You are not speaking for the north, Arewa youth tells NEF, Marafa

_…declares total support for Tinubu, Matawalle_

A conglomerate of the northern youth movement has declared its support for the administration of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that his policies and programmes to revamp the economy and fight insecurity in the country are on course.

The group berated the recent utterances of some members of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), describing their outburst as personal and not in the interest of the northern region.

The movement which parades, the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement (ACYM), Northern Youth Association of Nigeria (NYAN), and Congress of Arewa Youth for Peace and Equity (CAYPE) in a press conference jointly addressed by the leaders of the groups also faulted the criticism of the minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle by Sen. Kabiru Marafa.

Recall that Matawalle in his statement titled ‘Tinubu Presidency: Northern Elders Forum, a political burden to the North, they do not speak for the region,’ claimed that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) were “political paperweight” and a burden to the region”.

In his reaction, Marafa countered the minister, stating that it was disrespectful to state that elders of the region who contributed significantly to President Tinubu’s victory were insignificant and burdensome to the nation.

But briefing journalists on Tuesday, April 223, in Abuja, the spokesperson for the three groups, Amb. Kabiru Yusuf threw their weight behind the Minister of State for Defence, describing Marafa as a hypocrite who while trying to support the government of the day is also defending NEF.

They also emphasised that some of the Northern Elders never supported the emergence of President Tinubu.

“As representatives of the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, Northern Youth Association of Nigeria, and Congress of Arewa Youth for Peace and Equity, we unequivocally state that Kabiru Marafa’s tirade targeted at the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Mattawale, in a pretentious bid to defend the Northern Elders Forum and still express support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is at best the worst form of hypocrisy and a struggle between the former senator’s loyalty to the government of the day and its enemies.

“We are utterly disappointed by his comments claiming that Minister Matawalle, by chiding the Northern Elders Forum, was creating enmity between the President and the North. This is nothing but hogwash and a poor interpretation of events by Kabiru Marafa. In fact, it calls to question his basic understanding of the events that transpired, leading to Matawalle’s well-intentioned and well-delivered response to the forum. The forum, in its highhandedness and delusion, claimed that it now regrets supporting President Bola Tinubu’s bid for the office of Nigeria’s president.

“The Forum, in a state of forgetfulness, dipped in self-delusion, forgot that it never supported the APC nor its presidential candidate. It both in private and public gave its support to the opposition PDP candidate. Worse, it has in a bid to assert its prominence claimed to speak for the North. The North, comprising 19 States, has never appointed anyone to speak for it.

“Any gang of old and middle-aged men can gather together and call themselves a Forum of Elders, but that does not in any way make them a Forum for over 140 million people. No one ever appointed the Northern Elders Forum as a middleman to interface between the region and the government of the day,” the coalition added.

The northern group however charged leaders from the region to show appreciation to the present administration by contributing to the development of the region and the country at large.

He said: “Like the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stated in Sokoto State last week, President Bola Ahmed has indeed saddled some Northern individuals with important positions in his administration as a show of gratitude for the region’s contribution to his electoral victory. What the North now owes Mr. President is to ensure that these selected highly elevated Northern individuals continue to work towards the uplifting and development of the region and the country in general.

“We are here to say that the North, led by a majority of sound forward-thinking leaders like Bello Matawalle, stand by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We see his reforms. They are hard pills to swallow, but we know that in due course, there would be results in abundance. We reject the claims of Kabiru Marafa and his hypocritical friends at the Northern Elders Forum. We stand fully with the North and President Tinubu.”

Ogun Agro-Cargo International Airport To Commence Flight Operations Soon-Abiodun


The Ogun State Agro-Cargo International Airport will begin scheduled and non-scheduled flights in the next few weeks; Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known on Tuesday.

Abiodun, was speaking at the 13th Gateway International Trade Fair breakfast meeting with chief executive officers, captains of industry, entrepreneurs, investors and stakeholders alike, held at the Mitros Residences, GRA, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The governor noted that the approval process to get the airport running has reached an advanced stage, with the approval expected in few days' time.

He also disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the Special Agro Processing Zone as a Free Trade Zone.

He said: "Our newly built Gateway International Airport which will soon be commissioned, I believe as a matter of fact, this week, that airport will get an approval to begin to operate non-scheduled flights, meaning that private planes can now fly flights and come to that airport, just like they go to any other airport.

"I believe within the next two weeks or less, we will also get the approval for scheduled flights to begin to operate out of that airport.

"That means you can attend to your business, bring in raw materials by air into the state.

"A neighbouring country has indicated interest, taken a decision that they will not build a cargo airport in their country. They would rather drop all their agro produce from that country to Ogun State and export their produce from our airport.

"That airport is in a Special Agro Processing Zone. That zone has now been approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a Free Trade Zone, so we have another Free Trade Zone."

Abiodun added that his administration would soon be flagging off the Kajola Inland Container Terminal, adding that when fully operational, the terminal would allow investors situated within the state an opportunity to pick up their containers, process their raw materials and also export their goods efficiently.

"We will soon be flagging off the Kajola Inland Container Terminal, called a dry port, and this we are particularly determined to see through because we understand the plight of most of you. What you have to go through by importing your raw materials into Tin Can or Apapa and incurring unnecessary expense in demourages before bringing them by road, struggling through the bottleneck and the traffic out of Lagos.

"On completion, this Kajola Inland terminal dry port will serve your purposes, meaning that you can now ship your goods from anywhere in the world, destined to Kajola and just go to Kajola, pick up your container, process your raw materials and also have the opportunity of exporting efficiently through the same channel," he said.

Governor Abiodun noted that the Lagos State's Red and the Blue Rail Lines would be extended to Ogun State to facilitate the ease of travel of goods, people and services between the two states and the rest of the hinterland.

Speaking on the Agbara-Atan-Lusada road, Governor Abiodun said that his administration is irrevocably committed to the completion of the road, assuring that contractors will soon be fully mobilized back to site.

Abiodun also disclosed that his administration is committed to ensuring the rehabilitation of internal roads within Agbara and is working to partner with the investors in the axis.

He appealed to investors to stop buying land from family members and speculators to avoid paying twice as all the lands in the state belong to the state government.

In his welcome address, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adebola Sofela disclosed that the meeting is meant to forster cordial relationships between the government and the private sector.

He added that the gathering would provide an opportunity to the state government to inform private sector players about the policies of government.

In his remarks, the Zonal Director, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Lawal Hassan noted that the state is fast becoming the first choice for investors because of the conducive business environment made possible by the reforms of Governor Abiodun.

On his part, the Group Managing Director, Flour Mills, Boye Olusanya, noted that improvement in the state's infrastructure has brought manufacturers into the state.

*PRESS CONFERENCE BY AREWA CONSULTATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT, NORTHERN YOUTH ASSOCIATION of NIGERIA, and CONGRESS of AREWA YOUTH for PEACE and EQUITY*

Matawalle Vindicated as NEF Distances Itself from Anti-Tinubu Comment

... Marafa Called Out on Hypocrisy

Good morning, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. It is indeed a great pleasure and pride to have representatives of these three notable Northern youth groups assemble here today to lend our voices to an issue we consider of utmost importance to our region.

As representatives of the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, Northern Youth Association of Nigeria, and Congress of Arewa Youth for Peace and Equity, we unequivocally state that Kabiru Marafa’s tirade targeted at the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Mattawale, in a pretentious bid to defend the Northern Elders Forum and still express support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is at best the worst form of hypocrisy and a struggle between the former senator’s loyalty to the government of the day and its enemies.

We are utterly disappointed by his comments claiming that Minister Matawalle, by chiding the Northern Elders Forum, was creating enmity between the President and the North. This is nothing but hogwash and a poor interpretation of events by Kabiru Marafa. In fact, it calls to question his basic understanding of the events that transpired, leading to Matawalle’s well-intentioned and well delivered response to the forum. The forum, in its highhandedness and delusion, claimed that it now regrets supporting the President Bola Tinubu bid for the office of Nigeria’s president.

The Forum, in a state of forgetfulness, dipped in self-delusion, forgot that it never supported the APC nor its presidential candidate. It both in private and public gave its support to the opposition PDP candidate. Worse, it has in a bid to assert its prominence claimed to speak for the North. The North, comprising 19 States, has never appointed anyone to speak for it. Any gang of old and middle-aged men can gather together and call themselves a Forum of Elders, but that does not in any way make them a Forum for over 140 million people. No one ever appointed the Northern Elders Forum as a middleman to interface between the region and the government of the day.

Having realized the folly in emphasizing their earlier claim while attempting to berate the Minister for standing up to them, the Northern Elders Forum have only just recently released a statement distancing themselves from Abdulazeez Sulaiman, Director of Publicity and Spokesman of the NEF, who had earlier made known the position of the Forum on national TV. They now claim that it was his personal opinion. This, of course, is quite laughable when you consider how the former spokesman of the Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and Senator Marafa quickly jumped out to attack the Honourable Minister for discrediting the position of the Forum.

This so called Forum kept silent when the North faced a multitude of challenges. When the Kaduna — Abuja expressway became a hub for bandits and kidnappers, the Elders Forum was nowhere to be found. They lost their voices. For eight years, the Kaduna - Abuja expressway, a major artery connecting the North to the Southern parts of the country, was under construction. Till date, it is still under construction. These bunch of Elders have never said a word about the tardiness of the construction, the disregard for the North, and its interest. They only find a voice to speak when the politics does not favour one of theirs.

The NEF said nothing when daughters of Northern origin were being taken by rapist kidnappers and terrorists to be sold as slave wives. Our forum of elders kept mute because none of their daughters were involved.

