The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Fela’s Grammy Award

    Fela’s Grammy Award

    A worthy recognition for an equally worthy legend

    Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was honoured with the first Lifetime Achievement Award to an African musician at the 68th Grammy Award in Los Angeles, U.S.A.

    Fela died in August 1997, and, for this honour to be given by the Recording Academy of the United States to someone globally admired as the ‘father’ of the now- blossoming and influential Afrobeat Music is profoundly significant, not just for the optics of it but for its socio-historical, economic and political import.

    The Grammys is seen as the most prestigious and important honour in global music and entertainment. Like all awards in different human fields like the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer, the Cain, Booker and Orange awards, amongst others,  the Grammys in no way exclusively validate excellence in music across continents.

    However, this award recognises and honours the multiple achievements of Fela through his ingenious creation and promotion of Afrobeat as a music form.

    Even if it’s coming somewhat late, given that many Grammys were organised during Fela’s lifetime, as the saying goes, ‘it is better late than never’. Yeni, Fela’s daughter, had lamented to Al Jazeera, “But Fela was never nominated (for a Grammy) in his lifetime”.

    But we also recognise the saying: ‘charity begins at home’. Fela was hounded for the political tone of his lyrics by different military administrations and, at some point,  his Kalakuta Republic was destroyed, leading to the death of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, herself a political activist of note.

    No Nigerian government gave Fela a national honour. He was rather imprisoned at different times, the highest being for 20 months.

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    The award spells out, “Lifetime Achievement Award” and no award in the music industry is more befitting of a Fela. No African musician, living or dead, has had the level of impact and lasting influence that a Fela has, even 29 years after. Fela was not just one who mounted the stage and sang. Fela is a legend today because he put his genre of music, Afrobeat on the global entertainment map. He was not just a musician, he in some way displayed a spiritual compulsion to use music as a tool for socio-political re-orientation and awakening.

    Fela was somewhat genetically prepared for his brand of protest music. His mother was one of the heroines that fought for Nigeria’s independence and a foremost feminist that her name resonates till date since the time of the Egba women’s uprising against an authoritarian Alake who the women forced to abdicate in 1949 over unfair taxes and low female representation in governance. She had received numerous honours for her advocacies, including the Lenin Peace Prize and Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

    Born to such an activist woman, studying music in the United Kingdom was a pathway to horning Fela’s intrinsic creative talent that prepared him to equally follow in her mother’s footsteps. Fela was a master satirist who created his own form of Afrocentric beats today known as Afrobeat. In his words, it is a ‘fusion of Apala, funk, jazz, highlife, salsa, calypso and traditional Yoruba music’. Interestingly, receiving the Grammys in Los Angeles seems a form of positive coincidence given that in 1969, Fela had in his 10 months sojourn in Los Angeles, discovered the ‘Black Power Movement’ through Sandra Smith.

    Returning to Nigeria in 1970, Fela’s Afrocentricism took more root through his music. He founded the Africa ’70 band and the Kalakuta Republic, a recording studio that morphed into a home for his band, family, fans and admirers.

    He went on to set up a night club first named Afro Spot and later the African Shrine – a name the place bears till date. His brand of music was uniquely a social tool that addressed colonialism, imperialism, religious bigotry/hypocrisy, oppression/corruption by the ruling class.  He was particularly vocal against bad government in a post-colonial Nigeria, especially the post-colonial military governments that were very authoritarian.

    Fela used music to address political intransigence and the indolence of the led. It was not surprising then that his music was extremely popular and timeless. He was a master lyricist and multi-talented instrumentalist. He was almost synonymous with the saxophone, an instrument he played with admirable dexterity.

    He was very confident and believed that Africans must take their pride of place in the world. He renamed his band Egypt’80 Band in his effort to reinstate the historical place of Egypt as the cradle of civilisation against western skewed narrative to the contrary. His brand of Afrobeat took him across continents and he gained popularity for his brand.

    The Grammys’ recognition of Fela’s lifetime achievements is a valid stamp on his admirable legacy.

    The irony is that today, the entertainment soft power is no longer exclusive to Rap, R’nd B, Rock and other forms of music. Young Nigerian and other African musicians have taken the world by storm through Afrobeats.

    Today, Burner Boy, Wizkid of Nigeria and Ayra Starr of South Africa are Grammy winners for their brand of Afrobeats. Davido, Rema , Fireboy, Omah Lay, Tems, Asake and others are making waves globally with their unique brands of Afrobeat. Their messages through very poetic lyrics are all pointers to the ingenuity of Fela.

    To think that many of the Afrobeat musicians were either toddlers or not even born when Fela was alive is the most eloquent testimony to his achievement as a musician who used his craft to do what music ought to do; in the words of another legend, Bob Marley, “Music is the only instrument that hits you and you feel no pain”.

    Fela entertained, advocated, informed, educated and inspired through his music. He gave the world a rich gift of what music can do to humanity. A universal language which even though most of Fela’s music were rendered in the Nigerian Pidgin English, his messages resonated with fans across continents.

    The Grammys’  “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Fela must inspire an introspection from Nigerian governments and the arts community. At home, he has not got the honours he deserves, given his contributions. The hypocrisy of mainly looking at his chosen lifestyle as a basis of moral high ground to judge him is so puerile it tells the world a different story.

