₦airaland Forum

Adekunle Akinlade, governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ogun state, has returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Akinlade, who was the preferred candidate of Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of the state in the 2019 gubernatorial poll, defected from the APC to APM when he could not secure the ruling party’s ticket.

He lost the election to Dapo Abiodun, APC candidate in the March 9 governorship election. He had challenged Abiodun’s victory from the tribunal up to the supreme court but lost.

Akinlade announced his return to the APC at the APM secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, during a meeting on Monday. He also directed his supporters to return to the ruling party, adding that his decision to return to APC was taken during a meeting of leaders and elders of the state chapter of APC on Sunday.

Akinlade, however, said the judgement of the supreme court on the governorship election fell short of his expectation and that of his supporters. “We have set in motion a chain of actions that hinge on our resolve to sustain the noble vision tagged ” Mission to Rebuild our dear state”, he said.

“We have always expressed the conviction that in the fullest of time and after the struggle to restore the mandate of our people, we shall return to the APC, which we toiled with fellow compatriots to build, nourish and entrench in Ogun.

"It is with this reality in mind that I most sincerely call on everyone of you that it is time to return home to the pre-October 2nd, 2018 Ogun APC political family with a view to sustain our core base, consolidate our gains so far and continue to support the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to positively reposition our dear country. ”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/amosuns-preferred-candidate-in-ogun-guber-poll-dumps-apm-for-apc

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has cautioned policemen, especially those detailed to man highways during the Yuletide, against misconduct. The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The IGP also warned operatives against abuse of rights of Nigerians and called for adherence to laid down rules and standard operating procedures of the Force. He said that reported cases of unprofessional behaviour, including extortion and intimidation of road users, would be investigated and punished.

The IGP directed Zonal Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioners of Police in charge of commands to strengthen crime prevention strategies in their jurisdictions. He said the directive was to ensure peaceful and hitch-free Christmas and New Year Celebrations, adding that the Force had beefed up security across the country.

Adamu called for effective deployment of human and material assets of the Force to protect major highways, recreational centres, motor parks, places of worship, financial institutions and government/private Infrastructure.

“In addition, the supervisory officers must ensure that they are personally on ground to monitor and supervise the officers and men under their watch for optimal performance,” he said.

The IGP expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their unwavering support to the Police and other security agencies throughout the year.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/yuletide-duty-adamu-warns-policemen-against-extortion-intimidation/

The federal government, in collaboration with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has released a beneficial register which contains the list of the real owners of oil assets and companies. A website (bo.neiti.gov.ng) which contained the list was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Waziri Adio, NEITI’s executive secretary, the website contains a list of the owners of 270 licences in the mining sector, and the owners of 61 assets and 56 companies in the oil and gas sector. He also said the register, which would be free for anyone to access through electronic means, would continuously be updated as more information becomes available and would periodically be upgraded to allow for better user-interface.

“Legitimate businesses and most businesses also stand to benefit from knowing who they are doing business with, from reduced exposure to reputational risks, from having a level-playing field, and from improved trust in their operating environment.

“So let me say this upfront: this beneficial ownership register is not against businesses. Rather, it is for the good of businesses as it is for the good of countries, and it is for the good of civil groups, the media, and individuals. So there is nothing for anyone, especially anyone engaged in legitimate businesses, to be jittery about.

“In a short while, the beneficial ownership register for the extractive sector in Nigeria will go live. At the touch of a button, anyone with internet access can find out, for free, the owners and the ownership structure of extractive assets that are in production in Nigeria. These are the assets covered within the scope of the NEITI audits.

“In this free electronic register, you will find the owners of 270 licences in the mining sector, and the owners 61 assets and 56 companies in the oil and gas sector. The register will continuously be updated as more information becomes available and will periodically be upgraded to allow for better user-interface.”

Adio said the register is in fulfilment of the commitment that President Muhammadu Buhari made at the London Anti-Corruption Summit in 2016, and fulfilment of Nigeria’s commitment under the Open Government Partnership and to the EITI.

SOURCE: http://petrobarometer.thecable.ng/2019/12/12/nigeria-real-owners-oil-companies-licences/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has auctioned 244 vehicles forfeited to the federal government. According to a statement released on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday, the vehicles were forfeited by illegal oil dealers.

The auction exercise was flagged off on Thursday 19 December 2019 by Ola Olukayode, the commission’s secretary, and some other senior officials of the EFCC. The initial auctioning process took off at the premises of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) in the old Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. The process involved allocation of bidding slots to registered auctioneers.

A total of 11 registered auctioneers were shortlisted for the exercise and they include Musa Kura & Co; FSS Nigeria Limited; Auspex Global Services; Jfdor International Limited; JN Enedo Nig. Ltd; Jagsul Nigeria Ltd; Soldap Integrated System; Fagobe Company Ltd; Amijapp Nigeria Ltd, Rihago Auctioning Ltd and Tojugnonyen Auctioneering Co. Ltd.

Representatives of all the shortlisted auctioneers were present to pick slots from an open container publicly displayed at the POWA’s open ground. Commenting on the bidding slots, two of the shortlisted auctioneers expressed satisfaction with the process involved in picking the slots.

Seye Morgan, chief auctioneer for Rihago Auction Limited, commended the EFCC for “running such transparent and credible bidding. We are really surprised at the level of openness and transparency demonstrated in picking slots”.

Torisheju Ugbonyen, another auctioneer, said “the transparency of picking slots compensated for the period of waiting for the processes to commence. EFCC has shown that it is indeed an anti-corruption agency”.

The next step in auction of the vehicles is purchase by interested members of the public. EFCC said auctioneers have already begun the process by displaying the vehicles on open boards.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/efcc-auctions-244-vehicles-forfeited-by-illegal-oil-dealers

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he is embarrassed when people say he seeks to be the godfather of politics in Edo state. He said it is not true that he is seeking to be Godwin Obaseki’s godfather.

Obaseki, governor of the state, and Oshiomhole are at loggerheads over political differences which have spawned a crisis in the state chapter of the APC. A faction of the APC in the state had said the national chairman lacks the moral authority to lead the party and asked him to resign.

Speaking in an interview on Friday, Oshiomhole said he has helped Obaseki to reconcile with several persons in his effort to keep the peace in the state. “I think as a brother and to be honest, I regard the governor as my brother and a very close friend, what I owe him is to assist where he wants me to. To help him make peace with anyone whom he has issues with,” he said.

“As part of my efforts to resolve the problems in Edo state, there was a time the governor told me he would not have anything to do with Charles Idahosa because he lost his booth during his own governorship election; but it was here in this my living room that I invited Idahosa and he did not know the governor was coming, I invited the governor he did not know Idahosa was coming.

“When the governor entered the room, Idahosa sat and said he was not going to have a handshake with him and used a language for me that was derogatory. I said ‘No, Charles. You cannot talk like that. This is the governor and you must respect him.’ And I said, ‘Governor, please whatever Charles has done that you are not happy about, we have won, put them behind you.’ I said in this business, if you didn’t work with people because of their electoral value, sometimes you would work with them because of their nuisance value. So you would not gain by saying you wouldn’t work with this one or this one.

“My own embarrassment is when they say Oshiomhole wants to be like a godfather. If I wanted to be, I will be nominating commissioners. I only persuaded him to accept one commissioner from me, only one and I gave my reasons. He was a founding member of my campaign organisation in 2006, Mika. Other than Mika, I did not nominate any commissioner; I did not nominate any special adviser, special assistant because for me these are governance issues. So where is the godfather from?”

Oshiomhole was suspended by a faction of the APC in Edo, while his loyalists in retaliation, suspended Obaseki, alleging that he wanted to defect from the party to the PDP.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/oshiomhole-i-dont-want-to-be-obasekis-godfather-he-is-my-brother

The Cooperative Mortgage Bank (CMB) has signed a housing agreement deal with Shell Staff Cooperative Investment and Thrift Society Ltd (CITS). The agreement entails CMB building an N8bn valued upscale housing estate at Banana Island, Lagos. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Head of Communications and Public Relations Department of CMB, Mrs Afolabi Olufunmilayo.

The Managing Director, CMB, Kabir Ayinde-Tukur, while speaking during the foundation laying of the project, said construction would commence soon as Coop Property Development Company Ltd had been awarded the building contract.

