The Nation Newspaper

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  • Addressing the food import surge 

    Addressing the food import surge 

    Sir: Nigeria, a country blessed with vast agricultural potential, is facing a substantial challenge – an alarming 80% surge in food imports. This surge has raised considerable concerns within the federal government, prompting a critical examination of its implications on the economy, society, and the nation’s long-term food security.

    The spike in food imports is a culmination of various factors, including inconsistent agricultural policies, climate change-induced disruptions in local farming, inadequate infrastructure, and a growing population. These elements have created a significant gap between domestic production and the nation’s food demand, leading to an overreliance on imported goods.

    The impact of this surge extends beyond economic realms, affecting various facets of Nigerian society. It exerts immense pressure on the economy, contributing to trade deficits, currency devaluation, and an imbalance in the nation’s fiscal stability. Moreover, local farmers are adversely affected as they struggle to compete with cheaper imported goods, leading to decreased agricultural productivity and potential job losses.

    The federal government recognizes the urgency of addressing this issue and has implemented initiatives to bolster local agriculture. However, challenges persist in terms of implementing effective policies, providing adequate funding, and creating an enabling environment for farmers. The delicate balance between encouraging domestic production and managing imports poses a complex dilemma for policymakers.

    Read Also: Lagos seeks reduction of $1.98tr global food bill

    Food security is a fundamental concern for Nigeria. Achieving self-sufficiency in food production not only ensures a stable food supply but also enhances the nation’s resilience to external shocks. Sustainable agricultural practices, investments in technology, and empowering local farmers are pivotal steps toward attaining this goal.

    To combat the surge in food imports, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. The government should prioritize supporting smallholder farmers, investing in infrastructure, providing access to credit facilities, and fostering research and development in agriculture. Strengthening international trade relationships while promoting local production should be a part of the strategy to balance imports and exports.

    The 80% surge in food imports presents a critical challenge for Nigeria, underscoring the urgency for the federal government to take decisive action. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive strategy that not only tackles immediate concerns but also lays the groundwork for sustainable, self-reliant agriculture. The future of Nigeria’s food security hinges on proactive measures that prioritize local production and safeguard the nation against external vulnerabilities.

    • Mustapha Muhammad, Borno State University, Maiduguri.
  • Another coup bid

    Another coup bid

    Sierra Leone was in recovery mode for much of last week following a bid by gun-wielding assailants to overthrow the country’s democracy. No fewer than 20 people got killed when the gunmen, early in the week, attacked military installations, including an armoury in Freetown, in an apparent bid to seize weapons with which to unseat the government of President Julius Maada Bio. The assailants also  barnstormed prison facilities, releasing more than 2,000 inmates.

    Armed clashes flared in the Sierra Leonean capital penultimate Sunday as government security forces repelled those described as “renegade soldiers” who attempted to break into the armoury in Freetown during the early hours. Reports cited witnesses who said they heard gunshots and explosions in the Wilberforce district where the armoury is located. Other witnesses spoke of exchanges of gunfire near a barracks in Murray Town district, home to the navy, and outside other security formations including a police station in the capital. Sierra Leone’s Information Minister Chernor Bah was reported saying major detention centres including the Pademba Road prisons were broken into and inmates set free by the assailants. A nationwide round-the-clock curfew was imposed on the heels of the attacks as government forces hunted down the renegades.

    President Bio confirmed the attacks, but gave assurance that his government had a handle on the situation. In a post on his official X handle, he said: “In the early hours of this (Sunday) morning, there was a breach of security at the military barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury. However, they were repelled by our gallant security forces and calm has been restored. As the combined team of our security forces continue to route (sic) out  the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors.” He urged all Sierra Leoneans to unite to protect democracy in the West African country.

    Following the nationwide curfew, flights were disrupted at the Freetown International Airport and the country’s civil aviation authority advised airlines to reschedule. The authority, in a statement, said passengers should be placed on the next available flights after the curfew gets lifted, adding though that the Sierra Leonean airspace remained open. Agency reports, however, cited military personnel on Sierra Leone’s frontier with neighbouring Guinea – a country under military rule – saying they had been instructed to shut the border.

    In the days following the Sunday uprising, government confirmed the insurrection to be a coup attempt over which no fewer than 13 military officers and one civilian had been arrested. “The incident was a failed attempted coup. The intention was to illegally subvert and overthrow a democratically elected government,” Information Minister Bah said Tuesday, adding: “The attempt failed, and plenty of the leaders are either in police custody or on the run. We will try to capture them and bring them to the full force of the laws of Sierra Leone.” Police chief William Fayia Sellu corroborated him, saying “a group of people” tried to illegally unseat the government. He told journalists in Freetown that the police had published photographs of 32 men and two women being sought in connection with the unrest, among them serving and retired soldiers and police officers as well as civilians. Government also confirmed that those killed in the uprising include 13 soldiers, three of the assailants, a police officer, a civilian and someone working in private security. Eight others were seriously injured.

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    Although normalcy was largely restored to Freetown as from Monday, shots were heard on Tuesday in the neighbourhood of Murray Town barracks, with the police saying this was part of an operation to apprehend fleeing perpetrators of Sunday’s attacks. No-one was hurt in the incident and a “person of interest” was arrested and taken into custody, a government statement said. The Sierra Leonean police also launched a manhunt to recapture dozens of fleeing inmates set free by the renegades, with the presence of the security operatives creating panic as they sought inmates who were “believed to be hunkering down around the slums,” according to agency reports. A police statement disclosed that some escaped inmates turned themselves in, while cash rewards were offered for information leading to arrest of yet fleeing assailants and prison escapees. Meanwhile, the 24-hour curfew imposed on the heels of the Sunday attacks was relaxed to nine hours: 9:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. local time until further notice. The civil aviation authority said airport operations would be conducted “within the parameters of the revised curfew time.”

    By beating back the rebellion, Sierra Leone avoided falling in league with some other West African countries where the military seized power in recent history: these include neighbouring Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic. The Sunday coup bid marked the sixth experience in the sub-region since 2020, and the ninth in the West and Central Africa belt within same period. Unlike Sierra Leone, countries affected were not lucky to contain the military adventurers. The last coup occurred in Gabon where soldiers, late in August, booted out President Ali Bongo Ondimba few days after a presidential poll he was declared to have won by nearly a landslide. In July, the Nigerièn military seized power from elected President Mohamed Bazoum, and have dug in despite threats of being forced out by the sub-regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Niger coupists had soulmates in Mali and Burkina Faso – countries with which Niger shares borders. Soldiers in Burkina Faso shot their way into power in January 2022 to displace President Roch Marc Kaboré, who came into office in 2015 and was re-elected to another five-year term in 2020. And that was in the wake of similar power grabs in Mali that toppled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, a repeat coup in the same country by which a civilian-led interim government was sacked in May 2021, and a coup in Guinea that overthrew President Alpha Condé in September 2021. Besides those coups, there was the extra-constitutional succession of former President Idriss Déby of Chad by his son, General Mahamat Idriss Déby, after he was killed by rebel fighters in April 2021.

