By Precious Igbonwelundu, Nsa Gill, Sunny Nwankwo, Damian Duruiheoma, Mike Odiegwu, Kolade Adeyemi, Okungbowa Aiwerie, Augustine Okezie, Chris Njoku, Rosemary Nwisi and AbdulGafar Alabelewe

No fewer than 28 cops have been killed in three months, The Nation’s checks have revealed. They were either shot by gunmen, hacked to death or set ablaze by hoodlums who attacked police stations.

These are different from those lost to the ENDSARS violence. According to Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, six soldiers, 37 policemen and 57 civilians were murdered during the ENDSARS violence. The minister added that 269 private and public properties were razed.

The police said they would do everything legally permissible to curb the attacks on its men and facilities. Police spokesman Frank Mba, a Commissioner (CP), said this would include the use of force.

On February 23, AK47 and machetes carrying hoodlums numbering about 200 invaded Abayi Police Station at Osisioma, Aba in Abia State and killed two officers identified as Vincent Gonze and Sergeant Emmanuel Okoronkwo. The attackers also set part of the division ablaze with the help if petrol bombs and other explosives.

On February 24, four policemen manning a checkpoint at Nkpologwu community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State were killed by gunmen, said to have arrived at the scene in two vehicles and carted away their rifles and burnt their patrol vehicle. That same day, a policeman was killed at Ekwulobia in Anambra State and another patrol vehicle razed.

The following day, gunmen suspected to be cultists killed four policemen in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

On February 1, gunmen killed a policeman at Atakumosa West, Osun State, while another cop was murdered the same day at Isiala Ngwa North in Abia State. There was also an attack on Obowo Police Division in Umulowe Autonomous Community, Imo State on February 5, leaving two policemen dead and three injured.

Four police officers were killed on January 15 after armed bandits numbering over 100 attacked their convoy along the Birnin Gwari-Funtua highway. The officers alongside 11 others were returning to their base in Kano from Niger State.

Three cops were murdered on January 8 when gunmen attacked a station in Ebonyi State and three others identified as Inspectors Simon Madaki, Mutari Lawal and Sergeant Adamu Ibraham killed on January 10 by armed men in Ughelli, Delta State.

Two policemen were murdered by suspected Boko Haram Terrorists during an ambush at Magumeri, Borno State on January 31.

On November 20, angry youths stormed a police station in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and killed a cop on duty.

An Assistant Superintendent (ASP) and a Corporal were killed on January 23 after gunmen invaded a police station in Aba, Abia State.

Mba said: “Actions are being taken. The position of the IG was clearly stated in my press release following the unprovoked attack on Abayi Police Station in Aba on February 23 where the state command successfully neutralised four attackers, arrested eight and recovered arms, ammunition from the hoodlums.

“The IG has warned that dire consequences await any person or group of persons who, under whatever guise, engages in an unwarranted attack on any public property and directs all command CPs to employ all legally permissible measures to protect police facilities, personnel as well as all Nigerians.

“He has also directed that a comprehensive investigation be conducted into all cases of murder of police personnel across the country. Our policemen already know that the number one rule in protecting lives and properties is that they must protect themselves. They have to stay alive to be able to protect others.

“We are also appealing to Nigerians to know that police property are theirs. Policemen and woman are their brothers and sisters. We are working towards more public engagements and enlightenment through the community policing framework.

“We need our people to take ownership by so doing, whenever they hear or see any criminal plotting to commit a crime, they will share the information and such crimes will be prevented,” he said.

Abia

On the strategies to forestall the killing of policemen and invasion of police stations, the Police Public Relations (PPRO), SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the police would not disclose their strategies to the public.

Cross River

Commissioner of Police Sikiru Kayode Akande said the attack was the first recorded in the state after the ENDSAR incident in October last year. He assured that the police would use modern technologies to enhance policing in the state.

“The target of the people is to dampen our spirit. But we are resolute and we are going to strike back at them. It is often said, he who laughs last laughs best. Let Cross River People wait for that last laugh. It will make us happier,” he said.

The police have arrested five suspects and recovered some of the weapons taken away by the hoodlums.

Imo

Imo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Cyprian Akaolisa said the killings were carried out by the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), using its Eastern Security Network (ESN).

“The attacks on police stations and killing of policemen during EndSARS were carried out by IPOB and not protesting youths for the sole purpose of hijacking and stealing weapons. They are now using those arms to destroy Orlu.

“They killed 12 policemen from that #Endsars period, a prominent Orlu son, Ignatius Obiezu and a promising young man, Emmanuel Okeke (Soludo) collected their Hilux vehicles,” Akaolisa said.

The police would not talk about strategies to combat arsons in their facilities.

Delta

Delta Police Commissioner Ari Mohammed Ali blamed the killings on cultists and the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Any police officer under whose jurisdiction violent crimes are perpetrated, he said, will be removed from office.

He said the Nigeria Navy was to cordon off the River Niger end to prevent fleeing IPOB members, stressing IPOB elements have infiltrated from neighbouring States using River Niger.

Plateau

Plateau State Commissioner of Police Edward Egbuka said the command was on red alert over the spate of attacks on police stations as well as the killing of policemen in some parts of the country.

Egbuka, in a telephone chat with The Nation, said: “My men are on top of any situation basically through our constant patrol mechanism across the state to forestall any eventualities.”

“Another measure adopted by the police in Plateau is the stop and search method in flashpoints and across the state.

“As you know our basic constraint is the limited resources in terms of manpower and other logistics.

“When I was transferred to Plateau, my mission was to make sure that none of my officers and men of the command was molested as well as civilians because my mission is to protect my men and the citizens,” Egbuka said.

Katsina

The Katsina State Police Command yesterday outlined some of the measures to ensure the safety of police officers and police stations to include: synergy with sister security agencies, constant dialogue and interactions with local communities, traditional rulers, repentant bandits, Myyetti Allah groups, clerics and so on.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Gambo Isah, commended the leadership style of CP Sanusi Buba Sanusi.

Imo

In Imo, the fencing of police stations is a major strategy against arsonists. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nigeria n Police Headquarters, Zone 9, Umuahia, comprising Abia, Imo and Ebonyi State, Janet Egwuchukwu, said the police authorities decided to fence all police stations in the country at the outbreak of Boko Haram insurgency.

However, it was discovered that most of the police stations attacked by hoodlums were found not to be fenced.

Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command said it has put in place measures to ensure the security of its men and facilities.

PPRO Nnamdi Omoni, in a telephone interview, yesterday said: “We are not folding our hands so the new CP has put things in place to ensure that police officers are protected.

“Recently, our men have been undergoing SWAP training where they are being drilled on how to combat aggression.

“This is all I can say now, as we all know security strategies are not discussed in the public place, but be rest assured that Rivers state police command is working on that.”

Kaduna

Kaduna State Police Command Commissioner Umar Muri said his men had been trained to protect all police assets and formations.

The Police Commissioner, who spoke to The Nation through the Command’s Spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige said, said: “We have as well beefed up security in the various police formations and other public facilities. We have alerted our men at divisional level to always be at alert so that they can repel whatever comes their way.”

One year after Nigeria recorded its first case of Coronavirus, the situation is a mixed grill for the country where vaccines are still being expected as part of measures to keep the public safe, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF.

Until February 27 last year, messages about wearing face masks in crowded places, observing social/physical distancing and other non-pharmaceutical protocols would have been a misnomer in Nigeria. But, no thanks to an Italian man who visited Nigeria on a business trip, such messages on safety protocols are now sweet music to the ears of Nigerians.

As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the whole world with a shock, thereby overwhelming the health system of most nations, new ways of living and doing things (the new normal) gradually emerged. In Nigeria, the incidence of COVID-19 grew steadily, moving from an imported case and elitist pattern to community transmission within months.

How and where it all began

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China, on December 8, 2019, a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Following the WHO declaration, Nigeria constituted a Coronavirus preparedness group in Nigeria (a country with 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory [FCT]), with WHO categorising Nigeria as one of high-risk African countries with weak healthcare system.

