Hmmmm

NEW HEALTH REFORM BILL UNDERWAY, SAYS OSINBAJO AS COMMITTEE CONCLUDES RETREAT

Pending a full committee report review and a complete policy document appraisal, a new health reform bill that will reposition the country's health sector for improved delivery of set objectives to Nigerians will be in the works soon.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, made this disclosure, yesterday in Abuja at the closing of the two-day Presidential Health Reform Committee Retreat.

“The next steps now are to finalize subcommittee reports for the review of the full committee and produce a full committee report to guide the drafting of the policy document. And then draft a health reform Bill,” Prof. Osinbajo stated, yesterday.

The Vice President then thanked the Committee members for their hard work and dedication, noting that "in two days you have reached some concrete conclusions."

He also reaffirmed the Buhari Administration’s commitment towards ensuring that the reform objectives are achieved.

Earlier at the opening of the retreat on Monday, the Vice President emphasized that the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system must include collaboration among different levels of government and the private sector to ensure effective implementation of reforms that will cater to the needs of Nigerians in the 21st century.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had in September 2021, approved the establishment of a Health Sector Reform Committee and appointed the Vice President as Chair of the Committee, which was officially inaugurated by the VP in January 2022. The Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, also a member of the Committee was in attendance at the retreat and also Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

Other members of the committee present at the 2-day retreat included the Emir of Shonga, HRH, Dr Haliru Yahaya; DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh; DG, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunde Irukera; DG, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Ifedayo, Adetifa; Former Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu; Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; and Lead Coordinator, Presidential Health Reform Committee, Dr Nicholas Audifferen.

Also present were Dr. Muhammad Saddiq; Dr. Adedamola Dada; Prof Uche Amazigbo; Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar; Prof Cyril Usifoh, among others.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
30th November, 2022

OSINBAJO SAYS CORRUPTION IS A DISASTER ALL NIGERIANS MUST UNITE AGAINST

*Adds: We must teach children early about integrity, that corruption destroys

With an all-of-society approach, Nigerians must shun the disaster of corruption, embrace honesty and unite to build a great country, because integrity and trustworthiness are vital attributes for success, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today at the official launch of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) Integrity and Zero Tolerance Manual for school clubs, which held at the Model Secondary School Maitama, Abuja.

The VP praised the initiative as “a recognition that integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, are crucial individual and collective attributes for successful people and communities. Every corrupt act is not just a crime, it is a crime against society and even children yet unborn.”

Prof. Osinbajo noted that the establishment of the Integrity clubs is “a vital step in finally achieving this milestone in the building of the future against the disaster of corruption.”

He described the initiative as visionary and timely because “we must develop an anti-corruption army.

“That army is waiting in our schools, and we must teach them early that corruption is the worst destroyer of destinies and people, and we must fight it as you fight a mortal enemy in war.”

Speaking at the event which attracted dignitaries and members of the club in the school, the Vice President noted that the establishment of EFCC Integrity clubs in schools across the country was important because it embodies the values of honesty and hard work toward national development.

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo stated that “every public officer who steals, robs the Nigerian society of funds for health care, education etc,” adding that “we must become policemen against corruption and wrongdoing; whether it is a member of government or a shop assistant or your friend in class who is cheating, because they destroy our reputation.”

Emphasizing the need for integrity in society and for all Nigerians to project the right values, Prof. Osinbajo observed that if the country’s reputation was deemed poor by others, “it will affect all of us.”

According to him, Nigerians, especially the youth, must discard the false notion that “we can get ahead by cheating, or stealing whether in public or private life,” noting that “there are always consequences for wrongdoing."

The VP also observed that “the greatest challenge which we face currently is how to safeguard the youth from the ethical crisis and confusion confronting our nation, and the error of thinking that there will be no consequence for defrauding others, your employers or the government.

“The reason why people may believe these false notions is that there seem to be many in our society whose wealth cannot be explained, many even among the young who live by defrauding others.”

Emphasising further, the Vice President noted that “it is an error to think that corruption pays.

“Many societies in the world were where we are today, but soon, they realized that no society can survive by dishonesty, greed and theft. The society will eventually collapse. What those societies did was take an all-of-society approach to fight dishonesty.

“The other fact is that many who think they can get away with corruption, are often surprised that the long arm of the law, even if sometimes slow will eventually catch up with the criminal.

“There is no time bar or statute of limitation against a crime. A man who steals this year can be arrested in 10 years’ time for his crimes, so when you steal, you cannot sleep with both eyes closed,” he said.

Commending the dynamic Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, for the worthy initiative (Integrity and Zero Tolerance against corruption), the Vice President recalled his personal journey in the advocacy for integrity in Nigeria.

“Sometime last year, the EFCC chairman while sharing one of his many ideas on anti-corruption strategies with me, told me about the plan for Integrity clubs in schools across the nation.

“I told him my own journey in the advocacy for integrity in Nigeria. How in 1995, I co-founded the organisation, Integrity, in Nigeria with Mr. Soji Apampa. Out of it came the Convention on Business Integrity. One of the programs of that organisation, Integrity. was the establishment of Integrity clubs in schools. But we never quite achieved it.

“This is why I feel a deep attachment to this project and I'm particularly pleased that I'm able to witness the launch of the Operations Manual for Integrity and Zero Tolerance Clubs"

The event also featured a welcome address by the EFCC Chairman; as well as goodwill messages from several government agencies and representatives of the National Assembly namely the Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Suleiman Kwari; the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Abdullahi Ibrahim Dutse; and the Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Nicholas Sule.

There were also representatives from the Governors’ Forum, Diplomatic Corps, development partners and Civil Society Organisations, as well as school principals from FCT Government Secondary Schools.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
29th November, 2022

You these Obi's pẹople should leave Osinbajo’s name out of your mouth

Health is wealth

ONGOING REFORMS WILL PRODUCE DESIRED HEALTHCARE VISION FOR OUR PEOPLE, IMPROVE SECTOR - OSINBAJO

*Health Reform Committee holds retreat, highlighting multi-sectoral collaboration in improving health facilities, indices nationwide

The Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system must include collaboration among different levels of government and the private sector to ensure effective implementation of reforms that will cater to the needs of Nigerians in the 21st century.

This was stated by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, today in Abuja at the opening of a two-day Presidential Health Reform Committee Retreat.

“We must recognize that reforms can be complex. And the lessons learnt are there, no silver bullets and no perfect approaches. This is especially true in huge areas such as healthcare. Previous efforts must be taken into account you may have several small and even local reforms going on at different times,” the Vice President noted.

According to the VP, while acknowledging the contributions of past administrations, reforming the health sector remains a front burner issue for this administration.

He said the ongoing efforts will ”chart out a health System that best meets the needs of Nigerians in the 21st century, with special emphasis on strengthening Primary Health Care, improving access to Health Insurance, and establishing a platform that enables the country to better respond to future pandemics.”

