₦airaland Forum

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

*Relevant agencies directed to collaborate in determined bid to go after 20 top defaulting entities & individuals

*Criminal procedures will now be applied

In a renewed and spirited effort to ensure the effective recovery of over N5 Trillion being outstanding debts owed the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a new task force has been set up to get the job done without fail.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, gave the indication during a meeting with board members and management of AMCON and selected heads of government agencies, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday evening.

Those agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and also the Permanent Secretaries of the Justice and Transport Ministries.

To this effect, a special task force/committee comprising of the Heads of AMCON, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Ministry of Justice, will be working to develop and implement new strategies that will ensure that the determination of the FG to recover the money is speedily achieved.

Prof. Osinbajo said all the relevant agencies have to re-strategize to achieve the desired results.

“The key is collaboration. We need a small team comprising these agencies to look at the next steps that we need to take, especially the criminal aspect, forfeiture, and all of that," the VP directed.

He said the task force should look at the top 20 AMCON defaulters closely and develop a plan of action that brings results.

It would be recalled that the Vice President had previously in May met with AMCON management to discuss how to resolve the issue.

According to the AMCON Chairman, Mr. Muiz Banire, SAN, almost 67 per cent of the outstanding N5tn debt is owed by just 20 individuals/entities.

Banire noted that the agency had been “trying its best in its attempt to recover this through the civil judicial process, but had encountered several challenges."

Also present at the meeting was the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu; Chairman, ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye; Director/Chief Executive, NFIU, Mr. Modibbo Tukur; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari; and other senior government officials.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
30th July, 2019

A senior lawyer and journalist, Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi has stated that General Tarfa’s testimony at the Presidential Election Tribunal did not contradict statements credited to President Buhari on his certificates being with the Nigerian Army.

General Paul Cardy Tarfa, during his testimony at the Presidential Election Tribunal was asked if when he was enlisted into the Nigerian Army, he and his colleague President Muhammadu Buhari were asked to hand over their certificates to the Nigerian Army, which he responded “there was no such thing.”

Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi in an explanatory statement made available to journalists highlighted that there was nothing new or contradictory by the testimony of General Paul Tarfa, as President Buhari never said that he submitted his certificate to the Nigerian Army.

“What the President always maintained was that when a coup was conducted against him, they [the Army] carted away everything from his house, including his personal documents, so it is the Army’s burden to produce it.”

The senior lawyer went further to state that he was surprised that this was being made an issue as it didn’t bring any new facts to the table.

“I am surprised this is even an issue. Has it contradicted anything? None! The President never said he submitted his certificate, so there is no contradiction. Nothing like that ever happened.”

A senior public servant who is abreast of the facts of the matter and pleaded to remain anonymous, explained that what happened then was that certificates were submitted by the schools to the Nigerian Army and students did not submit it themselves.

“The procedure then was for the school to send all communication to the then Royal Nigerian Army. So in General Buhari’s case, what happened was that the Principal of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina sent his documents, including his certificates, as soon as they were ready, and a letter certifying that he was suitable to the Royal Nigerian Army. It is not as we have now.”

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE


President Muhammadu Buhari extends condolences to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State on the passing of his father, Alhaji Umaru Badami.

The President also commiserates with the family, friends and associates of the 82-year-old who retired from the Nigerian Army in 1984.

Describing the late octogenarian as “humble, hardworking, generous, disciplined and God-fearing,” President Buhari applauds his patriotic services to his fatherland, community and humanity.

He urges Governor Fintiri and his siblings to keep alive the salutary values which their late father embodied.

The President prays Almighty God to console those who mourn the departed ex-serviceman and grant his soul rest.

Garba Shehu

(Media & Publicity)

July 29, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



* VP adds: This generation of Africans is the smartest ever

REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE FOUNDER’S PRESIDENTIAL DIALOGUE, 2019 TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION (TEF) FORUM, AT THE TRANSCORP HILTON, SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2019.

Protocol.

No matter how young or old we might be, our lives are essentially stories that are being written and revised every day. And those stories range from what is, to what could be, from the reality we are born into, to the ambitions and dreams that we create, desire and those we strive to achieve.

As I prepared for this event, I encountered a few of the many stories of the businesses and lives transformed by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and its various initiatives.

We have Mavis Nduchwa, who trained for the hospitality industry, and went on to a career as a TV presenter, and is today a successful farmer with the goal of feeding her native country, Botswana.

A decade ago, a Nigerian, Zion Oshiobugie, looked ahead at life as a domestic servant for a family member. Today, he is the proud CEO of a consulting company based in the same city where he started out as a domestic servant.

There is Mohammed Daoufhi of Morocco, founder of a 3-D printing company that produces affordable artificial limbs. Every day, he makes it happen for someone, he gives life to someone who had thought all life was lost when they lost their limb.

Cameroon’s Michel Nkuindija actually tells, and retells stories for a living through his company, Noohkema Game Studios, which develops video games that are based on traditional Africa myths and legends. His goal is to change the way Africa is perceived globally, and to give young Africans a reason to be proud of their cultural identities.

Across the continent in Uganda, Joel Cherop is a farmer, pushing the boundaries of agriculture using irrigation technologies, through the Atari River Integrated Irrigation Initiative Limited (ARII). Every day, he makes a difference in farming in his country.

From the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lino Alain Muniono, used seed capital to start an architectural firm, and Jose Kimoalou founded Wapimed, a health tech company providing quality healthcare across communities in the DRC.

Benin Republic’s Vital Sounouvou is promoting trade across Africa with his fintech start-up, Exportunity, a virtual market that is now directly supported by a leading African banking institution, UBA. In the age of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is perhaps no bigger or better opportunity to be exploring right now.

There are the hundreds who are also here and these stories are just a few of the thousands told and experienced by entrepreneurs, whose lives have been touched and transformed by the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP).

And even all of those thousands of inspirational TEEP stories are themselves, just a representation, a fraction, of what is out there across the continent. A landscape emboldened by multitudes of young people who are refusing to wallow in self-pity or frustration; who have realized that conquering the challenges of their environments are the milestones for outstanding success. Young men and women who have come to fully understand the transformational power of technology in the 21st century.

Here in this room is a great representation of what the private sector can accomplish. It is also hugely inspiring to us, as governments, and I am glad that a number of African governments are represented here, we are challenged to create the enabling environment for all of these young entrepreneurs to thrive.

Our continent continues to be defined by unsavoury and unwholesome stories, which do not often accurately represent the reality of life and opportunity. The people in this room are the perfect and long-awaited counterpoints to those one-dimensional narratives of Africa that have sadly gained ground over the years.

Outside on the streets of every village, town and city in Africa, are many more individual embodiments of the potentials of this great continent. But we can change some of the false and some of the true but unfortunate narratives of Africa. We must find young entrepreneurs and provide opportunities for capacity building. Our school curriculums must emphasize, not just Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics which we are doing now, but Critical Thinking and Entrepreneurship. And the promises that we have made of establishing Entrepreneurship Banks must be kept.

By birthing this particular intervention, TEEP, Tony Elumelu has compelled us to focus on what really matters, our youth and their dreams. The message to Africa’s emerging business giants is a clear one, how and what can you contribute, like Tony Elumelu, to empowering the next generation, helping them to realize their own dreams? And you gathered here in this room, helping you write, rewrite and revise the next chapter of your continent-changing stories.

Permit me a word to you, young entrepreneurs, I want to say to you that you live in the best of times. Always be suspicious of those who remind us of the “good old days.” They are probably suffering from a bit of memory loss.

Fareed Zakaria our moderator today, made a fascinating statement to the 2012 graduating Harvard class, where he made the commencement speech. He said that the smart phones that the young men and women in the room had in their hands, had more computing power than all the computing power in the Apollo aircraft that landed the first men on the moon.

Today, as we waited out here, I reminded him of that statement and his reply was, “Yes that was 2012. Today the smart phones these young men and women have, has 100 times more power, than all of the computing power of the Apollo aircraft that landed men on the moon.”

Today is the most advanced moment in human history and your generation is the smartest that has ever lived. We are holding our breaths for the incredible achievements you will make.
God bless Africa.

Thank you.

Released by
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


Africa's young men and women entrepreneurs will positively change the narratives about the continent, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Abuja at the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Forum 2019 where he was keynote speaker.

Describing this generation as the smartest that has ever lived, the Vice President further urged young African entrepreneurs to positively change the "one-dimensional narratives of Africa" through their skills, enterprise and vision.

"Our continent continues to be defined by unsavoury and unwholesome stories, which do not often accurately represent the reality of life and opportunity. The people in this room are the perfect and long-awaited counterpoints to those one-dimensional narratives of Africa that have sadly gained ground over the years.

"Outside on the streets of every village, town and city are many more individual embodiments of the potential of Africa. But we can change that story. We must fund young entrepreneurs and provide opportunities for capacity building. Our school curriculums must emphasize not just stem but critical thinking and entrepreneurship. And the promise of entrepreneurship banks must be kept," he said.

Highlighting some inspirational entrepreneurial stories from across the continent, Prof. Osinbajo noted that these stories represented a section of the huge potential for transformation on a continent's "landscape emboldened by multitudes of young people who are refusing to wallow in self-pity or frustration, who have realised that conquering the challenges of their environments are the milestones for outstanding success; young men and women who have come to fully understand the transformational power of technology in the 21st century."

The Vice President added, "Here in this room is a great representation of what the private sector can accomplish. It is also hugely inspiring to us as governments – and I am glad that a number of African governments are represented here – we are challenged to create the enabling environment for all of these young entrepreneurs to thrive."

Commending the work of the Foundation, in compelling African governments to focus on its youth and their dreams, the Vice President further said, "And the message to Africa’s emerging business giants is a clear one: how and what you can contribute, like Tony Elumelu, to empowering the next generation, helping them – you, gathered here in this room – helping you write, rewrite and revise the next chapter of your continent-changing stories."

The Vice President added that the world is waiting to see the exploits from Africa's youth.

"We are holding our breaths for the incredible achievements you will make," he said.

During the Forum's dialogue session moderated by CNN host, Fareed Zakaria; with panelists including the Presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; Senegal's Macky Sall; Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi; and Uganda's Prime Minister, Tuhakana Rugunda; the Vice President spoke on the steps taken by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to support budding entrepreneurs.

Answering questions from the participants, Prof. Osinbajo said the focus and drive of the Buhari administration in the past few years has been on supporting the growth of small businesses through investments in infrastructure and supporting technology adoption by small businesses.

According to the Vice President, “In the power sector, we have a willing buyer-willing seller arrangement that will bring in more investments into the power sector. By this arrangement, consumers are able to negotiate for the power they consume. We already have that in Ariaria Market in Abia State, Sabon-Geri Market in Kano, Sura Market in Lagos, and we are expanding to many other locations across the country.

“I am sure you would have heard the announcement of our collaboration with Siemens to take over the renewal of our transmission assets and some distribution assets and they will also undertake maintenance as well. So, we hope that things will improve considerably.”

“In technology, what we really need to do is to take care of the regulatory space. So, we have the entertainment and technology advisory council, we are looking at the regulatory space and ensure that we are able to keep it open and are able to keep it competitive so that technology companies can have more room to operate.”


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
27th July, 2019

**Restates President Buhari's commitment to development of region*


The victory of President Buhari at the 2019 Presidential election, the nomination of notable persons from Anambra State into the Federal cabinet and the execution of important federal projects in the region is ushering a new beginning, new vision and new direction for the region and its people, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.


Prof. Osinbajo who stated this on Friday in Awka, Anambra State during an APC Stakeholders Summit, said the foundation has been laid for the region to move to the Next Level.


According to. him, "In 2015, people were saying don't join APC, it is a Northern party or Southwest party. So, some were not convinced that they should belong. It is time for a new beginning; it is time for a new vision, it is time for a new direction."


Continuing, the Vice President said President Buhari had demonstrated enough commitment to support the development of the Southeast region and Anambra State in particular, through project execution and implementation of policies and programmes.

He said "I believe strongly that Anambra has a special place in Mr President's heart. First, in his political career, the first two times he ran for President, his Vice Presidential nominees were from this State - Senator Dr. Chuba Okadigbo (from Ekwueme Ogbunike) and Barrister Edwin Ume-Ezeoke ( Amichi).

"Aside from that, I am glad that the chairman of our party has already noted that the President has ensured that he has not failed to appoint Anambra indigenes and to do projects. The Second Niger Bridge, Zik Mausoleum, (contract originally awarded 1996, completed and commissioned by Buhari Administration). The 18km stretch of Onitsha-Awka road, ongoing Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Sukuk-funded), electrification project at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (making the campus one of the first Nigerian Universities to be given its own independent power supply provided by the Federal Government).

