Category: Features

The Netherlands is Europe’s largest exporter of onions. The success of the agricultural sector is buoyed by a dynamic logistics infrastructure which sustains and supports quality, competitive pricing and a long-shelf life, to withstand extended shipping times. Daniel Essiet reports

According to the Coordinator of Agribusiness and Youth Empowerment, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria, Sotonye Anga, seamless logistics connectivity is an important factor in agricultural exports success.

 The process begins with the farmer harvesting through the packing station and from there to the port, from where they export to countries by sea. Sometimes, the produce is trucked to inland domestic destinations.

 Given his vast experience, Anga believes that the ineffective performance of the transport and logistics industries has caused agro-exporters higher cost on produce.

 According to him, ugly developments in the logistics chain means a lot for export flows, adding that a further escalation of the obstacles could have major consequences which may be in terms of backlogs and delays in shipment that resulted from the disruption of the supply chains, and uncertainty for the operational business of shipping lines and their customers.

 Agriculture, he noted, is the backbone of the economy, and could provide much-needed jobs and support food security and prosperity for the country. For this reason, he said the country needed an ambitious agriculture sector transformation growth strategy, predicated on a logistics connectivity response to bolster technological advancements, build capacity, intensify market linkages and increase participation in agriculture.

 The sector, he indicated, is on an upward trajectory with immense potential for further growth. He urged for more efforts to create a vibrant agro-processing industry with foreign exchange earning potential and increased employment. He said unless such steps are taken, export levels could remain below their potential.

 In recent years, a lot of industrial clusters have been created. These include transport and logistics, agro-industrial, automotive, cluster of construction materials and metalwork.

 Some world-renowned foreign firms have interest in some of the industrial clusters; a situation that has given a boost to aggregate volume of investments.

Despite this, the Nigerian logistics industry is facing a number of challenges that are hindering its growth and development. These challenges include poor infrastructure and inadequate transportation systems.

 Though Lagos and other key commercial hubs such as Port Harcourt and  Kano have been on the top of the chart as leading destinations, among the challenges faced by businesses are seamless logistics experiences characterised by increased transportation costs and longer delivery times, making it difficult for companies to meet customer demands and expectations.

 Lagos ports are the busiest in the country. In many ways, Lagos has   established itself as one of Nigeria’s most desirable sites for warehousing and distribution operations. It has successfully leveraged its transportation amenities to become a magnet for corporate, hospitality, and manufacturing industries.

There is an ongoing multi-million agro-logistics hub project in Epe, which the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisoye Olusanya said that, on completion, would include transportation carriers of all kinds as well as warehousing, distribution, third-party logistics services.

 She announced an action plan to promote value-added logistics development integrating sea, air and land transport to strengthen its pivotal role in the economic expansion.

 The purpose, according to her, is to deploy innovation, adaptation and technology to help the agriculture industry to overcome disruptions and deliver produce.

 She stressed that the agriculture sector needed good logistics infrastructure to be efficient and effective, even as she added that without such infrastructural projects, farmers would not get the produce to their destinations.

 According to her, Lagos will continue to integrate logistics connectivity into the state’s overall economic development, under a model where the transportation node would connect waterways, railways and highways. For analysts, Lagos’ multimodal and logistics options should serve as an economic development driver and force in growing the local and state economies.

Currently, the majority of industries located in the state depend on multimodal options to streamline their supply chains and encourage future growth. Apapa Ports are one of the busiest for agro-cargo.

 The Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain, Dr Obiora Madu said that as one of the regional hubs, the ports should have good connections with most of urban and production centres.

 He further explained that there was a challenge linking it with the various container terminals for sea transport. As things stand, Madu believes that none of the biggest commercial cities across the country offer unmatched multimodal connectivity that sits at the intersection of the rail lines hauling freight from industrial parks, with own logistics.

 To achieve this, he recommended a logistics strategy with components that emphasise restructuring the transportation and distribution networks to maximise efficiency and minimise miles which will translate to enhanced productivity.

 He stressed the need for close collaboration among industry, the academia and the government as trade routes shift and logistics networks become increasingly complex.

 According to him, strengthening the logistics sector is not an optional action plan, more so for a country such as Nigeria which has a large stake in international trade and with a propensity to grow further in the world order.

He believes that investors would score Nigeria’s logistics efficiency on the basics of infrastructure quality, ease of arranging shipments, quality of logistics services, consignments tracking and tracing and timeliness of shipments.

 For this reason, he posited that the country needed a comprehensive logistics policy that is capable of reducing operational cost, improving efficiency across various sectors of the economy.

 So far, agro-exporters are lamenting high logistics costs on their businesses as a result of erratic supply chains and subpar connectivity across the country.

According to him, policy interventions were needed to ensure that logistical problems are minimised to increase agro exports growth. He called for a unified policy environment that would be helpful in ensuring seamless integration across the logistics chains.

 While development of integrated infrastructure is envisaged through the various development master plans, Madu noted that a national logistics policy will provide a comprehensive agenda for development of entire logistics ecosystem.

 This, he added, would include linking the railways and roads, to work together to create a unified and streamlined network of connectivity. He emphasised the importance of inland and river ports.

 “They are very important in assisting landlocked countries. There is a terminal in Lilypond dedicated for exports. How do they take the container from there to Tin Can Port?

 “All these account for the huge congestion on the road. If our supply and logistics chain does not work, the economy will not do well. This has terribly destroyed our competitiveness. River ports have become more important for domestic trade, he said.