Continuing, he said, “what is crucial is that we set the broad parameters and vision for the health care system we desire for our people, we adopt a flexible approach that enables us track and incorporate other reform initiatives.

“We ensure that we always have the right people around the table, that there is wide ranging consultation, and that all views are properly considered, that we keep our vision clear through the process and we develop a robust and viable implementation process.”

Noting the lessons from the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the VP emphasized that “healthcare, especially public health emergencies cannot but have a multi-disciplinary, multi sector approach…. serious health reform must have the same multisectoral approach.”

Speaking further on the need to improve the country’s healthcare system through effective collaboration between states and federal goverments, Prof. Osinbajo noted while previous attempts had been made in the past, the implementation has “either been incomplete, non-systemic or haphazard.”

Pointing out the constitutional responsibility of State Governments in ensuring primary and secondary healthcare, while participating in tertiary healthcare, the VP noted that “any reform without the full participation of the States will fall short of a national health reform effort.”

Highlighting the core objectives of the Presidential Health Reform Committee, the Vice President stated that addressing question of universal health coverage remained the key objective of the reform process.

The VP further noted some significant efforts made by the Buhari administration to address challenges and lay important building blocks for reforming the health sector.

“These included the signing of the bill establishing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), by the President in 2018, to enable the agency to respond to the challenges of public health emergencies and enhance Nigeria’s preparedness and response to epidemics through prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases.

“In May this year, President Buhari also signed into law the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022. The VP noted this was “an important milestone for health financing in Nigeria, as it will mitigate the current difficulties of out-of-pocket expenses and create a virtuous cycle.”

“It means that more money will be available for payment of medical personnel and for hospital facilities and resources. Ultimately health insurance will accelerate our journey to universal health coverage through health insurance for all categories of Nigerians via a mandatory mechanism, in collaboration with State health insurance agencies,” he added.

Prof. Osinbajo also highlighted the focus of the Primary Healthcare Summit held earlier this year, “towards re-imagining primary healthcare in Nigeria, where a case was made for private partner partnerships to complement on improving infrastructure, availability of health commodities, health workforce and use of evidence to deploy resources.”

Addressing the objective of attaining universal health coverage, the Vice President acknowledged and commended the efforts at the sub-national level of the 36 State Governors. This included the recent launching of the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Fund.

“All of these events and others are points of progress which must now coalesce into one central programme,” the VP observed.

Prof. Osinbajo also commended the commitment of development partners, noting that the Committee’s membership reflected a broad representation for effective collaboration.

According to the VP, “in the past few months, the secretariat of this committee has been working in conjunction with our various partners to develop a Consultation paper that is expected to guide and focus the discussions. This includes experts from the Ministry of Health, Vesta, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, World Bank, FCDO, IFC, Global fund, AFENET, DPRC (the research arm of NIPSS) and PWC, a team of wide-ranging specialists.

“The overarching principle of this process has been inclusivity. This is reflected in the membership of this committee which includes representation from the States, professional healthcare bodies, private sector, distinguished medical academicians. You will also note that I approved the co-option of additional MDAs, sub-national representation facilitated by the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Commissioners of Health Forum, NGOs as well individuals with experience in the business of health.”

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had in September 2021, approved the establishment of a Health Sector Reform Committee and appointed the Vice President as Chair of the Committee, which was officially inaugurated by VP Osinbajo in January 2022.

Urging for all hands-on deck towards improving Nigeria’s health indices, the Vice President stated that “I have no doubt that we have the right calibre of people on this committee to address the myriad challenges of the health sector.”

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire delivered the opening remarks at the event while Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Ngozi Azodo presented a paper on “Lessons Learnt from Previous Reforms”.

Other speakers were Dr. Assad Hassan from the Coordinating Office of the Reform Committee and Dr. Michael Turnwait, a research consultant.

Members of the committee present at the event included Emir of Shonga, HRH, Dr Haliru Yahaya; DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Alex Okoh; DG, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Tunde Irukera; DG, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Ifedayo, Adetifa; Former Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu; Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, and Lead Coordinator, Presidential Health Reform Committee, Dr Nicholas Audifferen, who moderated the event, among others.



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
28th November, 2022

To read more on the Vice President's activities, please visit https://www.yemiosinbajo.ng/

APC made a huge mistake by not voting Osinbajo has their presidential candidate. Osinbajo is very very sweet to sell. A good leader I Stan

Happy Wedding Anniversary

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

OSINBAJO REDEFINES SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE BEYOND REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS

*In public lecture at top Canadian University, VP says poor, vulnerable in developing economies are least culpable but may be worst hit

*Adds: Africa doesn’t want free pass on net-zero emissions targets, there’s sufficient evidence of climate-sensitive, locally grounded transition pathways

Beyond the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions globally, efforts being undertaken to address climate change must also take into consideration its implications on social justice and inequalities, especially for the poor and vulnerable in developing economies.

This was the submission by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, yesterday at a Public Lecture he delivered on “Africa and Climate Justice” at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada on the last leg of his 3-day official working visit to the North American country.

Buttressing his point on the concept of Climate Justice as a just and equitable transition to clean energy, Prof Osinbajo stated that “the notion of climate justice insists that in addition to discussions on greenhouse gas emissions and the need to reduce them, we also recognize that climate change is an inherently social issue with important social justice implications.”

Continuing, he argued that, “we need to reframe our climate action paradigm from merely a technical effort to cut emissions, to an approach that places people and addressing social inequality at the centre of our efforts.

“This is based on the reality that while climate change is already affecting every inhabited region across the globe and no place on earth will be immune to its effects, the impact will be different across key regions and groups.”

The VP pointed out that it is the “poor and vulnerable, largely in developing economies,” who “will be first to suffer and worst hit by the effects of climate change even though they are the least culpable for the climate crisis.”

According to him, “the point that must be made is that it is unfair that while many global north countries recognize the need for a wide range of options and different paths to net-zero for themselves, the same courtesy is not necessarily extended to Africa.”

The Vice President added that “clearly, limiting the development of domestic gas projects, which is a critical energy transition pathway for Africa, violates enshrined principles of equity and justice, and poses dire challenges for African nations, while making an insignificant dent in global emissions.”

He further observed that despite contributing to barely 3% - 4% of global emissions, which is the least of any global region to emissions, “climate change as a threat multiplier is more evident in Africa than in any other region.”

Prof. Osinbajo then referenced current estimates which posited that Africa was warming faster than the global average and experiencing greater increases in the rise of sea-level.

“The Sahel region has recorded vegetation loss leading to a sharp rise in conflicts between farmers and herders. Southern Madagascar is experiencing what the United Nations is calling the world’s first climate change-induced famine.

