The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Restore social investment programmes

    Restore social investment programmes

    Sir: President Bola Tinubu has written his name in golden letters and deserves commendations for laying the groundwork for full autonomy to local government councils. This is a major accomplishment capable of addressing multitude of problems facing the nation at the grassroots.

    However, Mr President should expedite action on the investigation of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over an alleged mismanagement of N585 million under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP). This is with a view to resuming the life-saving programmes of the ministry to minimise the unprecedented hunger, youth idleness and abject poverty currently afflicting vulnerable Nigerians.

    In fact, the eyes of millions of Nigeria’s unemployed graduates and non-graduates are now on President Tinubu to see what kind of action he will take to defuse their ticking-time bomb of frustration via the creation of massive decent jobs for them.

    Beyond doubt, during the tenure of the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, the Social Investment Programmes played a key role in accelerating the attainment of the entire 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria. Among the goals are ending poverty and hunger, creating decent jobs for young men and women and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

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    Presently, according to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, Nigeria ranks 109th out of 125 countries, indicating severe hunger levels, with women, girls and persons with disabilities facing higher food insecurity as a result of rising cost of food and other commodities and poor economic policies. How can this country achieve the vision of zero hunger of the United Nations by the year 2030?

    Shortly after his assumption of office, Mr President declared a state of emergency in agriculture to address extreme hunger, food insecurity and skyrocketing prices of food items. Mr President should match his words with appropriate actions via supporting Nigeria’s farmers. The so-called nationwide protest is a fair warning for the government to revisit the National Social Investment Programme. The federal government is urged to resuscitate all its programs such as N-Power programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, Home-Grown School Feeding programme and others. It will certainly go a long way to douse the growing restiveness among the youths.

    After all, it was Aristotle who once said: “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime”. Mr President should consider resuscitating the NSIP to ameliorate the sufferings of jobless youths, poor and vulnerable citizens of the country.

    •Mustapha Baba,Azare, Bauchi State.

  • Protest: A note of caution

    Protest: A note of caution

    Sir: The planned protest scheduled to hold on August 1, has continued to gain traction especially in the social media. Those who are nursing the idea of protest believe that Tinubu administration’s policies in the last one year have made lives more difficult to Nigerians amidst galloping inflation and excruciating cost of living. They cite the deteriorating condition of living among many Nigerians followed by the removal of petroleum subsidy and unification of forex exchange rate at the inception of this government as the chief factors. Though, the removal of fuel subsidy has led to more revenues accrued to the three tiers of government, Nigerians are yet to see commensurate results particularly at the state and local levels. Corruption, unemployment, insecurity and high cost of living are the reasons stated by the faceless conveners of the protest.

    While the 1999 constitution (as amended) gives Nigerians the inalienable right to freedom of expression, assembly and association, there are limitations to those rights. For instance, one cannot hide under the freedom of expression or assembly to incite public disturbance; the same applies to other fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution.

    Nigeria has chequered history of protests notable among are the Abeokuta Women’s Revolt 1929, the anti-SAP protest in response to the IMF-imposed Structural Adjustment Program introduced by the Babangida military government, the June 12 protest against IBB’s annulment of1993 presidential election won by late MKO Abiola, the Occupy Nigeria in 2012 against the Jonathan government’s removal of fuel subsidy and the End SARS protest in 2020 among others.

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    In any case, our 25 years of uninterrupted democracy is the product of sacrifice, struggle and protest by pro-democracy forces, comprising civil society organisations, members of academic community and organised labour. To that extent, there is nothing can be said to be wrong with protests in a democratic setting. A peaceful protest can create awareness and influence policy changes etc. But most of the protests that occurred in the country had organisers. Many of such protests were organised by either civil rights organisations or leadership of organised labour.