Director, Federal Department of Cooperatives, Idris Sani, said the aim was to provide Nigerians with decent houses to live away from paying exorbitant rent or living under bridges as there are abundant opportunities in the housing sector. “For several decades, the country has been facing numerous challenges posed by lack of adequate housing. The only way out of the present housing deficit is for Nigerians to be more focused and determined to tap into the nation’s abundant resources for improved livelihood,” he said.

Also present at the foundation laying was the President of Shell Staff Cooperative, Akintomide Akinrotimi, who made known that this is not the first housing partnership the company would have with CMB. He said they had previously partnered to deliver a housing estate in Port-Harcourt.

The project, which is scheduled for completion in two years, comprises of 32 units of 4-bedroom flats and 4 penthouses.

About CMB: Cooperative Mortgage Bank is a financial institution that provides a range of services such as Mortgage Banking, Real Estate Construction Finance and other banking services. Objectives of the company are to significantly bridge the gap in the supply of affordable and durable houses in Nigeria and to provide appropriately structured mortgages for ease of home-ownership.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/20/cooperative-mortgage-bank-seals-n8-billion-housing-deal-with-shell-cits/

The Nollywood industry has received an international capital fund for the production of more quality movies with investments from China and South Africa. FilmOne, a Nigerian distributor of filmed entertainment, disclosed this on Thursday 19 December in a press statement obtained by TheCable Lifestyle, following the signing of an agreement between the three countries.

Among the core investors in the fund are Huahua Media, a Chinese company known for investing in ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ and AY’s forthcoming movie entitled ’30 Days in China’. Also included is Empire Entertainment, South Africa’s leading distributor representing major Hollywood studios and a host of leading independent producers.

According to FilmOne, both companies will assist in identifying the films with the most potential for theatrical release and box office success in global markets.

“This is the very first film fund between Chinese and African partners, signaling a growing interest in Nollywood by China and international film communities,” said Chu Maoming, China’s consul-general, during the signing of the deal. “We welcome this partnership between Chinese and African companies. They seek to increase the premium Nollywood films being made by providing filmmakers with bigger budgets and technical advice to improve film quality.”

Moses Babatope, FilmOne’s managing director, while crediting the Nigerian government for its support, added that the fund would take Nollywood to a much higher level of production quality and global appreciation.

“Our filmmakers have the talent, but lack access to the capital that would allow them to produce the movies they dream about,” he said. “This fund aims to change that paradigm through partnership and by providing the resources needed to make better films, and create more jobs and opportunities for other creatives.”

The Nigerian defence headquarters (DHQ) earlier announced its partnership with indigenous filmmakers alongside a production fund to facilitate the correct portrayal of Nigeria’s military in Nollywood movies.

Ayo Makun, a Nigerian stand-up comedian and showbiz mogul, had also initiated a production deal with Huawen Movie Group, representing Nollywood’s first major collaboration with Chana’s movie industry.

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/nollywood-lands-historic-1m-capital-fund-to-make-quality-movies/

Amina Mohammed, a Nigerian diplomat and deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, has been named among the world’s 100 most powerful women in 2019 by Forbes, prominent US business magazine.

“In 2019, women around the globe took action, claiming leadership positions in government, business, philanthropy and media,” Forbes wrote. “These trailblazers are not to be messed with.”

Introducing: The World's Most Powerful Women 2019 https:///p9iLTLZgn8 #PowerWomen pic.twitter.com/KKKIz6B7IX

— Forbes (@Forbes) December 12, 2019

The 58-year-old British-Nigerian diplomat, who is among the 23 newcomers for this year, secured the number 98 spot on the list. Mohammed was previously a special adviser to Ban Ki-moon, eighth secretary-general of the UN, and was instrumental in setting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“I am humbled to be amongst other great women in the Forbes 2019 PowerWomen list working for humanity,” she tweeted on Friday.

I stand on the shoulders of great African women like Mama @G_MachelTrust & @MaEllenSirleaf who fueled my passion to work #ForPeopleForPlanet. I am humbled to be amongst other great women in the @Forbes 2019 #PowerWomen list working for humanity. https:///WaECY0tuMY pic.twitter.com/QNthKI3oq8

— Amina J Mohammed (@AminaJMohammed) December 13, 2019

According to the US magazine, the list “celebrates women who are using their power to create change and, often, lift other women with them.”

Forbes also stated that “these women” are referred to as the “first” and sometimes the “only” in their respected fields. Angela Merkel, German chancellor, secured the top position for the ninth year running, closely followed by Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank head, and Nancy Pelosi, US speaker of the house of representatives.

The top 10 on the list are:

Angela Merkel (Germany)
Christine Lagarde (France)
Nancy Pelosi (U.S.)
Ursula von der Leyen (Belgium)
Mary Barra (U.S.)
Melinda Gates (U.S.)
Abigail Johnson (U.S.)
Ana Patricia Botin (Spain)
Ginni Rometty (U.S.)
Marillyn Hewson (U.S.)

This year’s top 100 females list featured women from six categories — business (31), technology (17), finance (12), media & entertainment (14), politics & policy (22) and philanthropy (4). Together, they control or influence more than $2.3 trillion in revenue and oversee nearly 6.5 million employees.”

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/amina-mohammed-makes-forbes-100-most-powerful-women-in-2019-list/

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has given a grant of $5 million to support the Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship programme. According to a statement released on Monday, the grant will be used to expand the applicants to be selected from the current 3,050 to 4,050.

“The grant follows the signing of a letter of intent between the Bank and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which took place during the Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship programme launch in March this year,” the statement read.

“The partnership will bring about future collaboration focused on strengthening small to medium-sized enterprises as well as talent and skills development for Africa’s youth.

“The programme aligns with the bank’s ten-year Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy launched in 2016, to support the creation of 25 million decent jobs across the continent. The strategy is also expected to equip 50 million young African people with employable skills that enable them to access economic opportunities and realize their full economic potential across the continent.

“The Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship programme will deliver business training, mentoring, access to networks, markets and capital for business development to selected youth-led start-ups in order for them to grow and create jobs.

“The entrepreneurship programme demonstrates a strong alignment with the bank’s youth entrepreneurship and innovation multi-donor trust fund objectives to build the African youth entrepreneurship ecosystem by scaling innovative youth-led start-ups, expanding youth market opportunities and improving youth access to finance.”

Other development partners involved in supporting the entrepreneurship programme are Agence Française de Développement, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In 2017, the AfDB established the youth entrepreneurship and innovation multi-donor trust fund, in partnership with the governments of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands to support Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/tony-elumelu-entrepreneurs-to-increase-by-1000-with-5m-afdb-grant

Cyperus esculentus (Ofio in Yoruba, aki Hausa or Imumu in Igbo, Aya in Hausa) is a crop of the sedge family widespread across much of the world, according to www.agriculturenigeria.com.

Tiger nut can be found wild, as a weed, or as a crop. In some other countries, tiger nut is considered a weed. It is both an annual and a perennial plant. It can grow up to 3ft (90cm) from tuber. Tiger nut became popular when researchers found out that it has high nutritional value for human health.

It is very common in the Northern parts of Nigeria, because this is where it is mostly cultivated.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TIGER NUT
Tiger nut contains essential minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron necessary for bones, tissue repair, muscles and the blood stream. It is known to prevent cardiovascular diseases and also a good source of Vitamins C and E.

Tiger nut is a good source of protein, cures erectile dysfunction, controls diabetes, acts as a good remedy for indigestion as well as being rich in fiber. Its many uses mean it can be prepared or consumed in several ways. It can be consumed fresh or dried, grounded into powder form or any other way deemed fit for consumption.

USES
It can be eaten raw as snack, dry or fresh. Tiger nut can be extracted as milk and can be used as an alternative for those who do not like dairy milk. Confectionary industries use them in baking; here the nuts are roasted.

Most biscuits companies are now including them in production because of the great taste produced. Oil extracted from tiger nuts can be used in soap making, can also be used as starch extract and as a flavouring agent in ice-cream.

HOW TO CULTIVATE TIGER NUT
Use tractor to till the land if you are doing large scale farming like up to a hectare. This is a plant whose roots penetrate up to 30-60cm, so it will be wise to make the tilling deep to allow for easy penetration of the roots.