“In Nigeria, we are currently grappling with the catastrophic effects of floods that have affected about 34 States of our 36 States, displacing over 1.4 million people, destroying over 100,000 hectares of farmland and causing about 600 deaths. The African Development Bank estimates that African economies are already between 5 – 15% smaller because of climate change,” he observed.

With agriculture providing the largest number of jobs for many developing countries, “reduced crop productivity will worsen unemployment gaps on the continent and result in grave socio-economic consequences,” Prof. Osinbajo submitted, adding that “parallels of these multiplier effects can be drawn in other sectors from health to shelter and security.”

Although the VP noted that reducing emissions from the energy sector is crucial for limiting global warming, the energy sector is one of the starkest examples of global inequality.

He therefore emphasized in the lecture that the energy needs of developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, have to be taken into consideration, especially by most developed countries in their discussion around climate change and a just transition.

For instance, he stated that while “Sub-Saharan Africa had about 52% of its population or about 568 million people without access to electricity in 2020, most developed countries have 100% energy access.”

He went on to point out that "Sub-Saharan Africa remains the only region with a rising number of people without access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, with 19 of the 20 countries with lowest clean cooking access rates in Africa.”

According to the VP, clean cooking deficits produce devastating effects in Sub-Saharan Africa, including millions of premature deaths from household air pollution annually.

Prof. Osinbajo also noted that this electricity deficit has also worsened gender inequities as “millions of women and children suffer from critical health conditions, and half of secondary schools and a quarter of health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa have no power.”

He then predicted that because Africa’s current unmet energy needs are huge, future demand will be even greater as populations expand.

“For many gas-rich but energy-poor countries in Africa such as Nigeria, we recognize the role that natural gas, being a much cleaner fossil fuel, must play as a transition fuel in the short term to facilitate the establishment of base-load energy capacity and address clean cooking deficits in the form of LPG. But there has been strong resistance to this.

“Several global North nations have placed restrictions on the use of development funds for natural gas infrastructure in Africa with ripple effects in the private financial sector.”

However, in calling for climate justice for developing countries, the Vice President noted that “one should emphasize that developing economies do not seek a free pass when it comes to climate action.

“There is more than sufficient evidence of commitment to developing climate-sensitive, locally grounded transition pathways as many of us have done with our Nationally Determined Contributions.

“There are also regional initiatives like the Great Green Wall initiative and the original vision was to create a wall of trees against desertification in the Sahel, the horn and across North Africa, but it has grown into a variety of sustainable land use practices designed to combat climate change and desertification and to address food insecurity and poverty."

The VP added that regarding Nigeria’s efforts towards combating climate change, “we have recently launched a detailed Energy Transition Plan which outlines pathways to universal energy access by 2030 and net-zero by 2060.

“As a global community, we have to acknowledge the differences between groups in how they experience climate change; ensure that processes for making decisions about the impacts of, and responses to climate change are fair and transparent, and determine how the costs and benefits of climate action will be equitably shared.”

Also, speaking on the outcomes from COP-27 in Egypt, Prof Osinbajo mentioned that “a big win at COP-27 was the loss and damage fund which is to compensate poor countries for climate change-related loss and damage.”

The Vice President then listed what a just approach to global energy transition should recognize:

- That developing economies must have universal energy access at levels sufficient for dignified livelihoods and economic growth;
- That energy transition must place energy access for both consumptive and productive uses, as well as the required policy flexibility, financial and technical support at the heart of climate action;
- That making capital available for the buildout of energy systems is central to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement;
- That to meet its decarbonisation obligations, Africa needs both conventional capital flows and the development of innovative mechanisms like debt-for-climate investments and carbon trading;
- That we must lift inhibitive development finance restrictions and upscale technology transfers to ensure developing regions have access to the latest energy innovations and can build local industries on fair terms.

Earlier in the day, the Vice President had met with principal officers of Queen’s University led by the Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academics), Dr. Teri Shearer, where he was briefed on some of the initiatives of the University, including the One Million Teachers programme, developed by the institution's former graduate student, Hakeem Subair, who also spoke at the event.

The One Million Teachers initiative is an education technology social enterprise startup which aims to attract and retain 1 million teachers (including in, but not limited to, Nigeria), and develop the capacity to train more in areas where classrooms are not available through its online platforms.

Accompanying the VP to the university were the Nigeria High Commission to Canada, Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun and his wife Mrs. Olawunmi Asekun, Special Advisers – Economic Matters, Ambassador Adeyemi Dipeolu; Social Investments, Maryam Uwais; and other top government officials.

Other Queen’s University officials who welcomed the VP included Vice Provost, International and Prof. of History, Dr. Sandra den Otter; Associate Dean of Teacher Education, Dr. Peter Chin; Assistant Professor and Queen’s National Scholar, Faculty of Law, Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moddy and other senior management staff.

Established in 1841, Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive academic institutions and is famous for its role in advancing the goals of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
24th November, 2022

SOCIAL ISSUES, CHALLENGES CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH EDUCATION, COLLABORATIONS - OSINBAJO

*VP meets Carleton University officials, business interests, watches Nollywood movie in Ottawa

By deepening educational cooperation and facilitating collaboration in critical areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, more opportunities are created to find solutions to the social issues and challenges in the world.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, stated this yesterday during a meeting with senior administration officials and researchers at Carleton University, Ottawa on day two of his working visit to Canada.

He also met some Canadian based business and technology related interests on Tuesday before joining the movie screening of "Two Weeks in Lagos," a Nollywood movie produced by Nigerian-Canadians.

Speaking at the notable university, Prof Osinbajo observed that, despite several societal challenges, “one of the things that we have seen is that our major social issues can be resolved by people who are thinking about it and have opportunities to reason it out, especially those who can stand aside and look in from the outside and think about it.”

The Vice President stated that the collaboration between Carleton University and universities in Nigeria is one of such ways of providing solutions to some of these social challenges.

Continuing, the VP stated that, “the idea of an actual involvement with the University system in Nigeria, such as the University of Lagos and University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as well as secondary schools like the Atlantic Hall, and others, are important because they provide an opportunity for sustainable long-running relationships.”

In his view, the VP believed that “the collaboration is one that can yield the sorts of incredible benefits that we hope we can get.

“We are also talking about the education of children; we have a major challenge with out-of-school children. We now have a radio school programme, an initiative of an NGO (reaching 55,000 children). Many of these children listen to radio in some parts of the country where radio is the major means of communication.

“We could do much more, in deepening that, using technology, and looking at scaling them up. The challenges and the issues we have to confront are huge, so solutions will need to be on that scale too.”

On arrival, the VP was received by the President of Carleton University, Benoit-Antoine Bacon, who “welcomes the opportunity to deepen our partnership with the beautiful country of Nigeria.”