Today, the security challenges that bedevilled most of the North is history. Matawalle, alongside his colleagues, are leading from the front and have put their foot to work to ensure that Northern Nigeria is safer today than it was five years ago. We are not yet at Eldorado, but the strides of the government of the day in terms of security are well-documented. Any Northerner who is being honest would acknowledge these milestones.

When Kabiru Marafa decides to write a Press Statement decrying the boldness of Bello Matawalle to stand against a herd of pretenders claiming to speak for the North, Senator Marafa takes sides with Northern Nigeria’s enemies.

By taking side with the Northern Elders Forum, who inadvertently declared war on the president through that misguided statement, Kabiru Marafa has therefore taken sides against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has further endorsed the outlandish comments by the NEF saying the North has rejected President Tinubu. And by this, Kabiru Marafa is saying that he has rejected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Like the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stated in Sokoto State last week, President Bola Ahmed has indeed saddled some Northern individuals with important positions in his administration as a show of gratitude for the region's contribution to his electoral victory. What the North now owes Mr. President is to ensure that these selected highly elevated Northern individuals continue to work towards the uplifting and development of the region and the country in general.

Finally, we are here to say that the North, led by a majority of sound forward-thinking leaders like Bello Matawalle, stand by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We see his reforms. They are hard pills to swallow, but we know that in due course, there would be results in abundance. We reject the claims of Kabiru Marafa and his hypocritical friends at the Northern Elders Forum. We stand fully with the North and President Tinubu.

Signed:

Amb.Kabiru yusuf
President.
Arewa Consultative Youth Movement


Cmr. Godiya T Adams
President
Northern Youth Association of Nigeria


Amb. Yahaya Garba
Speaker.
Congress of Arewa Youth for Peace and Equity

Office of the Honourable Minister of State for Defence
Federal Republic of Nigeria

PRESS RELEASE

April 22, 2024

MATAWALLE ATTENDS AFRICAN COUNTER-TERRORISM SUMMIT

Today, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, joined His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the opening ceremony of the African Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja.

The summit organized by the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the support of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), brought together high-level stakeholders under the theme, "Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism".

The primary objective of the summit was to bolster multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, emphasizing African-led and African-owned solutions to combat terrorism on the continent.

Dr. Bello Matawalle highlighted the critical importance of collaborative efforts in reshaping the international community’s response to terrorism, particularly within Africa. The summit provided a pivotal platform for evaluating the nature and severity of the terrorist threat across the continent.

Among the distinguished attendees were Ms. Amina Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; and Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, UNOCT. Also present were the Chief of Defence Staff, General C.G Musa OFR, high-level government officials, representatives of international organizations, and members of civil society, among others.

Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON also reaffirmed the Ministry of Defence's unwavering commitment to combating terrorism and expressed gratitude to all participants for their invaluable contributions towards advancing regional cooperation in addressing this critical security challenge.

Signed:

Ahmad Dan-wudil
Personal Assistant on Media
Office of the Honourable Minister of State for Defence
April 22, 2024

Arewa Consultative Youth Movement (ACYM) Commends Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Matawalle MON

Calls on President Tinubu’s Appointees to Emulate Minister

Press Statement

The Arewa Consultative Youth Movement (ACYM) has commended the Honourable Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Matawalle MON., for coming to the defence of the President Bola Tinubu administration, stating that his response to the Northern Elders Forum was an exemplary display of loyalty and passion for the administration and its success.

The group further commended the Honourable Minister for his level-headed response to critics, including the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

“In the face of needless and unwarranted provocation, Dr. Matawalle demonstrated the utmost professionalism and grace, setting a commendable example for leaders across all levels of government. Rather than descending to the level of his provocateur and engaging in a tit-for-tat exchange, he chose the high road by reemphasizing his earlier message.

“At a time when public discourse is often marred by incivility and polarization, Dr. Matawalle's response serves as a reminder of the importance of dignity and respect in political discourse. By refusing to stoop to the level of personal attacks, he upheld the principles of statesmanship and integrity that are essential to effective governance.

“We believe that the Honourable Minister's conduct reflects positively not only on himself but also on the institution he represents and the administration he serves. It reinforces the trust and confidence of the public in our democratic processes and institutions.

“As a political support group, we stand in solidarity with Dr. Bello Matawalle MON, and pledge our continued support for his efforts to serve the interests of the Northern region and the entire country. We urge others in positions of leadership to emulate his example and conduct themselves with the same level of maturity and decorum.”

"In the same vein, we condemn Hakeem Baba-Ahmed for his disrespectful comments and public display of lack of shame. It is indeed true that "home is where the heart is." For the former spokesman of the NEF who is presently a Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters in the office of the vice president, his heart is still at home with NEF, and it is for this reason that we demand that the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima GCON, sanctions Dr. Baba-Ahmed in a manner deserving of his unbridled outburst and disloyalty."

ACYM concludes by calling on President Bola Tinubu's appointees to emulate Dr. Matawalle by being more vocal about their achievements and also defending the government against its critics.

Signed:

Kabir Yusuf
President
Arewa Consultative Youth Movement. (ACYM)

PRESS STATEMENT

PRESIDENT TINUBU'S APPOINTEES FROM THE NORTH MUST TAKE A STAND

Following my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, it has come to my attention that Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who once served as the Spokesperson of the group and currently a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency took to his page on it to express a different position.

Dr. Baba-Ahmed declared that my stand against the unjust attack against the new administration of President Tinubu that is working very hard to reposition our country for better as 'ill-advised'. He suggested I could have done a better job in my defence of the administration where I have the rare honour to serve as a Minister.

Dr. Baba-Ahmed's relationship and or affinity with Northern Elders' Forum is well-known. The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser. Any committed official of the administration has a duty to work for the success of the government he is a part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and undue attack from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity.

It is more important to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owe the government a duty to promote and advance the good work and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.
As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal in our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving. This is not the time to dither and waiver. We must stand up to be counted for the government or take our exit.

Bello Matawalle
Minister of State for Defence

April 15, 2024

Tinubu Presidency: Northern Elders Forum is Political Burden to the North, They do not speak for the region - Bello Matawalle


The Minister of State, Defence, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle has described the utterances of the Northern Elders Forum against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as 'mediocre noise' of people seeking political relevance to overburden the system and create political disunity among Nigerians.

He said the so-called NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey to bring the North to disrepute for the group's personal, selfish gains and political relevance

The minister said: "This NEF is more of a political burden to Northerners. The group is seeking to erode other people's rights in order to be recognised or relevant in the scheme of things despite the failure of their sponsored candidates in the 2023 general elections.

"In asmuchas many have overlooked them in respect of their utterances, it is pertinent to underscore their overbearing attitude on issues that affect political unity and cohesion. They have become more of a burden. They can not offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness.

"We all know President Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the February 2023 presidential election convincingly. So, who is the NEF to want to undermine the president's victory and even threaten to unseat him?

"This same group of people have intentionally shied away from their responsibility of engendering unity in the North by appreciating the incremental development being brought to the North by Ministers appointed by President Tinubu from the North, especially North West. The NEF has not deemed it fit to seek the audience with Mr. President to discuss issues affecting the Northern region despite the numerous challenges facing the North rightly highlighted by the President and being addressed by him.

"The group has also not yet visited any of the affected ministers dealing with issues of security, agriculture, water resources, police affairs, Education,Health, Budget, foreign affairs, or any head of security agencies in the country so far."

Matawalle said the majority of them are more interested in faulting the government so as to be recognised or accorded some relevance.

"Our region, the North, is united, disciplined and politically-driven enough not to listen and accept being teleguided by any group of elites who had fed fat in the past on the North's resources and opportunities and destroyed the region and nation due to their selfishness," he added.

According to him, President Tinubu is poised to do a lot for the North as President of Nigeria, elected by the people of Nigerian, not by one ethnic or the other, therefore, anyone mistakenly seeing President Tinubu as a failure or a weakling is making mistakes.

"Such a person or group is either blind or jaundiced and unable to see the new Nigeria that is emerging.

"Therefore, the NEF's statement allegedly expressing regret for voting for President Tinubu is unfortunate.

"NEF is not more than a group that refused to accept reality and is leaving in illusion.
The truth is the North is proud of its support and vote for President Tinubu and will continue to be proud of her relationship with the President given the enormous change and development his government has brought to the region.

"My advice to NEF and others like the group is to find accommodation in the present government and join hands with President Tinubu in order to further move the country forward."

HE Bello Mohammed Matawalle,
Honourable Minister of State, Defence.

Putting Kwara education Infrastructure in proper perspective

I write to address the recent disinformation triggered by a recent report in the BBC on the Kankan LGEA School in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

I understand that the BBC report was a standalone story, which did not delve into the context of the peculiarity of the Kwara situation as a result of our history. The Honourable Commissioner for Communications Mrs Bola Olukoju has done justice to the story, and it is hoped that the BBC and our other friends in the foreign media are properly guided on the issue and related ones.

One of the biggest issues His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confronted in 2019 is the mismanagement and stealing of education intervention funds during the previous administration.

Upon assuming office in 2019, however, the Governor addressed the mismanagement of funds that led to the official blacklist of the state from accessing UBEC funds for six consecutive years. His Excellency first paid N450m, which was the balance of the 2013 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Matching grant diverted by Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed led administration, and this led to the lifting of the ban on the state.

After paying matching grants of N7.1bn in 2020, Kwara State received a substantial intervention fund totalling 14.2 billion naira, representing 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. This was utilized for the construction, renovation, and remodelling of facilities/structures across 605 schools, including provision of both teachers and students furniture, WASH facilities, and digital literacy centres across all 16 local. government areas. 33 schools were also fenced to prevent land encroachment and provide safety for our children.