Although social distancing negates regular social interaction, which is the bedrock of interaction in the African society, the contagious disease also limited social relations and disrupted the usual norms of close physical contacts in Nigeria. Human migration was restricted as airports were shut, while social events/gatherings such as sports, festivals, parties, etc were outlawed through stay-at-home directives. It was tough for most Nigerians, but health authorities explained that the new normal is necessary because COVID-19 is transmitted through contact with individuals who have contracted the disease.

While Nigeria had boasted consistently that it had strengthened surveillance at the airports since January 2020, the country recorded its COVID-19 index case, which was imported from Italy, on February 27. At the time, many critics raised concerns about the effectiveness of airport surveillance claims and, by extension, the country’s general preparedness. It was also claimed that the index case (an Italian) had visited some other states of the federation before testing positive for COVID-19, further exposing Nigeria’s pre-COVID-19 preparedness as inadequate.

Of a fact, the start of COVID-19 sent panic across Nigeria, like in every other country. From one imported index case, Nigeria grappled with tremendous health challenges as infection grew into multiple cases, claiming many deaths. Having confirmed the index case, the NCDC activated a multi-sectorial National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to oversee the national response to COVID-19. Subsequently, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) for Coronavirus control was inaugurated on March 9, 2020. Nigeria, like other countries, announced restriction for travelers from 13 COVID-19 high-risk countries from entering the country. However, by the time the ban took effect, Nigeria had recorded more imported cases, most of who arrived in the country without complying with the 14 days self-isolation recommended by the NCDC.

At some point last year, the NCDC disclosed that all confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, especially between February 27 and March 17 (first 30 days after index case) were imported from abroad by returning travelers. As of March 27, one month after the first case, ten states in Nigeria had recorded 81 clinically confirmed cases, with three patients fully recovered and one death reported. By April 5, the number of positive cases had increased exponentially to 232, with death toll rising to five; while 33 persons had recovered among 14 states with positive cases in Nigeria then.

New COVID-19 variant amidst second wave

Months later, in December 2020, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed a new Coronavirus variant was found in Nigeria, saying “it’s a separate lineage from the UK and the South African lineages.” That was how news media became agog with claims that Nigeria had slipped into a second wave of the virus. Last December alone, Nigeria had 19,019 new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 86,576. In this same month, death toll rose to 1,278; while the number of recovered patients increased to 73,322, leaving 11,976 active cases at the end of December.

In January this year, Nigeria reached the milestone of 100,000 confirmed cases, with the country’s first case of the B.1.1.7 variant confirmed on 25 January. There were 44,666 new cases in January, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 131,242 as fatalities rose to 1,586. The number of recovered patients increased to 104,989, leaving 26,667 active cases at the end of the month. Perhaps, this was what prompted Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of PTF, to declare that the second wave of the pandemic has begun in the country, following sudden upsurge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Despite several victims’ narrations, many Nigerians still believe the virus is a scam, while a few others who believed lived with the insinuation that the cases recorded in the first wave of the pandemic was inflated to get funds and grants for states to enrich some officials through contracts award. During the significant drop of the cases recorded between September and November 2020 that lead to the relaxation of the lockdowns and re-opening of the economy to prevent the second phase of economic meltdown, the isolation centres in most states were partially closed, and the country relaxed the usage of face masks in public places. Social distancing, important in the early days of the virus, has also been largely jettisoned as more people congregate in public places without adhering to the health requirements.

On December 10, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, acknowledge that the second wave is real because of the rising number of cases. According to him, the rise in cases was mostly driven by an increase in infections within communities and, to a lesser extent, travelers entering Nigeria. Officially, Nigeria entered the second wave of the pandemic on 17th December 2020, which coincided with the day the country recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases with 1,145 new infections.

Agitation for better welfare package for frontline health workers

As Nigeria struggled to contain the spread of the deadly virus, issues pertaining to allowances and remunerations for frontline healthcare workers erupted into a national crisis. For weeks, especially between June and August last year, medical workers involved in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 had to abandon their duty posts to press home their demands for better compensations.

Across Nigeria’s 36 states, including FCT, health workers on the frontlines said there was no cause for them to smile as far as their welfare was concerned. They said both the federal and state governments failed to honour promises, especially in the payment of allowances, which they said were either slashed arbitrarily at some point or always late in coming. At the time, besides strike actions in states called by local chapters of professional unions that abound in the health sector, NARD led a nationwide downing of tools in June and August during COVID-19 emergency.

Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, NARD President, explained at the time that health workers were compelled to abandon their duty post as a result of the government’s failure to honour agreements reached with resident doctors. Non-payment of health workers’ hazard allowance, lack of life insurance for doctors, and the dearth of PPE in hospitals, among other reasons, were at the heart of the issues that necessitated strike actions.

Striking workers were persuaded to return to work, with the federal government, which said N30.5 billion was spent on COVID-19 in the first four months, disclosing that additional N8.9 billion had been approved to settle welfare issues raised by frontline workers. On September 11, Mustapha said the additional N8.9 billion was meant for COVID-19 hazard allowances for all health workers in Nigeria. He added that the procurement of PPE for hospitals and isolation centres would also be prioritised moving forward.

At the beginning of the fight against the pandemic, the federal government had promised a special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary to health workers in the federal health institutions and designated Covid-19 centres. But professional associations in the healthcare industry said the government did not fulfil its promises. Before this, health workers received N5,000 as hazard pay across the board – though health unions said they are optimistic that a new allowance is being worked out.

Many frontline health workers lost their lives

Many healthcare workers died in the frontlines, as COVID-19 infections among them became a crisis at some point. As at 29th August last year, NARD said 321 out of its 1,031 members had tested positive, 68 had recovered and 14 doctors had died. As at the same date, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) said 150 out of its own 800 members engaged in fighting the spread of the virus had tested positive for Covid-19; while 28 had died.

Also, Nigerian pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) announced in June that six of their 359 frontline workers had tested positive to COVID-19. Casualties on the frontlines are however not limited to Nigeria, as infection and fatality rates among healthcare givers deployed into COVID-19 war in more advanced countries also appeared more disturbing.

Nigeria appreciates health workers’ sacrifices, says NCDC boss

NCDC Director-General Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said the country owes its relative success in managing the COVID-19 crisis to the efforts and sacrifices of its health workers, saying their sacrifices would never be forgotten.

“We are very grateful for the efforts and sacrifices by our health workers involved in the clinical management and public health response to Covid-19 in Nigeria. For most of us, our lives have changed since the first case was recorded in Nigeria in February. Health workers have to ensure laboratories are running 24-7 to meet the huge demand for testing, work long hours to ensure patients are well cared for and several other response activities. In most cases, we are at higher risk and have to take extra measures to protect ourselves while providing critical service to the country.

It is difficult to quantify the number of health workers involved in Nigeria’s Covid-19 response, as we have personnel working across various capacities. There are health workers providing care to Covid-19 patients; there are others who are involved in the public health response such as risk communications, patient counselling, surveillance, outbreak investigation, sample collection and testing among other activities. Most of the human resources in Nigeria’s health sector have been involved in the response to Covid-19.

“Notwithstanding, we continue to urge all health workers to practice standard care precautions. Health workers should maintain the required distance where possible and wear appropriate PPE while attending to any patient, irrespective of the condition of the patient. We will continue to provide adequate training, medical supplies and other resources needed by health workers to protect themselves when managing COVID-19 cases,” he said.

The NCDC boss admitted that the last one year has been an extraordinary year for health security in Nigeria and across the world. “In Nigeria, we have recorded over 150,000 cases across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Sadly, we have lost more than 1,800 people.

One of the biggest strengths of our response to this pandemic has come from the power of coordination, collaboration and solidarity. The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has provided strong leadership and co-ordination to enable a multi-sectoral response. Our states have risen to the challenge by investing further in their health security and collaborating with us at NCDC and the PTF-COVID-19. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum has also created a well-defined structure for us to engage with the state governors.”

