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Category: Baba Yusuf

  • Managing expectations from Cop28

    Managing expectations from Cop28

    We need to remember that the indigenous worldview teaches us that we are all connected. Not only as human beings but with all living things and all that sustains life. As part of this grand and sacred system, harmony with Nature must be maintained. The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.” …. His Majesty, King Charles III, at the opening of COP28, Dubai, U.A.E – 1st December, 2023

    The ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 

    COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November to 12 December 2023, is a decisive moment to act on climate commitments and prevent the worst impacts of climate change. 

    The World Climate Action Summit (WCAS), hosted by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, convened Heads of State or Government on 1st and 2nd December 2023 when the first part of the COP28 high-level segment took place. A resumed high-level segment will take place on 9th-10th December 2023. 

     The WCAS provides Heads of State or Government with the opportunity to set the stage for COP28, build on decisions from previous Conferences of the Parties, raise climate commitments, and promote coordinated action to tackle climate change. With over 150 world leaders present in Dubai at this year’s climate conference, it is clear that countries and continents are taking the climate change challenge seriously  

    It is worthy of note in this year’s Climate Conference, that a major milestone of the conclusion of the first assessment of global progress in implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement will be achieved.

     The findings so far are unambiguous; the world is lagging behind the target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of this century. This is notwithstanding the fact that countries are developing plans for a net-zero future.  In my opinion, the key indicator shows a positive disposition of Countries, deliberately moving towards clean energy, albeit the current speed of the transition may not meet global warming containment aspirations.

    A report recently published by UN Climate Change shows that national climate action plans (known as nationally determined contributions, or ‘NDCs’) would collectively lower greenhouse gas emissions to 2% below 2019 levels by 2030, while the science is clear that a 43% reduction is needed. With almost 200 world leaders attending this year’s Climate conference, is an indication of the seriousness with which Countries around the world are taking the issue of climate change and its various negative impacts – short to long terms.

     However, I hope that the conference will not just be about the optics, i.e. handshakes, backslapping and photoshoots. I hope that the strategies and action plans that will be drafted at the end of the conference will be executed timely and sustainably measured by countries, individually and collectively to ensure all the needful are done in order to contain the clear and present dangers of one of the biggest threats in the history of to humanity – climate change.

     In the face of rising conflicts and tensions worldwide, there is a need for collaborative efforts to combat climate change, an area in which nations can work together effectively to ensure a sustainable future both for people and the planet.

     “We don’t have any time to waste. We need to take urgent action now to reduce emissions. At COP28, every country and every company will be held to account, guided by the north star of keeping 1.5°C within reach,” said COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.

     Funding imperatives

    Climate Funding, increasing financial resources for adaptation, and operationalizing the loss and damage fund are key to keeping 1.5°C within reach while leaving no one behind.

    The reality is that there is a need for more funding to developing countries to support their climate change containment initiatives and renewables revolution in line with the United Nations Climate Change Strategy, otherwise, the aspiration will not be realized. 

    The Progress on climate finance at COP28 will be crucial to build trust in other negotiation areas and to lay the groundwork for an even more ambitious “New Collective Quantified Goal” for climate finance, which must be in place next year. It will also set the stage for a just and inclusive transition to renewable energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels.

    Read Also: COP28 Dubai December 2023

     The Africa context and efforts

    The 2023 Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) Conference which took place at the African Union Commission Conference Centre, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6th to 10th November 2023, underscores the importance of the GGWI in combating climate change and desertification in Africa, as part of a global initiative. The GGWI is in lockstep with the United Nations Climate Change Strategy and Action Plans. The core objective of the African initiative is to build; “a Pan African approach to combat desertification, climate change and the dryland of the continent”.  

     Accordingly, the COP28 coming up days after the GGWI Conference buttresses the focus of countries and continents on collective action to stop climate change with critical attention on more financing and investment in the low-carbon transition. With the active participation of global stakeholders, I am optimistic that investors and other capital markets participants see what’s ahead and back climate commitments with action. In this regard, there is an urgent need for more finance for developing countries to support climate change initiatives and renewables revolution, otherwise, the global climate change strategy will not be impactful.

    Climate Change and Food Security

    Climate change and desertification have been making devastating impacts on our Agriculture, Environment, and Social well-being. Climate change and desertification management should be key elements of the Agriculture and environmental sectoral reform strategy, especially in the risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules of the stratagem. Climate change and desertification management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, proactive countermeasures, and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chains, amongst others

       ”The goal of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSI) by 2030 is to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs. It is envisaged that this ambition when it becomes reality will transform the drylands of Africa from threat to livelihoods to provider of livelihood. It will transform the lives of millions of people living in poverty and suffering the effects of the climate crisis. It will also help to break the cycle of migration and conflict prevalent in the Sahelian areas of Africa among other positive effects and impacts.”

     Some Key Points to Note for Nigeria

    •As part of his critical initial steps to revamp Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

    • To contextualize the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I share some statistics:

    •According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

    •According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

    •Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce. 

    •In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry. 

    •According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure. 

     Climate change has been having a devastating impact on our Agriculture. Climate change management should be. A key element of the Agriculture sectoral reform strategy will be risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules. Climate change management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, and proactive countermeasures and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chain.

     In specific terms, we must be proactive. We saw what happened last year when the Cameroun Dam crisis impacted River Benue with devastating consequences on all the farmlands along the entire farming corridor of the middle belt, the flood also wreaked havoc on the farming, fishing, and food logistics and supply chain throughout north to the southern part of Nigeria was brutal. 

     I expect that all the necessary support will be given to the relevant institutions that are charged with the statutory responsibilities for containing the threats and vagaries of climate to Nigeria, the Sahel region, and the continent of Africa as a whole. 

     I expect that Nigeria will sustain all our climate change initiatives and be better prepared in 2024 to further strengthen our resolve to protect our ecosystem. 

  • Fiscal discipline key to Budget 2024 success

    Fiscal discipline key to Budget 2024 success

    Baba Yusuf (Pix)

    “If people cannot trust their Government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and promote their welfare – all else is lost” … Barrack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.

    On Wednesday 29th November 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the 2024 Budget proposal to the National Assembly for consideration. Mr. President requested for expedited passage of the Budget within the next month so that the January to December budget circle will be maintained, going forward. This is the first budget of his administration, having inherited the 2023 Budget from the administration of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Therefore Mr. President and his team will take ownership of the 2024 Budget when passed, which Mr. The President calls the “Budget of Renewed Hope”. Nigerians will appraise the performance of this administration as wholesome with regard to the promises made.

    Notes some of the key assumptions and

     projections of the budget

    •An aggregate expenditure of 27.5 trillion naira is proposed for the Federal Government in 2024, of which the non-debt recurrent expenditure is 9.92 trillion naira while debt service is projected to be 8.25 trillion naira and capital expenditure is 8.7 trillion naira.

    •It is instructive to note that Mr. President presented a N27.5 Trillion Budget which is slightly 10% of the GDP of Nigeria with a target growth of 3.76% per annum. Therefore, in my opinion, the strategic objective to make Nigeria a $1Trillion economy in the next 7 years, without the requisite government waste management and cost containment initiatives will not be achievable.

    • This is especially so given the IMF projection that Nigeria’s economic growth rate will contract from circa 3% to about 2.9% and also considering the projected overarching global economic rate of about 3%.

    · The crude oil revenue benchmark of $77 per barrel is conservative and more realistic than the assumptions of the immediate past administration.

    •However, the N750 per US Dollar rate assumption may be somewhat aspirational given the current galloping inflation rate of over 24% and rising without other attendant variable impacts like effective monetary policy, quick turnaround management initiatives of the economy from an import-dependent to production economy, etc.  

    • I applaud the priorities given to Defense/ Security, Education, Health, and Poverty Alleviation 

    • Let us not forget the key elephant in the room of the over 133 multi-dimensionally poor citizens of this country with a struggling informal sector that accounts for 80% of the economy.

    Read Also: Tinubu committed to fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, says Shettima

     Accordingly, for the 2024 Budget to meet set objectives and make the intended impacts, there is a dire need for alignment between fiscal policies and fiscal discipline which have been a key failure factor of successive administrations.