    Has Lagos State adequately honoured the legend? What if there is a huge investment in the Africa Shrine as a tourist site? What has the Federal Government done to honour such an icon? What has Ogun State done to honour the memory of their gift to the entertainment world? How much have they ‘owned’ him?

    Fela’s post-humous Grammy should be a lesson to all his musical protégés. He has shown that good music must be deliberate, well-articulated, purposeful and everlasting. It is not enough to enter a studio and sing; Fela’s every syllable spoke to real issues that affect lives. He did not sing for accolades or awards, he just used his talent to contribute to humanity. His award almost three decades after his death shows that he sang and the word listened and took note. Good musicians let their works immortalise them. Fela bought immortality with his art. May his protégés take note. That is the honour he deserves beyond any academy awards. He was a humanist that the world will never forget.

  • Lewis Obi (1948 – 2026)

    Lewis Obi (1948 – 2026)

    •Distinguished editor, columnist, writer

    Lewis Obi did not belong to the tribe of glamour editors the nation has known. He was not a man of sartorial charisma or highflying rhetoric or commanding presence. But he was no less a professional virtuoso.

    He died at 77 not in the days of his prime. But the story of Nigerian journalism cannot be written without the contribution of Obi, as feature writer, columnist and editor. He is best known and appreciated as both editor and columnist.

    He was the founding editor of ‘The African Concord’ magazine, one of the publications of the Concord Group owned by Chief Moshood Abiola, the billionaire and philanthropist, and adjudged winner of the 1993 presidential election.

    The magazine, for its first few years, was not distinguished. An editor cannot function without a great vision and stellar journalists to pursue his quest. He did exactly that. He embarked on perhaps one of the most consequential drives for talent. He brought together a collection of young men who were bubbling with gusto for the trade, some of them had their first journalism jobs under him.

    They included Kunle Solaja, Ohi Alegbe, Babafemi Ojudu, Femi Macaulay, Kunle Ajibade, Dele Momodu, Seye Kehinde, Sam Omatseye, Dapo Olorunyomi. His deputy editor was Bayo Onanuga. Other competent people within the Concord stable included Okey Ifionu and Victor Omuabor. Obi turned into a one-man clearing house of talents.

    The magazine suddenly improved in style, voice and investigative content. It became, under Obi, a publication of influence and an unlikely source of irritation for the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida. The military was in the throes of its transition programme that ultimately exploded in the June 12 imbroglio. But the magazine tracked the personalities, laws, hypocrisies, rigmarole and serpentine decoys.

    The new crop of writers, under Obi, blossomed because he was not a suffocating boss. Rather, individual voices were allowed to sway and play, and that showed in about a year after all the stars assembled in one newsroom. ‘African Concord’ became the top selling magazine in the country and the most influential.

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    Onanuga became the editor and Obi was made editor-in-chief. The magazine was not only an audacious political content, but in every area, including the arts and books. Obi’s style allowed free debate, and the atmosphere he nurtured fertilised ideas readers enjoyed.

    As a columnist, his style was simple, elegant and accessible, but he did not write with angry metaphors or epithet. His subtlety packed a punch and his insight stood its poise against any writer in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, leading up to the June 12 saga.

    The magazine became too defiant to the junta and it was shut down. That ended the song of one of Nigeria’s great publications because it saw the exit and exodus of its glorious talents.

    All the names who grew under him were never bullied or pampered, but they retain a quiet gratitude for a man who shied away from public spotlight.

    He also belonged to a generation of journalists who did not have to use the gizmos and gadgets of today, and worked the way a yeoman does. He was also one of those who had to flee the country in the days of persecution under General Abacha.

    Obi graduated in mass communication from the University of Lagos, and was one of the top students. Obi always credited working under the great Dele Giwa as a valuable part of his career.

    He grew, of course, into his own as one who did not need to be called an icon to be one.

  • Adekunle Ojora (1932 – 2026)

    Adekunle Ojora (1932 – 2026)

    •A great industrialist and boardroom giant

    His longevity was accompanied by enduring business success. Otunba Adekunle Ojora, who passed on January 28 at age 93, left a lasting mark across Nigeria’s corporate landscape as a boardroom titan, investor and industrialist.

    Remarkably, he began his career in journalism before venturing into the business world. After studying journalism at Regent Street Polytechnic, London, he had a distinguished stint at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where he rose to the position of assistant editor.

    He joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) as a reporter in 1955, and was subsequently posted to Ibadan as an information officer in the office of the Regional Premier.

    His move to the United Africa Company (UAC) as public relations manager in 1961 catalysed his transition into the commercial sector.  He rose rapidly within the organisation, becoming an Executive Director of UAC by 1962.

    He further broadened his leadership scope in 1966 through his nomination to the Lagos City Council, gaining vital experience in grassroots governance. By 1967, his proven competence led to appointments in two government agencies.

    In that same year, he was appointed Managing Director of Wemabod Estates Limited, a major regional property and investment firm. Simultaneously, he assumed the chairmanship of the Nigerian National Shipping Line, marking his entry into the highest echelons of national corporate leadership.

