The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Expert offers career success tips at Lagos career fair

    Expert offers career success tips at Lagos career fair

    Otunba Odeyeyiwa Olayemi, Group Managing Director of Repton Group has said that achieving career advancement requires passion, focus, diligence, acquisition of special skills, positioning and resilience. Otunba Odeyeyiwa made the disclosure at the recent Lagos Career Fair 2024 where he was the Keynote Speaker.

    The Repton Group CEO said these career success basics especially become imperative because job-seekers are now faced with stiffer competition from millions of other job-seekers in today’s expanded job market, following the digital technology explosion that has made the world a global village by dismantling geographical boundaries, globalising competition and widening the scope of career opportunities.

    He added that apart from job-seekers, workers too are in constant local and global competition in the workplace with a lot of prospective employees, ambitious subordinates, determined peers and even toxic or insecure bosses, all seeking the brass ring of career success.

    Read Also: Gridlock as petrol tanker explodes on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

    In Otunba Odeyeyiwa’s words, “You need to sharpen your employability skills, strategically position yourself and be resilient to be able to stay ahead of competition and achieve accelerated career advancement.”

    The CEO of Repton Group, a conglomerate that clinched 2023 National Largest Distributor of Dangote Cement Award explained that employability skills refer to a set of skills, especially personal attributes that make individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen careers. According to him, “They are the skills that employers value more in prospective and existing employees as specialist or technical skills associated with different roles are less important for business success.”

    Otunba Odeyeyiwa explained that some of these skills are effective communication skills, interpersonal skills, personal development/learning, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, problem-solving/analytical skills, and creativity and innovation. He said others are planning and organisation, self-management, ethical awareness, leadership skills, CV and cover letter writing skills, and job interview skills.

    According to the CEO, “As a job-seeker or worker, you need to build your personal brand and then position yourself as a good brand for recognition and advancement opportunities and growth.” Advising job-seekers on self-positioning, he said job-seekers should be creative in their job-search efforts by concentrating more on unsolicited job application strategy where they will often be the only candidates being interviewed rather than the solicited application approach of merely responding to vacancy adverts that thousands or millions of other job-seekers are also applying for.

    Otunba Odeyeyiwa added that strategic self-positioning for career success can be achieved through self-marketing, building personal reputation, requesting additional work in the workplace, having a mentor, maintaining cordial relationships with your boss, strong online presence, etc.

    Emphasising the importance of resilience to career success, Odeyeyiwa said, “Development of employability and technical skills as well as employment of strategic positioning may still not quickly guarantee career success in some instances as expected. This may lead to the boundary of your patience being overstretched. One potent tool you need to survive such a situation is resilience, the mentality of a winner.”

  • Nigeria’s luxury car market to reach $55m by 2028

    Nigeria’s luxury car market to reach $55m by 2028

    The Nigerian luxury car market is experiencing remarkable growth despite the challenges posed by rising inflation and other macroeconomic turbulence, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jiji and Cars45, Maxim Makarchuk, has said.

    Cars45 is a technology-enabled automotive trading platform, powered by Africa’s e-commerce giant Jiji, which, some years ago, acquired and merged with Cars 45, to create a single organisation that offers unique services for car sellers, buyers, and dealers.

    Makarchuk said the Nigerian luxury car market is set to achieve a remarkable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.75 per cent, resulting in a projected market value of $55 million by 2028, according to Statista.

    He said this growth is being driven by evolving customer desires, infrastructure development, and a growing preference for sustainable luxury cars.

    Read Also: Plots to pitch North against Tinubu, presidency over Kano Emirate crisis won’t work – Onoh

     “This exponential industry growth is driven by a potent mix of different factors, including changing customer desires, emerging trends, infrastructure development, and a shifting preference for sustainable luxury cars,” he stated

    Makarchuk, however, revealed that renowned brands such as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Land Rover will continue to dominate the market, contributing over 60 per cent of luxury car advertisements on platforms like Jiji.

    According to the COO of Jiji and Cars45, the remarkable growth of the Nigerian luxury car market amidst rising inflation and other headwinds highlights a significant trend in the Nigerian economy.

    For instance, he explained that there’s an insatiable appetite for luxury goods, especially amongst the growing Nigerian middle class, who aspire despite the difficulties and see cars as a significant luxury good.

    Makarchuk, while noting that the country’s economic fluctuations are no match for the allure of luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Toyota and Land Rover, said  luxury goods consumers prioritise symbolic consumption to showcase their success.

    “Thus, luxury cars have become a statement of achievement, a tangible manifestation of one’s income power, and social standing in a competitive society where appearances matter,” he told The Nation..