     In addition to what I term Mr. President’s “boldness of assertions”, I advocate for the inculcation of what I term, “the practicality of discipline, and the political will of execution”. By this, I mean that there should be an immediate alignment between Fiscal Policy and Fiscal Discipline. Budget performance is dependent largely on Fiscal discipline, without which; increased revenue, increased foreign direct investment, and investment in critical infrastructure will amount to nothing. Without Fiscal Discipline, the strategic visions of government and action plans will either fail or will not be sustainable. Therefore, Fiscal discipline is a critical success factor for the effectiveness of the 2024 budget.

    Insecurity

    The insecurity situation in Nigeria needs to be dealt with as a matter of priority so as to engender more confidence and trust in FDIs and domestic investments. The insecurity issue must be addressed for the productivity of the country in terms of increased crude oil throughput, agriculture, and other non-oil sectors. 

     Monetary policy and fiscal policy

    There is a lot of ongoing conversation about monetary policy (and rightly so) in terms of getting the balance for the Naira, etc. But I believe that unless we critically consider the overall national fiscal policy vis-a-vis our fiscal discipline, the balance we are looking for on the monetary side will not happen. That is why I appreciate the decision by President Tinubu to set up the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms as part of Mr. President’s strategy to turn around the economy of this Country. Factors like fiscal discipline, cost of governance, catalyzing the productive sector of the economy, etc. will be critical success factors. Critical stakeholder engagements and a smart communication strategy are also very important at this point in time in our nation.

     I urge the Federal Government, The National Executive Council, and other key stakeholders to also have a critical look at the fiscal policy to Pari-Passu the monetary policy for optimum impacts on the economy.

     Curbing rising inflation

    The galloping inflation rate, currently at over 27% and projected to rise above 30% by the end of the year is a worrisome situation that if not addressed will certainly affect the achievement of the stability of the Naira. Even though the CBN has a critical role to play in curbing inflation, it will be a function of an overall government strategy with regard to how the Government intends to move forward and for all relevant arms and organs of government to move lockstep to curtail the inflation. Unless that is done all the work that will be done by the CBN will amount to naught, i.e. the CBN could be building and other arms and organs or government will be inadvertently or deliberately destroyed. Therefore, the leadership has to come from Mr. President. 

     Revenue generation imperatives 

     In my opinion, Nigeria’s revenue and debt doldrums are beyond increasing tax collections. According to the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria, Nigeria’s total public debt could rise to 37.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) this year, nearing the government’s self-imposed 40% limit. If the current debt-to-GDP trajectory continues unchecked the consequences will be dire because the Government is almost at a standstill. Running the Government with 4% of total revenue while consistently in debt is a disaster about to happen.

     Therefore, while Tax is a key revenue source, the issue of revenue collection and management should be expanded beyond tax. The economic diversification strategy and the expected impacts of the Foreign Direct Investments which Mr. President has been actively pursuing where he has secured Billions of US Dollars in investment commitments which we hope will be fast-tracked to bring in US Dollars in the short to mid-term are also critical success factors. 

     Our revenue generation strategy should be all-encompassing. Some of my thoughts are as follows:

     •Apart from increasing tax collections, the entire fiscal discipline framework must change going forward.

    •Quintessential leadership at the top

    • Cutting/ containing the cost of governance

    •Prudence in government spending at the top, across, and to be cascaded down the structure and system of governance

    •Blockage of leakages and wastages in government

    •The more you get money and throw it into a bottomless purse, you can retain anything. Therefore, if we do not take seriously the issues of leakages/ wastages and prudence and Government behavior with regard to governance. 

    •Sincere, objective, result-oriented, and transparent fight against corruption. 

    •I would also like to see creativity by the revenue-generating government agencies and departments with regard to reigning in more revenue for Nigeria

    •Zero tolerance to non-performance across all MDAs

    •Total stoppage of budget padding between the Executive arm and the legislative arms of government at federal and sub-national levels, whereby, according to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); in the 2021 budget, a budget padding of about N300 Billion was inserted in the Budget, while a budget padding of about 100 Billion was inserted in the 2022 budget by MDAs.

    • In the case of the Private Sector, for the Government to ensure that those in Government who play with operators in the private sector circumvent the system to help “big businesses”, including the multinationals who do not pay tax or undercut the tax they pay and rein-in our revenue.

    •Zero tolerance to all forms of economic sabotage

    • The regulatory and law enforcement agencies like the EFCC and ICPC should be more result-oriented so that they move from the days of continuous prosecutions without tangible outcomes due to defective investigation, case-building, and prosecution strategy and operations. The fight against corruption should no longer be lip service but actionable and more impactful.

      The Communication Strategy of Mr. President and the MDAs should be transparent, show clarity, and be concise on what they are doing with revenues collected. That will engender confidence and trust in the citizens which will encourage citizens to see reasons why they should pay taxes

    Transparency and Accountability: Here again, transparency is critical, impactful projects and initiatives are critical, and constructive engagements with the citizens are key. If the big businesses and corporations pay the appropriate taxes people know that they are paying, and the government is delivering dividends or democracy, it is easier to make individuals, Nano, small, and medium-scale enterprises (NSME) pay taxes. 

    In all, I hope that the 2024 Budget will be effectively executed for the much-needed betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians because Nigerians are really suffering and in dire need of a quick and sustainable socio-economic turnaround.

  • Notes for opposition political parties

    Notes for opposition political parties

    The recent call by former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON, for the merger of opposition parties to form a formidable team that will provide constructive opposition is a welcome development. I also commend the support for the merger by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), through its Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abba Kawu-Ali. What remains to be seen is how the merger will emerge, given the inability of the political gladiators to form a coalition prelude during the 2023 general elections, in which case the opposition could have been more formidable and effective during the elections. More so after the 2023 elections, almost all the key political actors have lost control/grip of their political party structures due to intra-parties wrangling. 

     Accordingly, I hope that the merger will be formed based on lessons learned, being the reasons why politicians are abandoning their political parties to either the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or other political parties, in some cases, they go away with fragments of the parties they leave, while the other fragments will most likely be subsumed into the ruling party – the APC. I hope that the key politicians will be able to form a merger that will be based on common objectives, for our common good as a nation. Otherwise, the coalition may not be an effective opposition or may not happen at all. In my opinion, the opposition, should learn from the APC model of 2014, the constructive alliance by the then Deputy President of Kenya, Mr.  William Ruto with the newly formed United Democratic Alliance Party that led to his winning the Presidential elections to emerge as the President of Kenya in October last year, as well other trends of effective opposition coalitions in Europe and other democracies that achieved success in putting the ruling parties in check and effectively upstaging incumbent political parties and leaders despite the strong power of incumbency. 

     Political parties’ merger should be based on a strong foundation with critical pillars for success. Otherwise, it will be just one of those failed alliances that we have seen in Nigeria in the past. Some examples include During the Second Republic, the failed alliance in 1979, between late Mallam Aminu Kano’s PRP with UPN, NPP, GNPP, and NAP. Mallam Aminu PRP was initially a member of an alliance in opposition to the NPN. But the PRP under the leadership of Mallam Aminu Kano, based on principles, quietly withdrew from the alliance just before the general elections; The ineffective alliance between All People’s Party (APP) (of which I was founding and active party operative at that time) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) whereby the Alliance was formed a bit late too close to the 1999 Presidential elections and the APP/AD  Presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae could not win the PDP Presidential candidate, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo – the rest is history; The failed attempted alliance between former President Mohammed Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria during the buildup to the 2011 Presidential elections; The failed attempted alliances between Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso’s NNPP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s PDP and/ or Mr. Peter Obi’s Labor Party (LP) despite the obvious need for the alliance a as critical success factor to upstage the incumbent APC. The past experiences should guide the visions, aspirations, thoughts, and missions of the merger promoters.

     Experience has also shown that in Nigeria, almost all mergers and alliances of political parties are formed as platforms to win incumbent political parties, albeit the alliances and mergers were mostly formed late, and too close to elections. This is so much so that fundamentally, political parties are mainly used as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for politicians to win elections. Today, only a few politicians can boast of consistency in terms of political ideology and/ or party loyalty. Therefore, obviously, alliances are formed with underlying parochial interests and not national interests, in which case the mergers are either never achieved or fail to meet the intended objectives. 