    He later became an investor in various firms, including AGIP petroleum marketing, and technology company NCR Nigeria. He was notably chairman of the board of AGIP Nigeria Limited from 1971 until it was acquired by Unipetrol in 2002.   He also founded the private firms Nigerlink Industries, Unital Builders, and a holding company, Lagos Investments.

    The introduction of the Nigerian Enterprise Promotion Act led to his expansion as an investor. He acquired equity interest in some foreign companies operating in Nigeria, including Bowring Group, Inchcape, Schlumberger, Phoenix Assurance, UTC Nigeria, Evans Brothers and Seven-Up.

    The range of his investments included oil and gas, food, insurance, office equipment, pharmaceuticals, real estate, ICT and financial sectors in Nigeria and abroad.

    As a giant boardroom player, his activities extended to his advanced years. For instance, at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of Evans Brothers (Nigeria Publishers) Limited in Ibadan, Oyo State, in 2016, Ojora, who was then 84 and board chairman, noted that despite Nigeria’s large population, the publishing industry was still struggling to remain profitable in the face of overwhelming challenges, including piracy.

    Also, in 2017, when Insurance Brokers of Nigeria (IBN), a major insurance broking and risk advisory firm, unveiled a new brand identity in its 62nd year, Ojora, who was its chairman, observed that “one thing that has never changed is our commitment.”

    A member of the Ojora and Adele royal families of Lagos, he was a prince who nearly became king. He lost the succession battle for traditional rulership that followed the death of Oba of Lagos Adeyinka Oyekan in 2003.

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    He was a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Institute of Directors (UK), and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. These decorations illustrated his professional achievements. He received an honorary doctorate from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, USA, in 1992.

    He was a recipient of both the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), which he received in 1982, and the even higher rank of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). These Nigerian honours signified recognition of his laudable national service.

    He also held the traditional titles of Otunba of Lagos and Lisa of Ife.

    President Bola Tinubu, in a posthumous tribute, noted his “significant contributions to both the private and public sectors, particularly his role in advising governments – national and subnational – on best practices for safeguarding the future of institutions.”

    Interestingly, he maintained a deliberate distance from party politics. “I will never go into politics,” he declared in a 1990 interview. Instead, he chose to focus on boardroom politics, and corporate governance.

    His exit reignited a broader discourse on the role of personal wealth within the social fabric. For a man of such immense resources, his legacy invites reflection on how private success can—and should—interact with the public good.

  • Breakthrough

    Breakthrough

    • Kudos to three professors for first Nigerian robotic surgery

    It is a breakthrough for Nigeria and West Africa, but it is a bang without a noise. Led by a Nigerian gynaecologist, Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a robotic surgery gave a 30-year-old Nigerian woman a new lease of life.

    The team with two consultant gynaecologists, Professor Yusuf Oshodi and Professor Olaolu Aladade, removed two large ovarian tumours from the unnamed woman.

    Prof. Ekwueme first introduced the robot used for the procedure last year. The exercise was a cutting-edge onslaught away from the familiar open surgery with its complications.

    “Following our tradition of leading innovation in Nigeria and West Africa, we introduced the first surgical robot in the sub-region last year,” he said. “After focusing on men’s health and male-specific conditions, we are now transitioning fully into women’s surgeries. Today, we are proud to say that we have performed the first robotic gynaecological surgery in West Africa.”

    The woman had an ovarian tumour that caused pain, discomfort, and inability to live a normal life, Ekwueme explained. “With robotic surgery, we removed the tumours. She will go home today and return to work tomorrow.”

    “What people are used to is open surgery, where a patient may stay in hospital before surgery, spend five to seven days after surgery, and then require weeks of recovery at home,” Ekwueme said. “With robotic surgery, once vital signs are stable, within six hours the patient can eat and go home. Within 24 hours, she can return to normal daily activities.” Describing it as a “game-changer”, he said it saves women from suffering from gynaecological conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian tumours, uterine cancer, and selected cases of ectopic pregnancy.

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    “She is a 30-year-old woman who still intends to have children,” Oshodi said. “The tumour is benign, and the precision of robotic surgery allows us to remove only the affected tissue without compromising her fertility or damaging adjacent structures”, said Oshodi, a consultant gynaecologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    According to Oshodi, this level of precision is critical in gynaecological surgery, where damage to surrounding organs can have lifelong consequences. “Many Nigerian women suffer silently from fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian tumours, and abnormal menstrual bleeding,” he said. “Fibroids are particularly common—affecting up to 70 per cent of women in some communities—although only about 10 to 20 per cent develop significant symptoms.”

    “Robotic and minimally invasive surgery offers us the opportunity to intervene early, treat precisely, preserve reproductive capacity, and allow women to return quickly to their normal lives,” he added.

    “With open surgery, you have more complications, longer recovery times, and potential reproductive issues,” he said. “With robotic surgery, patients recover faster, spend fewer days in hospital, return to work sooner, and experience better psychological outcomes. In advanced health systems, this is already standard practice. Seeing it firmly established in Nigeria is deeply encouraging,” said Aladade who is based in the United Kingdom.

