The Nation Newspaper

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  • Before Senate swings the hammer on MTN

    Ahead of a potential pronouncement from the Senate concerning the lingering illegal money transfers allegation slammed on MTN, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has screamed out to the hallowed chamber to look before leaping. In what can be described as an astonishing turnout, Shittu wished for the Senate to troubleshoot unemployment deluge as well as preserve Nigeria’s attractiveness to Foreign Direct Investors (FDIs) by guarding against emotional pronouncements that will scare away MTN.

    Only a few days ago, the minister reportedly told the news agency, Reuters that, “Nobody will say that MTN is not important to Nigeria – we must encourage them, we must not scare them away from Nigeria.” Such comment from a serving minister is tacit policy stating the intent and position of the government in a season of seething recession. And for a drowning man, any grip is a lifeline.  Categorically, these are the government’s first statement on the latest investigation into MTN, indicating the government does not want to see the South African company punished unduly in Nigeria, its biggest market, should the latest allegations prove to be true.

    Recently, it can be recalled that MTN is seemingly building a bank of offensive records in Nigeria; the latest alleged illegal repatriation of $13.92bn profits from Nigeria between 2006-2016 is following closely on the heels of a dispute over unregistered SIM cards where top-shelf mediations and deliberations influenced the government to agree to a reduced settlement on the issue by nearly 70% from $5.2 billion to $1 billion. As a result of this, MTNN CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa, resigned in the wake of the record fine in November 2015. A fourth issue is the hangover of Nigerian consumers’ repugnance towards MTN over the telco’s “unapologetic” poor service delivery. Despite the “elite attack” from the Senate, the support for MTN from the masses is infinitesimal.

    To the ongoing repatriation saga, the duo of Paschal Dozie, Chairman of MTN Nigeria Communications and substantive CEO, Ferdi Moolman both told the Senate during a hearing session that MTN did not break Nigeria’s currency transfer rules. And Adebayo Shittu’s sympathy for the MTN eggheads was unwavering when he said, “They have a right to repatriate their profits as long as it is legitimately done. Any time MTN is suspected of breaking the law it will be investigated, though the facts against them must be established beyond reasonable doubt. Everyone who is in business will have ups and downs. You don’t throw away the baby with the bathwater. The presumption is that they are innocent and we pray they remain innocent.”

    Concluding, perhaps, with a tone of finality, Shittu said, “They (MTN) must stay.”

    Interestingly, “FDI must stay” is the gospel of President Muhammadu Buhari on his frequent globe-trotting missionary journeys. Specifically in Nairobi, Kenya, last year, at a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on the sidelines of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi, President Buhari reassured that, “Existing and prospective foreign investors and investments in Nigeria are secured and would be fully protected.” The president outlined several steps taken by his administration to secure the country and ease doing business in Nigeria. He also told the Japanese leader that, “As a government, we know our responsibility, which is to secure the environment and all local and foreign investments. “It is clear to us that lenders and investors will not fund projects in insecure environments. We realize that we have to secure the country before we can efficiently manage it.’’

    Already, it is public knowledge that MTN has invested over N3.2 trillion in our economy and thus deserves much respect especially as a corporate citizen. Since 2001, MTN is officially recorded to have contributed over N1.6tr to government coffers through taxes, levies and regulatory payments, providing jobs for nearly 1,000,000 Nigerians, directly and indirectly. Also, the MTN Foundation has spent over N18bn through CSR in almost every local government in Nigeria. They’ve disbursed over $3.5bn worth of businesses through adverts and sponsorships, and patronage of Nigerian hospitality industry and contractors.

    Ruminating on the impact a shock decision by MTN could have on the nation, its people and the economy, many experts have warned on the possible treatments to be meted out to the telco. Bismarck Rewane, a frontline economic analyst, has warned about the implication of the continued ‘harassment’ of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications provider, MTN Nigeria by the federal government, adding that this could discourage inflow of foreign investments into the country. He said this as the Guest Speaker at the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) 2017 Business Outlook session which held at the Renaissance Hotel, GRA Ikeja.

    “Since we are harassing MTN, nobody is going to invest. Hounding of MTN is not a good thing, because it is sending a negative signal. We need to ensure that we send the right signals to encourage investment rather than to discourage investors”, Rewane who is MD/CEO, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd, said.

    More so, from Rotimi Fawole’s position in his opinion piece in The Guardian of Tuesday, January 24 – “The issues seem fairly clear and free of controversy…at this time when the Presidency is working hard at improving FDI flows…. It is hoped that…the current quiet around the MTN matter is a permanent one” – it seems various commentators on television, radio, newspapers and social media are in spiritual kinship with the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, President Buhari and Rewane.

     

    • Adulugba, a public affairs commentator writes from Lagos.

  • Obama’s enigma

    Obama was here briefly.  The 44th President of the United States (POTUS), Barack Hussein Obama’s eight years in office seems condensed and related events so complex and compacted, yet seemingly uncomplicated. The sojourn seems to have ended, just as it started. Obama’s reign was far from nondescript. While the Obama years may not have been epochal, much was accomplished.   The various global challenges and the scourge of international terrorism though not solved entirely were tampered extensively.  He tried to end the whimsical wars his predecessor started. There were pitfalls, many from an inherited past.  And there were fault lines and red lines, including Benghazi Libya and Aleppo, Syria both being part of the intractable Middle East mosaic.

    Obama was president, but his thought process was primarily, that of a lawyer, a professor, a diplomat and a grassroots proselytizer combined. He understood the president’s power to be the power of persuasion, at home and abroad.  He understood also that a successful president must convey confidence, strength, compassion and the ability to speak rather bluntly.  Soft power was always key- hence speaking softly but wielding a big stick often paid off on a world stage where finding a balance required carrot and sticks.

    For eight years, there were many who could not grasp Obama’s enigma.  They formed a bandwagon of critics and traducers.  Many, in the end, accepted reluctantly that Obama was an American, a smart politician who happened to be black and who served two full terms as president without and major scandal or crisis of note. Yet, Obama came, served and departed, leaving a deep and pragmatic footprint in different facets of governance, including job creation, growing the manufacturing base and the economic bucket, but no scandals.   Consequently, he gained acceptance based on his audacity of hope philosophy and telling the world and America that ‘yes we can’ and proving that an intractable problem like affordable healthcare for all Americans was possible.

    Obama always looked serious, oftentimes stern, but retained the capacity to be easily affable.  He was flexible. He spoke the mainstream establishment lingo, but could also drift comfortably to the lingo of the neighborhood with a touch of compassion and lithe shock and jive.  The world’s people related well to Obama. They appreciated his calmness and related assurances; but perhaps less so the enormous pressures of the office, which he faced with such equanimity.  The only betraying evidence were the incremental grey hair; not the absent worry burrows engraved on the face or eye bags. He had neither.  All through, he stayed fit and trim and added vim to the presidency with his sartorial elegance.  Obama presented to America and the world, a vintage first family: three gracious ladies who complimented his persona and office.