    He also said in addition to the undiminishing desire for prestige and social distinctions, Nigerians also want to balance style, comfort, performance, and budget.

     “Consumers are increasingly looking for relatively affordable cars that provide a comfortable and luxurious driving experience while delivering durability, fuel efficiency, and high performance on the road,” Makarchuk said.

    For instance, the demand for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in Nigeria, according to him, is skyrocketing in recent years, attributing this to several factors, including customers’ desire for vehicles with more space and versatility, as well as options more suitable for the country’s challenging road conditions.

    Makarchuk further pointed out that the purchasing patterns in Nigeria have led to a rich diversity in the luxury car market, catering to a wide spectrum of demographics, tastes, lifestyles, and budgets.

    In response, luxury car dealers and other related businesses, he said, are continually emerging to meet the needs of their discerning clientele.

     “Nigeria’s luxury car market is poised to continue its rising as a fast-growing, multi-diverse nation, meeting the specific expectations of its affluent customers,” he emphasised.

    The COO also said infrastructure investment is also driving the growth of the luxury car market in Nigeria despite the rising inflation. “Nigeria’s ambitious infrastructure projects are reshaping the automotive sector, creating an environment conducive to luxury car ownership,” he stated.

    Also, improved road networks and upscale residential developments are fueling the desire for high-end automobiles.

    “A drive through the streets of Banana Island, Lagos, the upscale neighbourhood of Maitama, Abuja, and other upscale neighbourhoods exposes one to an array of luxury cars,” the COO said.

    He also pointed at the need for sustainability as another factor. According to him, Nigeria is embracing sustainable luxury just like the rest of the world, and it’s a driving force behind customer preferences.

    Makarchuk’s words: “Luxury car buyers in Nigeria are increasingly drawn to eco-friendly and fuel-efficient models that offer performance without harming the climate.

    For instance, Tesla’s Electric Vehicles (EVs) and BMW’s i3 are gaining popularity in the Nigerian luxury car market due to their sustainability features.”

    He, therefore, said stakeholders must hasten the process of infrastructural provisions for EV charging points in the country to accommodate the growing adoption of EVs.

    According to him, a few charging stations already exist like the NADDC stations in Lagos and Sokoto, as well as privately-owned stations in-office and in-home.

    Makarchuk said while luxury goods companies can be considered inflation-proof as the consumer is willing to pay the premium, this strong standing may be challenged in the future if the inflation rate continues its hike.

    He said the high-end luxury market and major luxury brands remain less affected by the rates compared to the rest of the market.

    “Despite the economic challenges posed by inflation, the luxury car market in Nigeria stands as a beacon of resilience and aspiration.

     “It continues to defy gravity as consumers, undeterred by economic fluctuations, prioritise status, comfort, and performance on the road,” Makarchuk told The Nation.

    He said available data shows that Nigerians’ love for luxury automobiles shows no signs of slowing down, and it’s no wonder why the car upgrades business is also in its booming season – old model, upgraded body.

    The COO stated that with platforms like Cars45, Carmart, and Jiji making access to affordable cars easier for the common man, the industry is poised to continue its upward trajectory, defying odds and charting a course of steady growth.

    “For car dealers, investors, car loan financiers, and other automotive industry players, this is a wake-up call to double up efforts to be better prepared to meet the economic and industry shakeup expected with such rapid growth,” he concluded.

    Also commenting on the trend, Regional Head of PR and Marketing, Jiji Africa, Majolie Obaje, said the luxury car market in Nigeria is not just a story of economic resilience; it reflects broader trends in consumer behavior, infrastructure development, and sustainable practices.

    As Obaje put it, “This growth presents significant opportunities for car dealers, investors, and automotive industry stakeholders to tap into a thriving market despite macroeconomic challenges.”

  • ‘CCTV key to bringing sanity to slaughter houses’

    ‘CCTV key to bringing sanity to slaughter houses’

    Implementing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in Nigerian slaughterhouses will help to   address quality concerns in the red meat market, a former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof  Abiodun Adeloye  has said.

    He was in favor of strict regulations being pushed by international groups for beef producers.

    He asserted that the installation of video surveillance systems in slaughterhouses will guarantee the maintenance of appropriate safety protocols during all activities involving live animals within the slaughterhouse facilities.

    He was reacting to the news that it is now mandatory to use CCTV in slaughterhouses in Wales from next month.

    The mandatory use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (Wales) Regulations 2024  require CCTV cameras to be installed in all slaughterhouses in areas where live animals are unloaded, kept, handled, stunned, and killed.

    In an interview with The Nation, Adeloye highlighted the importance of CCTV cameras in maintaining continuous monitoring of activities within the slaughterhouse, allowing for real-time supervision of operations.