    The recurrence of coups and coup attempts in the region gives credence to fears in many quarters of military adventurism in power being contagious. But there is a familiar ecosystem in which soldiers make their grab for power. In Sierra Leone, the political situation has been tense since June when Bio was re-elected, narrowly avoiding a run-off with the candidate of main opposition All People’s Congress (APC). That election was the fifth since the end of Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year civil war more than two decades ago, which left more than 50,000 dead, several hundreds maimed and the country’s economy destroyed. The result of the June poll was rejected by the opposition and questioned by international partners including the United States and the European Union; and the opposition boycotted the government until October when a peace deal with government was mediated by the Commonwealth, the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS. Since his electoral victory, Bio had faced criticism because of debilitating economic conditions. Nearly 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s population of more than seven million are impoverished, and youth unemployment is among the highest in West Africa.

    But nothing – absolutely nothing – justifies unconstitutional change of power. ECOWAS made the point strongly in its statement when it expressed “utter disgust (at) a plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.” The sub-regional body added: “The bloc has always maintained zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government. We want to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the government and the people of Sierra Leone’s quest to deepen democracy and good governance by consolidating peace and security so as to foster socio-economic development.” On Tuesday, the body said it was primed to deploy regional support to “strengthen national security” in Sierra Leone. Other world powers were unanimous in condemning the bid.

    Soldiers everywhere must get the message that there is no sufficient condition to warrant forceful dislocation of a constitutional order. And the Sierra Leone experience holds out fresh hope for democracy, namely that misguided intervention in power can be contained. Sweet hope!

    •Please join me on kayodeidowu.blogspot.be for conversation.

  • On Helen Paul and stigmatisation

    On Helen Paul and stigmatisation

    • By Zayd Ibn Isah

    During her 2019 doctoral degree celebration at Lagos State University, Nigerian comedienne and singer, Helen Paul, surprised many by revealing that she was a product of rape. This disclosure prompted questions about her decision to share such a sensitive part of her life, earning admiration for her courage, considering the societal stigma surrounding children born out of wedlock, especially those resulting from rape.

    Fast forward to this year, Helen Paul revisited the circumstances of her birth. She shed light on her mother’s resilient struggles to raise her against all odds. It must be noted that individuals are rarely encouraged to openly discuss sensitive details of their lives on social media or other relatively public platforms, particularly when such details are not flattering at all. But Helen Paul took hers in stride, much to the admiration of many netizens. In revealing this part of her life, she notably maintained a calm and assured poise. Her demeanour basically seemed to direct a message to her doubters, saying, “Do you now see that I have succeeded, despite your belief that I wouldn’t amount to anything in life?”

    The society which Helen Paul was raised in is one where individuals born out of wedlock are labelled as “Omo ale,” a derogatory term which can loosely be translated as a bastard child. In the Yoruba community, it is strongly believed that such children may disrupt household peace and ultimately amount to nothing in life. This perspective even extends beyond Yoruba culture to those of other traditional African societies. In such societies, children born out of wedlock are often perceived as potential sources of worry to households, and nuisances to society at large. Unfortunately, Helen Paul faced discrimination from her uncles and aunties, who not only avoided her like a plague but also denied her opportunities, diminishing her chances of surviving life, let alone going on to thrive within it.

    Eventually, Helen Paul would prove her doubters wrong. After all, “Man no be God,” as it is often said. But how would those who gave her little chance of ever winning in life feel upon seeing her become a distinguished personality during family reunions? In the midst of Helen’s story is the resilience of her mother who bore the pregnancy, despite the stigma, shame, and humiliation attached to it. On its own, rape is a traumatic experience. There are records of rape victims, mostly women, who have gone on to commit suicide, unable to withstand the trauma and shame of being violated. Others would choose to abort the foetus within them, as if doing so would enable them to move on and to heal.

    According to researchers, sexual violence survivors are at a greater risk of committing suicide. This statement has been proven true time and time again, with numerous instances of rape victims ending their lives just because they couldn’t bear the shame and social stigma. One such case is that of 16-year-old Olayemi Agbeloba, who tragically took her own life after being raped by her boss’ husband early this year.

    Read Also: FG budget N200 billion for military operation, poverty reduction

    In most cases, the parents of these victims would be too concerned about seeking justice and even vengeance for their children, rather than prioritizing their mental health. As much as justice is important, the well-being of whomever justice is being sought for is doubly important, particularly when considering the psychological damage caused by rape, the sort devastating enough to invite suicide as the only way out. This is all the more reason why parents and relatives of victims, and society at large, should always put the mental health of rape victims first, while ensuring that perpetrators are brought to book.

    Although we often encourage victims of sexual abuse to speak up, sometimes, when they do, we unfairly blame them for dressing somewhat or behaving in a particular manner, as if doing otherwise would have saved them from the animalistic urges of a rapist. You would hear statements like, “Why did you dress half-naked?” or “Why did you go to his house at such a time of the night?” It is insensitive statements like these that have emboldened potential rapists by serving as logical justifications for the act itself.

    That being said, there are numerous lessons to draw from the story of Helen Paul¼s life and that of her mother. One significant lesson stems from Helen¼s mother, who, when faced with the opportunity to succumb to despair like other victims, chose not to take that path. She could have chosen suicide or abortion to escape her terrible situation, but chose to be resilient. Her determination in the face of adversity should serve as an inspiring example for other victims of sexual violence. It is heartening to see that Helen Paul¼s perseverance has paid off; the once stigmatized “Omo ale” is now celebrated as an “Omo akanda.” This brings to mind the other lesson out of all this, which is that no human being born out of the misfortune of rape should be treated unfairly and denied the normalcy of childhood and growth. Nobody imagined that Helen Paul, a girl-child born from incredible pain and despair, would one day become the cornerstone of her family. This is all the more reason why we should end the senseless stigmatization of people who had no control over the circumstances surrounding their birth, and instead cultivate the art of tolerance, compassion and understanding.

    In commemorating this year’s “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence”, let us not only advocate for justice for victims of gender-based violence, but also sensitize the public concerning the mental health of survivors, in an effort to end once and for all the stigmatization of children who deserve much more from life and society than just being victims.