    Obama also portrayed candor, decency, humility, integrity, compassion, warmth, and gravitas and at all times, genuine bonhomie. He could do the bump shake with a janitor, a senator or a grassroots mobilizer.  When he was on the road campaigning or talking to working folks, he rolled up his sleeves, conveying a sense of readiness to do business and dirty his hands in service, if that was what was required to get America moving. He embraced friendly nations; confronted rogue nations and ignored and bypassed unserious and unfocused countries, such as Nigeria. Obama stood up to bullies and to U.S. long-term ally, Israel a nation that refused to give peace and a two-state solution a chance. On the strategic sphere, Obama ensured a global balance, despite China’s economic expansionism that borders on economic irredentism and growing right wing political extremism in Europe. He literally looked Russia and Vladimir Putin in the face – eye-ball-to-eye-ball- without blinking first. Using soft power and the treats of agonizing reprisals, he pushed Iran to toe the line of the Six-plus talks.

    His strategic, military, and economic policies were predicated on American interest, but not necessary the mantra of “America First”.  Obama arrived on stage when globalization and climate change were trending. When the world oil cartel had a stranglehold on the world, he advocated alternative energy as a means of reducing the carbon footprint, and in the end, promoted shale oil and crashed the global oil prices in the common interest. He may not have liked outsourcing American jobs, but realized that the world had become so interconnected.  He eschewed demagoguery and rejected collectivized criminalization of nations, races or religion, even when it would have been convenient and politically corrected to do so.  For that, he was labeled a Muslim sympathizer.   In all, Obama proved that political, economic and strategic adjustments were acts of pragmatism, not weakness.

    Obama is no longer U.S. president.  But he will be known as an American president in perpetuity.  Obama left the political stage, when the ovation and popularity decibel were resoundingly high. And he left office with a very high popularity rating, despite failing to put in place a successor that will build on his legacies.  History will be his ally, but the greatest impetus of his presidency will emerge and resonate from the conduct, and enunciations of his successor.  If Obama is ever deemed to not be at par with great presidents, then Donald Trump would be more so, given his trajectory.  Paradoxically, as Trump’s presidency progresses and Obama’s tenure recedes into twilight, Obama’s legacy will gain vim and any setbacks he might have encountered while in office, will be burnished by broad nostalgia.

    Overall, Obama served exceedingly well. Henceforth, history will underpin the rich heritage of his presidency. We therefore, applaud the 44th POTUS for teaching the youths of the world to say “yes, we can”, regardless of any odds they confront.  I suspect strongly that he will wield moral vast influence as a private citizen and ex-president, since age is on his side. Ultimately, Obama’s legacy and hence his enigma, will intrude into the minds of those who were not Obama aficionados, even if subliminally.

     

    • Obaze is MD/CEO of Selonnes Consult Ltd.

  • Is credible census possible in Nigeria?

    Three years after assuming office as chairman, National Population Commission, I am in a position to know that Nigerians across every ethnic, state and political divide are genuinely worried about credible census outcomes. They have confronted me with questions touching on the credibility of census outcomes countless of times. The questions are usually framed thus ‘’What is the guarantee that the next census outcome will not be as controversial as those of the past’’?

    Usually, the questions are asked in sceptical tones loaded with pessimism about the possibility of credible census in Nigeria.   The scepticism is not totally misplaced bearing in mind the controversies that attended census exercises in the past. The first census was conducted in 1863 in the then Lagos colony and followed by other 13 censuses. The outcomes of these censuses, rightly or wrongly, have not inspired general acceptability and confidence.

    On my part, I have been very forthright in answering such questions. One such answer is the fact that that the next census is definitely going to be different from past exercises because the commission intends to rely more on technology than human elements. There is a direct correlation between processes and outcomes of any activity. A good process produces a good outcome. In the case of the census, having a credible census must begin with a credible and error proof process.   One major feature of processes of past censuses was the pervasive presence of human elements. Often, everything involving human beings come with certain foibles like prejudice, stereotypes and even genuine errors which are capable of distorting the real essence of the census. The present commission has therefore resolved to divorce the human elements from the entire census processes.  In this new configuration, which will rely on Electronic Data Capture (EDC) devices, the facial and fingerprint features of every respondent will be captured in a hand-held android powered machine.

    What is special about this, you may ask? It is special because experts have confirmed that no two persons share the same fingerprint marks. The EDC will be able to scan the fingerprints of respondents and reject fingerprints of persons that have been counted more than once. The novelty of this approach enables the commission to combat such malpractices like multiple enumeration and enumeration of ghost respondents, which constitute the most viral problem in every census exercise. Eliminating them all together are sure steps to take, if the integrity of census exercise is to be restored. Each handheld device will be configured in such a way that it will receive, store and transmit variety of data collected from each respondent in a given household. By the way, the exercise is de facto in the sense that only persons who are physically present and seen by the enumerators will be counted.

    The capacity of the enumerators to tamper with the enumeration process is severely limited as the EDCs are automated.  Above all, the information received in the device will be streamed real time to servers that will ultimately download the data to the head office. In other words, it will be possible to monitor the activities of the field workers as they go about their duties.

    The issue of multiple and ghost enumeration is hardly the only problem in a census exercise. There is this other problem of overlapping of enumeration areas and omission of certain places. Nigeria is not only vast in terms of size but also has many remote areas which are hard to reach. Some of the challenges experienced in past censuses had to do with the capacity to effectively delineate the country for enumeration purpose resulting in some areas either not demarcated or demarcated more than once. We are trying to solve this problem by embarking on a high technology-based mapping of enumeration areas. In this regard, using high-resolution satellite imageries, we are able to produce maps of every community, town or settlement in this country. When this is done, the commission’s field workers will identify these communities on the ground and proceed to demarcate them in line with the best international practices. The goal here is to reduce the entire country into smaller units, corresponding to enumeration areas, which can be assigned to enumerators for purposes of enumeration of persons and households therein.

    The above in a nutshell represents the efforts of the commission to end the issue of controversial census. Beside, we do not intend to operate in a silo. We want to engage Nigerians on all the steps we intend to take. The reason is to get them to critically examine these steps, including the budget and share their views with us. We shall take corrections where necessary.