Having said this, it is important to clarify that only 605 schools out of a total of about 2,187 basic schools in the state benefited from the interventions. Definitely, there is still more work to be done, and this point has been made several times.

The tangible results of these interventions are evident in the significant improvements witnessed in the infrastructural improvement of our basic schools throughout Kwara State when compared with the pre-2019 era.

These interventions can be seen in all the 193 wards across the 16 LGAs.

Notwithstanding the above, the government remains committed to steadily addressing the outstanding deficits in the sector. In 2023, Governor Abdulrazaq again fulfilled the state's counterpart fund obligation for 2020, amounting to 1.4 billion naira, which was allocated for the construction and remodelling of additional 105 classrooms across the state. More teachers and pupils furniture, with WASH facilities( toilets and motorised boreholes with solar panels), were also provided for our schools.

Furthermore, His Excellency has recently approved the payment of 2021-2023 counterpart funds. The implication of this is that infrastructural upgrades will get to more schools soonest. Kankan LGEA School in Asa LGA and many more schools have been captured.

A Governor who has done this much should deservedly be given his flowers because not only did the administration before him fail to commit funds to the sector, but it, in fact, stole the little grants it received from the Federal Government.

We urge members of the public to continue to support the Governor and his administration as he continues to rewrite the story of basic education for posterity.

Prof. SHEHU Raheem Adaramaja
Executive chairman, KWARA SUBEB
April 8, 2024

HONOURABLE MINISTER OF POWER, ADEBAYO ADELABU, RESPONDS TO JOURNALISTS DURING A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION AT A MINISTERIAL PRESS BRIEFING ORGANIZED BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, MOHAMMED IDRIS, ON FRIDAY, 5TH APRIL 2024.

Question 1:
 
Nigerians are concerned about the country’s power supply. However, some challenges I will mention now might not be within your control since they were inherited. Besides the recent increase in tariffs, Nigerians would like to know the progress of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Nigeria signed with Germany to enhance the country's power supply. There was a lot of optimism when this agreement was signed.
 
HM Power’s response:

In 2018, the Nigerian government signed a memorandum of understanding with the German government for the presidential power initiatives, also known as the Siemens contracts. The German government agreed to lend Nigeria $2.3 billion and employ Siemens to transform Nigeria's transmission and distribution sector. However, due to COVID-19, significant progress has yet to be made in implementingthese projects. Unfortunately, the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, the foremost champion of the project, passed away. After that, an election occurred, and a new government took over.

Between 2018 and 2023, there were no significant developments concerning the agreements. The project was supposed to proceed in two phases, but the pilot phase only progressed significantly once a new government emerged. In November 2023, during the visit of the German Chancellor to Nigeria, one of the issues discussed was the need to continue with the project. Recently, there was an African Business Summit in Germany, which was attended by the President, and I was privileged to accompany him to the summit. During the summit, we had extensive conversations with our German counterparts regarding a project, and we were both convinced that it would benefit both countries to proceed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We agreed to sign an acceleration agreement to kick-start the project again.

In December 2023, at COP 28 in Dubai, an affiliation agreement was signed between the federal government, the German government, Siemens Energy, and FGN Power Company Limited. Following this, we commenced the project analysis, and I am pleased to inform you that we are almost through with the project’s pilot phase. The pilot phase involved the offshore importation of ten power transformers and ten mobile substations to be used as a Proof of Concept (POC) for these projects. All these items have arrived in the country.

I can confirm that we have installed and commissioned five out of the ten transformers. I oversaw the installation of these power transformers at various locations across the country. We have also installed three out of ten mobile substations, with seven more to go. Once we finish installing them, we will commission and energize them. At that point, Nigerians will begin to see the impact of this project.
So, we are fully convinced that with the success recorded as the pilot phase of this project, we are moving forward unperturbed on the remaining phases of these projects. The phases include transforming our transmission segment or network by expanding the transmission capacity and strengthening the transmission to avoid the current fragility that leads to persistent grid collapse. This will involve upgrading existing power transmission substations—about fourteen of them. It is going to involve the establishment of new transmission substations, about 22 of them. It’s going to involve the installation of new transmission power lines, the reconducting of some lines, and the conduct of some existing power lines, totaling almost 14,000 kilometers as the transmission segments. The same thing applies to the distribution segments, whereby our existing injection substations will be enhanced in the distribution companies (DISCOS). There will be replacements and upgrades of 33KV and 11KV transformers, numbering about 6000 transformers.We will also reconduct and install new lines, totaling almost 22,000 kilometers of lines.

So, I believe that once we are done with this first phase of the presidential power initiatives, called Siemens projects, Nigerians will start seeing improvements in the strength of the national grid and the efficiency and effectiveness of the distribution companies. We are on top of it, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is exceptionally committed to seeing these projects come to reality.

Question 2 
 
The other issue that continues to bedevil the electricity system is, you know, that Zungeru power plant was commissioned a few weeks ago but needs to be connected to the national grid. How would the government spend a tremendous amount of money to establish that plant if there was no provision to connect it to the national grid? Was it an omission or an oversight?
 
HM Power’s response:

Let me correct this misinformation: the Zungeru hydroelectric power plant is complete, the concession process is complete, the payments by the concessionaire have been made, and the official handing over of this plant has been done to the concessionaire, which is Mainstream Energy Limited, who are the current operators of Kainji and Jabba hydroelectric power plants. The stage we are now in is technical handing over by the Chinese consultants that built the Zungeru hydroelectric power plant to the concessionaire because there is a one-year defect liability where these contractors need to be on the project site to ensure that whatever problem that occurs within one year, they can fix it.

They are working earnestly with the concessionaire and the Ministry of Power, together with the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPP), to ensure that we conclude the technical handover of the plant. I can tell you that the testing stage started yesterday, that the power generation at the plant started yesterday, and that it would last about one or two weeks, after which total production will start. And I can tell you with good authority that the Zungeru power plant can evacuate power from the national grid. Therefore, it is complete disinformation to say it is not connected to the national grid.

Question 3

Some of the power plants continue to collect money from the federal government. Still, not a single kilowatt of power is taken by Nigerians on what you call "take it or leave it," which is provided for as a clause in the power sales agreement. Why should we allow an electricity-generating company to earn money only because it owns power plants? Whether Nigeria uses or does not use energy from the plants, the federal government is mandated to pay. Why should we allow that?
 
HM Power’s response:

On the take-or-leave-it agreements that the federal government signed with some power plants, there are no power plants that collect money from governments without generating power. Nobody will allow that.

Rest assured, not in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's transparent administration.

Question 4
 
I'm wondering why it is difficult for the government to be in charge of the generation, distribution, and transmission of energy to protect the masses. It is evident that privatisation still is not working. So, if we keep leaving these in the hands of investors, the masses are at the receiving end. Don't you think the government should, at this point, take charge of generation, distribution, and transmission?
 
HM Power’s response:

We all know the shortcomings of the privatisation process. Indeed, it has yet to achieve all these intended purposes. But I can tell you, to a large extent, that privatisation is the way to go. We carried or implemented it; it may be a problem, but it is not beyond revival. We can take steps to compel private sector operators to perform.

The kind of investor funding required in the power sector is enormous; the government alone cannot provide the funds for investment in generation, transmission, and distribution.
Secondly, the government should refrain from running businesses. So, it was right to privatize some sections of the power sector value chain, and the efficiency and effectiveness depend on the execution of this privatisation, which is what this government is working on. We have to correct all the deficiencies.

The power sector is so unique that every segment is unique. If you pick generation, it is jointly owned; there are three types of ownership. Some power plants are 100% privately owned. Egeregu, Sapele, Azura, and Omotosho power plants are there. Some other sets are owned by the federal government but concessionaired to the private operator; that's our hydropower plants, Kainji, Jebba, Zungeru, Dadin Kowa, and Shiroro, which are owned by the federally run private sector on concession bases.

The third group is government thermal gas plants, which are the ones built under the Nigeria Integrated Power Project (NIPP), and which are all owned by Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC). They are all government businesses, but let me tell you, if you compare NIPP plants today with any of the privately owned ones, they are better off.

We must look for a solution in the private sector's hands. Still,the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission as regulator will ensure that they not only perform optimally but also have the interests of the masses at heart. That's why the government cannot liberalise the power sector today; we cannot leave it because of the centrality and criticality of the power sector to individual households, businesses, commercial institutions, and industries. So, we will make the best of the dire situation. That's what we are trying to do.

Question 5

You talked about capacity and established the capacity of those in this 15% Band A category. Let me speak from personal experience now. On my streets in Kado Estate, Abuja, most of those who live there are retirees, and this estate falls under this Band-A category. Now, the question is, is it rational to put Kado Estate in the same cadre as the people in the Asokoro and Maitama areas? Let's look at it. I mean, it's a very sensitive issue. I would have expected the federal government to start in those highbrow areas and say, Okay, we are heaping the responsibilities of the gains that Nigerians will benefit from on these people rather than spreading them across. It is just a privilege to be in that place. Not that there's any money there.
 
HM Power’s response:

We have to manage our consumption efficiently; that's efficient power consumption management. So, I implore us to be prudent in consuming electricity. It is no longer cheap for Band A; we implore them to immediately report to NERC if the service is less than 20 hours of electricity.

Nigeria to Almost Triple Energy Prices, Keep Subsidy for Poor - Bloomberg

Nigeria plans to almost triple energy prices within weeks, people in the presidency with knowledge of the matter said, in a bid to attract new investment and slash about $2.3 billion spent to cap tariffs.