He stressed that the strong support from partners, including the organised private sector in Nigeria, has supported the country’s response activities. “We are also grateful to all Nigerians who have shown resilience in protecting themselves and our country and in supporting others.

In the last one year, NCDC has led the activation of at least one molecular laboratory for testing in every state. We have completed the roll out of SORMAS for digital surveillance and reporting of infectious diseases across the country. Thousands of health workers have been trained in several areas including infection prevention control. We have supported the renovation of several treatment centres and begun the establishment of 17 treatment centres for infectious diseases. “Five of these have been completed. As the science around the response evolved, we have developed over 50 guidelines for health workers and the general public. Every single week, we have published a situation report on the epidemiology of the disease and our response activities. We have also maintained communication with Nigerians through social media, SMS, television, radio, newspapers and other means. Our response has been focused on controlling the acute phase of his pandemic but also building sustainable structures for future outbreaks. With the development of a vaccine and ongoing efforts to introduce these in Nigeria, we are much closer to the finishing line than we were one year ago.

“Although the number of cases and deaths in Nigeria and the rest of Africa has been less than countries in other regions of the world, the pandemic has had a toll on lives and livelihood. It has also provided an opportunity for further investment in health security.

Scientific understanding of the virus is still evolving, and many variables may contribute to this difference, including population density and age distribution, governments’ experience with previous outbreaks and low prevalence of non-communicable diseases compared to most other countries in the Global North.

“Our immediate focus is to control the acute phase of the pandemic. Many countries outside of Nigeria have begun to record a decline in the number of cases as vaccination begins. Our sister agency NPHCDA is working very hard to ensure access to vaccines in the very near future. We urge Nigerians to continue practicing the known measures to protect ourselves – regular handwashing with soap and running water, avoiding large gatherings especially indoors, proper use of face masks and physical distancing. We are much closer to the end of this pandemic, than we were one year ago,” he said.

 

Move by the Federal Government to address insecurity, through linkage of mobile telecommunications lines with National Identity Number (NIN) seems to be breeding a new form of security challenges. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports.

The Federal Government, in the first week of December 2020, directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to embark on another audit of the Subscriber Registration Database, a process requiring that, all mobile telecommunication subscribers to link their National Identity Number (NIN) with their mobile lines.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) said the objective of the audit exercise was to verify and ensure compliance by Mobile Network Operators with the set quality standards and requirements of SIM Card Registration.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) were thereby directed to immediately suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM Cards until the audit exercise is concluded, and Government has conveyed the new direction.

Coming out clearer on the objective of the SIM and NIN linkage, as well as the suspension of new SIM registration, was the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, who said that, the exercise was being done for security purposes.

He said: “The government believes that harmonising all phone numbers through the NIN will help curb rising cases of terrorism and banditry because most of the bad guys would have no option but to link their phone lines to the NIN or lose their numbers. This will definitely help to curtail and checkmate the lingering security challenges in some parts of the country.”

However, as good as the motive of the exercise sounds, stakeholders in the telecommunication sector, have raised alarm of a looming security challenges, as they said, the suspension of the new SIM registration for over two months, has rendered about two million telecoms traders jobless.

While the traders in Northern Nigeria, under the auspices Arewa Telecom Operators Agents and SIM card Dealers Association (ATOASDA), addressed a press conference in Kaduna to register their displeasure, their counterparts in the south took to the streets of Asaba, the Delta State capital to ask for reversal of the directive.

Speaking in Kaduna on behalf Arewa Telecom Operators, its President, Hassan Yakubu, said the directive by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to suspend sale, registration and activation of SIM Cards has rendered over 2million youths jobless across the country.

He also claimed that more than 10 billion in revenues have been lost by the telecoms partners in last two months, while over 1 billion in VAT and withholding tax has also been lost by the Federal Government due to the policy.

The telecom dealers said though, they welcome the Government’s intention to address security challenges through linkage of National Identity Number NIN with mobile numbers and suspension of new SIM cards registration, they fear that, rendering two million youths jobless might worsen the security challenges.

Yakubu said as a registered association under Corporate Affairs Commission with registration number CAC/IT/NO131761 and with NCC volume number as NCC/CAB/2019/VOL.1/011, they feel the Government’s objective can still be achieved by allowing registration of new SIM cards to continue, provided that they are only allowed to synchronize with the provision of and linkage with NIN.

The fear of the association, according to Yakubu, is that majority of the telecoms business partners, staff and the agents are within the age bracket 20 to 40 years, while income in the value chain is determined by the number of activations /SIM registration carried out within every month, hence leaving them jobless for too long may be tantamount to breeding an army ready for recruitment into crime.

“So, we advise that, the federal government must trade carefully, because all available research works on the causes of insecurity across the country have been linked primarily to youth unemployment.

“On 7th December, 2020, there was directive by the Federal Government to NCC to carry out an audit of the subscriber registration database to ensure compliance to set quality standards and requirement. Consequently, Mobile Network Operators were directed to suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM Cards until the audit exercise is concluded which the telcom companies adhered to and yet to conclude

“In all of this, the telecom SIM registration partners, staff and their agents remain jobless for over two months. The sub-sector is severely affected by the directive and attendant postponement. Our fear is that, the suspension may trigger a worse form of insecurity, especially in zones most affected by the insecurity. Mind you, the growth in the sector is determined by the very sub-sector under suspension. And the much celebrated 17% contribution by Telecom sector on the GDP was as a result of the activities of same sub-sector.

“As we speak, more than 40% of the partners are on different kind of loans with different kind of repayment patterns and periods. We therefore appeal that, a support fund be specifically created by the Federal Government for the partners, while tax waivers be granted to the sub-sector under suspension, to enable then pay back their loans,” Yakubu said.

Unlike their Northern counterparts, the SIM Card dealers in the South, stormed the streets of Asaba with placards and banners and joined by members of the civil society organisations in their demand for immediate reversal of SIM cards registration suspension.

The protesters led by a member of the State Executive Council of the Human Rights Update Conference, Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime Oj, and a leader of SIM Registration Agents. Ikpesu Andrew carried placards with inscriptions like, ‘Restore SIM registration now’, ‘FG/NCC save our work,’ Hunger is not my friend’,  ‘I’m now Jobless restore SIM registration’ and Suspending SIM registration is anti-people.’ among others.

While demanding that, the Federal Government prevail on NCC to immediately restore SIM registration and sales, they threatened that, the Warri protest was a litmus test, as they will occupy the regional offices of the NCC nationwide and clutter the streets of Abuja if their demands are not met.

In their protest letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, the protesters said, “Nigerian citizens have been subjected to hardship due to miscalculated policies of the NCC.

The letter reads: “The suspension of New SIM sales and registration has increased the level of unemployment in Nigeria and has impoverished the people. Over 3million Nigerians who depend on SIM sales as a means of livelihood have lost their jobs.  Whereas, The NIN-SIM linkage is a spontaneous process that can be executed alongside sales and activation of new SIMS, but the NCC decided otherwise,” the protesters said.

As a way of addressing massive unemployment and revenue loss obviously created by the SIM Card registration suspension, it is advisable as suggested by the aggrieved and protesting telecoms dealers, for the government to lift the suspension and allow sales and registration of new SIM cards, but with a provision for spontaneous linkage of the new SIMs with the subscribers NIN.

Also, to fast track the process of NIN registration, an average of 10 new NIN machines should be deployed in every of the 774 local areas of the Federation for a better reach and avoidance of the crowd witnessed at the National Identity Management Commission’s centres across the country.

Nigeria’s agricultural produce exports have been encountering challenges of reject in the international markets. JULIANA AGBO writes on the need to reposition Nigeria’s agro commodities against rejection at international markets.

Nigeria has a comparative advantage in many agro commodities, but low food quality and safety issues have been a barrier to greater competitiveness in the international market.

