The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • Farmers lament massive losses as naira scarcity keeps buyers away

    Farmers lament massive losses as naira scarcity keeps buyers away

    • Farmers sell off remnants at cheap prices to recoup investment as food items rot away

    • Farmers, Bank of Agriculture battle over N.1 billion controversial loan application funds

    In the past few weeks, farmers across the country have helplessly watched their produce rot away as the challenge of cash scarcity bedeviling the land crippled the purchasing power of citizens. Not only are the farmers unable to sell their produce, they also lack access to cash to purchase materials and hire workers needed for further production. There are fears that the deplorable situation could spell doom for the country as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had earlier warned that about 25 million Nigerians risk hunger between June and August 2023 if urgent action is not taken, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    Daramola Toluwalope, a poultry farmer based in Agege, Lagos State, early this year looked forward to taking her business to the next level. She was not frivolous about it. She had her plans perfectly laid out and looked forward to having a healthy balance sheet at the end of the year.

    Shortly after the Menitos Deport Farms CEO started executing her plans, the challenge of naira scarcity occasioned by the CBN naira redesigning policy crept in and shattered her plans.

    “The cash scarcity shut down our production. I cannot afford to produce. Where am I going to get funds from, especially with no sales?  Chickens will not want to hear wait till tomorrow. They want to eat now. Knowing that I can’t sustain their feeding, I had to stop production,” she said as she vociferously decried the apex bank’s policy that has crippled many startups. 

    “We normally get credit facilities from the feed suppliers. When the cash scarcity problem started, many of them withdrew the credit facilities and started insisting that we must pay to pick up the feeds.

    “A good number of the electronic transfers that were done to them did not go. When we finished the batch we had taken from them, we just stopped production completely.

    “We don’t produce anymore. We only managed to finish the birds we had and that was basically at a loss,” she said. 

    She noted that it was not easy selling the ones “we processed because people were managing their money. A client that was buying a carton reduced it to half of a carton.

    “There was a food vendor who used to patronise us. She stopped using chicken because the price went as high as N2,500 per kg.

    “Now, when we process chicken, all the accessories like the legs, the neck will go, but people will not buy the full chicken.  We can’t say that we are not selling but the sales are nothing like before.”

    Following the unexpected setback, she said she has had to go back to the business of web designing.

    Toluwalope said: “I am a US-trained web designer. Because of the cash crunch, I am back fully into IT to sustain myself, because the sales from chicken are barely sustaining the shop itself. I have had to rely on my job, web designing, and others to get by. If I am to rely on the sales from the produce, may it not happen that somebody will just collapse on the road.”

    Speaking on why she didn’t resort to buying cash to fund her business, she said: “I refused to buy naira to fund my business. If I buy money to buy feeds for the chicken, it is still a loss. We are talking about a business that was having issues because of the price of feeds and transportation; if I now have to buy money to buy the feeds again, I am already running at a loss.”

    “Sometimes,” she said, “it is better not to do anything than to do something at all, and this is one of those situations. If I buy money to buy the feeds when already at this price people are complaining it is expensive, how much will it come to if I now have to use bought money?

    “Let’s say for N100,000 I will buy for N120,000, I can’t afford to do that. I went to bank around 8:30 and left a few minutes to 12, and all I was able to get was N20,000. What will that do in a business?

    “If I were still producing, it means I would have to spend about four hours every day in the bank to get N20,000 to buy feed and attend to other things.

    “The government has sabotaged everything they said they have done for farmers by their own policy because I don’t see how this one will work.”

    The challenge of naira scarcity has also robbed Tanimu, an Abuja based crop farmer and his colleagues of the usual vivacity they used to savour among themselves.

    They had invested hard earned money and laboured on their farms with expectations of good harvest, but all that appeared to have been a wasted effort.

    “Last week,” Taminu said, “we harvested 10 bags of garden eggs but none was sold. Later, some people came to offer us N1, 000 for a bag because they said the garden eggs were already spoiling. We couldn’t argue with them because we saw it with our eyes that the garden eggs were rotting away. “A bag of garden egg will ordinarily go for between N6,000 and N7,000, but we had to collect N1000 because people didn’t buy and they were spoiling. It was a big loss for me and my people.”

    Continuing, he said: “Many of our colleagues have had their produce they wanted to sell rot away. If you go round our markets, you will see how the produce that farmers laboured very hard to plant and harvest are rotting away.

    “I have a friend who has a big vegetable farm. He couldn’t sell anything from it. Even if he had taken it to the market, he would not be able to recoup the money he would have spent on transportation.

    “It has affected us terribly. It has caused untold setbacks for our business. Most of our members don’t have bank accounts. When they take produce to the market, some buyers will request to pay through electronic transfer. How can someone who does not have a bank account accept electronic transfer?” 

    In the face of the demoralising challenges, he is worried that there is no way of getting help to raise funds to go back to the farm.

    “Now if you want to hire workers on our farm, they will ask for cash. And when you have things to sell you will not be able to sell them because people don’t have cash.

    “Those of us who are into irrigation farming are worse hit by this unpleasant development because we don’t have cash to buy the things we need to take care of our farms.

    “As irrigation farmers, we have to water our farms every three days.  We have to buy chemicals and other things, but there is no cash to do that.

    “Our people cannot do or accept electronic transfer because they don’t have bank accounts.

    “I have a bank account. I gave my produce to people for them to transfer money to me. Out of five people only two transfers came in. The other three didn’t come and I don’t know those people. I gave it to them because there were no sales and I needed to get the goods off my hands.”

    His kinsman, Mohammed, said the challenge of cash scarcity affected his farm badly as he could not buy fuel and fertilizer to work on his farm.

    “I was moving from one place to another begging for money to buy fertilser to sustain my crops. With the way things are, we can only put our hope in God concerning what the harvest will look like. The situation is too bad.