    Aladade’s involvement shows how medical surgeries can be done in real time with a team comprising a doctor outside our shores. A lot has been said about our inadequate medical facilities. This gives a cheering comfort against the backdrop of the sad news about medical snafus recently like the deaths of the son of writer Chimamanda Adichie and a young woman Ifunaya Nwangene from snakebite.

    TPC has partnered with the Imo State Government to establish Nigeria’s first dedicated robotic surgery centre, currently under construction.

    The initiative, he said, is designed to drive innovation, research, and training, while reducing the country’s heavy reliance on overseas medical care.

    “This revolution has just started,” Ekwueme said. “When governments have the vision and will to form these kinds of partnerships, citizens benefit. It will drive innovation, create research opportunities, and help stem brain drain.”

    It is significant that TPC operated the woman at no cost as part of its corporate social responsibility. It is medicine with a conscience.

  • Reward on earth

    Reward on earth

    • 12 teachers receive prize for outstanding work

    Teachers are known for their work in moulding lives of young ones and building intellect. Last week, the Federal Government identified two educators from each of the six geo- political zones who were said to be dedicated to the task of lifting up the leaders of tomorrow.

    Each of the awardees was given N25 million, while the overall winner, Mr. Francis Taiwo Solanke, beamed with smiles as he was handed N50 million cheque, a two-bedroom apartment and a car.

    At the summit where the distinguished teachers were rewarded, the Federal Government insisted that teachers deserve much more than they have been given over the years and the present administration is determined to change the story.

    This is a good step as teachers shape development. Over the years, they have been relegated to the background in the country. This should be seen as a first step, others must follow immediately if teachers are to be motivated to offer their best to their students.

    In addition to such awards that should be more periodical and by the various tiers of government, there is the need to radically improve on the teaching environment. There are still states where pupils are taught under trees or given permission to stay away whenever it threatens to rain as the roofs leak badly. In others, there could be only two or three teachers in a whole school.

    When students and parents see that the condition and environment of service has improved, their respect for teachers would increase.

    In the order of professions in the country today, teachers occupy the shop floor, and this is unacceptable. This is responsible for the reluctance of students to look forward to joining the ranks, and most of those who enlist in the ranks today are those who are unable to secure other employments.

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    The least that should apply to teachers should be the conditions of service for other public servants. While Grade Level 17 officers in the civil service are accorded special treatment such as official cars and access to housing loans, this is not extended to those on the same level in the schools. While they are dubbed directors of education, many are still in the classrooms and staff rooms that are overcrowded, with no air-conditioning or befitting desks and chairs. This makes parents treat them disdainfully and thus, it affects their morale.

    It is good that some state governments supported this Federal Government initiative. Kebbi, Borno and Ogun states stood up to be counted in rewarding the overall winner. They should take a step further by ensuring that teachers in their states are accorded the pride of place that they deserve. Parents and corporate bodies should be encouraged to support the government as the task of nation- building is for all.

    The lawmakers at the federal and state levels that have the power of appropriation should budget sufficiently to improve on the state of the schools, laboratories, classrooms, staff rooms and offices, as well as libraries, with a view to improving on the general quality of education in public schools in the country. When this is done, the alarming rate at which Nigerian teachers drop the chalk and quit the schools for the industry or flee the country would be halted.

    There was a time when the Nigerian teacher was well respected, it is time to return to the era in the interest of our children, the teachers and the nation.

    Meanwhile, we congratulate the lucky 12 . This gesture should be extended to others.

  • Dubious advocacy

    Dubious advocacy

    Sachet alcohol lobby prioritises profit over public health

    Distillers joined forces with food and beverages industry workers last week to resist the ban by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and  Control (NAFDAC) on alcohol in sachets and PET bottles less than 200ml in size. NAFDAC commenced enforcement of the ban on January 21, this year, after a five-year grace period allowed producers to phase out those packagings.

    Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) led a civil society coalition,  including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and workers from various food and beverages firms, to stage a protest at the Lagos office of NAFDAC, arguing that the decision to ban small size container alcohol would cripple  investments and lead to job losses. They urged NAFDAC to reconsider its ban in the interest of the economy and local investors.

    The protesters, who converged on the regulatory agency’s office as early as 8:30a.m., held aloft placards with various inscriptions as they warned of unsavoury consequence of the ban on Nigerians whose means of livelihood is connected with the sector. Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: ‘Local manufacturers deserve protection, not frustration’, ‘Stop destroying local manufacturers’, ‘N2trillion investment deserves protection’, ‘5.5million Nigerians cannot be pushed to the streets’ and ‘Renewed Hope Agenda must work for all Nigerians’.

    Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (AFBTE) Senior Staff Association is a union affiliated with TUC. Its Executive Secretary, Solomon Adebosin, told journalists that the protest was necessitated by NAFDAC’s decision to enforce the ban despite an advice by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation that all measures related to the policy be suspended pending the outcome of further consultations and final directive.

    A week earlier, NAFDAC announced that it had begun enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of the products across the country.

    “At this period of our economy, throwing over five million people out of their jobs and putting at least  N3 trillion investment at risk will not augur well for our country. We appreciate our President for his various proactive measures to strengthen the economy. Killing local investments and throwing people out of jobs will definitely frustrate his commitment to boost the economy,” Adebosin said.