 Role of river ports

  Connecting Jebba and Onitsha River Ports, he said, has the potential of using the waterways to reduce road transportations of produce and human traffic across the country.

 According to him, Jebba and Onitsha River Ports should have well-developed transportation infrastructure that allow them to be interconnected with the North and South smoothly, especially mainland and provides maximum flexibility.

 With its centralised location, he was of the opinion that places such as Lokoja in Kogi State should be a perfect place for transport with access to major interstates, railroad arteries that allow for inexpensive shipment and delivery for business sites.

 But, in the past 10 years, Lokoja has not been a place to relocate and do business. The area also is yet to boast of a seamless transportation hub. While the town has ceased to retain a reputation of providing a safe, stable and sustainable environment for its private and corporate residents, it no longer sustains the appeal of a top warehousing and distribution centre location, illustrated by the fewer companies that have established themselves in the area.

 Lokoja is not alone in losing top business destination ranking. Jebba has failed its standing as one of the region’s hottest business centres.

 In the past, the town enjoyed easy roadway access to and from destinations throughout the Middle Belt. In other places, a town such as Jebba connects businesses with important markets, ports of entry and airports to expedite major domestic and international commerce transactions. The rail service has not provided adequate freight service to spur an additional cycle of business investment within the community.

Logistics integration

Even though Nigeria has a pool of international and highly-experienced logistics companies that should enable smooth logistic flows, Madu thinks trying to separate aviation from transportation is not furthering the cause of full integration of networks.

 He said: “We have been made to think that aviation is separate from transportation. What it means is that we are disintegrating our logistics system. Former President Obasanjo, in his wisdom, merged these ministries and Yaradua separated them again.”

 The Chief Executive Officer of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni has emphasised the need to boost logistics efficienciesthrough strengthening  sea-land-air intermodal transportation, facilitating port and logistics development,  and promotion of  high value-added logistics services, including the enhanced processing of cold-chain goods.

Oladunni noted that seamless supply chains logistics are key to the flow of produce from point of origin to point of consumption, meeting the endless requirement of varied clients.

 For the Deputy Managing Director of Project Incubation West Africa, OCP Africa, Caleb Usoh, the logistics industry is a critical enabler of economic growth.

With an infrastructure that includes access roads, ports and airports, Usoh indicated that Nigeria can emerge a leading hub for trade. According to him, logistics facilities and infrastructure coupled with low costs, and increasing investments would make the country a profitable gateway for businesses.

He stressed that interlinked highways that connect the country locally, make transporting goods, including fertiliser and other agriculture inputs a fast, profitable and efficient process is what Nigeria needs.

 Usoh noted that a seamless logistics would help to fast track national economic development and promote growth of industry, manufacturing, and exports.

 Furthermore, he suggested that the government should encourage the private sector to invest in complementary infrastructure.

 According to him, connectivity, infrastructure and processes, and private sector participation could create an integrated ecosystem that allows logistics to thrive. He urged the government to partner the private sector to take more advantage of its geographical position by linking logistics with agriculture.

Inland ports

The growth of exports from the Southsouth and the Southeast has made the need for strategic inland ports across regions necessary. The inland ports will be focused on moving and handling agro-exports outside the country.

 For Anga, agro-exports are riding high as such the country needs inland ports that offer cost-effective intermodal access. He stressed that inland ports are becoming a critical part of the country’s agro-export cycle and the country’s competitive position at the world stage.

He noted that farmers and agro-producers have to use inland ports to move their produce to market as efficiently as possible, and with fuel costs rising, they provide intermodal and rail options to bypass expensive and costly trucking methods.

 He pointed out that the current challenge for producers is the absence of an effective supply chain infrastructure in various production belts to manage the growth in export volume.

 He maintained that the agriculture industry will continue to be a major contributor to overall export volume. He called for increased use of inland ports.

According to him, the trend toward establishing and expanding inland ports will continue, and there are major opportunities for private-sector development and investment to support the country’s growing agro-export trade.

There are proposed sites across the country for inland port logistics clusters which would allow major producers to move cargo inland.

 On the whole, stakeholders have urged the government to strengthen logistics business and intermodal transportation services.

Today is the International Day of Happiness, a day that is often commemorated with tremendous pleasure and enthusiasm globally. Indeed it is a day that represents a shift in global attitudes towards well-being and the recognition of happiness as a human right. CHINAKA OKORO, however, writes that there are doubts about the possibility of people feeling good in the midst of wars, wildfires, droughts, poverty, hunger, paying ransom to kidnappers to secure loved one’s freedom, bad roads that damage people’s cars, lack of potable water and other inadequacies that are not justiciable

A major player in the country’s beverage industry uses the phrase “open happiness” as a unique selling point (USP). The import of this bold USP comes to the fore as the world celebrates this year’s United Nations International Day of Happiness. Like the restless bubbles that make the beverage ever lively and refreshing, certain factors contribute to people’s happiness or sadness.

Some commentators have interrogated the relevance of proclaiming a day for the global commemoration of happiness, in a world fraught with distress, both manmade and natural. However, the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of July 12 2012, proclaimed March 20 as the International Day of Happiness in recognition of the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of humankind and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.

This year’s International Day of Happiness theme is, “Keep calm, stay wise, and be kind.” An explication of this theme may provide a deep understanding of the entire narrative.  First, no matter what happens in one’s life, one should keep calm and think about the solution. This is so because a calm mind can solve any problem or issue. Second, one should stay wise and be wise in one’s words of expression and one’s actions. The International Day of Happiness represents a shift in global attitudes towards well-being and the recognition of happiness as a human right.