"Anambra State is today, one of the 7 States that has two ministers in the present cabinet. In the Social Investment Programme - under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, the number of school pupils currently being fed is put at 119,760 in 869 schools while 1,045 cooks have been engaged."

Prof. Osinbajo, however, clarified that in order to guarantee transparency in the Social Investment Programmes, especially the N-Power programme, they are not executed along party lines.

"It is for Nigerians irrespective of which party you belong, under the N-Power, candidates have to fill the form online, you do not need to belong to our party.

"Under the N-Power scheme, Anambra has 16,348 beneficiaries while under the TraderMoni loan scheme, 30,774 loans have been disbursed. Under MarketMoni 4,340 persons have benefitted, while 7,207 have been paid under the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme."

While urging party leaders and faithful to leverage on the good deeds of the Federal Government in the region and work together for the growth of the party ahead of future elections, Prof. Osinbajo said, "I am here to open a fresh chapter."

"Life is dynamic. Things are moving on every day. Standing still or not moving is not an option. Anyone or group that fails to move in a dynamic environment will find that you are actually going backwards. Anambra State must move on," the Vice President reiterated.

Earlier, while appreciating the President for recognizing the State, the party members and stalwarts requested for more recognition at the national level.

The meeting was attended by party leaders in the Southeast, including acting APC State Chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike.

Others at the meeting include former Governor of Anambra State and Minister-Designate, Dr Chris Ngige; APC Gubernatorial Candidate in the last Election, Dr. Tony Nwoye and APC National Auditor, Sir George Moghalu. Also, former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, was represented by Rt. Hon. Eugene-Odo, former Speaker Enugu State House of Assembly.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media &Publicity
Office of the Vice President
27 July 2019

Not too long ago, news about the Ministry of Agriculture’s proposed ‘RUGA Settlements’ broke, evoking outrage sparked by tribal and religious sentiments that fueled misconceptions, debates and misunderstanding of what the program was set to achieve.

The nomenclature seemed to be part of the problem: Ruga is a Hausa word that means “a Fulani settlement”. With a raging sentiment founded on ignorance and ethnic division, an internal form of xenophobia, against the Fulani ethnic group, more or less because President Buhari is one, the term Ruga it seemed would not fly in many parts of the country. Yet the concept, though inchoate, if well thought-out, planned and deployed was aimed at placating clashes between herders and farmers. Herders and their cattle are accused – and most times rightly so - of illegal grazing activities on farmers’ farmlands. This has been scientifically blamed on environmental and demographic forces, especially desertification caused by climate change and population explosion. The proliferation of small and light weapons in the intense competition for land and resources have further aided criminals and marginalized groups to capitalize on the conflicts; thus there has been the consequent rise in cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency, rural banditry and ethnic militia. Given that host communities (including farmers) have access to sophisticated weapons, minor disagreements or provocation often degenerate into violent clashes causing widespread destruction of property and human casualties.

According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI, 2018), nearly 1,700 violent deaths have been attributed to clashes between herdsmen and farmers between January and September 2018, six times more people than those killed by the terrorist group Boko Haram in that same year.

Land scarcity, the over use of resources, and climate change have dried up fertile land in many parts of Northern Nigeria which the Fulani have historically used for grazing, driving many of these pastoralists into other states inhabited by farmers; crop yields of Nigeria's middle belt and southern-based farmers are threatened due to the increased presence of cattle roaming on farmlands. The Fulani herders are mostly ascribed the Muslim identity, while the farmers are predominantly ascribed the Christian identity, seamlessly adding a religious dimension to the conflict over resources. These farmers, especially those in the southern parts of the country perceive the influx of “Muslim” herders as an Islamization drive. Hate speech has also become an accelerator of violent conflicts alongside the phenomenon of fake news worsening its negative impact. As such, the insecurity and unavailability of land in both Nigeria's northern and southern states has the long-term potential to disrupt the country’s agricultural and livestock economy.

But it has always been a looming crisis. Back in 1965, the Northern Region Government created a ‘Grazing Reserve System’ with over 417 grazing areas across the north. Under this structure, the government provided space, water and vaccinations for the livestock while the herdsmen paid taxes in return. However, the discovery of oil and subsequent exploration made Nigeria an oil rich economy, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s spawning an abandonment of the project. As a fallback, herdsmen began to resort back to their traditional and seasonal grazing routes which had been interrupted by industrialization, urbanization and other natural factors marking the beginning of a decades-long conflict between farmers and host communities. Till date, these clashes have been on the increase and now constitute one of the major threats to Nigeria’s national security.

As part of measures to end the persistent friction that has claimed lives and properties, states like Benue and Taraba began enacting legislations prohibiting open grazing within their borders. This, they hoped would reduce the risk of herdsmen destruction of farm lands and the associated attacks causing displacement and loss of many lives. But little or no progress has been made; while the clashes seem to rear its head every now and then.

The contest has thus created 2 key gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural practice - first, an inability to meet domestic food requirements and second, an inability to export at quality levels required for market success. One of the Federal Government’s approaches to curb this dilemma and protect lives as well as the nation’s food security is the development of the National Livestock Transformation Plan, which many still confuse as RUGA. [ Recall that the Ruga Model Settlement was suspended by the President, as it was said not to have been in accordance with the already approved plan by the National Economic Council, the National Food Security Council and the Federal Executive Council’s National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP). It was also a unilateral implementation by the Ministry of Agriculture.]

The NLTP commissioned by the National Economic Council which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chairs is a blueprint that will support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in the livestock ecosystem for improved productivity through breed improvement, pasture production, efficient land and water capacity enhancements. The scheme seeks to provide a similarly conducive habitation for nomadic herders and those who rear livestock using a private public partnership model for its set up. It is designed to create a basis for leading agribusiness companies to emerge along the lines of Brazil’s JBS, The USA’s Perdue or the Sino - American Smithfield. Most importantly, the scheme will, to a great extent, stop the spread of violence and insurgency in the affected regions, by simply keeping herders away from the farms of farmers. It potentially would aid significant boost in Nigeria’s agricultural productivity, a sector that currently employs about 38% of the total working population and accounts for a large share of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is killing two birds with a stone; restore peace in the region and create more wealth for the those in the line of farming and livestock business.

Contrary to speculations, NLTP benefits all involved, from the farmers to those in animal husbandry and not just cattle herders; with no intent of enforcing the project on any states, as states are not just at liberty to adopt, they are expected to develop their own home grown plans for implementation. The FG’s Plan is to settle them in an organized place with basic amenities like schools, hospitals and veterinary clinics, thereby adding value to meat, diary and other animal products. The project is voluntary for all 36 States, with options of presenting their unique delivery mechanisms according to their respective challenges. To be clear, while a number of states in the conflict zones will receive high levels of attention, the purpose of NLTP is to catalyze a transformation in livestock production systems across Nigeria in a defined and effective manner. However, the process will continue to require an expansion of the role of private capital and investors, accelerating the rate of formation of small and medium sized enterprises and improvements in overall condition of doing agribusiness.

Recent estimates puts Nigeria’s livestock population at 19.8 Million cattle, 43.4 Million sheep, 76 Million goats and 213 Million poultry, all under traditional pastoral management - the reason our productivity is amongst the lowest globally. Thus the need for commercial ranching models for a country with 250 million people by 2030. Nearly 60 percent of the ruminant livestock population is found in the country’s semi-arid zone and mostly managed by pastoralists. Domestic production of livestock products is far below the national demand, resulting in large imports of livestock and its products. The annual expenditure on food exportation amounts to USD 3-5 Billion annually putting pressure on the National foreign exchange with milk importation alone amounting to USD 1.3 Billion per annum. Except for eggs, the domestic production of animal products is less than half the demand for beef mutton and goat meat, while for milk and pork products it is less than quarter the demand.

The livestock industry development is constrained by low productive breeds, inadequate access to feeds and grazing lands, lack of processing facilities, low value addition and technical inputs in the management of the animals, diseases and conflicts.

The NLTP’s agenda is to to create new opportunities for farmers and provide more affordable and healthier diets for future generations. Managing this growth also requires a complex institutional response that can stimulate income and employment opportunities in the rural areas, protect the livelihoods of small farmers, improve resource-use efficiency at all levels of the value chain, minimize negative environmental and health consequences, and ensure adequate access by the poorer sections of society to the food they need to live healthy lives.

NLTP plays an integral role in revolutionizing how livestock farming is practiced and its effect on the nation’s economy, social well-being of its citizens and huge export capacity. Its implementation strategy identifies five main pillars as priority areas: Conflict Resolution, Justice and Peace, Humanitarian relief, Human Capital Development and issues on Gender, Youth, Research Information and Strategic Communication.

As the decades old conflicts between farmers and pastoralists surface and resurface every now and then, a sustainable solution must be designed, one that equally looks at the big picture that caters for the economic opportunities that come with pastoralism and husbandry, while also developing the needed human capital for the long term. This is what the National Livestock Transformation Plan ultimately seeks.

The needless sentiments that followed the RUGA scheme must be put aside as the Federal Government looks into the implementation of this programme alongside willing states. Ethnic, tribal and bigotry-defined points of view must be set aside to accommodate the NLTP’s long-term solution. Needed stakeholder consultations have been made through the National Economic Council, with input from traditional rulers and relevant stakeholders of cattle breeders and farmers associations. It is expected that Governors and these stakeholders carry the message of peace, reconciliation and development that the NLTP brings to their states and their local communities to ensure there is understanding and buy-in of it before acceptance. This is where Ruga failed. Nigeria needs the NLTP as much as it seeks peace, stability and development.

Richard Ogundiya is a journalist and researcher, and writes from Lagos.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT


In continuation of the series of consultations with a number of leading traditional rulers in different states to help bolster security architecture in local communities and effectively tackle security challenges around the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, met with traditional rulers in Osogbo, Osun State capital, today.

Speaking with the press after the meeting with Obas in the state, including the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran; and several leading traditional rulers in the State, Prof. Osinbajo said this part of the consultations highlighted the importance of community policing as a major aspect of improving the security architecture in States.

The Vice President further said that effective collaboration between local police officers alongside neighbourhood watch programmes in States would help combat security challenges.

Prof. Osinbajo noted that traditional rulers constitute a very important part of this arrangement (security architecture) in states, because they act as the interface between the State governments’ and Federal Government’s security architecture.

“We try to look at how all of these would work effectively. Obviously, we need more men and women on ground, we need more security,” he said.

The Vice President added, “We spent a fair amount of time trying to understand the security architecture of the State; where the difficulties may lie and steps that need to be taken. As you know, we’ve already had consultations with the State governors, including State governors of the South West. We’ve also held consultations with the service chiefs.

“So, this stage of the consultations with the traditional rulers is very important, because they are the most important component of the security architecture of the State, in particular because of the plans that we have for community policing. And I’m sure you’ve heard the Inspector General of Police talking about this. It will involve recruiting policemen locally in their local government areas, and letting them remain in their local government areas where they’ve been recruited. Obviously, they would better understand the landscape, their neighbourhood and places.

"And of course, we also expect that they would be working with the neighbourhood watch programmes in the various States.”

The Vice President assured Nigerians that the Buhari administration has set up measures to effectively tackle security challenges nationwide, including the recent Shi’ites protest in Abuja, emphasizing that President Buhari puts a premium on the lives and security of all Nigerians.

According to him “I’m sure you heard already what the President said about it (Shiites protest) and the instructions that was given to the Inspector General of Police. Some of these issues are dynamic and we have to keep ensuring that we are steps ahead of them. I’m very confident that given a lot of what has been done already, and what the IG himself intends to put in place, we’ll be able to contain most of the security challenges without much problems.”

The Vice President was accompanied by the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Alabi, who hosted the meeting at the Government House, Osogbo. Other security chiefs, including from the police and the military were also in attendance.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
23rd July, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

Determined to develop and reinforce effective strategies towards addressing security concerns around the country, the Federal Government has begun a series of consultations with a number of leading traditional rulers with the aim of securing the peace and effective maintenance of law and order across the country.


To this end, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to embark on the consultations as the Federal Government with the collaboration of the States is working to significantly improve security in local communities while rearranging the security architecture nationwide.


Prof. Osinbajo dropped the hint today in Ogun State at the take-off of what is expected to be wide consultations with key traditional rulers in the state, and across the country.


Answering reporters' questions after separate meetings with the Akarigbo of Remoland and the Awujale of Ijebuland, the Vice President noted that the consultations would be done with traditional rulers across the country to ensure peace and security in their communities.