     Protest without coordinating leadership can be hijacked by criminals or enemies of the state to cause great havoc. Nigerians have witnessed many supposedly peaceful protests that turned violent. The results were loss of lives and properties. We have seen African countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya where massive protests took place not faring better in the end. Those countries are more fragmented than they were before. In saner societies or advanced democracies, people use the election period to effect necessary changes in the polity. If Nigerians truly feel that the Tinubu administration has failed to meet up with their expectations, they should come out in 2027 and vote the administration out; the same with other elective seats. With the high rate of unemployment and hunger in the country, any protest can be infiltrated by the fifth columnists or street urchins to unleash mayhem.

    The frustration and anger across the country due to the high cost of living call for more pragmatic actions. There is the need for government at all levels to come up with more humane policies towards lessening the suffering of Nigerians.

    • Ibrahim Mustapha,Pambegua, Kaduna State.

  • As Federal Government moves to tackle the food crisis

    As Federal Government moves to tackle the food crisis

    Sir: At the inauguration of the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU), Vice President Kashim Shettima said, “The nation is facing a rare food security crisis, and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better.” Thus, the Bola Tinubu government has finally acknowledged that Nigerians are facing hunger and food crises.

    In response, the government has initiated several measures to address hunger and hardship. These actions include the planned distribution of 20 trucks of rice to each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as well as the establishment of the PFSCU. Additionally, the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) has made significant decisions, such as approving new measures to combat malnutrition and food insecurity, and creating a national nutrition dashboard. This dashboard, to be hosted by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and made available on the NCN website, aims to improve oversight and coordination of nutrition-related initiatives nationwide. The government states that these efforts are designed to engage states, development partners, and other key stakeholders in addressing the soaring prices of commodities and the overall food insecurity in the country.

    Are these measures sufficient to tackle the food crisis? The common man will only appreciate and commend these efforts if they quickly bring food to the table and help reduce the rising prices of commodities.

    For the federal government to achieve any significant progress in addressing the food crisis, its efforts must directly benefit the common man; otherwise, they will be in vain. Therefore, a well-planned program that reaches the grassroots level is essential, taking into account the unique characteristics of each state.

    The federal government should design a tripartite approach where the federal, state, and local governments work together to achieve one goal: sufficient food production. This effort should include both short-term and long-term solutions. The short-term solutions are what the government is currently doing: distributing food items and stipends. However, the long-term solutions are more impactful. They involve providing real farmers with farm implements, clearing virgin farmlands, and restoring security in areas where farmers have been prevented from farming.

    Benchmarking should also be part of this approach, learning from what other countries that have faced serious food crises have successfully implemented.

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    For example, in the 1960s, when India faced severe food shortages, the country launched the Green Revolution, which introduced high-yield variety seeds, improved irrigation practices, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides. This program transformed India’s agriculture, and by the 1970s, India had achieved self-sufficiency in food grains. Similarly, in the late 20th century, China faced food insecurity issues and launched agricultural reforms. The Chinese government implemented the Household Responsibility System, which allowed farmers to own land and sell surplus produce in the market, leading to significant increases in food production. Another example is Brazil’s Zero Hunger Program. In the early 2000s, Brazil faced widespread hunger and malnutrition. The government launched the Zero Hunger Programme (Fome Zero) in 2003, which included initiatives like direct financial support for families, food distribution programs, and incentives for small-scale agriculture. This program significantly reduced hunger and improved food security in the country. In Africa, Ethiopia is a notable example. Despite recurrent food crises due to droughts and other factors, recent years have seen the government focusing on agricultural development and infrastructure improvement. Programs like the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) have helped build resilience among vulnerable communities, leading to improved food security.

    Nigeria has no business facing a food crisis given its abundant fertile land and human resources. What is needed is the political will to develop the agricultural sector through a combination of technological advancements, policy reforms, and targeted programs that reach the real farmers. Nigeria’s recent agricultural programs—the Anchor Borrowers Programme, Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), Youth Farm Lab, Paddy Aggregation Scheme, Agricultural Trust Fund, Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative (PEDI), Food Security Council, etc.—are good; they just need to be remodelled and honestly implemented

    •Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja.

  • Edo: return of the prodigal

    Edo: return of the prodigal

    On July 20, Philip Shaibu, the “resurrected” Deputy Governor of Edo State, embraced happy purgatory in the open.  Resurrected — because Governor Godwin Obaseki had left Shaibu for dead: no thanks to a kangaroo impeachment now judicially voided.