Despite the steady growth in the value of Nigeria’s agriculture exports over the years, the country’s agriculture exports to total exports remained below two per cent.  Consequently, oil revenue continues to account for more than 80% of total value of annual exports. This is due to the constant rejection of Nigeria’s agro-export commodities in international market.

The reason for the rejection according to stakeholders is the non-adherence to sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures among others.

According to report by CEIC Data, Nigeria’s total exports recorded $3.2 billion in October 2020, while total imports recorded $4.4billion in October 2020, which registered a decrease of 3.3% year on year.

The report further noted that Nigeria’s trade balance recorded a deficit of $2.2 billion in September 2020.

According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono, it is embarrassing to have agricultural products from Nigeria rejected in the international markets due to some unwholesome practices at the processing stage.

Nanono reiterated the need to strengthen the nation’s regulatory authority for agricultural exportation in order to curb rejection of country’s agro-products in international markets.

“It has become necessary to ensure that our production that our production, comprising our commodities with comparative advantages/export potentials and emerging ones, is demand-driven and targeted towards meeting the food safety standards of our intending markets with the assistance of experts in the sector,” he said.

Reasons for rejection of Nigeria’s agro-export commodities

Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Executive Director/CEO Olusegun Awolowo lamented that Nigeria’s agricultural produce exports have been encountering challenges of rejection in the international markets.

Awolowo highlighted the reasons for the rejection to include, non-compliance to administrative procedures such as non-compliance to documentation import/export requirements.

He also stated that poor packaging, labelling and insufficient information on the nutritional content contribute to the challenges.

He lamented that the European Union recently extended the ban placed on import of Nigerian dried beans till 2022 because of the non-implementation of the developed action plan, particularly, the Integrated Export Control Plan developed under the National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP).

Furthermore, Director General of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe, said Nigeria must restore conventional export control measures at all ports of entry to optimise its comparative advantage in agricultural commodities and diversify the economy.

While speaking on the status of NAQS efforts towards lifting the EU’s suspension of the import of Nigerian dried beans, he said that Nigeria was the largest producer of dried cowpea in the world, accounting for almost half of the global production.

He explained that lack of export quality guarantees and the resultant off-and on pattern of the export traffic of Nigerian dried beans was costing the country $362.5 in foreign revenue annually.

Speaking on the weak link in the bean value chain, Dr. Isegbe said that the ban was occasioned by an export control gap which allowed the shipping of dried beans with pesticide residues higher than the permissible threshold.

“There are no export control measures put in place as required in the EU regulation,” he said.

He mentioned that the results of the extensive fieldwork and laboratory analyses done by NAQS showed that the challenge of high pesticide residue in Nigerian beans was not nested in the farm.

He said the bean samples collected from the farms had low pesticide residues beneath the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) of Nigeria’s trading partners while bean samples collected from the warehouses had high pesticide residues, above the MRL.

According to him, this wide differential indicates that high pesticide use is traceable to the bulk buyers, aggregators, and exporters. In an attempt to protect their stock against weevils and other storage pests, these set of actors usually lace their beans with pesticides liberally; thereby, raising the pesticide residues in the commodity above the MRL and unwittingly rendering them ineligible for export.

“The control of agro-pesticide still resides with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) instead of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, thereby inhibiting a direct link with the end-users,” he added.

Control measures

Explaining that agriculture policy roadmap speaks directly to the fact that agriculture remains a major option to diversifying the nation’s economy, the minister of agriculture said it has been relegated to the background due to years of neglect.

While inaugurating the Standing Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Zero Reject of Agricultural Commodities and Produce/Non-Oil Exports in Abuja, Naono said the ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, is committed not only to food security but wholesome foods of high quality acceptable for local consumption and export.

The minister said the standing inter-ministerial technical committee on zero reject initiative will develop strategies against rejection of commodities and produce of Nigerian origin.

He added that the committee will design an implementable five-year action plan and develop a single-window platform for all regulatory and certification bodies.

He said: “This administration is committed to harnessing the natural resources we are blessed with to feed ourselves, but this cannot be achieved if what we are producing as a nation cannot meet international food certification standards.”

The NEPC Executive Director while noting that the recently FEC approved National Quality Policy offers a good opportunity to mainstream the developed export control plan and commence its implementation urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to provide strong leadership by driving the process and ensuring implementation.

Awolowo said a collaborative effort by all stakeholders, public and private with the key competent authorities playing an active role is necessary to ensure the implementation of the developed action plan.

“The Council is more than ready to be at the forefront of the efforts to achieve zero rejects for exportable agricultural products and will be willing to support series of activities like technical sessions and provision of intervention materials,” he added.

Speaking further on the control measures, the NAQS DG reiterated the need for government to institute effective export control measures as required on the EU regulation.

He said the NAQS should be responsible for inspecting and certifying agro product at the seaports and airports.

Isegbe however said the National Strategic Grain Reserve should designate specific silos for export.

“The government should increase the sensitisation on the wrongful application of agro-pesticide and support the bean export certification value chain.”

Commenting on the importance of the standing inter-ministerial technical committee on zero reject the initiative, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, said it would facilitate regional and international trades, promote wholesome agricultural commodities for local consumption as well as enhancing market access within Africa and internationally to support the import substitution drive.

With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent reaching 3,819,576 on Saturday, a fresh outbreak of Ebola in Guinea and Congo is becoming a source of concern to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the European Union, Bola Olajuwon, ASSISTANT EDITOR writes

COVID-19 and health care facilities

The death toll related to COVID-19 pandemic stood at 100,993 as of Saturday with a total of 3,372,490 people infected recovering across the continent so far, according to the continental disease control and prevention agency’s Africa COVID-19 dashboard.

The deaths of several African ministers and eminent personalities due to COVID-19 have sparked a conversation about the need to strengthen local health care facilities that were largely neglected before the pandemic.

So far this year alone, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have lost cabinet ministers to the pandemic. These high-profile deaths have led to concerns that health care systems may be overwhelmed due to a second wave of the coronavirus and the possible spread of a new, more transmissible COVID-19 variant that was first detected in South Africa and has now been found in other African countries: Nigeria, Botswana, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia.

Most politicians in African countries often bypass local health systems and seek care elsewhere. President Muhammadu Buhari had on several occasions gone to United Kingdom (UK) to receive medical treatment for undisclosed ailment.

In 2019, former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe died in Singapore after receiving treatment in the city-state for several months. In the same year, current Zimbabwe Vice President Constantino Chiwenga spent four months in China receiving medical treatment for an unknown illness.

But COVID-19 has closed borders and made travel impossible, meaning even those in positions of relative privilege have had to rely on the dilapidated health systems in their own countries.

With healthcare systems in Africa suffering from neglect and underfunding, the idea of the continent facing a fresh pandemic is a serious concern to health professionals and regulators.

The WHO said Guinean health authorities have declared an outbreak of Ebola in a rural community in the south of the country with no fewer than seven people infected.

Similarly, on Feb. 7, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recorded fresh case of Ebola in the North Kivu province of the country. WHO stated that DRC announced that a new case of Ebola had been detected in Butembo, a city in North Kivu Province, where a previous outbreak was declared in June 2020.

According to the statement, this is the first time the disease has been reported in the country since the deadly 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which claimed over 11,000 lives.

The sad Ebola experience of 2013–2016

Ebola virus disease (EBOV) was first described in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak was the first anywhere in the world to reach epidemic proportions. Previous outbreaks had been brought under control in a much shorter period of time. Extreme poverty, dysfunctional healthcare systems, distrust of government after years of armed conflict, and the delay in responding for several months, all contributed to the failure to control the epidemic in Congo. Other factors included local burial customs of washing the body and the unprecedented spread of Ebola to densely populated cities.