    “There is one of our friends who has a large farm of maize. To sell it is a problem and he needs to sell them now that they are fresh in order to get his money back and start planting afresh. The corns are drying up. Those who used buy in large quantities are not buying because they are complaining that their customers are not also buying from them.

    “People who used to buy five bags struggle to buy a bag. If the corns he planted using irrigation method dry up, he will not recoup half of what he spent on the business. If he manages to sell them now that they are fresh, he will get his money back.”

    More farmers lament

    The President of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chief Dan Okafor, said with what the farmers have gone through, “we don’t know where we are going.

    “We harvested and sent our produce to Lagos, the people we sent couldn’t sell them because of cash scarcity. They are spoiling.

    “Many of our members are having their goods not just rotting away but they have no money to convey them to the market to sell. They are spoiling there on the farms.

    “In our potato and vegetable section, if you don’t remove the produce this week, by next week it will spoil.”

    Following the inconsistency of the government on withdrawal of old notes from circulation, Chief Okafor said: “The only notes that our members are collecting now is N20, N50, N100, N200 and the new notes.

    “They said even if the government asks them to take the old notes that they will not take it because tomorrow they can stop using it and the money will become useless. We are suffering a great deal.

    “Many of them are living in rural areas where there are no banks. Many of them don’t have bank accounts.

    “There was a place I went to in Zamfara State. There is no bank in that area. You must come to Gusau to open an account, and that means you will have to drive for three hours to cover the distance.

    “There is no money for our members to buy inputs. There is no money to transport goods to where they will be sold. We are all crying.

    “When they are making any policy, they should let us know so that we can inform the farmers on time.”

    Former Chairman Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI), Agric and agriculturist, Wale Oyekoya, told our correspondent that the cash crunch caused by the CBN policy “made it impossible for me to pay my farm workers with cash or transfer.

    “No cash to pay for raw materials. No cash to pay for petrol and diesel. It erodes our profit and reduces productivity.

    “The cash crunch affected so many things including businesses, especially the small business that did not have access to our cashless policy system.

    “Farmers were hard hit because of the nature of their perishable food stuff. Visiting some markets will show how lack of cash affects both the sellers and buyers as some of the farm produce got rotten because of the scarcity of cash.

    “At the farms, farmers cannot pay the farm workers as it is difficult to get cash and some of them don’t have bank accounts. The few that have accounts cannot get paid because of bad network  to transfer money.

    “Buying inputs or raw materials is a big problem, and this affects farmers in a negative way. It is also difficult to pay back bank loans by the farmers as the cash crunch adversely affects income.

    “To buy petrol or diesel is a big challenge for the farmers as most of our operations depend on these essential products as most farms don’t have access to electricity and to bring farm produce to the markets needs vehicles to transport them.

    “Post- harvest loss is on a high side for lack of storage facilities. This has compounded this problem as most of this produce get spoilt and damaged.”

    An agripreneur, Opeyemi Adeyanju, noted that most local farmers were badly affected because they don’t have accounts. Many of them lost their perishable goods. Besides, they didn’t have access to cash to buy things that they needed to grow the farms.

    Most of them depend mainly on daily income. They do this five market days and because people didn’t have cash, they didn’t go to markets to buy things. The farmers took their goods to the markets and returned home with them.

    Because some of them wanted to sell, they had to bring down their prices. The goods they could not sell spoilt in their hands.”

    To assist some of the farmers, he said, “we were able to innovate and adjust our business a bit. I am an agripreneur. I deal with farmers and consumers in the city.

    “What we have been able to do is to help the farmers within our community with cash from the city in a little way.

    “We have been affected in the area of having to buy cash at higher rates to give to the farmers. Some of the farmers had to release their goods for us to take to Lagos to sell and return money to them.”

    Farmers wary of taking loans

    With the losses that farmers have suffered, it is expected that they would be open to taking loans to resuscitate their business, but checks among them showed that is not in their thinking.

    President of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chief Dan Okafor, said he had earlier advised his members not to take loans because it doesn’t work for them here in Nigeria. 

    “Before you take the loan, the bankers will steal your money.  The rate they will give you loan is not the rate the government asked them to give them.

    “I have decreed that nobody should take loans from the government or bank because it doesn’t work. They are wicked, very, very wicked set of people.  I have told them to save money through contribution.

    “There is a case I have with one bank here in Abuja. I arranged about 50 groups to take loan from Bank of Agriculture. They asked our people to pay N1000 each for form. After doing all the necessary things, they didn’t give out the loan, and they had collected about N1 million from the sales of forms.

    “This thing happened throughout the federation. There was a meeting we had and I said at that meeting that Bank of Agriculture should be scrapped.

    “President Buhari should listen to us. All this policy they are making is not to our benefit.  Many of our members are ageing so what does the government want them to do?

    Bank of Agriculture reacts

    Reacting to the allegation, the spokesman of BOA, Akile Bologo, said the organisation does not take money from people to apply for loans.

    Bologo said: “We don’t collect money to give loans.  We don’t collect money for forms. What an applicant does is to open an account with us, put his money in the account, and if there is any charge we want to do, it goes to the account.

    “To say that money was collected by BOA, I don’t think that is part of what we do.”

    Asked why the farmers didn’t get the loan they claimed they applied for, he said it is not automatic for applications to be approved. “Even as an individual, if you come to me for a loan, I have conditions you must meet. I have to be sure you will pay back and there should be a purpose for which you want to take the loan, and it must be verifiable.

    “We have our conditions too. So, loans cannot be automatic. Even to an individual you cannot go and expect that you will get it.”

     Way out

    Proffering solution to the farmers’ predicament, Wale Oyekoya, said: “The government needs to wake up from their slumber as our nation’s fragile economy is in a shambles and needs immediate surgical repair before things start falling apart in the country because we are not ripe for this junta approach of cashless policy.

     This policy is anti-people, anti-progress, anti-good economy. The government deceived its citizens to deposit their old currency notes and the same government shut its door for the same citizens not to withdraw the same cash or new one as speculated. Economy does not grow on sentiments or political interference.”