     Furthermore, carry-overs of lack of intra-party democracy, intra-party bickering, etc. into merger discussions are also recurring deal-breakers. Basically, politicians want to form mergers in order to achieve individual selfish interests rather than based on a shared vision and common national interest. These faulty foundations make the merger/ alliance talks dead on arrival. We have a classic example in the 2023 Presidential elections. Interestingly the combined number of votes garnered by the three major opposition party candidates, i.e Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of PDP, Mr. Peter Obi of LP, and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of NNPP were more than the votes garnered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is a typical example of the idiom, ”United we stand, divided we fall”. The rhetorical question is, “Will most of our politicians ever rise above their selfish and parochial interests to actually do the needful?” Your answers are as good as mine. 

     It also is worthy of note that after the 2023 general elections, except for Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the NNPP, almost all the hitherto Presidential candidates appear to have already lost control of their party structures and machinery. That is a key indication of how weak opposition political parties will be except if they genuinely get their acts together. In addition, the call for the merger is also evidence of already weakening opposition political parties’ ecosystem, and if the situation is not salvaged, we could most likely move to a semi-one-party state as a nation. By the way, I wonder aloud how the merger will be effective if respective political leaders do not have firm grips and balance on their current political parties; with unabating warring factions, and unending litigations while those that have won elections on the platform of the political parties have since either decamped to other the APC or have abandoned the Presidential candidates who are supposed to be the party leaders and are already pushing their own political agendas which are obviously parallel to the agenda of the political parties and their leaderships – to paraphrase the late venerable Chinua Achebe’s aptly titled popular Book, which also the opening stanza of William Butler Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming,” from which the title of the novel is taken, as an epigraph to the novel.

    Read Also: Reps to IGP, NSA: caution political parties against violent utterances

     A bit of perspective on opposition politics

    During the build-up to the 4th Republic, as a founding member of the All People’s Party (APP), I was privileged to be part of a seminar organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, as part of the events preparatory return to democracy and the 1999 general elections. Some incumbent Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom at that time gave us some high-level lectures on the tenets of democracy and party politics. It was an honor to have attended that seminar with the likes of some of Nigeria’s finest and foremost political leaders like the late Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Bola Ige, Late Senator (who was the Chairman of the PDP), Mahmud Waziri (who was at the Chairman of the APP), late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, late Senator Bello Maitama Yusuf, late Chief Olusola Saraki and other notable leaders. One of the topics of discussion during that seminar was, “How to be an effective opposition party”. A key takeaway for me from that seminar is the value that opposition parties add to democratic ideals, practices, and evolution by keeping the government in power on their toes to ensure good government, providing constructive engagements, while acting as potential alternatives should the ruling party fail to deliver its mandates. I hope that going forward Nigerians will experience valuable opposition– constructive, mature, and forward-thinking. 

     Furthermore, let us not forget that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the opposition for 16 years. Mr. President was also in trenches with other vanguards of democracy, fighting for the return of Nigeria to democracy with some of them paying the ultimate price with their lives, some were detained and tortured, while some had to go into exile including President Tinubu. So, to be in opposition is to be bold, resolute, determined, resilient and value-adding.

     In conclusion, I am interested to see the strategy and counter-maneuvers of the opposition parties beyond the call for the merger. Would their strategies be based on constructive engagements, forcing the hands of good governance, holding the government of the day to account: Or would the opposition parties be preoccupied with intra-party quarrels and parochial interests? Would they be effectively united to face the very important issue of nation building by putting the government in check by focusing on issue-based opposition rather than mud-slinging and social media bullying? Would they also be proactive in what they preach within their parties or would they be selling us what they cannot consume? The answers to the rhetorical questions I raised will be the key determinants of how the opposition parties will fare in the next 4 years, especially given the fact that Nigerians are more politically conscious than at any time in the history of Nigeria. 

  • Critical notes for NLC President

    Critical notes for NLC President

    “”Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” … A Chinese Military General, Strategist, Philosopher, and writer

    I wish to speak with you as a fellow citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as I consider it my civic responsibility to reach out to you. I am also speaking directly with you because I believe that the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and its umbrella bodies are critical stakeholders and veritable levers that should keep the Government in check, hold the Government to account, and provide constructive engagements and counter-balance in ensuring the delivery of good governance in Nigeria. 

     However, I believe that organized Labor should be the voice of Nigerian workers in line with the principles of collective bargaining and the overall welfare of the entire Nigerian workforce while supporting the Government to deliver its mandate. Therefore, I am of the view that the NLC is not an opposition to the Government but a critical stakeholder in delivering the dividends of democracy, because indeed we do not have any other Country but Nigeria. I also am speaking with you as a friend on the NLC, because my antecedents will confirm to you that I was instrumental in ensuring the protection of welfare and well-being of workers in one of the most robust sectors in Nigeria – the Aviation sector. About 6 years ago, I was instrumental in influencing and facilitating the biggest single staff promotion exercise, across all cadres in the history of aviation in Nigeria, where almost 900 staff were promoted at the same time in one Company in the sector; with no rancor, outcry, or dissent. I was able to achieve this feat by working with the two main Staff Unions of the Sector, because consider Comrades as positive contributors and not antagonists.  

    Like every other Nigerian, I have said that, I have been keenly watching the developments in the Country, especially in this particular instance the sad incident of Friday, 1st November, 2023 (16 days ago) in Imo State where you were manhandled and assaulted. This is indeed unfortunate.  I am glad that the NSA stated the suspects have been arrested and an investigation will ensue if found wanting, I urge the Federal Government to deal decisively with whoever committed that irresponsible act. 

     It is based on this sad episode and other matters arising that I find it necessary to make some contributions to what I believe will give traction and keep the NLC struggle on a more progressive and impactful trajectory, going forward.

     Accordingly, in my opinion, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), under you is perhaps beginning to overplay its hands. And The drawback of over-playing an advantage is that it is highly likely that you could lose focus, advantage, supporters and ultimately you miss your key strategic objectives and fail to make the desired impacts. If you, as the NLC President, lose focus and become highly political or distracted, you could inadvertently personalize the struggle. If so, some of the NLC adherents, the generality of Nigerians, and critical stakeholders will start questioning your objectivity, rationale, and actual objective. When you allow those things to happen, you could most likely lose your strategic positioning in the state of play. It may seem far-fetched, but the highly operational activism methodology you have adopted most recently will ultimately make the NLC lose its footing, lose guard, relevance, and respect – slowly initially, and if not contained, could lead to internal conflict of objectives and principles with negative consequences on the NLC leadership structure. 

     The above-mentioned situational assessment is based on the fact that it is beginning to appear that I am reluctant to subscribe to the insinuations that you are highly partisan and you are playing a political script to undermine governance, my view is that your tactical timing of the Imo conference gave room to that rumor. With all due respect, you shouldn’t have undertaken that journey during such a very toxic and sensitive election period in Imo State, whereby even your detractors and any other person could misread your objectives, which could actually be noble, albeit ill-timed. This is because, with tempers and the state of insecurity running high, you basically played into the hands of those who allegedly did what they did to you. Wisdom should have prevailed, such that you live “to conquer another day.

     At this juncture, let me categorically state that I am not downplaying the unfortunate incident that happened to you on 1st November, It is totally unacceptable and the culprits should be brought to book. This type of assault should not happen to any labor leader, activist, or Nigerians who are fighting for a better Nigeria. But with the benefit of hindsight, the question is, “Could this incident have been averted”, and the answer is, “Yes”. In any case, I am sure that we have all learned some lessons so that we can move forward with the struggle constructively and sure-footedly.

     Comrade President, I am one of those who commended you in the mass media and your team when you led the organized labor along with Comrade Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), during the negation of minimum wages and palliatives with the Federal Government last month. You performed wonderfully well because you, Comrade Osifo, and your team were able to effectively negotiate with the Federal Government which led to very good outcomes. My counsel to the NLC at that time was that they should remain focused and consistent in ensuring that the Federal and State Governments deliver the commitments that were made, in line with the action plan agreed upon. There should have been more of the focus on those critical issues, while the Imo conference could have been planned for another better time.

    Read Also: Atiku’s coalition call to unseat APC: no talks with PDP, says LP

     Based on the foregoing, Comrade President, I urge you to be more circumspect and strategic, going forward. There is no doubt that the NLC is a critical stakeholder in Nigeria, and therefore, strategic thinking, planning, and execution are key to the successful delivery of your mandate for the workers of Nigeria and indeed for the general good of all Nigerians. I do not envy your position, the circumstances of your work, and the situation we have found ourselves in Nigeria, and that is why it is important that you remain focused on the big picture objective and not be distracted by mundane issues that may come up, or those that you could inadvertently create by yourself. 