“As you know, there are many significant concerns all over the country; and of course there are concerns also in the South West. So, I’m here on the instruction of Mr. President to consult with the Kayibesi, Governor Dapo Abiodun and other stakeholders on what to do to beef up security, and to generally improve the security architecture," according to the VP.


After meeting the Awujale, the VP said “of course, you know that the Kabiyesi is not just the traditional ruler, but also a very important part of the government. That’s why we are here to speak with him and to agree on a few modalities for beefing up security, ensuring that we are fully conscious of all that is going on around us, and just to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.


"There are some who might want to cause instability and difficulties, but we are very confident that God helping us, working together as a nation, we will be able to overcome all our problems and set our country on the path of peace and prosperity," he noted.


The Vice President further said the Federal Government, in collaboration with State Governments, has taken significant steps to improve security, while there would be further consultations with the traditional rulers.


Prof. Osinbajo noted that the governor of the state was committed “to ensuring there is peace and security and that everyone who lives in all our neighbourhoods, localities and communities live in peace with each other and that we maintain a high level of security.”


On the nationwide consultations with traditional rulers to improve security in their respective communities, the VP said, “we are consulting with many of the traditional rulers all across the country. But there are concerns in the South West. I’ve started here in Ogun. We are also going to be in Osun State on Tuesday. We are also going to go round and see several other traditional rulers. Primarily, they themselves want to participate. We’ve spoken at various times and they want to participate in improving the security architecture."


"One of the things that Mr. President has spoken about is the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security in their own locality. As you know, they are the closest to the grassroots, to their communities. And one of the critical things that we expect is that even with our community policing efforts; we expect that there would be some interventions between the traditional rulers, the community police and some of the other efforts that they are making to improve intelligence to understand what is going on. We need to know who is where and what exactly is happening all around, so that these can then be transmitted to the security agencies.”


The Vice President would continue on the consultations early next week.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
20th July, 2019

*• Says discussions bordered on ensuring peace in the country*

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday met with two royal fathers in Ogun state in a bid to ensure the safety of live and property as well as fashion modalities for lasting peace in the country.

At the palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, Prof. Osinbajo assured Nigerians of President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to improve the security situation across the country.

At the meeting which had Governor Dapo Abiodun in attendance, the Vice President assured Nigerians that engagements will be held across the country to ensure that Nigeria is peaceful.

Speaking briefly to newsmen after meeting with the Akarigbo, he explained that the security concerns in Nigeria are top priority for the government and engagement with stakeholders is important to finding a lasting solution.

“As you know there are many significant security concerns all over the country and of course there are concerns also in the South West, so I’m here on the instruction of Mr President to consult with Kabiyesi, the Akarigbo of Remoland, Governor Dapo Abiodun and other stakeholders on what could be done to beef up security and also generally to improve the security architecture.

Explaining why he met with the Akarigbo, he said, “Of course you know that Kabiyesi is not just the traditional ruler here but also a very important part of the government, so that is why we here to talk to him and to agree on a few modalities for beefing of security and for ensuring that we are fully conscious of what is going on around us and also to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.

Asked what his advice to Nigerians are, he said, “I think the most important thing is for all of us to realize that we are one country and we all have to work together to ensure that our country is peaceful, secure and happy for all of us.

“This country has the potential to give us everything we can desire and everything that we need. There are many amongst us who may want to cause instability and difficulty as well but we are very confident, God helping us, that if we work together as a country and as a nation we will be able to overcome all our problems, and then set our country on the path of peace and prosperity.”

The Vice President is now meeting the Awujale of the Ijebu, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona for more consultations on security issues.

He is accompanied by Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Ade Ipaye, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser on Political Matters as well as other aides.

1. Rock, maybe Aso
2. Tiv Dancers
3. Calabar Masquerade
4. Argungu Fish Festival
5. Igbo Traditional Male Dancers.
6. Wall of Emir Palace
7. Fulani Herdsman & Cows
8. Benin Bronze
9. Durbar Horse Riders
10. Lagos Traffic
11. Fulani Girls With Calabash
12. Unidentifiable Historic Monument.
13. Carving of Southern Lady
14. Immigration HQ Building
15. Benin Mask
16. Savannah Forest
17. Rural Village Setting
18. Abuja City Entry
19. Hausa Trumpeter
20. Offshore Oil Rig
21 Akwa Ibom Female Dancers.
22. Obudu Ranch Cable Car
23. Canoe Transport
24. Lagos Eyo Festival
25. Rock-Jos, Abeokuta or Ondo
26. Nupe Bronze Carving
27. Acrobats Possibly S.E
28. Rock/Tree in Arid Background
29. Yoruba Masquerades
30. Waterfall
31. Statue of Ogun, god of Iron.

The Presidency wishes to seize this moment to reiterate the government’s unwavering determination to secure the release, by peace or by force, the remaining 110 Chibok girls, Ms Leah Sharibu and all other citizens held captive by terrorists.

It is imperative to do this at this time in view of the doubts that may possibly arise following the release of a new book, “Beneath The Tamarind Tree”, written about the kidnapping of 270 Chibok school girls, by Isha Sesay, the ex-CNN star and now a Child Rights activist.

This book should serve the useful purpose of spotlighting the crimes against humanity by Boko Haram terrorists, etching it permanently on the public mind.

In addition, the book should rightfully stir up interest and rally international support for the young girls on the continent who must stay in school and avoid early pregnancy and marriage, in order to actualize their God-given potential.

In her introduction of the book, Isha claims that she wants to “humanize” the girls, instead of them being seen as “mere headlines”.

She acknowledged the release from Boko Haram captivity of more than 50 percent of the girls under the Buhari administration but says, very rightfully, that “we must not forget the 112 who are still missing”. On this, we share a common position.

In stitching together her compelling portrait of this unfortunate yet paradoxical incident, Isha, this terrific journalist risks a negative judgment of history on a book that is a farrago of misrepresentation.

It is wrong of the author to say, of the Buhari administration that “they don’t know who to negotiate with” because Boko Haram had split into factions.

This is a misrepresentation of the position of the government on split in the leadership of the terrorist group into two contending factions.

When government spoke on the issue, it was clear that this split had the effect of making negotiation and reaching an agreement a more difficult talk. Otherwise this country and our international partners are still engaged through third parties with the terrorists.

While it is true that the government has no information on where the captives are held, otherwise it would have seized the location and recovered the girls using all means at its disposal, it is equally incorrect to say Government had given up on the Chibok girls when the truth is that there is nothing on the ground to give that impression.

In the Ministry of Women and Social Development, there is a fully staffed government unit dealing with the Chibok abductions and its fallout.

This book asserts that the government and people of Nigeria no longer cared about the girls because “they are poor...they don’t have famous names; people just don’t care.” No. Nigerias care, and that is why the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG movement was able to generate “the groundswell of public opinion “as acknowledged by the author.

Yes it is true that “the only reason“ the sitting government at that time “acknowledged fully what had happened” was due the public outcry but it is again unfair to lump criticism on the Nigerian Government without differentiating which of the two administrations that served Nigeria from 2014 to date.

The Buhari administration came in 2015 with a promise to recover the stolen girls and a milestone has indeed been achieved by bringing back and caring for the more than 50 percent of them, even though the job cannot be said to be complete.

No one here is giving up and we happy that the individuals, groups and nations partnering with the administration have continued to show interest in securing the release of our daughters.

We are happy to partner with Isha on her charity that engages adolescent girls in West Africa (W. E. Can lead) and I write to invite her to visit Nigeria again for her continuing update on the Chibok situation and possibilities of partnership with our caring administration over the future of our youths, particularly of the girl child.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 15, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE




The Federal Government is making concerted efforts to tackle the country's security challenges to ensure protection of lives and property, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, said today in Ondo during a condolence visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti, whose daughter, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, was killed by gunmen a few days ago in the State.


Condemning the killing, Prof. Osinbajo prayed for God to comfort the family, noting that Government and security agencies will ensure the killers are brought to book.


The Vice President who was accosted by journalists after condoling with the Fasoranti and Olakunrin families in Ondo stated that "this is a massive tragedy as you can imagine, and we have seen it precipitated here and there, kidnappings and death. By and large, we are looking at the whole security architecture and trying to upscale the security architecture, to ensure that we are able to protect the lives and property of Nigerians."


"We can be hopeful that we will see peace and calm as some of the steps we are taking come into fruition. As you all know, I have met with the Governors in the Southwest and Governors in the different zones, everybody is coming together to look at what to do to ensure that security is adequate and that everyone feels safe and secure."


Speaking further, the Vice President emphasized the importance of community policing to prevent the occurrence of such dastardly crimes.


He said, "As you know, the President, very recently, met with the Service Chiefs, and also with the Inspector General of Police, and they have laid out a new policy on Community Policing. One of the most important things in these sorts of crimes, because they are largely economic crimes, is that people are trying to make money by kidnappings.


"One of the most important things is gathering intelligence and that is why we have Community Policing; where policemen will be trained in their own local governments and remain there. This is as close as we can get to the Community Policing structure that we expect to have.


"The other thing is that we are also engaging the Army, so there will be a bit more military presence, especially along the roads and as you’ve heard, the Inspector General of Police has committed to full coverage with even helicopters, first in the search for the killers, and also to ensure adequate presence to deter this kind of terrible situation from recurring."


While noting the challenges of security in a hugely populated and dynamic country like Nigeria, the Vice President said the government will continue to take dynamic measures to tackle the challenges to secure lives and property.


Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

Office of the Vice President

14th July, 2019

*Calculated plot to distract, maliciously attack Osinbajo 



A political group in Nigeria has accused Punch Newspaper of allowing itself to be used by the Peoples Democratic Party to propagate its Dubai strategy aimed at tarnishing the image and goodwill of persons in government, especially the President and the Vice President.



The Initiative to Save Democracy, ISD, in a press statement on Saturday said the latest report by the newspaper:  OSINBAJO'S FIRM LINKED TO COMPANY FINGERED IN ALLEGED N100B ALPHA BETA SCAM, was a pointer to the fact that it was working to spread fake news and be mischievous.



Sunday James Akinloye, President of the group, said even though Punch Newspaper failed to establish any clear cut relationship between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo's former law firm and Ocean Trust Limited, it still went on to publish the report.



“To think that three reporters and perhaps two editors sat down to deviously concoct a fake news against the Vice President is rather frightening. Prof. Osinbajo has nothing to do with this old and stale matter, yet the paper used his name as the headline, trying so hard and desperatly to link him to it.



“Is Punch saying that if the VP has stakes in First Bank, MTN or any other company he is responsible for the actions and inactions of such organizations? This is the worst kind of reporting particularly from Punch, a newspaper that is fully implementing PDP’s Dubai strategy. Nigerians and all people of goodwill are hereby reminded of the evil intentions behind the whole charade against the VP.



“Let me state categorically that Simmon Coopers is not Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s firm as alleged by Punch Newspaper. Even the skewed report stated that Simmons Coopers was listed as a company in which Prof Yemi Osinbajo (now Vice-President) ‘had’ a stake in his asset declaration form in 2015. The VP could not have continued with the firm and he resigned before he became VP. This is public knowledge."



Mr. Akinloye then went on to explain that not only does VP Osinbajo have nothing to do with the law firm or its transactions; Simmon Coopers again has said it is not the Company Secretary. This is also in the public space.



“Our checks with Corporate Affairs Commission officials show that Simmon Coopers were never appointed Company Secretary instead there was a resolution to appoint Simmon Coopers but they were never appointed.



“Punch was handed fake documents which they published on their website. Anyone can go to CAC to verify the documents, they are completely fake claims. A paper submitted by a company to  CAC of its plans or intentions is not the same thing as a CAC document.  It is intriguing that Punch editors and reporters could not understand or comprehend this basic things."



He pointed out that the inaccurate report by Punch tried to link the VP to a case he knows about. “This is what Punch Newspaper has become and it is no surprise that two of its editors were recently sacked for this poor sense of judgment and professionalism. We hope these reporters are served same treatment,” he said.



“Students of history, will be perplexed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in July 2018 had investigated this matter, 7and the Vice President was not associated with the case in anyway.



He said the reporters who wrote the story, they have a track record of reporting falsehood especially against the VP, a part of the Dubai strategy.



“Nigerians still remember the fake news by Eniola Akinkuotu, one of the many lies on VP like “Osinbajo puts TraderMoni tour on hold” or Tobi Aworinde’s “Buhari return and sidelines Osinbajo” or “Tinubu, Ambode alleged feud puts godfatherism in the spotlight” where they all sought to malign the person of VP Osinbajo.