     Also giving possible ways out for the farmers, Opeyemi Adeyanju advised the government to look into the policy very well because the country is not yet ripe for it.

    “Technologically, our system is not yet prepared for it. It is a good policy no doubt, but the system is not yet prepared for it. We still have a lot of work to do especially in the rural areas. “They need to enlighten the rural farmers because most of them don’t have bank accounts to even receive electronic transfers.

    “The rural areas believe they can’t operate the transfer by themselves and that they can be easily cheated or have their account hacked.  The USSD codes need to be well activated. If the rural farmers can’t use apps they should be able to use USSD code for transactions.”

    He added: “From time we have always agitated for support for farmers.  Some of the state governments have been doing it before but they need to look at the process that will make the little support they want to give to farmers to get to the right hands.

    “Some of these things have been there before but they don’t get to the right hands. They need to look at the process and make sure that what they have lost can be recouped.

    “They should give grants to farmers through their associations and not just through people who are just sitting in the office and reallocating the money to friends and families.

    “If you go to major markets in the big markets in Lagos, like Mushin, you will see plantains rotting away. I had some farmers crying to me and I was forced to take their plantains off them and provide them with cash.  They are really frustrated and government should find a way of supporting them.”

  • ‘We lay flat on our bellies for weeks to avoid stray bullets’

    ‘We lay flat on our bellies for weeks to avoid stray bullets’

    • Sudan returnees recall horrors of war

    While the war for control of power in Khartoum, Sudan, rages, with casualties on both sides, and innocent civilians falling, evacuated Nigerians, which at the last count stood at 1,984, have been sharing their experiences. Gboyega Alaka, who caught up with two evacuees: Muhammad Nura Bello in Sokoto and Bello Mukhtar Abiola in Iseyin, Oyo State, reports.

    “It was not a funny situation. We were holed up in our hostels for days and we could neither go out nor get any good sleep, as the sounds of rapid gunshots, artillery booms, fighter jets and bombs went on ceaselessly. My room was at the top of a three-storey building but I had to relocate to the ground floor for safety. Even whenever I needed to get my belongings from my room, I went there with great fear and I hardly stayed a full minute before dashing back downstairs, because of the fear of being hit by stray bullet. Most of the civilians that have been killed in the war have been through stray bullets, not deliberately. These were people who were sleeping in their houses. So we all lived in fear and always lying flat on our belly.”

    The above were some of the grave experiences Nigerians caught up in the Sudan conflict over power control currently raging in the North African country, went through, as narrated by 22-year-old Bello Mukhtar Abiola, a fresh graduate of Mass Communication from the International University of Africa, Khartoum, who was awaiting his transcript when the war broke out.

    For the records, the Sudanese conflict is a power struggle between two generals: Abdel Fattah Burhan and Muhammed Hamdan Dagalo. Burhan leads the Sudanese official army, while Dagalo heads the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group vying for more power in government.

    Some have even labelled the Rapid Support Forces as a bandit group that became legalised and subsequently began craving more power.

    Speaking via the telephone from the comfort of his home in Iseyin, Oyo State, Bello, who said he was among the first set of evacuees, continued:”To say we were close to being consumed in the war would be an understatement. My campus hostel was very close to the barracks of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces barracks. Not far at all. The conflict started at exactly 9am on a Saturday, three weeks ago. We started hearing gunshots and heavy ammunitions were brought into the capital. We heard fighter jets flying in the sky over the top of our building. The Rapid Support Forces started converging near our hostels. They literally camped outside our school, by the gate. That way, they practically took us hostage, because the Armed forces were targeting them from the sky, and they probably figured that they would not want to mistakenly hit the school buildings, where there were a lot of foreign students, because of course they wouldn’t want any diplomatic rows with their governments. In our school alone, we had over 80 nationalities living in the hostel, and if they mistakenly affected any student, it could lead to another thing. But the Rapid Support Forces put us in danger in the process.”

    Asked why he had to go all the way to Sudan to study Mass Communications when virtually all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria offer the course; and why he didn’t return home, having graduated, Bello responded to the first part of the question first.

    “Because of the condition of education in Nigerian, where a four-year course becomes six, seven year course, due to the unending strikes and other factors. Secondly, I had a brother already studying Computer Engineering there; he helped facilitate my admission. And then of course, I got a scholarship, courtesy- Munadhama da’awatul Islamiyyah. It’s an international organisation propagating Islam.

    “To answer your other question, I only graduated early this year. It was a four year course. But for the corona virus, I would have graduated even earlier.  We had a total pause due to the pandemic. We were all ordered to stay indoors. I stayed back because I had only collected my certificate, and still expecting my transcript. Also, I was yet to stamp my certificate. This is criterion for validating our credentials. For this reason, I am imploring the Nigerian government to help intervene. This problem is not peculiar to me, majority of us that graduated this year still has one certificate or transcript to collect or even stamp by the Sudanese government.

    “In my set alone, we were about 500 Nigerians that graduated, while overall, we had about 2,000 Nigerian students studying in that schools. And there are several in other universities within the city. Based on what we experienced, I wouldn’t want to go back. I would prefer that our government intervene on our behalf, so that if it is possible, they should just send our transcripts. The Federal Ministry of Education can intervene on our behalf; I learnt they have already offered to absorb those whose education has been interrupted.”

    Blood for power

    Explaining the origin of the bloody conflict, Bello said: “The allegation was that the vice president was planning a coup. Of course the government wouldn’t give in to ordinary militants. If you look at the history of the vice president and how the force was formed, they were an ordinary militant group, formed in 2013 by the former president, Omar Bashir. It was he who eventually legalised them and turned them to Rapid Support Force for the Armed forces of the country. Since they overthrew the former president in 2019, the vice president has been in government, because they formed a national government, which comprised the civilians and military.”