    Read Also:Plots to pitch North against Tinubu, presidency over Kano Emirate crisis won’t work – Onoh

    He emphasized that having video footage of all procedures would greatly assist health authorities in ensuring consistent adherence to proper killing techniques and hygiene standards, thereby minimizing the risk of contamination and guaranteeing the quality of the meat.

    Adeloye also pointed out that in case of any discrepancies or violations, the recorded footage could serve as crucial evidence for investigations and accountability measures, acting as a deterrent against malpractice.

    He believed that the implementation of stringent monitoring measures would significantly enhance Nigerian consumer confidence in the safety and ethical standards of the meat industry, potentially resulting in increased trust and demand for products.

    Requirements to install and operate a CCTV system and keep CCTV footage and information in Wales  will come into force on June 1.

    This gives a six-month period where the Food Standards Agency will work with slaughterhouse operators to ensure they are compliant with the requirements, ahead of the Regulations being enforced on December 1.

    In a statement, the Welsh government said CCTV “does not replace direct oversight by slaughterhouse management or official veterinarians,” but that “it can help improve the efficiency of monitoring and enforcement activity”.

  • DisCos remit N189b out of N270b total invoice

    DisCos remit N189b out of N270b total invoice

    The 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the country paid N188.70 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc and the market operator (M0) in the third quarter of 2023.

    The payment is 69.88 per cent of the total invoices of N270.05 billion issued for electricity purchased from generation companies (GenCos) and supplied to electricity consumers in the quarter.

    This was contained in the fourth quarter 2023 statutory report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    An analysis of the data contained in the NERC’s statutory report, indicated that Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) achieved a 97 percent threshold by remitting N37 billion, showing a 3.5 per cent drop from the previous quarter. Kaduna Electric had the lowest remittance, in the period under review, having paidN1 billion, representing nine per cent of the NBET/MO invoices. It also dropped by 50 per cent in payment rate compared to the previous quarter.

    Read Also: Tinubu’s first year: Navigating Nigeria’s challenges in security, governance, infrastructure development

    Still, the remittances in the Q4, 2023, further showed that Yola Electricity paid N2 billion, representing 87 percent and dropping by 13.4 per cent, while lkeja Electric paid N35 billion, with a payment rating of 79 per cent, which also decreased by 10.3 per cent when compared with the previous quarter.

    Abuja Electric recorded a 75 per cent performance with N36 billion paid, a 0.3 per cent drop, and Benin Electricity Distribution Company remitted N15 billion, achieving a 74 per cent remittance target, and a 0.9 per cent drop.

    Port Harcourt DisCo paid N14 billion, representing 74 per cent of the invoice, dropping by 4.7 per cent while lbadan Electricity Distribution Company ((BEDC) paid N20 billion, representing 68per cent of the invoice, and dropping by 8.3 per cent compared with the previous figure. Enugu DisCo (EEDC) paid N14 billion, with a payment rate of 55 per cent of its quarterly invoice and dropping by 3.9 per cent in payment rate compared with Q3, 2023.

    Jos Electricity paid N6 billion, 54 per cent of the actual invoice, a 0.7 per cent drop, while Kano Electricity paid N9 billion, 53 per cent of the invoice, recording a drop in its payment rate of about 13 per cent compared with Q3,2023.

    The 11 DisCos are mandated to collect revenue based on approved tariffs, which are subsidised by the government ahead of a gradually transition of the sector to cost-reflective levels.

    The mandate is structured under a contract-based electricity market with NBET, functioning as the bulk buyer of power generated and put on the National Grid by the GenCos through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

    The payment shortfall by DisCos, known as the Minimum Remittance, was assigned by the NERC through the Minimum Remittance Order, required the 11 DisCos to make 100 per cent remittances to the MO, repay loans to the Central Bank of Nigeria, and remit a stipulated percentage of NBET’s monthly invoices.

  • ‘Re-pricing insurance necessary to retain value’

    ‘Re-pricing insurance necessary to retain value’

    With the devaluation of currency, most sum-insured have become grossly inadequate hence the need for an upward review of insurance premium, Chief Executive Officer, FBS Reinsurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, has said.

    He said the review will ensure that the insured pay adequate premium and receive adequate claims when it arises.

    He spoke on the sideline of a training programme on Fire Insurance & Reinsurance Accounting jointly organised by FBS Re & Munich Re in Lagos.

    He noted the need to upscale the values is in line with inflationary trends, noting that when this is done, the insurable interest will be higher and the premium derivable from it would also be high.

    He explained that a vehicle insured for N60 million last year cost about N200 million this year and so even if insurers pays him or her N60 million, he will still not have enough money to buy it.