    He argued that the ban on sachet alcohol seemed targeted at indigenous producers, as they are the most affected by this policy. “Unfortunately, this will have multiple negative effects on the economy as all the people engaged in the value chain of sales and production would be affected.” he stated.

    Other lobbyists for retention of alcohol in sachets and mini PET bottles plied similar narratives. Among them, a representative of a civil society coalition claiming to protect consumer rights, Declan Ihekaire, who argued that the ban would worsen economic hardship because millions of Nigerians are employed across the value chain of sachet alcohol production, distribution, and sales. He accused government of using regulatory agencies to impose policies that disadvantage low-income earners, saying: “Millions of Nigerians have decided to go low-key by consuming those products because of their income level. It’s not everybody that is rich enough to afford… big drinks. So when you now say we shouldn’t take such a drink, it’s as good as saying don’t take sachet water but only take bottled water.”

    The lobbyists argued that regulatory action should focus on moderation and enforcement rather than product prohibition. They even canvassed sachet and small-size PET bottles as being in themselves supportive of moderate consumption, “because when you just have it in bits, you take it and then you are okay; you are not compelled to take more than is necessary.”

    They advised control of access to the products rather than a ban on the product lines. Adebosin, for instance, urged NAFDAC and other relevant authorities to explore alternative regulatory measures such as stricter age enforcement, improved labelling, controlled distribution channels and sustained public education, rather than an outright ban.

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    But NAFDAC’s enforcement of the ban is a culmination of many years of back-and-forth between the agency and the alcohol industry over implementation. The industry operators had, in December 2018, signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health and NAFDAC to phase out the controversial product lines by January 31, 2024. At the expiration of the deadline, a further extension was given to enable members adequately prepare for the ban.

    The lobby also misses the point of the public health factor involved in availability of sachet alcohol. NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the products were being banned mainly because they were being consumed by young school children as they could easily be concealed.

    In an interview on national television, she explained: “AFBTE, the association of food and beverage group, and DIBAN, the distillers’ association, went to the ministry of health in 2018 to complain that we’re planning to ban the use or stop registration of alcohol in sachets, and we had several meetings. At the end of it all, there was a document that was generated, and an agreement that was signed by AFBTE and DIBAN that we should consider that they have machinery and people in the industry producing these alcoholic beverages in sachets and less than 200ml bottles, that we should give them time.”

    According to her, the producers signed an agreement for a five-year phase-out in 2018, that by the end of January 2024, they would not produce sachet alcohol again, and that they should have slowly phased out the product lines during the given time.

    Adeyeye said the Federal Ministry of Trade and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) were co-signers of the agreement, and that NAFDAC was just implementing the agreement, not that it wants businesses to fail. Asked why NAFDAC seeks to take out alcoholic beverages in sachets, she said: “Children in primary schools and secondary schools are drinking alcohol in sachets or less than 200ml pet bottles. Beer has four to eight percent alcohol. The alcohol content in this sachet is 30 percent – six to seven times the amount of alcohol in beer. We did not ban alcohol in bigger containers, we are not against trade. We are banning alcohol as implementing agency under ministry of health in conjunction with ministry of trade. We are banning alcohol in sachets and pet bottles less than 200ml because these packages can be easily concealed.”

    Speaking on dangers of the products in question, the NAFDAC boss said: “It is harmful because it can be easily concealed. You can imagine your child, a primary school child, concealing the sachet in his pocket. I was talking with a principal two days ago, and she said that they normally seize those sachet packages with alcohol inside them from children, that sometimes, a child may consume up to seven during the day, during school hours.” Commercial transporters are also known to abuse sachet alcohol, such that they constitute danger to other road users.

    According to Adeyeye, it has been documented by international agencies that children who start drinking alcohol at a young age will very likely abuse substances, and that alcohol can cause over two hundred types of diseases. “We gave five-year notice. If an association did not disseminate that information to the groups in their association, then that’s a problem. We gave five-year notice: please phase these out because our children will have liver cirrhosis, because our children, by the time they get to twenty-something, they may be having cancers. Which one do we want? We want children to die, or we want money?”

    We totally align with the case made by the NAFDAC D-G, because the lobbyists now protesting the ban implementation had all the time in the world to rework their machinery in line with approved packaging, and away from the packaging that is hazardous to public health. The arguments they have plied for their lobby amount to scare mongering and emotional blackmailing. You do not allow dangerous items like guns to freely circulate simply because producers of those items could be thrown out of business, do you?

    We urge NAFDAC to stay course in placing public health above profit motives and not be fazed by scaremongers.

  • Shell’s bold moves

    Shell’s bold moves

    • Proposed investment of $20bn is proof of the company’s confidence in the economy

    One inevitable takeaway from the visit by Shell Plc’s team to President Bola Tinubu last Thursday is the acknowledgment of how much the climate for investment has changed for the better, and with it the noticeable surge in investor confidence in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

    Chief executive, Wael Sawan, who led the Shell Plc’s team had told President Tinubu during the parley: “We have really been in a space where we are very keen to invest in Nigeria. But I would say this has not always been the case. Your leadership and your vision have created an investment climate over the last few years that, I will be very honest with you, propelled us to invest, in particular, also as we compare to other investments around the world”.