    He recalled that his initial instinct was to wait and hope for the fighting to stop, so he could find his way out of the country, but it got worse. Although the fighting was only in Khartoum, it was enough threat, as he and other Nigerian students were caught in between the crossfire.

    “We ate in the dining hall, but at a point, it was difficult for the kitchen to get further supplies. Later, they found a way out. The soldiers never really entered our campus, even though they were so close. On one occasion, they invaded the school and headed for the dining hall, where they carted away our food. The kitchen staff had to prepare another round of food for us. That was a few days before our exit. They were getting close and things could get worse.”

    So they began to pray fervently for any opportunity to just get out, Bello recalled.

    Fortunately, the (Nigerian) government’s intervention came.

    Six days at the border!

    “We got information from the Nigerian Embassy that the Nigerian government was willing to evacuate all Nigerians who were willing to leave. They created a group on Whatsapp, so we could be abreast of relevant information. We were told to converge at the university centre, where a bus would pick us to the Egyptian border. Yes there were a few hiccups, which lasted about three days, but a bus eventually arrived and we set out for the Egyptian border.

    “Fortunately, the journey through Khartoum to the border was peaceful, because there was a 72-hour ceasefire. But there were signs of war everywhere – heavy military presence, signs of destruction, destroyed buildings, burnt military vehicles and stuffs. One good thing, however, was that the conflict had not spread beyond Khartoum, so even Sudanese were migrating out of the beleaguered city.

    “When we left Khartoum, we passed through a huge desert until we got to the Egyptian border. There, we spent a harrowing six days, because the Egyptian authorities had to wait for approval before letting us in.

    “For a long while, we didn’t see any government officials to even check us up, so there was no food, no shelter, no water. We had to gather the remaining money with us to buy some loaves of bread, and that was what we were eating morning and night. The Red Cross personnel that we saw only catered to the Sudanese, who were fleeing from the conflict. On one occasion, one of them brought us water; but that was all.

    “We were sleeping mostly in the buses, but after four days, the bus operators ordered us out, saying they had waited enough. That day, some of us slept in the open, while some slept in the little mosque in the desert. Eventually, when we were let into Egypt, you needed to see the tight security that escorted us to the airport. The police were in our front and back, monitoring our movement. I think they were particular that no Nigerian escaped into their territory. I was in the first NAF (Nigerian Air force) plane that evacuated Nigerians from Egypt. That was last Thursday. The plane, I learnt was for about 80 people, but they had to squeeze all of us, over 90, in, because the Egyptian authorities insisted that no Nigerian should be left behind at the airport.”

    Happy to be home, safe

    “Yes, I’m happy to be home, safely. Though I had plans for my master’s degree, but for now, I’m fine. I just hope the government would step in about our credentials. Overall, I give them pass mark, they did well despite the hiccups,” Bello said.

    Death came really close – medical student, Muhammed

    For Muhammed Nura Bello, a 30-year-old final year (500-level) medical student, now back in Sokoto, his home state, the fighting was close, but not as close as that of Bello’s International University of Africa.

    His own school, Sudan International University and flat, where he resided outside the campus, are in Azhari area, and the Rapid Support Forces fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces, have a base in the neighbourhood, a few kilometres away.

    “If you climb the roof of my flat, you can see the Rapid Support Forces base. Not only theirs, there are other strategic military bases around the city. The fact that I live outside the campus also makes me and my colleagues a bit more vulnerable. There is this other institution, Africa International University, of which it is only a road that separates them from the base of the forces. You could say that they were close to more danger.

    “One good thing that worked for us was that we were on holidays when the war broke out, so they did not invade our campus. It was towards the end of the Ramadan fasting, and Sudanese traditionally don’t work during Ramadan. As a final year student, however, I didn’t have the luxury of total holiday, so I was busy studying. I had planned to go on Ummrah, but it didn’t work out, so I concentrated on preparing for my exams, which was billed for a week after Sallah. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as well.”

    Narrating the fierceness of the fighting, Muhammed said, “I can tell you that during air strikes, the fighter jets came close to our building, as they flew, releasing salvoes. The artilleries also tried to attack the jets, and fearsome booming sounds rented the air. It was that bad; and to think that we were caught in between! Anything could have happened. It continued like that until we left. When the fighting started, some of our colleagues who had gone to the hospital for clinical training were trapped for a while, and we had to see how we could help get them back home, especially the females.”

    As doctors and medical students, weren’t there efforts by the forces to conscript them?

    “No, that did not happen, as all the doctors, even the native doctors, went into hiding,” Muhammed replied, laughing.

    Why school in Sudan?

    Going to study outside the country, and especially in Sudan, has its advantages, Muhammed stated.

     “First, it helps you avoid delays, which can turn a five-year course to a ten-year course. Also, you’re able to meet people, learn Arabic and get more grounded in Islamic Studies. That is why a lot of Northerners go there. It is like home because we share the same climate and the cultures are almost similar. And then the people are very friendly.

    “Also, their education system is one of the best; even better than Nigeria’s. As a medical student, you have opportunity at direct clinical base studies. You can confirm this from any Nigerian Sudanese products; their medicine is more of practical. If you study Biochemistry for example, they would teach you the most important application of Biochemistry in human life. That’s the difference between theirs and Nigeria’s.

    SOS to the government

    “Initially, we thought it was one of those clashes and disputes that they would resolve in no time, like they usually did. There was a time when they had almost three presidents or two, and eventually they resolved it and life continued normally; so we didn’t see this as a war. But when two, three days after, the shelling continued unabated, we realised this was different. I felt there would be need for Nigerians to be evacuated, so we started talking with the Nigerian Embassy. Of course they were also aware of the danger, because the embassy is located in the epicentre; most of the embassies were near the commanding centres and the presidential villa, alongside all the strategic army flashpoints. We requested them to please start speaking with the government of Nigeria for evacuation. We also started mobilising through the social media… talking to journalists; I started an interview with the BBC, telling them to pass our message to Mr President, that we were really in danger; and that there was no food, no shelter, no electricity and no security. At a point, the prison was also broken open and convicted criminals were let loose. That of course portended more danger, because amongst them would be hardened criminals, armed robbers, murderers, rapists; in a society where order and security had broken down! And alhamdulillahi; though it seemed like nothing was going to happen initially, they eventually moved into action and the evacuation process began. We received some buses from the embassy, and our students, who had gathered in one university called El Razi University, also in Azhari, boarded and we started out. There are three universities within the same area.