Several authorities have expounded on what constitutes happiness. Some noted that for one to be said to be happy, one must experience “an agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind. It is also a state of well-being characterised by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”

However, happiness is said to transcend moments of contentment or gratification. It translates to peace of mind. Nevertheless, happiness is not just about one being happy but how many are happy in their lives because of one’s efforts to lift others.

Any wonder the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres noted that “in 2023, we need peace, now more than ever. Peace with one another, through dialogue to end the conflict. Peace with nature and our climate, to build a more sustainable world. Peace in the home, so women and girls can live in dignity and safety. Peace on the streets and in our communities.

“Around the world, 100 million people were on the move, fleeing from wars, wildfires, droughts, poverty and hunger. In 2023, let’s put peace at the heart of our words and actions.”

Former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, also stated that “the twin concepts of happiness and well-being feature in international discussions of sustainable development and the future. “Many countries are going beyond the rhetoric of quality of life to incorporate practical measures to promote these concepts in their legislation and policy-making.

“Happiness may have different meanings for different people. But we can all agree that it means working to end the conflict, poverty and other unfortunate conditions in which so many of our fellow humankind live. Happiness is neither a frivolity nor a luxury.  It is a deep-seated yearning shared by all members of the human family. It should be denied to no one and available to all. Now is the time to convert this promise into concrete international and national action to eradicate poverty, promote social inclusion and inter-cultural harmony, ensure decent livelihoods, protect the environment and build institutions for good governance. These are the foundations for human happiness and well-being.”

For Amaka Iwuala, an insurance expert with Leadway Assurance Company Limited, joy, happiness and Nigerians are strange bedfellows, stating that Nigerians have been suffering from the effects of bad governance.“ There is no Nigerian that is happy. Any Nigerian that seems happy feigns it or is under the influence of alcohol. All policies and programmes enunciated by the government are anti-people.

“Nigerians are just getting off the throes of financial stress due to no fault of theirs. Their only offence is that they are Nigerians. The government, without thinking or thinking irresponsibly, decided to carry out a redesign of the country’s currency as the 2023 general elections were around the corner.

“Nigerians are in dire need of cash. Even those who took their money to the banks as instructed by the authorities cannot access their cash. There is much back-and-forth in terms of the use of the old naira notes vis-à-vis the new ones. There is hunger in the land as those who sell what the people need do not accept payment by electronic transfer. There is no financial security.

“Again, the rate of inflation has weakened the purchasing power of most Nigerians. Prices of foodstuff are getting out of the reach of the poor in Nigeria. This resulted from the high price of petrol which virtually affects prices of other commodities,” Amaka said.

Ms Chinasa P. O. Ihebuzoaju, a staff member of Konga Online Shopping Limited, explained happiness from the Aristotelian viewpoint. Even though she approached the issue of happiness from an existentialist perspective, Chinasa, a graduate of History and International Relations, believes that “human life should be seen from the angle of living life in a rewarding manner. God created man to realise the potential of his creation. This entails making an option for the poor by asking everyone to realise the plight of those who struggle to survive and to put the needs of the most vulnerable members of society into consideration.

“The option for the poor does not mean pitting one group against another, but rather, it calls us to strengthen the whole community by assisting those who are most vulnerable.

“From the Scriptures, we learn that the justice of a society is tested and judged by its treatment of the poor. So said, existentialism is typically focused on individual human lives and the inevitability of suffering and choice for each individual.”

In the same manner, Ms Nnenna Chukwuani, a graduate of Economics and also a member of staff of Konga Online Shopping Limited posited that “Nigerians are not a happy people. This is a place where nothing works. Our leaders do not care about the people unless there is any relationship or connection among them. The majority of Nigerians are poor and in a state of docility. They have ‘no right’ to react or reject a source of pain to them. This is so because the leaders have weaponised poverty.

“If the world is bent on celebrating the International Day of Happiness, certainly it won’t happen in Nigeria because the citizens will have nothing to celebrate about.

“This is why Aristotle noted that ‘happiness can only exist in a country if virtue thrives.’

“This implies that Nigeria is in the state it is because of the endemic corruption and other societal contradictions that exist in the country. It also implies that if corruption is dethroned and virtue enthroned, happiness would begin to flow in Nigeria.”

First UN conference on happiness

Regardless of the experiences the people are going through, the United Nations maintains that whatever the situation with humankind could be, there are conditions when a man feels good despite the horrendous situation. This happy moment may be transitory.

So, on April 2, 2012, the first United Nations conference on happiness was held at the UN headquarters where the General Assembly adopted a resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on March 20. At the conference, the UN made a case for a happiness-based economy.

In a report by Seán Wood, the CEO of Positive News Magazine said the delegates at the conference proposed making well-being the central goal of economic development. He described it as a significant step towards governments placing well-being at the heart of economic progress. Following the conference, well-being is now intended to be at the centre of new sustainable development goals, which replaced the millennium development goals that were terminated in 2015.

Also at the meeting, the Director of Action for Happiness, Mark Williamson said: “This (the happiness resolution) will add a positive aspiration to improve human happiness alongside existing essential goals such as eradication of extreme poverty and universal education.”

These are noble proposals that are supposedly germane to human development. But, are these proposals realistic in our world fraught with hunger, insecurity; low human development index (HDI), diseases, poverty and some grief-engendering issues such as tribalism, nepotism and corruption, among others? Does happiness manifest in situations devoid of encouraging experiences?