Power companies will be allowed to raise prices to 200 naira ($0.15) per kilowatt-hour from 68 naira for urban consumers this month, according to people who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak on the matter. These customers represent 15% of the population that the government says consume 40% of the nation’s electricity, the people said.

Nigeria’s economy has been hobbled by the lack of power supply while an increasing subsidy burden has weighed on government finances, diverting capital from building roads and spending on health care. With the latest move, President Bola Tinubu wants to cut down on price distortions, which haven’t ended despite breaking the state-owned power firm into 11 distribution companies and six generation firms and selling them to investors.


“The regulator will make any pronouncements based on its discussion with the distribution and generating companies. The presidency cannot say anything at this stage,” Bayo Onanuga, a spokesman for the presidency said, adding that the “electricity sector is hurting.”

The move to raise the tariff follows pressure from Nigeria’s debt-burdened electricity distribution companies that want to charge a cost-reflective price to improve their finances, the people said.

While the country privatized generation and distribution in 2013, tariffs are set by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, a government-controlled body. Power firms aren’t allowed to charge enough to recover the cost of distributing electricity, with the government paying the difference as a subsidy to companies in the sector.

The government has in the past said that electricity companies are short of an estimated 2 trillion naira in capital and need new investors to revive the industry.

Nigeria Says Power Firms Are Short of $2.5 Billion of Capital
Nigeria Unplugs From Dirty Generators in Sudden Solar Gamble
The move will also help reduce government spending as it will now only subsidize the poor in rural areas. The intervention gulped around 120 billion naira monthly, before authorities devalued the currency at the end of January.

Last month, the International Monetary Fund warned that the capping of fuel pump prices and electricity tariffs below cost recovery could have a fiscal cost of as much as 3% of Nigeria’s gross domestic product in 2024.

Nigeria suffers from power blackouts as its more than 200 million people rely on grid electricity of less than 4,000 megawatts from an installed capacity of 13,000 megawatts despite an abundance of gas and hydro capabilities. In contrast, South Africa — with a population that’s almost a third the size of Nigeria’s — has about 52,000 megawatts of capacity.

On Monday, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority increased the price of natural gas which is used to generate more than 70% of electricity in Nigeria. Power companies will now have to pay $2.42 per one million British thermal units from the previous rate of $2.18 MMBtu.

In his new year’s speech, Tinubu promised to fix the power supply that has been bedeviled by patchy revenue collection and a dilapidated national grid that has left most residents to produce their own electricity using noisy generators.

Both increases will likely weigh on an already constrained consumer and hamper the central bank’s efforts to rein in inflation in the West African country, where about 40% of the population live in extreme poverty. The monetary policy committee has raised its benchmark interest rate by 1,325 basis points since May 2022 to a record 24.75%%. Price-growth accelerated to a near 28-year high of 31.7% in March.

Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Women Campaign Council bemoans neglect
......seeks audience with Mr. President to redress imbalances

The Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Women Campaign Council on Friday bemoaned the abandonment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards the team adding that, it is insensitive to dampened moral of women folks in future elections with such disposition.

The campaign team which was led by the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari and co-chaired by the First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu and the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Nana Shettima however seek audience with President Tinubu in view to address the imbalance saying, a closed mouth is a closed destiny.

A statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja, reads that the President reward system has been hugely unfair and indifferent to the women, considering the sacrifices before, during and after the victory of the All Progressive Congress, APC and President Tinubu in the poll.

The Statement noted that President Tinubu is known for rewarding loyalty, “we believe our listening President will retrace this steps and do the needful for the good of these women who stood firm even when the storms were so scary. Other campaign groups, like PCC, ICC and so on have been consolidated, of recent was the Iftar fast breaking meetings with Mr. President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, but the Women Campaign Council was left out, this is totally unjust.

“We are party faithful and loyalists, we are mothers and we are always passionate about the wellbeing of our family, the APC. We have worked and it is worrisome and disappointing that we are still by the door, waiting in harness to be rewarded. However, the reality we face post-victory is one of neglect, poverty, and disillusionment. The promised rewards and recognition seem elusive, and we are left feeling neglected and marginalized.

“We deserve to be appointed into ministries, departments, and agencies, we are qualify and competent. Mr. President Sir, save us from the disgrace and dishonour this delay is melting on our personalities everyday. We are tired of answering the infamy “used and dump” slogan by the people in the opposition.

“The recent lopsided appointment style has further exacerbated our concerns. It is disheartening to witness a reward system that overlooks the invaluable contributions of women in our party. This insensitivity dampens the morale of women across the nation and raises doubts about future participation in electoral processes. We often feel embarrassed when supporters of other political parties, out of genuine concern, or outright mockery, ask us of our gains for our support for President Tinubu but our unwavering support and love remain unshaken”, the Statement lamented.

In creating a fora to air their grievances, the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Women Campaign Council WCC, urged President Tinubu to place urgency into the matter, and also be magnanimous in handling party affairs as the National leader of the APC to guarantee inclusiveness.

Gov AbdulRazaq commiserates with CJ Adebara over father’s death

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq sends his profound condolences to the Chief Judge of Kwara State Justice Abiodun Ayodele Adebara and the people of Shao on the death of the CJ’s father, Pa Adebara Adio Durodoye Dogo.

Pa Adebara, 98, commanded the respect of all in Shao and environs for his industry, leadership, and huge contributions to the development of his community as a foremost businessman who founded the popular Abulesowo Amuludun Sand Association, according to the Governor.

Governor AbdulRazaq says the late businessman left salutary legacies in the sand of times, as can be seen in the quality of his children and his impacts on the people.

On behalf of the government and the people of Kwara State, the Governor sends his condolences to the Shao community, the Ajakitipa chieftaincy family, and to the immediate and extended families of the patriarch.

He asks God to repose the soul of Pa Adebara and to give fortitude to the illustrious family he left behind.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
April 3, 2024

Examining Mustapha Habib Ahmed’s Scorecard at NEMA

In a landscape where public service often seems thankless, Mustapha Habib Ahmed's tenure as the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) stands out as a beacon of exemplary leadership and performance.

Appointed in May 2021, Ahmed brought to NEMA not just credentials but a vision for excellence. His recent handover to Mrs. Zubaidah Umar on March 20, 2024, showcased his commitment to proper and precise governance, even in transition.

Ahmed's journey from a multi-lingual business administration graduate to a successful businessman and astute politician underscored his versatility and acumen. His stewardship at NEMA was marked by transformative initiatives and tangible results.

Under Ahmed's leadership, NEMA became a hub of coordination, collaboration, capacity building, and communication. From deploying modern communication systems to forging partnerships with international agencies,s Ahmed left no stone unturned in bolstering disaster management capabilities.

One of his notable achievements was the completion of NEMA's state-of-the-art disaster management facility, equipped with cutting-edge amenities and infrastructure. This facility not only symbolized progress but also enhanced Nigeria's preparedness for emergencies.

Ahmed's emphasis on capacity building extended beyond NEMA's walls, with training programs benefiting diverse stakeholders, from doctors to community volunteers. His commitment to knowledge sharing exemplified his dedication to empowering others.

Communication was another cornerstone of Ahmed's tenure. Through vibrant online platforms and proactive dissemination of information, he ensured transparency and accountability, crucial in fostering public trust.

As we reflect on Ahmed's tenure, let us not only celebrate his achievements but also uphold his standard of excellence in public service. His example reminds us that true leadership lies in service to others.


#NEMA #leadership #excellence #publicservice #mustaphahabibahmed #disastermanagement

The federal government has said it is working on fixing the main issues in the power sector to come up with a long-term solution.

Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu made this statement while speaking with the press following a gathering with various All Progressives Congress (APC) members at the Oyo State party headquarters in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that the government of President Bola Tinubu is ready and determined to change the face of things in the power sector, to change the game in the power sector. This is why we are addressing the root cause of the power sector problems.

“We are addressing all the problems associated with all the segments of the power sector value chain – from gas supply to generation, to transmission, to distribution and to the customers themselves. There are a lot of things that we are doing that Nigerians will soon start seeing.

“Yes, there are pockets of improvements here and there, but that is not where we are going. We are still going to Eldorado whereby every Nigerian will be able to enjoy adequate, stable, functional and reliable power supply.”

“But let me tell you that it is a journey and not a destination. We will start seeing this improvement as we are seeing now to improve. This is because when you are repairing, you will still suffer some damages, you will still suffer some pains.

“When they were repairing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for 10 years, people were having traffic jam and getting held up in serious traffic until they finished the road.

“So, while we are repairing, people must help us to bear the little pains that will come with it. But at the end of the day, we will make gains. For you to make an omelet, you must break eggs. This is the period of breaking the eggs. Very soon, we will start eating our omelet.

“I am determined to solve the problems in the power sector and Nigerians will start singing our good songs very soon,”

Adelabu salutes President Tinubu on 72nd birthday

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, OFR has felicitated with the President/Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 72th birthday.

Adelabu who sent his heartfelt congratulations to the president in a goodwill message issued by his spokesman, Bolaji Tunji, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a statesman and political icon the Country needs at this period in its history.

Adelabu recalled the contributions of the President in the democratic journey of the nation. “Having been a major actor in the enthronement of the democracy that the country is enjoying today, the confidence reposed in him with the presidential mandate is well placed”.

The Minister extolled the virtues of President Tinubu as a committed democrat, a visionary leader and lover of Nigeria and Nigerians, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

“Ever before becoming the president, he had always been known as a detribalised Nigerian and promoter of national unity, cultural preservation and bridge-builder. The mantle of leadership on him is not misplaced”.