    “About four hundred of us boarded the 50-passenger capacity luxurious buses and we exited Khartoum. Notably, there weren’t any serious incidents, as we travelled through the city towards the Egyptian border. Each time we came to a check-point, they looked through and as soon as they realised that we were Nigerians, they allowed us passage and wished us safe journey.

    “At the border, we had to wait for clearance, which took us almost ten days. That was a tough one but we had to manage the situation. We had no accommodation. However, some of us found their way to a small village called Wad Alfa, where they took shelter. The people were quite nice. Some still couldn’t find shelter; some Red Cross people assisted, they gave some space to our people; some slept in buses, while those who couldn’t find accommodation were left stranded. Later the bus drivers left and those who had been sleeping in the buses had to sleep in the open. I was lucky, my bus driver didn’t leave. He remained with me until he was able to rent a house for us. He actually offered to do that for me rather than leave me to sleep in the open. He also gave us food and water. He was Sudanese. These were the conditions until the Egyptian authorities allowed us into their territory. “

    Asked to assess the government’s evacuation efforts, Muhammed said, “It was good but it could be better. Sometimes, there were some gaffes, but to be frank, the government officials tried; especially the humanitarian services like NEMA; the NEMA DG was with us for almost three days at the border. We came together with him to Nigeria. I think his name is Aminu.”

  • UniLag holds Choral Festival, celebrates Olukoya

    UniLag holds Choral Festival, celebrates Olukoya

    The Department of Creative Arts of the University of Lagos, on Tuesday, held the 10th edition of Intercollegiate Choral Festival to celebrate the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya. 

    The event, held inside the prestigious J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium, commenced at 3:00 pm, marking a momentous occasion after a hiatus due to the the coronavirus pandemic.

    Attendees were dazzled with the grandeur of the festival, also known as “Africa Sings”.

    This year’s concert was uniquely dedicated to honoring the musical genius of the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire & Miracles,  Professor Daniel Olukoya.

    Aside from being widely recognised for his  sermons, Professor Olukoya’s exceptional talents as a music composer were brought to the forefront during the remarkable event.

    The festival featured choirs from eight prestigious universities, including the University of Lagos, Mountain Top University in Pakuro, Nnamdi Azikwe University in Awka, University of Port-Harcourt, University of Ibadan, Lagos State University in Ojo, University of Jos, and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). Each choir brought its unique style and interpretation to the stage, delighting the audience with their melodic harmonies and soul-stirring performances.

    Organised under the visionary leadership of Professor Albert Oikelome, the Director of Programmes for the festival,  the Choral Festival aimed to showcase African culture, art, and heritage through the transformative power of music.

    Attendees were treated to an evening of captivating choral performances, exemplifying Africa’s rich musical diversity.

    Read Also: Adeboye, Olukoya release new year prophecies for Nigeria

    The event’s atmosphere was electrifying, as the choirs masterfully rendered Professor Olukoya’s compositions.

    The audience was enthralled by the enchanting melodies, powerful harmonies, and heartfelt emotions conveyed through each performance.

    The choral festival provided an opportunity for attendees to not only appreciate the extraordinary talent of Professor Olukoya but also to embrace the richness of African music.

    Songs by comoposed by Olukoya were performed by various choirs. The performance of Mo Gb’oju Le was led by Titilope David and Adedaramola, Olaore)

    The University of Ibadan Choir performed Ekiti Medley. The University of Jos choir performed Ekun mi yio dayo while the Obafemi Awolowo University choir performed Agbara Olorun.

    The Lagos State University Choir rendered Igba mi d’owo re while the UniLag Choir performed Ona toro and Hallelujah Ogun se.

    The choir from the Mountain Top University performed Olorun maje nri Ogun while the University of Port- Harcourt choir  performed Pidgin medley.

    Speaking on the Occasion,  Professor Oikelome described Dr. Olukoya as an internationally renowned musicologist,  a great academic, a scientist, a creative writer, a man of God with distinction,  an amazing philanthropist and a great Akokite.

    The Chairman of the organizing Committee, Modupe Ige Kachi, on her part, expressed her excitement at the event, emphasizing the significance of celebrating Professor D.K. Olukoya’s contributions to choral music.

    She acknowledged his philanthropy, mentioning his generous provision of magnificent choral compositions that have enriched the university’s creative department and music unit.

    In her words, she said “The choral festival is the brain child of Professor Albert Oikelome. Professor D.K Olukoya is honored this year being a huge supporter of the Music unit and the Creative department in the University of Lagos. He has written so many wonderful choral that we have been using in school for some of our works and he is such a Philanthropist and this year we decided to put him on the spotlight and showcase his works”.

    The event not only showcased the remarkable talent of university choirs but also paid homage to Professor D.K. Olukoya’s extraordinary contributions to the world of choral music.

    It was a testament to the power of music in uniting communities, celebrating cultural heritage, and inspiring future generations of musicians.

    As the curtain fell on the event, the resounding applause and standing ovations reverberated throughout the auditorium, signifying the profound impact of the Choral Festival in celebrating the exceptional choral compositions of Professor D.K. Olukoya.

  • Olu Omisore’s top ten

    Olu Omisore’s top ten

    Olu Omisore is a multi disciplinary artist, designer and CEO Olokun Home. He shares his favourite things with Yetunde Oladeinde.