“This is unacceptable to attempt to link a man to an issue he has no business with and this is the way that Punch newspaper has been conducting itself for many years.



“Prof. Osinbajo is a man of integrity, he is a honest man who has served Nigeria in every way possible, the least he deserves is this kind of fake reportage. Nigerians must be weary of reports like this."



This story is a clear malicious attempt to impugn the stellar credentials of perhaps Nigeria's most influential & hardworking Nigerian VP, ISD noted, adding that such will not fail."

By Ismail Akanji

"Give honour to whom it is due" this often repeated classic came alive on the 10th day of May, 2019 when the Publisher of Swift Reporters, Adewole Kayode, presented, on behalf of his editorial team, the first ever Swift Meritorious Award to no other a personality than the Director General of The Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Ali Pantami. To qualify for this award, in the words of the publisher, one must "have demonstrated, over a significant period of time, dedication to the promotion of Information Technology combined with a strong sense of civic duty". This criteria and any other one set, could only have been met by Dr Pantami.

That is how high he raised the bar. His achievements in improving Nigeria’s information technology compliance is very visible. Beyond his Agency’s characteristic policy of building human capacity by offering scholarships to deserving Nigerians, and strictly on merit, NITDA under the leadership of Dr. Isa has repositioned the IT industry in Nigeria: It has organized cyber security awareness programs to educate Nigerians on how they should operate in the cyberspace; his efforts earned the country the number 4 spot on the African continent in the ranking of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Global Cybersecurity Index.

NITDA under Dr Pantami has identified seven areas from the current administration’s priorities and crafted its strategy from this, setting its own agenda on how it would help the government achieve its objectives in the following areas:

· Sustainable home grown products;
· Job creation and wealth generation;
· Revenue generation;
· Capacity building;
· Cost streamlining and waste reduction;
· Anti-corruption; and
· National security.

As governance in Nigeria witnesses a paradigm shift, electronic governance is slowly building it's way into the nation's consciousness. And it should give every Nigerian joy that Nigeria is not being left behind due to the efforts of people like Dr. Pantami. As can be gleaned from the activation and implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Automated CAC processes amongst others, Nigeria’s governance space is being defined for the better by technology. Not just to ensure smooth running of governance but even to check excesses and cut the potentials of wrongdoing by the civil service. And even beyond these, these policies are opening Nigeria up to the international commerce space and allowing local entrepreneurs and start -ups earn foreign exchange.

Local Start-Ups have a place in Dr Pantami’s heart. His role in helping grow Nigerian companies like PiggyVest cannot be overemphasised. Today they are known for making strides geared towards making it possible for people to accept payments for products and services. Nigeria has an opportunity to establish itself as one of the most attractive FinTech hubs in the world. We have the capacity. FinTech opportunities in Nigeria are expanding by the minute - and the efforts of this industry can potentially redefine the financial services landscape of the world in the next five years.

NITDA has taken the bull by the horn on this. It has not only harmonised all government's IT systems, it has constructed 3 hubs for IT, 80 centres for digital job creation, 8 virtual libraries, 86 centres for building digital capacity amongst other things. They have assumed their role - and rightly so - as the clearing house for all IT projects in MDAs. That means all IT projects embarked by any government institution must follow an approved template and standard set out by NITDA, and it is been implemented vigorously. This would ultimately ensure that substandard technology is not brought into the country, and there is compliance with our laws that give local technologies an upper hand in procurement.

Dr Isa Pantami has not only succeeded in repositioning the agency to a height unattained in its history, he has also made the agency - and Nigeria’s information technology space - attractive for investors. He has played a critical role in ensuring government agencies key into information technology framework in their processes and activities. Through the deployment of IT software and hardware in government Ministries and Agencies, Nigeria saves N24.7 Billion monthly.

With all these in place, Nigeria is steadily coming out of the woods and embracing information technology for growth - with Dr Pantami on the saddle, the journey is propitious indeed.

Ismail, is a business man and technology enthusiast, he writes from Abuja.

The Buhari Media Organisation(BMO) has cautioned the National Christian Elders' Forum (NCEF) over its allegation that the Federal Government of Nigeria(FGN) is persecuting and condoning wanton murder of Christians in the country.

The BMO also faulted the NCEF for calling the FGN a liar for the latter’s rebuttal of allegations raised by the Christian group in its petition to the British Parliament on the state of security in Nigeria.

The NCEF had written to the British Parliament, appraising it of ‘the high level of insecurity in the country’, in which the group, among other things, accused the Nigerian government of persecuting and killing Christians. But the government wrote the parliament, saying issues raised by the NCEF were untrue.



In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke in Abuja, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as unfounded allegations raised by NCEF in its petition, particularly its claim that Christians in Nigeria were being persecuted and murdered under the current administration, with no evidence on ground to substantiate such claim.

“This deliberate action of the NCEF to cast aspersion and paint the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in bad light, particularly in the eyes of international community is unpatriotic, wicked, tendentious and a selfish and desperate move to blackmail the government.



“This is clearly a move to cause disaffection among the two major religions and their adherents and also to portray the Buhari administration as a hater of Christians.



"This will of course exacerbate the already fragile relationship between the faithfuls of the two religions, which could, in turn, culminate into religious crisis and heighten the state of insecurity in the country”.

wondered what a group that comprised notable and respected Nigerians like Gen. T.Y Danjuma, Gen. Joshua Dongoyaro, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Dame Priscilla Kuye, Chief Solomon Asemota among others, stands to gain in disseminating falsehood about an administration which has been working tirelessly to restore hope to the people and enhance security of the nation and her people.


“Rather for NCEF to channel its energy towards breeding hatred, violence and dividing the country along religious and ethnic lines, it would have been doing the country a great service by offering useful ideas and joining other patriotic Nigerians in rallying round the current administration in bringing succour to the people".

According to the BMO, it is unfortunate that this group has refused to acknowledge the various efforts being taken by the Buhari administration in addressing some of the knotty security challenges confronting the country. “If the previous People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration had taken half of the measures the current government has taken in addressing the numerous problems facing the country, the country would not have been experiencing the current social–economic challenges.



“We make bold to say that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has recorded landmark achievements in the area of security within the last four years, compared to past leaders who had governed the country.

“Besides embarking on unprecedented projects and policy moves that are reforming Nigeria and delivering on the promises he made, the administration had in the last few months strengthened its security apparatus and reinforced its working force in tackling the security challenges confronting the country.

“As the NCEF look to unleash its personal agenda, we direct the group’s attention to the fact that prior to assumption of power by the Buhari administration, no less than twelve local governments were under the firm control of Boko Haram in the North East, before the current administration came to flush them out and restore peace and security in the entire North East.



“If governments in the past had been this sincere in transforming the lives of Nigerians, if they had invested half as much in the Nigerian people and the security as the Buhari administration is doing, Nigeria would by now have developed characteristics very much like the proverbial Eldorado,” said the BMO.

“We assert that it is evident that NCEF and its members are blinded by passion of hatred borne out of their inability to realise their base material aspirations in the Buhari administration.

“They refuse to acknowledge and comprehend the quantum of challenges and work on ground for the Buhari administration to fix.

“NCEF cannot be in this country, and still be out of touch with the remarkable progress by the current administration in the area of security across the country, as compared to the last four years of the PDP administration. To utter such puerile remark about the state of security in the country today shows a frightening disconnect between the group and present realities.



“It is evident today that the Buhari administration is fixing and constructing roads in their hundreds across the country, transforming the Second Niger Bridge from mere political campaign tool as used by previous administrations to a reality. Also, the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Buhari administration, among other initiatives of government, has been giving loans to farmers engaged in rice and wheat farming where over 250,000 farmers have benefited.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*VP receives Netherlands Trade Minister

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, continues to emphasize the firm commitment of the Buhari administration on Human Capital Development, stating that the Federal Government is creating economic opportunities for young people, and ensuring a conducive environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he received in audience a delegation from the Kingdom of Netherlands led by its Minister for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Mrs. Sigrid Kaag.

During the meeting, the Vice President also witnessed the signing of a communique on the bilateral consultations between Nigeria and Netherlands. While the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Sunday Akpan, signed for Nigeria; the visiting Netherlands Minister signed on behalf of the Kingdom of Netherlands.

The Vice President stated that one of the primary objectives of investments and Human Capital Development is to promote inclusive growth.

“That is particularly important for us because we have a large population and we also have significant problem of poverty. We recognize that our population constitute a strength, even in potential. And we have been committed to human capital development, especially in the areas of education and healthcare; where we are ramping up our investments.

“What we are trying to do in terms of Human Capital Development is for the Federal Government to intervene so that we are able to encourage the states to do more and to follow much more on the national plan.

“On June 20, the President announced the plan for free and compulsory education for the first nine years of a child’s life and the enforcement of that.

“And it’s very important for us in terms of policy because we believe very strongly that if we are able to do so, we will be in a position to strengthen that foundational part of the life of young people, because these young people constitute over two-thirds of our population, and they represent, in our view, the strength of the nation going forward in practically every aspect of life.”

“We are really committed to Human Capital Development, and that’s an area where we really would appreciate your collaboration, especially with respect to some of what we are doing with young people in terms of training and technology. We have, at the moment, about 500,000 people who are engaged in what we call N-Power, where they are given devices with lots of training materials across all the states in Nigeria. They are also trained as extension workers, teachers, in technical areas, building, electronics and technology.

The Vice President added that the Buhari administration intends to ramp up this policy focus so as to empower more young people with skills and opportunities for economic development, noting that Government was “working hard to create opportunities for our young people, because we have a duty to provide for our people and we don’t take that responsibility lightly at all. We should work together to see how we can beat some of these challenges.”

According to him, “we have a lot of young people who are at the moment very engaged in the areas of various technology startups, which is a big area for us. What we’ve done in that area is to invest in technology hubs across the country, so we are partnering with civil societies and some private companies; like Cisco. Microsoft is building the first African Development Centre here in Nigeria.

“So, we are partnering with some of the big companies to look at how to do more in terms of encouraging tech startups and also improving broadband connectivity, which we hope will also help our plan for financial inclusion.”

The meeting discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral economic relations, within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concluded and signed by the two countries following President Buhari’s visit to the Netherlands in July 2018.

During the meeting focused on concrete areas of closer collaboration and intensified cooperation, it was agreed that a working group would be established that will focus on the growth of trade and investment between the two countries; and would explore opportunities to further increase trade and investment volumes between the two countries, especially in the areas of agriculture, food production and distribution, and food security.

Also, in the overall objective of creating a mutually beneficial business environment, the working group will also pay special attention to youth employment and entrepreneurship, capacity building and knowledge sharing, and on promoting Dutch and Nigerian private and public investment in the agricultural sector in line with the Buhari administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

In her remarks, Kaag said Nigeria remains a global player and strategic partner of the Netherlands, adding that the Netherlands Government would establish programmes that will focus on knowledge exchange, capacity building, private sector development and value chain transformation.

Also present at the meeting, beside the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; were Mr. Lot Egopija, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Foreign Affairs; Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo; Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Yewande Sadiku; and other senior government officials from both countries.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
9th July, 2019

The recently held protest by a group led by the musician Idris Abdulkareem against the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has been described as misguided with ulterior motives, with a lack of understanding and offensive to the institution of the Church by the Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD).



The socio-political and democratic group, led by Akinloye James, its President issued a statement stating that the protest had certain politicians behind it, and had found a pawn in Idris Abdulkareem to carry out such distasteful move against the Church.



The group went further to describe the protests as a waste of time, as the protesters had little or no understanding of the issues they were raising, most of which bordered on what it described as “The delusion of Islamization.”



“Over time Nigerians have been bamboozled by an idiotic delusion that the country is being shepherded into islamization. Nothing could be more idiotic. Forgive the hard words, but it is expedient. Anyone who cries out that there is an Islamization agenda has zero understanding of Nigeria’s laws. And cannot comprehend what it means to Islamize a country where the population is divided equally between Christians and Muslims.”



“There can be no Islamization of Nigeria. It is impossible. The leadership of the country is already shared between a Muslim President and a Christian Vice President. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who I know personally is a Christian and the leader of the men’s fellowship in his Church in Wuye, Abuja.”



“We have a legislature that is abundantly filled and divided with members of both faith, so how is it possible that a law for Nigeria’s Islamization would pass through? In fact who would sponsor it?”



The group also stated that the claim that the Church had been silent on the issue of the abduction of Leah Sharibu was absolute falsehood.



It noted that Churches, both individually and collectively were constantly praying for Leah Sharibu.