Tiger nuts plant can grow in any soil type but for good performance use a sandy-moist soil rich in organic matter.
Tiger nuts can survive adverse conditions such as drought, flooding and heat. They require a soil PH of 5.0-7.0.
Do not plant them in a soil or apply water that is salty.. Plant them manually 6-8cm into the soil and 15-29cm spacing between seeds.

The planting period is during rainy season April-May. You can plant through seed (tubers) or through rhizomes. Rhizomes are the creeping part of the plant just by the root. Tubers start forming (developing) 6 - 8 weeks after the seedlings sprout. They grow very vigorously 4 - 5 months after planting (July- August). The nuts or tubers mature in 3 - 4 months.

A hectare will require 120kg of tubers for planting while an acre will need 49kg. Tiger nut plants can be pollinated by wind.

You can grow them in containers; mix equal amount of soil and manure together and fill the container. Plant them one seed per container. Keep them in a warm environment. Weeding and harvesting can be easily done here.

Tiger nut requires adequate water, so if you are going into commercial production, make sure to have a good irrigation system in place for constant supply of water. Also, since it is a root crop, nitrogenous fertiliser or manure should be minimised after flowering. The tubers are ready for harvesting when the plants begin to die back; they are usually dug by hand or by running a small lifting plough under them. Groundnut harvesters are sometimes used.

The entire plant is laid on the soil and allowed to dry for one to three days before the tubers are separated for storage in thin layers in sheds. Tubers for human consumption are washed in running water and then dried either in the sun or artificially, after which they are graded and stored.

DRYING AND STORAGE
Drying takes a very long time up to 3 months and can only be done with the use of the sun or artificially. If you are going to sun dry, spread them in an open place where sun can touch them very well and keep turning them on a daily basis in order to achieve uniform drying.

The period of drying makes them wrinkle, shrink and harden but they can be rehydrated by soaking them in water before use.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-tiger-nut/

The Lagos state government says 39 construction companies have expressed interest in the construction of the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge. NAN reports that the state government advertised for expression of interest on the 4th Mainland Bridge on November 28.

Aramide Adeyoye, special adviser to the governor on works and infrastructure, said the contract will be under the public-private partnership arrangement because the government does not have the funds required. According to Adeyoye, the next step of evaluation where qualified companies would be contacted will soon begin. The special adviser said the government is committed to ensuring that the project, which had been in the pipeline for over 30 years, is completed to further ease gridlock in the state.

Peter Agunbiade, the managing director of Advanced Engineering Consultants, said that the journey to construct the 4th Mainland Bridge began many years ago. He said the Babajide Sanwoolu-led administration made it possible for the bridge construction to be revisited. He said companies in Europe, Asia and others duly expressed interest in the project, assuring that the state government would ensure transparency in executing the bid.

Olujimi Hutonu, the permanent secretary of the ministry of works and infrastructure, listed some of the companies that expressed interest in the project as Julius Berger, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Kyeryong Construction Company, Pythgoras Holdings and CRCCCI Nigeria.

Others are China State Construction and Engineering Corporation Nigeria Ltd, Bua International Ltd, China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Company Ltd.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/lagos-39-firms-bid-for-fourth-mainland-bridge-contract

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is in receipt of a report confirming outbreak of charcoal anthrax, a bacterial infection that affects cattle and sheep, in Niger Republic. The service announced this in a memo dated 12 December 2019 and directed to zonal coordinators, customs area coordinators, comptrollers and zonal commanders headquarters strike force.

It said urgent steps need to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease through the land borders “given the supply of cattle and sheep from Niger to Nigeria”.

WHAT IS CHARCOAL ANTHRAX?
Charcoal anthrax is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Bacillus Anthracis. The infection can be transmitted to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals or animal products. Those at a high risk of contracting the disease include people who work with animals or animal products, travelers, postal workers, and military personnel.

It can occur in 4 forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptoms begin between one day and two months after the infection is contracted. The skin form presents with a small blister with surrounding swelling that often turns into a painless ulcer with a black center.

The inhalation form presents with fever, chest pain, and shortness of breath while the intestinal form presents with diarrhea which may contain blood, abdominal pains, and nausea and vomiting. The injection form presents with fever and an abscess at the site of drug injection.

According to the memo, the Nigerien ministry of agriculture and livestock has informed the World Health Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of the outbreak. It said the disease was first reported in Niger Republic on September 23 where over 100 cattle have been infected with 22 deaths recorded.

“Headquarters is in receipt of a report which reveals that the Nigerien Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock had notified World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of Charcoal Anthrax disease, Bacterium Bacillus Anthracis variant, in sheep and cattle in the country,” the memo read.

“The infectious Anthrax agent bacteria can survive for several years in the soil before being ingested by grazing animals. The disease was first reported In Niger’s Tillaberry region on 23rd September 2019 where it killed 3 cattle. Since then over 100 cattle have been infected with 22 recorded deaths. Transmission to humans occurs directly or indirectly from infected animals or due to occupational exposure to contaminated animal products.

“The disease manifests either as a scratch that could progress into a sepsis or as pulmonary infection due to inhalation of micro-organisms suspended in the air. Without immediate treatment Charcoal Anthrax is fatal in 20% of cases.

“Given the supply of cattle and sheep from Niger to Nigeria the CGC has directed on the urgent need to place additional precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease into Nigeria through our land borders.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/customs-cautions-nigerians-as-deadly-livestock-disease-hits-niger-republic

Nigeria’s agricultural export sector experienced strong growth from January to September, 2019. The latest report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the nation’s top 10 agricultural exports attracted N206.16 bn by the end of September 2019.

According to the report, Nigeria’s top 10 agricultural exports rose 14.1%, from N180.67 bn in the first 3 quarters of 2018 (January to September) to N206.16 bn in the corresponding period of 2019.

SESAMUM SEEDS NIGERIA'S BIGGEST AGRIC EXPORT
Based on the Bureau’s report, Nigeria’s major agricultural exports in the first 3 quarters of 2019 include sesamum seeds (whether or not broken, sesame oil and its fraction), cocoa, cashew nuts, frozen shrimps and prawns, ginger, agro-food items, flowers and flower buds, and plants used for perfumery and coconuts.

Sesamum seeds have remained Nigeria’s biggest earner of all agricultural exports in the past years. The trend continued into Q3-2019 as N77.04 bn worth of sesamum seeds, sesamum oil and its fractions were exported from Nigeria. Further analysis shows that Japan, Turkey, China, Germany and Vietnam are Nigeria’s biggest markets for sesamum seeds.

The second most exported agricultural goods from Nigeria was cocoa. Nigeria exports fermented cocoa beans, raw cocoa and natural cocoa butter. In the first 3 quarters of 2019, Nigeria exported N66.73 bn worth of cocoa to countries like the Netherlands, Malaysia, Germany, Belgium, and Spain.

Nigeria’s 3rd-biggest agricultural export was cashew nuts, both shelled and unshelled. Nigeria exported N45.6 bn worth of cashew nuts between Jan and Sept 2019. They were exported to Vietnam, the United States, Russia, Germany, and Italy.

Other goods on the list of Nigeria’s top 10 agricultural exports are frozen shrimps and prawns (N7.46 bn), ginger (N3.34 bn), agro-food items (N1.84 bn), flowers and flower buds (N1.59 bn), plants used for ornamental purposes (N1.59 bn), coconuts in the inner shell (N800.99 mn) and cotton (N609.33 mn).

AGRIC SECTOR IN DEFICIT AS IMPORTS CONTINUE TO DRAG SECTOR DOWN
Despite the huge potential in Nigeria’s agriculture sector, the country still imports a large chunk of agricultural goods. According to the NBS report, Nigeria imported N949.8 bn worth of agricultural goods in the period under review. Analysis of import and export of agricultural goods shows that the imports are more than exports, dragging Nigeria’s agricultural sector’s trade balance into deficit.

As at September, Nigeria’s agricultural imports stood at N949.8 bn, while export were N401.68 bn. This means that the sector recorded a negative trade balance of N548.17 bn. Major items imported into Nigeria include wheat (seeds and not in seeds), frozen foods, fish (Mackerel), and crude palm oil among others.

Despite the improved contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP to 29.25% in Q3-2019, the sector has failed to replicate the growth (3.17%) recorded in the first quarter of the year.

Clearly, Nigeria’s agricultural sector still needs huge investments and effective policies to achieve its potential. While government has implemented a plethora of policies, the agricultural sector failed to show much-needed growth.