    •Isah can be reached at lawcadet1@gmail.com

  • Cleaning up Lagos

    Cleaning up Lagos

    • By Chris Adetayo

    The past few weeks have felt like a trick of the mind. Since the end of September, Lagos State Government officials, led by the Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, have swooped across the metropolis, shutting down unclean markets, demolishing canal-blocking buildings, opening up silted drainages, and dislodging road-blocking traders. While there is a precedence of government activism in matters of the environment in Lagos, the extent of this new push goes far beyond what has been witnessed before under a civilian administration.

    When Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced in September, while inaugurating his new cabinet, that he will place priority on enforcement of environmental laws and the protection of public assets, not many gave his pledge any serious thought. For one, he is not known for being combative; he very much prefers the niceties of diplomatese to get his way. For another, Lagos has become an almost impossible to police state. Where could he start from without stepping on toes and attracting vitriol? 

    Yet, what has played out since he made that declaration has been a demonstration of his resolve to compel a change in behaviour of those who make Lagos their home for living, and make their living from it. In his Commissioner for Environment, he has found and empowered a man who is determined to clean up Lagos, and change its face and perception for the better.

    For so long, Lagos has earned the unenviable record of being one of the most unliveable conurbations in the world. It wears the look of a patchwork of buildings, roads and public infrastructure; a kaleidoscope of ill-fitting parts hurriedly mashed together with no thought for order, convenience and aesthetics. If aerial views of the city are unflattering, the reality on the ground is worse.

    Take markets, major and minor. They operated with no care for cleanliness. Goods shared space with human and material waste. Despite having “association of market men and women” in every market, no one seemed to care that the lack of attention to proper waste disposal and unclean environment was an invitation to the spread of diseases. While there is a two-hour period on every Thursday that is set aside for “environmental sanitation” in markets, this served little purpose. Shop owners simply stayed away till it was time to open by the stipulated 10am for that day.

    If unclean markets were problematic, even more dangerous were the number of buildings sitting on right-of-way of drainages and canals. The effect of this has been long felt. Annually, Lagos Island is brought to a standstill by floods whenever the heavens open up. The skies turning dark in preparation for rain invited fear and trepidation from residents and business owners. For days, canoes take over roads as water, unable to find a path through the drainages and canals into the Lagos lagoon, flood the streets. 

    It is against this background that the Sanwo-Olu administration has chosen to get tough on infractions. The team started with markets, shutting down several of them including Oyingbo, Mile 12, Alayabiagba, and Ladipo markets. All fell short of hygienic standards and had to carry out remedial measures before they were opened. 

    Read Also: FG budget N200 billion for military operation, poverty reduction

    From dealing with the environmental hazards in the markets, the state government has moved to pulling down drainage-blocking buildings across the state, and clearing street traders impeding free flow of traffic. What has been especially eye-catching is how residents in different parts of the state have taken to reporting infractions to the cleaning-up team and requesting their help. It speaks to the buy-in of most residents.

    As should be expected, these actions have not gone without complaints and push back. Some have sought to make this about tribe, despite the equal-opportunity nature of the actions taken and the important benefits to the environment and the society. Others seek to make political gains from the actions, by claiming that these efforts attack the livelihood of poor people and lay to waste the “life savings” of building owners. A former presidential candidate even argued, rather shockingly, that the government should turn a blind eye to violations because the “time is not auspicious for such an exercise”.

    Happily, the government has ignored all the nay-sayers and kept its eyes on the ball. The commissioner has been active on the ground and in the media, supervising the work of his men and painstakingly explaining every action taken. The governor has also allowed him to get on with the difficult task while giving him the necessary political cover. The results so far – cleaner markets, better waste disposal, unblocked drainages, unhindered driving and walking routes – are pleasing to see.

     But there is so much more to be done. One area the Lagos State Government will need to improve on is with its own internal systems. The proliferation of illegally constructed buildings on canal paths speaks to official delinquency and tardiness. While the COVID-19 lock-down gave many the window to carry out illegal constructions, the complete absence of official oversight while this happened is embarrassing. This is where technology will help. The deployment of state-of-the-art geo-spatial technology will enable instant tracking of building developments across the state and limit the influence of corruption.

    All told, the past three months have demonstrated that the Lagos State government has the steel to enforce environment regulations, compel changes in behaviour, and commence the midwifing of a more environmentally friendly city. The task is to keep at it and expand its reaches. A Lagos that aspires to global acclaim and is inviting the investing world must look better than it currently does. It is time for Lagos to start climbing the ladder of liveability.

    •Adetayo is a communications executive and writes from Lagos.

  • Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction by Temitope Ajayi

    Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction by Temitope Ajayi

    The number of delegates from Nigeria attending the ongoing Climate Summit in Dubai otherwise called COP28 has generated a lot of controversies and strong social media conversations in the last 24 hours.

    It is important to set the record straight and provide some clarity. To begin with, the Summit is tagged COP which means Convention of Parties.

    The ongoing Summit in Dubai with over 97,000 delegates from more than 100 countries around the world is the 28th in the series since the issue of climate change and action took the preeminent stage in global affairs. COP27 took place at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt last year.

    When the world comes together to take action on achieving a common goal and proffer collective solutions to a nagging global concern, there are parties involved from government, private sector, civil society, media, and multilateral institutions.

    The people coming together to advance their different agendas and interests from governments, businesses, and civil societies are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and push for various mitigating actions.

    In Nigeria like so many other countries, interested parties comprising government officials from both the Federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists, and journalists are present in Dubai. Also participating are agencies of government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and NDDC.

    Many youth organisations from Nigeria especially from the Northern and Niger Delta regions whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities are also represented.

    The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses.

    Their participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.

    It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media, and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered according to their countries of origin.

    This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not also mean everyone that registered is physically present.

    As the biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy, and one with a bigger stake in climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa.

    Among the delegates from Nigeria are UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA group, and other billionaires whose businesses are promoting sustainability and climate actions through their philanthropies.

    These businessmen and women and their staff who came with them to promote their business interests are part of the 1,411 delegates from Nigeria.  Their trip to Dubai is not funded by the federal government.

    United Nations Climate Summit, by its very nature, commands the attendance of big names from across the world – statesmen and women, politicians, lawmakers, corporate titans,  journalists and activists, etc who promote a big global agenda.