     That is why there is a need for the NLC and organized labor under your leadership to re-strategize and re-position, otherwise you may push your luck too far which may derail the train of the struggle and leave Nigerian workers at the losing end. I honestly hope that this will not happen under your watch because we really need a vibrant, strategic, and forward-thinking NLC at this critical time in the history of our Country. The NLC is a veritable counterbalance that we need to ensure good governance in Nigeria – only if the NLC thinks, plans, and executes properly. 

     Furthermore, I urge you not to get preoccupied by tactical engagements that could distract you from focusing on the very important issues. Consider the Imo incident and the injury inflicted on you as one of those sacrifices and prizes that you are paying for leadership – part of your scars of war sets you apart as a leader. You must have a thick skin from distraction and attempts to frustrate you, but you should also avoid unnecessarily gaslighting issues and inadvertently getting entangled in cacophonies that will slow you down from achieving the noble and laudable ideals of the NLC.

     Importantly, with the call-off of a strike by organized labor, it is time to review the situation that led to the imbroglio with the intent to fashion a proactive way forward rather than being reactive.

     The focus should not be only on the short-term impacts but also on the mid-to-long-term impacts.

     With the over 130 millions of about 200 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians who are already cringing under the vagaries of socio-economic malaise so much so that some of our actions/ inactions will not only further push them further into the abyss of hopelessness (after all they are already neck deep in abject poverty), but our actions/ inactions could push other Nigerians into that category of multi-dimensionally poor.  I am very sure that it is never your intention and that is why you should be less emotional and more introspective while considering your line of actions along with your comrades, to ensure that you avoid, as much as possible, “unintended consequences “. Otherwise, the potential ramifications of such actions on the innocent well-meaning Nigerians and their Allies include the family of the workers whose interests you promised to protect amongst whom

     Comrade president, there is a lot of tough work of constructive engagements for a better Nigeria ahead of all of us, particularly for you and your comrades. Be assured of our continued support and advice to keep on track only for the betterment of Nigeria – nothing more, nothing less.

    Solidarity Forever! Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta!

    May Almighty God Continue to Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • Notes on climate change, great green wall initiative

    Notes on climate change, great green wall initiative

    Climate change and desertification have been making devastating impacts on our Agriculture, Environment, and Social well-being. Climate change and desertification management should be key elements of the Agriculture and environmental sectoral reform strategy especially in the e risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules of the stratagem. Climate change and desertification management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, proactive countermeasures, and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chains, amongst others

     The Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) is set to bring back the glory days of what I call the “green economy”, which will reverse/ contain/ stop impacts of climate change and desertification, boost and sustain our food security, and contain environmental degradation. This laudable initiative will protect the world and, in this context, Nigeria and Africa from the vagaries of desertification and other critical elements of climate change, which actually have potentially adverse consequences for Nigeria in particular and the continental as well as the world at large. 

     The impact of desertification is so important that the United Nations gave it a focal point under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) strategic objectives and targets; for which impacts have been continuously measured for success. 

     As an instance of progress made so far, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations; by 2021, Senegal was standing tall ahead of its peers in the Sahel region of Africa, having restored 27,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 11million trees. Interestingly part of the re-greened area is being converted into a community-based reserve for eco-tourism. So far, the various African Government’s dispositions and actions with regard to the green economy are very clear and unambiguous

     The ongoing GGWI Conference which is taking place at the African Union Commission Conference Centre running from 6th to 10th November, 2023, underscores the importance of the GGWI in combating climate change and desertification in Africa, as part of a global initiative. The core objective of the African initiative is to build; “a Pan African approach to combat desertification, climate change and the dryland of the continent”.  

     ”The goal of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSI) by 2030 is to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs. It is envisaged that this ambition when it becomes reality will transform the drylands of Africa from threat to livelihoods to provider of livelihood. It will transform the lives of millions of people living in poverty and suffering the effects of the climate crisis. It will also help to break the cycle of migration and conflict prevalent in the Sahelian areas of Africa among other positive effects and impacts.”

    This ambitious project is being implemented across 22 African countries and will revitalize thousands of communities across the continent. It brings together African countries and international partners under the leadership of the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green. More than USD 8 billion has been raised and pledged to support this game-changing initiative. ”

    The project actually kick-started in 2013 In Nigeria with a focus on the efforts to combat land degradation, drought desertification, and other menace orchestrated by impacts of climate change and a strive in the implementation process to improve the livelihoods of the affected communities and reduce the apparent manifestation of poverty and building the resilience of the people on the phenomena of climate change.  

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    Some Key Points to Note for Nigeria

    As part of his critical initial steps to revamp Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

    •To contextualize the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I share some statistics:

    •According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

    •According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

    •Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce. 

    •In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry. 

    •According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure. 

     In Nigeria, over the past few years, the awareness and consciousness of having a focal point to curb desertification has increased with the legislation by the National Assembly, subsequent presidential accession into Law in 2015, and activation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW). The activation of the NAGGW is also in adoption with the vision and resolutions of the African Union and its Heads of State and Governments to launch the Great Green Wall in the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI). The GGWSSI spanned from Djibouti to Senegal and involved eleven (11) countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Mauritania).

     The scope of the implementation process of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) covers the northern frontline States (Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Yobe).

    •To achieve the mandate of the Agency, the following components are pertinent:

    •Degraded land restoration and rehabilitation through Afforestation and reforestation.

    •Farmers’ Managed Natural Regeneration to restore and improve agricultural, forested, and pasture lands by encouraging the systemic re-growth of existing trees or self-sown seeds.

    • Promotion of alternative livelihood activities to reduce dependency on scarce natural resources, enhance the rural economy, and generate employment.

    •Promotion of alternative sources of energy to reduce deforestation and enhance carbon sequestration.

    •Promotion of dryland agriculture to strengthen food security and rural economy.

    •Establishment of fodder farms to reduce overgrazing, enhance livestock production, increase rural income, and reduce farmers – herders’ conflicts.

    •Sand dune fixation to protect agricultural lands and infrastructure.

    •Oasis rehabilitation to enhance      livelihood activities and food security.

    •Water resources management to ameliorate the impacts of drought and promote irrigation practices.

    •Sensitisation and awareness campaign to mobilise the rural communities towards the implementation of the program.

     At this juncture, I wish to commend the achievements of the NAGGW under the leadership of Dr. Yusuf Maina-Bukar for their efforts thus far. I also encourage them to do more, because to whom much is given, much is expected. In my opinion, the progress made so far by the Agency is good. Are there things that can be done better? My answer is “Yes”, considering the fact that any organization that strives to grow should continue to improve.  Therefore, as we get closer to the end of the year 2023, the focus should be to take stock of achievements made so far, and position for greater achievements going forward. 

     In addition, I also use this opportunity to humbly appeal to all critical stakeholders, that we should allow Mr. President and his team to focus on the delivery of his mandate. This is especially so, given the fact that just last week, Mr. President, re-iterated to the members of the Federal Executive Council that his cabinet (and by extension all the Heads of MDAs) will be performance-driven. I believe that as Mr. President settles down with fewer distractions, he will see through critical issues and deal with them in the overall interest of Nigeria. Therefore, it is only proper that we allow Mr. President to objectively review the performance and integrity of all institutions and make decisions that will decisively move the Country forward. 

     Meanwhile, let us all give this critical agency all the support it deserves because time is not on our side with the clear and present dangers of climate change and desertification. Please, let us allow the Agency to thrive and grow to be able to deliver its mandate, timely and effectively. It will be very unfortunate if we politicize a young institution (that is less than 10 years old) in a way that will seriously distract the Agency and make managing very important ongoing projects difficult, thereby creating slippages that will ultimately undermine the overall initiative while other African Countries that should be learning from us make progress without such distractions. 

     In conclusion, I note with profound respect the constitutional role that the House of Representatives of the National Assembly (NASS)- the hallowed green chamber, is playing through its relevant Committees with regard to oversight. I commend your efforts and urge you to continue working in line with the principles of fairness, equity, and justice. We also need the NASS to support new legislation that will further strengthen the Agency to deliver and sustain the enshrined mandate. I hope and pray that you will make efforts to further support and sustain the agency. 