In order to boost domestic production and stimulate growth in the sector, the government recently restricted foreign exchange for the importation of staple foods and frozen items.

Meanwhile, critics of the government continue to point at billions of naira spent on policies like the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP). ABP is a policy targeted at creating a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing of Agric products and smallholder farmers of the required key agricultural commodities, which has not yielded the much needed positive results.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/19/nigerias-top-10-agricultural-exports-rose-to-n206-16-billion-in-9-month/

On this platform, we preach a lot about investing. It is a habit everyone must inculcate and nurture as route to financial freedom. However, investing can also lead to financial ruin, if you make the wrong choices. Here are examples of investment decisions that can lead to financial ruin.

1. SPECULATIVE INVESTING
Speculative investing involves putting your money into volatile high yielding investments. Speculators as the word implies, rely on guts rather than fundamentals to invest in asset classes they believe will produce astronomically high returns. Initially, these investments produce very high returns as more and more people join the speculative train.

However, as is often the case, such volatility don’t last forever and most speculators, especially the ones that came much later, get caught up in the eventual crash. An example is the forex crash of 2017 where the exchange rate crashed from as high as N520 to as low as N400 within one month. A lot of speculators who had bet that the naira would depreciate further and bought above N500, lost millions of naira in the process.

2. BUYING REAL ESTATE
I knew some guy who felt the need to acquire landed assets and not lose out in what was called “the new Lagos”. He invested a lot of money buying up land without bothering to confirm if they had legal title. Years later, he found himself fighting with land grabbers and people who also claimed ownership to the land.

Real Estate is a great form of investing but it is only as great as the title documents attached to it. If you do not have legal ownership to the land as represented by a certificate of occupancy then you are setting yourself up to lose all your investments

3. INVESTING IN A PONZI SCHEME
Ponzi (Pyramids) Schemes or HYIP (High Yield Investment Programs) are one of the easiest form of making money and also one of the easiest at losing. Most times they are made known to us by friends and family members who may have made massive returns investing in them. Unfortunately, more people lose money investing in them than they make.

They are mostly not backed by any asset or significant investment as such people only make money from them when others contribute. The money contributed by the last to get in is shared by those who contributed before them and so on. The scheme collapses and everyone losses when there are no more contributors. NEVER invest in these schemes

4. INVESTING IN THE WRONG FUND
Recently, a well-known Discount house collapsed and innocent savers lost money. A lot of the victims had invested their savings with a company which had a history of delivering good returns. Unfortunately, they believed so much in the Discount House they didn’t bother to diversify their portfolio and entrusted all their savings with it.

Most of the money lost to banks and other financial service providers is from investments in Fixed deposits, certificate of deposits, mutual funds etc. Whilst these are all good investment schemes, they carry quite some downside risk that an innocent investor might not know about.

Unlike FGN Bonds and Treasury Bills which are safer and guaranteed by the Government in full, Fixed income securities with Financial Service Providers is only as safe as the solvency of the provider. If the provider goes bust so goes your money. You should hence be careful and scrutinize the provider like you would if you were lending to an individual.

5. WRONG BUSINESSES
A retired civil servant invested his gratuity and savings in a business he thought was going to earn him a lot of money. Whilst the business was a good one, he unfortunately went in at the wrong time. He didn’t realise a cartel controlled the business and failed to grasp the immense need for good distribution network. By the time his goods arrived, the selling price had crashed 20% below his cost price. By the time he was done selling, he only managed to recover 50% of his investment.

When you invest in the wrong business, you basically have thrown your money away. Before making an investment decision in a business that you either own or don’t own, it is important to conduct proper research, feasibility study and due diligence before investing. Most people who don't end up losing their hard-earned savings.

6. OWING TOO MUCH
Most times, people who borrow do so with a mindset of using the money for a purposeful investment. However, when you owe too much there is tendency not to save or invest. It is a vicious cycle that is hard to come out of. Your so-called investment may become a burden as you end up paying back your borrowers leaving you with little or nothing.

A startup in the business of printing and stationery soon faced this problem after they found it hard to balance repaying a loan of N10m and reinvesting in the business at a stage where the business required more time. Soon the business closed shop.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/17/poor-investment-decisions-can-ruin-your-savings/

As variously suggested, see the steps below...

Thanks Ladycewhy. You are a precious jewel.

Ladycewhy:
Nice info ,picture or video demonstration will go along way so i decided to go and search for a video myself .




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtqLAS5rgGQ

Barrack Obama, former US president, says women are “indisputably better” than men in leadership. Speaking at a private event about leadership in Singapore, the former president said if women ran every country in the world there would be a general improvement in living standards and outcomes.

“Now women, I just want you to know; you are not perfect, but what I can say pretty indisputably is that you’re better than us [men].” he said. I’m absolutely confident that for two years if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything… living standards and outcomes.”

According to BBC, Obama said he believed in leaders stepping aside when the time came, when he was asked if he would ever consider going back into political leadership.

“If you look at the world and look at the problems it’s usually old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way,” he said.

“It is important for political leaders to try and remind themselves that you are there to do a job, but you are not there for life, you are not there in order to prop up your own sense of self importance or your own power.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/women-are-better-leaders-than-men-says-obama

We leave our kids at daycare, secure in the knowledge they’ll be looked after well. But apparently, this is not always the case. Heartwrenching preschool CCTV footage has emerged of a 4-year-old boy choking to death at school, all alone during lunchtime. “Why didn’t a teacher come to his rescue?” sobbed the mother’s boy

September 10 was a normal day for a kindergarten class in Hunan, China. The teacher on duty at mealtime made one critical and life-threatening mistake: She went away, leaving the little ones eating lunch on their own. Soon, one of the boys begins choking on his meal. The CCTV footage shows the boy is suffocating, as he tries to remove the food stuck in his mouth by coughing non-stop.

The child did not receive any help for 3 minutes. His classmates – too young to understand the gravity of the situation – are oblivious to the little one’s suffering. The footage then continues, showing the teacher coming back to the table. She tries to help the child extract the cake that was choking him but to no avail.

Immediately after that, the teacher can be seen hurrying the boy to a hospital. The journey took 8 minutes, but unfortunately, the boy could not be saved in time. The kindergarten school has taken full responsibility for the unfortunate episode after thoroughly discussing it over with the victim’s parents.

HOW TO STOP A CHILD CHOKING
The choking child can appear conscious or unconscious – and you should act accordingly depending on how they appear. Here are guidelines from the National Healthcare System UK on how to act if you see a child over one-year-old choking. Remember, these short tips may not seem much, but they can potentially help you save a life.

(A). IF THE CHILD IS STILL CONSCIOUS
-- Place the child facing downwards on your lap OR help sit up while leaning forward.
-- Pat his back five times.
If these back blows don’t help at all, apply the Heimlich Maneuver. This technique involves giving hard pushes towards the abdomen, which can help remove the object stuck in the child’s throat. The steps are to:
-- Stand or keep your knees down, facing the child’s back.
-- Tighten your hand into a fist place it between the navel and ribs.
-- Grab onto your fist with your free hand while still having both around the abdomen, then pull them both inwards and upwards.
-- Continue doing this action up to 5 times.

*Note that too much force may damage the lower ribcage, so do take caution.

Once the technique has been applied, evaluate the situation. Has the object been removed? If it hasn’t been expelled while the child is clearly aware, continue the Heimlich Maneuver. Always stay by the child’s side.

Even if the object has been expelled and the child isn’t suffocating, it is still best to consult a medical professional to evaluate his condition.

(B). IF THE CHILD IS UNCONSCIOUS
-- Lay them down onto a hard, flat surface.
-- Attract attention and call for help. Use your phone to notify the emergency hotline.
-- Open the child’s mouth. If you can clearly see an object that’s stuck and can be retrieved, try and take it out.
-- Apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation by giving the child a few breaths.
-- Always stay by the child’s side.

We are very sorry for the mother’s loss of her son. It’s a death that certainly could have been prevented had the responsible adults known what to do.

This article was first published on AfricaParent.com

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/how-to-save-a-choking-child/

Omar Ibrahim, a Nigerian, has emerged secretary-general of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO). His appointment was ratified at the extraordinary session of the APPO council of ministers, which held in Abuja, on Thursday. Ibrahim took over from Mahaman Gaya whose tenure ended same day.