    So, people attend the summit for many reasons. And because climate issue is the biggest global issue of the moment, it is not surprising that over 97,000 people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, King Charles of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, US Special Envoy on Climate Change and former Secretary of State, John Kerry, President Bola Tinubu, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio  Guterres, World Bank President, Ajay Banga, International Monetary Fund President, Kristalina Georgieva, World Trade Organisation Director General, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Africa Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Al Gore and almost 100 Heads of States and Governments converged on Dubai for COP28. It is the first of its kind in the history of the summit because of the importance of climate change to global well-being.

    After the opening and national statements by Heads of State which began on November 30 when the summit opened and up until Saturday, December 2, 2023, the real work of COP28 which are the technical sessions and negotiations, financing, etc will begin from Monday, December 4 till December 12 where agreements will be reached on many proposals for consideration and ratification by the parties.

    Those with sufficient understanding and knowledge of climate matters know that issues around the subject have layers and a multiplicity of factors that require experts from various fields. There are lined-up technical sessions on financing climate actions at sub-national levels, regions, and local governments.

    State governors from Nigeria such as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom have been busy with their officials at COP28, making presentations, speaking at panel sessions, and pitching some of their sustainability projects to development partners and investors.

    Multifaceted stakeholders from different countries including Nigeria are on the ground in Dubai because they don’t want decisions that will affect them to be taken without pushing their agenda. It is the reason delegates from China and Brazil are over 3000 respectively.

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    China is one of the world’s biggest polluters and Brazil is at the centre of global climate debate with her Amazon rainforest. These two countries know important decisions that will affect them will be taken and they have to move everything to be fully on the ground and ensure they are fully represented by their best brains at every level of discussion and negotiation.

    Like former President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders who demanded fair deal and climate justice for Africa at previous UN Climate summits, President Tinubu is leading the charge at COP28 on behalf of Nigeria and the rest of the continent, demanding from the West that any climate decision and action must be fair and just to Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially the debate around energy transition.

    President Tinubu has been unequivocal in his position that Africa which is battling problems of poverty, and security and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people cannot be told to abandon its major source of income which is mostly from extractive industries without the West providing the funding and investment in alternative and clean energy sources.

    President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business, not jamboree. Our President has been very busy representing our country well.

    Since Thursday morning when he arrived in Dubai, President Tinubu has spent not less than 18 hours daily attending very important sessions, pushing our national agenda whilst holding bilateral and business meetings on the sidelines.

    • Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
  • Obasanjo in search of home-grown democracy for Nigeria

    Obasanjo in search of home-grown democracy for Nigeria

    • By Tajudeen Adigun

    When former president Olusegun Obasanjo recently said that Western liberal democracy was alien to Africa and her people, he was not saying anything new. Most Africans know that democracy is a European system of government imposed on Africans after the Whiteman’s superior weaponry had trounced   the Blackman and colonized the continent. The inability of Africans to resist the gunboat  invasion of their land made imposition of liberal democracy inevitable.    Democracy and its new system  of division of government power among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary turned the former rulers of the continent the kings and their chiefs into  artifacts keepers and by extension cultural ambassadors. They  lost their powers and influence and became  officials on the paid roll of the Whiteman-imposed government.

    Beyond administration and control of government power the whiteman’s coming to Africa was also inspired by their long throat for  the continent’s natural resources to boast the economies of the European countries. Thus, Africa became the satellite of Europe. She was a good market for the manufactured goods and products and also supplied cheap raw materials to feed the large maws of the voracious hungry production machines in Europe. The institutionising of political and economic structures that evolved from superior philosophy, intellectualism and, of course dazing technology were too intimidating for the Blackman to understand the full implication of the system when they  were slammed on the continent  

    Earlier, monarchy   was widely popular in Africa and even it’s still in existence in Africa today, regrettably, they have lost their power monarchy. Then the  ruler had absolute power over his subjects and mostly has firmly in his hands legislative and judicial powers combined. The had absolute power, which Lord Acton says corrupts absolutely.  That, perhaps, is why Obasanjo said that liberal democracy is unAfrica. That was in the past.  It’s, however, frightening  for  Obasanjo to say that liberal democracy could not work in Africa today after it had been introduced  and practiced for more than a century, though with intermittent  intrusion of military government in power.  It was, therefore,  not a surprise, but alarming  that  Obasanjo suggested an African  variant of democracy which he called Afrodemocracy.

    No one can assert with absolute confidence that democracy is a perfect system of government. No. Despite its warts and dirt, its practice over time and space in many different countries throughout the world has demonstrated its superiority over other systems  of government, emerging as the best option. This props up  the question of what Obasanjo’s Afro-democracy has in stock for governing the black people  as a better alternative. Democracy, not adjectival one as Obasanjo’s own, is a system of government  for the people and by the people.  In the world today,  there are variety of and different colours of democracy. There are a one-party democracy, two-party democracy and, of course, multi-party democracy.

    Again, there are the West Minster system or Parliamentary system and the Presidential system. The first is headed by a prime minister, who sits the legislative chamber. The president is the chief executive of the government in the presidential system . The prime minister is a member of the Parliament, while president is never a member of the legislature.  In democracy, you have the people divided into two distinct groups. The voters, who cast their votes to put office seekers in office. They are called   candidates. The monarchy system, however,  boasts  of a king and his subjects. These are also two groups with a difference. The people could swap positions in democracy. A voter today could become a candidate tomorrow and vice-versa. In monarchy, however,  the members of royalty never swap position with those who are regarded as subjects. Obasanjo is miffed because, to him, democracy does not recognize African peculiarities or places premium value on African people’s   ways of life. What are those peculiarities of Africa that Obasanjo was insisting on.

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    The question on people’s lips is  if democracy is working for the good of people in Europe, the United States (US), Americas and Asia, why not in Africa? It is suspected that may be Obasanjo want monarchy in democracy. African being born and reared in a monarchical atmosphere want to stay put in power for life. Remember Obasanjo’s quest for a third term. Democracy is not bad, the leaders running government in Africa are usually guilty of abuse of power and privilege. The level of corruption they perpetrate while in office is a huge obstacle to the development of the continent and her people. No wonder, they want to die in office.

     Obasanjo was a beneficiary of democracy and he had earlier rode on the wings Jackboot to power. He supervised transition to civil rule in 1979 and chose Presidential system of government. In 1999, he was literally dragged into the presidential Villa to run a presidential system  of government for two terms . As he was about to complete eight years in power, he saw a need to run for another term. To his chagrin, the people said NO. The electorate sad no to THIRD TERM. Is the ghost of third term still haunting Obasanjo? Hence, he is now advocating Afro-democracy.     