    The high point of the parley of course was its deepened interest in Block OML 118, the Bonga Block.

    “Total Energies was selling, so we bought it because we want to deepen further. But that, we think, is not enough. We think there is more to invest here, and we understand the vision that you have for the country. And so we are indeed working on a project, Bonga Southwest, that could, if we reach a Final Investment Decision (FID) stage, see us, with our partners, invest around $20 billion in foreign direct investment, half of which will be capital. The other half will be the operating expenses and the like that will come into the country,” he said of the acquisition.

    Bayo Ojulari, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Group Managing Director corroborated this when he noted, also at the occasion, that the company had actually completed the divestment of its onshore joint venture assets to Renaissance, a move he said reinforced Nigeria’s credibility with global investors. According to him, Shell, following that divestment, had approved a $5 billion final investment decision for the Bonga North development and a further $2 billion for shallow-water gas projects.

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    “Overall, since Mr President announced incentives, Shell alone has invested over $7 billion,” he said.

    He also touched on what this means for the country: “When we talk about these big numbers, we need to clarify what they mean: more jobs from construction and opportunities for Nigerians to participate,” he said.

    “Most of our fabrication yards, closed for years due to a lack of projects, will come back to life”, he also added. He reckons that the project, beyond the construction phase, would generate employment over the course of the next 20 to 25 years, spanning the field’s production life, with sustained demand for local suppliers, manpower, and maintenance services.

    Both the Federal Government and Shell deserve commendation for moving things up to this point. What it signifies is that the various initiatives of government to improve climate of operations in the oil and gas sector have not gone unnoticed, but have actually begun to bear concrete proofs. Surely, both the Tinubu administration and Shell have good reasons to be upbeat about the project’s promises in terms of what it bodes for wealth and job creation, and skills transfers.

    Yet, we consider any form of celebration at this stage premature. Indeed, there are still many phases as there are countless hurdles to cross before the final investment decision. As it is, Nigerians cannot wait to see the promises take shape in terms of the number of local contractors handed jobs that fall within their remit, the number of young Nigerians trained in the course of delivering the project, and the overall impact on the lives and the livelihoods of the communities which abut the project.

    Still, the other part which equally bears stating, now that the revamped climate of operation has been acknowledged, is the need for multinationals like Shell to do their utmost best to foster communal peace if only to make the atmosphere sustainable. Given our experiences, particularly in this area, it seems the least the company could do, going forward.

  • Industry-ready graduates

    Industry-ready graduates

    • Government’s new policy in this direction should turn things around   

    “We have adopted a policy that ensures our polytechnic graduates are industry-ready, innovative problem-solvers capable of driving national development,” Minister of Education Dr Maruf Alausa stated at a retreat for governing council chairmen, education commissioners, rectors, registrars, and bursars in Abuja.

    The gathering focused on “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development.” It was organised by the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COHEADS).

    Alausa said polytechnics are “the crucibles where innovation meets practicality, where skills forge economic resilience, and where sustainable development becomes a lived reality.” He urged polytechnic administrators to prioritise entrepreneurship and research to “foster entrepreneurship centres, research hubs, and industry partnerships that turn ideas into prototypes, inventions into enterprises, which will graduate into job creators.”

    This is a commendable policy move that is long overdue. It recognises that national development is impossible without a skilled technical workforce. The lack of this alignment has contributed to high youth unemployment despite the thousands of students graduating every year.

    For decades, there has been a significant gap between what students learn in the classroom and what the labour market actually requires. Historically, polytechnic education was criticised for being too theoretical.

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    By focusing on “industry-ready” graduates, the policy shifts the curriculum toward Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This ensures that when students graduate, they don’t need two years of additional training to handle modern industrial machinery or software.

    Also, a policy that focuses on innovation and good governance helps elevate the prestige of polytechnics, proving that their graduates are not “secondary” but are actually the “engine room” of national development.

    Indeed, Nigeria’s movement toward a more diversified economy requires problem-solvers to fix infrastructure, innovators to drive the tech and manufacturing sectors, and entrepreneurs who can create jobs rather than just seeking them.

    The participation of rectors, registrars, and bursars in the retreat demonstrates the government’s focus on tackling the “sustainability” challenge. In the past, good policies failed because the people managing the money (bursars) or the administration (registrars) weren’t aligned with the academic goals.

    Notably, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, highlighted an important aspect in his opening remarks. He said: “We have only 153 technical colleges as against over 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria today,” adding, “We were really struggling to survive in this very unfriendly system.”

    In most developed economies, the ratio of technical education to general education is much higher. By having 100 times more secondary schools than technical colleges, Nigeria effectively created a “pipeline” that leads toward white-collar degrees rather than the technical skills needed for industrialisation. The figures suggest that technical education has likely been underfunded or overlooked in favour of traditional academic routes.