The Nigerian, with a focus in international energy relations, has served as governor of the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) for Nigeria since 2015. He retired as group general manager in charge of international energy relations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

In a statement, Ibrahim was commended for the good representation of Nigeria in the comity of other countries in the continent.

“With this new appointment, Nigeria has firmly solidified its position in both Africa and the Global Oil and Gas Scene as an Industry Leader. In consolidation, it is important to note that the current Secretary-General of OPEC, H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, is also a Nigerian,” the statement read.

“Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the immediate past President of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, has continued to effectively provide the unparalleled leadership that has rightly emplaced Nigeria as an Industry Leader.”

SOURCE: http://petrobarometer.thecable.ng/2019/12/12/nigerias-omar-emerges-secretary-general-of-african-petroleum-producers-organisation/

Like some biblical prophets who ask God for signs to show they are indeed called by Him, Reinhard Bonnke, too, would put his call to test at a time he thought of taking the evangelism work beyond Africa to America.

A few days after praying to God for a sign, the German-born preacher was in a local church in Nigeria, when the crowd ran to him. Unknown to him, a man allegedly killed in an auto accident and whose body was brought to the crusade had been raised back to life, just as Bonnke preached on. Almost a replica of biblical occasions where people got their healing by just being around Jesus Christ who moved from one place to the other, doing the work of His father.

The wife of the man who had died learnt of Bonnke’s crusade in the town, and she held firmly onto her faith that her husband would be back to live if only she could get him to where Bonnke is.

“His wife was one with a promise from God that woman have received back the dead by resurrection. She said, ‘My husband will come back, and I have heard Reinhard Bonnke is in Onitsha this Sunday I will bring him there. She brought him there. I was preaching and I knew nothing about it. Suddenly, the man started to breathe. His story is awesome and what he was shown while he was in eternity,” Bonnke recounted in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network.

In another interview with TheNews, Bonnke said he had “not seen often the dead raised. What we saw with Daniel Elechukwu of Onitsha, I had never seen before myself, with my own eyes. That was the first time coming out the coffin after three days in the mortuary. ‘Rigours mortis’ set in. He was like a piece of iron.” For Bonnke, this landmark experience was such a powerful tool of evangelism.

Once, Jesus told a man whose son was going to die in Capernaum that except there are signs and wonders, people would not believe. This miracle at Bonnke’s crusade, indeed, drew more people to the evangelist and his subsequent outings were always crowded, and yes with those who came with bodies of dead relatives with that expectation.

NEVER THOUGHT MIRACLES COULD HAPPEN THROUGH HIM
As a budding preacher in Lesotho, Bonnke thought of himself as a missionary and not a “miracle worker.” He knew Jesus healed the sick, but he would not understand if that was his own calling. For his growing church then in Maseru, however, he needed to bring in preachers who God had been using for signs and wonders.

He was disappointed when one them he had invited failed to come for the meeting where people were expecting miracles. Angry, Bonnke went back to his church and what eventually happened set a turning point in his ministry.
“I drove to the venue, packed like never before. And I stood up and said to the people ‘the big man has left but Jesus stays. I started to preach,” he had said in the interview with TheNews.

“I preached for about 10 minutes when suddenly the power of God descended. My interpreter collapsed, cried like a little boy. I mean, not just sobbing, he cried like a little baby. My interpreter had become my interrupter, so I had to pause and suddenly, I heard the Holy Spirit in my heart and he said, ‘my word in your mouth is just as powerful as my word in my mouth.’ At first, it sounded to me like heresy. The Lord repeated it. ‘My word in your mouth is just as powerful as my word in my mouth’ And I knew that the power is in word of God. My interpreter had recovered and I continued to preach. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He said, to me, pray now for the totally blind. And I had never done that before. And the devil whispered in my ears ‘what if nothing happens? I said devil if that didn’t happen that is the point.

“The point now is that I obey the Holy Spirit. I said to the people, how many totally blind people are here? Four stood up. I had the boldness of a lion all of a sudden and I said to them, you are going to see me stand on the platform in two minutes’ time. And then I shouted ‘In the name of Jesus, blind eyes open.’ I had not finished crying when I heard a scream from the congregation, ‘I can see’ and another one ‘ I can see’ and another one ‘I can see’ And on and on. Oh! That day I learnt that the Holy Spirit is a healing spirit because blind eyes opened, cripples were healed and power of God filled the people with crying: they were laughing, they were falling to the ground and there was pandemonium. It was a holy chaos. It was absolutely fantastic.”

Bonnke would then realise that the Holy Spirit had sent the “so-called great man of God” away because God had already “launched his own church.”

LIVED IN REFUGEE CAMP AS A CHILD
Growing up memories wasn’t a beautiful one for Bonnke who was born in 1940 in East Germany during World War II. His family had to flee and became refugees in Denmark.

“We lost everything. We went with our mother, we were 6 children. I was child number five and just four years old when we ran for our lives. Somehow we crossed the Balfic Sea by boat just to escape the Russians – Soviet forces at that time. We landed in Denmark,” he narrated in the interview. All he knew then was barbed wire in a refugee camp, and this he said was why he had a very great compassion for displaced and poverty stricken people.

“I also remembered how we scratched for food just to survive. I had a very rough childhood,” he said.

THE ENCOUNTER THAT LED HIM TO CHRIST
While at the refugee camp, Bonnke never knew what money was as there were none around for him to see and know its worth. He explained that the Danish government gave them food and they got some clothes and they lived 4 families in one room.

“As a 9-year old boy, I got back to Germany, I discovered money, I realised that with money I could buy sweets. And I stole some coins from my mother’s purse. I went out and bought sweets. She caught me red handed but instead of punishing me, because that was what I deserved, she put her hands around me and said ‘Reinhard, you are on your way to hell, because you are a thief.’”

That moment, the Holy Spirit touched the heart of the boy who would grow to become a renowned evangelist. “I had made a petty theft; mother caught me and instead of punishing me she led me to Jesus Christ and I am eternally grateful,” he said.

As the book of Ecclesiastes reads; there is a time for everything; a time to be born and a time to die. After 79 years, in which a larger part was devoted to the work of Christ, Bonnke left this world on Saturday 7 December 2019.

Bonnke who founded the international ministry of Christ for all Nations (CfaN), was credited to have overseen the recorded conversion of 77 million people to Christianity. In 2017, Bonnke said his last prayers for Nigeria, a country he started visiting in 1985. He also introduced Daniel Kolenda, his successor.

His parting words to Nigeria: “As I bid Nigeria farewell, I pray for the national needs of this country, I say God bless the country Nigeria, I pray for God’s blessings upon the people, I pray for wisdom for President Muhammadu Buhari to lead this nation and to have the grace to take the right decision concerning this country, I pray for Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for God to bless him, I pray for Ogun State Governor Amosun, that God should bless him, I pray for Lagos State Governor, Akiwunmi Ambode, that the rivers of the living water flow through Lagos and I remove all the powers of the devil from the land.”

It could only be imagined, the melody from the angels as Bonnke exited this world to begin another journey, on December 7th, year of our Lord 2019.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants- Psalm 116:15

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/obituary-bonnke-firebrand-evangelist-who-encountered-christ-after-dipping-hands-into-his-mothers-purse

A senior lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Prof. Jerome Elusiyan, was on Friday 13 December 2019 shot dead by unknown gunmen. The Vanguard reported that a family source said the varsity don was travelling between Ekpoma and Benin alongside his driver when he was attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

The Public Relations Officer of OAUTHC, Mrs. Kemi Fasoto, also confirmed that the deceased, who was the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, was shot dead while his driver sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

SOURCE: https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/12/14/oau-professor-shot-dead-by-gunmen/

Volume of non-oil exports in the country increased by 374% in the 3rd quarter of the year, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. The value of non-oil export rose from N222.6 bn in the second quarter to N1.08 trn in the 3rd quarter.

According to the report, which was released on Friday, imports into the country declined 2.7% from N4.01 trn in the 2nd quarter to N3.89 trn in the 3rd quarter. Conversely, the country’s exports recorded an increase of 15.02% from N4.59 trn to N5.28 trn in Q3. From a total trade volume of N9.18 trn, the country recorded a positive trade balance of N1.38 trn in the quarter.