    Much more importantly, we expect the Nigerian people to stand up as the vanguards and champions of credible census in the country. The people must be vigilant in the census process and ensure data collected during the census represent the actual demographic conditions of their communities. Perpetration of census malpractices is a great disservice to the existence and well-being of any entity. A faulty census outcome will deny the people the benefits of a good census. A community that colludes with the political class to inflate the census figures will not know the number of children for whom schools are to be built, the number of people to be provided employment and the number of children and mothers who require immunization and health services. While inflated census figures may serve the narrow and short-term interest of the political class, the long term development interest of the community or entity is at risk. The people must therefore constitute themselves into the vanguards of the census integrity and stop any effort to prevent the community from knowing its real figures and its characteristics.  A society that indulges in census inflation is living in illusion and will not discover itself or its potentials.

    The importance of these efforts lies in the larger fact that census is the single most important data generation exercise. In addition to the head count which yields the population figure for the country, there are also other data on such matters as health facilities, household facilities, migration figures, occupational characteristics, educational level etc. Data provided from the listed items above are as important as the headcount results. The commission plans to conduct a census with value added going beyond the simple question of providing answer to how many are we in the country. Unfortunately, it is the headcount result that interest people most of the time. It is this obsession with the headcount outcome that is at the centre of the desperation which makes people do everything possible to doctor or manipulate a census exercise.

    Another question which I must honestly deal with here is the issue of timing of census. There is a palpable apprehension that the times are not conducive to holding a census now.  According to this school of thought, the economy, as weak as it is, cannot support a census now.  This point of view is specious, with due respect to those who canvas it.  I say so, because it ignores the real benefits of accurate census.  It is generally believed that an accurate census is a sine qua non for national planning and development.  If that is so, as indeed it is, is it not at such times like this that we should go back to the drawing board for planning?  Is any person suggesting that the planning can take place in a vacuum without the necessary data?  Or at best, is the suggestion that we should continue to rely on the “about” statistics or data that possibly bedevilled our planning in the past?  That definitely amounts to cutting our nose to spite our face.  Or worse still that amounts to “penny wise pound foolish”.  We must resist the temptation to resort to easy answers or solutions.  We need to take the issue of national planning a lot more seriously because we cannot continue to do things in the same way and expect different result. On the basis of the above, my submission is that this period provides a golden opportunity to do a census because it is almost like ground zero.

    From the submission above, it is possible for Nigeria to have credible census outcomes if it adopts an equally credible and transparent process divorcing the intrusion of human elements from the process through the use of appropriate technology. No doubt, the machines will still be used by human beings but the processes are so thorough and not susceptible to manipulations.  The conduct of a biometric based census through the use of the EDCs will sanitize the census process. However, in addition to technology, we must develop the positive orientation of seeing census for what it is, as a tool for planning for development and not figures to be taunted for political advantages.

     

    • Duruiheoma, SAN is executive chairman, National Population Commission.

  • Theresa May: Grandeur and illusion of empire

    Living up to the reputation of her great and revered ancestors, Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, vowed to remain in Europe while thrusting a dagger at the very heart of the European Union.

    I hurriedly jotted down notes as the British Prime Minister robustly delivered her speech. All through the entire endeavour, she belittled the intelligence of her audience with convoluted logic only clear to her and her admirers.

    I could infer from her presentation that the British Prime Minister wanted the best of both worlds for Britain. She picked and chose only those policies that advanced Britain’s supreme self-interest. Above all, I discerned an ingrained discomfiture in living with people they – the British – cannot control or subjugate.

    It is the disdain with which she treated those of us in Africa, especially Nigeria that riled most. Hear her out:

    “We are a European country — and proud of our shared European heritage — but we are also a country that has    always looked beyond Europe to the wider world. That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe, one of the most multicultural members of the European Union, and why — whether we are talking about India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, countries in Africa or those that are closer to home in Europe — so many of us have close friends and relatives from across the world.”

    India, Bangladesh and others were tangentially mentioned. The entire Africa, she ‘majestically’ grouped as one anonymous unit. Not one mention of Nigeria by name; even though she singled out tiny New Zealand.

    She referred to “the next biennial Commonwealth heads of Government meeting in 2018” in a manner to suggest she was sure her serfs in this ‘unique’ grouping would be summoned, and troop out to obey. Speaking for Britain, she left no doubt about her grand ambition to use us, as usual, as props in building her ‘Global Britain’: euphemism for the revival of her dream of Empire.

    I am not an economist nor a trade expert to digest the full implications of the copious references made in the British Prime Minister’s strategy and ‘Plan for Britain’. I sense we would be lucky, this time, to be used only as pawns or bargaining chips, in Theresa May’s dream of ‘a truly Global Britain’. More humiliation awaits us.

    I would, however, wish to ask where we fit into Theresa May’s grand design and scheme. Where do we as a country intend to stand? Do we still remain an appendage to an empire that had long expired, was resuscitated and transformed in a chameleonic form to Commonwealth? Where do we belong in an association where we had allowed our dignity to be thoroughly bruised, with specks and crumbs thrown at us from the master’s table?

    I visited Britain for the first time, as a student, in 1955. It was to represent the Students’ Union of the University College of Ibadan at the International Students’ Conference in Birmingham. This was a year before Theresa May was born (October 1, 1956). Then, I had a smooth passage and entry in and out of London.

    As a young diplomat at the Nigeria High Commission in London in 1959, I and my colleagues also went in and out of Heathrow airport with our heads held high. Whereas our counterparts, European visitors, would queue up at the immigration desks, waiting for their passports to be stamped, we were waved through with dignity. With the passage and efflux of time, the reverse has been the case.

    I mention these episodes because of the nexus between British immigration policy then, when it was massively in their own self-interest; and now, when others are marginally benefitting from it.

    Our lot with Britain seems to have deteriorated with time. This is not entirely their fault. We have not built dependable and lasting mechanisms into our system to regulate our entry and protect our reputation as a people in foreign lands. Nor has Britain treated us with the measure of respect and decorum befitting our membership in the Commonwealth. This is obvious and evident from Theresa May’s Brexit speech. As I now write, I doubt whether there has been any consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Britain’s Brexit policy.

    Immigration, a focal theme in the British Prime Minister’s project, has now become a catch phrase. As usual, we have been used and dumped: from slavery to partition, from partition to colonization, from colonization to independence, and from independence to a malleable, manipulated neo-colonial entity. Should Theresa May’s dream come  true, we will certainly become an appendage to Global Britain – a return to Her Majesty’s new and reconstructed empire.

    It should now be clear to us that while the Commonwealth may have meant something in the past – and may have served some purpose however limited, there had never, in reality, been any wealth that was common.

    Everything considered, and upon thorough reflection, we have always carried a disproportionate share of its burden. The hypothesis of equality on which the association is supposedly constructed, will, I believe, sooner or later, be put to test. Must we always genuflect and bow to a distant imperial majesty?