  • Re: treatment of gunshot victims without police report

    Re: treatment of gunshot victims without police report

    “A hero is judged by his or her performance and by the positive impacts achieved” …Professor Ali Mazrui.

    he call made last week by the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force (IGP) Mr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun that all accident and gunshot victims should be provided with prompt compassionate treatment at hospitals without a Police report is commendable. This is especially given the fact that the IGP’s directive is in line with the enforcement of the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 which stipulates that all healthcare practitioners should prioritize the immediate care and stabilization of such patients based on the criticality of the timeliness of medical intervention in saving lives.

     Enforcement of existing Law

    However, it is worthy of note that the above-mentioned Act does not cover accident victims. In addition, despite the existence of the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act, which was signed into law in 2017; hospitals and medical practitioners still turn their backs not just on gunshot victims but also on accident victims that need urgent medical attention. Interestingly, so far there have not been any consequences of refusal of hospitals or medical practitioners to comply with the provisions of that law, which would have sent the signals that compliance is key. Importantly also, is the fact that the majority of Nigerians are not even aware that such laws exist so that they can take legal action against hospitals or medical practitioners that refuse to comply with the law. This is so because the Act is succinct with regards to non-compliance, for example:

    Section 9 of the Act stipulates that “A person who commits an offense under this act, which leads to or causes substantial physical, mental and emotional damage to the victim, commits an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not more than 15 years and not less than 5 years without the option of fine”.

    Section 11 of the Act also stipulates that “Any person or authority, including any police officer, other security agent or hospital who stands by and fails to perform his duty under this act which results in the unnecessary death of any person with gunshot wounds, commits an offense and is liable to a fine of N500,000.00 or imprisonment of a term of 5 years, or both”

     The above sections are germane with regard to the importance of the law, when and if not applied. Therefore, the IGP’s directive requires follow-up actions that will ensure the sensitization of the public about the existence of this law on one hand and the enforcement of the law on the other hand, otherwise the IGP’s directive will only be rhetoric.

     Essentially, therefore, I urge the IGP, Minister of Information and National Orientation, the Ministers of Health, other relevant agencies of Government, Civil Society Organisations, other critical stakeholders, and also importantly the mass media – the 4th Estate of the Realm for embark of massive sensitization of the public all over the Country to know about the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, its provisions and action process of ensuring that the law works for the people.

     Urgent need for legislation on protection of accident victims

    The gap in the Act, of non-inclusion of Accident victims or the non-enactment of a law to cover accident victims also needs to be addressed as a matter of national priority. I am of the option that the gap can be catered for in the interim by a Presidential intervention using an Executive Order. This very important and lingering matter can be laid to rest if it is taken seriously (as it should be) by immediately giving it legal backing, pending full legislation. This kind of intervention is practiced in other Countries where a high premium importance is placed on human lives (and even those of animals).  Therefore, they give full attention and care to their citizenry and other nationalities resident in those Countries. Mr. President, I advocate that there should be legislation and laws enacted that will bridge the gap in our medical practice

     As it is today in Nigeria, there are no prudential guidelines or laws that guide the action of medical practitioners and hospitals with regard to the treatment of accident victims without a Police report. Even when the Police report is presented (mostly after long and difficult processes), the hospitals either rightly or wrongly reluctantly treat such emergencies with the dispatch and respect they deserve. In some pathetic cases, the hospitals refuse to provide such interventions to Nigerians and indeed any other person who requires urgent medical attention which is against their professional oath and code of conduct. 

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    There are currently no laws that assist medical practitioners to treat such critical accident emergencies without fear of negative consequences or in the case of the bad/ wicked medical practitioners, there should be consequences for refusing to act in such accident emergencies.

    To the Doctors. nurses and other medical practitioners., I urge you to show compassion and empathy. The attitude of some of you should change. The majority of our medical practitioners have a high sense of empathy, compassion, duty, and professionalism.  I have come across great Doctors, Nurses, and medical practitioners who practice with a high sense of professionalism, humanity, and fear of God. Sadly, there are also some horrible Doctors, Nurses, and medical practitioners, and what is worrisome is that the number of these wicked practitioners is increasing daily. I hope that the Nigerian Medical Association and other professional organizations in the health sector will deal decisively with the bad ones amongst them in order to fully restore the respect of this noble profession.

     Full immunity and protection should be given to first responders, Hospitals, Doctors, and all medical practitioners who provide any form of intervention to save the lives of accident and gunshot victims. In other Countries, such people and/ or establishments are heroes, but in Nigeria, in many cases, kind and honorable people mostly end up being treated as criminals, or aiders and abettors of criminals, fugitives/ suspects and may even face prosecution simply because they followed their basic instincts of attempting to help and save lives. The situation is so bad that people simply drive by or walk by victims of accidents or gunshot wounds because of the fear of dire consequences. Those people who want to help but cannot out of fear of negative repercussions are also impacted because most of them become permanently psychologically scarred by the horror of the flashes of the bodies and faces of the victims they abandoned while in need of urgent help. Most of them live the rest of their lives struggling with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which manifests in so many horrible mental and physical ways. We should not allow this sordid situation to continue and therefore we should all act swiftly and properly. After all, nobody knows the situation he/ she or their loved ones may someday find themselves in.

     Therefore, all of us; Mr. President, The Honorable Ministers of Health, Police, Justice, Youth and Social Development, Humanitarian Affairs and other relevant agencies in the Executive Arm of Government at Federal and State; The Senate and House of Representatives of the National Assembly and the State houses of Assembly, the Judiciary, political parties, Civil Society Organizations and all well-meaning citizens that as a matter of national priority we should play our roles from sponsorship of relevant bills, supporting the bills, attending public hearing and making contributions, passing laws and ultimately signing into law the laws that will give more legal backing and effect to this critical need to save lives of accident victims to avoid avoidable loss of lives and livelihoods. 

      A humble request and advocacy for an Executive Order 

    Your Excellency, Mr. President, succor can come by way of an Executive Order, as a critical interim measure, pending a full process of legislation. Provisions could be embedded in the Executive Order, such that criminals, fugitives, or suspects will be provided for while ensuring that relevant agencies of Government move swiftly to ensure that justice is still done after the provision of the intervention. For example, in the case of accident victims who are not covered by the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act of 2017; as soon as victims are received, a prudential guideline should be activated to inform all the relevant law enforcement agencies, for example, the Nigerian Police Force secure the suspect or convict while medical intervention is being provided and they care over the person after discharge from the hospital or facility and continue with case of persecution. Other risk management mechanisms will be in the guidelines to ensure that criminals or terrorists are not given cover to go back into society. But if we allow the matter to continue without attention, in a Country of over 200million citizens and millions of other nationalities resident in the Country, with serious health challenges and other socio-economic dynamics; the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological impacts will have a ripple effect on the nation. Your Excellency, there is a need for quick action on the Executive Order and importantly to ensure that all agencies of Government that are concerned do the needful, especially the enforcement and sanctions for non-compliance.

    Mr. Your citizens and indeed any other person that needs such intervention within the boundaries of this Country.

  • Now that election litigations are over

    Now that election litigations are over

    With the judgment delivered yesterday by the learned judges of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with regard to the appeals filed by the Presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON and that of the Labor Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi CON, challenging the judgment of the PEPC which was in favor of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR; the matter of litigation has finally come to an end in line with the provisions of section 24(2a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which stipulates 3 months from the day of the judgment of the PEPC for an appeal to be heard and decided at the Supreme Court. This milestone effectively closes the Presidential election cycle calendar for 2023. The judgment also finally gives complete focus to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue sure-footedly with governance.

     Therefore, I congratulate, his Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this feat, may your tenure be successful and fruitful for Nigeria and Nigerians. Ameen. 

     Accordingly, there must be an end to litigation. Therefore, going forward, the focus should be on the President to deliver his mandate and deliver good governance within the realm of his manifestos, the promises he made, and the mandate Nigerians gave him by the Grace of Almighty God.

     To the ruling party APC

    For Mr. President, you have your job cut out for you. You have been up and about from day-1, during your inauguration. You built critical momentum, trying to salvage a very bad socio-economic situation that we have been mired into over the past 8 years. The critical decisions you have taken have disrupted both positively and, in some cases, negatively on our polity. As a student of strategy and policy, I know that turning around an ailing economy at this stage of disrepair does not happen with a snap of a finger, nor does it happen with knee-jerk activities. Indeed, some of the key decisions you have taken are so as to achieve quick wins, take full control of the economy, and turn it around. This is also to assure the citizens that you have good intentions for the Country and the political will to turn around the socio-economic situation of the Country for the better, that you will lead in a different better way; to be performance-driven as you promised us, to be a listening President and to abide by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That being said Mr. President, some decisions you have taken have come with serious pains to Nigerians, and understandably so.