    Bugaje observed that despite its relevance, technical education suffered neglect after the country’s independence, particularly following the civil war, as universities received greater priority. He called for a renewed commitment to strengthening polytechnic and technical education in Nigeria, saying the situation has changed in the last two years, mainly due to reforms initiated by the current Minister of Education.

    The minister’s reference to “industry-ready” graduates means the policy is essentially trying to rehabilitate the secondary school stages of the country’s 6-3-3-4 education formula. The Junior Secondary level was supposed to be a “testing ground” where students were exposed to introductory technology and vocational crafts. Based on their performance, they would be “streamed” into either academic or technical senior secondary schools.

    However, the reality is that with only 153 technical colleges versus 15,000 regular schools, the “streaming” process became a one-way street toward academic subjects. The vocational side was effectively abandoned. This is the crux of the matter.

    The solution lies in integrating more practical work into the Junior Secondary level so interests are discovered early, while simultaneously closing the infrastructure gap between the 153 technical colleges and 15,000 regular schools.

  • A quantum leap

    A quantum leap

    NASS should expedite action on Tinubu’s proposed bill to increase Court of Appeal justices from 70 to 110

    Last week, President Bola Tinubu sent a bill to the Senate seeking an amendment to the Court of Appeal Act, 2004, to increase the number of the Justices of Court of Appeal to 110. In the accompanying letter, the president said “The bill seeks to increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, and provide clarification of judicial structure and seniority.”

    The move came barely two years after the president appointed the full complement of 21 Justices of the Supreme Court, for the first time, under the 1999 constitution (as amended).

    He said the bill also “provides for the conduct of proceedings of the Court of Appeal through electronic and audio means, and the establishment of an…Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre within the Court of Appeal, where appellate matters may be referred for settlement.”

    Furthermore, “The bill also seeks to update terminology and definitions within the principal act, including the recognition of virtual hearings and modern correctional nomenclature.”

    The bill will “consolidate interpretative provisions to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with the current legal and institutional framework.”

    We consider the proposed bill very timely, more so as the Tinubu administration pushes forward its plan for a $1 trillion economy. No doubt, as the national economy grows, business disputes will also arise, and the duration for litigating disputes will further elongate.

    Again, with Nigeria’s population burgeoning, inter-personal disputes would also increase, and the number of justices of the appeal court needs to grow, to match the new population.

    With the projection that Nigeria would become the third most populous country by 2050, the proposal for new justices makes sense.  

    We also note that the number of years spent to hear and determine appeal cases are quite long, sometimes as long as 10 years or more. Of note, some states do not have Court of Appeal within their jurisdiction, while those that have are overburdened.

    In some jurisdictions which serve more than one state, the courts do not sit, sometimes for years, because there are no justices to form a quorum. The Court of Appeal serving heavy commercial areas are usually overworked, and when the drag gets too burdensome, justices are drafted from other jurisdictions to treat cases pending for long period of time.

    Generally, we do not think that cases should spend more than five years from the high courts to the Supreme Court. The idea of front-loading documents at the high courts is to reduce the time needed to deal with any dispute. At the appellate courts, which deal essentially with documentary evidence, the delay associated with appeal cases should only be determined by the availability of justices. If the documents are fully filed, it should take less than a year for the appeal case to be dispensed with.

    The current instances where cases are adjourned to two years or even more, is unacceptable. In many instances, the original litigants die before a case is dispensed with. Where for some reason the appellate court directs that the matter should be returned to the high court for retrial, such cases may last for three decades. In such cases, the witnesses may have died, and where they are alive, may have forgotten the facts as happened in the cases.

    We earnestly look forward to a reversal of these trends in our appellate courts.   

    Another interesting aspect of the proposed bill is the provision for ADR mechanism. That innovation is quite commendable, as it would help decongest the court dockets. ADR provides opportunity for parties to resolve their dispute by themselves, in a way that every party wins something. A court-integrated ADR, which has become common in many jurisdictions across the world, would add practical alternatives in the dispensation of justice.

    The advantages of ADR are enormous, and, with the benefit of hindsight, after passing through lower courts, parties may grab mediation with enthusiasm.

    The other great innovation in the bill is the introduction of virtual hearing which would enable practitioners to deal with their cases from any part of the world. A situation where parties can file their cases electronically and have their lawyers argue their cases virtually would reduce the time and cost for litigants.

    Of course, the ease of doing business includes the ease of getting cases dispensed with by the courts. When an investor is conducting due diligence on where to invest, the judicial system of every potential investment haven is scrutinised.

    So, when the judicial system is strengthened, it adds value to the economic potential of the country, as a country of choice for investors. Since disputes are inevitable in the business world, the efficiency of the courts are important for a nation determined to increase its economic potential. The Court of Appeal which stands between the Federal High Courts, the state high courts and other specialised courts and the Supreme Court, requires all that it can get to be effective and efficient.

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    It needs to be noted that many cases stop at the Court of Appeal, which is more accessible than the Supreme Court. There are also cases which terminate statutorily at the Court of Appeal. They include election petition cases as concern the legislators. Also, there are cases which require the leave of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court before they can be appealed on, from the Court of Appeal. That further explains why the number of the Justices of the Court of Appeal needs to be further increased.