    Theresa May speaks up so proudly and confidently for the supreme interest of her country. In doing so, she may have stirred up the hornets’ nest. I hope she and her admirers have not unduly taken us for granted as she outlined a plan that has deeply grated at the dignity of others, and the very essence of our being. What is or what should be our response? Pull out from this contraption at an appropriate time, among taking other well-considered policy measures?

    Theresa May has, as yet, many hurdles to scale; first within the United Kingdom itself. We must be fully prepared for the darts that will be hurled at us. This is especially so because amongst us are many influential and powerful voices – patriots all – who love Britain and the Commonwealth more than their own country.

    How prepared is Nigeria for a post-Brexit era?  In the same vein, we should ask, how prepared are we for a Trump presidency which shares an ideological affinity with the proponents of Brexit.

    Immigration has been a central component in the Brexit agenda. Make no mistake about this. The word IMMIGRATION can only mean one thing in the manner it is now being bandied around by heirs of unrepentant slave dealers whose ancestors were, themselves, undocumented, uninvited and unwelcome colonisers, who brutalised us spiritually and mentally, ripped us of our dignity, and imposed their will and dominance on us.

    If the ungarnished truth must be told, the word immigration, as currently peddled, connotes the worst form of prejudice, discrimination, racism and total rejection, notwithstanding any spurious rationalization.

    The direct consequence is starkly manifested in the fate of men, women and children who perish, today, in the high seas, just as they did during the abominable era of the slave trade.

    The frenzy is driven now, as it was then, by the same philosophy of greed and hate; spun from the same evil yarn of contempt for fellow human beings.

    How many more lives will be allowed to perish before their conscience is pricked – the conscience of these professed Christians, acclaimed leaders of their communities, who constantly mouth meaningless slogans such as their ‘values’, ‘ways of life’ and ‘shared heritage’?

    We wish Theresa May and her bed-fellows the best of luck in their search for grandeur and illusion of empire. It is now Global Britain; and no longer Great Britain, since maverick Donald Trump has appropriated to himself the word great, in his clumsy advocacy ‘to make the United States Great Again’.

     

    • Ambassador Olisemeka, CON, is former Foreign Minister of Nigeria

  • Why governors convened talks with emirs

    Let me place it on record that the decision to invite the royal highnesses and other stakeholders to this crucial meeting was the collective decision of all the 19 governors under our forum and was borne out of the recognition of the fundamental – if not indispensable – position and role the traditional institution occupy in the grand scheme of things in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region. For us in Northern Nigeria, our royal fathers are, for the most part, custodians of both our cultural and religious values, highly revered and hold their traditional offices in virtual perpetuity.

    Indeed, quite a few instances abound in all parts of our region, like their Highnesses the Emir of Lafiya Dr. Isa Mustapha Agwai, the Emir of Zauzau Dr. Shehu Idris, and the Aku-Uka of Wukari Dr. Shekarau Angyu Masa Ibi Kuvyon ll, where our traditional rulers ascended their thrones long before even the creation of the states where their domains are located, or have so far worked with, and outlasted in office all the governors of their states, military and democratically elected.

    Governors of the 19 northern states do recognize, respect and cherish the fact that while others serve for certain periods, traditional rulers mostly make lifetime commitments to the service of our communities. This naturally makes the royal highnesses very significant stakeholders in the affairs of government across the 19 northern states.

    Even more crucially, it gladdens the heart to note that our traditional rulers have sustained the time tested and noble tradition of championing the causes of their people. To cite one example, only last week, His Royal Highness, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi ll spearheaded the thought-provoking debate surrounding the significance of the education of the girl-child and how it can positively impact the progress, development, prosperity, peace, security and stability of the North and, by extension, Nigeria.

    This very fundamental debate bordering on the educational backwardness, pervasive poverty and underdevelopment as well as persistent insecurity of Northern Nigeria, should not only form the underlying basis for holding this extraordinary meeting but must continue, in our enlightened self-interest as leaders, to perpetually preoccupy our thoughts, plans, programmes and actions.

    Managing multiculturalism and heterogeneity is a major challenge and indeed a litmus test for leadership, good governance and progress not just in Northern Nigeria but in the entire global society.  However, as leaders of government, traditional rulers and community as well as religious leaders, we must unite to tackle the challenges that stare us in the face. Like all the northern governors acknowledge, development is not just about building roads, bridges, houses or what we refer to as infrastructure and the provision of social services. Yes, these are very important, but then, there are pro-social livelihoods, peace and good life which are the fundamental attributes of meaningful existence. Our core challenges in the North today revolve around intolerance, absence of peaceful coexistence, poverty, illiteracy and lack of unity. How can we address these critical concerns? We, the 19 governors of northern states believe that a gathering of some of the key leaders of the North is more than able to provide solutions to our problems. As governors, we are more determined than ever, to sincerely walk the talks generated from this important meeting.

    There is no gain saying the North is a poor, pathetic shadow of its former self. A well-endowed, promising geographic space which accounts for over 70% of Nigeria’s land mass, up to at least 60% of its population, with huge solid minerals resources, with potentials for hydrocarbon resources, a growing mining industry, rich arable lands, a blossoming agro-industrial economy, Nigeria’s wealthiest region by GDP and the region with the brightest prospects for accelerated economic growth; in short, arguably Nigeria’s most thriving region, has literally conspired against itself to be reduced to the laughing stock of the world. Northern Nigeria today is blighted by a deadly (albeit retreating) insurgency, rural armed banditry, cattle rustling, ethnic and religious conflicts, the underlying causes of which are poverty, illiteracy, social exclusivity and severely limited economic opportunities.

    We all, of course, know these issues. What is of considerable importance to the Northern Governors Forum and I am sure, to our Royal Highnesses, our most respected elders and other stakeholders, is how to urgently and collectively, address these problems starting with our priorities. While we look forward to tapping from your priceless experiences, vast knowledge and eternal wisdom, we have since begun doing some ground work. For instance, the Northern Governors Forum has last year, set up a committee of Attorneys General of the 19 Northern States to review the criminal justice system of Northern Nigeria with a view to amending the penal code to stipulate penalties for criminal offences prevalent in the North today which were not envisaged by the penal code.

    The forum verily recognizes the direct correlation between the collapse of education, industries and agriculture with most of the violence and restiveness in the north. Individual states are deploying different measures to address their peculiarities but as a forum, we have established the Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integration Programme under the leadership of Dr Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, a very resourceful, internationally connected northerner, and Chief Economic Adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Dr Kurfi and his team are already following up with the Islamic Development Bank on areas of science education in northern Nigeria. The platform is also driving our ongoing commitment with General Electric for the construction of solar power plants in five states within the North. Kurfi’s group is also going to drive some funding arrangements with financial institutions and development partners on key areas of agriculture. Thankfully, Kurfi himself is very keen about the north reclaiming it’s lost glory in cotton production and textiles manufacturing which was the predominant industrial activity in Northern Nigeria, as well as the creation of international markets for our farm produce with emphasis on value chain.