    He stressed that insurance companies must earn commensurate premium to be in position to settle claims when it occurs.

    Read Also:Nigeria’s Okeke elected Chairman of UK local government district

    He said: “There is a need to revise upward the sum insured. If you bought a vehicle for N80 million last year and you continue to insure it, may be with best valuation of 25 per cent and you insure for N60 million, it makes good sense. But insurance is about indemnity, placing you in the position you occupied before the loss.

    “So, a vehicle for N80 million last year with massive devaluation is selling for N200 million today. Meanwhile, the vehicle owner has insured for N65 million based on book devaluation, you can see that he virtually has no insurance because even if he is given N65 million, he would never be able to buy a car. This is one of the effects of the devaluation.

     “Let us relate this to building. As at April of last year, a bag of cement was probably N5000 but by April this year, cement was selling for N12,000. So, if you valued your property, looking at the factors of production – cement, labour and others and you said the building is worth N10 million. A N10 million indemnity today will not build a house”.

    He emphasized that the impact of increased premium will ensure adequate compensation.

  • FAAN mulls digitisation of procurement procedures to curb duplications

    FAAN mulls digitisation of procurement procedures to curb duplications

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), is weighing available options on how to digitise its procurement procedures and systems for award of contracts for capital projects for airport security and operational infrastructure to curb its exposure to duplication of projects initiated either by the authority or its supervising Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

    The new move by the airport authority insider sources hinted is coming on the heels of the spike in the number of requests for variation by contractors who have been mobilised for some projects, which the management of FAAN cannot authenticate.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that the management of the airport authority is grappling with requests for payment by contractors, who have been mobilised for some airport projects, whose tenures of execution have expired.

    Read Also: One Year on: Dissecting Akume’s insight on Tinubu’s leadership

    Investigations further reveal that FAAN, like many government organisations still have their projects “ Paper Documented “, at a time the global aviation sector is utilising software applications to document projects for visibility, budgeting and effective planning.

    Sources within the airport authority hinted relevant departments in FAAN, including: Audit/Budget / Finance and others who are end users of some of the projects cannot give an update on the contractors handling what project.

    Sources hinted that this gap, not helped by lack of appropriate deployment of technology, may have given rise to duplication / proliferation of contracts concerning airports infrastructure.

    Experts familiar with the development observed that though FAAN’s internally generated revenue (IGR) may have helped in fixing some of its capital projects, the 50 per cent deduction into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account is standing in the way as an obstacle.

    Experts say the projects and contracts handled by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development as intervention for airport infrastructure could give rise to duplication.

    To reverse the trend, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, it was learnt is getting worried over the development, forcing her to evolve strategic measures by the management.

    A source at a recent meeting on the matter said Kuku is reaching out to the Office of the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance to consider exempting FAAN from the deduction of 50 per cent of its revenue from source to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Account.

    Besides, Kuku , it was learnt, is worried that the absence of a transparent digital  contract/procurement system in FAAN is making budgeting / planning for projects in the airport authority a nightmare.

    She was quoted as being miffed over the failure of FAAN in the last many years of not having a technology driven software application to track contracts awarded for what amount in any airport.

    Kuku, it was learnt, has vowed that FAAN management will not buckle under any pressure to pay any contractor for any project whose status has not been verified.

    To achieve this, FAAN management, it was learnt, will be engaging the services of a management consulting firm: Ernst & Young Global Limited to assist in identifying FAAN contracts and intervene in providing governance for better outcomes.

    Ernst & Young Global Limited, it was learnt, is ready to deploy its change management strategies to assist FAAN in fixing this yawning gap in its contracting / procurement value chain.

    To extract its commitment for the task, Ernst & Young Global Limited, a source close to the meeting said it is requesting FAAN to sign it to deliver on the mandate.

    Sources within the authority said its personnel are upbeat about the development, because it will reset the Management’s drive to recalibrate it’s planning tool and focus on where intervention is needed to close gaps.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that enumeration/identification of projects contracted NY FAAN may be underway was the its team with the consultants will visit airports nationwide to spot all projects.

    The spotting of such projects, a source said will assist the management to decide the contracts that may be canceled, renegotiated in line with urgent needs.

    A source pointed out the apron expansion at Lagos Airport and other critical projects.

    The source said FAAN was losing too much money to duplication of contracts.

  • Tinubu on the Ecowas rostrum

    Tinubu on the Ecowas rostrum

    By Emma Okondo

    Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will soon be one year in office as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional body comprising  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.

    As the multilateral institution closest to Nigeria, and to which the country is a formidable member for many reasons, Nigerians tend to be quite interested in developments within the community, and West Africans have come to expect more whenever this regional body is headed by a Nigerian.