Afterwards, Prof Osinbajo paid a visit to the Innovation Hub at the University, where the Acting Director at the Hub, John Nelson, stated that the university has a large number of Nigerian students studying there, adding that they will be excited at any opportunity for partnership that will further encourage students to study and bring change.

Similarly, in another meeting at the University, there was a presentation using a 3-D Hologram machine showing how teachers can promote online learning for students at different locations simultaneously.

The Vice President was accompanied by the Nigeria High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun; and other members of his delegation.

On the side of the Carleton University, besides its President, the VP was also received by the Dean, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Dr. Dana Brown; Associate Vice-President (International), Dr. Betina Appel Kuzmarov; Director, Technology Innovation Management Program, Dr. Tony Bialetti; Director, Institute of African Studies, Dr. Nduka Otiono, who is an internationally renowned writer; and the university's Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Dr. Adegboyega Ojo.

Later in the day, Prof. Osinbajo met business representatives from Apollo Health & Beauty Care company and Techstars Toronto Accelerators.

He then attended the movie screening of "Two Weeks in Lagos," in the evening in Ottawa. The film is produced by Kathryn Fasegha, a Nigerian-Canadian actor, producer and director.

The audience at the movie event included Canadian government officials; the diplomatic corps in Canada; business interests, other Canadians and Nigerian-Canadians.

It would be recalled that on day one of his visit to the North American country, the Vice President had on Monday met with the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland; top parliamentarians and members of the Canadian government, where deepening bilateral relations between both countries, as well as continuing dialogue on global energy transition issues and climate change, among others, were discussed.

The VP also had an interactive session with some leaders of Nigerian groups across different provinces in Canada, where he commended the hard work and honesty of majority of Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Today the Vice President will be delivering a public lecture on Climate Justice at the Queen's University in Kingston, Canada.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
23rd November, 2022

Selfless leader

OSINBAJO COMMENDS NIGERIANS ABROAD, SAYS MAJORITY HONEST, HARDWORKING & THRIVING

*Nigeria's High Commissioner in Canada gets accolades from Nigerians, Canadians alike

*10-year passport option now in UK, USA, coming to Canada

Although a few do damage to the reputation of the country, the vast majority of Nigerians abroad are honest, hardworking and straightforward people who are making positive impact all over, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo made this assertion in Ottawa on Monday evening during an interactive session with some leaders of Nigerian groups across different provinces in Canada.

He said, “the vast majority of Nigerians all over the place are honest, straightforward people trying to survive in those places and be responsible citizens wherever they find themselves. That is the story of the vast majority.”

However, the VP noted that “what you tend to find is that a few people do the damage,” and “there is a negative characterization that comes out of that.”

As a preventive measure on their part, Nigerians in the diaspora should “engage with our communities wherever they are to ensure that people see the damage that is being done to society.

“We can engage with our people and have a lot more conversations around trying to prevent people from committing offences and crimes, but more importantly, being able to self-regulate in our communities, talking about it frankly and openly.

“We must engage countries also so that Nigerians are not profiled. This is something that we have been doing, working with embassies in different countries to be sure that Nigerians are given a fair chance and that there is no negative profiling of Nigerians.

“Look at what is going here (in Canada), there are so many Nigerians, professionals, and politicians who are in very serious positions of responsibility.”

In his response to the question of difficulty in processing court cases through the court system of Nigeria, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “there’s a lot of innovation in the legal sector in Nigeria.

“A lot of start-ups in the legal sector in Nigeria are using innovation. There are those who are case aggregators, those using some measure of Artificial Intelligence in being able to sort through materials and present opinions.

“There’s a lot more openness and we have a Chief Justice of the Federation who has pledged to be open to technology and quicker processing of cases.”

Regarding collaboration by Canadian universities providing training programmes for Nigerians, the Vice President noted that there is already a relationship “with some universities here like Carleton University, Ottawa, Queen’s University in Kingston already doing some work.”

He acknowledged that “there’s concern around brain drain but the reality is that, there will always be that issue and huge countries like ours will always have it.”

However, the VP explained that there are other countries with similar experiences, “which is why you have a huge Indian diaspora, huge Chinese diaspora. What is important is that we train our people well so that wherever they go, they are able to get good paying jobs, so that they don’t get jobs well below their dignity wherever they find themselves.

“That synergy is bound to happen; a lot of collaboration going on in the tech space, in medicine and science, that is always going to happen.

“We already have a reservoir of talent and experience in the diaspora everywhere and the more training we are able to do, the more collaboration we are able to have and the better for us all.”

In his remarks, the Nigerian High Commissioner, Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun noted that Nigerians living in Canada will soon be able to apply for 10-year passport leaflets, being the 3rd country to roll out the process after the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

In separate remarks during the interaction and other meetings of the VP so far in Ottawa, leaders of Nigerian communities and officials of the Canadian government have been pouring commendation on the Nigerian High Commissioner, some referring to him as a “father figure”, who is passionate about education and collaboration between Universities in Canada and Nigeria.

Others also commended the improvement in the passport renewal process and how Ambassador Asekun has managed to stay in touch with Nigerians across the large cross section of provinces in Canada.

Canadian government officials including the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Rob Oliphant also praised the High Commissioner noting that he has been an effective representative of Nigeria who maintains very close links with members of the Canadian government.

Dignitaries present at the interactive meeting included the Canadian Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, Honourable Ahmed Hussein; Special Advisers - Economic Matters, Ambassador (Dr.) Adeyemi Dipeolu; Social Investment Programmes, Mrs. Mariam Uwais and Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.

Others included the Minister in the Nigeria High Commission in Canada, Ambassador Obioma Nzwewuji; Chairman/CEO Nigeria-Canada Trade Investment Group, Chief Taiwo Odutola and the leaders of Nigeria-Canada Associations from all the provinces across Canada, among others.

Earlier Monday afternoon, the VP received two Nigerian-Canadians occupying top government positions; Kaycee Madu, the Deputy Premier of Alberta Province and Ako Ufodike, a Deputy Minister, also in Alberta.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
22nd November, 2022

WE CAN DO MUCH MORE TOGETHER, OSINBAJO, CANADIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAY

*Nigeria, Canada set to deepen bilateral relationship as VP, Freeland engage in Ottawa

*Dialogue on adoption of gas as transition fuel


With a focus on improving trade, deepening ongoing educational collaboration, continuing dialogue on the global energy transition issues and climate change, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, have agreed on the need for deepening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Canada.

This was the highlight of the meeting between both leaders in Ottawa, the capital of the North American country yesterday.

During his interaction with top Canadian parliamentarians, including senators and cabinet members led by Freeland, Prof. Osinbajo noted that, “we are hoping for much more that we can do together."

The Canadian Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the nation's Finance Minister, had earlier expressed similar sentiments while welcoming the Vice President.