    We shall hopefully have Dr Kurfi to give updates on what his group is doing but then, we know for sure,  that we cannot achieve much without Your Royal Highnesses and our other valuable elders who not only have so much experiences but also influence public attitude, mobilization for mass participation and other integrated processes of developments at the grassroots.  Using your highly organized and time tested system of administration, Your Highnesses are strongly present in all streets, wards, villages and districts under your heritage.  We seek to work together in order to deepen the good works majority of our Royal fathers are already doing, so that we can form a stronger front that will strikingly change the narrative of northern Nigeria from being a basket case to that of strength in peace, strength in productive population, strength in economic prosperity and strength in unity.

    Our forum’s secretariat has furnished me with a note that gives details of problems confronting most parts of the North and even suggesting ways of addressing them. However, as my colleagues would say, there will be no point inviting Your Royal Highnesses and distinguished elders if we know the problems and the solutions to them. We look forward to valuable and free minded conversations that should focus on solving our challenges.

     

    • Shettima, Governor of Borno State and chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum, delivered this address at the opening of an extraordinary meeting with Chairmen of councils of traditional rulers in the 19 Northern States and the FCT held on Monday, January 23, at the Government House in Kaduna.

  • NASU, SSANU and the rumpus in FUOYE

    As a senior public-spirited citizen, I have watched with dismay and unease the unfolding drama between the authorities of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and some workers’ unions. The unions under reference are the Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities.
    In my capacity as a free-wheeling journalist, I was able to have a comprehensive insight into the nature of the issues which have brought the young university to a near-standstill in recent weeks.
    Incidentally, the platform was provided by the interactive session between the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Soremekun and newspaper correspondents in Ado-Ekiti.
    As far as I could gather from the interaction, three main issues constitute the bone of contention.
    The first has to do with the fact that outstanding salaries are being owed for two months. The second revolves around the issue of promotions while the last one, which is arguably the most important and intractable, centres on the issue of hazard allowance.
    In his response, the vice chancellor proceeded to take on the issues in turn. As regards outstanding salaries, he pointed out that, as of Monday, January 9, when the press conference was being held, November salaries had been paid and to boot; December salaries though late, would hit the workers’ bank accounts on that day. And true to the vice-chancellor’s words, the workers are not being owed any salary.
    On the second issue, Soremekun pointed out that modalities were in place to carry out the promotion exercise. In this respect, he pointed out that earlier on, the management had had to accede to the workers’ earlier demands by jettisoning the idea of conducting promotion examinations.
    On the issue of hazard allowance, the vice-chancellor told the journalists that only one union, that is, the National Association of Academic Technologists, had the statutory power to draw this allowance since the allowance was embedded in the personnel costs of the respective technologists. According to him, other universities were directed to pay the hazard allowance, “IF THEY COULD”, from their respective Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
    The vice-chancellor went on to say that, a five-year old institution like Federal University Oye Ekiti has a very sparse IGR base. It was further deposed that this was more so when comparisons were made with first generation universities like the Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos and University of Ibadan. The vice-chancellor wondered where he was expected to get the funds to pay hazard allowance, which was not part of the agreement which NASU and SSANU reached with the Federal Government.
    Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor pointed out that even the sparse IGR base of FUOYE was being compromised by the violent tactics of the striking workers. Such tactics, as he pointed out, included the disruption of activities at the Centre for Pre-Degree Studies, which in fact is one of the main sources of the IGR for the young university.
    According to him, the National Universities Commission had just approved 19 new programmes for the university, such that in relative terms, the Federal University Oye Ekiti could easily be regarded as one of the fastest growing universities in Nigeria.
    He also informed the media gathering that plans were in place to establish two new faculties in the nearest future. These are the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. Indeed and as further deposed by him, come January 25, the university Senate would formally consider and approve the Doctor of Pharmacy, (Pharm. D) programme of the new university. And as if to indicate that this was not a tall dream, it was authoritatively revealed that funds for the new faculties were virtually in place, courtesy of the Federal Government.
    A question was also put to him about the alleged award of arbitrary contracts, and his response was that there were the subsisting institutional frameworks such that, it was impossible to award contracts in an arbitrary way as alleged.
    As regards the allegation that the VC had embarked on frequent overseas trips and that he had travelled to the United States six times in the last year, Soremekun merely laughed this off by contending that he had been to the US on only one occasion since he assumed office.
    On whether N2m was given to each of his management staff for the Yuletide session, he also dismissed this allegation as a mere fabrication. The VC remarked that the ongoing tussle could be likened to a war in which truth is usually the first casualty as in all wars.
    After the session, not a few of the journalists in attendance seemed to have left with the impression that the vice-chancellor was more sinned against than sinning. In my view, this was due to two factors. One, so much has been achieved within the spate of 12 months that only apostles of decadence could attempt to hamper the institution in its strides. Indeed, as I looked round the half campus/half forest campus when I later visited the university, my view was that despite the fact that Soremekun had two predecessors, there was still much to do.
    Second, the hazard allowance which appears to be the main bone of contention is not really his fault, since as pointed out, only technologists have managed to wrest hazard allowance in the form of a formal agreement with the Federal Government. Meanwhile, my own investigation reveals that all the other universities which started at the same time with FUOYE do not pay this hazard allowance.
    Therefore, it is my considered view that the two unions, NASU and SSANU, should sheathe their swords. Rather, their efforts should be directed towards the making of a robust case, before the Babalakin Committee which has just been constituted to re-negotiate the FGN- Agreement with the Academic Staff Unions of Universities and the other unions to ensure a crisis-free academic environment in the institution.