    Favourite food

    Jollof rice is my favourite food, just can’t have enough of eating good Naija-Jollof with some plantain.

    Favorite colours

    Blue, white, grey and black are my favourite colours. I occasionally do wear red and green, but mostly in summer.

    Favorite perfumes

    This has changed over the years, but Tom Ford has remained my favourite.

    Favorite design

    Nike…can’t have enough of Nike Blazer mid 77.

    Favorite hairdo

    Low top fade haircut…found it easy to maintain.

    Favorite travel destination

    It has to be Madeira ..such a beautiful place to visit.

    Favorite wristwatch

    Rolex and Apple watch 

    Favorite accessories

    Baseball cap, bracelets, bangle, earrings and necklace. 

    I love accessories so much that  I designed my own, and they can be seen at www.Olokunstore.com

    Favorite songs

    This largely depends on my mood. Blessing by Fridayy and Asake have been on replay recently.

    Favorite Car

    I have found Range Rover reliable over the years, and it’s my favourite car.

  • Autism: A ride for inclusivity and support

    Autism: A ride for inclusivity and support

    Motherhood is an exhilarating journey that many look forward to. It’s filled with beautiful moments as well as challenging ones. Through it all, it is the sum of all these moments that make the experience worthwhile.

    For Shades of Life Care founder, Eziafakaku Nwokolo, the journey threw an unexpected curveball at her, when she discovered that one of her daughters was autistic.

    Autism refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. 

    Nwokolo’s commitment to her daughter’s welfare and that of other autistic children, led to her leaving a 20 year + lucrative career in the Oil & Gas sector to become an Advanced Certified Autism Specialist (ACAS).

    Shades of Life Care is a centre that provides assessment, diagnosis and intervention strategies to families with children that have behavioural challenges, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD). The facility also offers training and supervision services to Behaviour Analysts and Technicians in Nigeria.

    As you look around, you find that life can be incredibly challenging for families whose children live with autism in Nigeria. “The lack of resources, combined with social stigma and a general lack of awareness, leaves parents feeling isolated and helpless as they struggle to navigate the system to get their children the help they need.”

    As part of its commitment to improving the quality of life of Nigerian families with autistic children, Shades of Life Care Limited, a leading provider of Autism Intervention Services in Nigeria, partnered Cyclotron Cycling Development Initiative (Cyclotron) and Shades of Life Care Foundation for an event tagged, #Ride4Autism, which took place on Saturday, April 15th, 2023, to commemorate World Autism Awareness Month.

    The event brought together over 50 cyclists who rode about 60 kilometers within the Gbagada and Ikeja axis to raise awareness about autism and advocate for inclusivity in society. After the ride, an after-session was held, in which the Shades of Life team, Cyclotron cyclists, and other invited guests conferred, discussing the past, present, and future of autism awareness, acceptance, and inclusion in Nigeria.

    Speaking about the importance of the campaign at the event,  Nwokolo , emphasized that autism advocacy goes beyond raising awareness, but is also aimed at fostering acceptance and inclusivity in social environments, homes, and workplaces for all who are neurodiverse.

    “When it comes to Autism, especially in our society, there is a culture of silence that prevents families and individuals from getting the help they need. Our aim is to demystify autism by providing uncomplicated information about the condition, and educating people about it, through informal initiatives like #Ride4Autism,” she said. 

    Furthermore, Nwokolo, who is an Advanced Certified Autism Specialist (ACAS) and also a Kent University PhD candidate, dispelled some common cultural myths about Autism, stating that the condition isn’t a result of spiritual causes or bad parenting.

    “Autism is not a spiritual problem. While you’re praying, do something tangible by seeking help from a health professional or a behavioural specialist,” she said.

    45-year-old Remi Olutimayin, who is autistic, reiterated the importance of Autism awareness and support in Nigeria. Using his unique experiences as a point of reference, he spoke about challenges encountered as an undiagnosed autistic child growing up in Nigeria, life as an autistic adult, as well as his career accomplishments, including being one of the first voice directors for animation in West Africa.

    Olutimayin noted that widespread awareness about autism may take some time, especially as it pertains to autistic adults, given that autism was only just recognized around the 1950s.

    “This doesn’t match up with the amount of time and research put into polio and malaria and the like. So more effort needs to be put into autism research, especially for adults who are more or less often sidelined in the scheme of things,” he said.

    The after-session featured lots of questions from curious individuals who sought more knowledge about autism. Nwokolo and the Shades of Life team provided valuable information about the subject matter, along with a call to action to support financially disadvantaged Nigerian families with autistic children.

    In her closing remarks, Nwokolo emphasized that the journey still continues after the ride. “Beyond awareness and acceptance is the need to raise funds for Nigerian families with autistic children who are financially disadvantaged and this is why we call on compassionate individuals from around the world to join us and support these families via Shades of Life Foundation.”

    She concludes: “Shades of Life Foundation is an NGO dedicated to raising funds for indigent autistic children to get the intervention needed to enhance their quality of life.

  • Kemi Areola: Life as TV presenter in UK made me discover my true self

    Kemi Areola: Life as TV presenter in UK made me discover my true self

    Kemi Ann-Melody Areola is the founder, of Women in Entertainment and Arts and Co-founder of Youths in Charity. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world talking about her work as a Public Relations practitioner, TV presenter, and author, working in the United Kingdom, and the Minister of Youths and Sports development. 

    Tell us about your experience as a TV presenter in the United Kingdom.

    Although I did not have a background in journalism, working on TV was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. It provided an opportunity for me to express my true self and pursue a rewarding and exciting career path that required a combination of talent, hard work, and dedication to succeed. Through this experience, I was able to build a strong personal brand, leverage my loyal audience base, and maintain a strong presence on social media. Adapting quickly to unexpected changes or challenges during live broadcasts was a necessary skill I acquired, but I was able to get paid for something that came naturally to me and didn’t take much of my time. I had the pleasure of interviewing many interesting people, some of whom have become close friends and family to me until today.