  • A death remembered: Akintola Fatoyinbo (February 1943 – December 2002)

    A death remembered: Akintola Fatoyinbo (February 1943 – December 2002)

    Year 2002 was my annus horribilis. Olukemi, my wife, best friend and companion of a little over thirty years, was killed in a dastardly carjacking in broad daylight (around noon) on a main road in Ibadan, Nigeria on May 4. Then, about seven months later, Akin Fatoyinbo, a close friend and a confidant of both Kemi and myself, died suddenly in Dar Es Salaam. The tragedy occurred shortly after he arrived there on Sunday, December 1, to undertake a World Bank assignment. Akin and my immediate junior sister (Ibidapo), were my main pillars of support during the immediate weeks following Kemi’s tragic loss. And until his own sudden and shocking demise, Akin was my unstinting comforter and support. 

    “Missing Akin, a close friend and confidant: A sense of emptiness following tragic loss of Olukemi in May. Coping with the two losses is a very tough challenge”.

    Diary entry, December 16, 2002.

    I met Akin within my first few weeks at the World Bank in January 1987 and we instantly became friends. The fact that we were both fluent in three languages – Yoruba, English and French – was certainly a pull factor. (He was also fluent in German and Spanish). I was also attracted by his warmth and friendliness. By the time my wife (Kemi) and children joined me later in the year, Akin and I had become close friends and confidants. Strikingly, Kemi and Akin became instant friends and they would later on become confidants. 

    Because Akin had already worked in the World Bank for a little over a decade when I arrived, he was an invaluable source of information on the culture of the institution. A few months before my wife and children joined me in the USA – university teacher and school children respectively waited till the end of the school year – I had a sudden crisis with stomach ulcer that had troubled me occasionally over a decade or so. Akin was the person I called and he came promptly to my rescue. He drove me to George Washington University Hospital where I received treatment and spent two nights before I was discharged. This incident made clear to me that Akin had become my virtual next of kin in the absence of my family!

    Although I had chosen to seek accommodation in the City of Falls Church in Northern Virginia in the Washington Metropolitan Area because I wanted my children to enroll in its quality public school system, the city was also adjacent to Akin’s residence in McLean. My family benefitted hugely from his assistance during our settling-in period in late 1987.  We exchanged social visits over the years when we were both at work in the Bank’s headquarters in Washington D.C.

    Given what Akin had shared with me about his peripatetic pre-World Bank experiences – as a journalist (Senior Editor of Radio Deutsche Welle, Director for Africa at the Inter Press World News Agency) and a two-year stint with the World Health Organisation, based in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso – I was not surprised when he informed me in late 1988 that he was considering taking time off to undertake an international assignment outside the World Bank. He joined UNESCO in 1990 and served for five years as the Chief Technical Adviser and Coordinator of a project to develop news agencies in West and Central Africa. Although Akin rejoined the World Bank at the end of his stint, he served pro bono as the Secretary General of the non-profit into which the project was transformed: the West African News Media and Development Centre (WANAD). He was also a pro bono member of WANAD’s Board of Directors. Akin and I remained in touch during his UNESCO assignment through periodic telephone calls and regular emails. After returning to the World Bank in 1995, he had spent barely one year when he accepted to proceed on external service in the Bank’s Office in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, effective from late 1996.

    I must mention my first meeting with Uncle Sam (Sam Amuka, publisher of Vanguard newspapers) at Akin’s residence in July 1996.  During conversations over several days, Uncle Sam teased us for being expatriates; his strong attachment to Nigeria was unmistakable.  (I had only known Uncle Sam through his “Sad Sam” columns in a leading Nigerian newspaper from the late 1960s through the early 1970s). He was Akin’s “big brother” and a former senior professional colleague during the latter’s earlier years in journalism. After this encounter, a three-person relationship developed and flourished until Akin’s passing. Uncle Sam and I reminisced about Akin for years. I always remember that it was through Akin that Uncle Sam became a cherished older friend

    Akin spent about three years in Abidjan before moving to the Bank’s Office in Cotonou, Benin Republic where he spent his last years. While in Abidjan, Akin graciously accepted to serve as host and guardian for my older son, Ibitayo, who spent 1997/1998 academic year in the University of Abidjan as part of his undergraduate French Language degree programme at the University of Virginia.

    Following my relocation on external service to the Bank’s Office in Nairobi, Kenya, in late 1998, trans-Africa conversations with Akin during the first twelve months were focused on his assistance regarding my proposed establishment of a world-class bilingual postgraduate Business and Management School. This envisaged post-retirement undertaking was to be based in Porto Novo, Benin Republic. Through Akin, I was able to discuss the proposed project with two key members of Benin’s cabinet who warmly welcomed the idea. (Sadly, I had to abandon the proposed project by late 1999 because the huge financing implications would be beyond me). At about the same time Akin informed me that he was combining his regular work as the Bank’s Senior Regional Communication Specialist with coordination of a Communication, Education and Development (COMED) initiative launched jointly by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the World Bank. Akin successfully nurtured COMED and helped to put development communication on the Bank’s agenda.

    In early 2001, Akin and I more or less replicated our McLean/City of Falls Church living arrangement in West Africa when I arrived in the Bank’s Office in Lome, Togo, in March to begin a thirty-month external service. Thanks to our diplomatic status, the international border that separated us most often caused minimal delay. During our first year as neighbours in West Africa, we exchanged fairly regular social visits, and made a few joint visits to Nigeria. It was during one of our visits to Nigeria that we found out our shared commitment to the upliftment of our respective hometowns in Western Nigeria after retirement: he, in Ilesa, Osun State, and I, in Iju, Ondo State. We also exchanged views on our proposed pet projects in our hometowns: a radio station for him, and a public affairs library for me.

    Then, on May 4, 2002, tragedy struck: Olukemi, my wife, best friend and companion for over thirty years was carjacked and killed around noon on a major road in Ibadan, Nigeria. As already mentioned in the opening paragraph, Akin and my immediate junior sister, Ibidapo, were my main pillars of support during the immediate weeks before Olukemi’s funeral. Thereafter, Akin remained my unstinting comforter and support until his own sudden passing on Sunday, December 1, 2002. He died on the same day he arrived in Dar Es Salaam for a World Bank assignment.

    Against the above backdrop, a frontline role in managing all matters related to Akin’s funeral ceremonies was axiomatic for me. I was in Cotonou with Anne and Lola (Akin’s wife and daughter respectively) within hours of the tragic news on Sunday and spent the night. Uncle Sam and Akin’s two sisters arrived the next day to console with Anne. The following Saturday, I travelled with Anne and Lola, to join Uncle Sam and others to receive Akin’s corpse at the airport on Sunday, December 8. His corpse was taken to Eko Hospital, Ikeja. Before we left Lagos, it was agreed that Akin’s burial would take place on December 14.  After a solemn funeral ceremony on that day, Akin was buried in his self-selected final resting place in his compound at the “Hill Top”, Oke Eso, Ilesa, where he had planned to build a house and install a radio station.  