An American psychologist, educator, and author Martin Elias Peter Seligman, in his 2002 book Authentic Happiness, noted that “happiness is made up of positive emotion, engagement and meaning.” He also identified eight external factors that affect an individual’s happiness. The eight factors, according to him, are money, marriage, social life, health, religion, positive emotions (e.g. fun, curiosity, love and pride), age, education, climate, race, and gender, even as he maintained that “happiness isn’t the absence of negative feelings.”

Reasons for misery among Nigerians

There are several reasons for anyone not to be happy in Nigeria. If they are not caused by some deliberate government’s perverse policies and programmes that are anti-people, it results from some not inevitable social dislocations. In some respondents in a survey on why most Nigerians are unhappy, four out of 10 (38 per cent) mentioned heightened insecurity as the major challenge Nigerians are experiencing at the moment; a situation, they say, engenders wretchedness.

The security crisis in the country, they maintained, has deteriorated as deadly attacks persist in almost every part of the country. Parts of the insecurity situation include kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and corruption. The corruption that hampers development and encourages poverty, which Nnenna Chukwuani described as a weapon in the hands of Nigerian leaders through which they hold down the feeble poor, has become the middle name of most Nigerians.

She said: “Even though some religious gatekeepers have pontificated that poverty results from that yoke generated by demonic forces in the life of man; probably because of man’s profane disposition, poorness cannot wholly be as a result of spiritual feebleness.

“Contrary to this puritan view which attempts to see man’s destitution as an aftermath of spiritual hollowness or deviation, God has made adequate provisions for man to live in comfort and abundance all days of his life. One is convinced that it could not be God’s plan that man should face hardship or experience poverty which is common in Nigeria and among Nigerians.”

An exploration of Chukwuani’s prognoses reveals that poverty is a man-induced situation and not an aftermath of spiritual hollowness or deviation from God’s laws but brought about by the leaders’ insensitivity to the well-being of the masses.

In their Happiness in Nigeria: A socio-cultural Analysis, published in the American Psychological Association, Agbo, A. A., Nzeadibe, T. C., and Ajaero, C. K. noted that “the study of happiness, life satisfaction, and well-being has gained greater acceptance, so much so that it has become one of the global indices on which nations are ranked (UNDP 2010).”

They stated that the index was a valid measure of how well people live and flourish in different countries. In one of the rankings, they said, Nigeria was rated as one of the happiest countries on earth; ranking 23rd above many countries that are well above her in terms of economic and social development.

“In the light of the challenging socio-economic circumstances in which many Nigerians live and work, we ask whether these rankings actually represent the well-being of the people. The World Happiness Report (WHR) indicates that Nigerians still seem quite happy.”

The report, which, according to the authors, ranked 155 countries by their happiness, ranked Nigerians as the 6th happiest people in Africa and the 95th happiest in the world. “The WHR report outlines areas that are crucial to increasing the happiness of citizens. They are “care, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.” If we take just a brief look at Nigeria according to those variables, things don’t look good,” they said.

A recent decision by the Imo State Government to translocate animals in the Zoological Garden and Wildlife Park in Owerri to the Jos Wildlife and Park is generating controversies. Workers at the zoo and conservation stakeholders insist that the relocation was carried out without due process. CHRIS NJOKU reports

The National Zoo Association of Nigeria is gearing up for war against the Imo State Government over its decision to wind up the historic Zoological Garden and Wildlife Park at Nekede, Owerri, the state capital. The state government, on February 21, decided to move the animals in the zoo, founded in 1976 with over 1,000 different species of animals such as lions, chimpanzees, monkeys, ostriches, and hyenas, to Jos Wildlife and Park, Plateau State.

The state government has explained that the move was to upgrade all tourist facilities in the state, including the zoo. It has also assured that after the upgrading of the facilities, the animals will return to their habitat. However, the assurance did not go down well with the workers who feel aggrieved and decided to stage a protest against the administrators from Jos Wildlife and Park who came to the Imo Zoo to translocate the animals to Plateau State. The workers’ grievance with the state government is that the management of the zoo and its supervisory ministry, the Ministry of Tourism, had concluded plans to convert the 10 hectares of land into a housing estate. Worse still, they also alleged that the translocation of the animals neglected professional input.

The workers also complained that the government has not cleared 10 months’ salary arrears owed them, and demanded that the administrators from Jos Zoo allow them to take inventories and picture evidence of the species which was turned down. The General Manager of the Imo Zoo, Francis Abioye, who expressed sadness over the development, said Governor Hope Uzodimma, who had earlier promised to fund the zoo’s monthly feeding and medication of the animals, reneged on his promise since he assumed office. He said before the current administration, some politicians had earlier sought the opportunity to mislead the immediate past Governor Emeka Ihedioha by securing a default court judgment to share the urban conservation land among themselves, which he said he resisted the implementation because of the legality of the gazette protecting the conservation area.

“The park has over 650 animals in its ex-situ conservation and over 400 endemic indigenous species in its in-situ conservation area. Unfortunately, Governor Uzodimma railroaded the committee’s recommendations and embarked on the massive evacuation of the protected animals from Imo Zoo to Jos Zoo and Wildlife Park just a week before the presidential election to use the election period as a distraction for all conservation stakeholders,” he said.

Abioye, who noted that the facility in Jos is known to be in a worse deteriorating condition than the Imo wildlife facility, said the park was reputed for having over 650 animals in its ex-situ conservation and over 400 collections of various endemic indigenous wildlife species and over 10,000 species of endangered flora and arboretums in its in-situ conservation area. “This action was carried out in violation of all extant conservation laws of our country and against several international conservation treaties/conventions of which Nigeria is a signatory,” he stated.