    Looking back to its founding in 1975, a number of Nigerian leaders have at various times been called upon to chart the same course as President Tinubu, leading the community  through calm and turbulent times. Each of these leaders had left behind formidable records of their efforts to cement the unity of member states and advance the economic progress of the community.

    When President Tinubu joined this club of leaders of member countries of ECOWAS at their 63rd Ordinary Session in Bissau, capital of Guinea Bissau in early July 2023 to present himself as the leader of the sub-regional body, it marked his first step on the African continental platform.

    Read Also: Humanitarian ministry reels out Tinubu’s four months’ achievements for the vulnerable

    When the leaders chose him to lead the bloc at  the union’s 48th anniversary, it was a massive vote of confidence in the new president who was inaugurated less than two months earlier. As he took over from the host country’s President Umaro Embalo, President Tinubu effectively mounted the rostrum, and placed himself on a pedestal, assuming the proverbial head that wears the crown. Once again, I am reminded of President Tinubu’s theory on the mechanics of leadership.

    In the Guardian newspaper of Nigeria issue of Friday, March 29, 2024, he reportedly said: “In politics you can’t be a spectator and hope to succeed. It is like a football game. In the course of playing, you sustain injuries and have bruises. You nurse your injuries and bruises and continue to play. That’s the only way you can win.”

    So there is no doubt that when President Tinubu saw himself in the West African pitch he was upbeat, eager to introduce new approaches to doing things. He was immediately concerned with the threat to peace in West Africa and the menace of totalitarian regimes. “We must stand firm on democracy…. We will not allow coup after coup in West Africa,” he said.

    Apparently, as a dye in the wool democrat, he understood instinctively that the struggle for political stability in individual nations is inherently proportional to the level of cooperation and regional integration that ECOWAS can hope to achieve. He was a leader spreading the same message of renewed hope and progress that he preached throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria in the period leading to the February 2023 elections.

    President Tinubu has since proved how steadfast he was on the necessity for peace, security and well-being of all the member countries and their people.

    If the ECOWAS Chairman was infuriated with the coup d’etat in the Republic of Niger that dislodged President Mohamed Bazoum on 26th July, 2024, it was because he had a natural abhorrence for military regimes, and because the ECOWAS leader had earlier warned against such acts of brinkmanship by military and civilian adventurists. It was also because like every right thinking democrat, it was the last thing to expect   from Niger, Nigeria’s closest neighbour to the north, which shares common interests and even common ancestry with many Notherners.

    So, between the ECOWAS leaders’ first Extraordinary Summit in Abuja on 30th July, 2023 and the second of 10th August, 2023, the anger over the defiant posture by the military authorities in Niger led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani rose astronomically. What followed was a number of heated debates over sovereignty, the correct way to take over power in a civilized society, the merits of democracy over militarism the unintended sufferings of innocent citizens across the two borders as a result of the sanctions, and soon after, the ill advised decision of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to withdraw their membership of the regional institution.

    According to the ECOWAS leader, the mandatory sanctions on Niger, the one-week ultimatum for restoration of constitutional order and the threat to raise a standby force may be tough resolutions but it was within the rights of the member states to take them, and they attested to the “power of collaboration and unity among member states” especially as “all diplomatic efforts were … rejected (by the junta) at various intervals.”

    However, to the relief of many, especially the suffering people of Niger republic, Chairperson Tinubu in the Extraordinary Summit in Abuja on February 2024 held to discuss Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s purported withdrawal from the regional group, demonstrated high leadership acumen by rescinding the debilitating sanctions. He told his colleagues that they “must re-examine our current approach to our quest for constitutional order in four (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger) of our member states,” as the situation in the sub region “demand difficult but courageous decisions” that required them to put the plight of the people at the centre of their deliberations. Thus began the healing process that has since lowered the political temperature of the region. As Tinubu noted,

    “Democracy is nothing more than the political framework and the path to addressing the basic needs and aspirations of the people.”

    That statement clearly showed how progressive and how bold his leadership was, because while the regional body fought a rearguard battle with the juntas, valuable time was being wasted and energies dissipated as security challenges persisted and the lives of the people of West Africa remain poor, and endangered.

    Softening his earlier hard-line tone particularly with respect to Niger, President Tinubu certainly took into consideration the aggregate of public opinion, and the impassioned plea of the only surviving founding father of ECOWAS, Nigeria’s General Yakubu Gowon who urged the lifting of sanctions and the return of the three defiant countries to the fold.

    As President Tinubu constantly explained, he had no personal agenda in the matter and he urged junta leaders not see him and his colleagues as enemies but as allies on the path to ensure that their citizens partake in all the “benefits of regional integration initiative” like other citizens across the region.