According to media reports, the Western African Ebola virus epidemic (2013–2016) was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history, causing major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The first cases were recorded in Guinea in December 2013 and later the disease spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. It caused significant mortality, with the case fatality rate reported which was initially considerable, while the rate among hospitalised patients was 57–59%, the final numbers 28,616 people, including 11,310 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of 40%. Small outbreaks occurred in Nigeria and Mali, and secondary infections of medical workers occurred in the United States and Spain with isolated cases recorded in Senegal, the United Kingdom and Italy. The number of cases peaked in October 2014 and then began to decline gradually, following the commitment of substantial international resources. As of 8 May 2016, the WHO and respective governments reported a total of 28,646 suspected cases and 11,323 deaths (39.5%), though the WHO believes that this substantially understates the magnitude of the outbreak.

The outbreak left about 17,000 survivors of the disease, many of whom report post-recovery symptoms termed post-Ebola syndrome, often severe enough to require medical care for months or even years. In December 2016, the WHO announced that a two-year trial of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine appeared to offer protection from the variant of EBOV responsible for the Western Africa outbreak and is considered to be effective and is the only prophylactic which offers protection. About 300,000 doses of rVSV-ZEBOV, which received regulatory approval in 2019, have been stockpiled.

Nigeria’s Index Case

The index case in Nigeria was a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, who flew from Liberia to Lagos on July 20, 2014. Sawyer became ill upon arriving at the airport and died five days later. In response, the Nigerian government observed all of Sawyer’s contacts for signs of infection and increased surveillance at all entry points to the country.

The Liberian-American was believed to have suspected he was infected with Ebola because he cared for his sister, who died of the disease on July 8, he was hospitalised in Monrovia for fever and Ebola symptoms on July 17 before discharging himself against professional medical advice to fly to Lagos. On getting to Lagos, he lied to the staff of First Consultants Medical Centre that he had not had any exposure to anyone that had contracted Ebola. Key medical professionals who treated him lost their lives, including Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh (October 27, 1956 – August 19,  2014).

Dr. Adadevoh was credited with having curbed a wider spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing Sawyer in quarantine despite pressure from the Liberian government. When threatened by Liberian officials who wanted the patient to be discharged to attend a conference, she resisted the pressure and said, “for the greater public good” she would not release him.

DRC and Guinea bracing to contain outbreak in Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo, WHO, and Humanitarian agencies are rushing to stop the spread of the deadly disease after three cases were confirmed in one week. These cases are reported in Butembo, an epicentre of a previous outbreak (the 10th in the country) that was declared over in June, last year.

Anne-Marie Connor, the National Director for World Vision in DRC said: “Thankfully, World Vision had trained and equipped faith leaders and motorcycle riders on how to help their communities contain such outbreaks. This provides a ready and available force for effective community engagement to safeguard families, especially children.”

“Since March 2020, we adapted our programmes to augment the COVID-19 standard operating procedures, and thankfully most of the measures like frequent handwashing, and physical distancing work for Ebola prevention as well,” World Vision East Zone Director, David Munkley added.

WHO begins shipment of vaccine doses

WHO and the government have commenced shipment of vaccine doses to Butembo and ensuring shipment of cold chain equipment to the affected zone, as well as working to strengthen laboratory capacity.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: “It’s a huge concern to see the resurgence of Ebola in Guinea, a country which has already suffered so much from the disease.

“However, banking on the expertise and experience built during the previous outbreak, health teams in Guinea are on the move to quickly trace the path of the virus and curb further infections.”

According to the UN health agency, the cases, which were confirmed by the national laboratory, occurred in Gouéké in N’Zerekore prefecture, in southern Guinea.  Initial investigations found that a nurse from a local health facility died on January 28.

Following her burial, six people who attended the funeral reported Ebola-like symptoms and two of them later died. The other four are in hospital.

AU to send an emergency team of experts to Guinea

The African Union (AU) was due to send an emergency team of experts to Guinea as part of efforts to tackle an Ebola outbreak, recently detected by the government of the West African country.

The health authorities in Guinea declared an outbreak of Ebola over the last weekend, reporting at least three fatalities caused by the disease. The resurgence was detected in the Goueke sub-prefecture, located not far from the country’s second-largest city of Nzerekore.

“The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is preparing to deploy an advance emergency response support team of experts in the next 48 hours. It will continue to mobilise its expertise and resources to support the response,” the bloc’s statement said.

EU ready to assist affected countries

The EU is ready to assist countries affected by the Ebola disease, European Commission spokesman, Balazs Ujvari said yesterday.

This assurance is coming a day after the Guinean government declared an outbreak of the infection.

“When necessary, we are available to help, and on any request coming from these countries, we would answer,’’ Ujvari said at a briefing.

The spokesman noted that the disease was also detected in Congo, making it one of the nations, eligible for the EU aid initiatives.

He noted that the EU has allocated 200 million euros ($242.5 million) to the development and production of vaccines against Ebola since 2014.

Red Cross: outbreak requires immediate response

The resurgence of the Ebola disease in Guinea requires a fast response that will allow the country to mitigate its negative impact, an official of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa, Mohammed Mukhier, said in Conakry.

The resurgence of the Ebola is happening against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 health crisis, the organisation said. A network of more than 700 trained Red Cross volunteers has been mobilised to provide an emergency response.

“We need a response that is faster than the virus itself.

“Unless the response is swift, the health, economic and social impacts are likely to be immense for millions of people in a country with a relatively weak health system, and where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line,’’ Mukhier said.

The IFRC’s official added that though the resurgence of the disease occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the recent medical discoveries would help to contain the new outbreak.

“The resurgence of the virus in Guinea comes at the worst possible time when the country is already facing the COVID-19 pandemic. There are reasons for fear, but there are also reasons for hope.

“While we are extremely concerned, we are also reassured by the lessons we learned from previous outbreaks, and by recent medical advances,’’ Mukhier said.

A public health advisory will be issued soon, says NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said it is aware of confirmed Ebola cases in Guinea and is assessing the risk to Nigeria. In a social media statement, it said it would soon issue a public health advisory over the rising in Guinea.

“NCDC is aware of confirmed Ebola cases in Guinea and is assessing the risk to Nigeria,” it said.

It added that talks have started with WHO and the Africa CDC in coordinating efforts in the region.

Ebola virus and how it spreads

Ebola virus disease, a highly infectious and acutely lethal viral disease that has afflicted humans and animals primarily in equatorial Africa. The pathogens responsible for the disease are the five ebolaviruses recognised by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses: Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Reston virus (RESTV), Taï Forest virus (TAFV), and Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). Four of the five variants have caused the disease in humans as well as other animals; RESTV has caused clinical symptoms only in non-human primates. RESTV has caused subclinical infections in humans, producing an antibody response but no visual symptoms or disease state manifestations.

Transmission of the ebolaviruses between natural reservoirs and humans is rare, and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease are often traceable to a single case where an individual has handled the carcass of a gorilla, chimpanzee, bats, or duiker. The virus then spreads person-to-person, especially within families, hospitals and during some mortuary rituals where contact among individuals becomes more likely.

The WHO, while learning from failed responses, such as during the 2000 outbreak in Uganda, established its Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, and other public health measures were instituted in areas at high risk. Field laboratories were established to confirm cases, instead of shipping samples to South Africa. Outbreaks are also closely monitored by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Special Pathogens Branch.

Nigeria is the first country in West Africa to successfully curtail the virus, and its procedures have served as a model for other countries to follow.

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with the body fluids – such as vomit, faeces or blood – of an infected person, or through surfaces and materials (such as bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

The incubation period – the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms – is from two to 21 days. The symptoms of EVD can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding.

Despite the catalogue of challenges he inherited, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has, in 600 days, introduced policies and programmes that have reinforced Lagosians’ faith in government, writes  Robert Egbe

 

The civil service is the bedrock of good governance. This is an existential truism that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State abides by. Thus, as part of efforts to revive the culture of performance in the civil service, he launched a new knowledge-sharing platform that would ensure that the appointment of permanent secretaries will now be based on rigorous examination and interviews.