She observed that the Canadian government values its relationship with Africa, especially Nigeria, and has been "looking forward to this visit for a long time," adding that the relationship with Nigeria is "very important to us."

On the global net zero emissions targets, and energy transition, Vice President Osinbajo reaffirmed the view that gas ought to be adopted as a transition fuel, a notion he said garnered traction at the recent COP27 conference in Egypt, even though still widely unacknowledged in the West.

"We believe we must use our gas as transition fuel; we have huge gas reserves. We would like to continue to use our gas during the transition," the Vice President said while explaining that the Federal Government's Energy Transition Plan is focused on renewable energy, including the ongoing Solar Power Naija Programme, which was launched under the Economic Sustainability Plan.

Responding, the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister, who wondered whether countries such as Nigeria are already struggling to get financing for gas projects said, "we will be happy to keep talking with you on that, " adding that the use of Natural Gas makes sense, and noting that the dialogue should continue.

Both leaders exchanged notes on some of the common and peculiar economic challenges in their respective countries, including fiscal and monetary challenges, subsidies, financial inclusion, social investments programmes and strategies to support the vulnerable, among others.

They also discussed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), observing that the market provided opportunities for mutual benefits, not only for African countries, but also Canada which is desirous of contributing to its development and also tapping into the continental market.

Besides Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, other top parliamentarians who met with the VP at the meeting included the Honourable Ahmed Hussen – Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion; the Honourable Marci Ein – Minister for Women and Gender Equality; the Honourable Rob Oliphant – The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; MP Michael Coteau – Member of Parliament for Don Valley East in Toronto; Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie – Senator from Quebec and Senator Hassan Yussuff – Senator from Ontario.

On the VP's team were Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun - the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada; Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu - Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters; Mrs. Maryam Uwais - Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment; Dr. Jumoke Oduwole - Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business; Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary - Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
22nd November, 2022

OSINBAJO is after the betterment of this country

Alhamdulilahi

Our star boi

Our digital VP

Be fine sir

MORE INVESTMENTS, COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SANITATION TARGETS IN NIGERIA – OSINBAJO

*VP declares open 2022 World Toilet Summit in Abuja

*Says enhancement of social inclusion, poverty reduction, expanding access to quality education, affordable healthcare vital

*85 Local Government Areas attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status


To attain global sanitation targets, Nigeria will have to triple current investment levels in the sector, an objective that will require contributions of partners and stakeholders since government budgets alone won’t make the mark.

This was stated Friday evening by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who declared open the 2022 World Toilet Summit in Abuja, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom the VP represented at the event.

“For Nigeria, we will need to triple current investments in the Sector. But with the current fiscal constraints, this additional expenditure cannot be accommodated by Government budgetary provisions alone, we will require the contribution of our partners and stakeholders,” the VP stated.

Continuing, he noted that, “While Governments must acknowledge their role in providing the needed leadership to rally all other stakeholders in contributing to improved and sustainable access to sanitation services, the development sector, private sector, civil society, research institutions, media, and other stakeholders, must also play their roles by bringing in the technical expertise, finance, advocacy, and by promoting innovative and scalable approaches towards strengthening systems for accelerated progress.”

The Vice President, referencing the theme of the Summit, “Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development”, emphasized the need for partnership and collaboration in tackling global sanitation crisis for wholesome development.

He noted that “it will require the quadrupling of the current rate of progress to meet up with the 2030 target date.”

The VP then urged for more investments and partnership in the Sanitation sector to meet development targets, as well as in maximising the country's sanitation economy potential.

Speaking on the sanitation economy potential, the Vice President observed that “while the demand for sanitation services is being generated through the social and behaviour change communications approach of the Campaign, we also recognise the need to strengthen the supply side of the value chain and maximize the sanitation economy potential in the country.”

As he noted, “Only a few of these (potential) are being exploited and there is need to identify scalable approaches for their realisation. It is, therefore, important that we bring in innovation and new solutions to actualize this. That means providing an enabling environment that incentivises the Private Sector and promotes sustainability.”

The VP reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target for Sanitation, which seeks to “achieve by 2030, access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”

“Our commitment is motivated by the realization that meeting our sanitation targets means meeting several other development targets, including the enhancement of social inclusion, poverty reduction, expanding access to quality education, affordable healthcare and expanding business growth and entrepreneurship,” he noted.

“It is this search for new ideas that informed our launch of a National Sanitation Innovations Challenge tagged 'SANIC Competition'. The challenge is geared towards harnessing creative ideas and solutions towards ending open defecation, improving access to sustainable sanitation services and building the sanitation economy market in Nigeria. Winners of the challenge will be awarded prizes and we call on all stakeholders to support this initiative.”

Noting the flooding across many communities nationwide, which wreaked havoc on lives and properties, the VP said this demonstrated the urgent need to address the nation’s sanitation challenges.

“The President recently inaugurated a Presidential Committee on a Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disaster in Nigeria. The Committee is mandated to come up with sustainable solutions to address the perennial flooding in the country,” he said.

Prof. Osinbajo further emphasised the Federal Government’s commitment towards the development of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Sector (WASH), stating that this has been demonstrated through many initiatives championed and supported by the Buhari administration.

He highlighted some notable examples, including the declaration of a State of Emergency and implementation of the National Action Plan for the Revitalization of the Sector, the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme, and the launch of the 'Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet' Campaign to end open defecation, which is backed by a Presidential Executive Order.

The VP also noted that “The drive to end open defecation through the 'Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet' Campaign is progressively gaining traction and accelerating access to sanitation services in the country with a total of 85 Local Government Areas LGA-wide Open Defecation Free status (ODF) recorded.

“We recently achieved a State-wide ODF status in Jigawa State, this is a commendable achievement that we hope will encourage action in other States. There are of course also other thousands of certified ODF communities across the country.”

Furthermore, the Vice President stated that “a coordination platform for private sector organizations working in the WASH sector known as Organized Private Sector in WASH (OPSWASH) was also established to ensure effective coordination of private sector interventions.

In separate goodwill messages at the event, the founder of the World Toilet Organization, Prof. Jack Sim; representatives of UNICEF; the Organized Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH); and other stakeholders, commended the Federal Government’s support and determination in attaining the open defecation free status in the shortest time possible.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of the National Open Defecation Free Achievement Awards and World Toilet Organisation Hall of Fame Awards to deserving States and individuals. Jigawa State was specially recognized for its efforts in attaining the ODF status in all its Local Government Areas.

The annual event, hosted by OPS-WASH, in partnership with World Toilet Organization, brings together policymakers, non-profit organizations, academics, and other sector leaders to address the global sanitation crisis.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
19th November, 2022

A great leader

*STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE*

*OSINBAJO OFFERS SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED ONDO DEEP SEAPORT PROJECT*


Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has offered his support for the initiative to build a seaport in Ondo State noting that he was “all for it, and I believe it is something we ought to get done.”
 