“All wildlife species in the in-situ and ex-situ conservation area have been living peacefully and procreating successfully until the news of massive evacuation of all the animals within the ex-situ conservation began to trend on social media. The news of illegitimate wildlife trafficking from Imo State Zoo and Wildlife Park to Jos Wildlife Park and subsequent killings of many of these animals remain unacceptable. Many of the unwarranted translocated animals have died due to unethical handlings, some of which include one male parent lion tortured to death, a giant crocodile brutalised with injuries before it died, a male white cap Mangabey, all monitor lizards are reported dead, including the biggest monitor lizard in the history of Nigerian zoos, several other animals were unaccounted for as it was reported that some of them were eaten as bush meat while many of the animals removed from the Imo State Zoo were also traded illegally without any records.

“Many of the animals that made it to Jos wildlife facility are still at risk and need urgent rescue to be returned to their habitats (home) because the animals were left in their transport cages for three days when they arrived Jos wildlife facility without any concrete plan to receive them,” Abioye alleged.

However, the Commissioner for Tourism, Jerry Egemba, dismissed all the allegations against the state government. In a chat with The Nation, he said the decision to upgrade the facilities at the zoo was taken by the entire executive council of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration, which he sees as being in the overall interest of the tourism industry as well as protecting the Imo zoo from destruction, including eliminating poaching of the animals. He said the government is upgrading virtually all the tourism facilities in the state, including the zoo. According to him, Governor Uzodimma can’t take a decision that will hurt the Imo people. He advised the people to be patient with the government. On the allegation of 10 months’ salary arrears owed the workers, he attributed it to part of the distractive activity of the political opponents.

But the stakeholders appear unconvinced by the reasons provided by the state government to buttress the decision to move the animals out of the state without due consultation. The Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks (NAZAP) said such major relocation of wildlife without experts’ involvement is “despicable.” Reacting, it said that the translocation of animals from Imo Zoological Garden to Jos, Plateau State, without the involvement of professionals in the industry is against international standards and is unacceptable.

The association, in a statement by its National Secretary, Dr Kabir Ali Masanawa, said the association stands against the move by the state government. While describing the translocation of the wildlife animals as a rude shock, the NAZAP secretary said if such movement is to take place because of hazard, a threat to wildlife or for upgrades, then professionals in the industry must be engaged for their advice. “NAZAP stands against this move by the Imo State Government with disgust.”

He said that many wildlife professionals now question the practice of translocation, particularly in the light of the need to contain or eliminate high-profile, economically-important wildlife diseases, adding that using this technique may jeopardise international wildlife disease management initiatives to control outbreaks. According to him, NAZAP will work with other stakeholders to make sure that the Imo zoo and its members of staff get all the necessary support to sustain the historical and only surviving zoo destination in the South-east.

Moreover, Masanawa argued that the proposed site for the new zoo promised by the state government ought to be fully developed and ready before the relocation of the wildlife from the current site in Owerri. “However, against all rational and professional ethics and recommendations, and without further recourse to our earlier interface, the Imo State officials commenced the evacuation of the wildlife exhibits to Jos Wildlife Park. The Imo State Zoo and Jos Wildlife Park are members of NAZAP, but this massive translocation of wildlife was not communicated to the network of stakeholders for professional inputs as should be the norm.

“Moreover, there are clear indicators that Jos Wildlife Park has major maintenance deficits to make the facility unsuitable to receive a large number of animals, along with necessary quarantine procedure for the containment of the possible spread of wildlife disease and genetic pollution. NAZAP condemns this move of translocating the zoo’s wildlife without due diligence. NAZAP is in urgent consultation with all concerned for necessary damage control as some of the animals could die in transit or upon arrival in Jos,” he said.

He said the fatalities are being recorded as one of three lions (Panthera Leo) is confirmed dead. This is an endangered species rapidly losing numbers in Nigeria. He assures the conservation community of its commitment to see to the protection of animals from abuse and will be coming up with further updates on this matter. NAZAP National President, Oladipo Bali said the action of the state government was a complete disregard for our extant laws. “A government cannot wake up one day and decide to do that without the necessary input of other stakeholders and proper regard for our extant laws.” He added that some of the animals allegedly translocated are endangered and must never be moved in such a manner. “The facility they are supposedly moving them to has no running water. They have been starved of funds for years by the state government.  How are they to look after their new arrivals?”

The Manager of Jos Zoological Garden, Mary Ohaegbu, who spoke to our correspondent, denied receiving any animal from Imo Zoo. She said the Imo State Government last year wrote her to inform of its plan to translocate animals to her zoo. “When they wrote a letter to me, what they said was that they wanted to renovate the site and not to make it a housing estate. They said they wanted to renovate the cages that some of them are outdated and that they have to keep the animals in my custody for six months after renovating it, they would come and pick them back. We told them that we want to keep our cages in order and they said they would get back to us, but as I talk to you, we have not heard from them.”

The National Secretary, the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (WISON), Orimaye Jacob Oluwafemi said wildlife Jos may not have been properly briefed. “I don’t think there is collaboration in the first place. It does not appeal to common sense that conservationists will agree with politicians to turn a conservation centre into a residential arena.  What we are witnessing in Imo is another case of the wickedness of the political class against nature.”