Governor Sanwo-Olu introduced the new rules at the launch of the knowledge-sharing platform tagged ‘A Disruptive S.H.i.F.T’ about eight months into his administration. The event, organised by the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, was created to harness the creativity and innovativeness of civil servants to transform the state’s public service into a 21st Century workforce.

According to the governor, S.H.i.F.T, an acronym for Simple, High-Impact, interactive, Focused, Transformational, which entails that the reward system in the Lagos public service must be performance-based, was introduced to bring back the culture of commitment to work and provide an opportunity for those in the employment of the state to learn, unlearn and relearn for improved service delivery. He urged civil servants to demonstrate a high-level commitment in their various areas of duty and be mentors to their colleagues in the lower cadre of service.

Similarly, the governor had, on the resumption of office, re-fleeted the Central Bus System (CBS), the body handling transport for civil servants, as almost all the buses being used to transport them were dilapidated. He donated 35 brand new Marco Polo buses on his first day at work. Weeks after, he approved the implementation of N35, 000 minimum wage for the state workers. Sanwo-Olu said that his government understood the day-to-day challenges being faced by workers in the state to do their tasks and that the agreement to pay the new minimum wage was predicated on the need to motivate and encourage them to cope with challenges that may hinder their productivity.

He said: “As a government, we take the issue of minimum wage very seriously. We know how important and germane it is to the wellbeing of our people. We are technically ready to implement the new minimum wage. However little it is, we will certainly pay more than the N30, 000 minimum wage. We understand the position Lagos occupies and we understand the challenges workers are facing in Lagos. If other states can rise to that amount, I believe Lagos needs to show a bit more to appreciate workers’ contribution to the growth of our state.”

These were deeply thoughtful quick-fixes and interventions that boosted the morale of the civil service particularly and laid the foundation for a seamless running of government under Sanwo-Olu. Also, one of the first things he did on his first day in office was to sign an Executive Order declaring an emergency on traffic management and transportation. The state’s traffic management agency was authorised and empowered to operate two daily shifts to control traffic up to 11 pm. In keeping with his campaign promise to ease traffic gridlock along the Apapa-Oshodi corridor caused by illegal parking of trucks, the state government collaborated with the Federal Government by setting up a Taskforce to remove illegally parked trucks and restore discipline along the Apapa-Oshodi corridor.

Governor Sanwo-Olu followed this up by declaring a state of emergency on various dilapidated highways and carriages within the state and after the conclusion of deliberations with eight multi-national engineering firms, he declared the commencement of major construction works on the identified highways considered critical to the reduction of traffic congestion. It was an announcement that threw Lagosians from Marina to Mowe, Banana Island to Badagry and everywhere in between into understandable elation. To complement the major construction work on the highway, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) promptly effected the repairs of 116 inner roads, which were in addition to over 200 roads already rehabilitated by the corporation.

As of January 2021, the LSPWC said that it was targeting the rehabilitation of 250 kilometres of roads across the state this year in addition to the 297 it repaired between 2019 and 2020. Ganiu Lawal, Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the LSPWC said that the pieces and patches of cumulative work done across the state in 2020 was a total of 90 kilometres and that the massive rehabilitation drive was to meet up with the state government’s vision of zero potholes and gridlock. “We were able to finish about 297 roads since we started, and for last year, we covered a total of about 90kms of roads that is the cumulation of what we have done. And this year, the governor has given us a directive that we must up our game and finish about 250kms. That is our target for this year, to do 250kms of road maintenance and rehabilitation,” Lawal said.

The need to restore the aesthetics of the environment and improve the health of residents led to the immediate upgrade of the waste management infrastructure to achieve efficient services in waste disposal and also to achieve a cleaner environment. The capacity of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) was urgently improved upon to remove the heaps of waste that littered streets and highways, thereby, saving the state from an outbreak of an epidemic that could have resulted from the indiscriminate dumping of refuse by residents.

This effort was followed by the launch of the Blue Box Initiative, which would enable the state to create jobs and wealth from recyclable waste materials.

But it was in the area of managing the corona virus pandemic that the governor won the hearts of millions of Lagosians and Nigerians at large. As the Incident Commander of Lagos State, he was proactive and pragmatic and ubiquitous, daily communicating with Lagosians on what was being done and what had been done. The number of cases rose within the month but Governor Sanwo-Olu kept the information channels open; when he was not addressing the populace personally, statements were being issued daily by his office. To break the cycle of transmission of the coronavirus among residents, the governor directed civil servants from Grade Level 1 to 12 to stay off office for 14 days. The directive came two days after the state government shut down schools and suspended public gatherings of more than fifty persons following the confirmation of additional corona virus cases across the nation. As the cases rose in Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu, in May, commissioned a 118-bed isolation and treatment centre at the Gbagada General Hospital. Coming at a time that the Nigerian Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) had complained of the inadequacy of spaces due to the spike in the number of confirmed cases in Lagos, the new centre was expected to absorb more Covid-19 patients and be manned by highly skilled volunteer health workers trained in infection prevention and control as well as COVID-19 case management.

On its part, the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc scored a major positive for Corporate Nigeria with the opening, late March, of a new 100-bed isolation centre in Onikan specifically built for the management of the growing cases of corona virus disease. The governor promised that the facility would go a long way in ensuring that those who contract the disease are given the best care possible whilst being isolated from the rest of the society to prevent further infections.

To cushion the effect of the 14-day stay-at-home directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, the governor unveiled an economic stimulus package for the indigent and the most vulnerable in the society using no fewer than 4,000 registered Community Development Associations (CDAs), nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and religious leaders to distribute the packages. The stimulus, which came in food packs, was distributed to every local government area in the state.

He said the food packs, which were put together by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, reached the most vulnerable communities and households across Lagos; touched, at least, 200,000 households in the first phase; while the indigents who rely on daily wages were given priority in the arrangement. The food packs, produced for a six-person household, was expected to last for at least 14 days. The Ministry of Agriculture also flagged-off the emergency neighbourhood food markets to address the problem associated with the restriction and prevent panic-buying following the closure of all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities.

When the cessation of movement in Lagos, Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was extended, the state government introduced a bumper scheme to further cushion the effect of the lockdown. The new scheme came on the heels of the commencement of the second part of the Food Stimulus Packages distributed to 250,000 vulnerable residents.

Food kitchens were also opened in all the local government councils to provide one meal per day to 100,000 youths, as well as unconditional cash transfer to 250,000 vulnerable residents and economically challenged persons who registered with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA). Additionally, the governor granted three months moratorium to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Entrepreneurs who need to repay loans obtained from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). He also directed the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and Task Force to release all private and commercial vehicles impounded from March 1, 2020, to April 14, 2020, for minor traffic offences.

The hands-on and omnipresent way Governor Sanwo-Olu tackled the COVID-19 outbreak in Lagos earned him plaudits from far and wide, notably, from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the Presidential Taskforce for the Control of the Coronavirus, Mr. Boss Mustapha. He hailed Governor Sanwo-Olu for his resoluteness in driving the efforts to flatten the curve of COVID-19 outbreak in the nation and the roles being played by Lagos to curtail the spread of the virus, which he said had raised the hopes of other states in winning the fight against the pandemic. Mustapha spoke when he led members of the Task Force on working visits to major isolation facilities in Lagos recently. The 12-member team was personally received by Governor Sanwo-Olu at its first port of call, the 110-bed Isolation Facility in Onikan before they moved to other isolation centres across Lagos for inspection.

It did not come as any surprise, therefore, that many media organisations fell over themselves to honour the governor for how he has, so far, managed the corona virus pandemic. Noteworthy is the Nation newspaper, which honoured him with the Person of the Year Award “for the bravery, courage, and persistence of the smart and energetic Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who shouldered the City’s difficulties throughout the year like a giant.”

Food security is a product of consistency and deliberate intervention in agricultural chain value. Experts are of the view that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention will go a long way to achieve this, reports SINA FADARE.