Prof. Osinbajo said this yesterday when he received the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa, yesterday at the Presidential Villa. Ayedatiwa was part of a delegation from the ongoing Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit who were received by the VP.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has been promoting the vision of the State Government on the development of a deep seaport in Ilaje area of Ondo advocating the adoption of  Public Private Partnership, involving the Federal Government in order to realise the vision.
 
While assuring the State of the willingness of the Buhari Administration regarding the project, the VP added the need for   "follow up, and there are quite a few regulatory authorities involved. There’s a need to make sure you are able to get through the things needed. I am sure it is an initiative that will receive the full support of the Federal Executive Council. We all look forward to the seaport.”
 
The Acting Governor in his remarks had sought the support of Prof. Osinbajo in securing the approval of the Federal Executive Council regarding the Ondo Deep Seaport Project. 
 
“We are seeking your support for the Ondo State Deep Seaport, we are at the stage where the final paper will be put together as a memo for the Federal Executive Council’s approval. The business case has been made and the Nigeria Ports Authority has given its recommendation,” he said.    
 
He thanked Prof Osinbajo for “your effort, your supervisory support and for governance in general in Nigeria as Vice President, particularly for all the MDAs under your direct supervision.”
 
In addition, he also mentioned that Ondo was being showcased at the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit, as “an investment destination” and “calling on the whole world, especially Nigerians in the diaspora to come to Ondo State.”
 
 
   
*Laolu Akande*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity*
*Office of the Vice President*
*17th November 2022*

OSINBAJO FORESEES MORE INVESTMENTS FROM DIASPORA, CITES PROGRESS IN EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REFORMS

The Buhari administration will continue to push its business reform agenda for which the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC was established, so as to create an enabling environment for more investments in the country, including from Nigerians abroad according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday while receiving some of the participants at the ongoing Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit, NDIS, led by Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa.

He noted the contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora to the economy, especially with the remittances sent into the country and said, “when you look at the role the diaspora has played in our economy, the remittances are wonderful and that is huge, relatively speaking.”

The VP then stated that while it is clear there is rising interest to invest at home by Nigerians abroad, what would bring more investments from those in the diaspora, “is to create the environment that ensures it is easy for them to invest.

“It is now obvious that there are incredible opportunities that can be taken advantage of by our folks in the diaspora. They can see and recognize those advantages.”

The VP stressed the seriousness with which the administration is taking the Ease of Doing Business Initiative. He observed the challenges involved in working through a “bureaucracy that is accustomed to being more of an obstacle than a facilitator.”

But he added “we are breaking that - bureaucracy is everywhere and tends to be that way and after a while, regulators (of businesses) don’t recognize anymore that the reason they are there is to facilitate business. They are more policemen than facilitators.”

He also acknowledged that some regulators “are beginning to understand that the economy depends on how well they do their work and how easy it is for people to come through their gates and leave their gates with some success.

“There is a great deal more attention being paid to achieving something and we have had discussions with several of the regulators including the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC. We have seen substantial changes in their approach and attitude.

“For example, if you recall, if you were doing any sort of banking business, you need to take a banking license of N25billion. CBN in response to some of the work being done agreed that for many financial intermediary services, there was a need to create other licenses that were not that expensive.

“We have about 6 categories of licenses where, in some cases, you don’t pay up to a N100million. This is why we were able to get a lot of these FinTechs between 2015 and now, taking these cheaper licenses because a lot of them do financial intermediation on electronic platforms, doing payment processes. There are quite a few of them, but 5 of them are now considered unicorns, companies worth over $1billion.”

Reacting to the possibility of Venture Capitalists in the diaspora willing to invest in start-ups in Nigeria, Prof Osinbajo welcomed the idea.

His words: “the interesting thing is that there are a lot of Venture Capital firms involved, investors from different parts of the world investing in them (FinTechs and other businesses).

“I think that there is a lot to be said about how we make the environment easier for investors to come and not just bringing them in and leaving them to sort themselves out, but the handholding efforts (by NIDCOM) are so crucial so that those who want to invest don’t have too many obstacles, but we know that we are in with them for the long haul.”

A member of the delegation, Dr Chris Brooks, a Jamaican-Nigerian living in America expressed interest in investing in Nigeria. According to him, “there is growing excitement and energy in the Nigerian diaspora, especially in the United States. We have come to the conclusion that the best hope we have for black people globally is Nigeria. So, we intend to make investments in Nigeria and partner deeply with Nigeria.

“I work with a wide variety of Venture Capital Firms led by black people, to advance the cause of black people globally. I intend to bring other Venture Capital leaders who control an enormous amount of assets to have conversations with Nigeria about emerging opportunities for investments.”

Responding the VP said, “I am excited that Dr. Brooks has a consortium of possible Venture Capital Firms and fund managers prepared to put some of their resources in Nigeria. I hope that we are able to actually get them to invest and we will do whatever we can to support that effort and support what is already going on. If you need a couple of doors open, we will do our best to ensure that we help.”

In her own remarks, Dr Dabiri-Erewa stated that through the intervention of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit, “in the last 5 years, we have had investments, particularly in the area of Agriculture, Medicare, ICT and Education. For those in the diaspora, there is passion and interest to invest in Nigeria and the ease of doing business has improved tremendously under the leadership of the Vice President.”

The VP commended NiDCOM and the passion of its Chairman noting that she has brought a lot of zeal to the work of the Commission.

Others at the meeting included a delegation from Ondo and Ekiti States, who are also attending the summit, and officials from NIDS and NIDCOM.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
17th November 2022

Who will not love Osinbajo

Digital VP

HOW TOURISM IS SUSTAINABLE, CONNECTS PEOPLE, UNIFIES ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES – OSINBAJO


*VP explains music transcends language, defines Buga Won, Last Last, Organise

Tourism is possibly the most profound unifier of all economic activity and because its vast components are local and home-grown, they are more likely to be sustainable, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Lagos where he represented the President at the opening of the first United Nations World Tourism Organisation Global Conference themed, "Linking Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries: Pathways to Recovery and Inclusive Development."

Speaking on the prospects in the tourism industry in Nigeria and beyond, the Vice President said, "tourism opportunities and jobs are inclusive, cutting across all income segments, from the millionaire entertainers to janitors in hotels.”

Referencing breakthroughs by Nigerian entertainers making waves across the world, the VP noted that "tourism provides us, humans, a means of achieving the deepest desires of our hearts, enjoying the companies of people all around the world, reaching across race, colour and language to connect with our common humanity."

The VP said for instance, "music is a global language, even people who don't know the meaning of the words of a song enjoy the rhythm and some find out meanings of lyrics, discovering the cultures and ideas that inspired them."