    • Adeyemi writes from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

  • Amosun @ 59: A taste of excellence

    Amosun @ 59: A taste of excellence

    Some months ago, I sent a copy of a book, which is to be presented to the public next month, to the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Quite unknown to him, that was the third computer print-out of the copy. The first had a tiny scratch on the inside of the hard cover, which, ordinarily, could have been dismissed by many folks as unimportant since it was not so much visible and did not affect any letter or word in the book. But I rejected it and paid for another to be made. As it happens, the margin provided in the second attempt was too narrow, as if the size of the book or paper was being “managed”. Worse, the cutting was not exactly perfect. Although those not knowledgeable in the art of publishing might not notice these two observations, I rejected it because I knew the governor would notice the two shortcomings. It was the third copy, which could be described as an excellent workmanship, that the governor received.
    I do have encounters with people from time to time who will tell you this mistake or that error does not matter. “Oh! This is a small error. No one will notice it. It does not matter!” But I know you cannot work with Senator Ibikunle Amosun and settle for second best. You can’t work for the governor if you don’t pay attention to details. It has nothing to do with ostentation or flamboyance but that in anything you do, no matter how small it is, let there be a taste of excellence. If possible, let it be perfect.
    Even when you present a document to SIA (as he’s fondly called), the way you staple it matters – is it straight or slant? When you make photocopies, are the copies straight or bent; are they neat? No, it is not enough to say, “The words are clear and that’s what is important!” The edges equally need to be aligned to the A4 paper – the presentation or output matters. May God grant us all the spirit of excellence.
    I cherish all these. Some people feel when you do these things, you are harsh or making life difficult for them. Yet, the best way to actually help people is to hold them to the highest standards – the ideal. They are the ones who should leave their carefree comfort zone and aim for the best output.
    For the Ogun State governor, what is worth doing at all is worth doing well – to the best standards. Amosun is a stickler for international best practices. According to “The Ogun Standard”, a concept he enunciated in 2012, every project or process should aim for international best practices; it should be a model for others.
    I recall one facility built to Nigerian standard in Ijebu Ode, which was to be inaugurated on a particular date. The unveiling had to be postponed at the last minute because the governor wanted the project to be the best it should. For him, it’s not how small but how standard. We went to Ota to unveil a community road early in the life of the administration. It was done in collaboration with a company. Of course, the governor was happy to be in the midst of the masses but it was evident he felt they deserved something better. And the Ota people eventually got what they deserved in the modern Ota township roads with pedestrian walkways, drainages, medians, etc.
    It is this same taste for excellence that defined the construction of the Ogun Model Secondary Schools. These are international standard facilities that will take Nigerian education to the 21st century or the education jet-age. No, Amosun is not building for today only, but tomorrow and the next.
    If you were at a section of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) the other day, you would think you were accessing a health facility in Europe or North America. It shows that if subsequent administrations in Ogun sustain this progressive march, it is only a matter of time before the state exchanges a handshake with the developed cities of the world.
    It is not difficult to recall the pressure brought to bear on the governor concerning the Workers’ Estate. He resisted, wondering how he should be expected to build sheds or shells for workers, paint the front walls, invite the media and then pronounce them houses! I still recall vividly how he shook his head in wonder on that day at June 12 Cultural Centre. I visited the recently-inaugurated estate (named A.A.K Degun MITROS Estate) on Christmas day to once more assess the ambiance. I’m sure those workers who initially wanted the Nigerian standard, which people were used to, are now exceedingly happy with the Ogun Standard estate. And the headlines in the papers on December 5, 2016 read, “Amosun rewards three civil servants, street sweeper, traffic warden with houses,” during the inauguration of the estate. They are modern houses, not sheds or shells…
    The Workers’ Home consists of two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, three-bedroom semi-detached bungalows and two-bedroom flats. It has a well-laid road network with modern drainage, a pavilion for recreation and two modern mini-supermarket stalls. There’s the Laderin Neighbourhood Market to complement the needs of the estate. There are street lights, transformers and a water treatment and storage tank.
    I observed a serene ambiance, providing the comfort needed for that stratum of the society. What is worth doing at all is worth doing to the best standard!
    The interesting thing is that all the classes of the society have been catered for in the housing architecture of the state government and no class is left behind in the provision of modern facilities. Mrs Jumoke Akinwunmi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing and General Manager, Ogun State Housing Corporation, and Jide Odusolu, General Manager of Ogun State Property Investment Corporation, have really worked hard to translate the vision of Governor Amosun into reality.
    Time, certainly, will fail me to go on. Amosun’s taste for excellence is not 180 but 360 degrees. So in his choice of a life partner, he also settled for the first best, not second. It is no wonder God has blessed them with excellent and excelling children. Happy birthday to the modernizer, the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    •Soyombo writes from Abeokuta via densityshow@yahoo.com