    Akin was a gentleman and an accomplished professional who was full of passion for Africa and Nigeria, almost in equal measure. I’ll forever remember his warm friendliness, charm, joie de vivre, humility, generosity, integrity, and humanity.

    Akin Memorialized.

    At his graveside, the president of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) announced that the Africa Education Journalism Award that Akin had helped ADEA to create in 2001 would henceforth be known as the “Akintola Fatoyinbo Africa Education Journalism Award”. (The Award seeks to enhance the quality of reporting on education in Africa).

    Akin’s memory also lives on through his daughter, Dr. Lola Fatoyinbo Agueh, a research scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA.

    • Professor Adamolekun writes from Iju, Akure North, Ondo State.
  • 100 Days: Alake’s Midas Touch Spurs Global Interest in Mining Sector

    100 Days: Alake’s Midas Touch Spurs Global Interest in Mining Sector

    • By Segun Tomori

    The world over, the first 100 days of a leader’s assumption of office usually sets the tone for his leadership style, gives a glimpse into the policy direction and lays the foundation for assessing his vision or otherwise. Conceptualized by the then United States President Franklin Roosevelt, it soon became a benchmark, globally, to measure the early success of a president or public servant. 

    The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD), though hitherto co-existing with Steel Development as Ministry of Mines and Steel, Nigerians and indeed the international community paid scant regard to it, despite having the potential to generate at least $700bn revenue. Almost every state in Nigeria has a preponderance of most sought-after mineral resources in commercial quantities, yet the potential of the sector remained under-utilized, absence of efficient governance structures stifled development alongside the menace of illegal mining and opaque nature of the sector. Visibility for the industry was also hampered by fixation on oil by successive governments, but all of that changed with the advent of President Bola Tinubu administration and the appointment of Dr. Dele Alake as Minister.

    Alake swung into action by conceptualizing a 7-point agenda that pragmatically seeks to reform, restore investor confidence, and renew global interest. He identified eight (8) priority minerals that require immediate intervention and focus – gold, baryte, iron-ore, lead/zinc, coal, limestone, bitumen, and lithium. Within his first 100 days, several landmarks have been recorded already. Of particular significance is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a German firm, Geo Scan GmbN who will deploy their cutting-edge proprietary technology that will be able to explore mineral resources up to 10,000m below the earth. The firm will deploy its plant and establish its technology at no cost to Nigeria. This will culminate in the generation of big data on specific eight priority minerals and their deposits – a cardinal plank of the Minister’s agenda.

    Recently, Alake launched revised guidelines for Community Development Agreements (CDA), which aims to ensure host communities derive maximum benefits from operations of mining companies whilst requisite royalties accruable to government is secured for economic development. “The mining companies must ensure that host communities enjoy the benefit of minerals in the belly of their land while host communities must also ensure a free and unfettered environment for smooth operations. Without peace, there will be no gain for anybody”, he asserted, at the launch. At a separate fora, Dr. Alake pledged to strengthen the ministry’s mines inspectorate to enhance its ability to ascertain authenticity of mining agreements and also hinted about a role for traditional rulers in the signing of agreements on behalf of host communities.

    In furtherance of reforms, Dr. Alake announced, days ago, the revocation of 1,633 mining licenses due to default in payment of stipulated annual service fees. The operators had exceeded by almost three weeks, the 30-day notice to clear their indebtedness, issued by the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO) as stipulated by Sections 11 and 12 of the Nigerian Mineral Mining Act (NMMA). Reading the riot act to other category of defaulting operators, Alake declared that the era of shortchanging government in royalties and taxes, amongst others, is over, warning illegal miners to also desist from their illicit trade. “Like I always say, a new sheriff is in town. President Tinubu has the political will and is committed to total reforms. Those that refuse to turn a new leaf will be made to face the full wrath of the law”.

    Plans for the establishment of Mines Police and mine surveillance task force to effectively secure the mining environment are in full swing. The clearest indication of this was the visit of Minister of Defence, HE Abubakar Badru and his Minister of State, HE Bello Matawelle to Alake’s office, few weeks ago.

    Giving an insight into what transpired at the meeting, Matawelle pledged unalloyed support and collaboration with the solid minerals ministry to secure all mining sites in the country, restating the significance of the sector to Nigeria’s economic development. On the new security architecture, Dr. Alake emphasized that the outfit will encompass an infusion of a huge dose of technology while its structure will be developed in collaboration with all inter-military agencies. Part of proposed technological innovations will be the capacity to covertly monitor all mining sites in the country, detect intrusion, and provide rapid response to nip threats in the bud.

    Aside from giant strides on the home front, engaging the international community on the prospects of investing in a revamped mining sector has been a top priority for the minister in the last 100 days. Quite a number of diplomatic shuttles have started yielding fruits. A deal for free training of Nigerian mining professionals on modern mining technology and practices was signed in Australia by Dr. Alake on behalf of Nigeria, and Hon. Bill Johnston, the Australian Minister of Mines and Petroleum, on behalf of Australia. Nigerian miners will benefit from training, study trips, and exchanges of mineral professionals, while the collaboration will also attract foreign direct investment, enabling Nigeria to compete globally.

    Just days ago, the Minister made a strong pitch for investment in Nigeria’s mining sector at the Mines and Money Conference in London. He thrilled his audience with advantages of investing in Nigeria, citing lower production costs due to surface mining and billions of dollars of untapped minerals lying fallow in the country. “The country’s geological bounty encompasses over 44 distinct mineral types, found in exploitable quantities, across more than 500 locations. Recently, recognizing the evolving global landscape and in response to emerging trends, Lithium has been included as a crucial strategic mineral of global consequence”, he added. Not done, The Minister assured that the Tinubu administration is dismantling bottlenecks to ease of doing business in the sector, addressing security challenges and placing premium on solid minerals beneficiation and value-addition, as a panacea for sustainable growth in the sector.

    Read Also: Alake tours agencies under Solid Minerals ministry

    A major highlight of the enthusiasm that trailed Dr. Alake’s performance was the subsequent high-level meeting with British Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden. Dowden, who chairs British National Economic Security Council, is interested in partnering with Nigeria on energy minerals such as Lithium. Alongside founder of Carousel Bio-energy, Jafar Hilali, the British leader promised to facilitate investment by a consortium of British companies in the Lithium value chain that will culminate in the production of Lithium battery powered energy buses for the Nigerian domestic market. In the spirit of strengthened relations, Mr. Dowden seized the occasion to convey the invitation of the British Government to President Tinubu to attend the African summit, scheduled for next year.