Adelabu said with President Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria is on the right path to economic recovery which is aptly encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda of the administration.

"May Almighty God continue to strengthen you in the meritorious service to the people of Nigeria and the African continent and by extension, the whole world.

NIN-SIM linkage: NCC insists on axing non-compliant subscribers today

LAGOS — Barring any last-minute change of mind, all subscribers with four lines and above whose SIM registration data failed to match their National Identity Number, NIN, data, will be barred today.

This is as the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has confirmed that it would not be reviewing its deadline to bar them today.

A reliable source from the commission revealed that the Commission’s position was premised on its objective to clean the country’s SIM ownership database and ensure that criminals do not take advantage of having multiple unlinked SIMs to carry out their nefarious activities.

The source said the commission’s management decided at a crucial meeting it held yesterday to review requests from the telcos for an extension of the verification of NINs submitted.

The source also stated that the Commission is mulling the idea of approving an online application solution for MNOs where their subscribers whose NIN verification failed due to biometric mismatch can update their records on the app while existing subscribers can register additional lines

The source said: “We are not standing back on our decision. March 29th is sacrosanct. Our resolve is hinged on the need to close in on the chaos of untoward ownership of multiple SIM cards with unverified NIN details.

‘’We have instances where a single individual has over 10,000 lines linked to his NIN. In some cases, we have seen a single person with 1,000 lines, some 3,000 plus lines. What are they doing with these lines?

“From our interim findings, the owners of these lines did not purchase them for decent purposes or to undertake legitimate activities.

“We have given them enough time to make the decision of which of their lines they want to keep and discard the others. They did not. All lines in this category with unverified NINs will be barred. They will be then expected to go to their operators and decide which of the lines they want to keep, as well as submit correct NIN details.

“Some people would say they want to use it for car trackers, or IoTs, but provision has been made for these services already. They are not under the ‘Max-4 Rule.’

“Across the world, no country allows you to have 1,000 SIM cards to make calls or texts.”

The Max-4 Rule announced by the Federal Government in April 2021 provides that telecom subscribers cannot have more than four lines per mobile network operator.

The NCC has also provided Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) an extension till July 31st 2024 within which they are expected to verify all NINs submitted by subscribers with four (4) or fewer SIMs, as well as bar those whose NIN fail verification with NIMC.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/03/nin-sim-linkage-ncc-insists-on-axing-non-compliant-subscribers-today/

Sen. Raji Rasaki congratulates emergence of Oguntuase as APC leader

Former Lagos State First Lady, Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki has lauded the emergence of Chief Remi Oguntuase as the leader of the All Progressive Congress APC, Ado Ekiti chapter.

This is contained in a congratulatory letter issued and signed by Sen. Rasaki in Abuja on Wednesday.

She said Oguntuase is known for his patriotism, hardwork and contributions towards the growth of our dear party, APC through substantial grassroots engagement which has been fruitful over the years.

Sen. Rasaki , who noted that the emergence as the leader of the APC, Ado Ekiti Local Government Chapter was well deserved, said the entrepreneur cum politician of note is a pride to Ekiti State particularly the aspiring politicians of the nation.

The former Lagos State First Lady and Legislator submitted that Oguntuase’s spirits of resilience and determination to succeed amidst challenges earned him the prestigious position urging him not to relent in his sterling contribution to nation building.

Sen. Rasaki urged the new leadership to operate with the goal of bringing all parties together for the good of the APC in Ado and also across the State, “It is only by working together that we can achieve the goals we have set out for ourselves. This new era under Chief Oguntuase must eschew discrimination and division which will serve no purpose but to hinder progress and create conflict.

“I urge you to lead by example, and to promote a culture of unity and cooperation within the party. This is the only way to ensure a bright future for us all and put Ado Ekiti local government in a strategic position of polity and progress. She advised.

While pledging her unalloyed partnership and support with the new leader in Ado APC, Sen. Rasaki commended Chief Oguntuase for his unwavering commitment to the government of the day and urged him to put in more effort in sustaining the tempo of good governance across board.

Akpabio Raises Nigeria's Voice at IPU

By Ola Awoniyi

The President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, attended the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for the first time in October last year as head of Nigeria's delegation. The session was held in Luanda, the capital city of Angola. At the event, Akpabio was elected member of the Executive Committee of the influential global organization.

His election was a triumph in international diplomacy for Nigeria. The last time that Africa's largest democracy enjoyed such privilege was 60 years ago, in1964 when Nwafor Orizu was Nigeria's Senate President.

Since he became a member of the IPU Executive Committee, Akpabio has played his part with distinction. He has become a marketer extraordinaire for his country, enthusiastically and deftly flying the flag of Nigeria in the global arena.

Akpabio has used his position to project Nigeria's voice and image at every opportunity. One of such opportunities is the ongoing Assembly of IPU.

On Friday 22nd March, 2024, Akpabio boarded a commercial flight out of Abuja, as the head of the Nigerian delegation again, to the 148th Assembly of IPU in Geneva, Switzerland. In the delegation are the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim among others.

During one of the sessions, Akpabio spoke passionately on the tragic war in Gaza. Through his thought-provoking intervention that day, Nigeria strongly registered her presence at the summit and demonstrated compassion for humanity.

Akpabio stressed before the august gathering that the most urgent issue in Gaza is that innocent lives are needlessly being wasted daily. That defenceless children and women are caught in the cross-fire of belligerency.

"Madam President, this is a lone voice from Nigeria," Akpabio began his intervention in one of the sessions. He spoke with candour and passion. He started by reminding the IPU President of an earlier failed attempt at the Luanda summit, in Angola, to make the Assembly lend a collective voice against the ongoing tragedy in Gaza.

"Today, the world is very expectant. We must drop ego. It has nothing to do with which country brings a proposal. The basic tenets of humanity demands that we leave here with resolutions for the rest of the world to show that we have humane feelings in us," Akpabio said.

For emphasis, Akpabio drew the attention of his fellow participants to the collateral damages being recorded in Gaza: "We have children who are dying even as we are talking now. We have people who cannot find water to drink even as we are talking now. We have those who are going to suffer from infections due to gunshots. We have to show the world that we are human beings."

From this preamble, Akpabio laid the basis for Nigeria's expectations from the Geneva summit. Without mincing words, Akpabio said: "Cessation of hostilities must be part of our resolutions. Access to humanitarian aids must be part of our resolutions. At the same time, release of hostages. We can no longer allow a child to die tonight without lending a voice...We must discuss the Gaza issue in this 148th IPU Assembly. That is my position."

Earlier in a comprehensive address, Akpabio spoke on "Parliamentary Diplomacy: Building Bridges for Peace and Understanding." He touched on what Parliamentary Diplomacy could achieve in conflict resolution and in the quest for world peace and stability. In particular, he spoke of the importance of a collective voice: "Let us, as we gather at this critical juncture in history, recognize the power of our collective voice in shaping a better future for all.

"We stand at a pivotal moment in history, an intersection where the choices we make and the words that we speak have the potential to positively shape the future of a world in constant crisis. Therefore, we lend the voice of our country to the patriotic call for collective action to address the challenges facing our wonderful world.

"Let us advert our minds to Martin Luther King, Jr’s admonition that 'all mankind is tied together; all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of identity. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.' This is why we are here.

"We must walk together, hand-in-hand even if we do not see eye-to-eye, in our march to reshape our world. We must remember that we are the eyes, the ears, the hands and the minds of our people and we embody their hope for a brighter, more equitable future for this blessed world of ours. This, very distinguished ladies and gentlemen, is the legacy we owe the world."

Akpabio also seized the rare occasion to engage in aggressive marketing of his country Nigeria, by sharing with them the progress and initiatives of the Nigerian Parliament.

"In Nigeria, our Parliament plays a crucial role in curbing polarization and ensuring peace and progress through legislation. One notable legislative milestone in Nigeria was the passage of the “Not Too Young to Run” Bill in 2018, which aimed to widen the horizon for youth and women to actively participate in governance.

"The achievements of the Nigerian Parliament in upholding international commitments, promoting peace-building, and holding the government accountable deserve commendation. We call for more progress in parliamentary diplomacy and increase in our peace-building capacity, not only in Nigeria but across all sovereign states," Akpabio told his audience.

IPU, the global organization of national parliaments, was formed in1889 and has become a veritable platform for projecting one's country because of what the body stands for: promoting peace through parliamentary democracy and dialogue. Its membership spread of about 180 countries and still counting, out of the 193 countries in the world makes it a big platform for a country to showcase herself.

***Awoniyi, media aide to Senate President, writes from Abuja

Office of the Honourable Minister of State for Defence
FCT - Abuja

PRESS RELEASE

"OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE LASTING PEACE AND STABILITY IN NIGERIA," MATAWALLE TELLS JOINT TASK FORCE COMMANDERS

Date: March 26, 2024

The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, today, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, attended the Chief of Defence Staff Joint Task Force Commanders Conference 2024. The event, scheduled to commence on the 26th and conclude on the 28th of March 2024 at the DHQ Conference Room, brought together key stakeholders to reflect on past achievements and strategize for future endeavors under the theme "Consolidating Operational Successes across all Theatres of Operations."

In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, who was the Special Guest of Honour, highlighted the significance of the conference as a platform to acknowledge the remarkable progress made in safeguarding the nation's interests while also acknowledging the need to learn from past challenges.

He stated: "This gathering serves as an opportunity to note significant strides we have made in safeguarding the lives and properties of our citizens as well as reflecting on lessons learnt from errors made in our various theatres of operations."