“Asides the fact that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has been a leading voice for the release of Leah Sharibu, he is in full knowledge of the facts that would lead to her release and is making the needed interventions for its hasty but diligent execution as the number two man in government. In unison, the Church is also praying. Daddy Adeboye is praying. Daddy Oyedepo is praying. Daddy Adeferasin is praying. Among many others. Both in the face of the public on their pulpits, and also in their closets. They don’t have to tell you.”



“But we don’t expect a man who has no known morality, and who doesn’t understand Christianity to know these facts. A man who has been sponsored by demonic elements would not know these things.”



“Idris and his group of dense protesters would not also know that over 12,000 women and children have been released from captivity from Boko Haram - both Christians and Muslims. He also seems to be unaware that the Ruga policy has been suspended.”



The group accused Idris Abdulkareem of being used to push an agenda of fear and evil.



It went further to blast Idris Abdulkareem for having a comatose career that he was seeking to refresh by turning himself into a protester-for-hire.



“Idris Abdulkareem has presented himself as fodder to be used to desecrate the house of God. That a man who has no career, who has no moral standing, is being used to pitch the house of God against men of God is unfortunate and offensive.”



“We as a socio-political group would not condone, nor accept such insulting moves. We call on those behind this to leave the house of God out of their dirty and crude politics that disrespects the divine.”

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF.YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF CHIEF OLUSEGUN OSOBA’S MEMOIR; BATTLELINES: ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM AND POLITICS ON MONDAY, 8TH JULY, 2019.


PROTOCOL.

Chief Olusegun Osoba's illustrious career as a journalist and later politician, have also by some uncanny stroke of good fortune, placed him at the centre of many defining moments and situations of post-Independent Nigeria.

Arguably the most memorable is his January 1966 scoop; the tragic discovery of the bodies of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh, not long after the coup that ended Nigeria's first Republic.

He was there on the frontlines in many sectors of the Civil War, recording and reporting the horrors and tragedies of a factional war. And it was he who witnessed the surprise visit of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to Lagos during the Civil War.

He was also right there on the frontlines, nine years later with exclusive reporting during the coup that brought General Murtala Mohammed to power.

He happened to be in the Governor's office in Enugu when the then Commissioner of Police, Kafaru Tinubu, sent word of the capture of Lt. Col. Bukar Dimka, the man who assassinated Murtala Mohammed. He was the only journalist to see Dimka in handcuffs in police custody in Enugu.

But his scoops went beyond the political, he exclusively reported the case of British born Patrick Chadwick, who slapped a Nigerian sales girl, Adekunbi Adeite, at the Kingsway Stores in Lagos (this despicable business of slapping women seems to have been around for a while), and how the UAC and some other journalists tried to cover it up. It became a national issue and the UAC eventually punished the culprit and he resigned.

At different times, Chief Osoba ran two of Nigeria's most important and influential papers; Daily Times and Sketch, also The Herald, before joining a distinguished cast of journalists who went into and succeeded at politics, (I'm thinking of illustrious names like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Papa Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Bola Ige, Lateef Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, and many others.)

He was there when General Ibrahim Babangida took over and was also at the centre of Abiola's campaign, from the Jos primaries to the annulment.

He was in the NADECO resistance. He was one of those hunted by the Abacha's strike force. I was the prosecuting Attorney General who led Sergeant Rogers in evidence when he described how they had trailed Chief Osoba in a bid to kill him.

He was elected Governor under the Military Diarchy of 1990-92, and under the new civilian dispensation in 1999. He was in the opposition in its various iterations for all of 16 years and now in the ruling party. His life story is the insider’s view of the socio-political history of post-independence Nigeria.

But perhaps the most remarkable attribute of this Illustrious Nigerian is his pan-Nigerianism; that effortless ability to build bridges and make friends from across various divides.

That gift of connecting with people, earning their trust and confidence, of being able to get along with a diverse cast of Nigerians from all walks of life. This has evidently contributed greatly to the successes he has notched up in his twin careers of journalism and politics.

There is a paradox here, the subtext of Osoba's autobiography "Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics," is the tragedy of ethnic and religious jingoism in Nigeria.

The collapse of our national achievements and attainments at every stage of our history has been that Achilles Heel, the tribal and religious suspicions. The inability at crucial moments, to bridge the gaps of ethnic and religious prejudice. So, from the execution of the coup of 1966, the countercoup, later that year, and the Civil War, starting in 1967, it is clear that these tragedies occurred because the once united Military wing of the Nigerian elite, finally gave way to its basest instincts - ethnicity and tribal prejudices. Years later, the scars and fractures remain.

Chief Osoba's story also tells us how the political elite also played the ethnic card to defeat, what would have been a national struggle for democracy; the struggle to restore MKO Abiola's mandate won by votes enthusiastically given by men and women of all tribes and faiths across the country, including the Kano home State of his opponent.

But it wasn't difficult to begin a process of delegitimizing it. The tactic is the same and the consequences devastatingly effective: ethicize it. And so, they did. Northern Governors of the NRC, the party that lost the election, issued a statement saying that Abiola should be advised to give up his campaign for the restoration of the June 12th mandate, that any such restoration should begin with the restoration of the sacred mandate given to Shehu Shagari and forcefully taken from him in the wake of the 1983 Military coup. The Eastern NRC Governors had earlier issued a statement threatening a secession of the Eastern States from the rest of the country, if the annulment of the June 12 election was reversed.

The Military dictatorship took advantage of the ethnic divisions, to make it seem like a Southwest struggle for one of its own, rather than a struggle for democracy and justice, in the process imposing one of the most fearsome repressions of liberties anywhere in the world.

Our recent history is the same. The religious or ethnic card is pulled out regularly to win the argument or the votes. The problem is that the resort to our fault lines is a cover-up for the failure of a vision and a genuine programme to address the real concerns of the millions of our countrymen and women. It also breaks our ranks and prevents the pursuit of our real enemies, poverty and its causes and manifestation, poor education and healthcare, violent extremism, etc.

There are, for example, those who for political reasons, promoted the point of view that violent extremism of Boko Haram was the brainchild of the APC and its putative presidential candidate, a plot to Islamize Nigeria.

This wicked lie was only debunked when then General Muhammadu Buhari was attacked by the same Boko Haram, he barely escaped with his life and he lost seven close aides and relations. Not long after, the same group attacked the Emir of Kano who sustained serious injuries. In the lead up to the 2019 elections, similar accusations on the Boko Haram insurgency, the Fulani Herder and farmer clashes were made. The attempts by the political elite to delegitimize the government by the suggestions that it promotes insurgency are, of course, dangerous mainly because they help the insurgents by weakening the opposition to them.

What is the truth? As we have seen, there has been a curtailing of the threat represented by Boko Haram, but we have also seen other threats emerging; Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) and others in the Lake Chad islands and parts of Southern Borno, radical Islamist terrorism, is an evil that must be seen as the common enemy of all faiths, including Islam.

As the President said and I paraphrase, "anyone who says Allahu Akbar and goes on to kill is either insane or dangerously ignorant of the tenets of Islam."

The likes of Boko Haram, ISIS, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and many Salafist-Jihadist ideologies are expansionist ideologies that feed purely on hate, hatred of any person or group that does not belong to their particular sect. They have no redressible grievances, so there are no terms of reference for peace. They are fanatics committed to a twisted creed. They exploit the ignorance of the tenets of Islam, poverty and exclusion, recruit men and women and use children to perpetuate the most heinous atrocities.

They are motivated by a satanic desire to control communities by murder and terror. Whether it is in Iraq, Borno or Syria, their victims are men, women and children, Muslim or Christians, so long as they do not share their sick ideology, they target churches, mosques, markets and motor parks, where people gather, using children as human bombs to kill randomly, regardless of tribe or faith.

I have seen the charred bodies of the dead men, women, children killed by suicide bombers in Gombe, Borno and Kano. The bombs are the ultimate agnostic destroyers, no discrimination in death. The challenge for us is to recognize this extremism for what it is. To form alliances across faiths and ethnicities, to destroy an evil that confronts us all. Every evil that confronts our nation and our people can be defeated by the power of unity; a recognition that we are stronger together than apart.

Chief Osoba's life and times speaks most eloquently to the power of building bridges, finding common ground, and resisting divisive narratives, especially in a country as diverse as Nigeria, a country where it is extremely easy to find reasons to languish in stereotypes and suspicions, where far too many of us by default, lapse into ethnic camps.

Virtually every major actor in the Nigerian story over the last six decades shows up in the pages of Chief Osoba's book. He tells us and I quote from page 177 of the book, “There was no nightclub I did not visit with the likes of Babangida, Ike Nwachukwu, Air Marshal Abass, Air Marshal Bello and Sam Amuka, Moses Gowon, Fela Marsh, Alhaji Usman Nagogo, Ciroma Minna, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and Isyaku Ibrahim. We tagged Isyaku Ibrahim as the Godfather of our social circle of the era.”

Well, while I do not recommend night clubs, we must never underestimate the significance of interaction, and a willingness to understand the other person’s point of view.

Before I sit, let me say a word of prayer. At 90, God gave Abraham a mandate. God has given you a fresh mandate, you are only 80! I pray that as your days, so shall your strength, wisdom and favour with God.

Happy Birthday sir.


Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
8th July, 2019

1. The NEC Committee on the Farmers/Herders Crisis under the chairmanship of Mr. Vice President, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo met today, 3rd July, 2019.

2. Members that were present were Mr. Vice President who presided over the meeting, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State who is the Chairman of the NEC-Sub Technical Committee on Farmers/Herders crisis, Governor of Kebi State who is the Vice Chairman of Food Security Council, Governor of Plateau State, Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; office of the Vice President, Permanent Secretary; Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Andrew Kwasali-Secretary of the NEC-Sub Technical Committee on Farmers/Herders Crisis and Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

3. Members deliberated on the NEC and Federal Government approved programme of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).

4. Members are aware that Mr. President has suspended the implementation of RUGA programme initiated and implemented alone by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources because it is not consistent with the NEC and FGN approved NLTP which has programmes of rehabilitation of displaced IDPs within crisis States and development of Ranching in any willing State of the federation.

5. The beauty of NLTP is that what NEC and FGN approved is only voluntary to all the 36 States who may like to participate.

6. That any state that is interested in NLTP is required to bring development plan in line with NLTP for implementation in his State which will be unique to the State based on the challenges of the State.

For most of the country’s democratic sovereignty, there’s been enough disparagement about the weakness of the nation’s second office. However, one gripping fact from the 2019 general elections is the rising power of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the public’s increased interest for his job more than in other election cycles.

Six years ago I sat in a room filled with young professionals and graduates who claimed to be interested in national politics, only 3 people knew who the Vice President of Nigeria was at the time, Namadi Sambo. It wasn’t so strange, the same goes for Atiku Abubakar, President Buhari’s strongest contender in the 2019 general elections; not a lot of people can point out to his deeds and accomplishments as the Vice President of Nigeria between 1999 to 2007, save allegations that haunt him to this day. By his own conduct, Professor-turned-Politician, Yemi Osinbajo, a central across-the-board figure, exercising his shrewdness and mild suaveness in his service as Buhari’s deputy provoked this sudden outburst for credo. While many argue that the VP office is like the human appendix, a vestigial organ on the body politic - unnecessary, Prof as he is fondly called has broken the jinx; he is arguably Nigeria’s most industrious VP on record. Since assuming office in 2015, he has worked with relevant departments and agencies to identify problems and recommend solutions regarding economic development, healthcare, foreign exchange policies, poverty alleviation and food security.

With vast experience in international law practice and academia, the VP has served in several positions of authority and contributes to the national discourse even before his foray into active politics. As Attorney General of Lagos State, he is credited with undertaking far-reaching significant judicial reforms, addressing critical areas as judges' recruitment, remuneration, training and discipline as well as access to justice for the poor by establishing appropriate institutions in the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and the Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC). He solitarily founded the Orderly Society Trust (OST), an excel literacy programme that aims to provide children in public primary schools with the same level of training in English as is available to their counterparts in private schools. His drive for getting the average Nigerian child quality education doesn’t stop at that, he organized the Liberty Schools Project that still provides free primary school education with free school lunches to poor children. The Project currently has three sites, one very close to where I live in Lagos.

In 2016, when the nation’s economy hit a nosedive, the VP alongside the National Economic Council which he chairs presented ‘59 strategies for implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The efforts of the NEC were instrumental in defining Nigeria’s policy direction and prudence that saw Nigeria ushered out of a recession quicker than economists predicted. Policies such as the unpopular ban of FOREX provisions to 41 items made significant impact in managing our scarce Dollars at that time.