     However, may I remind Mr. President that the pillars for success like empathy, situation awareness, and consistent testing of the pulse of Nigerians cannot be over-emphasized as you chart the way forward for Nigeria. With profound respect, I will elaborate on some of the pillars for success in my subsequent episodes. Ours, as citizens, is to support you as a leader to deliver dividends of democracy, which I believe is you intent and which I believe you will deliver. 

     To the opposition political parties 

    During the build to the 4th Republic, as a founding member of the All People’s Party (APP), I was privileged to be selected to be part of a seminar organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, as part of the events preparatory return to democracy and the 1999 general elections. Some incumbent Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom at that time gave us some high-level lectures on tenets of democracy and party politics. It was an honor to have attended that seminar with the likes of some of Nigeria’s finest and foremost political leaders like the late Solomon Lar, Chief Bola Ige, Late Senator Mahmud Waziri (the Interim Chairman of the APP), late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, late Senator Bello Maitama Yusuf, late Chief Olusola Saraki, etc. One of the topics of discussion during that seminar was “How to be an effective opposition party”. A key takeaway for me from that seminar is the value that opposition parties add to democratic ideals, practices, and evolution by keeping the government in power on their toes to ensure good government, providing constructive engagements, while acting as potential alternatives should the ruling party fail to deliver its mandates. I believe that going forward I hope to see that kind of valuable opposition– constructive, mature, and forward-thinking. 

     Furthermore, let us not forget that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the opposition for 16 years. Mr. President was also in trenches with other vanguards of democracy, fighting for the return of Nigeria to democracy with some of them paying the ultimate price with their lives, some were detained and tortured, while some had to go into exile including President Tinubu. So, to be in opposition is to be bold, resolute, determined, resilient and value-adding.

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     To His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON

    Your Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, I respect you, and I appreciate your contributions to the political evolution of Nigeria. You will remain a star in the Nigerian political landscape. You have made immense contributions to the return to democracy and to sustaining the 4th republic by keeping it vibrant. You remain a political colossus, always available to contribute in one way or the other as an active participant. Your excellency, having gone this far I believe time is not for you to hang your political boots, but to re-focus on how you can contribute to continuous nation-building. I urge you to encourage your teeming supporters by reminding them that it is only when we have a peaceful Country that we call Nigeria, that we can have the opportunity to aspire for political office in another election. I look forward to your active participation by making valuable contributions to the journey of our polity. You are a true democrat and I hope that you will stay true to those words to the end.  I know for a fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, your very good friend and political ally for many years, totally understands that. I hope that you will speak to your supporters on how effectively opposition will be run, going forward.

     I implore you, Wazirin Adamawa not to falter on this and to continue to contribute to the Nigeria project. For about 30 years you aspired to be the President of Nigeria, but we know that it is only Almighty God that Gives power to whomsoever he wills, and takes it from whomsoever he wills, whenever he wills.  Our political sagacity has never been in doubt, but Waziri as you know in this journey of life we follow the path of destiny that Almighty God charts for us to follow. I wish you a better future ahead as it pleases Almighty Allah, and I will continue to look at you as one of the pillars of democracy in Nigeria beyond party divides.

     To His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi CON

    Your excellency, Mr. Peter Obi – the phenomenon, the disrupter that changed the political landscape in Nigeria in the last 1 year, raising more political awareness and consciousness in a lot of our citizens who hitherto were nonchalant to our political evolution and those that sought alternative platforms for their political aspirations. 

     Whether we like it or not you have done it, within 6 months you changed the political narrative of Nigeria and upscaled the political consciousness of Nigerians. You have added value to our political process and evolution. Your Excellency, I also believe that you still have a role to play in Nigeria’s polity through constructive engagements, leading the people who believe in you. To lead them in a way and manner that we can have a better political process, polity, and a better Nigeria. Your Excellency, your integrity is not in doubt, and your political dexterity has been affirmed in the scheme of Nigerian politics since you entered the presidential race – no doubt. I respect you. I appreciate your valuable contributions over time. 

     One man has to emerge as President at a time. Your excellency, it is only when we have a Nigeria shall we have a Country to aspire to lead. As a true democrat, I urge you to speak to your teeming supporters and let us put our heads together to work for a better Nigeria. There must be an end to a contest and litigation in a democratic system. 

     To fellow Nigerians

    The Nigerian political evolution, just like other advanced democracies is a journey and not a one-time, short dash event. Rome was not built in a day. But it is also important that we take note of the mistakes that were made for corrections to be made, going forward.

    May Almighty God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • Time to review the NYSC Scheme

    Time to review the NYSC Scheme

    To much has been said in the past years with regard to the Nigeria Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in terms of its significance in our polity, and its impacts. Over the years the NYSC has also become a national development tool. It has also become a political tool to either support or disparage political opponents.   Therefore, I find it necessary to x-ray the NYSC scheme from a historical and current situation perspective, and also recommend how the NYSC could be in a better position for national development.

     The NYSC was created on 22 May 1973 during General Yakubu Gowon’s regime with the vision and objective of national reconciliation, reconstruction, and rebuilding and unity 4 years after the civil war. It was established based on decree No. 24 which stated that the scheme was created “with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity. 

     In the past 50 years, the NYSC has been very impactful from its inception. We have witnessed inter-tribal, inter-religious, and inter-regional marriages during and after the scheme. Lifelong friendships and bonds have been established, and national awareness has increased. 

     But about 20 years ago, the quality and impacts of the NYSC started to decline. Even though, in my opinion, the NYSC is still relevant, the scheme is losing its momentum and inertia has set in. Consequently, I urge the Mr. President to initiate a process with the support of the national assembly to redefine the Purpose of NYSC, and reset the objectives by making it voluntary, for a better impact for the youths, their family, and the country:

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     Accordingly, if we undertake an assessment of the NYSC in the last 25 years, the outcome will show that the downsides of the NYSC are increasing. Subconsciously, inadvertently corruption has crept into the Corps, the reason why I am of the opinion that we should look at the NYSC scheme in order to correct all the wrongs and put the scheme fully on a progressive trajectory in line with our current national socio-economic realities while taking into cognizance the future outlook and aspirations for the teeming youth of Nigeria alive and yet unborn.

     While it is understandable that it was mandatory in 1973; with less population of youth at the stage of the evolution of Nigeria just coming out of the Civil war, and Nigeria at the prime of its economic boom. But the NYSC should not continue to be compulsory, 50 years after its inception and beyond, with over 60 million youths with dwindling resources and more cosmopolitan and different mindsets and dispositions in a fully democratized Nigeria. The national unity imperatives of today are not exactly the same as those of 50 years ago.

     The NYSC scheme will continue to suffer financial, budgetary, and other challenges due to increasing population and demographic challenges with the attendant socio-economic impacts on the resources of the nation that continue to stifle the NYSC of resources (which will continue to increase) needed to build more capacity to deliver the mandate. 

     It is worthy of note that a 50-year national initiative without structural and system reviews and reforms; in terms of relevance and impact is certainly becoming outdated. We must realize that there is an immediate need to review the scheme in terms of vision, strategy, legislation, operations, etc. 

     A need for review of nysc legislation

     In my opinion, Section 2 of the NYSC Act stipulates that every Nigerian citizen who graduated from any tertiary institution in and outside Nigeria and was not 30 years old shall be mobilized for the one-year compulsory national youth service, while any person above 30 was not eligible to participate in the service.

     The above provision of the NYSC Act that makes NYSC compulsory has outlived its time and should be reviewed to make the scheme voluntary. The development will free up more resources for the NYSC to do a better job focusing only on those youth who voluntarily join and will be committed to the service. Those who do not wish to undertake the NYSC scheme should also be allowed to utilize their time how they deem fit so as not to waste our dwindling natural resources. The legislation should also recognize those who decide to undertake the 1-year NYSC as a national service and should be considered an added advantage for them for employment opportunities and national service endeavors. In addition, making it a voluntary national service will be in line with the constitutional provision that guarantees every Nigerian fundamental human right.