    At the flag-off of the Edo APC gubernatorial electioneering, Shaibu called Adams Oshiomhole “my father”, knelt before him while gobbling a giant humble pie, and earned a loving embrace to sin no more — all to a raucous applause!

    Yes, it was before Oshiomhole, same one that Shaibu and now estranged Obaseki ridiculed in frothy joy, capering on what they thought was Oshiomhole’s political grave, after a rogue suspension from his Edo North ward, by intra-APC power players.

    Now, between Oshiomhole on one hand, and Obaseki/Shaibu on the other, who is now politically entombed, with irredeemable ignominy?  Politics!  But again, Shaibu is lucky — not unlike the Biblical prodigal son. 

    He’s the Edo APC prodigal return home, fated to the grace of a doting father, even if his conduct, to say the least, had been execrable.  Obaseki, is fated to much worse.  He is fighting too many battles at the same time: if he’s not jousting with the Oba of Benin court, he is fencing off bitter foes that already dug his big political grave.

    Even if he somewhat pulls off “installing” Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate as his successor, it might just be temporary relief.  Shortly after, Obaseki, would brace himself for the inevitable. 

    You don’t exhibit that level of arrant perfidy, as he did to his benefactor, for your own beneficiary not to pay you back in the same stark coin.  It’s only a matter of time.

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    Indeed, Obaseki has been an intriguing revelation.  Classics, his first university degree, ought to have had on him a civilizing influence.  After, rubbing shoulders with the nimble finance industry aristocrats, in their Lagos golden lairs, ought to have shaped him into a well and true Renaissance man.

    Yet, his governorship tenure, and his executive whims, have been defined more by the crudest form of blind atavism.  He got away with one: shutting out duly elected Edo legislators, all through their entire term. 

    But he couldn’t get away with the final one.  At a most critical juncture, he’s trapped with a deputy he neither wants nor want him — and who could well have the last jeer!

    Suddenly, the dashing, all-conquering emperor finds himself naked and caged!  Yet, there’s a critical election to run!  Well, no tears from here!

    The dazed emperor and the crawling prodigal are ode to Adams Oshiomhole who, in the face of great tribulation, stayed true to his progressive beliefs.  In rare stoicism, he sat on his rights, copped tactical reversal, only to nick a strategic and golden triumph!

    The Oshiomhole Edo story shows all is not lost with our politics.  Obaseki and Shaibu?  Mere flotsam and jetsam best jettisoned for a saner epoch!

  • On FCE (Technical), Akoka crisis

    On FCE (Technical), Akoka crisis

    Sir: The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, hereby jointly call on the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, to urgently and decisively address the lingering crisis rocking the Federal College of Education, Technical (FCET), Akoka, Lagos, which has already become a public concern lest it snowballs into a national disaster.We are aware that some disgruntled workers of the college allegedly locked up their provost’s office and issued him a quit notice from his official residence. Led by a few members of the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), FCET chapter, the protesters insisted that with the amendment of the Educational Colleges Act 2023, which introduced a five-year single term of office for provosts and other principal officers of the colleges, the tenure of Dr. Wahab Azeez had ended on May 26.

    However, the provost asserted that he was appointed for the first term of four years in 2019 and that having been duly reappointed by the institution’s governing council in 2023, he already resumed his second term in office on May 27, 2023 before the amended act was signed into law on June 12, 2023.

    Following letters by the unions seeking clarification on the tenure of office of the provost based on the amended act, the minister wrote the unions in May, affirming the legality of Dr. Azeez’s second term of four years. However, the protesters ignored the minister’s verdict and stubbornly continued to stage unjustified daily protests on the campus, denying management members access to their offices.

    It was reported by some sections of the media that the minister invited the provost and the warring factions, especially the leaders of staff unions on the campus, to a reconciliation meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

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    It was reported that the resolution reached at the meeting among others stated that: “The provost should be allowed to operate under the supervision of the chairman of the Governing Council of the College whilst all staff cease to protest forthwith.”