He noted that animals’ relocation deal is curious, adding that the state government should have constructed a new zoo as recommended in the Committee’s report set up by Governor Uzodimma sometime ago. “If the state’s political actors are honest, they will first construct the new zoo as recommended in the report of the Committee that the governor set up some time ago. Sincerely, this action is against the law that established a gazette conservation territory (such as Imo Wildlife Park) without due process. I am certain that the state’s Ministry of Environment is unaware of this. Don’t forget also that this action is against the International Treaty on Climate Change deal of which Nigeria is a signatory.”

It appears the wildlife professional bodies have no standard sanction against unprofessional collaboration. Orimaye agrees that WISON as a society is not empowered to punish an erring person or organisation officially. However, he said sanctions can be imposed on their members who are found collaborating with an organisation promoting unethical and unprofessional conducts in the discharge of “our duties as conservators of our natural resources.”

Despite the havoc the 2012 floods wreaked on Nigerians, seasonal climate predictions (SCP) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have often been ignored. This attitude has resulted in massive human and material losses witnessed in the 2022 flood disaster. FAITH YAHAYA reports that adhering to these warnings will boost economic growth and prevent human and material losses

Yearly, calls to heed the seasonal climate prediction (SCP) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) heighten. Despite these year-on-year warnings toward averting natural disasters such as floods, Nigerians seem to regard them as mere ineffectual speculations. Their approach to these calls or warnings is usually total disregard. This nonchalant attitude is not without sure consequences.

NiMet’s annual predictions provide accurate, timely, and quality weather and climate information which is aimed at proffering pieces of advice for different tiers of government and the general public on weather and climate-related issues. The predictions, if adhered to, are expected to boost economic growth and prevent human and material losses occasioned by adverse weather conditions.

Despite the release of the predictions yearly, Nigeria still records the loss of lives and properties in addition to displacements caused by flooding. According to the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, 662 people lost their lives, 3,174 others suffered injuries and 2,430,445 individuals were displaced during the 2022 floods. Thousands of houses, hectares of farmlands, and several critical national assets were also destroyed by the floods.

On the economic impact of the flood, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, said the country lost about $6,681 billion to the 2022 flood. “The extent of the population affected and houses damaged or destroyed in 2022 is worse than the 2012 flooding in some localised areas. The analysis estimates that the total direct economic damage, based on current reported statistics as of November 25 is in the range of $3.79 billion to $9.12 billion with the best (median) estimate at $6.68 billion.

“This includes damage to residential and non-residential buildings, including building contents as well as damage to infrastructure, productive sectors, and farmlands. The number of people affected has risen over the season since June up to between 4.4 million and 4.9 million affected people as of November 25. All the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were affected by the 2022 flood, with varying degrees of damage and people affected. States worse affected are Jigawa, Rivers, Taraba, Cross River, Delta and Bayelsa,” she said.

In its 2022 assessment of flood reports, the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) also revealed that N700 billion was lost to the 2022 flood incidences in the food system of the agriculture sector. The report reveals: “The total amount of the loss of crops such as rice, plantain, maize, cowpea sorghum, vegetables, yam, millets, cassava, groundnut, sesame, soybeans, potatoes and, tomatoes were at the total cost of N384, 465,859,168, while assessment impact on livestock such as cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, pigs, and snails is put at N93, 049,641,000.

“Also, the assessment of flood impact on catfish and tilapia is put at N100, 256, 747, 500 as the total loss on agricultural structures and farmlands, including farmlands, roads and bridges, farm buildings, fish ponds, warehouses, farm stores, farm barns, thatched houses, huts and pens totalling N120, 022, 573,000.”

Continuing, the NAERLS report stated: “The 2022 floods in Nigeria were caused mainly by heavy precipitation, ill-managed runoffs and unregulated river flow, especially from River Benue. The assessment showed that the 2022 flood damaged crops; washed off farmlands and destroyed livestock and fish resources. The enormous flood is a potential threat to food security. An estimated sum of N700 billion was lost due to the flood.”

The data indicate that the loss recorded from the 2022 flood was enormous, though avoidable if the prediction was taken seriously and heeded.

What to expect this year

The Director-General of NEMA said: “It is going to flood again this year. There is no doubt about it. But how severe it will be is what we don’t know yet, but it is going to flood again.” He advised stakeholders to brace up and prepare to mitigate the likelihood of flood this year. “This year, I expect stakeholders, including the state governments to ensure early preparation and to match words with action.”

As usual, many sectors may be affected this year. The transport sector was hugely affected last year due to the heavy rainfall. Roads were impassable, which made travelling and other products trapped on the road for weeks. This situation also resulted in fuel scarcity and untold hardship.

The prediction from NiMet as it concerns the road sector reads: “The 2023 seasonal outlook projects a long rainy season, with prospects of near-normal to above-normal rainfall amount. This means that there may be more convective rains which are usually of high intensity and accompanied by strong winds. These can affect road transport as travel times will be longer.

“Heavy rains can lead to flash-flooding and temporal closure of roads. It can lead to the collapse of weak roads and bridges, thereby cutting off the passage from one location to another. Strong winds can pull down huge trees and communication masts which can block roads temporarily. The 2023 prediction indicates that temperatures are expected to be generally warmer than normal. This will have implications for road transport. The tarred roads will be more prone to warping when temperatures are extremely high.”

The projected rainfall pattern in 2023 implies that there would be frequent heavy rains during the long rainy season. The convective rains accompanied by strong winds will lead to more cases of flight disruption. The increased chances of aquaplaning following rainfalls on the runway have significant safety implications. Aquaplaning could cause the aircraft to skid off the runway. The projected high temperatures will increase the prospects of wind shear and air turbulence. The prospects of increased mid-latitude wave activity will also increase the spate of raising dust and dust haze conditions which can increase the chances of flight delays and cancellations due to the attendant poor horizontal visibility.