Not long ago, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned that food crisis was looming in Africa and particularly in Nigeria due to the ravaging effect of COVID-19. Statistics depicts that the agricultural sector in Nigeria has not been able to fulfil its traditional roles of feeding the population, meeting the raw materials needs of industries, as well as providing substantial export earnings for the economy.

However, the steps taken by the government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offer opportunities for a rebirth. When the money spent on importation of food and drinks went up to an embarrassing level, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the CBN to block food importers’ requests for foreign currency to boost local agriculture in country. This was in continuation of his policy when he came to office in 2015. This singular act combined with the closure of the country’s border to all manner of importations of food, particularly rice, helped to re-focus agriculture towards a recovery path, according to an agronomist, Dr. Iremi Alade

The CBN is injecting N50 billion into the commodity exchange to mop up produce from farmers and aggregators has been seen as a welcome idea both to the farmers and agricultural experts. The President approved that the CBN, as a majority shareholder in Nigerian Commodity Exchange (NCX), should collaborate with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), under the Infraco Structure, to develop and implement a strategic repositioning plan for the Exchange which has remained comatose for several years.

CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele said despite huge gains made by the apex bank in the agriculture sector, there remained significant challenges, particularly within the Nigerian agricultural commodities value chain which needed to be tackled to accelerate investment and productivity.

According to him, some of those challenges include poor infrastructure and logistics which impede the movement of produce from farm to market and/or processing centres resulting in massive revenue losses to farmers; limited storage and preservation facilities; and lack of adequate liquidity to support off take of agricultural goods.

The CBN boss argued that the critical role that an effective and efficient commodity exchange ecosystem should play in providing an organised platform for farmers to trade products in a transparent and efficient market cannot be under emphasised but lamented that the NCX, the Federal Government’s premier commodity exchange, set up in 2001, has failed to catalyse agricultural production.

He explained that the president also approved “the formation of a Steering Committee  chaired by the CBN governor and including representatives from NSIA and AFC as well as the federal ministries responsible for finance, budget and national planning; industry, trade and investment, as well as agriculture and rural development, to oversee the implementation of this strategic plan”.

Speaking to The Nation on the prospect of the policy against the backdrop of dwindling fortune of oil revenue in the country, Mr. John Okechukwu, an agricultural economist, noted that the hall mark of any policy particularly agriculture is that it must be domesticated to the last farmer on the field which at the long run will provide food security to the nation.

Okechukwu pointed out that with the establishment of 20 Commodity Exchange licensed warehouses in the six geopolitical zones in the country will go a long way for the farmers to have access to it.

He explained that some of the crops which include rice paddles, maize, cocoa, groundnut, beans, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, soya beans and sorghum are stored at the point of harvest,  which will reduce a lot of waste and encouraged even distribution during the time of need.

He regretted that a lot of infrastructural amenities were scattered all over the country but the farmers cannot access it, adding that one of such facility is silos which is very germane to agricultural storage, yet it was underutilised.

Dr. Ademola Adeyemo, an agriculturist, explained that the policy is long overdue. He  said that all over the world all these are put in place to make sure that farmers were assisted in the period of surplus harvest and save for a raining day without losing anything.

He argued that ordinarily it may be difficult for each farmer to embark on this exercise individually which has made them to  be suffering in silence for many years, adding that if the policy could be implemented to the letter, it will reduced drastically all the wastage being experienced by farmers during the peak of their harvest.

According to him, this will also give the farmers the opportunity to have good price bargaining on their produce when they are ready to dispose it unlike when they are at the mercy of the customers during the harvesting period which may crash the price.

“The good side of it is that the farmers may not be in a hurry to dispose its crop during the time of plenty when the market will be jam-packed with more goods than could be consumed, which may force the farmer to sell at a giveaway price for fear of being destroyed, but if there is a good storage facilities, all the excess produced can be mopped up and store till the need to consume it arise.”

Admonishing the youths to embrace agriculture as a business venture which can turn around their economic fortune, Mr. Oluwole Azeez, the founder of Farmkonnect Ltd, noted that 2021 might pose a serious threat to food production in Nigeria as a result of COVID-19 which has adversely affected farmers. He, however, proffered that the only way to tackle the looming food crisis was for the government at various levels to intervene.

He lamented that  the adverse effect of the pandemic  gave a deadly blow to farmers adding that the intervention of government along this line had salvaged a lot of farmers, adding that this type of a policy should be domesticated to the last farmer on the field so that the looming danger of food crisis can be averted.

To Gbenga Adewale, a cocoa farmer and exporter in Ondo State, the new intervention by the CBN is long overdue.  “This is a step we ought to have taken longest time, but all the same it will assist us a lot to combat the challenges which storage facilities has imposed on us.”

Adewale lamented that grain farmers have suffered a lot because of this problem because they were being forced to dispose their produce because of lack of financial enablement to store it during the period of massive harvest

He pointed out that the government should make sure that the policy should not be a mere paper work but an action plan that will re position the country to solve the looming danger of food crisis in the soonest future.

The cocoa expert argued that the synergy between NCX and African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfGFTA) will go a long way to open a new market opportunity for the farmers to collectively export their produce in order to earn foreign exchange. “Both will put their expertise together to get the best out of the local farmer which can be exported with easy.”

The Managing Director of AfCFTA, Mrs. Zaheera Baba-Ari, noted that “The establishment of the continental trade bloc will be beneficial to African countries if properly managed”.

According to her, the exchange had established a network of 20 licensed delivery warehouses across major production areas in the six geo-political zones of the country for efficient receipt and storage of agro-commodities to be traded on the exchange.

The warehouses, located in Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Benue, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, Ebonyi, Ekiti and Kogi have combined capacity to store 50 trillion tonnes of goods, she said. Baba-Ari added that other warehouses located in Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Jigawa, Edo, Cross River and the Ondo states would be ready within the year.

On standards and quality of commodities, Baba-Ari said that the NCX Quality Control department was headed by a professional certified by the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria. She added that the exchange’s laboratory was being rigorously upgraded for ISO22000 certification which combines ISO 9001 with Food Safety Management and Hazard Analysis, including Critical Control Point System (HACCP).

“The HACCP identifies specific hazards and proffers measures for the control of identified impurities in the food processing sector,’’ adding  that Nigerian farmers and manufacturers would likely face the challenges of global competitiveness as a result of the high cost of production, poor yields, low capacity utilisation and high prices.

By Eric Ikhilae, Jide Orintunsin and Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari, the United States, China and governors on Monday welcomed the announcement of former Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the new director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

They said in their congratulatory messages to Okonjo-Iweala on Monday that they had no iota of doubt that she would take the 26-year-old inter-governmental organisation responsible for the regulation of international trade to higher heights.

With her selection, the erstwhile World Bank Managing Director becomes the first black, first African, and first female to lead the trade organisation.

She takes over from Roberto Azevêdo, who stepped down August 31, 2020, a year before the expiration of his mandate.

The WTO had in a terse statement said:  “Members have just agreed to appoint Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general. Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to head the WTO.”

The trade organisation explained that the decision was taken at its general council’s special meeting.

The statement added that Okonjo-Iweala “will assume duties on March 1, while her term will expire on August  31, 2025, but it could be renewed.”

We need to get global economy going again, Okonjo-Iweala

In her acceptance speech, Okonjo-Iweala said   the WTO would get the global economy running again during her tenure.

She expressed willingness to make the WTO stronger, adding that the organisation would adapt to the “realities of today.

Her words: “I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO DG. A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organisation faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”

US, China promise cooperation

The United States (U.S.), in welcoming the development, said it was “eager” to work with Okonjo-Iweala.

“The U.S. is committed to working closely with Director-General Okonjo-Iweala and she can count on US  to be a constructive partner,” said David Bisbee, the American trade delegate to the WTO.

Delays in the appointment of WTO chief stemmed from the reluctance of former U.S. President Donald Trump to approve Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy. The Trump administration favoured South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

However, after Joe Biden assumed presidency, Myung-hee quit the race, paving the way for Okonjo-Iweala’s selection.

China said it “has full confidence in Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as the WTO director-general.”