    We are however surprised that the Minister of Education did not make further enquiry about the outcome of his intervention in the matter which is still lingering and jeopardizing the academic activities of the students and thereby denying them the benefits of full-fledged tutelage that they deserve from the college.

    We are worried that if the crisis lingers further than it presently is, and the provost is not allowed to perform his official duties optimally, it is the taxpayers’ money that is being wasted since both the provost and the staff spearheading the crisis will still be entitled to their salaries and allowances.

    We do not expect the minister to allow his wise counsel to be thrown overboard just as the security agencies are not expected to allow such illegality to continue unchecked, especially when the ministry, backed by extant legal instruments, has confirmed it that the provost still has a term of office to execute.

    We call on the Minister of Education to swiftly intervene in the crisis rocking the institution which has already affected academic and administrative activities on the campus. The minister should realize that it will be a negative advertisement and record as well as a stain on his CV if he fails to resolve the dispute immediately. He should brace himself up, put all arsenals in place to call all warring factions to order and iron out grey areas that all parties would agree on as the opposite will be an ill-wind that blows no one any good.

    • Debo Adeniran,deboadeniran@gmail.com

  • President Tinubu’s food importation policy should be applauded

    President Tinubu’s food importation policy should be applauded

    Sir: According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the food inflation rate for June was 40.87% on a year-on-year basis and 2.55% on a month-on-month basis. However, some people believe that the food inflation rates are higher. The hike in food prices has made feeding a herculean task for many Nigerians. On that note, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities including husked brown rice, wheat, maize, and cowpeas through land and sea for 150 days and the proposed importation of 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and maize respectively by the federal government is in the country’s best interest. No responsible government will sit and watch its citizens starve. The president has reiterated his administration’s commitment to drive local food production. Food sufficiency is a gradual process.

    The cost of food production has hiked as a result of the devaluation of the naira and the removal of the fuel subsidy. For example, the cost of fertilizer, seedlings, and operating machines like tractors has risen. Also, the cost of transporting and distributing food items to their point of sale has also increased for the same reasons. All these increased costs are transferred to the final consumer, resulting in cost-push inflation.

    In addition to the increased cost of farming, insecurity has led to many farmers abandoning their farm lands. Dry season farming, which is aimed at ensuring food availability all year round, has become increasingly expensive due to fuel and diesel costs; irrigation is often powered by generators due to the power challenges the country faces. All these factors have led to food shortages and encouraged hoarding and profiteering, resulting in food price hikes. Food shortages cause demand-pull inflation.

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    Livestock farming is also affected. The prices of animal feeds have skyrocketed, leading to increased costs of rearing them. This, in addition to transportation costs and the cost of running generators when necessary, has led to a hike in the prices of meat, eggs, and milk. Cattle rustling is also a challenge.

    The federal government has over the years implemented various intervention programs to promote domestic food production. However, the question remains whether these interventions reached the people they were actually intended for. No matter how laudable a program may seem, without proper execution and monitoring, the intended results may not be met. The Local Government, being the closest arm of government to the people, should play a major role in such intervention programs. The government should continue to promote domestic food production by providing subsidized genetically improved seedlings, fertilizers, low-interest loans, etc.

    While working on improving insecurity, power, and road networks, the government should provide cheaper or subsidized means of transporting food items. Presently, the cost of transporting food from the farms to the final point of sale significantly impacts the final price of the food items. Cheaper distribution costs will result in lower food prices.

    The value chain should be improved to reduce post-harvest losses during the harvest season, improve the quality of food products, and increase the income of farmers. Also, it is worthy to note that food importation and agricultural subsidies are not alien, as even developed nations like United States of America and China engage in them.

    While acknowledging that there is no magic wand for achieving food sufficiency, it is important to note that banning food importation when domestic food production is insufficient often encourages hoarding and profiteering. Therefore, President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities for 150 days and the proposed importation of 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and maize respectively by the federal government is in the best interest of the nation even as he has assured that his administration will continue to drive local food production.