His words: "Today, Nigerian music, rendered in Nigerian languages is played all over the world. So, people all over the world are dancing to Kizz Daniel's Buga. The phrase “Buga Won” is a Yoruba expression, it means flaunt your hard-won success. “Collect your money”, means take the fruits of your work.

“Many all over the world are squaring up their shoulders, saying it doesn't matter how hard it may seem, let me see you dance and show off your success no matter how small it may seem to others, Buga Won! And he (Kizz Daniel) will be performing the song at the Qatar World Cup in a few days.

"Burna Boy, a Nigerian Afrobeat star performed in front of 70,000 people in Finland, at Finland's Flow Festival 2022. Singing songs like “Last Last, he don cast, na everybody go chop breakfast” in pidgin English to a cheering Scandinavian audience is the power of music. The song is also the first Afrobeat song to have sold over 500 thousand units in less than 17 weeks after its release in the United States of America.

"Another Nigerian artist, Asake who sings in pidgin, sang the song Organize. The lyrics: “organize, every other day I organize, some of us are wise, every other person overwise.” Now, these are street slangs in Lagos, but the world loves it and his show at the O2 Arena in the UK sold out to an international audience in less than 5 mins!"

To drive home his point, the VP led his audience in singing the songs; “Buga Won”, “Last Last” and “Organise” to underscore music’s appeal even in languages that people don’t necessarily speak.

Prof. Osinbajo then noted that the "promotion and preservation of cultural sights, forests, natural life, and aquaculture for tourism purposes works well with our zero carbon ambitions."

He added that "it teaches a whole new generation to love and respect and protect our beaches, and natural life and at the same time create jobs and livelihoods in doing so."

"This is the perfect balance that would enable us to live long and enjoy all of God's endowments in nature in peace and prosperity," the VP noted, linking the preservation of cultural sights and heritage to zero carbon aspirations.

While commending the UNWTO for bringing together stakeholders, Prof. Osinbajo noted that the conference "is an opportunity to define the future of tourism. What more can we do to make the movement of people across borders easier? How can we counter the nativist, ultra-nationalist rhetoric of politicians who seek to demonise foreigners and promote racial segregation?"

"How about technology? Will virtual visits and tours in the wake of the metaverse kill human interaction? Or can we turn virtual reality to our advantage for tourism? So many questions and I am sure this gathering of experts and industry players and tourism enthusiasts will at least begin the process of finding answers. The good thing is that this is only the beginning of these important conversations."

Earlier in his remarks, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the hosting of the first UNWTO Conference is a testament to the Buhari administration's commitment to the diversification of the economy, restating the government's determination to enhance Nigeria's rich cultural heritage and tourism potential.

On his part, the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili, acknowledged Nigeria's role in the global tourism industry, noting that it offers immense potential for growth, innovation and product diversification.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
15th of November 2022

NIGERIA, CONVENTION ON BUSINESS INTEGRITY WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR TACKLING CORRUPTION AT PORTS

*Cost of ship berthing in Nigeria cut from $150k per vessel to $20k

*Other countries planning to replicate FG's real time ports Help Desk model

*Group says VP's efforts made it possible

The collaborative efforts of the Federal Government with the private sector and a Civil Society group - Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) to curb corruption at the Sea-Ports has earned international praise and won the first ever "Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action Award" of the Switzerland-based Basel Institute on Governance.

Specifically, because of the joint efforts of the Federal Government agencies - including Shippers Council, ICPC, DSS and the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, the Technical Unit on Governance & Anti-Corruption Reforms, TUGAR, alongside the CBi, through the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, (MACN); the cost of a ship berthing in Nigeria - often aggravated by unreceipted extortions - has now drastically reduced from $150,000 per vessel that arrives in the country to about $20,000.

This was disclosed when a delegation of the CBi paid a courtesy call on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

According to the CBi co-founder, Mr. Olusoji Apampa, who made the disclosure, the success recorded is now attracting international reviews as countries such as Egypt, Ukraine and India are planning to adopt the "Nigerian miracle" model to produce similar gains in their own ports’ operations.

The international award recognised the work of the Nigerian MACN, which created a real time-based Help Desk to resolve complaints and concerns of shipping companies as soon as they berth at the ports.

The Swiss-based international body recognized the initiative for the collective action where government, business and civil society have worked together for change. This was made possible by the establishment and success recorded by the first ever, real-time Anti-Corruption Help Desk in Nigerian Ports, which instantly reports and resolves corruption-related issues.

The CBi presented the international award to the Vice President during the courtesy call on Monday and said to him, "this would not have been possible without your interventions."

Receiving the delegation and the award at the Presidential Villa, the Vice President praised the CBi and the MACN, commending them for their efforts alongside FG agencies, noting that the Buhari Administration will continue to support initiatives that improves the business environment and economy in general.

"This is cheery news on our anti-corruption efforts," a delighted VP said adding that what is required is to stay focused in the fight against corruption.

Prof. Osinbajo stated that the narrative on the imperative of integrity and fight against corruption has to be deepened, explaining that "we need to get the attention of the young people also. This is something we have to do."

Based on the Executive Order 001, ICPC conducted a successful sting operation in 2019 to support FG's port reforms. Then in December 2020, the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) comprising the Shippers Council, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), was established.

In addition, the Nigeria Ports Process Manual (NPPM) was launched and the PSTT, led by the Shippers Council, was given the responsibility to implement and enforce compliance.

According to the MACN, before the PSTT was formed, there were 266 cases of demands for large, unreceipted cash payments by officials at the ports in the process of vessel clearance.

Such practice has now dropped to 128 cases following the establishment of PSTT in 2020. By 2021, the cases fell further to 84 cases, and so far in 2022, it has remained below 50 cases.

In the same vein, prior to the intervention of the PSTT, Port Calls were costing on average $150,000 per vessel per visit (including illicit demands and the cost of delays occasioned by trying to avoid the illicit demands). This has now dropped to an average cost of $20,000 per port call.

The group further noted that since the FG instituted the Help Desk in 2020, it has monitored just under 700 ships arrival to Nigerian ports.

Also, it would be recalled that the VP Osinbajo-led Presidential Task Force was established in 2019 to address the issue of port congestion in Apapa and resolve traffic gridlock in the axis.

Following the completion of its assignment, it handed over duties to the Lagos State Government in 2021.

The Presidential Task Force had representatives of the Inspector-General of Police; Lagos State Government; NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), among others.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
15th November, 2022

A great leader I Stan

VP Osinbajo on a ketro level

Osinbajo the intelligent one

HOW PARTNERSHIP, INNOVATIVE THINKING, DISCIPLINED IMPLEMENTATION CAN BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH, PRODUCTIVITY, BY OSINBAJO

*VP highlights importance of African Carbon Market in addressing climate change

With pressing national, global economic challenges, and emerging local and global trends, the task ahead of the Nigerian nation requires partnership, innovative thinking, and most importantly, disciplined implementation, by both government and the private sector.