    On the sidelines of the London conference was also a meeting with the United States Assistant Secretary for Energy and Natural Resources, Geoffrey Pratt. Both leaders agreed to set up a joint team of officials to explore financing for credit to mining firms and infrastructures. Pratt expressed satisfaction with the ongoing reforms announced by the Minister at the plenary of the conference, stressing that the US would like to be Nigeria’s partner of choice in developing the solid minerals sector.

    Already, there is palpable excitement in the mining industry on account of the  renewed interest of government in the sector. Alake’s office has been a beehive of activities as local and foreign investors continue to troop in, seeking to contribute their quota to mining sector development.

    In just three months, Dr. Alake has led the charge with the dexterity of a skilful visionary, shifting global attention to Nigeria’s solid mineral resources. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris during a recent courtesy visit, aptly captured the essence of the “Alake magic”- “Since he came here, he has managed to put solid minerals on the front burner, to the extent that people are becoming extremely envious of this ministry, because of the work he has done. It is not a mistake that the president brought him here. He knows that he can turn things around”.

    Like they say, “the reward for good work is more work”. That will be the mantra of the Minister as he seeks to consolidate on his “Agenda for the Transformation of Solid minerals for International Competitiveness and Domestic Prosperity”. Key elements like creation of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation; Joint Ventures with Mining Multinationals; Creation of six (6) Mineral Processing centres to focus on value-added products amongst others, will ascend the implementation stage, in the coming months. Indeed, it is a new dawn for the mining sector. Renewed Hope is here! 

    ●Segun Tomori is the Special Assistant on Media to the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development_

  • Interrogating Cardoso’s monetary policy planks (1)

    Interrogating Cardoso’s monetary policy planks (1)

    • By Tiko Okoye

    Last week Friday, the metaphorical new kid in the CBN block, Governor Olayemi Cardoso, made his long-awaited and highly-anticipated grand entry with a first-time address to the nation. My intention – in a three-part article – is to robustly interrogate key planks of the monetary policy direction enunciated by Cardoso.

    I commence the first in the series with why and how he should set about his seemingly Sisyphean task of remedying the unbridled abuse and misuse of the Ways and Means advances indulged in by his predecessor, Godwin Emefiele, if he’s to stand the slimmest chance of deploying the right doses of monetary policy to resuscitate the comatose national economy.

    Let me start by unequivocally declaring that Cardoso’s job is clearly cut out for him. Although part and parcel of the federal government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act 2007 gives the institution considerable autonomy to formulate and implement monetary policy approach that should preferably be complementary to the government’s fiscal policy thrust. The governor and deputy governors have a guaranteed tenure as they can’t be removed from office except by a ‘yes’ vote of two-thirds of the Senate. This is designed to protect them from being beholden to partisan politics in discharging their responsibilities.

    Which is why it beggars belief that Emefiele acted as if being a poodle too willing to do whatever members of the Aso Villa mafioso directs him to do was the most effective way to preserve the autonomy of the apex bank as enshrined in the Act, except, perhaps, he was being traumatised by vivid recollections of how the Senate practically went AWOL as then-President Goodluck Jonathan put his predecessor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to the sword.

    One significant area Emefiele’s top management team literally took their eyes off the ball was the Ways and Means advances. This is an instrument provided under the CBN Act (Section 38) to grant short-term time loans to the federal government as part of its core mandate of acting as banker and financial adviser to the government. The advances are meant to cover shortfalls in budgeted revenues “at such interest rate as the CBN may determine.”

    Majority of Nigerians having a foreboding feeling that the national economy is set to suddenly suffer a Humpty-Dumpty implosion as a result of an unsustainable debt overhang are spot-on. To more graphically contextualize the gaping canyon Emefiele and his team, including deputy governors and directors of various departments – have pushed this nation into, let us now consider the state of Nigeria’s indebtedness, which I’m too sure all those huffing and puffing to be President are actually ignorant of else they would be sprinting away for integrity sake in the opposite direction!

    In the course of delivering his speech on the projected N27.5 trillion budget for 2024, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR disclosed that N9.92 trillion is for non-debt recurrent expenditure, capital expenditure is N9.7 trillion while debt service is projected to be as much as N8.25 trillion. President Tinubu further revealed that the projected debt service alone is 45% of the expected total revenue and that the extrapolated budget deficit at the end of December is N13.78 trillion or 6.11% of the GDP. Since the budget deficit is projected at N9.18 trillion in 2024 which require new borrowings, the total government is expected to increase, albeit at a diminishing rate.

    Before the president’s budget speech, the Debt Management Office (DMO) had announced that the summation of public debt owed by the Federal Government, State Governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) amounted to N44.06 trillion as at the end of the third quarter (3Q) of 2022, with domestic debt at N26.92 trillion and external debt at N17.14 trillion.

    But both the president’s figure and that of the DMO only tell half the story! Not taken cognisance of is the whopping amount of N23.8 trillion ‘lent’ by the apex bank under its Ways and Means advances to the federal government! According to an incisive essay on the subject by one Funmilayo Odude, Partner, Commercial and Energy Law Practice (CANDELP), the two key underlying principles of Ways and Means advances as expressly stated under the CBN Act are its temporary nature and the cap placed on the amount the federal government can access within a specified time period.

    The amount and tenure of the Ways and Means advances granted by the apex bank to the government are not arbitrary. First, the maximum amount that can be granted to the government at any time is 5% of the previous year’s actual government revenue. Second, the loans must be repaid before/by the end of the financial year in which they were disbursed – which is December 31. The Act bars the CBN from extending further advances until full repayment is made by the government.

    The greatest irony was that the apex bank kept dishing out tight monetary policies that were ostensibly designed to mop up an ‘excess liquidity’ in the system and checkmate inflation. But nothing seemed to have worked despite all the draconian measures the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept conjuring up. Truth’s that nothing was bound to work because just as the CBN was mopping up so-called excess liquidity with the right hand, it continued to grant Ways and Means advances to the government with the left hand without any let up!

    Read Also: Cardoso lays out policy directions

    An investigative report conducted by Premium Times indicated that CBN’s Ways and Means advances to the Federal Government increased by 2,900% in the last seven years of the Buhari administration! Emefiele and his team literally threw caution to the wind as, contrary to its contingency nature, the Ways and Means advances transformed into a permanent source of deficit financing. Again, they not only continued to grant advances to the government while the previous ones hadn’t been paid off, but kept disbursing amounts far in excess of the specified 5% ceiling.