    • Kenechukwu Aguolu   FCA,Abuja.

  • Kudos to PBAT on LG autonomy

    Kudos to PBAT on LG autonomy

    Sir: The judgement of the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy for the local government administration in Nigeria is to me, the biggest achievement recorded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration so far. The current hardship in the country would not have been this pronounced but for the virtual crippling of local governments which the nearest to the people by our state governors.

    President Tinubu has made strenuous efforts to revive Nigeria’s battered economy and the results of these are being felt in various sectors. Nonetheless, local government autonomy as pronounced by the Supreme Court signals a new dawn for grassroots development in Nigeria.

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    Since about two decades ago when the administration of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, established joint account for the states and local governments, grassroots development has been put on hold as never before in the history of our dear nation. This is because local government has been tied to the apron-strings of the state governments. States government imposed chairmen on local government through dubious elections conducted by the so-called states Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs) which is an agency of the state governments. The result is that local government can function or be rendered comatose depending on the whims and caprices of the state governments. This is why the fulminations of many state governors over the Supreme Court judgement should not be a surprise: the channel through which the grassroots is being short-changed by the state governors has been blocked.

    President Tinubu deserves resounding accolades from all well-meaning Nigerians on this. He has dared to tread where angels fear and posterity would be kind to him over this major step to free our local government from perpetual underdevelopment.

    The president has also justified his quest to lead the nation at this critical period in her history. He has shown that he is up to the task by stepping on many toes for the betterment of the country. Nigerians need to give the president a chance and support him in his quest to lead the nation to Eldorado.

    •Adewuyi Adegbite,ayekooto05@gmail.com

  • Confusing situation

    Confusing situation

    What is the current status of suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu? What is the situation report on her?  President Bola Tinubu, in January, suspended her “from office with immediate effect,” following corruption-related allegations against her.  

    The President also directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.”

    Edu’s troubles followed a leaked memo, dated December 20, 2023, that she wrote to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), saying N585.2m earmarked for vulnerable citizens in Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Lagos, and Ogun states be paid into the United Bank for Africa (UBA) account — 2003682151— of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, described as “the project accountant.”

    “These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope grant for Vulnerable Groups,” Edu said in the memo, adding that the payment should be made from the National Social Investment Office account.

    The OAGF had rejected her memo, pointing out that it was illegal to pay such beneficiaries through the private account of a so-called project accountant. Indeed, the memo violated Section 713 (under Chapter Seven) of Nigeria’s Public Sector Financial Regulation Act (2009), which seeks to prevent fraud.  It states: “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.” It adds: “Any officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”

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    Against this backdrop, it was strange and inexplicable that the suspended Edu was reported to have sent a condolence message, using the ministry’s letterhead, to the victims of the recent Jos building collapse. She said: “It is with profound grief that I extend my deepest condolences on the tragic collapse of the school building in Jos, Plateau State, which has resulted in the loss of multiple lives and left many survivors grappling with unimaginable pain and suffering.”  She added: “May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may the injured receive swift and complete healing. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and all those affected during this incredibly difficult time.”

    It is unclear in what capacity she sent the message, and why she used the ministry’s letterhead. Also, the state of the ordered EFCC investigation into her case is unclear.  Clearly, Edu and the EFCC need to clarify this confusing situation.

  • Restructuring – to which end? 

    Restructuring – to which end? 

    On July 11 came glorious legalism, from the Supreme Court,  on the local government “autonomy” front.  The Federal Government won.  The state governments lost. 

    The party is over: for states that fiddle local governments’ monies; and governors that whimsically sack elected council chair(wo)men, and impose “caretaker” councils.

    Problems comprehensively solved?  Hardly.  Just a case lost and won.  But that could well be solving one problem, but creating 10 others.

    So, you hardly can blame the Tinubu order for pushing hard the propaganda value of the win.  Flipped, the opposition would have gone no less ga-ga.  Why, Bayo Onanuga, presidential adviser on Information and Strategy, called out the ever-wailing Peter Obi, for losing his voice — using Atiku Abubakar, who hailed the judgment, as exemplar.