  • Edo: Things are looking up

    Edo: Things are looking up

    Ask me for a cynic’s delight, I will point in the direction of Edo State Governor, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki. At least, many pundits were sceptical of his chances before he even emerged as a major contender for the state’s gubernatorial elections. The feeling was not altogether misinformed given the undercurrent that left many to think less of him as having any real chance of upstaging the more savvy political generals fielded against him both in his ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.
    In the beginning, even the unflinching support he got from his predecessor, one of the state’s most daring political figures, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, didn’t help matters too. But times have changed and he has since taken over as the new sheriff in town, and has been left to carve a niche for himself – a feat he appears to be achieving in style.
    The interesting and, perhaps, intriguing thing about Obaseki is that despite showcasing one of the most impressive credentials for a political office seeker, he still had to prove his mettle. Even as he did much more than his fellow contenders by traversing the length and breadth of all the wards of the state, the only credit many gave him was that he was an avenue for Oshiomhole to accomplish third term agenda. Unmoved by claims that he lacked the ability and experience to ignite the needed political will to muscle his way through inherent blockades, he trudged on and made very impressive and practicable promises that succeeded in further distancing him from the pack as a contender that understood not just what he wanted but also the people’s real sustainable development desires.
    Clearly, he came on at a time when, among other headaches, the state required a governor with the ability to rein in the hydra-headed unemployment challenge running loose in frightening double digit figures. He came with his depth to put an end to alleged double taxation, release all local government finances, curtail the nuisance values of certain characters employed as muscles for revenue mop, and, in particular, shore up the state’s finances by harnessing all of its investable natural potentials. Thus far, he seems to be living up to his pedigree and like the sure-footed, straight-thinking investment mobilizer that he is, he has taken steps that seem to give the heart-warming assurance that he has the ability to deliver on his promises with a view to bringing back better days to the nation’s heartbeat.
    Obaseki served notice, quite early too, that he was ready to roll in a direction that will leave no one in any doubt about his desire to execute his electoral mandate. As a first move, he secured agreements with vital investors, home and abroad, who are already reported to be mobilizing necessary resources into the state. Expectedly, the move seems to be producing an Uhuru effect on everyone, including some of his opponents who are reported to be claiming that he is operating their manifesto. In more ways than one, his moves thus far, bear great semblance to an unfolding El Dorado for the army of unemployed people in the. The bottom line is that by simply working on campaign promises with such earnest urgency, he puts to the sword any scepticism concerning whether he knows what he is talking about with his promise to create at least 200,000 jobs within the first four years.
    Ab initio, Obaseki made it clear that his administration will not depend on monthly federal stipends to give the state a new lease of economic life. He was point blank in positing that he wants to make millionaires of the citizenry with a view to raising the tax and economic profiles of the state. The mathematics is simple – the more legitimate money banks he makes of the people via positive empowerment, the more taxable income there is that will be available for the state to evolve economically.
    Repeatedly, Obaseki said his mission is to turn the state into an economic hub. Quietly, he went about this even as cynics went to town, howling with aplomb, that he will succeed only in mouthing empty ballots and gathering political catch-phrases designed to give wings to his acclaimed investment versatility. Even more so, he seems to be confounding his cynics as he takes the well calculated steps towards turning the state into the nation’s main economic reference point. Worthy of note are his decisions on the Gelegele seaport, his transparency in policy governance and his people-centric disposition.
    The dormant Gelegele seaport has, for years, lain in waste alongside its huge economic potentials for the state. If brought back to life, it has the capacity to service the import and export requirements of businesses in and around both the country’s South-south and South-east zones. In the main, its operation has the undeniable capacity to reduce import and export financing for these businesses having removed their overdependence on far away Lagos ports with their attendant high costs. Obaseki has not only recognized the port’s inherent strategic and economic importance, he has gone ahead to activate its revitalization by setting up a seven-member committee with a marching order to quicken its start-up process. The committee, headed by Engr. Gregory Ero, Chief Executive Officer, ARCO, is to work out the modalities for transforming Gelegele into one of the country’s foremost economic and industrial hubs.
    Effectively, he has opened a new vista in the erstwhile contentious relationship between the state and local government areas without recourse to any political or other underhand subterfuge. He rubbed it in by giving the assurance that even the councils that received zero allocation will receive financial aid from the state that they may meet statutory monthly obligations, including payment of salary. However, the only expectation now is that while the councils are singing “Hosanna in the Highest” and the state government is receiving rave reviews, the latter must, as part of its oversight functions, ensure that the former adheres strictly to the rules of disbursement.
    Unambiguously, Obaseki promised to be people-centric in policy implementation. As part of the processes leading up to fulfilling the promise, he assured the people that his administration will abolish all forms of double taxation, where it exists. Just as well, he added that he will give a humane face to the collection of all taxes and other levies. He made good on these promises in his New Year broadcast to the people by proclaiming mouth-watering incentives for habitual tax evaders. He followed it up by giving the marching order to all itinerary tax collectors hitherto engaged to carry out the responsibility to withdraw their services with immediate effect.
    Obaseki has since given the responsibility to collect taxes and other levies to government employees. Remarkably, the state government is already working on modalities that will eliminate loopholes through which tax collectors fleece the state. As part of these measures, it has set up a committee to fine-tune a proposed bill that will harmonise revenue collection by local councils. The committee is equally mandated to seek out effective ways of eliminating cash as a means of revenue collection. In effect, tax and other revenue collection will be conducted with the innovative use of POS and revenue scratch cards.
    There is hardly any doubt that the former collectors are rueing their fate right now just as the new enforcers, legitimate government employees, are likely to be smacking their lips in anticipation of whatever. This is where the administration will have to be proactive by putting other appropriate modalities in place to ensure that the new collectors will not translate “extorting innocent people” into “fleecing the state government”. The government must work out effective plans against the possibility of the new enforcers entering into dubious alliance with inherent tax evaders to pay an unrecorded fraction of requisite tax in cash, which will go into the collectors’ pocket, and receive an all-clear exception certification. Indeed, guiding against the unforeseen is no doubt, very important, given the habitual ability of some individuals and groups to device and operate ingenious law manipulating methods.
    Give or take, the coming of the Obaseki administration seems to be bringing better days for the people of the state. From being perceived as Oshiomhole’s third term through the back door, it is fast proving to be an administration with a mind of its own. Even as professional sceptics still exercise reservation from their well-stocked armoury, the populace are beginning to warm up to him as they experience systematic reforms from his policy decisions. They are, thus far, grinning from ear to ear, convinced that better days may have come for both them and the state.

  • Abuse of public trust

    Some Governors who hold state land in trust for fellow citizens, under the Land Use Act, continue to abuse their privileges, despite the clear intention of the law. In Enugu State, some past governors are guilty, and there is concern, whether the present Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, will tow that line, like his predecessors. Indeed, many political actors in that state, have used the much abused allocation of prime state lands to themselves and their cronies, to become stupendously rich.
    Such conducts are clearly an abuse of the constitutional prerogatives of a governor and I appeal to the abusers to stop it. The intention of the Land Use Act, as provided in its section 1, is clear enough, for any conscientious public official. The Act says: “subject to the provision of the Act, all lands comprised in the territory of each state in the federation are hereby vested in the governor of the state and such land shall be held in trust and administered for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians in accordance with the provisions of this Act” (emphasis mine).
    Despite the clear intention of the Act, to create ‘a trustee relationship’, for the benefit of ‘all Nigerians’, the governors, and in many cases, the state officials they delegate the powers to, often use the constitutional license to mainly appropriate prime state lands to themselves and their friends in government. During the regime of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, the iconic Enugu State Zoo, left since the era of Eastern Nigeria, as a wild life park, got converted into a posh estate, and given away at ridiculous prices to mainly state actors.
    And of course the majority of the beneficiaries were members of the state ruling political family, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) many of whom are still in the present government, and may have gained more lands to show for their so-called public service. Without any iota of public shame, some of the commissioners entrusted by the past governors to oversee the state land use and allocation, cornered the process, to acquire for themselves and their patrons obscene quantity of the state lands.
    As predicted here previously; when Governor Nnamani left power, and a fight soon ensured between his faction of the Ebeano political family and that of his successor, Governor Sullivan Chime, some of the obnoxious allocations of state lands were abrogated by the new men in power. Of course there are several other ill-mannered appropriations of state land that took place, during that era, including the land earlier marked out as golf course by the state.
    Not to be outdone in personal aggrandizement, even when they sought to undo some of the ills of their immediate past, the successor-government of Governor Chime, stands accused also of taking over prime lands set out originally by the state for public purpose, and converting same to pseudo-personal purposes, for those in government and their cronies. Under Governor Chime land belonging to an iconic public institution, the Queens College, Enugu, was reportedly appropriated and shared among cronies in ‘exercise of public power’.
    While I was in the state during the Christmas break, a concerned indigene of the state called my attention to an alleged plan by the present government in the state to appropriate a land belonging to a higher institution within the Independence Layout axis of the state, expectedly for similar treatments like under the previous regimes. I hope that information is not correct, considering that Governor Ugwuanyi has declared himself and his government as conscientious, vowing to always act in the best interest of the state.
    If however the allegation is true, considering that Governor Ugwuanyi is still somewhat an offshoot of the Ebeano political family holding sway in Enugu state since 1999, and that many of the original dramatis personae are still hanging around in the corridors of power, are we going to see another round of sharing of public lands, by the very same public officials, charged by law, with holding the state land merely in trust and given the prerogative to administer same for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians?
    Nationally, the Land Use Act has been used for good and for bad. While the act has enabled the governments at little or no cost to acquire land for developments and improvement in the quality of life of many; it has also been dubiously deployed by major political actors to turn themselves and their families into some of the biggest land owners in the country. Many of the public officials by subterfuge, first take up large sparse of public land for agricultural purposes, through acquisition, and then surreptitiously convert same to estates, which they hawk.
    It was such duplicitous style that allowed the former President Goodluck Jonathan and his Minister for Federal Capital Territory, like their predecessors, to insidiously acquire large acres of public land earmarked for public purposes, and call it private farms. Regrettably, the abuse of the Land Use Act dates back to the inception of the law in 1978. Many of the military rednecks who were leaving power in 1979, used the dubious law to acquire community lands for themselves, in the guise of going into farming. There is even the common belief that the much touted Operation Feed the Nation was a subterfuge for such dubious agenda.
    The abuse of public trust has reached such a height in Nigeria that some faith-based organisations are now shamelessly competing with profit-making organisations to break the laws upon which they are set up, under the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). May I say with all sense of propriety that some of our touted men of faith, who registered their religious bodies under CAMA may have serially broken the law, with regards to its provision on Incorporated Trustees, with the way and manner they deal with the resources of the religious bodies?
    Again, despite the hullaballoo about the tenure of office and the cowardly gimmick of the federal government in sacking the executive secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, to appease some gods, there is the general knowledge that it is the custody and proprietary rights over the wealth of the faith-based organisations that is at the root of all the apprehensions and struggles. Yet many of the leading faith organisations have long ceased to differentiate between the resources of the incorporated bodies and that of the private individuals directly in-charge.
    Of course many of them are not aware or choose to ignore the clear provisions of section 686(1) of CAMA, which is part of what the Financial Reporting Code on Corporate Governance, sought to enforce. It provides, with a minor proviso, that: “The income and property of a body or association whose trustee or trustees are incorporated under this PART of this Act shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the body as set forth in its constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus, or otherwise by way of profit to any of the members of the association”.