    We hope that plans are also afoot to provide for the welfare of the justices to be appointed. Such matters as to their residence, mobility and office facilities must be made ready while the legislators are working on the bill to increase their numbers.

    Those facilities should be ready before the appointments are made. When the newly appointed justices have to find answers to their needs, they may get help from dangerous quarters, and such relationship may haunt their performance later.

    The duty of a justice of any court is very demanding. It also exposes them to temptation. In choosing those to be elevated, when the amendment is completed, the National Judicial Council must bear in mind the challenges associated with the office of a justice of a court.

    To be elevated to a higher court, the candidates must have good health, show competence and have no propensity for corrupt enrichment. Those who have the responsibility to appoint the justices must have the larger interest of the nation in mind, while dispensing that responsibility.

    The Tinubu administration has shown determination to recalibrate the nation’s judicial system; we commend that effort. In 2023, it appointed 11 Justices to the Supreme Court, to ensure the full complement of the court. The administration has also increased the remuneration and improved the general welfare of judges. It now seeks to increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal to reduce pressure on the appellate justice system nationwide, reduce delays, strengthen access to justice and reinforce public confidence in the judiciary.

    We urge the National Assembly to give immediate and thorough attention to the proposed bill.

  • A promise kept

    A promise kept

    • Still, to strengthen the power sector, GenCos should enjoy a more market-structured payment system

    In what could prove a systemic boost to the power sector – and a lift for the economy and sundry socio-economic prospects from constant electricity – the Tinubu administration just posted a bond to offset the arrears of debts owed the power generating companies (GenCos).

    It is the 100% subscription of an inaugural tranche, of a power sector bond, to pay GenCos rocking under heavy debt: some of it for power supplied as far back as 2015! This intervention is highly welcome.  It is also highly laudable.  Sometime last year, power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, echoing a presidential promise, had pledged to clear a substantial part of the debt.  This, therefore, is a promise kept – bravo – but just as well!

    The bond – which just hauled in N501 billion – is courtesy the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme (PPSDRP).  It was drawn from banks, pension funds, asset managers and sundry investors.  Though the bond is just enough to offset half of the legacy GenCo bill, the payment should add fillip to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to further drive this all-important spark of the economy.  Electricity makes a difference between the sparkling day against the stark economic night.

    A further breakdown shows that the tranche comprises N300 billion, raised from the capital market.  Added is a further N201 billion in bonds, given to partner GenCos: making a total of N501 billion, in new liquidity.  The payments would be made for electricity received, and duly verified, between February 2015 and March 2025 – a 10-year period.

    Again, this is smart public debt tackling a grave public emergency.  It thus bypasses possible budgetary votes, which may take eons to accumulate, given the government’s not-so-bright revenue profile, even as new debts pile up.  How could the power sector have survived such a crushing debt burden?  That again toasts the creativity of the innovation.

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    Prior to posting the bond, the GenCos had agreed on settlement claims with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), under the aegis of negotiated settlements.  The final settlements stand at N827.16 billion.  The agreed phases of payment are four instalments.  But the bond will only pay two of the four: N421.42 billion, from the owed N827.16 billion.  By the terms of the deal, payment would be made by cash and notes.  The benefiting GenCos are: First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Mabon Power Limited (MPL), Geregu Power Plc (GP) and Ibom Power Company Limited (IPC).  These GenCos run 14 power plants nationwide.

    Though the bond only defrays 50% of certified debts – suggesting some follow-up tranches – the prospects to settle long-term debts are exciting top industry players.

    “Capital formation can only come when there is confidence, when you can truly see a line of sight in recovering investments previously made,” Kola Adesina, Group CEO of the Sahara Power Group, which runs five power plants, told ‘Premium Times’. “Because we are being owed so much, it was a bit of a problem for us to put in more money.”  That shows bright prospects of further investments on the power front.  He hinted the Sahara Group would proceed on a Phase 2 upgrade of its Egbin Plant.  For now, things appear looking up on the power horizon.  That’s good news for the economy.

    On his campaign stump, President Bola Tinubu had committed the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sorting out the power mess.  How far the administration has gone on that lane is still a subject of public debate.  But that the government is going for the jugular, by bolstering the weak payment infrastructure of the sector, is a thing to cheer.

    Still, inasmuch as all these deserve praise, they would mean little if they did not open the gate for a new era of a more structured, far more predictable, far less shambolic and much more sustainable payment system.  Only a routine seller-buyer prompt payment can ensure that.  So, the present bond arrangement should push towards that predictable threshold.  Otherwise, in the long run, it might all end a wasted effort.

    Besides, the Federal Government cannot seriously pull this off without, once and for all, taking care of the prodigal son at the base of the power chain: the power distribution companies (DisCos) and their state variants.  Unless and until DisCos are made to meter everyone, and not to play hanky-panky with “installation costs” – a euphemism for wilful sabotage by an over-pampered corporate child – prompt selling and buying can’t be routine in the power market.

    Indeed, were the Federal Government itself not to have some minority stakes in some GenCos, many of them would probably have been history.  If the primary power producers are not sure of their revenue, how can we even dream of constant electricity?

    It’s a good restart, this bond initiative.  But the power market must eventually pay its way, without any government intervention.