    In the euphoria of the moment, Bode George too, the Lagos PDP chieftain, has latched on the “autonomy” to rapidly push for total “restructuring”.  But this is where it gets interesting: restructuring — towards what end?

    By approving a direct shovelling of funds to the so-called “third tier”, the Supreme Court has well-nigh made the local government Abuja’s business.  That act “tears” the councils from the states where they are rooted — both by geography and by the federal ethos.  Grotesque? 

    By its “purposive and teleological” interpretation of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution, might the apex court then be — teleologically — tearing off the federal clause, from a supposed federal Constitution that in practice runs as a unitary one, no thanks to the humongous powers of the central government?

    So, towards which end is Bode George’s “restructuring”, using local government “autonomy” as push — federal or unitary?  That verdict sure pushes the balance near unitary than federal!  Is the old soldier in the Lagos politician craving just that?

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    Enter, the other tested combatants over restructuring — the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and old warhorse, Ayo Adebanjo, though the old man pushed his ideas through Afenifere, which he no longer leads.

    Both have nailed — and brilliantly too — the Supreme Court judgment.  Though they condemn state governors pinching council funds and their wayward sacking of elected councillors, they insist a “third tier” has no place in a federal state, which conceptually recognizes two partners: the central government and the federating units, the local governments being the exclusive business of the sub-nationals.

    So, which way, “restructuring”? 

    The Supreme Court verdict may have scored the short-term — and hardly ignoble — goal of securing local government funding.  That, other things being equal, should ensure better municipal and grassroots services nationwide. 

    But is it an “own goal”: creating sundry confusion on the path to re-federalization, the ultimate goal of “restructuring”?  What’s next — a “restructuring” civil war?

    Interesting times!

  • Using block-chain to transform governance

    Using block-chain to transform governance

    • By Shuaib S. Agaka

    Sir: Corruption remains a pervasive and multifaceted challenge within Nigerian governance. It undermines public trust, impedes socio-economic development, and perpetuates systemic inequalities. Corruption manifests in diverse forms, including nepotism, bureaucratic inefficiencies, patronage networks, election malpractice, and lack of transparency in decision-making processes.

    These practices not only erode the legitimacy of governmental institutions but also hinder effective service delivery and exacerbate social injustices across the country.

    In March, the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) revealed that the country lost an estimated $18 billion annually due to financial crimes and corruption. Such staggering statistics underscore the urgent need for a transformative solution. In this context, the government’s move to develop a national block-chain is a significant step forward.

    Block-chain technology, at its core, is a decentralized digital ledger that keeps records across multiple computers in such a way that the registered transactions cannot be altered retroactively. This creates a system of immutable records that are transparent and secure. Each block in the chain contains a list of records, and once a block is completed, it is added to the chain in chronological order, linking to the previous block. This structure ensures that the data is distributed and protected against single points of failure or fraud.

    In the context of governance, immutable records can significantly enhance transparency and accountability. For example, public records such as land titles, birth certificates, and voting results can be stored on a block-chain, ensuring that these documents are both secure and publicly verifiable. This would make it exceedingly difficult for corrupt officials to alter records for personal gain or manipulate data to influence outcomes.

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    The transformative potential of block-chain technology in governance cannot be overstated. By leveraging block-chain’s capabilities, Nigeria can address long-standing issues of corruption, inefficiency, and inequality. The successful implementation of a national block-chain system can create a more transparent, accountable, and efficient governance framework, enhancing the quality of life for citizens and promoting economic growth and development. However, realizing this potential requires addressing the technical, regulatory, and public acceptance challenges associated with block-chain adoption.

    It is essential for government leaders, policymakers, and technologists to collaborate and develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing block-chain technology. This includes investing in research and development, creating a clear regulatory framework, and promoting public awareness and education. By taking proactive steps towards block-chain adoption, Nigeria can position itself as a leader in innovative governance and set an example for other countries to follow. Even though the journey may be challenging, the potential rewards make it a worthwhile endeavour.

    •Shuaib S. Agaka,

    Kano.