A breakdown of the data showed that the value of agricultural exports declined by 42.69% with agricultural imports declining by 4.64%. The value of manufactured goods exports increased by 839.44%.

“The notable increase recorded was due to the re-exports of high-value cable sheaths of iron, as well as submersible drilling platform, vessels and other floating structures,” the report read. “The value of crude oil exports in Q3-2019 was 4.79% lower than in Q2 and 9.62% lower than Q3-2018.”

According to the NBS, an increase in the import of wood charcoal, electrical energy and charcoal of bamboo which pushed the value of energy goods imports by 243.92%.

In the third quarter, crude oil export accounted for N3.74 trn or 70.84% of total exports.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/nigeria-records-positive-trade-balancenon-oil-exports-rise-374-q3

Despite the high level of crime along the Kaduna-Abuja road, Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, has listed it as the “safest road in Nigeria”.

Robbery, kidnappings and other forms of crime which happen frequently on the road have forced many to abandon it for trains. But speaking with reporters at a meeting of security administrators on Thursday, the governor said security agencies have flushed out all those perpetrating illegalities on the road.

He said the air force have helicopters that constantly hover over the road, adding that the kidnappers that use to terrorise people there have all been “wiped out or chased deeper into the jungle”.

“In the last few months, there has been great reduction in cases of kidnapping. Though, it is a combination of issues, but I will like to give credit to our commissioner of internal security and home affairs, because the creation of that ministry has raised the level of proactiveness these issues” he said.

He added that the security agencies have also “changed their strategies. So, they don’t wait until kidnapping takes place; they identify where the bandits are and they go and attack them; so the bandits have been on the run.
“In the past, we wait until it happens and then, we start running helter skelter.”

The governor said the “high level of coordination and cooperation within the security agencies” which helped in addressing the situation. “You find out that, the Air Force is in the air doing ISR, the intelligence surveillance and feeding the police and others on the ground with information. So, the level of cooperation has been enhanced and that has helped in dealing with these problems.

“A very good example is the Kaduna-Abuja road. The Kaduna-Abuja road has not witnessed a single incident of criminality or kidnapping in the last two and half months. But, many people still think it is not safe, they are not plying it and the rest. That road is the safest road in Nigeria today. Because of constant surveillance; the Air Force have helicopters and planes constantly hover the road and they are feeding information, and the kidnappers that use to stay around the road have all been wiped out or chased deeper into the jungle. So, combination of these three things is what significantly reduced kidnapping, but it is not where it was at all. The level of security and safety has improved significantly.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/extra-kaduna-abuja-road-is-the-safest-in-nigeria-says-el-rufai

Oil marketers in Nigeria and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have called for the removal of fuel subsidy. The groups said the Federal Government should stop the payment of subsidy, which gulped a whooping N60.37 billion in November 2019.

The oil marketers, under the umbrella body, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) said the Nigerian government should relax control and let the price of petrol be determined by market forces. The association said no matter how long Nigeria distances itself from the decision, it will have to embrace it at some point.

Nairametrics had reported that the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spent an average of N39.59 subsidizing every litre of petrol imported into the country in November 2019. The NNPC, which is the sole importer of petrol in the country, reported that Nigeria consumes between 55 million and 60 million litres of petrol every day while Punch reported that FG is expected to spend N750.81 bn on petrol subsidy in year 2020.

Subsidy payment degrades industry: Clement Isong, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, MOMAN, which comprises of Total Nigeria Plc, Forte Oil Plc, OVH Energy Limited (an Oando licensee), MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc and 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc), subsidy payment degrades operational efficiency and economics of the downstream sector.

“We are consistent in our view that the subsidy payment or subsidy in the petroleum downstream sector degrades operational efficiency and economics of the downstream sector. We don’t think it is good for the industry as a whole. The industry is fraught with malpractices throughout the supply chain and needs improved governance and transparency; we think it is only deregulation that can help us clean up the industry and bring back efficiency.” Isong said.

PENGASSAN’s spokesperson, Fortune Obi, also backed MOMAN’s request, stating that the position of the association remains that subsidy should be removed because the country can’t pay it forever.

Where subsidy payment will be useful: Both associations said the cost of subsidy could be disbursed to finance infrastructure which is in dire need of the capital. Also, while MOMAN said the payment on fuel subsidy could be used to improve the road, PENGASSAN called for the funds to be used on revamping the refineries.

Obi said, “Amount that is to be used for subsidy should be invested in our refineries to give us the quantity of petroleum products we need.” He advised that the government should invite investors and let them operate it as a commercial business.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/11/oil-marketers-pengassan-call-for-subsidy-removal/

A passenger, identified as Chukwuma Anthony Ezeh, on Wednesday 11 December slumped and died at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. An official source at the MMIA arrival terminal told the News Agency of Nigeria that the passenger slumped on arrival from China and died while waiting to collect his luggage

Ezeh, according to information on his passport, was 47 years old at the time of the incident. Spokesperson for the Police MMIA Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, who confirmed the incident to NAN at about 9.25pm on Wednesday, said the passenger came aboard Ethiopian Airlines.

According to him, the incident happened at about 3:15pm and the deceased was confirmed dead at the MMIA clinic. “While walking at the arrival hall, the man slumped and died,” Alabi said. He added that Ezeh’s body had been deposited at the Air Force Base Hospital mortuary.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/nigerian-arrives-from-china-slumps-dies-at-lagos-airport/

More photos from the trip...

After beating Lagos traffic, I finally arrive at a place Google Maps called Iju Train Station — it looked nothing like a train station. To the right was a middle-aged woman selling adequately roasted plantain, popularly known as boli. To my left were well-arranged tricycles, gently scouting for passengers. Soft work.

There were no signs of rail tracks, but in the distance, I could see what looked like a coach, so I avoided the temptation of settling for Boli, and maneuvered my way through the tricycles, and then I saw the fruits of Rotimi Amaechi’s many travels to China; the rail tracks.

As some children ran around the rail tracks, enjoying their afterschool free time, others hawked sachet water, groundnuts, and other wares of interest to those around and visiting the newly-functional train station. This train station is however not new at all, it was built by the British colonial government, before Nigeria’s independence.

The very first train ride from Lagos to Ibadan was taken in the early 1900s by the British government ruling in today’s southern Nigeria at the time. By 1964, the rail lines had transported 11,288,000 passengers and 2,960,000 tonnes of freight in a year, employing about 45,000 people, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

By 2003, these rail lines had fallen to its worst state since independence, leaving thousands jobless, and making roads suffer. The Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari administrations have since begun the resuscitation process for the rail lines, with an actual (free) commercial travel happening for the first time on the Lagos-Ibadan route in nearly 20 years.

ARRIVE AT TRAIN STATION 3 HOURS BEFORE TAKE OFF
I got to the train station a few minutes to 3pm on Thursday, December 5, 2019, and naively approached the entrance of one of the coaches, where I saw other people get on to the train. As I attempted to get in, I was stopped by a sturdy young man holding a hand-held Garrett metal detector. “Ticket please,” he said. I explained that I had no ticket, “I heard the train ride was free”. He asked me to enter the station office and get a ticket.

So I stepped back and walked carefully into the old British-built structure, which had 2006 census scribblings on its walls, and asked for a ticket. I was told the station was no longer giving tickets for the day. “The train is full,” the Ticketmaster said to a few of us attempting to get one.

A post-graduate student from the University of Ibadan said he was going back to school to write an exam he would miss if he went for a bus or car ride at that time. As he was explaining himself, a couple arrived and hurriedly joined the hunt for tickets, they were at the station the previous day but had missed the opportunity.

“I told you we should have left home by 1pm,” Sola Anibaba, a military officer, blames his wife, for the late arrival. By this time, the train was warming up for the trip. A group of 5 girls likely in their late teens arrived at the station to join the jostle for tickets. Ayo, Anibaba’s wife, told her husband that she was not to blame for the lack of tickets.

“The train leaves at 4pm, getting here at 3pm is early enough,” she said as she finds a seat on one of the narrow benches outside the ticketing office. “Besides, the money we spent getting here, is enough to get us to Ibadan but you kept saying you want the experience,” she blamed her husband in return. "I am a military man, I keep to time,” he retorted.

Ignoring the popular wedding ceremony Bible verse, “what God has joined together let no man put asunder”, the Ticketmaster eventually gave the husband a single ticket, setting asunder between them. The husband was keen to get on the train, asking his wife to tag along. She stood at a distance, and remained indifferent about the trip. ”Let me stay, I don’t like embarrassment,” she said in Yoruba.