There will be more disruptions to flight operations because of more convective activities (wind shear, microburst, poor visibility due to heavy rain).

“The rail sector within the space of one week witnessed the derailment of the trains on its Warri-Itakpe corridor and the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. Though the reason for it is not made public, there are, however, indications that it was due to track expansion.

“The derailment caused discomfort, and loss of resources as that of Warri-Itakpe remains suspended. It is a trying time for the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) as the suspension has undoubtedly led to economic loss and reduced its projected revenue generation.”

To reduce further loss, NiMet, in its prediction stated: “Rail track buckling; rail tracks are made of steel, and they expand in hot weather. Without adequate expansion gaps in between tracks, the thermal expansion could result in the buckling of the tracks. Therefore, there are chances of rail line buckling with the warmer temperatures predicted over most parts of the country, especially in March, April, and May.”

NiMet advised the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other relevant stakeholders adhere to an advisory from it, as well as other updates for planning and operations to reduce risk and increase efficiency. It added that there should be periodic monitoring of rail tracks for possible damage during hot weather.

The Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, said the early release of the SCP will give room for adequate planning. “We released the SCP for 2023 in January. We used to release it in February but this year, because what we passed through in 2012 was real and extremely rare for all of us, and almost all the states were flooded, and with loss of lives and property, damage to infrastructure nationwide, the President gave a marching order for improvement in providing early warning services and we took that directive.

“The early release of the document will give about two to three months for planning. It is called lead time. The lead time is the difference between the time you release a forecast and the time of occurrence of the season. So, for the southern season, we give two months of lead time and in the north, it will be around four to five months of lead time. So, the lead time is enough for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the federal, state, and local government levels to key in and integrate the information into their planning activities in different sectors.”

The Director-General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clement Nze, in anticipation of the outcome of the prediction, urged residents of flood-prone areas to relocate. “If you are told to relocate, please relocate. It is someone alive that will lay claim to ancestral homes.”

With the newly granted licence by the Federal Government for Ibom Power Company to distribute electricity in Akwa Ibom State, residents and businesses are in an upbeat mood that a new era of stable electricity beckons in the state. In this report, CHINYERE OKOROAFOR traces the tortuous journey that gave birth to Ibom Power and how it can unleash massive employment and entrepreneurial potential of the state

It was 4.36 pm. The day was Friday, January 20, 2023. The official Twitter handle of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced that it has issued a license to Ibom Power Company to distribute electricity in Akwa Ibom State.

 The news from the Commission reads: “The Commission has approved the application from Ibom Utility Company to operate an independent electricity distribution network licence, which will enable Ibom Utility Company to distribute electricity in selected locations in Akwa Ibom State.

 “The Commission similarly approved the application for an amendment of the on-grid electricity generating licence to enable Ibom Power Company Limited embed into the distribution network of Ibom Utility Company Limited.”

 This amendment, NERC stated, is to enable the 191 megawatts (MW) Ibom Power Plant to embed part of its electricity generation into the distribution network of Ibom Utility Company Limited. This license, which gives the state the legal framework that allows for both power generation and distribution, is sure setting the stage for steady power supply in the state with its multiplier effect on business growth, industrialisation, and collective prosperity within the state.

 The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), it must be noted, is empowered by the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, 2005, to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate, and safe electricity supply. NERC’s responsibility is to regulate standards of performance for all electricity licensees and monitor performance to ensure that those standards are met and maintained or even exceeded.

 This recorded feat of being granted the approval for independent electric power generation and distribution has laid to rest one of state’s biggest impediments to industrialisation drive and quest, which is paucity or epileptic power distribution. To generate and distribute power to stimulate businesses in the state has been the state government’s burden, especially since inception of Emmanuel’s administration.

 Governor Udom Emmanuel, in a recent interview on Channels TV to mark the state’s 35th anniversary, expressed his deep concerns for uninterrupted power supply to drive businesses in the state by lamenting thus: “I don’t control fiscal and economic policies… Allow me distribute the power I have generated and that will trigger an economic boom that will make Akwa Ibom State the envy of Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.”

 Barely four months later, the state’s yearning for an independent and robust electric power distribution became a reality. The Governor’s lamentations in this regard have finally found succour in the approval for the state to explore and exploit the affordances of electricity for the state’s economic gains.

 What followed was revelry in Akwa Ibom State. The licence, which came when Governor Emmanuel is about to leave office, is a big win for his administration. For years, he has, at several fora, lamented the absence of steady power supply as a result of poor distribution, despite huge investment by the state government in the power sector.

 Now, not only are political bigwigs commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the licence for Ibom Power Company; small and medium businesses are in a celebratory mood for what the future holds for residents of the state in terms of power supply and what this can do to empower the people and businesses to combat poverty and unleash the energy of the state to achieve its desired productivity level.

 The journey to what is now being celebrated as a feat in the state began many years ago. Barely eighteen months in office, Governor Emmanuel inaugurated a newly built 33/11KV, 2 X 15MVA injection sub-station in Uyo, the state capital, to set the tone for better electricity supply in the state. Thereafter, the state government built a similar 33/11KV, 2 X 15MVA substations to provide a dedicated grid power supply to the state-owned Victor Attah International Airport with a dedicated 33kv line from Ibom Tropicana.