    For example, the CBN under Emefiele disbursed Ways and Means advances amounting to N2.5 trillion within the fist six months of 2022, while the government’s actual revenue in 2021 was N5.4 trillion – about 50% as compared with the statutory 5%! It would also be interesting to ascertain whether the CBN was actually charging the government any interest on the advances as demanded by the Act.

    The National Assembly pushed back when the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning in the Buhari administration, Zainab Ahmed, sought its approval in December 2022 to restructure the outstanding balance of N23.8 trillion into trade-able securities – and very rightly so. The illegality of the borrowing cannot be legitimized by converting the outstanding loans to trade-able securities as it would amount to a despicable form of money laundering. 

    Still, Emefiele shouldn’t bear the brunt of the perfidious act alone. The Senate and House of Representatives Banking and Finance Committees with oversight responsibility over the CBN have been ball-watching for so long. The effectiveness of an oversight function is directly correlated with the capacity of those involved. The Senate President and House Speaker must therefore ensure that they place round pegs to oversee round holes and not just haphazardly appoint daft cronies in furtherance of a reward system that fosters a “garbage in, garbage out” syndrome.

    And without prejudice to the cases Emefiele is currently facing in the Court, the National Assembly must commence an all-embracing investigation into the arbitrariness and impunity with which guardrail provisions pertaining to Ways and Means advances were subjected to ended up ruining the economy, and all guilty parties must be brought to book.  

    Cardoso has fortunately announced his intention to toe a different path. Rather than the abused and misused Ways and Means advances, he has pledged to majorly rely on Open Market Operations (OMO) which represents a far more professional and transparent route. President Tinubu has also declared the commitment of his administration to grow a $1 trillion economy over the next few years. All hands must be on deck to see this happen so we can clear all outstanding domestic and foreign debts and restart on a clean slate.

    And the Cardoso I’ve known since our days at Chase/Continental Merchant Bank in the mid-80s is very independent-minded and perspicacious and won’t fail Nigerians.

  • PBAT: Stunts of the salesman  

    PBAT: Stunts of the salesman  

    • By Abdulaziz Abdulaziz 

    It was pin drop silence. All heads turned to his side of the hall listening as the man gently, but firmly, made a case for his country to this crème de la crème of the Saudi Arabian economic bureaucracy and business community. He grabbed attention with an off the cuff speech that exuded confidence, authority, assurance and truthfulness. It was a little wonder his audience followed through and nodded all through! 

    The setting was the Saudi-Nigeria Business Summit and the speaker was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was a forum held on the side-lines of the recent Saudi-Africa Summit held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

    President Tinubu went into the meeting hall at the JW Marriot Hotel in upscale Riyadh as the President of Nigeria. By the time he picked the microphone, he quickly wore the garb of a chief salesman for a product he is excited to market. 

    It was an effortless exercise in sophisticated arts of marketing and advocacy. It was a presentation from the heart that was as unpretentious as it was unscripted. He spurned out the facts and the figures, reeled out the justifications and tickled the boardroom chiefs where it mattered without appearing weak or pitiable. It was a classic case of economic diplomacy and salesmanship at the highest level. 

    Since the beginning of his campaign for office, one of the most frequent words on his lips has been “prosperity”. President Tinubu is a prosperous man. His life is tinged with footsteps of prosperity, from the corporate world where he was a successful businessman to the prosperous political career that was capped with his election to the highest office in the land. 

    It had not always been rosy for him. He had told his story again and again to motivate the younger generation and inspire the country. He had toiled to reach the top. He knew the pains of want and starvation, and the sweetness that comes with economic liberation and prosperity. It is the latter that President Tinubu is desperately working to see that all Nigerians have tested. 

    He had the lifelong ambition to lead his fatherland. He has fulfilled this ambition. He could, if he chooses, stay back and enjoy the perks that come with it and pass the time in office. But because the ambition was not a vain one, President Tinubu is up and doing. “I campaigned for it. I begged for the job. I even danced to get elected. There is no excuse!” That is his mind-set and the philosophy of leadership for him, and it is for this mind-set that he is willing to go to any length to ensure that he bequeaths to Nigerians a prosperous country that everyone desires. 

    It was in his quest for this objective that the president chose to use his time in Riyadh to address the country’s top boardroom chiefs. It turned out to be not just another meeting or a boring address from just another president. It was dazzling interaction that stole the minds of almost everyone in the room, by their own admission. 

    “We came with high expectations but you have exceeded them,” said the Saudi minister of investment, Khalid Al Falih, who moderated the three-hour session, after the rousing applause that greeted President Tinubu’s address to the Saudi business community. The minister had in his welcome address spoke about how they had followed President Tinubu’s campaign promises and how he started off with the “boldest economic reform agenda in decades” for Nigeria, likening it to happenings in Saudi Arabia. 

    Read Also: Healthcare delivery: FG seeks private sector help to bridge procurement funding gap

    Mohammed Abunayyan, chairman of Saudi’s ACWA Power confessed to being “inspired and motivated” by the president promising to see how his company can make foray into Nigeria. In the same vein, Abdulrahman Alfaqiq, the CEO of Saudi oil trading company, SABIC, promised to upscale their business relationship with Nigeria due to the assurances he got from the top. They were just a few of the many who spoke in glowing terms about the president and in optimistic sense of the new business environment being created by President Tinubu for domestic and international investors.

    This was not the first time and certainly, not the last. In September, the president’s participation at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, was a potpourri of achievements. He maximally used the time to network with the right people and seek out investments for Nigeria. 

    It was, in every sense, a bumper harvest for the country as the president came back with a basket full of goodies amounting to billions of dollars in investment pledges. Most of the commitments are in areas dear to the heart of the president and at centre of our quest for development. These include the $3 billion promised by Jindal Steels for iron ore processing to aid Nigeria’s drive for industrialization, Skippersells’ plan to invest $1.6 billion in the power sector by building 2000MW power plants across the country in four years, Indorama’s pledge for $8 billion expansion of their petrochemical facilities in Rivers State, a billion dollars secured by the Defence Industry Corporation Of Nigeria (DICON),

    among others.

    The president’s last trip to Germany for the G20 Compact with Africa Summit also garnered as much fruits with the signing of the $500 million gas and renewable energy pact with the German government, among others. 

    As a young man, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was trained as an accountant. But in his new job President Tinubu is demonstrating that beyond his training in accountancy, he has imbibed not a few skills from his revered mother and notable businesswoman to apply in his bid to market Nigeria to investors and the larger international community. 

    •Abdulaziz is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media. He’s on X @AbdulFagge.