As the rest of us pleaded for tickets to get on the train, two young men led their cattle across the rail track. “If we no get ticket, we fit do Ibadan by cow,” one of the potential passengers joked.

The NRC officials asked us to come back on Friday, as we would not be getting a seat on the trip to Ibadan. “You have to come as early as 12 noon, if you want to get on this train tomorrow,” one of the officers said. A few minutes to 4pm, we were gracefully allowed to enter the train, thanks to the plea of two senior citizens (pensioners), who arrived at 1pm but could not get tickets.

As you would imagine, I had to stand for most of the trip, no seats were available for “latecomers”. When the train service kicks off full operations, the tickets will be sold at the station, but the prices for the different classes — first class, regular — would be announced. The safety kits — fire extinguishers, first aid kits — were all in place, but no announcement was made to indicate emergency exits.

3 HOURS TO IBADAN — WORLD CLASS COACH AT ‘SNAIL SPEED’
Stepping into the coach, I’m hit by a wave of cold air from the air conditioning system, one of the major highlights virtually everyone on the coach spoke about, calling and advising friends who would later board the train to come with cardigans and blankets.

The coaches seem quite new, clean and world-class. I have taken trains in the US, UK, France, and in some Asian airports, I can say that the interior of the coach looks and feels as good or better than any of those nations. Better than London Underground for sure. But it travels at snail speed when compared to other rail travel. At an average speed of 40km per hour, the train takes approximately three hours to arrive at Ibadan. At some point during the trip, a motorcycle came for a speed test and ran faster than the train did.

For context, China’s G17 trains go from Beijing to Nanjing at a speed of 350km/h — this would make this three-hour Lagos to Ibadan trip in only 21 minutes. The Maglev train, which is being tested by the central Japan railway company, and expected to be the world’s fastest when it comes full throttle will go from Lagos to Ibadan in 12 minutes.

However, Fidet Okhiria, CEO and MD of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, had explained that the speed of the train will be minimal at this time, considering that this was just a test phase to determine key metrics for operating the train from April 2020. The rail service between the two cities is expected to have 10 stations from 2020, with a maximum speed of 150 km/h — making this trip in under an hour.

The stations for 2020 to include Apapa, Agege, Agbado, Iju, Kajola, Papalanto, Omi Adio, Ologuneru, and Moniya. But currently, it takes off at Iju, takes a stop at Abeokuta and terminates at Ologuneru in Ibadan.

We departed Lagos at 4pm prompt, made a stop for a few passengers at Abeokuta and arrived at Ologuneru, Ibadan, at about 7:01pm.

SHOULD YOU TAKE THE TRAIN?
For now, my answer will be mixed. No, if you need to get to Ibadan or Lagos in time: Returning to Lagos on Friday, from Ibadan, I got to the station at Ologuneru for 7:30am, and I was number 21 in the queue.

The train could only accommodate 36 passengers, two soldiers, one police and a man o’ war officer. Add 3 journalists and some staff of the NRC, the seats were filled, and standing was not allowed. Hence, to get a seat, you may need to get to the station about 2 to 3 hours earlier. Add another 3 hours for the journey, makes it 6 hours dedicated to one leg of the journey, plus an extra hour to get to your actual destination — that’s 7 hours. Lagosians will argue that Iju to Lekki may be more than an hour. It’s not worth it.

But if you fancy a good train experience without speed, then you should try this. It was my first time taking a train in Nigeria, as it was for many of the passengers on both trips I took. No refreshment on board for now, but you get to watch highlights of American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film, Frozen. No Odunlade Adekola or Genevieve Nnaji for now. Many passengers asked for Nollywood, but none was offered.

It’s a great place to also chat about Nigeria’s future with people whose first name you don’t know in free readers association style, but I think corporate people call it networking.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/reporters-diary-be-at-the-station-3-hours-before-take-off-welcome-to-the-new-lagos-ibadan-train-service

The further lowering of stop rates of NTBs at the primary market continued on Wedn 11 Dec, 2019 when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) auctioned N45 billion worth of the debt instruments to investors. Results of the exercise showed that the T-bills were offered for as low as 5% by the CBN.

CBN offered N5 bn worth of the 91-day instrument, N10 bn worth of the 182-D and N30 bn worth of 364-D. However, subscribers staked N53.9 bn on the 3-month tenor, N46.3 bn on the 6-month, and N192.4 bn on the one-year tenor, giving the total amount of subscriptions at N292.6 bn, N247.6 bn higher than the amount auctioned.

For the allotment, CBN sold N1.8 bn worth of the 91-day, N4.5 bn worth of 182-D and N38.7 bn of 364-D bills. For stop rates, the 91-D instrument cleared at 5%, lower than 6.40% at the previous session; the 182-D tenor was sold at 6.19%, vs 7.20% at the last PMA; while the 364-D maturity was allotted at 6.88%, vs 9.37%.

This left the average rate at Wednesday’s exercise at 6.02%, lower than 7.66% of the previous primary market auction. It is not certain how low the central bank would go in the cutting of treasury bills stop rates. Next week, another PMA would be conducted and observers believe the rates might still go lower. They are of the opinion that a raise would definitely occur next year at a point in time.

Since the CBN stopped local investors from buying its own liquidity management tool, the OMO bills, it has significantly reduced stop rates of treasury bills at the primary, which is still open for the restricted groups to purchase. However, the OMO bills rates have remained at double digits; still as high at over 13%.

SOURCE (abridged): https://businesspost.ng/economy/cbn-sells-treasury-bills-at-5-at-wednesdays-auction/amp/

Price of local rice recorded a significant drop after weeks of price hikes following closure of Nigeria's land borders. Latest Nairametrics Food Price Survey reveals more brands of local rice have now flooded major markets in the country, helping to drive down prices of local rice.

The latest household survey conducted by Nairametrics Research Team showed that some new brands of local rice now sell for as low as N17,000. Also, prices of other items like round shaped tomatoes, bags of onions dropped from what was reported two weeks earlier.

Despite the price drops, some major items like palm oil, groundnut oil and foreign rice increased in price. The report includes details on items that witnessed increase in price, items that reduced, special market/items as well as market insights.

ITEMS THAT RECORDED INCREASE IN PRICE
A 50kg bag of Caprice increased by 0.16% to sell at an average of N26,167 compared to initial N26,125.
A big bag of Garri (Yellow) now sells for an average of N6,250 from initial N6,125 indicating 2.04% increase.
Price of 5 litres locally made palm oil spiked 14.9% as it now sells for an average of N2,125 from initial N1,850.
25 litres locally made palm oil also increased 17.1% to N11,125 compared to N9,500.
25 litres locally made groundnut oil increased 25% to N13,125 from initial N10,500.

ITEMS THAT MAINTAINED INITIAL PRICE
Below are items that maintained initial prices over the past 2 weeks:

Household cooking gas maintained same price as recorded last time out; 12.5kg of gas cost an average of N3,900, while 5kg costs N1,525.
Various noodle brands still sell for same prices as they did 2 weeks ago. A carton of Indomie (Hungry man) sells for an average of N3,200, while Chikki (100g) sells for an average of N2,100.
Price of 50kg bags of brown beans (Oloyin) and white beans still sell for an average of N13,000 and N21,250 respectively.
A bag of Ijebu Garri and white Garri currently sell at an average of N6,700 and N6,125 respectively.
Juice brands such as 5 Alive and Chivita cost an average of N500.

ITEMS THAT RECORDED PRICE REDUCTIONS
A 50 KG bag of Royal Stallion rice reduced slightly by 1.56% to N26,333 compared to previous N26,750.
Big basket of round shaped tomatoes reduced by 10% as it now sells for N9,000 compared to initial N10,000.
Medium and small basket of round shaped tomatoes also reduced 14.3% and 33.3% to sell at N6,000 and N4,000 respectively.
Big basket of oval-shaped tomatoes now costs N7,000 compared to earlier cost of N8,000. This change indicates a 12.5% reduction in price, while a small basket of the same type of tomatoes reduced 10% to sell at N4,500.