 In addition, when the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) energised 132/33KV electricity transformers in Calabar and Lagos, Governor Emmanuel collaborated with TCN to inaugurate a 132/33KV, 1 x 60MVA transformer at Afaha Ube in Uyo. This 60MVA transformer increased the state’s available power for distribution from 96 megawatts to 144 megawatts. The upgraded substation was said to have provided steady power to ten local government areas in the state including Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Obot Akara, Ini, Ikono, Ibiono, Etinan, Abak and Ukanafun.

 TCN, the sole electricity transporter and the link between generation companies and distribution companies in Nigeria, lauded the Governor Emmanuel for the partnership, which they said aligned with the incremental power policy of the Federal Government (FG). Not done, the state government, again, collaborated with TCN and entered into an agreement to build a 132/33KV, 2 x 60MVA transmission sub-station at Ekim in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area. The last time a transmission substation was constructed in Akwa Ibom State was twenty years ago.

 As part of activities to celebrate the state’s 32nd anniversary, the Governor invited Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to inaugurate Ekim 132/33KV, 1 x 60MVA substation. The substation, which receives power from the state-owned Ibom Power Plant, has 33kv dedicated lines to the Onna industrial hub, the location of Jubilee Syringe factory, King Flour Mills, Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services and the plywood industry. It also provides a steady power supply to Akwa Ibom State University and five local government areas including Onna, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi, Eastern Obolo and Orukanam. In addition, Akwa Ibom State Government has secured a 30MVA transformer for the proposed construction of the Ikot Abasi substation.

 In spite of these investments in the last seven years, some residents of the state decried the total blackout or epileptic power supply in their areas. The outage was due to the privatisation of power distribution assets and the Federal Government’s total control of power transmission, as the state government did not have much say on the assets’ utilisation. With this new approval, Akwa Ibom is set to independently manage its power resources and distribute them effectively.

The inception of Ibom Power Company

Ibom Power, which prides itself as one of the first independent power companies in Nigeria, was incorporated in 2001 by the Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation (AKICORP), under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (CAMA) of Nigeria. Seven years later, it received a license from NERC in May 2008 to generate electricity.

 The powerhouse has installations of three assorted frames (two frames 6B and one frame 9E) of Gas Turbine Generator (GTG) that collectively produce 191MW. Its proposed phase II is estimated to produce 500MW. The license was amended to 685MW in order to integrate the 191MW earmarked for Phase I and the 500MW earmarked for Phase II on October 27, 2015. Then on August 22, 2019, the 685MW license was renewed while the commercial operations of Phase I of Ibom Power Plant began on December 14, 2009, after the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan officially switched-on Phase I of the Plant in July 2010.

On June 2014, TCN granted Ibom Power Company provisional approval for power evacuation through the Ikot Abasi – Eket 132kV double circuit transmission line. It also signed an Interim Power Purchase Agreement with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company Plc (NBET) on May 7, 2015, and is currently negotiating a Power Purchase Agreement with NBET. The power company is a registered and active participant in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

 According to a statement made available to The Nation, the acquisition of an operational license from NERC was initiated by Victor Attah’s administration. Speaking about the conception of Ibom Power Plant, Attah, in one of the interviews granted to Michael Dada, the Media and Public Relations Officer of Ibom Power, said: “We wanted an airport with an MRO facility. We wanted a science park because we knew that information technology (IT) was so going to rule the world. Because we knew high networked/net worth people will come, we wanted a hotel of quality and we wanted a university of science and technology. We decided that to try to run anyone not to mention all of these things on the generator is silly. So we decided we will have a power supply source that is dedicated to Akwa Ibom.”

 According to Attah, the need to have an independent and robust power supply within the state was a child of necessity and circumstance. He said in the interview that his administration’s poise and concrete effort in attaining such a feat, which was considered unattainable at the time, came from his resolve to form what he called APEL (Akwa Ibom Petroleum and Energy Company Limited). In his words: “APEL has four subsidiaries namely: APEL Power (to generate power); APEL Exploration (to go into marginal oil field); APEL Refino (to refine oil); and APEL Marketing (to market the products that come out of our refinery). APEL Refino got a licence to do a hundred thousand barrels per day field refinery. APEL Power obtain permission to build a power plant dedicated to Akwa Ibom and the agreement then was that this power will be dedicated to Akwa Ibom and only what Akwa Ibom does not use will then be put on to the national grid.

 “This was agreed. So, you can see that we succeeded in APEL Exploration and manage to get the marginal oil field… Some Chinese companies came and said they can take up the building and running of the refinery and that they will bring 90% of the money. They agreed with us that it would be a difficult attempt to run the refinery successfully on the generator. So, the first thing they decided was a power plant.”

 Recounting his ordeals in getting the Federal Government support and attention in materialising his conceptual framework for Ibom Power Plant, Attach said: “I went to the government of the federation, (then, late Chief Bola Ige was the Minister for Power) and said please, there are four turbines sitting at ALSCON doing nothing (because by this time, ALSCON has been shut down), release two turbines to me and let me give Akwa Ibom power immediately.

 “I showed him (late Ige) a document showing that we have ordered two new turbines and when the two turbines come, I will release your turbine back to you because I just want to have a head start on the project so as to look like we are making progress. It seems as if we were making progress on the arrangement and soon there was a hostility bothering on why we should have power, why we should have a seaport, airport and whether the state wanted to secede.”

 As an economic and business force, steady electricity power supply will disrupt and catalyse the economic blueprints of the state, residents enthused as they expect the feat of the electricity licence to revolutionise the economic power of the state as it did to nations of the world since the first public electricity supply was provided in late 1881.