Emphasizing the importance of jointness in military operations, the Minister reiterated the necessity for a cohesive and integrated approach to address the evolving security landscape. He stressed that: "The constantly revolving dynamics of the security challenges we are facing require corresponding strategies that incorporate a holistic and integrated approach to warfare where synergy among our services is paramount."

Acknowledging the pivotal role of local communities in the fight against insurgency and criminality, Matawalle underscored the need for establishing trust and cooperation with the civilian population. He affirmed that: "The locals are not merely bystanders in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality; they are one of the most valuable allies. Thus, we must show them that we are here to protect them."

Furthermore, the Minister reaffirmed the commitment of the administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians. He remarked, "At this juncture, I would like to reemphasize the commitment of this administration led by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to permanently secure the safety and property of all Nigerians."

In conclusion, the Honourable Minister unveiled the book Complexity Military Operation: Operation Hadin Kai in Perspectives written by Major General Edward S. Buba and also urged participants to approach the conference with an open mind and a resolute determination to prioritize the safety and well-being of citizens.

The Joint Task Force Commanders Conference 2024 serves as a pivotal platform for fostering collaboration, sharing insights, and devising innovative strategies to address prevailing security challenges and consolidate operational successes across all theatres of operations.

Ahmad Dan-wudil
Personal Assistant (Media) to the Minister of State for Defence
March 26, 2024

Hon. Fayinka Extols Late Oba Mufutau Hamzat…Welcomes Deputy Governor Hamzat To Mushin

Hon. Oluwatoyin Moses Fayinka, member representing Mushin Federal Constituency II, has extolled the life and times of Late Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, the Olu of Afowowa in Ogun State.

At the annual Ramadan Lecture/Iftar and Special Prayer in remembrance of the Late Oba, Hon. Fayinka described him as a father and elder statesman who mentored generation of people in different fields of human endeavours until his death.

According to him, the late Oba Hamzat gave him the platform to reach his goal and mentored him to be who and what he is today.

“Late Oba Hamzat was indeed a committed man of faith,” Hon. Fayinka added.

In his remarks, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat applauded Hon. Fayinka for his consistency in hosting the annual Iftar/Ramadan lecture in remembrance of his father.

The Deputy Governor, while speaking on the moments he shared with his late father, said “he impacted positively on many lives till his death.” He added that the late Oba Hamzat was at the fore-front of progressive politics in Nigeria and Lagos in particular.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Hamzat urged the citizens to use this holy month of Ramadan to pray for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other elected leaders to lead the country in the right direction.

At the event were Senator Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon, Hon. Adéyemí Alli, member representing Mushin Federal Constituency I; Hon. Emmanuel Bamigboye, Chairman Mushin Local Government; Hon. Rasaq Ajala, Chairman Odi Olowo Ojuwoye LCDA; Hon. Nureni Akinsanya Osmak, Hon. Kazeem Yinka Esho, members representing Mushin Constituency I and II respectively.

Breaking News….FG Files Tax Evasion Charges Against Binance

In a decisive move aimed at upholding fiscal responsibility and safeguarding the economic integrity of the country, the Federal Government has initiated criminal proceedings against Binance, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange platform.

The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, were announced on Monday by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The lawsuit, designated as suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, implicates Binance with a four-count tax evasion accusation.

Joined with the crypto company as second and third defendants in the suit are Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, both senior executives of Binance currently under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges levied against Binance include non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT), Company Income Tax, failure to file tax returns, and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform.

In the suit, the Federal Government also accused Binance of failure to register with FIRS for tax purposes and contravening existing tax regulations within the country.

One of the counts in the lawsuit pertains to Binance's alleged failure to collect and remit various categories of taxes to the federation as stipulated by Section 40 of the FIRS Establishment Act 2007 as amended.

Section 40 of the Act explicitly addresses the non-deduction and non-remittance of taxes, prescribing penalties and potential imprisonment for defaulting entities.

The charges further detail specific instances where Binance purportedly violated tax laws, such as failing to issue invoices for VAT purposes, thus obstructing the determination and payment of taxes by subscribers.

“Any company that transacts business in excess of N25 million annually is deemed by the Finance Act to be present in Nigeria.

“According to this rule, Binance falls into that category. So, it has to pay taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT) and also collect and pay Value Added Tax (VAT).

“But Binance did not do this properly. So, the company broke Nigerian laws and could be investigated and taken to court for this infraction,” Adekanmbi said.

The Federal Government remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring compliance with tax regulations and combating financial impropriety within the cryptocurrency sector.

FIRS, by the law setting it up and various others, is empowered to assess, collect and account for revenue accruing to the Federation and administer relevant tax laws.

Binance pleaded guilty to flouting anti-money laundering laws in the United States in late 2023, settling for a plea bargain that cost the company $4.3billion.

Adelabu inspects Sokoto IPP, Goronyo Dam...commends Sokoto Government on 38 megawatts power plant
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Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has urged State governments in the country to key into the vision behind the electricity act 2023 signed into law by President Bola Tinubu adding that this is the only way Nigeria can achieve economic growth and ensure development in the country.

The Minister spoke on Thursday during a one-day working visit to Sokoto State, where he visited the recently completed 38 megawatts Independent Power Plant built by the State government and the Goronyo Dam, one of the dams being considered for power generation.

Adelabu said the 2023 Electricity Act has opened up opportunity for sub national governments to invest in the electricity value chain. He expressed happiness on the initiative by the Sokoto State government and promised to ensure the take off of the plant within the shortest possible time.

“I am happy to witness this kind of thing, an independent power plant project funded by the state govt. I am impressed. I am also happy that Sokoto state government is fast queuing keying into the renewed hope agenda of Mr President of giving good life to Nigerian citizens. Good life in all ramification. In education, in health support, in social infrastructure and power. We know power is critical to the performance of any other sector.

For the government of Sokoto state to have taken the pain to cross the hurdle, financial and other wise to fund this kind of investment is commendable and I want to use Sokoto as a point of contact for other State governments.

According to Adelabu, Sokoto is already taking advantage of the Electricity act of 2023 that is allowing sub national governments to invest in the power sector value chain. “Other state governments should emulate Sokoto state. We can have functional, reliable, uninterrupted, affordable electricity supply for every Nigerian citizen, it is possible. And I am happy that Sokoto state government is making our dream a reality. I want to thank the Governor for this investment. It must not fail. I am promising you. We must get the dividends of this investment. It was built with tax payers money. They must enjoy their money. I am pledging that the federal government through the Ministry of power and its agencies will provide every necessary support that is required to take this project to the desired destination. You have done over 95 percent of the work. Whatever is required of us, I am promising and pledging that we will not relent in supporting you to ensure that this project finally takes off and it supplies electricity to the seat of the caliphate, Sokoto State”, the Minister said.

The Minister has therefore invited all parties involved in the project to a meeting in his office to discuss area of concern and the bottle necks delaying the take- off of the plant.
“To ensure it is not all talks, I am using this opportunity to immediately call for an all-party meeting in my office within the next two weeks. The meeting will include the project consultant, Mr Theo Ubani, the Commissioner for Energy, Sokoto State, Honourable Danusi Umar, Director of Distribution, Federal Ministry of Power, Engineer B. U Mustapha Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engineer Sule AbdulAziz, Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) ,Alhaji Sanusi Garba, Managing Director of Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Engineer Tukur Aliyu and management of Kaduna distribution company. These are the people needed to make the project take off. Whatever hurdle that is delaying the take off of the project must be resolved in that day", the Minister said.

Adelabu also commended the State government for not only building the power plant but for also having the ancillary infrastructure in place. “You have the switch yard, strategically placed. You also have a substation close by and there is also the 33KVA lines that are already there”, he said.

The project Consultant had earlier briefed the Minister on the regulatory bottlenecks that have delayed the take off of the projects with the assurance by the Minister that the issues would be resolved.

He is doing exactly what his job requires. You are the one that should get a life.

Cindypresh:


This adelabu is clueless🙄

Mr. Adelabu don't you know what you're paid with our tax payers money to do??

Get to work onuku

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has explained how a private company reportedly held on to N32bn paid into its account in 2003 for the supply of three million prepaid metres.

According to a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, on Wednesday, the Federal Government had entered a tripartite agreement with Messrs Ziklagsis Network Limited and Unistar International in 2003 for the supply of three million meters to distribution companies in the country, within three years.

The statement indicated that to kick start the project, a revolving metering loan of N32bn was released to Messrs Ziklagsis.

“The agreement was not implemented while the fund remained in the bank account of Ziklagsis at the then Prudent Bank from where it moved to Skye Bank, Polaris and lately, Providus Bank,” the statement read.

With the privatisation of distribution, Adelabu said the government proposed the metering of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in order to accurately determine the consumption of these MDAs and also reduce accumulated debts, saying “This was what led to the initiative to metre military formations nationwide.”

While debunking reports that due process was not followed in the mass metering project of military formations, which began last week, Adelabu recalled that the Nigerian Army, worried by its huge electricity debt, wrote a letter to the presidency requesting intervention to pay off the outstanding debt and the metering of their formations.

The statement added, “It was then that Ziklagsis was introduced to the Nigerian Army by the Ministry of Power. It was around this period that the Nigerian Army also introduced De Haryor Global Services to Ziklagsis to enable them to work together.

“In November 2022, discussion began on the project among the parties and an agreement was signed between the Nigerian Army as a client, Messrs Ziklagsis as project supervisor and De Haryor Global Services as a service provider to commence the metering projects in Army barracks at a cost of N12.7billion, under the MDAs metering project. This predates the appointment of Adelabu as Minister of Power. In spite of this, the money was not released to the service provider that had already gone ahead to seek funds for the acquisition of smart metres.