    Indeed, for the ECOWAS leaders to have swiftly approved President Tinubu’s persuasive memo presented by the ECOWAS Commission lifting all manner of sanctions and restrictions placed on Niger, Mali and Guinea was an outstanding vote of confidence on the leadership of the Nigerian leader. He continued to consolidate his support by expanding the pool of opinion available for his consideration and taking contributions from all relevant stakeholders.

    At the inauguration of the first session of the sixth legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja on the 4th of April, 2024 he spoke within the context of the need for wider consultations with the people’s representatives, for expanded citizen participation.

    One of the brighter implications of Tinubu’s one year at the helm of ECOWAS is his savvy interventions that no doubt contributed to resolving the political impasse in Senegal where President Macky Sall gave in to popular desire to berth a credible presidential election that gave birth to a successor, Bassirou Diomaye Faye in March 2024. That success story of democracy no doubt has a benevolent effect on the sustainable growth of democractic governance in the region and may yet propel the people living under dictatorial regimes to push for civil elections in their countries. 

    There is also the less known story of how his intervention in Sierra Leone stopped former Presidents John Bai Koroma and his immediate successor Julius Maada Bio from re-enacting the events that led to a gruesome civil war in that country. Now Koroma has been resettled in Nigeria and there is peace once more in Sierra Leone.

    In conclusion I am reminded of U.S. President Harry Truman who said after Adolf Hitler’s surrender in World War 11 that, “it is easier to remove tyrants… than it is to kill the ideas which gave them birth”. In a number of his speeches, President Tinubu has insisted that unless democracy provides the dividends it promised, unless people see that civilian governments take care of their well-being and reduce poverty in their lands, the threat of coups will not go away.

    History  is replete with leaders experiencing challenges and difficulties as they strived to steer the ship of state, therefore President Tinubu’s path on the rostrum will meet some rough patches. What is however not in doubt is that as leader of the regional body, President Tinubu has been able to take decisive measures to discourage impunity, to encourage dialogue and to bring more peace to the region.

    •Okondo is former deputy director News, NTA Headquarters

  • President Tinubu’s unsung achievements

    President Tinubu’s unsung achievements

    By May 29, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR will clock one year in office. There is no doubt that if many Nigerians are asked to assess his government, they will start the assessment with the economic hardship in the country, believed to be induced by his twin policies of removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of our long struggling Naira currency.

    I am pretty sure that none of us would remember that funding of fuel subsidy had already become unsustainable by the time Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023. We would also not remember that few months before President Muhammadu Buhari left office, his Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed announced that the country was funding subsidy through borrowing. We were told that from June 2022 to June 2023 alone, the Buhari government budgeted N3 trillion to cover petrol subsidy costs. This subsidy had long been known by all of us as a cesspit of corruption, worse than the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

    Like the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu said in his book “Because I am involved,” we conveniently forget certain facts about our journey through life as a polity.” If not, we would have remembered that Nigerians in the corridors of power were enriched by the dual exchange rate policy, which according to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Muhammad Sanusi II, encouraged similar rent seeking and corruption, like the subsidy regime under the immediate past administration.

    Read Also: NAF @60: My govt will procure more aircrafts, equipment to combat insecurity – Tinubu

    However, my intention here is not to argue in favour of President Tinubu’s economic policies because as one equally feeling the pinch, I know how herculean it is to convince a man who does not have food on his table today that an economic policy is meant to secure his tomorrow. What I intend to do here is to share with my countrymen some unsung achievements of the President, which I see as foundational building blocks for a united, peace and prosperous Nigeria of our dream.

    One, is the appointment of Supreme Court judges to fill the vacancies in the bench of the apex court. Prior to this appointment, the Supreme Court had only 10 Justices as opposed to the 21 constitutionally recommended. The fact that the 10 justices came from four out of the six geo-political zones of the country, made the situation a matter of public concern. While the South-West and North-East had three justices each, the South-South and North-West had two each. The South East and North Central had none. With the appointment of the 11 justices by President Tinubu, all the geo-political zones in the country are now equitably represented in the Supreme Court bench.

    The President went further to approve the increment of monthly salary package for judges, comprising basic salaries and regular allowances, estacodes and leave allowances. Prior to this increment, Nigerian judges were among the poorest when it comes to remuneration of judges in Africa. For instance, judges in Nigeria were earning far less than their counterparts in Ghana and South Africa. The poor remuneration of judges in Nigeria was largely seen as responsible for the corruption that bedeviled the justice system in Nigeria. Prior to the increment, a retired Supreme Court Justice, Dattijo Muhammad, while speaking at his valedictory ceremony, lamented the poor salary structure of justices in Nigeria.  Many lawyers believed that the increment would grant judges the security and freedom they need to operate, hence enhancing our legal system and deepening our democracy.