On the President’s directive, he plays a significant role in the ‘Niger Delta New Vision’ plan - a set of promises, solutions and initiatives the President Buhari administration has set in place for the restoration of peace and ensuring the region benefits maximally from the nation’s oil wealth. The programme has fostered security in the creeks and enabled an increase in production and hitch-free flow of crude to the international market. Along with 12 Federal Ministries and state governments, Professor Osinbajo launched the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Clinic (MSME), a scheme addressing the plethora of challenges affecting the growth and productivity of growing businesses to bring about significant and sustainable GDP growth, employment generation and increase in local productivity.

Osinbajo’s claim to fame can be traced back to May 2017 when he was conferred the Acting President of the Federation during President Buhari’s medical leave. Unlike his predecessors, President Buhari vested all legal powers to him in accordance with the constitution. As Acting President, Osinbajo exhibited fearlessness and charisma, taking decisive and perhaps dramatic actions. He ordered the overhaul of SARS - the Police’s notorious anti-robbery squad and demanded quick investigation of numerous allegations of assaults by the unit. He sacked Daura, the DSS Chief, describing his actions as ‘unacceptable and a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order’. Indeed, he knows his stuff. In that interlude, when he wasn’t leading FEC meetings, he was engaging the 36 states with a keen interest in grassroots politics, women affairs, agriculture and young people. He has shown a mastery of communication and responsibility; like President Buhari, he is still actively engaged in the fight for the return of kidnapped girls and the welfare of their families; during the campaigns, he held numerous town hall meetings across the country and participated in youth-led initiatives clamouring for change. In less than 5 years on the national scene, he has gained good popularity among the Nigerian people for his achievements and dexterity in handling national issues.

In the cyberspace, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has gathered the most likes, comments and engagements, grossing over 500,000 likes on Facebook, 2 million followers on Twitter and 500,000 Instagram subscribers and social strength of 16 million, he is the second most-followed Nigerian politician after his boss President Muhammadu Buhari. For the first time in a long time we are witnessing a proactive and dynamic 62-year-old man - petite, eloquent, tech-savvy, and an unassuming leader.

While a vice presidential pick has never been solely credited with swinging an election, it can leave an indelible impression about the judgment of a would-be president or help address something that is lacking at the top of the ticket; whether it be a regional appeal, ideological purity, religious sentiments or a gap in their resume. Sometimes, it's all of the above.

His role in the country’s technological ecosystem cannot be easily undermined. From being part of a tech tour around hubs and start-ups across Nigeria to facilitating the 2016 Aso Villa Demo day, a platform meant to promote innovation and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-ups solving local problems. Interestingly, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his first trip to Africa and was also part of the pitch competition to which the VP played host. At the Google For Nigeria 2018 event, Osinbajo assured that Nigeria will partner with Google to boost internet connectivity nationwide. You’ll also catch the VP at creative events and spaces where Nigeria’s new age is being celebrated. Whether it’s at the Ake Book Festival, Art Summits or Fashion Week, he appeals as a desirable model of what a progressive leader should be.

Many also love him for his religious ties, prior to his role as VP, Professor Osinbajo served as a top pastor in the Redeemed Christian church of God, Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal Church body, but beyond this, his sheer honesty, intellectual acuity and genuine delight has caused him to be loved by all and sundry. His rise to the heart of the Nigerian people has been an easy climb.

Richard Ogundiya is a Journalist covering technology, politics, development and culture in Africa.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*VP: Buhari government committed to securing release of Leah Sharibu, other abducted girls

*Nigeria is a great nation, says US VP


Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and his American counterpart, Mike Pence, held discussions yesterday in the White House, with both leaders affirming the mutual benefit inherent in a deeper bilateral relationship between both countries.

At a meeting laced with friendly banter, cordial exchange of pleasantries and sharing of faith values, both Vice Presidents in their discussion on economy, military assistance and other issues, affirmed the need for continuous observation of the rule of law, while also noting Nigeria’s pride of place on the African continent and America’s reputed global leadership.

Issues discussed at the nearly hour-long meeting & interaction between the two leaders include how to counter extremism, the threat of global terrorism, and the continuous observation of the rule of law, among others.

While both leaders agreed on the need to strengthen the economy and markets generally, Prof. Osinbajo added that, “The US is a natural ally of Nigeria, as Nigeria and US have many things in common."

He noted that with Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa, its market offers great opportunities to US investors.

The Nigerian VP stated that his visit to the White House is to further deepen the relationship between the two nations and their people.

In their discussions on economic matters, Mr. Pence said, “Nigeria is a great country, rich history, with a population of 200 million people, that’s a great nation. We want to see Nigeria prospering more."

US VP Pence then told his Nigerian counterpart that, "I am grateful that you reached out, the door is open for more dialogue."

He said Nigeria should continue to pursue market reforms in the economy and encourage an independent judiciary, adding that the rule of law will contribute to Nigeria’s future.

Both leaders also discussed Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts, during which Prof. Osinbajo spoke on how Nigeria is deepening the manufacturing industry and trying to reform the power sector to allow for more investors.

He appreciated the support of USAID through its Power Africa initiative that is helping Nigeria to further open the space in the power sector.

On the issue of security challenges and military assistance, the Nigerian VP thanked the Trump administration for its support on the purchase order for the Tucano aircrafts, stressing that such military equipment will help the Federal Government in the battle against terrorism and insurgency.

Discussing government’s efforts to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, Prof. Osinbajo expressed the commitment of the Buhari administration to continue to negotiate for her release and that of the remaining abducted Chibok girls.


“Over 100 of the Chibok girls that were abducted even before President Muhammadu Buhari came into government, have been released under the Buhari administration," the VP explained adding that most of the Chibok girls, 90% of them, were also Christians.

The American VP appreciated the efforts of the Nigerian government and offered US' support in ensuring the release of others still abducted. Mr. Pence said he “appreciates the perspective on Leah Sharibu,” adding that, “I am aware of the sensitive nature of her plight," while also noting that most of the girls that were released in the Chibok abduction were Christians.

Recalling how President Muhammadu Buhari was himself attacked by Boko Haram terrorists in 2014, the Nigerian Vice President said it is the firm and often publicly stated view of President Buhari that anyone who kills an innocent person and then says "God is great" is either insane or simply does not understand what he is saying.

Vice President Osinbajo returned to Abuja this morning.


‘Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
27th June, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*Nowhere was the word exaggerated used


Our attention has been drawn to misleading reports in a section of the media purportedly made by and attributed to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on the security situation in Nigeria, in New York.


For the purpose of clarity, and the records it is pertinent to state that Prof. Osinbajo was entirely misquoted and his words taken out of context in the said media reports especially those that quoted him as saying that "Kidnapping in Nigeria is exaggerated and not entirely new"


Nowhere in the Vice President's remarks at the townhall meeting with the Nigerian community did he use the word "exaggerated," not even by implication.


His remarks about the social media being hysterical was a general response to comments made by participants at the meeting about information on happenings in Nigeria especially as they relate to security being shared on social media platforms by unverified sources.


WHAT THE VP SAID

According to the Vice President "I really will urge that you don’t rely entirely for information on social media. I think that the social media tends to be hysterical about practically everything.


"I think there is also a lot of politics involved in some of the information as it comes up. I think it is also important to point out that this new wave of issues of security came immediately after the elections. And there is always a connection between this issue of security and elections because many times, politicians’ arm several of these individuals during the electioneering period, and immediately after an election cycle, many of them, having nothing to do and with arms all over the place, resort to the fastest way of making money which is to abduct somebody and ask for a ransom. And that is just one side of the problem.


"But let me dimension it so that you can really understand it better.


"When people say there is security problem here and there, it is not one thing, it is several different things but if it is described as one thing then it will look bigger than it really is. And I am deeply worried about the fact that we might find ourselves unable to resolve these problems unless we drill down to see what the problems are."


"With respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in certain parts of the country, again this is not entirely new. When you listen to some of the stories, some of them are simply not true anyway. Some are fueled by politics, but there are cases of kidnapping, there is no question at all about that....and every story we try to track and trace. When you track them, you find out that people just tell some stories, but the truth anyway is that there is kidnapping in places where it has taken place. The way to check it is the work we are doing with State governments namely using technology to track cases. These are economic crimes; if people know that they will be caught, and they will not be allowed to get away with their loot, it will stop in the places where it is taking place. That is really the work we are doing with the State governments. We are doing this in the various zones where we see that there are a rash of incidents. We are trying to put in place trackers and all sorts of other equipment that can be used to locate these criminals.


"I am not so sure how many follow the number of arrests that have been made in different state police commands, several have been made. I don’t think the problem is as massive as that, I think we can deal with the question of kidnapping quite easily. I am sure that not so long a time, the news will be a lot better in terms of kidnapping and we will feel more comfortable about life at home."


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
25th June, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



*VP woos potential investors in power, agriculture, other sectors

*Received at the UN, meets Pence Wednesday in White House

The potential, effort and impact being made by Nigerians in technology can enable the country roll out indigenous technology solutions that can transform the global space according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this Monday while interacting with interested investors and foreign policy experts on Nigeria’s economic prospects and related matters at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

In a question and answer session after his opening remarks at the event, Prof Osinbajo was asked about the ongoing international dispute regarding some global technology firms and the issue of 5G.

He explained that even though Nigeria is yet to roll out 5G, "we do not have those complications (comparatively) in taking decisions in that regard. But, we practically welcome every company that wants to do business with us in Nigeria. Huawei is in Nigeria and so are all the other technology companies.

“We haven’t gone through any kind of decision making for rolling out the 5G technology; as a matter of fact we are going to roll out 5G ourselves. Talking about the equipment and technology; how did the Chinese get it? How did anyone else get the technology? We will do it ourselves.”

Speaking further, the Vice President who was optimistic about the possibility to developing homegrown capacity in the technology space said government would leverage the efforts and resourcefulness of youths to actualize its potentials in the sector.

“Our potential in technology and entertainment has been attracting huge attention. First is the market, at 174 million GSM phones, we are among the top ten telephone users in the world, and we have the highest percentage of people who use internet on their phones in the world," Prof Osinbajo added.

Continuing he said "we are also number two in mobile internet banking in the world, and 17 million Nigerians are on Facebook. Microsoft has announced that it will establish a 100 million dollar African Development Centre in Nigeria.

“Second is the ever-growing number of technology startups, young digital entrepreneurs who are creating solutions to value chain and logistics challenges and creating thousands of jobs in the process. Andela, a software company training software developers for many Fortune 500 companies received a $24m dollar investment from Facebook.”

In the other sectors of the economy, the Vice President told the American audience that Nigeria remained the best place to invest given its market and enterprising population.

He said “now, we are opening up our power sector. We are asking power firms to come in and invest in end to end power supply. Power Africa - a USAID project has made a commitment of $110m over five years (2018 – 2023) to provide transaction support to the entire value-chain covering gas supply, distribution, transmission and generation activities with our population, and a market-driven power sector, so the next few years promise exciting prospects.

“This is also the case with other infrastructure. We are embarking on the largest investment in infrastructure in our history, welcoming private investments in concessions and projects rail, roads, airports, and other infrastructure.”

On agriculture, Prof. Osinbajo said “Nigeria has the 9th largest stock of arable land in the world. We have become world leaders in cassava, yams, sorghum, and millet, and we are on the threshold of self-sufficiency in paddy rice production.

“Seeing greater interest in agriculture and the agro-allied value chain, there is no question that aside from the export market, our population presents a massive and lucrative local market.”

Speaking specifically about what government was doing to revive manufacturing in the country, the Vice President said the Federal Government’s Project Made In Nigeria for Export, titled Project MINE was conceived to drive the country's industrialization agenda.

According to him, “we are investing at the moment in the creation of special economic zones. Our Project MINE is designed to attract sunset industries from more advanced manufacturing economies, in search of affordable well-trained labor in Nigeria.

“At the moment we are focusing on industries for local manufacture of goods for which Nigeria has a comparative advantage. These include cotton, garments, leather, and light industrial manufacturing.”

Speaking further on efforts to improve domestic manufacturing, the Vice President said “the Nigerian Special Economic Zones Investment company is a public-private partnership established as the delivery vehicle for the project.

“Investors for the project include AFDB, Afroexim Bank, and AFC. Already work has begun in three locations. The Enyimba Economic City in Aba, Abia State, covers over 9500 hectares. Three international anchor tenants have been secured for phase one of the project. The city will be served by an existing IPP for power and will create 625,000 jobs when it is fully built.