    What inspired you to write your book titled, 40 Going on 80?

    As I approached my 41st birthday, I had the opportunity to speak with several individuals who were either my age or older. I noticed that many of them had not experienced even a quarter of the life experiences that I had. Despite this, some people looked at me and assumed that I was a privileged British-born individual who had never faced any hardships. However, this was far from the truth, and I wanted people to understand that I had to work hard to achieve happiness and success. Life has not always been easy for me, but I have developed daily principles that keep me moving forward.

    Initially, I was apprehensive about sharing my experiences, but I felt compelled to do so in the form of a book. I wanted people to know that success is attainable for anyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. The book sold thousands of copies and received excellent reviews, and one individual even shared on Twitter how the book helped prevent her from committing suicide. 

    What are some of the achievements and challenges as a Public Relations Manager within the Public and private sectors?

    During my time as Special Assistant on New Media to the Honourable Minister of Communications, I initiated a program known as “Social Media for Good Governance”. This program aimed to educate top-level government officials on the principles and importance of social media, as well as teach social media handlers the best practices for using social media in the government space. Social media usage in the government space differs from personal usage, and over a period of two years, we organized workshops in Abuja to educate officials. Though I believe there’s still a lot to be done in Nigeria’s online norms, it’s important to start somewhere.

    Currently, I work as the Special Assistant for Youth, ICT, and Corporate Relations to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, where I continue to engage with the private sector. As PR professionals, we utilize our relationships to get things done. We have successfully trained about 400 thousand young people in courses such as cybersecurity, e-commerce, robotics, and more by, leveraging private sector relationships.

    In both public and private sectors, challenges persist due to the lack of understanding of the importance and skill set required for PR managers.

       You are also inspiring other women. What is your assessment of the performance of women in the sector?

    When I was studying Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering at London Metropolitan University, I observed that only 2% of the class were female students pursuing a Bachelor in Engineering. This was a concerning trend, and I conducted research to investigate why women were not understanding of the challenges and issues affecting youth and to develop effective solutions to address them. Evidence-based policies are crucial as they can effectively address the root causes of problems and achieve the desired impact. In order to achieve this, we needed to conduct comprehensive research to understand the audience, identify trends and issues, study the demographics, and segment the market. 

    Tell us about your experience working with the Hon. Minister of Youths and Sports Development.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my experience working with the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports. One reason for this is that I gained a better understanding of the extensive work involved in sports administration. Previously, I used to attend football matches without realizing the amount of effort put into the athletes’ lives, infrastructure, and planning.

    Working with the youth has been an ever-so-fulfilling experience, my principal is one who encourages outside-the-box thinking, innovative ideas and has a listening ear.   Representing the Honourable Minister at various national and international events has broadened my horizons in policy creation and implementation, public speaking, press and speech writing, and managing people. Since I am in my early 40s, I can relate to the youth while also comprehending the concerns and limitations of the administrators who are mostly in their 50s. I found myself bridging the gap between these two generations, enabling me to understand the youth’s needs and the administrators’ constraints.

     What are some of the memorable moments working with communities?

    The Minister made the decision to host a national youth conference, which required at least 10 young individuals from each state in addition to the Federal Capital Territory to attend. In the end, we welcomed about 800 young people from all corners of Nigeria who flew to Abuja to attend the event. I had the privilege of meeting with each one of them, and the experience of seeing a diverse mix of cultures and genders living together for three days was truly inspiring. Nigeria is well-known for its diverse culture, and each community has its unique traditions and celebrations. The conference provided an opportunity for participants to learn more about Nigerian culture from different regions of the country. 

    What are some of the lessons learned working in the UK as a Program Office manager and PR manager?

    One of my most fulfilling roles was working as a Program Office Manager and PR Manager for a telecommunications company in the UK. This role allowed me to combine my background skills in electronic and telecommunications engineering with project management and public relations. Each day presented dynamic challenges, from hardware and software problems to user acceptability, and required me to hone my communication skills when engaging with stakeholders. I also had to be flexible and move between departments as the day progressed. This job inspired me to pursue an MBA as I realized that while I had the technical knowledge, I lacked the business development terminology.

     You are the founder of Women in Entertainment and Arts. What is the focus and inspiration for the Organisation?

     Women in Entertainment and Arts (WIEA) is a distinct platform that was established to recognize women for their noteworthy contributions to the entertainment and arts industry. WIEA organized international appreciation nights and events in various countries, with the first event having taken place in the UK in February 2009. The primary objectives of WIEA are to promote awareness and emphasize the significance of African women being strong and purposeful, not only in entertainment but also in community building. WIEA aimed to showcase the best talents in every segment of the entertainment and arts industry. Through WIEA, there were opportunities to showcase vibrant African women in Africa and in the Diaspora, to inspire and encourage them to play their part in the development of their communities.

    You also Co-Founded Youth on Charity.  What are some of the achievements and who are your targets?

    Youth Charity was dedicated to raising awareness about issues in underdeveloped countries across the world, particularly in the UK and other developed nations. Our primary goal was to engage young people and provide them with opportunities to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

    Our ultimate objective was not just to be a charity but a movement that inspired action. We aimed to transport young people metaphorically to the places that required help and work alongside them in the physical rebuilding of communities. Using media, we planned to create a project that connected people across the globe and enabled them to support those in need.

    After moving to Nigeria, I modified Youth on Charity to better address the challenges facing young people in this country, and rebranded it as the Glocalisation and Branding Summit. While still targeting youth, the focus shifted to creating strong and sustainable business alliances in key sectors such as ICT, PR, fashion, cosmetics, automobile, art, law, finance, culture and tourism, retail, hotel and hospitality, education, mining, renewable energy, infrastructural development, real estate, health, and more.
    To date, we have successfully held a number of summits in different Nigerian states.