    The second achievement of President Tinubu is ensuring that every geo-political zone is represented in the National Security Council (NSC). Under his predecessor, Buhari, nobody from the South East was found worthy of appointment as a service chief and into the Security Council. Under Tinubu, Rear Admiral Emmanuel A, Ogalla from Igbo-Eze North Local Government, Enugu State, became the Chief of Naval Staff. The last time a South Easterner served in that capacity was in 1993-1994 in the person of Real Admiral Allison Madueke, from the same Enugu State.

    Thirdly, the President has shown huge commitment to cutting the cost of governance, which experts have associated with the inability of the country to achieve meaningful development over the years. Sequel to the public outcry that greeted Nigeria’s very large delegation to COP 28 climate change conference in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, he went the whole hog to slash by 60 percent the number of those accompanying public officials on any given trip, whether foreign or local. To further confront the massive cost of governance, in February this year, Tinubu ordered the full implementation of the 2012 Oronsanye report, which will reduce the number of government departments and agencies through merger, relocation and scrapping of some departments and agencies. A month after, he imposed three-month ban on foreign travels for Nigerian officials under the employment of the federal government.

    Nevertheless, I have heard some people complain that Tinubu appointed 48 ministers, the highest number appointed by any president so far. According to the calculation of one of the national newspapers, the 48 ministers will gulp N8.6 billion in four years. Ironically, I am aware that my people in the South East are even clamouring for more ministerial slots to bring them at par with other regions in the federal cabinet. My take here is that if a country like Ghana with a population of 36 million people is currently running with 40 ministers, 48 ministers for the most populous black nation on earth with an estimated population of 230 million people, may not be over bloated as widely insinuated, once there is moderation in the cost of maintaining them.

    President Tinubu promised to renew the hope of Nigerians. He knows his plan, including the personnel he needed to fulfill the promise he made to Nigerians. For me, whether he appointed 42 or 48 ministers should not be our headache. Our interest is to see a Nigeria that cares for everybody irrespective of tribe or creed or class. 

    Fourthly, the current administration has renewed the commitment of the Federal Government to quality education for human capital development. There is global consensus that education is the bedrock of development. Examples abound in the success stories of the Asian Tigers like Singapore and South Korea and the Scandinavian Countries, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the 2024 budget of Nigeria, education got N2.16 trillion, representing 6.39 percent of the total budget. Although this allocation fell below the 15 percent recommended by UNESCO, it is an improved allocation to education, compared to previous budgets.

    In addition to funding, Tinubu administration has been interfacing with critical stakeholders in the education sector, including the education sector unions and the students themselves. It is important to point out that this administration paid the eight months’ salary arrears of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) withheld by the immediate past administration during the prolonged strike of the union. Nonetheless, the other unions in the university system are clamouring for the payment of their own withheld salaries. Another achievement of the administration is the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which will enhance access to tertiary education in the country. 

  • Redeeming the dams

    Redeeming the dams

    •Nigerians need result in power sector

    Nigerians ought to be forgiven, if only for seeking to make light of the Federal Government’s latest declared target of 10,000 megawatts of electricity through its Sustainable Power and Irrigation Project (SPIN). The project, which the Federal Government says is being done in collaboration with the World Bank, seeks to enhance the capacity of the existing facilities for both irrigation and hydropower generation, as indeed the institutional frameworks related to integrated water resources management within the country.

    Speaking at the African High-Level Roundtable on Sustainable Hydropower in the African Renewable Energy Mix of the 21st Century, in Abuja, last Wednesday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had stated: “SPIN aims to unlock additional 10GW combined capacity from existing dams with provision for hydro but not fitted, partially incomplete dams with provisions for hydropower, Greenfield projects and existing multipurpose dams that can be modified/redesigned and retrofitted”.

    Read Also: Self-injection contraceptive boosts family planning in Nigeria, says SFH

    Surely, Nigerians have heard such before. They have been treated to such high-sounding acronyms that promise heaven and earth only to deliver nothing in the end. Nineteen years of the Power Sector Reform Act (2005) and countless cycles of re-engineering of the sector, what else are Nigerians yet to hear? Have they not seen enough of those endless motions with nary a discernible pathway to the future?