     In terms of the deliverables of the scheme, the upscaling of the skill acquisition programme to make them robust and more far-reaching and impactful  in terms of facilities, other resources, and capacities would be priorities. Eventful deliverables with marginal impacts refer to situations whereby the NYSC scheme has become an event after the fact, i.e. after graduation from tertiary institutions, for people to go through that process by hook or by crook with majorly no real commitment of nationalism and patriotism. People basically undergo the program without a true commitment to the fundamental objectives but just in order to “fulfill” a requirement. 

    Some key points to note

    Over the past 20 years, evidence and witnesses have shown that the majority of the NYSC schemes are not undertaken by most Corp members in line with the tenets and provisions of the NYSC Act. The majority of the graduates who collect the NYSC certificates were actually not qualified to be awarded the certificates rightly or wrongly, due to some of the following reasons:

    •With rising insecurity, parents, guardians, and benefactors try to find a way for their children not to serve in “hotspot” areas that are facing the vagaries of insecurity. Therefore, they find a way to change the postings of their wards to what they consider a safer state or locations that are close to home or that are more convenient for their wards. In some cases, the move is to enable their wards to post the Places of Primary Assignment (PPAs) where they could be retained with lucrative employment. That in itself is a defeat of the initial objective of the scheme of entrenching national unity and cohesion.

    •Privileged/ rich parents, guardians, wards, or even the graduates themselves, influence the re-routing of the PPA for their children to their areas of comfort so that they will not “suffer”, while the children of the poor are left with no option but to take whatever they see and suffer the vagaries.

    •The fact that most of the graduates who are privileged or who can “pay their way” through the process, do not end up actually serving. They actually pay their way out and do what is called “ghosting’, so that they don’t even go through the process. What they do is that the graduates abscond from the PPAs while they pay for all the processes, forfeit all/ part of the monthly allowances to the operatives at their PPAs, only to appear once in 3 months or not at all, and in the end, the end they get all the necessary documentations signed, undergo passing out parade and get certificates of service. This is clearly corruption and not qualification.

    •While some of the graduates enjoy the above-mentioned shortcuts, a lot of their fellow-graduates struggle for months to even get PPAs sometimes without success. I have personally heard the case of a lady who encountered so much difficulty because, since February this year, she has not been receiving their monthly allowance due to some technical issues, and because she does not have “godfathers/ godmothers” she has been struggling, living from hand to mouth. This shouldn’t be happening to anyone undergoing such a compulsory national assignment. It’s unfair to put our youths in such difficult situations year on year in the name of national service. This will erode the feeling and mindset of patriotism from the minds of the youths.

    •The NYSC scheme is facing process and system issues whereby sometimes Corp members struggle to do something as simple as locating their PPAs on the portal without stress. This reflects the need for more investment to scale up the ICT capabilities and manning levels of the NYSC systems, etc. 

     Therefore, due to the complicated situations that put some people in different complex situations; I  advocate for the re-direction and restructure of the vision and operations of the NYSC scheme in such ways and manners that it abuse of the scheme will be eradicated/ scaled down and made more impactful, so that our youth will not be inadvertently be initiated into a system of corruption thereby upscaling a perennial corrupt corporate and national culture that we have been struggling to cure albeit by mantra and rhetoric, as a people and as a nation. Ethical and attitudinal corrupt practices are worse than transactional corrupt practices because it is the former that leads to the latter. Because attitudinal corrupt practices attack the very foundation of our core values as a nation.

  • More perspectives on the agriculture sector (2)

    More perspectives on the agriculture sector (2)

    Due to the importance of Agriculture in the turnaround, sustenance, diversification, and consequently the growth and development of Nigeria’s social justice and economy; this week’s episode of this Column is a continuation of last week’s episode in which I started sharing some of my insights and perspectives on Agriculture, particularly in areas of fundamental issues including Security, Climate Change, etc. 

     To refresh our memories, I mentioned that one of the key initial steps taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the beginning of his administration was to revamp Nigeria’s economy, Mr. President initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

     To contextualise the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I hereby represent the following statistics:

    •According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

    •According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

    •Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce. 

    •In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry. 

    •According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure. These projections were made before the policy missteps of 1st quarter this year by the erstwhile Mr. Godwin Emefiele-led CCBN with regards to the brutal monetary policy and the cashless policy, the Agric anchor-borrowers scheme missteps, the increase in climate change, etc. Therefore, the current number of Nigerians who are suffering from food insecurity is certainly more than 25 million.

    Youth empowerment in agriculture

    The youths of any society or nation are key to the development and substance of that nation.  A very worrisome situation in Nigeria is the lack of deepening commitments and impacts with regard to the support for Nigerian youths to seriously take Agriculture as a profession or business. Part of the issue is that Agriculture has been nationally unattractive and more of a campaign tool than a national and state economic development tool. Over time, successive administrations have not sustained agriculture initiatives and interventions that would have made agriculture the “go-to” industry, for people to be encouraged to join farming.

     The youths should be encouraged to go into Agriculture as a value-addition to the existing Agricultural value chain. They will bring in innovation and technology, most of which require key investment support, and enablement which is either lacking or not properly directed to the right people. Therefore, I advocate for moving from majorly dispensing cash only as we have seen with the anchor borrower scheme of the immediate past administration. Cash backing should not only be the key incentive, but enablement should be the key incentive in terms of training, skills acquisition, awareness and sensitisation, operational, and entrepreneur capacity building, etc.

     The financial institutions, especially the Banks have not really been supporting the Agric sector with tangible impacts, rather they have been operating like shylocks. I do not see creativity from the Finance sector in the case of support for Agriculture in Nigeria. The Banks basically apply interest rates as they follow inflationary trends, focusing on developing their Agric loan offerings, rather than building entrepreneur support partnerships with the farmers. 

    Read Also: Agriculture sector from security and climate change perspectives

     Apart from a few, most of the Agric desks in the Banks have been underperforming because of a lack of broad Agric business strategy and investment-friendly policies. The Banks need to be creative from a business continuity and growth perspective because Banks are not insulated from the global and national socio-economic challenges we are facing in Nigeria. So, if they craft their strategy for the Agric sector from a value innovation to support perspective; they will support our teeming youths who have very innovative mindsets, capacities, and potentials. They could support them with the right investment offerings in the entire Agric value-chain; production, quality control,  storage, value-addition, packaging, logistics and supply-chain, inland trading and export, i.e. id and downstream subsets of the sector; the Agric sector has the potential capacity to provide more opportunities for the youth than even the digital technologies sector in terms of deep and wide multidimensional socioeconomic impacts in Nigeria down to our hinterlands; based on which he Banks can make more income and profits.

     In the case of sensitization; I look forward to the current administration, particularly the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with key industry stakeholders to open up conversations and vistas of attractive value offerings for the youths, to know that apart from the huge opportunities in production – plants and animals (aquatic and non-aquatic); Agriculture also has other huge golden opportunities in its mid and downstream sub-sectors to create wealth, make wealth and make impact on the socio-economic well-being of Nigeria and its populace. 

     Agriculture provides critical inputs and support in areas of food security, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology, and provides raw materials for the productive sectors, e.g. Textile, Plastic, Construction, etc. Therefore, from both the Government and the financial institutions; there is a need for a lot of education, sensitization, capacity building, and other support in areas of; trade facilitation, policy coherence and consistency, etc. Of course, the Government will have to trigger the support of the Financial sector through the correct policies (formulation, implementation, and regulation) to catalyze the financial institutions to provide the requisite support. These can be achieved by making policies that will ensure that as part of our national development policy, the financial sector must support our youths or any other Nigerian that is/or will be interested in operating in the Agriculture sector. Let us encourage Nigerians to go into Agriculture not by marginal transactional events whereby most times politicians hijack the events and in the end people that should benefit are left out and the objectives not met.

     Why interventions failed in the past 8 years

    The current investigation that was initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with regard to the goings-on at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the past 8 years under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Emefiele the former Governor of the CBN has started yielding some worrisome information which have vindicated Mr. President with regards to his decision to suspend the erstwhile Governor of the CBN, the investigation of his administration and his subsequent resignation; and the appointment of Dr. Yemi Cordoso as the New Governor.

     Over 1 Trillion was disbursed as interventions, with no clear accountability. we have not seen critical tangible impacts commensurate with the huge amount of money disbursed. 

     In the case of the recovery of the money given as loans, we hear that only about 40% of the N1 Trillion is what has been recovered by the erstwhile CBN leadership. However, the outcome of the investigation of CBN is what will tell us how much of the N1 Trillion was truly recovered. We hear information about the former MD/ CEO of The Nigerian Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) is also under investigation, etc. 