“Concerned about the over eight million metre gap in the country and the liquidity squeeze in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry, the minister wondered how money meant for a national project could be held up untouched for over 20 years by an individual.

“He, therefore, mounted pressure and escalated the matter to the presidency for the retrieval of the revolving fund from Messrs Ziklagsis plus accrued interest to date. This was duly approved by the President. Upon the President’s approval, N12.7 billion was therefore to be released in tranches to De Haryor Global Services to commence installation of already procured smart meters.

“The minister should therefore be commended for his effort in ensuring the recovery of the revolving metre fund which had been untouchable for over 20 years, thus enabling the eventual take-off of the project.”

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

PRESS STATEMENT

Olawande commends NASS over passage of NYSC Trust fund Bill

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande has applauded the National Assembly over the passage of the NYSC Trust fund Bill, noting that the lawmakers have given a significant boost to the efforts to enhance skill acquisition, training and generally empower graduates who take part in the national youth service programme.


Olawande, who noted the painstaking legislative process that culminated in the eventual passage of the bill since it was first presented over two years ago, said it was a huge relief that the 10th National Assembly has now made history with the passage of the game-changing bill that promises to speed up efforts to productively engage Nigeria’s graduate youths.


According to the Minister, the NYSC Trust fund Bill is a great milestone achievement for which everyone who took part in its actualization deserve a great deal of commendation.


*"It is refreshing and heartwarming to receive the news of the passage of this important Bill. I congratulate the NYSC family in particular and extend a special appreciation to the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, for his doggid commitment. Now, we have a good pedestal upon which to stand in our efforts to improve camp facilities, enhance the welfare of corps members and staff of the scheme; as well as reinvigorate the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative of the NYSC,”* the Minister said.


Olawande called on stakeholders in the youth development sector to continue to partner with the youth ministry to evolve ingenious ways to address the challenges of unemployment and skill gap bedeviling the youths, stating that the NYSC trust fund bill could be the beginning of other lofty initiatives aimed at harnessing resources for holistic youth empowerment.


Maryam Umar Yusuf
Head, Press and Public Relations
20th March, 2024

Press Statement, @NgComCommission: Voice, Data Services Affected by Undersea Cable Cuts Restored

Following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.

All operators who were impacted by the cuts have taken recovery capacity from submarine cables which were not impacted by the cuts, and have thus recovered approximately 90% of their peak utilisation capacities.

Mobile Network Operators have assured the Commission that data and voice services would operate optimally pending full repairs of the undersea cables as they have managed to activate alternative connectivities to bring back the situation to normalcy.

We extend our appreciation to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre cuts.

Signed:
Reuben Muoka
Director, Public Affairs
18th March, 2024

PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS PRIORITIZATION OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO ENHANCE BUSINESS EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Federal Ministry of Environment to align regulations and tax frameworks to facilitate investment expansion in telecommunications and broadband infrastructure nationwide.

The President issued the directive at a meeting with a delegation from American Tower Corporation (ATC) Nigeria at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, expressing dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic pace in permit issuance processing for companies operating in the digital infrastructure sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of ATC Africa, Mr. Marek Busfy had expressed ATC Nigeria's commitment to expanding its investments in the country, which have already surpassed $2.19 billion since its commencement of Nigerian operations in 2015.

Busfy also emphasized ATC's commitment to delivering value to subscribers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations.

Responding, President Tinubu commended ATC Nigeria for its significant contributions and investments in the country's ICT sector, highlighting the importance of innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide.

The President lauded the ongoing efforts of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to promote digital connectivity across the nation, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme that functions to upskill three million Nigerian youths in digital literacy and innovation through innovation incubators nationwide.

President Tinubu outlined ongoing initiatives to establish broadband connectivity in all 774 local government secretariats within six months, leveraging existing infrastructure, such as NIGCOMSAT and Galaxy Backbone's fibre optic network.

''In the area of ease of doing business, no nation can make progress without paying attention to the opportunities that are right in front of them. We have a vibrant youth population that has successfully innovated without much government support. What now happens in this era when we are providing massive support to their digital economic activities? They will do very well. You are investing in the right place at the right time.

''Considering our population and land mass, we need your investments to ensure that we are ready for a higher level of digital penetration in the telecommunications sector and the specific type of digital education that is needed in the competitive, knowledge-based global economy of the 21st century,'' the President said.

Addressing concerns raised by the delegation regarding the ease of doing business in Nigeria, President Tinubu assured them of his administration's commitment to implementing reforms that will eliminate bureaucratic constraints.

In response to a request from the delegation for a reduction in withholding tax for telecommunications companies to stimulate investments in telecommunications and broadband infrastructure, the President said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would review the matter and provide a solution that is in the best interest of both the investors and the Nigerian people.

''Every citizen, whether at the corporate or individual level, fights tax. Let us work with the FIRS and see how we can slice the cake. If the country has a good path of growth, it is a greater opportunity for you to invest,'' the President stated.

In his remarks, the CEO of ATC Africa reiterated the company's readiness to invest further in Nigeria's ICT infrastructure to meet the market's growing demand for data, while lauding the clarity of strategy demonstrated by the administration, particularly praising the roadmap and efforts of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Press Release

Youth Minister Task NYCN Executives on Peace

In his determination to ensure peace, cooperation, and progress reign among the youth as a substructure for their growth and development, the Honourable Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande has brockered peace among the two factions of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).

The Minister urged the leaders of the two factions, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo and Akoshile Mukhtar, during a peace meeting which was held in his office today, Tuesday 12th March, 2024 to put aside their differences and embrace peace so as to forge ahead in the intrest of the teaming youths of the country whom they represent.

While speaking to journalist after the peace talk, Olawande who recognised the central role that the body has to play in promoting the wellbeing of the youth, expressed joy over the decision of the factions to reconcile their disagreement and join hands to work towards a common goal.

He emphasized the need for all hands to be on deck to raise a new generation of purposeful and holistically developed youths.

Olawande expressed the belief that by prioritizing peace and cooperation, the NYCN could achieve great things and make a positive impact on the Nigerian youth demography.

*"Let's come together and pave the way for a brighter future. Our youths deserve nothing less than the very best from us. It's time to chart a new course and make a difference. We need to share our ideas and become agents of reform and enlightenment for all young people in this country. Together, we can create a better tomorrow”,* he stated.

Comrade Akoshile Mukhtar, a former factional leader who was known as the acting President, informed members of the press that he wanted to be addressed as the ⁷Vice President, NYCN, North Central, a position he held before the conflict that degenerated into faction began.

Comrade Akoshile commended the minister for taking out time to bring about the truce. He expressed confidence in the leadership style of the Honourable Minister.

According to him, *"The Minister's tireless efforts to restore peace and unity within the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) is highly appreciated."* He called on the youth to acknowledge the Minister's vital role in restoring peace and unity within the NYCN.

Akoshile, therefore, declared that he should henceforth be recognised as the Vice President of the NYCN North Central.


In his address, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ambassador Sukubo Sari-Igbe Sukubo assured the Minister that his effort will not be in vain while promising that effort will be made to maintain peace henceforth. He assured the minister of their resolve to unite and focus their energy on the promotion of the interest of the Nigerian youth. *"The nation's youth can be rest assured that their interests are in safe hands."* He said.

Maryam Umar Yusuf
Head, (Press & PR)
12th March, 2024.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

PRESS STATEMENT

THURSDAY, 7TH MARCH 2024

DEMOCRACY IS WORKING IN NIGERIA - MATAWALLE

…As he warns those calling for truncation of Constitutional Government

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, MON has described those calling for the undemocratic change of Government as agents of darkness. He warned coup mongers calling for the unconstitutional change of government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to desist from their inglorious calling, warning that Government would not treat those behind it with kid glove.

The call for violent change of government by the Military is absurd, preposterous and naive as the Military has come to reality with democratic Government in Nigeria and are focused on their constitutional duty of defending the constitution.

The Minister warns against the dangerous allure of coups, stating, "Those calling for coup do not love Nigeria. Under the present Government, there will be no Military takeover of power." He emphasizes the need for elected leaders to lead while the military fulfills its duty of protecting the constitution.

The harbingers of this evil thought are agents of distabilization as Nigeria has a democratic Government in place and democracy is in action under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the dividends of democracy are being delivered.

The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has provided a level playing ground for people to express themselves which is one of the pillars of democracy and fundermental human rights are being respected.

In addition, some mischief makers posted viral videos and inciting statement on the media depicting a false situation and impression and encouraging the Military to truncate the constitution of which they will never do because they have been aligned with democratic culture which makes coup no longer fashionable.

However, consequent to this and other extenuating factors, the Ministry of Defence is warning all the propagators calling for truncation of the constitutional Government to desist from it and face the democratic reality on ground as the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON has directed Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to go after the criminals and enemies of democracy and bring them to justice.

Nigeria is a peaceful country where citizens enterprise, no uprising, no mass protest, and just because criminal elements attacked a warehouse and a haulage vehicle carrying food items to other parts of the country, is not enough reason for unpatriotic individuals to resort to call for military intervention which has no place in modern realities. The military is highly professionalised with good Civil-Military relationship and they are exhibiting the highest standard of professionalism with the defence of our constitution as a top priority.

I urge all Nigerians to come together to support and keep faith with the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in his efforts at making Nigeria great.

Consequently, Dr. Matawalle reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to defend the constitution and uphold democracy. He assures the public of the military readiness to ensure the safety and security of the nation.


