clear the roads of indiscriminate parking of trucks, tankers, and checkpoints to promote ease of doing business, trade facilitation, and seamless evacuation of cargoes from the Tincan Port corridor had continued to be sabotaged.

Reacting to this, a source close to the team condemned the attack. “The act was unfortunate and I highly condemn it. Because the people who came out to disrupt this exercise are supposed to join hands with us to promote the ease of doing business. But unfortunately, they ended up attacking us. They are supposed to join hands to sanitise the road,” the source said.

Meanwhile, several attempts to get the reaction of the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, or the Director of Publicity, LATSMA, Mr. Adedayo Taofiq, were not fruitful as they didn’t pick up the calls sent to them.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has raised the alarm over online drug sales, describing it as a new dimension in the drug abuse problem in the country.

Delivering a keynote address, titled, ‘Uprise in Drug Abuse, Role of Parents’, at the FIDA Week 2023 celebrations, organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Ilorin on Tuesday, the state commander of the NDLEA, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the menace is a global phenomenon, common among the youth.

He said, “We call it the darknet where drugs are being sold online without the seller and the buyer knowing each other. All they need is contact and they make the call and the substance is delivered. It’s very common here now. What we’ve been doing is to see how to intercept them.

“Especially, the waybill coming from neighbouring states through some commercial vehicles. We’ve intensified our patrol system around the state. We’re gathering intelligence and we’re making very good use of it. We’ve intercepted quite a number of them through control delivery.



“We know as the yuletide period is approaching, a lot of such would be happening. Thank God, the state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is being proactive as he has supported us with the provision of infrastructure to tackle the menace”.

The NDLEA boss, who said that the prevalence of drug use, drug abuse and drug addiction had led to an increasing crime rate in society, added that there is no crime without a drug undertone.

He, thus, suggested some protective factors against the menace such as family harmony and bonding, affection and love for family members, and proactive and positive parenting, while he advised that parents should not be judgemental but ensure effective monitoring of their children, among others.


Also speaking, the state chairperson of FIDA, Gloria Okoduwa, said that phones have taken children away from many parents, adding that family discussion had now been neglected.

She announced plans by the FIDA to take a campaign against drug abuse and its effects to major markets and other public places in the state to drive down the message, saying that many parents have failed the generation with their poor parenting attitude.

“I think this generation is wiser than us. They go all out to explore and parents are rather too busy with careers and businesses. We need to come together and fight the monster that wants to take our children away from us. There are so many youths languishing in rehabilitation centres because of this monster called drugs”.


She encouraged close monitoring of parents on their children, saying that present socioeconomic situations had made parents not have time for their children any longer.

Chairperson of the FIDA Week 2023 committee, Hajia Muinat Adeleye, who is also the zonal legal officer of the NDLEA, Zone I, Oyo state, lamented that drug abuse is rampant in the country.

“Almost every home is affected. Right from primary, and secondary schools and university, drug abuse is the trend. So, as mothers and as lawyers, we have to lend our voices. There’s a campaign against drug abuse all around, but it’s like society is yet to come to terms with how grievous the problem is to society. You hear of alarming rates of kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, terrorism, disrespecting parents, truancy. All are because of the influence of drugs.

“Parents should pay more attention to their children rather than putting all their concentration on their careers and businesses. All parents should come back home because if our future is gone, we may no longer have a future to hold on to”, she said.


She advised parents not to buy phones for under-age children.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said that it is set to begin sensitisation in every part of the state to curb drugs and substance abuse.

The Supervising Commissioner of the Ministry of Youths Development, Hon Usman Yunusa-Lade disclosed on Tuesday in his office during a meeting with officers of the NDLEA in the State.

Lade noted that the collaborative initiative was aimed at kickstarting a comprehensive and far-reaching campaign with robust sensitization programmes designed to tackle the root causes of drug abuse and raise awareness about its detrimental effects in society.

According to him, the strategic meeting between the Kwara State Ministry of Youths Development and the NDLEA is a significant milestone in the concerted effort to combat drug abuse in the State.

“What makes this endeavour particularly commendable is the staunch backing it has received from the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq”, he said.