    Those developments are all pointers to the fact that the Agriculture intervention scheme of the immediate past administration, even though well-thought-out and noble, was not properly structured and executed. That is why the key objectives of the intervention were not achieved, because the small and medium-scale farmers, that were supposed to be impacted were largely left out 

     By allowing the CBN to meddle in the Agric intervention programs, the CBN lost focus on its core mandate, and became less professional and more political, resulting in the CBN becoming the “jack of all trades and master of none” of President Buhari’s administration. Consequently, the erstwhile headship of the CBN totally went off the rails and went into policy and political misadventures that further brought Nigeria to its knees. May we not experience such an avoidable terrible debacle again in Nigeria. Ameen,

     Moving forward, in my opinion, I advocate that the Agric intervention programs should be immediately removed from the focal point of the CBN. This is so that the CBN will fulfill its core mandate of dealing with the hitherto monetary policy and fiscal policy experiments that resulted in the current brutal consequences on Nigerians. I urge Mr. President to domicile the invention initiatives to the relevant MDAs for proper structuring, alignment, performance, and impacts.

     Role of states and Local Governments

    The importance of the roles of the States and Local Governments to improve our Agricultural value chain and its socio-economic contributions cannot be over-emphasized. Apart from the national agriculture sectoral reform strategy, which I suggested in last week’s episode of this Column, that we should have at the Federal level, the State Governors, the National Assembly, and state assemblies need to do more in crafting their various Agriculture reform strategies that will key into the overarching national development plan while taking into cognizance their peculiarities with a view to harnessing all their agricultural resources in the states for better socio-economic impacts -short to long term.

  • Agriculture sector from security and climate change perspectives

    Agriculture sector from security and climate change perspectives

    As part of his critical initial steps to revamp Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

    How did we get here?

    •To contextualize the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I share some statistics:

    •According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

    •According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

    •Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce. 

    •In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry. 

    •According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure. These projections were made before the policy missteps of 1st quarter this year by the erstwhile Mr. Godwin Emefiele-led CCBN with regards to the brutal monetary policy and the cashless policy, the Agric anchor-borrowers scheme missteps, the increase in climate change, etc. Therefore, the current number of Nigerians who are suffering from food insecurity is certainly more than 25 million.

    FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES

    Critical initial steps have been taken by President Tinubu for the short term. Now that he has a functional Federal Executive Council which includes the Honorable Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, in persons of Senator Abubakar Abba Kyari and Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi respectively: There should be a formulation of an Agriculture sectoral reform strategy that will cover insecurity, climate change, critical infrastructure, improving production, value-addition, storage, logistics and supply chain, etc. Unless there is a strategy that covers the short, mid to long terms, the short-term interventions will not be sustainable. 

     I appreciate the initial steps taken by Mr. President, albeit they are taken on the spur of the moment to address the pressing challenges. Therefore, the President needs to have a robust national agriculture strategy so that we can have sure-footed and sustainable progression with regard to food security and support for the production economy. It is worthy of note that Agriculture provides food, medicine, and pharmaceutical support, and over 50% of the critical raw materials for the production sector across the entire economic value chain. Therefore, it is a critical sector. Agriculture, if well harnessed and managed, has the capacity to enable the turnaround and drive the economy of this Country as it happened in the 1960s and make Nigeria far less dependent on hydrocarbons. I hope that in the next few months moving into 2024, we will be more clear-eyed with regards to how, where, or what Agriculture should be doing to our socio-economic development as a nation.

     The way and manner the industry was administered in the past 8 years is a classic example of “HOW NOT TO RUN AN AGRICULTURE SECTOR”. Looking back eight years, and considering the huge sums of money budgeted, appropriated, allocated, and disbursed is mind-boggling. I hope and pray that during the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the sector will undergo genuine and proper reforms in the Agriculture sector. I also look forward to strategic and critical thinking, professionalism, creativity and value innovation, achievement of operational excellence, integrity, attention to the welfare and wellbeing of staff, and importantly significant contribution to the national economy; over and above the transactional attitude to leadership and work which has become a corporate cultural malaise in the sector.

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    THE IMPACT OF SECURITY ON FOOD SECURITY 

    Despite the huge financial investment in Agriculture in the past 8 years, the performance of the sector has been overall marginal insecurity and poor policy implementation. Therefore, the administration of President Tinubu needs to formulate an Agriculture sectoral reform strategy that should inculcate security as fundamental, with an all-encompassing approach to the things that need to be done to turn around this sad insecurity situation. 

     The critical success factor to turn around the socio-economic malaise in Nigeria is first and foremost tackling insecurity. Otherwise, any other initiative will be a “flash in the pan”. This is because the recent escalation of insecurity around the northwest, north-central, and even southeast is hampering food production, otherwise, we are taking two steps forward and three steps backward. This has significantly impacted food security. The northern part of Nigeria is the food basket of the nation and is arguably some part of the West African sub region. Farmers have gone to the farm late this year. Climate change is impacting, and the danger of food insecurity is looming. There is a need for quick actions

    An example of the impact of insecurity on our Agric value chain:

    GB Foods is an investor from Spain that came to Nigeria and set up in Kebbi State Nigeria; the second largest Tomatoes processing plant in Nigeria, and the only fully backward integrated tomatoes processing plant in the West African sub-region valued at over 20 Billion; employing over 1,000 Nigerians, including 500 farming jobs, 150 factory jobs, and 150 construction jobs. The plant started production in March last year when over 500 Bandits attacked the plant, kidnapped some expatriates, killed some Nigerians, and desecrated the processing plant. This caused the parent company in Spain to close the plant and lay off staff with negative socio-economic impacts on the country. There are also a lot of farmers who could not go to farm last year and this year unless they succumb to the blackmails of the bandits and terrorists before they can go to their farms in some cases the bandits and terrorists either seize the entire food produced of tale almost of the production and take ransom for the food that they leave behind for the farmers.

    Accordingly, insecurity needs to be tackled head-on before significant progress can be achieved. Mr. President has a critical role to play in providing leadership, especially with regard to inter-institutional strategy and synergies.

    CLIMATE CHANGE

    Climate change has been having a devastating impact on our Agriculture. Climate change management should be. A key element of the Agriculture sectoral reform strategy will be risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules. Climate change management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, and proactive countermeasures and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chain.

     In specific terms, we must be proactive. We saw what happened last year when the Cameroun Dam crisis impacted River Benue with devastating consequences on all the farmlands along the entire farming corridor of the middle belt, the flood also wreaked havoc on the farming, fishing, and food logistics and supply chain throughout north to the southern part of Nigeria was brutal. 

     Therefore, the institutions that are managing our early warning systems should be proactive and consistently pragmatic so that the impacts of climate change can be mitigated and ensuing crises and disasters like floods, desertification, animal and plant diseases, etc. can be better anticipated and managed. Climate change is a phenomenon, a global issue, and a threat to national development.  As part of the Agriculture intervention rolled out in July this year, Mr. President is targeting the cultivation of 500,000 hectares of land for the production of Rice, Corn, Cassava, and Wheat. This noble objective and the protection of the small, medium, and large Agricultural value change cannot be achieved we do not have a safety plan to contain insecurity and climate change.

    SOME CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

    ·               The contribution of State Governments with regards to the development of Agriculture is a key. To that extent, the full involvement of the National Executive Council is a critical success factor.

    •A well-articulated strategy that is all-encompassing and has the buy-in of critical •High execution quotient, with a transparent dashboard that will drive our Agricultural interventions in areas of finance, critical infrastructure

    •Policy: What is glaringly an issue is not the lack of policies. In my opinion, the issues are the policy gaps and lack of policy coherence – there is a lot of it. Agriculture bestrides other sectors. We are talking about production, quality control, storage, logistics and supply chain, storage, value-addition, export, etc. Therefore, there are a lot of inter-agency synergy and policy cross-pollination requirements for the sector to thrive and make sustainable critical impacts. 

    •Policy implementation and Regulation enforcements are also critical success factors

    •War against Corruption.

    •Risk Assessment and Mitigations

    CONCLUSION

    All Nigerians, especially the critical stakeholders in the Agriculture sector should support the building of an institutionalized, professional, purposeful, resilient, and impactful Agriculture sector with strong pillars to support socio economy growth and development sustainability.