“There is also the Lekki Model Industrial Park in partnership with the Lagos State Government in Lagos. It is set on 1000 hectares in the northeast cluster of Lekki Free Zone. It has already attracted world-class anchor tenants for textiles and garments, agro-processing and light industrial manufacturing including the number 1 Chinese and number 9 global textiles and garment group, (RUYI Group).

“The third project in its early stages is the Funtua Cotton Cluster in Katsina State which is in North West Nigeria. Funtua has the largest aggregation of cotton ginneries in Nigeria. The cluster will aggregate cotton from 800,000 farmers in Northern Nigeria and become the largest integrated cotton ginning, spinning and weaving complex in Sub Saharan Africa,” the Vice President noted.

In renewable energy, Prof. Osinbajo said “huge prospects also exist in investments in renewable energy, energy-efficient-processes and clean technology.”

According to him “gas had been flared for almost 60 years by major oil companies but in 2017 government approved the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, designed to eliminate gas flaring through technically and commercially sustainable gas utilization projects. The Programme offers flared gas for sale through a transparent and competitive bidding process.”

After his interaction at the CFR, the Vice President was received at the United Nations by a team of top officials of the world body led by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed at the UN headquarters.

Prof. Osinbajo and the UN officials discussed ways Nigeria and the UN can further collaborate on national, regional and global issues.

The Vice President would be meeting his American counterpart tomorrow Wednesday at the White House before heading back to Abuja.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
25 June 2019

As Nigerians know, one of the cardinal objectives of the Buhari administration is fighting against corruption in any form or character it assumes. Hence his popular saying, “if you will not kill corruption, corruption will kill you”.

A few days ago, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmad Idris disclosed that the federal government had saved N273,809,842,071,99 through the Integrated Personal And Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform, monies that otherwise would have been lost to ghost workers and leakages. He added that “the cumulative savings achieved on IPPIS platform between 2017 and 2018 was N273, 089, 842, 071, .99.” A whooping 273 Billion Naira saved!

According to Ahmad Idris “prior to 2015, the total number of ministries department and agencies (MDAs) on IPPIS was 288 with a total staff count of 235,858. However, as of today the total MDAs on IPPIS platform is 561 with a total staff count 755,422”.

On another front, the federal government saved N594, 089,136,242.41. Billion from auditing Ministries, Departments And Agencies (MDAs) between 2016 and 2018 through the Presidential Initiative On Continues Audit (PICA). Before President Muhammadu Buhari came into power in 2015 corruption was in many forms and shapes in the federal government Ministries, Departments agencies (MDAs); many permanent secretary and Directors were getting salaries for ghost workers who they had used fictitous names to enrol on the payroll; thus the common pattern was a senior civil servant receiving more than a hundred people’s salaries - a commonplace occurrence during the 16 year rule of the People’s Democratic Party.

With this unfortunate pattern in the Civil Service detected and ended by the President Buhari administration, the federal government has announced that it has concluded arrangements to enroll all federal universities on the IPPIS platform.

Enrolling the Universities on IPPIS platform would promote greater transparency and accountability in government expenditure and achieve the desired objectives of government in centralizing its payroll system. It will tackle the many unnecessary spending in tertiary institutions.

Under this current administration, President Muhammad Buhari has recorded significant achievements in fighting against corruption and upon his exit in 2023, he would have a cap full of feathers, telling the story of many victories in this fight: from taking on those who had shamelessly put their hands into the commonwealth of the nation, arresting and trying them, to recovering 100’s of billions of Naira from those who had taken from government purse, to setting up institutional and legal frameworks to making the war sustainable and now to plugging major loopholes in the expenditure of the Nigerian Civil service.

In just four years, the President Buhari administration has exposed hundreds of thousands of ghost workers, the country has thus saved over $550 million dollars.

As public funds are not available for sharing anymore the Federal Capital Territory, a city of mostly top civil servants is now a ghost of is past on ostentatious living. Little wonder President Buhari’s party struggled to secure more votes than the PDP here. Yet, this fight is not one for debate, whether or not it should be fought. The root of Nigeria’s problems lie in corruption, and if it isn’t fought against passionately and without fear or favor, it would, like a devouring cancer, kill Nigeria.

Hassan Abdullahi Abubakar is an ICT expert, and writes from Abuja.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

*VP inspects progress of work done in the Apapa area

*Expresses hope that gridlock will be cleared soon


The Federal Government is adopting short-term, mid-term and long-term measures, including improving infrastructure, towards resolving the Apapa gridlock and easing traffic around the area, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Saturday, when he went round the Apapa area in Lagos State to inspect progress of ongoing work to clear the gridlock.

The Vice President visited different areas of Apapa, including the truck terminal near Ijora, the entrance to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Liverpool and Tin Can Island, as well as several road projects in the area to ascertain the level of work done by the Presidential Task Force saddled with the responsibility of clearing the area.

Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Prof. Osinbajo, who was accompanied by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, said a lot of work has been done so far, with more to be accomplished.

He said, "What I have seen is that a lot has been done. The best way of understanding this is to see that there are several aspects of the task that has to be done. First, there is infrastructure around the ports, and I’m sure you’ve seen, going around with us, that a lot of that has been done. We think that we are in a very good place, especially with respect to the improvement of infrastructure.

"The other thing is in the clearing of the trailers and tankers along the various routes. I’m sure you have seen there is considerable improvement. One of the mid to long-term measures is trying to decongest the traffic coming into the port, cargo traffic coming into the port and coming out of the port. This is a port that is meant to take 34 million metric tonnes of cargo, but is now doing over 80 million metric tonnes today. So, there is obviously a need to find alternatives and to expand where that is possible."

It would be recalled that the Presidential task team began its work on May 24, following a Presidential directive issued for the immediate clearing up of the Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs. The directive mandated the immediate removal of all trucks from the bridges and roads within Apapa and all adjoining streets leading into the Apapa axis, to allow for free flow of traffic around the area.

Following a request by members of the task force and other stakeholders, Vice President Osinbajo, earlier in June at a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, approved the extension of the previous deadline. The task force, which commenced its assignment on May 24, is now expected to present a formal report at the end of its extended mandate on June 24.

Speaking further, the Vice President said, “The other thing is in the clearing of the trailers and tankers along the various routes and I’m sure you have seen there is considerable improvement. The Mile 2 end of it is where there is some difficulty but we think that in the next couple of days that will be resolved, especially with the opening up of the Tin Can Island Trailer Park and the palliative work that is going all the way down to Mile 2. So, we think that we should be able to resolve that congestion in the Mile 2 end. And of course, you have seen that the entry to the port is essentially clear.

“Of course, the Lekki Port is an ongoing project and we expect that will be of great help to supporting the Apapa, TinCan Island ports and then we are dredging the Warri Port also. Then just to decongest, to ensure that the traffic of cargo out of the port is effectively done, you know that the Lagos-Kano rail line is also starting from the Apapa Port.

“So, we expect that we should be able to get cargo out of the Apapa Port, using the standard gauge rail to take cargo out of the Apapa Port out to the hinterland. Then of course we are using barges at the moment; the NPA is using barges. So, there are several approaches to this. But as you can imagine, this is a very busy port; Nigeria is a very busy place for commerce. So, traffic is bound to increase.”

On ways to sustain the work done to decongest the traffic in the area, Prof. Osinbajo said having understood what the problem is, and with the work done so far to resolve it, there was no doubt that it would be sustained.

The VP added, "So, the way to go about it is what I have explained, namely: improve the capacity of other ports around, such as the Warri Port. The Lekki Port is also another option; and then improve the infrastructure around it, which is what we are doing. The way to sustain it is just that because we understand why there was congestion. By addressing those concerns, we are able to resolve it. So, I think it will be sustainable."

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
22nd June, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT


PRESS RELEASE

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be visiting the US where he will be meeting with his United States counterpart, Mr. Mike Pence and other key groups and interests in the country.


Ahead of his meeting with the Vice President of the United States in Washington D.C on Wednesday, Professor Osinbajo will be meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday in New York.


In his meeting with his American counterpart, VP Osinbajo would be discussing matters of mutual interests between Nigeria and the US, while he would be speaking on Nigeria's economic prospects and other related matters in his meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations. 


The Vice President leaves for US this afternoon and is expected back in Abuja on Thursday.



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President
Office of the Vice President
June 22, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE


**VP interacts with visiting Harvard Business School faculty, top business executives

The Federal Government's vision for Nigeria in the next 10 years and more is to transform the economy into an industrialized one with a strong middle class and a place where the majority of the people are living above the poverty line, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this at a Dinner and Interactive Session with some visiting Faculty Members from the Harvard Business School (HBS) led by Prof. Srikant Datar, a Professor of Business Administration, alongside a select group of Nigerian business executives, on Tuesday evening in Lagos.

The Vice President featured alongside Srikant Datar and Mr. Bayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian Investment banker in the United States of America, in a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Hakeem Belo- Osagie, Chairman of Metis Capital Partners and addressed several issues on power, the economy and climate change, amongst others.

According to the Vice President, “I will like to see Nigeria become an industrialized nation in the next 10 years; with a very strong middle class and most people living above poverty line. Our policies and programmes are directed at achieving this objective."

He said the Federal Government had put in place measures that will kick-start the industrialization drive of the country, citing the example of the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and small manufacturing clusters across the country as some of the steps taken by government.

He said "practically everything we are doing is to ensure that there is a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

"The Federal Government is looking at natural economic clusters. We have done a lot of work in five of them, we are looking at 23 others, and we have already set up shared facilities in designated locations to address some of the concerns in production.

"What we plan for the Special Economic Zones is also unique and geared towards that drive to industrialize our economy."

Speaking on efforts to alleviate poverty, the Vice President said it is being addressed by government.

When asked what keeps him up at night, Prof. Osinbajo said it is the problem of “extreme poverty; the issue is that the largest number of those who vote for us are the very poor.

"The promises that government makes to them is that their lives will be better and obviously they are looking at their lives being better in the shortest possible time."

He explained that a number of government policies and programmes were focused on people at the bottom of the pyramid, especially in agriculture and trade, and getting credit facilities to people in order to enable them improve in whatever they are doing.

He said that many farmers had been lifted out of poverty as a result of some of the initiatives, adding nonetheless that the scale needs to be improved.

According to him, "First, the focus of our government was on agriculture which has the potential to take many out of poverty. We are supporting farmers operating through the out-grower programme and our focus is to attain sufficiency in Rice, Sorghum and Millet production.

"A lot of attention has also been given to the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) which factored the provision of cheap credit to petty traders—at the bottom of the pyramid. We have given out cheap credits through our TraderMoni and MarketMoni initiatives and this has also proven to be largely successful."

On Power, the Vice President said the government is committed to finding lasting solutions to issues militating against the improvements that ought to have been witnessed in the sector.

"The issues are enormous but what we really need to do is to re-write regulations and encourage more people to invest in the sector.

“In the next few months, we will unveil a plan that deals with most of the critical issues in the power sector,’’ he said.

Addressing concerns raised about climate change, Prof Osinbajo said Nigeria would not act differently as "the momentum, globally, is in favour of renewable energy and recycling".

He cited examples of what the Federal Government in partnership with the private sector have so far done, through the solar power programme in selected markets in Kano, Abia and Lagos States as well as the Federal Government Green Bond Initiative.

On improving trade among countries in Africa, the Vice President said Intra-African trade is important and is "the way to go" but that there is the need to address concerns around dumping and protection of local manufacturers, amongst others before the endorsement of any agreements.

Addressing the issue of brain drain and efforts to curb it, the Vice President expressed optimism that the steps being taken by government to improve the business environment in Nigeria will address the menace.

According to him, “As people see that the environment is getting better for business, they will come back, the opportunities for making huge profits are here."

He also noted that Nigeria was open to business as it has a lot of potential and urged Nigerian investors abroad to look homewards.

“If you are going to do business anywhere in Africa, it has to be Nigeria. This is where you have the energy, you have the drive.

“We are already seeing that kind of activity, business people will always be driven by profit," Prof. Osinbajo added.

On his part, Datar said he was particularly proud of Osinbajo as an academic in governance, stressing that academics do well in governance.

He pledged HBS’s readiness in providing needed support for human capital development in Nigeria and proffering solutions to tackling Nigeria’s infrastructure challenge.

Also speaking at the event, Ogunlesi said that the era of depending on government for infrastructure was gone, adding the Federal Government had no business running infrastructure in Nigeria, especially the airports.

In a vote of thanks, Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, regretted the high poverty rate in Nigeria especially in the North West and called for urgent action to address it, advocating for a committee on girl-child education to be set up to address issues surrounding early marriage and family planning.