A statement by the Ministry of Commerce, noted that the appointment of the  former Minister of Foreign Affairs meets the expectations of all.

“China anticipates that Okonjo-Iweala will help the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference achieve positive results, advance necessary reforms to the WTO, and uphold and strengthen the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trade system,” the statement added.

Lagarde, EU Parlaiment boss, Akinwumi: She will deliver

Fellow female global leaders, such as European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde, also hailed the emergence of the Delta State-born former Foreign Affairs Minister as the WTO boss.

Von der Leyen said on Twitter handle: “This is a historic moment for the entire world. I’m so glad to see a woman from Africa at the head. Europe is fully behind you.

“We support the reform of the WTO and will help you protect the rules-based multilateral trading system,”

Lagarde noted that she has known  “Ngozi (Okonjo-Iweala) for many years,” adding that “her strong will and determination will drive her to tirelessly promote free trade to the benefit of people worldwide.”

Also, African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, tweeted: “Congratulations to my dear big sister @NOIweala on becoming today the first woman and first African to be elected as Director General of @wto. Congratulations!”

The  Nigerian leaders that congratulated Okonjo-Iweala   include  President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila; a former Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu; Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Nyesom Wike  (Rivers); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Okezie Ikpeazu(Abia)  and Hope Uzodimma (Imo).

Others were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and the Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Uche Secondus.

Buhari: Okonjo-Iweala’ll reposition, strengthen the WTO

Buhari expressed confidence in the ability of the new WTO DG to reposition the institution. He noted in a statement   by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu,  that her  new office would confer more respect on Nigeria .

The statement reads: “On behalf of the Federal Government and all Nigerians, President Buhari warmly felicitates with former Minister of Finance and Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her election as the WTO DG, bringing joy and more honour to the country.

“As the Harvard-educated and renowned economist takes up another onerous task of service to the world and humanity, the President believes her track record of integrity, diligence and passion for the development will continue to yield positive results and rewards to mankind.

“President Buhari affirms that Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who over the years set major records of economic reforms in Nigeria as Minister of Finance, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs, will excel in her new position and validate the global mandate of repositioning and strengthening the multilateral institution for the greater good of all.”

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Adeniyi Adebayo said Okonjo-Iweala “will not disappoint the organisation and all those who worked to make the appointment a reality.”

While Senate President Ahmad Lawan urged the former minister to use her new position to promote global prosperity and fair trade, Gbajabiamila challenged her to make Nigeria and Africa proud in her new assignment.

Gbajabiamila asked the new WTO boss to make Nigeria and Africa proud in her new assignment.

The House Speaker, who said he was elated by the news, pointed out that her confirmation has once again proved that Nigeria has experts that can compete favourably both at home and abroad.

“We commend the global community for having confidence in Dr. Okonjo Iweala and particularly, United States President Joe Biden for the unwavering support given to her by his administration, which is clearly in recognition of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s competence,” he added.

Okowa, Wike, Uzodimma, Obaseki, Ikpeazu 

Okowa, Wike, Obaseki, Uzodimma and Ikpeazu said they were particularly happy that Okonjo-Iweala had by her appointment broken the 26-year-old jinx of a female becoming head of the WTO.

Okowa, who is the governor of Okonjo-Iweala’s home state, described the new WTO DG as an illustrious Deltan from Ogwashi-Uku and a two-time Minister of Finance, who led Nigeria’s economy to exit foreign debt obligations during her first term under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“I am excited to hear of the emergence of our illustrious daughter, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the WTO DG.  Your appointment is indeed, a testament to your competence and experience as a renowned economist and international development expert,” Okowa said in a statement.

Obaseki assured that the former Finance Minister would bring her wealth of experience  to bear  in building stronger alliances to promote multilateral trade,  instill the needed discipline to advance the development of world economies.

According to him, she will bridge trade gaps between developed and developing economies across the globe.

Also, Wike said the world has entered a new epoch with the appointment  Okonjo-Iweala as the WTO DG.

He described her as a beacon of hope for Nigeria, saying her new position will usher in a new era in the WTO.

Uzodimma said Okonjo-Iweala’s new post has not only brought honour to Nigeria, but shows how Nigerians have continued to impact the world positively.

He added that Okonjo-Iwuala’s track record of achievements as a renowned development economist places her in a position to take the WTO to a level that the  world would be proud of because of her intelligence, meticulousness and education.

Ikpeazu described the former minister as a history maker, pace setter and powerful pathfinder for the womenfolk on the global scene.

“Her emergence is yet another evidence that excellence and hardwork have their rewards, even at the highest level. We are delighted because Okonjo Iweala is an Abia woman by virtue of her marriage to an Abian, Dr. Iweala….”he added

Secondus, Atiku, Obi celebrate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clan  spoke glowingly of Okonjo-Iweala, saying her appointment was the most suiting for a troubled nation in search of its soul due to poor leadership.

It said her new position mirrored Nigeria’s great future, notwithstanding the failure of today’s political leaders.

“This savouring news coming at this time that the nation is witnessing her worse due to leadership failure is relieving and hope rising that a greater tomorrow awaits this land”, Secondus said in a statement.

Also, Atiku said in a statement he personally signed that he  was “an apostle of free trade and an astute manager of people and resources, and the world will be a much more prosperous place by her elevation to this enviable height.”

He added: “As the world prepares to emerge from the global pandemic of COVID-19, the planet needs a steady hand at the wheels, to drive global trade and rebuild from the devastation wrought by the virus.

“We would not need someone who thinks they can pull this off. We would need someone who has actually and serially pulled it off before. And that person has emerged.”

The minority caucus in the House of Representatives congratulated the  former minister, saying her appointment  has reinforced global confidence in her  competence and proficiency to head the world body.

It commended the global community for having confidence in   Okonjo Iweala and particularly, the  US  and Myung-hee.

Ekweremadu noted, in a statement, “with her(Okonjo-Iweala) emergence, the much needed transformation and democratisation of the WTO to play its expected roles in the 21st Century global economy are imminent”.

Vice-presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 elections  Peter Obi,  said he has “high confidence  in  Okonjo-Iweala’s ability to draw from her knowledge, skills and wide experience from the economic and financial sectors, to lead the WTO to greater heights.”

Governors hail ex-Finance minister on top job

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has expressed delight at the appointment of former Finance Minister Dr.  Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

A statement by NGF’s Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, reads: ” NGF, on behalf of all Nigerians rejoices with Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala on her elevation to the office of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

“Her confirmation which was ratified by the WTO Council and made public today, Monday, 15 February 2021, has been long awaited, very well deserved and could not have come at a better time.

“Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s pedigree as a well-known global development economist, who has served at some of the most prestigious global financial institutions, apart from her illustrious years as Nigeria’s Finance Minister raises hopes around the world that her tenure at the WTO will herald remarkable changes in the face of the economic challenges currently afflicting the world.

“The woman of firsts as she is fondly known, because of her accomplishments, brings along exciting news that being a Nigerian would give visibility and credibility to the nation.

“Already she has, while reacting to the news of her appointment, pledged to immediately commence work by providing solutions that will ameliorate the hardships brought upon humanity by the Covid19 pandemic.

“Okonjo-Iweala’s tenure will begin from the 1st of March and last until August 2025 and the NGF wishes her a successful tenure through it all.”

APC excited at appointment

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also congratulated Dr. Okonjo-Iweala on her confirmation as Director-General of the WTO.

A statement by the Secretary of the Caretaker) Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, said the governing party was proud of the feat attained by the country’s former Minister of Finance.

The statement reads: “On behalf of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), H.E. Mai Mala Buni, and teeming members of our great party, we congratulate Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her confirmation as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), becoming the first woman and the first African to lead the global trade body.

“We are proud to note that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mandate to head the WTO followed broad support from members of the global trade body. The APC is confident that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a renowned economist and Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, will successfully lead the needed reforms to reposition the WTO to effectively deliver on its mandate to promote open and fair trade for the benefit of all.”