This was the summation of the remarks by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who represented the President earlier today at the opening event of this year’s National Economic Summit.

Speaking on the theme of the Summit, "2023 & Beyond: Priorities for Shared Prosperity," the Presidential address focused on key issues to drive growth and prosperity, including the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025, and the impact of the Economic Sustainability Plan, among others.

The Vice President further highlighted the need for increased productivity and value addition across different sectors of the economy so as to create more jobs for Nigerians, especially its youths, and increase national revenue for further development.

The President’s address highlighted key issues such as youth development, improving macroeconomic conditions, the impact of climate change, the need for a just transition to net-zero emissions, debt-for-climate swap deal for African countries, and the launch of the African Carbon Market Initiative at the ongoing COP-27 in Egypt.

It also focused on leveraging disruptive technologies through digitization for further economic developments, as well as the need to improve social welfare programmes, and focused investment in the country’s youth.

According to the VP, there is “the need for more intentional and focused investment on our youths, especially in globally marketable skills, access to credit, protection of intellectual property rights of innovators, and inventors and access to global markets. I trust that some of these issues will be given deeper attention in your discussions at this summit.

“The task ahead requires partnership, innovative thinking; but, most importantly, disciplined implementation,” he said

Emphasizing on improving macroeconomic conditions, the Vice President said, “on the positive side, the economy continues to grow with GDP growth at 3.54% in the 2nd quarter of this year. Non-oil revenues have similarly continued to improve due in part to strategic revenue initiatives, including the annual Finance Act.”

“But it is still our revenue challenges that heighten the notion that we have a debt problem, which is really not the case, given that our debt/GDP ratio is just 23%.”

Noting that although the country’s current debt service to revenue ratio is high, Prof. Osinbajo stated that “unlike in the past, when we were not keeping a close eye on debt matters, the creation of the Debt Management Office means that we are better able to adopt strategies to manage our debt, including using more concessional loans, spreading out our debt maturities and re-financing short-term debt with longer-term debt instruments.

This is why increasing revenues should engage most of the attention, he stated.

“We have already seen real improvements in our non-oil revenues, but our focus must now be on productivity or encouraging value addition. Productivity and value addition means creation of traceable value; it means jobs, opportunities, and more tax revenues."

He continued that, "to increase productivity, we must free up our environment for business, make local and international trade easier by fixing the ports, effecting the National Single Window, revamping our Customs processes and Tariff codes to reduce delays and arbitrariness, removing needless restrictions on imports to enable value added processes.”

Similarly, Prof. Osinbajo emphasized that Nigeria must also press its advantage in renewable energy, noting that “the future are the jobs and opportunities from the green economy.”

The VP noted that the "Solar Power Naija programme launched under the Economic Sustainability Plan which is designed to achieve 5 million solar connections impacting over 25 million Nigerians will contribute in this regard. But the impact includes opportunities in manufacturing and maintaining solar equipment and facilities."

He also highlighted local security and economic challenges, global turbulence on the political, economic and social fronts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and global tensions, which he noted “is impacting Africa, including through higher food prices and disruptions to democratic governance.”

With global economy still recovering from the effects of COVID-19, as well as the challenges posed by climate change, which has caused flooding in several states in Nigeria, the Vice President observed that “it is clear that our work is cut out and we have to choose our priorities going forward very carefully. There are a whole gamut of things that require our attention and many are well captured in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2025.”

On the volatility of the country’s exchange rate, Prof. Osinbajo was of the view that “the discussion that we must have, shorn of sentiments, is how best to manage the situation by finding a mechanism for increasing supply and moderating demand, which will be transparent and will boost confidence.”

The VP also emphasized the need for urgent action to reduce inflation, noting that inflation is both a tax on the poor and disrupts long term growth.

In addition to the monetary measures being taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Osinbajo stated that “we would need to increase domestic production of food and ensure that it gets to the market.”

“In this regard, we must pay closer attention to the institutional insight of the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Programme of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), which sought to support small scale farmers by guaranteeing uptake of their production through enabling bigger farmers, suppliers to manufacturing companies and commodity exchanges to support them across every stage of production,” he said.

Addressing the impact of climate change on local economies, the Vice President reiterated Nigeria’s position on the call for just transition and the debt-for-climate swap deals, noting that “these swaps can be a win-win for debtors and creditors.”

According to him, "we must continue to call for a just transition that enables us to use our abundant gas resources to meet our energy needs, including for electricity and cooking. This will enable us to secure the resources needed for investment in natural gas, as well as in renewable forms of energy. I am happy that this matter is on the table at the ongoing COP-27. It should be pursued to its logical conclusion of securing additional finance for developing economies.”

Also highlighting the significance of the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative, which was launched last week at COP 27 in Egypt, the VP observed that unlocking the potential of carbon markets in Africa would help raise essential resources to tackle climate change on the continent.

“Since the $100 billion in financing, which the developed countries promised to help to tackle climate change remains to be fulfilled, we should explore the potential of carbon credits to raise the required resources,” he stated.

Continuing, he said, “it has been estimated that Nigeria could produce more than 30m tonnes of carbon credits annually by 2030, bringing in more than $500m annually. The future are the jobs and opportunities from the green economy. We must press our advantage in renewable energy.”

On leveraging disruptive technologies offered by digitization for economic growth, the VP noted the “increasing economic viability of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data analytics, and blockchain technologies.”

“We have already seen the impact of digitisation in fintech in Nigeria, and the story of how our young people managed to create six unicorns in a period of two recessions is one that will continue to be told. We must build on these achievements, which also offer us the opportunity to leapfrog by deploying digital technologies in agriculture, health, education, logistics, and even manufacturing, housing and smart power grids,” he added.

Prof. Osinbajo further noted that under the Buhari administration, the Federal Government introduced the most comprehensive and resourced Social Investment Programme, which helped Government adopt “a more bottom-up approach to economic planning and budgeting.”

“It also helped us to implement a wealth and opportunity creating social investments, as opposed to mere poverty alleviation. We are far from our set objectives, but we have begun and must press forward.”

Commending the organisers, the Vice President observed that the Summit “has become the forum for high quality engagements amongst thought leaders, captains of industry, civil society and decision makers in the highest echelons of government on the economy of this country.”

Dignitaries at the Summit, organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), in partnership with the Federal Government, included the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Federal Ministers, NESG officials, captains of industry and private sector leaders, members of the Diplomatic Corp, among others.

Chief Pascal Dozie, former Chairman of the NESG, gave an opening keynote speech.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
14th November, 2022

Can we move on please

This is nice