    For Olusegun Obasanjo, it was the scores of turbines that eventually ended in the bond houses of the Nigerian Customs Service as scrap metals after a record expenditure of $16 billion. Umaru Yar’Adua came with a threat to declare an emergency on the sector but did nothing of the sort until death came calling. The Goodluck Jonathan years merely passed as mere extension of the locust years. What could have passed as milestone under that administration – the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) – turned into a monumental fiasco, botched on the altar of incompetence and unparalleled cronyism, the outcome of which the country was gifted with a bunch of anaemic operators.

    Even the initial flashes of hope gleefully touted as the ‘body language’ – the so-called Muhammadu Buhari Effect – ended up like a smoke.

    Surely, Nigerians need no reminders about how prodigiously resourced the country is. At least, if they have resigned to the fact that coal, which the country has a surfeit of, now belongs in the past, (share of coal in United States energy mix is 17.8% while in South Africa, it accounts for 70% of installed power generation capacity), or even that her natural gas with proven reserves of 202 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and which puts her in the 9th position globally remains largely untapped, surely, they need no fancy acronyms to underscore the benefits of additional hydro plants. This is especially considering that the three largest dams –Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro dams have total active capacity of 18.6 billion cubic metres of water and total power capacity of 1,920 MW with the oldest of them, Kainji, being at least 50 years old. What of energy sources from wind and solar sources? The Federal Government indicated desire to exploit these important energy sources, all of which Nigeria is also tremendously blessed with. The president’s green energy initiatives point in that direction.

    We understand that the country presently has some 323 large, medium and small dams. That is a measure of how prodigiously resourced Nigeria is in that sector. If the implied suggestion in the SPIN initiative is that the country currently lacks a management framework that is adequate for optimising the utilisation of these national assets for the benefit of Nigerians, the minister should simply let Nigerians into his thinking on the specific measures he plans to take. Waving promises of additional megawatts seems tantalising but we await action.

  • 250,227 policemen!

    250,227 policemen!

    •This is grossly inadequate. The federal and state govts must give the country an effective police force.

    The data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that there were 250,227 policemen in 2022, as against 250,461 in 2021, though a marginal decrease, once again highlights the challenge of inadequate policing across the country. For a nation with an estimated population of 218.54 million in 2022, that number fails woefully to meet the United Nations’ standard of 1:450. With that number, Nigeria is in default at about 1:873. That is one policeman for nearly a double of the recommended ratio.

    Yet, last week, the House of Representatives passed for second reading a bill seeking to change the retirement age of policemen from 35 to 40 years of service, and 60 to 65 years of age, whichever comes earlier. We ask, should the bill become an act, will it impact positively on the abysmal number of policemen compared to the nation’s population, which by 2050 is estimated to catapult to 400 million, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)?

    The promoters of The Police Act Amendment Bill, with explanatory note: ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the Nigeria Police Act 2020 to review the service years of police personnel to improve the experience and expertise of the police workforce, to retain experienced personnel, and reduce the cost of training and recruiting new officers, improve the morale, performance and job satisfaction, and to address the shortage of experienced police personnel and related matters,’ have other motives, which we agree with.

    Read Also: Humanitarian ministry reels out Tinubu’s four months’ achievements for the vulnerable

    The bill is co-sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, and the Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs, Abubakar Yalleman. According to Yalleman, the bill is necessary “given the need to apply the experience of officers who have been trained and have served for considerable years.” He added: “This experience is needed especially in this time of insecurity when experienced police officers are needed to help tackle insecurity in the country.” We hope that the experiences will count in tackling the alarming insecurity across the country.

    But we also ask, what about the Federal Government’s plan to recruit 10,000 policemen every year, a cardinal promise of the immediate past regime of President Muhammadu Buhari, to boost the number of policemen in the country? Also, what happened to the much-hyped community policing recruitment plan, touted by some as answer to state police? We also ask, what is delaying the legal steps to allow states have powers to create state police?

    While we are aware of the efforts being made, we restate it is in the interest of all Nigerians that necessary amendment is made in the constitution to allow for state police. We consider that as a more far-reaching and enduring solution to the inadequacy of policemen in the country. It is common knowledge that under the present arrangement, many states don’t fill their quota, citing inequality and lack of equal opportunities in promotion, as recruited men and officials progress.

    We believe that state police, with the many advantages it confers, would enlist the interest of qualified persons from all states, as promotion, emoluments and sundry benefits will be controlled by the various states. Even as we look forward to the impact of state police, we urge those in charge of the federal police to ensure equity and sense of belonging for all officers and men in the force. Discriminatory practices in promotion, postings and other fringe benefits must be avoided, to ensure the nation binds together.

    We urge the federal and state governments to join forces to gift our country a better police force. Effective and efficient police is sine qua non for a prosperous nation. As the safety of lives and property can only be guaranteed by adequate number of policemen, well-trained, well equipped and well-motivated.