Henshaw Ogubike mnipr, FCAi, fsca,fcpe
Director Information, Press and Public Relations

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

PRESS STATEMENT

Olawande commends the launch of OSNI

....Describes it as a significant boost to the NIYA initiative of the Youth Ministry.

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande has commended the launch of the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OSNI) by Vice President Kashim Shettima, adding that it would offer a great boost to the ongoing efforts to curb youth unemployment in the country through the soon-to-be launched Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA).


Olawande, who gave the commendation today in Abuja, said
the Nigerian Youth Academy, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is aimed at training youths in market driven skills that will empower them to contribute significantly to the economic development of the country


Performing the launch in Gombe on Monday, the Vice President noted that the OTNI is a strategic initiative to redirect the talents and skills that abound in the country and to deliver millions of job opportunities.


"Today, we are not just presenting to you the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) with the honourable aim of taking over the world; we present to you a lens to see the needs of the world, a bridge to interact with the world, and a vehicle to reach the world from the comfort of your offices and homes in Nigeria," the Vice President had said.

Speaking further on the launch which he described as "another huge step in the fight against youth unemployment,"* the Minister said the OTNI would now offer a more extensive platform for the utilization of the skills and talents that the NIYA would spring.

According to him, *"What we are planning to do with the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYa) is to provide free training in all high-demand skill areas, and to also make the platform a meeting point for all the youths we train and employers who wish to engage their services. OTNI has just expanded the opportunities we hope to deliver with NiYA."

Olawande, who said many youths in Nigeria would soon have no excuse to remain idle, emphasized that OTNI's digital platform, WorkNation, with the objective of helping partners find, train and deploy talents, would greatly expand the reach and impact of NIYA.

"Collaboration is key in government business. So, I'm already envisaging a collaboration in which WorkNation serves as a sort of off taker for some of the youths we train in NiYA, thereby providing more extensive job openings beyond the academy," the Minister maintained.

Maryam Umar Yusuf
Head, Press and Public Relations Unit.
5th March, 2024

FHA will soar higher under Oyetunde Ojo – Sen. Raji Rasaki assures

Former First Lady of Lagos State, Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki on Monday avowed confidence in the appointment of Hon. Oyetunde Ojo by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying It is not about semantics but truth, that the Federal Housing Authority will attain greater height under the new Managing Director.

Sen. Raji Rasaki while congratulating the new MD, Federal Housing Authority, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo in Abuja, said Nigerians are anticipated to see progress in activities of the FHA in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President adding, the emergence of the new helmsman, was purposeful adding that Ojo is best equipped for the job.

She said Hon. Ojo, a former Member, House of Representatives have over a decade of work experience in the housing and hospitality industries, “this is not a rocket science, Ojo has been in the system and with huge exposure in the industry, Ojo is an alumnus of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government as well as the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Housing Finance.

“He holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom. His relationship with Mr. President’s family is secondary and should not be brought into call to duty in nation building, expertise and knowledge should be prioritised.” Sen. Raji Rasaki said.

She called on Nigerians to be fair minded and trust Mr. President’s decisions on major national issues, saying the nation will in no longer time start to witness improvements with the appointment of credible individuals at all levels.

On the appointment of Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, Sen. Raji Rasaki pointed out that, “Nigeria want an FHA, Managing Director, whose actions will inspire governments to dream more,, do more and achieve more in the housing deficit challenges facing our people. We want an MD who has the commitment and passion to truly serve Nigerians devoid of ethnicity, political and religion affiliations and place their wishes above any interest.”

Fibre cuts, telecoms infrastructure vandalism, the cost you and I have to pay, By Mohammed Abiodun

Damage to fibre optic cables have become a major challenge for telecommunications companies in Nigeria. Often times, these cuts are the acts of saboteurs, construction companies or thieves who steal the cables with intention to sell in the black market

On the 15th of February 2024, subscribers to MTN’s services across major cities in the country could neither make nor receive calls, or use data services on the network. The downtime lasted for about four hours, and the internet fumed with frustration over the disruption.

In a statement by Funso Aina, senior manager, External Relations, MTN Nigeria, the network provider noted that “Our engineers are working hard to resolve with services gradually being restored in some areas,” and further explained that the reason for the service disruption was due to major cuts to its fibre assets across the country. These cuts had happened almost within the same time along three major cities in Nigeria.

Damage to fibre optic cables have become a major challenge for telecommunications companies in Nigeria. Often times, these cuts are the acts of saboteurs, construction companies or thieves who steal the cables with intention to sell in the black market. The resulting damage to these telecommunication infrastructure is what we witnessed in the disruption of MTN’s services on the 15th February 2024. Calls could not be made—neither could they be received—and data services were down. Users were shut off the internet, which today has become the biggest facilitator of economic activities in the country.

The damage to MTN’s fibre cables is one example of an all too often occurrence across the country. Almost all the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Metropolitan Fiber Optic Network Operators and Infracos have filed several complaints with the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on countless cases of damage to their fiber in various parts of the country.

Fibre optic network is undoubtably crucial to the delivery of telecommunications services across the world. It is a technology that uses thin strands of glass or plastic to transmit data, whether telephone signals, internet communications or cable television signals. It is the fastest and most widely used medium of backhaul transmission, as it carries higher bandwidth which in turn provides higher speed, low-latency and low interference. Tens of thousands of kilometres of fiber optic cables are laid across Nigeria by these operators in their bid to deliver quality telecommunication services to their subscribers.

Nigeria is reported to have over 79,000 kilometres of fiber optic cables laid across the country. Though far from being sufficient to meet our broadband needs, these cables have been the subject of vandalism and theft over the past decade-plus. In 2023, the NCC stated that over 50,000 cases of destruction of fibre optic cables and other telecommunication infrastructure had been reported. The Commission’s Q2 report for 2023 noted that fibre optic infrastructure vandalism contributed to over 30% of all reported network outage incidents. A source from the regulator informed me that telecommunication companies face an average of a total of 1,600 cuts per month.

Reports from telecommunication companies buttress this disturbing trend. The recent one from MTN Nigeria notes that damages to three of its fibre cables were due to the activities of a construction company, gas pipe installation and bush burning respectively.

These cable cuts are one of the major reasons we experience downtime in telecommunication services. Concomitantly they have resulted in low download speed, high drop call rates, poor voice quality among others. Users are affected and businesses that rely on telecommunications services for the delivery of their services cannot do so optimally. Take for example the case of banking services which we mostly conduct through our mobile phones today. When telecommunication services are down, banking services suffer, too.

According to a report, in 2022 alone, over N13 billion was spent by Mobile Network Operators, InfraCos, and other Service Providers in fixing damages to fibre cuts and other telecommunication infrastructure. In 2023, this amount rose to N14.6 billion. In the same report, operators in the telecommunications sector faced revenue losses amounting to N12 billion in both 2022 and 2023 due to customer compensation, site relocations and fibre resilience costs.

A source in one of the telecommunications companies told me that these challenges were sucking deeply into their resources and preventing them from making the kinds of investments they would ordinarily have been making.

“I think people are taking the resilience of the telecommunications industry for granted,” he said, “we have not increased prices of our services in years, despite the increase, I mean doubling in the cost of the raw materials we use to run our industry. Despite this challenge, we are now being faced with the issue of damages to our infrastructure. If we continue this way, we would begin to see losses and the market would no longer be viable. We would no longer be able to make investments as all our earnings would be used in fixing damaged infrastructure to ensure that we can deliver on our services.”

Indeed, these huge unplanned costs to fixing damaged infrastructure and fibre cuts could have been invested by telecommunications companies in improving their network services. This could come in the form of setting up more base stations, purchasing new equipment, employing new staff, laying more cables across unserved communities and maintenance of equipment. Not to mention the impact of down time on subscribers and their businesses.

Telecommunications operators have appealed to the Federal Government to do more to protect their infrastructure. They have called on the government to designate Telecommunications Infrastructure as a Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) protected by the law. This, they note will provide backing to the law enforcement agencies to tackle the challenges of vandalism and theft of these assets.


Already, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida stated during his interaction with media executives and correspondents that high-level advocacy was ongoing by the Commission with key government stakeholders to designate Telecommunication Infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure.

About 16 years ago, the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill was presented to the National Assembly for passage. It failed. That failure left Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure—from base transmission stations, to towers, to fibre optics—endangered, with attendant drops in telephony services.

Today, it has become a more pressing need than ever for the government to impress its stamp on legislation designating telecommunications infrastructure as CNI. Mr Maida would need to pull up his sleeves and make a strong case for this. If he gets this done, he would be saving the industry he oversees an average of N25 billion in needless expenditure annually—moneys that would then be channeled into more investments in the telecommunications industry with corresponding improved service delivery by the operators.

But before achieving these victories, it is essential for citizens, who are in fact the primary consumers of telecommunication services and who see these services as second to having a meal on their table to take ownership of telecommunications infrastructure around them.

Residents along these networks should embrace a sense of communal ownership, safeguarding the facilities as if they were their personal properties. Where they see vandals destroying these infrastructure, they owe themselves and society the duty to promptly report to the authorities, and when possible, take measures to discourage such destructive activities.

Construction firms have a part to play, too. A significant percentage of infrastructure damage to fibre is due to construction work. It is important that government puts in place and enforces stringent regulations for construction workers to inform telecommunication operators well ahead of time before they carry out excavation works around fibre cables on their sites. This will allow the operators relocate their fibre or make alternatives for service provision.

These are immediate steps we can take in achieving uninterrupted telecommunications services, like the one seen on the 15th of February, 2024, with huge unquantifiable loses for operators and customers alike.

Mohammed T Abiodun, writes from Abuja, FCT.

He can be reached on tmohammedabiodun@gmail.com