The event also attracted Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, immediate past Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, immediate past Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma amongst others.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
19th June 2019

The attention of the High Commission has been drawn to a video Clip making rounds on social media, giving a wrong impression that Nigerians go through a difficult and harrowing experience when they come to obtain passports and other consular-related services at the Nigeria High Commission,Ottawa.

The High Commission hereby wishes to state unequivocally that the mentioned video clip purportedly shot by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2013 does not, in any way, reflect the current reality of the very positive experiences Nigerians have whenever they visit our office for passports and other consular-related matters.

For the avoidance of doubt, our website : www.nigeriahcottawa.comprovides passport applicants with useful information on our operations and various services.

In addition, with the passport processing structure presently in place at the High Commission, Nigerians with complete documentation are able to obtain their passports within a few hours on the same day of their visits to our office.

Member of the public are, therefore enjoined to disregard the visor clip in it entirely, as High Commission remains committed to sustaining and improving on its effective service delivery to Nigerians and all, it is, no doubt, the handiwork of mischief makers, who may even be envious of the commission landmark achievements made so far with regard to issuance of passports and consular services to Nigerians in Canada.

Thank you.
Nigeria High Commission,
Ottawa.
June 18, 2019.

The Presidency welcomes, with reservations, the joint report of the International Republic Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and recommendations for the 2023 general elections.

It is instructive that President Buhari clearly won this vote and the report in no way disputes that fundamental fact.

President Buhari won by almost 4 million majority, with a 14% margin.

However, the most important thing in an election is that it reflects the will of the people which in our circumstances was acknowledged to have been a success by ECOWAS Observer Mission and YIAGA AFRICA whose parallel vote tabulation verified INEC’s presidential election result as announced. This we achieved.

We have developed a tradition of improvements in our electoral process through enforcement of our electoral law which resulted in the prosecution and conviction of electoral officers that were found wanting in compromising our electoral process.

We, however, agree notwithstanding, that there are improvements that must be made in the process for the future. The sheer size, terrain and remoteness of certain regions do pose serious logistical challenges.

They also pose a problem for electoral observers: across a country of over 190 million, only 40 observers were deployed to observe just 16 states + the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria has 36 states).

It was unfortunate that the election was postponed yet imagine if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had gone ahead unprepared. The delay undoubtedly resulted in a lower turnout.

Because they are registered to vote in their place of birth, and not where they live, many Nigerians could not make arrangements to travel back again.

But the fact still remains that major democracies of the world have equally recorded worst turnout in modern history.

The effect of voter turnout, at any rate, is a two-way traffic that affected both sides equally.

To pretend otherwise is wrong considering that in 2015, the INEC postponed the election by six weeks under a PDP President, whom – as an incumbent – it was said to help at the time. It didn’t make a difference. Similarly, neither did it aid the sitting President in 2019.

It is amazing that the electoral observers recommended that electoral laws are enforced, and perpetrators of crimes punished and at the same time implicitly criticise the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria for failing to disclose his assets as required by law. Which would they prefer?

The law is a matter of principle that takes its course regardless of time and circumstances. It is never a matter of convenience and indeed remains functional, operational and enforceable without due regard to the electioneering process.

As we have already said, we are committed to reviewing our electoral laws and processes, like every democracy across the world should.

We intend to build on the innovations of this election that facilitate inclusiveness and participation, such as providing braille for blind people to cast their votes among other innovations.

This election was won by the candidate who received the most votes. We value the report’s recommendations. We can assure they shall be assessed and evaluated.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 18, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*GEEP aims to reach 10 million people by 2023

A key element of the Buhari administration’s Social Investment Programmes has won continental praise as African Bankers named the the Government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) as Africa’s most impactful financial inclusion scheme.

The Bank of Industry (BOI) which implements GEEP, was given the award at the African Bankers' Awards ceremony which held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on June 11th, 2019, for its role in implementing GEEP, which includes the popular TraderMoni, as well as MarketMoni and FarmerMoni microcredit schemes.

The African Banker Awards, held annually on the fringes of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank, celebrates excellence in banking and finance on the African continent.

Since its commencement in 2016, millions of Nigerians have benefited from GEEP, while the micro-credit schemes have empowered over 2 million micro-enterprises with collateral-free, interest-free loans to grow their businesses. The vast majority of these micro-enterprises are petty traders, small-scale merchants, enterprising youth, and agricultural workers in over 1,600 clusters and markets across the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.

MarketMoni is a six-month interest-free, collateral-free loan starting from N50,000 to N100,000 for small businesses under the auspices of their cooperative societies or associations. Over 350,000 traders have benefitted from MarketMoni.

There is also the FarmerMoni loans, which start at N250,000 and are tailored to suit the peculiarities of the different planting seasons and farming requirements. About 5,000 farmers have benefited till date.

In the same vein, over 1.7 million petty traders are beneficiaries of TraderMoni scheme, designed to assist petty traders and artisans nationwide to expand their trade through the provision of collateral and interest-free loans starting from N10,000. The loans are repayable over a period of six months, after which the traders get an increased loan of N15,000. They get additional sums up to a N100,000 along the way as they repay the loans. TraderMoni is designed to meet the needs of the larger population of petty traders at the bottom of the pyramid who do not meet the stringent criteria of credit facilities required for the bigger MarketMoni loans.

Over 1.5 million of the two million GEEP beneficiaries are first-time beneficiaries of credit from a formal financial lender, while over half of GEEP’s 2 million beneficiaries are first-time operators of bank accounts or mobile wallets. Also, working with over 4,000 agents and 15,000 cooperatives in more than 1,600 markets across the 36 states and the FCT, the programme has seen the detailed enumeration of over 7 million MSMEs and their owners.

Beneficiaries receive GEEP loans by opening a bank account or operating a mobile wallet. They can only repay via the bank or vouchers, as well as access the next loan on their mobile phones.

With its use of technology to provide micro-credit loans and financial services, GEEP has been able to reach the grassroots, particularly to low-income segments of society, which has led to an increase in financial inclusion, development and growth.

With the availability of biometrics and using BVN as digital collateral, mobile data capture, mobile wallets, and a 4,000-strong agent network, GEEP is able to properly target, document, profile, and deliver credit to over 2 million people.

Through GEEP schemes, the Buhari administration continues to provide access to finance, and sustainable financial inclusion, and the programme aims to reach 10 million people by 2023.

GEEP is designed to deliver last mile credit delivery using an aggregation model that works with market cooperatives as the acquiring structure, and agent networks with technological tools.

This group of GEEP agents is equipped with proprietary application that enables full registration and capture of data, such as the biodata, information on the market, nature of trader, pictures of trader and trade point, GPS coordinate of the trade point, association membership, and 43 other data points that enable credit assessment.

This group of agents go into the markets to meet on-board beneficiaries daily; while data on every captured beneficiary is delivered to the Bank of Industry real time to enable verification, appraisals and credit assessment. This is done by a call centre staffed with over 120 agents and other officials.

Qualified applicants then get disbursements into their bank accounts or mobile wallets generated for them from the registration data. Every loan disbursed is booked automatically on a core banking system that is plugged to all commercial banks in the country. This enables beneficiaries to walk into any bank in the country and make repayments periodically over a 6-month period or to purchase scratch card vouchers locally and pay. Upon completion of loan repayments, a subsequent loan offer is made via phone to the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries BVN is tied to all their financial instruments, and it serves as a collateral for the loan.

BOI’s Managing Dircetor/CEO, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, received the award at the event alongside other senior government officials.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President June, 2019

Melissa Cook June 14, 2019

From a market on Lagos Island, Nigeria, the skyline of the city of Lagos is visible. Among many companies, there is a great deal of nervousness around investing in Nigeria.



Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. And with over 200 million people, it is the largest market in the continent, its population nearly twice the size of Ethiopia (110 million) or Egypt (102 million).

Yet among many companies, there is a great deal of nervousness around investing in Nigeria. One business development officer of a large company told me recently: “We’re not in Nigeria; one of our guys heard you can’t go there.”

This kind of second hand hearsay is a risky way to make proper business decisions. When firms make what we refer to as accidental decisions—those based on media reports or anecdotal evidence—it is hard to effectively quantify and manage risks.

Nigeria is definitely a challenging place to operate. But ultimately, the nation is too important to ignore.

Investment by the United States in Nigeria is Growing

Foreign direct investment stock from the United States into Nigeria was $5.8 billion in 2017, up 32.8 percent since 2016, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. However, a significant chunk of U.S. FDI in Nigeria and the continent goes into the resources sector.

The Commercial and Investment Dialogue with the Nigerian government, originally recommended by President Obama’s President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, is now in full force, and earlier this year, the U.S. Commercial Service hosted the USA Trade Fair in Lagos, Nigeria—attended by more than 4,000 delegates. Many of America’s biggest firms were out in force, as were smaller names in the agribusiness, aviation, consumer, energy, industrials, and security sectors.

Now, other countries are starting to catch America’s lead—notably the Chinese.

China’s Africa Strategy Presents a Formidable Challenge

China is using all of its political, industrial, and financial might to build deep connections in Africa. Engagement is strategic, multilateral, and well-organized under the biennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese construction firms are building road, rail, port, communications, mining, and energy projects funded by loans from The Export-Import Bank of China or state-owned banks, using Chinese machinery, and with Chinese operators often operating the asset after completion.


Source: UNCTAD World Investment Report 2018
Chinese business development teams visit Africa’s toughest neighborhoods to establish relationships—often long before most American executives have even considered an investment in the country in question. Headlines trumpet Chinese “investment” in Africa, but much of this is actually lending, rather than equity investment. International experience is helping Chinese firms improve their product quality, service delivery, and technological capabilities every day, making them ever-stronger global competitors.

The key to China’s success on the continent is that designing “good enough” equipment for the price their customers will pay. A Chinese-made truck starter will fail after a fraction of the starts a North American truck operator considers normal—but it will also cost a fraction of the price. Likewise, a Chinese-designed smartphone will work on local networks, enjoy long battery life, run the right apps—and come at an affordable price. Despite recent political hiccups, Huawei is the dominant supplier of communications and networking equipment on the continent. Africans benefit from the firm’s low-cost vendor financing, ultra-advanced technology, and turnkey service for modern network installations.

In Nigeria, Demand Exceeds Supply

Nigeria is famous for its power shortages. With only about 5GW of grid power available (on a good day), it’s no surprise that there is an estimated 20GW of captive, backup, and household-level power installed by the private sector.

But this isn’t just a risk. It’s also a business opportunity.

In 2011, Nigeria privatized the power generation and distribution portions of its electricity industry. Performance is well below expectations so far, thanks to gas supply shortages, below-contract tariffs, and poor cash collection. The opportunity? Most manufacturers run their own captive power plants—and they’re investing in advanced gas-fired turbines, high-efficiency production equipment, and renewable energy capacity. Households need prepaid electric meters, energy-efficient appliances, and more cost-effective standby generators.

The continent is becoming a big beneficiary of China’s large-scale investment in renewables—which are now vastly cheaper than they were just a decade ago. In Nigeria, solar, wind, and mini-hydro are rapidly filling in the gaps where grid power is unavailable. Local micro- or mini-grids can deliver power to light homes, charge phones, refrigerate medicines, preserve harvested produce, and bring the internet to schools.

In Nigeria, as elsewhere in Africa, the financial services sector is undergoing a transformation. Mobile money accounts are increasingly popular, led by M-PESA in Kenya. Mobile money has boosted economic activity and brought millions into the financial services sector.

African financial-technology entrepreneurs are testing innovative—and potentially disruptive—services. Where regulations allow, entrepreneurs and mobile operators are introducing low-cost mobile payment, investment, insurance, savings, loans, and cross-border money transfer services using the latest technology.

According to the World Bank, small- and medium-sized enterprises create an estimated 4 of every 5 new jobs in emerging markets, yet traditional corporate banks are still focused on serving large corporate customers.

Can You Create Long-Term Shareholder Value Without Africa?

This isn’t a simple question, but it has to be asked as part of any long-term growth and risk analysis.

Public capital markets are relentless in pushing for short-term earnings and returns. Set aside today’s imperative to meet quarterly earnings expectations, ignore for a minute the potential for activists to disrupt your investment programs because they don’t see an immediate ROI on your long-term strategic investments.

The long-term survival of a business depends on its ability to adapt, grow, and participate in the global economy of the future—and countries like Nigeria are part of this story.





https://www.brinknews.com/this-country-recently-became-africas-largest-economy-now-its-too-big-for-businesses-to-ignore/