SPECIAL ITEMS/MARKETS
Daleko market now has a new stock of locally made rice. Some new brands of locally made rice in the market include “Arinze”, “Mama Emeka”, “Crown Gold”, “Big Bull”, “Patriot”, “Usir”, LGS” and many others. These items sell between the range of N17,000 and N21,000.

As a follow up to an earlier report, the price of a big bag of new onions crashed by 16.7% as it now sells for an average of N25,000, while a bag of dry onions now cost an average of N22,000, indicating 45% reduction.

Price of maize still varies largely across various markets. However, a bag of yellow maize dropped significantly at Mile 12 market to sell at an average of N14,000 compared to N21,000 recorded 2 weeks ago. This change indicates 33.3% decrease. However, a bag of yellow maize continues to sell at N13,000 at the Mushin market while a bag of white maize costs N11,500.

MARKET INSIGHTS
Poultry owners are stocking broiler chickens as they prepare for Christmas business. This is according to a chicken seller who suggested that the commodity is expected to slightly increase in price going into the Yuletide. Meanwhile, layers are currently sold for N2,000 each while breeders sell for N5,000. Another brand of chicken called “Aguntan Ologan” is sold for an average of N4,000.

Nairametrics Research also found out that the price of pepper dropped again in the last 2 weeks as it now sells for an average of N10,000 compared to N14,000 previously. Price of the item reduced 28.6% within 15 days.

However, Mr. Babangida, a seller at Mile 12 market, enlightened the Research team, “The price varies according to time. A bag of pepper was sold for an average of N11,000 in the morning, while it costs N10,000 in the afternoon.”

Commenting on the crash in the price of tomatoes, a major tomatoes trader in Mile 12 market said, “The change in the price of tomatoes is not influenced by border closure, rather it is affected by supply in the market, as prices are easily raised when the commodity is not available. The price of tomatoes is not constant, it could sell at N15,000 tomorrow and drop to N6,000 the day after if there is a surplus supply of tomatoes in the market.”

Rice dealers at Daleko market confirmed to Nairametrics that there is no foreign rice currently in Nigerian markets. According to a major dealer, “There are various brands of locally made rice, some of which are processed to the standard of imported rice while some are stony. The better quality sells for an average of N21,000 while the latter costs an average of N17,500.

“The only issue is that many dealers now bag these locally made rice into foreign bags as a strategy for marketing, to attract customers to their shops. Retailers now sell local rice in place of foreign rice to consumers at the rate of foreign rice.”

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/10/new-brands-of-local-rice-flood-major-markets-as-prices-of-major-items-drop/

The stocks of Dangote Cement Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Nestle Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Seplat Plc have made the list of "shares of fortune", a report from ARM Securities disclosed.

Though the tide in Nigerian equities turned, as the All-share index lost its 4-week rally when it dropped to 26,855.52 points, with market capitalization shedding N70.8 bn, the stockbroking firm is optimistic that the stocks would give their investors expected returns on investment (ROI).

WHERE THEY STAND
1. Dangote Cement Plc (DANGCEM) is a leading cement manufacturer in Nigeria and it made ARM’s ‘STRONG BUY’ list. The firm’s earning per share (EPS) is expected to drop to N14 from the N22 billion that was recorded in 2018. This is due to lower volumes in Nigerian business (caused by increased competition from BUA Cement) and some of its Pan African business, as well as the high base of tax credits the company recorded last year.

Nonetheless, experts in ARM argued that DANGCEM, which currently trades at FY 19E P/E of 11x on its estimates, is cheap compared to its competitors, WAPCO and CCNN at 17.7x and 16.8x, respectively. The stockbroking firm also believes that the cement manufacturer’s current valuation is unjustified given the superior return on equity (ROE) of 24%.

2. Zenith Bank Plc also made the ‘STRONG BUY’ list at Fair Value Estimate (FVE) of N31.50. The stock’s performance shocked ARM’s experts so much that they had to adjust their projections for FY 2019, following some surprises observed in the bank’s second-quarter figures (Q2).

As stated in the report, “We revised net interest income lower due to compressed yields on its loans and treasury asset (H1’18 -10.6% against H1’19 – 9.1%) amidst contraction in funding cost. We adjusted NIR higher due to upward review of electronic fee income and trading book. We now forecast profit before tax (PBT) of N218 billion, while we cut our Fair Value Estimate (FVE) to N31.57/share from N33.71/share.”

3. Nestle Plc also made the ‘STRONG BUY’ list as its FVE was pegged at N1447.39. According to ARM, the conglomerate managed to stay afloat, reporting modest growth in earnings amidst incessant competition. As at end of last September, it’s Earning Per Share (EPS) expanded 11.2% year-on-year (YoY) to N46.48.

The growth of the EPS was driven largely by the absence of impairment charges, which created a high base for input costs over the same period in 2018. Asides the improved earnings, “its strong cash balance, ROE and 100% dividend payout further supports the case for a STRONG BUY rating.”

4. Nigerian Breweries Plc’s stock FVE was pegged at N75.82. Defeating obstacles like intense competition from International Breweries (IB) and graduated excise duty (+17% YoY) that kicked off on January 19, NB’s revenue growth is expected to be slow as ARM expects higher finance cost (+38% YoY) to be another pressure point to earnings in 2019.

“Given our case for a slight improvement in volumes and decline in cost of sales (-1.1% YoY), which translates to gross (+120bps YoY) and Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) (+101bps YoY) margin expansion, the misery seems moderated. Overall, the net impact of all our adjustments translates to PBT of N29.9 billion and EPS of N2.58 (+6.3% YoY) over 2019.”

5. Despite drop in Seplat Plc’s total production in Q3-2019 due to decline in gas production that offset the improvement in the oil segment, experts are optimistic that the stock remains a ‘STRONG BUY’. They attribute their projection to the fact that the stock remains positive on growth in production going into the final quarter of the year (especially in oil) and into 2020, as Seplat increases capital expenditure.

As stated, “Cashflows remain healthy. Upsides reside in the ANOH Gas project and acquisition of Eland Oil & Gas Limited.”

EXPERTS SAY …
Stockbrokers, who spoke with our analyst in separate interviews, agreed with the ARM report as they believe that the stocks listed above are investors’ delight.

A stockbroker, Abimbola Olaniyi, gave a thumbs-up for Dangote Cement, which operates across 16 African nations and controls about 60% market share in Nigeria. According to him, the earning profile over the last few quarters from Q1 2018 to 2019 revealed that its revenue grew by at least 12%.

“Though its revenue declined 0.80% in Q1 2019 as the company recorded N240.16b revenue, its performance has been very commendable as revenue increased impressively in each of the quarters of 2018.”

Experts in EFH Hermes Research also confirmed that despite food inflation that has slightly accelerated over the past 2 months, which is affecting the purchasing power of Nigerians, Nestle remains a major stock to watch in the consumer segment of the Stock Exchange.

With the further competition that would impact margins and significantly increase capex, “Nestle’s returns are expected to remain strong and well above its Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), and Returns on Equity as it would continue generating value over the coming years.”  

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/11/dangote-cement-zenith-bank-nestle-nb-make-experts-shares-of-fortune/

-- What were Nigerians searching for in 2019?
-- Which singers were searched for the most this year?
-- What was the top trending news moment of the last 12 months?

Lagos, 11 December 2019 – Today, Google announced the results of its 2019 Year in Search, offering a unique perspective on the year’s major moments and top trends based on searches conducted in Nigeria.

ASUU STRIKE, NAIRA MARLEY, WHAT IS XENOPHOBIA, WIZKID SEARCHES TOP THE 2019 GOOGLE TRENDING LIST

This year’s top trending news search is ‘ASUU Strike’, which took the highest place over other trending news topics like ‘AFCON 2019’, ‘Naira Marley’ and the ‘Women’s World Cup 2019’.

‘Naira Marley’ leads the list as the most searched person over ‘Atiku’ (Abubakar), Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party at the 2019 Nigerian general election and ‘Neymar’, Brazilian professional footballer. ‘Neymar’ made the lists as the top trending sports person searched by Nigerians in 2019.

‘Regina Daniels’ was the most searched actor, ranking over other actors like Genevieve Nnaji, Tonto Dikeh and Hadiza Gabon among others, while Wizkid,” Joro” was the most searched songs this year, and ‘what is xenophobia’. the most asked question.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/12/11/ASUU-strike-naira-marley-what-is-xenophobia-wizkid-searches-top-the-2019-google-trending-list/