  • Lagos’ new deal for the entertainment industry

    Lagos has always been Nigeria’s entertainment hub. Most of the nation’s renowned entertainers literarily cut their teeth in Lagos. Many iconic and world famous Nigerian artistes such as late Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, late Fatai Rolling Dollar, Moses Olaiya aka Baba Sala, Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, late Ade Love, Sir Shina Peters, Tu Face, late Dagrin, Olamide to mention but a few developed and fulfilled their show biz potentials through the platform provided by the entertainment friendly Lagos. Music, arts, theatre and all forms of entertainments thrive readily in Lagos basically because of its massive population which helps ensure that every artiste in the city-state has his/her own fan base, as well as immeasurable market to explore.

    Without a doubt, Lagos is endowed with both human and material resources.  From the colonial era till date, Lagos remains Nigeria’s and, indeed, West Africa’s business hub. As Lagos population increases, so is the demand for employment, food and entertainment. Entertainment business got a great boost with the emergence of National Art Theatre, Cinema houses, hotels, bars and other facilities that provide conducive environment for entertainment related activities to flourish. Demand for quality entertainment has always been on steady increase, despite the hustling lifestyle of the typical Lagosian. The profundity of night activities in Lagos clearly reinforces Lagosians’ massive attraction for entertainment. Today, as Nigerians grapple with economic hassles and its attendant diverse complications, entertainment gamely offers great relief for many.

    It is important to highlight the job creation potentials of the entertainment industry. Of late, many have been frustrated by their inability to secure employment from top rated blue chip firms. But it is important to stress that the entertainment sector has now moved from its hitherto recreational status to becoming a huge source of employment. Diverse professionals ranging from fashion designers, lightening and electrical engineers, dancers, voice trainers, make- up artistes, script writers, producers, directors, stage designers and artiste managers among many others are now gainfully employed through the limitless possibilities offered by the sector.

    It is, therefore, not surprising that the Lagos State government is keenly interested in the business of entertainment, considering its numerous benefits.  Since the coming on board of the current administration in Lagos State, the entertainment sector Lagos has received remarkable impetus.

    This is not by any means accidental. The current administration in Lagos has from the outset set to promote entertainment and such related human enterprises through a well thought out programme called T.H.E.S.E. which is an acronym for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sporting Excellence. With the current economic downturns in the country, it is the conviction of the state government that the pursuit of T.H.E.S.E. has become an urgent necessity. In view of the numerous employment potentials of the industry, the pursuit of T.H.E.S.E. by the state government is certainly a shrewd choice.

    To further fully optimize the potentials of the sector in the state, the state government plans to construct an Art Theatre and a Cinema in Igando and also build five new amphitheatres  in Ikorodu, Ikeja, Lagos Mainland, Badagry and Epe in 2017. The main objective is to give greater opportunities to youths that are creatively inclined to fulfil their dreams. Similarly, the state government is prepared to assist uniquely creative talents in the state to access needed fund through the N25 billion Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.  This much was revealed at the Agege centre of the just concluded One Lagos Fiesta by the governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. Speaking, especially to the youths at the event, Ambode said: “I want to encourage you to take opportunity of applying for the Employment Trust Fund. We have fund already established to take care of your expertise. We have earmarked over N6billion and we intend to push N1billion to the entertainment sector. So, it is left for all of you to bring out your best. Whatever it is that you are doing, if you can’t get a white collar job, the ETF is there for you to help promote your talent”.

    In order to further encourage creative artistes and entertainers in the state to up their acts and become more enterprising, Governor Ambode recently hosted artistes that performed at the just concluded One Lagos Fiesta at his office in Alausa, Ikeja. At the event, Governor Ambode unveiled the state’s plans to leverage on the vast economic opportunities in the entertainment, tourism and arts sectors, to grow its Gross Domestic Product, GPD.  The governor said that “creative industry remained a veritable platform to grow the economy and that government would tap into it.” He further revealed that: “The One Lagos Fiesta is a platform put together by our administration to majorly create awareness about the potentials inherent in the entertainment industry, especially in using it to grow the economy and positively develop talents that abound in the country”.

    Ambode further revealed to the artistes that his government remained committed to using the platform of T.H.E.S.E to grow the state’s economy. Part of the plan is to leverage on Lagos massive youth population to promote entertainment.  Statistics has shown that 66 per cent of Lagos population are below the age of 35 and if two-third are of below 35, it means there is an economy in that age bracket that government is not seeing. The One Lagos Fiesta was, therefore, used to test-run how to harness the artistic potentials of youths in the state.

    It will be recalled that in his inaugural address, Governor Ambode promised to run an all-inclusive government where no segment of the society is left behind. This renewed effort to promote the entertainment industry is an integral part of this philosophy. It is hoped that both budding and established entertainers in the state will take full advantage of this new window to further widen their horizon.

     

    • Odumade is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy. Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.