    What are some of the other things that occupy your time?
    If I’m not conducting research or working on initiatives, I’m meeting with stakeholders, preparing press releases and speeches, attending events, managing our social media platforms, or addressing any IT issues that may arise unexpectedly. Due to the demanding nature of my work, I don’t have much time for other things, but I do make time for my non-profit organization, the Kemi Ann-Melody Areola Foundation (KAMAF), which was established in 2019. Our focus is on increasing access to education, advancing family welfare, and protecting the rights of the child. KAMAF has successfully carried out a number of projects in Nigeria, such as providing schools with necessary materials, paying school and exam fees for underprivileged students, and more.

    Additionally, I own an underwear store in Abuja and occasionally assist Nigerians in finding the right fitting undergarments. My brand, Simply Vivacious, offers luxurious and high-quality undergarments and accessories for both men and women. I am also in the process of opening another clothing brand that focuses on outer garments.

    I travel frequently to participate in international dialogues and work on new projects. My position as the SA on Youth ICT and Corporate Relations has allowed me to bring many exciting projects to life with the approval of the Honourable Minister. I also have a private group of 300 mentees whom I regularly interact with and share knowledge.
    Finally, I’m working on completing my PhD, God willing.

    What are some of the changes that you will like to see in the country today?
    Nigeria has tremendous potential, but as a society, we tend to shift the blame for our individual setbacks instead of taking responsibility for them. It’s crucial to take ownership of our mistakes and shortcomings. During my experiences, I have faced individuals who tried to bully me due to their own inadequacies. If we keep tearing each other down, we cannot progress as a nation.
    While it’s understandable that people are hurting, damaging property and hurting others won’t solve anything. I aspire for a Nigeria where each individual’s conscience holds them accountable for their actions. If that doesn’t work, we need a systematic deterrent that enforces fair processes.
    To illustrate my point, I use the seat belt analogy. Once upon a time, Nigerians didn’t wear seat belts, but now most of us do. Why? It’s because of the fear of VIO, the seat belt reminder alarm, and safety. This analogy proves that a change in orientation is possible for most of us. We need the right deterrents, including fear of consequences, to encourage positive behaviour.

    Did you have mentors at the beginning? What has been their impact?
    Absolutely, I am fortunate to have mentors who act as a virtual board of directors for my life. When I am faced with tough decisions, I mentally consult each of them and can usually anticipate their responses based on my knowledge of their perspectives. Life’s challenges are like grains of salt – many have gone through them before us, and many will after us. Therefore, having someone who has gone through what we are experiencing can be invaluable.

    My mentors provide guidance, encouragement, and advice. Without them, I doubt I would have made it this far. They help me see things beyond my current perspective and have assisted me in making important decisions, such as the choices I made regarding my two appointments within the government. They continue to guide me as I navigate my future career steps. With their diverse knowledge of investment, career, and personal development, I highly recommend having at least one mentor.

    If you had to change something in the sector what would it be?
    I intend to switch the study mode. With the evolving job landscape, it’s becoming increasingly clear that those who solely focus on theoretical knowledge without practical experience will be left behind. Merely carrying CVs around without practical skills won’t cut it anymore. It’s important to choose a specific skill set, enroll in a relevant short course, and gain as much practical experience as possible. In the absence of practical experience and solid work ethics, the rate of unemployment and underemployment will likely continue to rise.

    What advice do you have for young people about the current challenges in the economy?

    The economic challenges we face are not unique to Nigeria; they are a global issue. However, we should not accept these challenges just because they are global.
    Here is my advice:
    First, take responsibility for your future, as it depends on you. Second, identify your skills and interests. Third, research the market related to your niche. Fourth, take action. Keep in mind that you should look for a business that requires little to no start-up capital, and be prepared to persevere. Rome was not built in a day. Look for opportunities, seize them, and travel the world, but don’t abandon your country for good; “don’t japa!”

    Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

    To be honest, I don’t believe that any single individual has had the most significant impact on me. Instead, I believe that I’ve been influenced by various small things in many people. I intentionally seek out admirable traits in different individuals and try to imitate or use them as a reference point. I understand that no person can be flawless, but I believe that we can each work towards becoming the best possible version of ourselves.

  • Grace made me emerge Bishop of Lagos West —Odedeji

    Grace made me emerge Bishop of Lagos West —Odedeji

    The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos West, the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, has stated his emergence as the Bishop of the Diocese ten years ago is a product of grace because he never lobbied for the exalted position.

    Odedeji, who is also the Supervising Bishop for Lagos Diocese, spoke on the sideline of the one year remembrance service for the Rt. Dr. Peter Adelewa Adebiyi, the former Bishop of the Diocese at the Archbishop Vining memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.

    He said: “Every bishop should be approachable and friendly. After all, there is nothing we have that we have not received from God.

    “So, I see myself daily as a product of grace. Because if age were part of the criteria, I will not be sitting here today. But one thing I know is that God has a way of lifting people.”

    The outspoken cleric, who was consecrated as Bishop on February 24, 2013 and subsequently enthroned as The Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion) on April 28, 2013, said what gives him more joy is when other people are happy.

    “This week is my 10th year anniversary as the Diocesan Bishop, and when I look at the journey so far, I give God all the Glory. Although the journey has not been easy, God has always been with me all the way.

    “This is evidence in the many positive steps the Diocese has taken, and it is not limited to my diocese alone, in fact we have touched many lives, and are still reaching out to other dioceses, even across Nigeria.

    “Apart from the many projects we have undertaken to enlarge the coast of Lagos West Diocese, we have also empowered over 500 people, paying school fees of many indigent but brilliant youths, also ensuring that we take youths off the streets through the many skill acquisition initiatives.

    “I’m happier today. Whenever I go to churches, I see some of these youths that we have empowered and are doing well in their various chosen fields. We thank God for their lives, and intend to do more through various partnerships with Foundations and other well-meaning Nigerians.

    “We have also bought an expanse of land. Fully paid for. We call it Clergy City. We encourage all our priests to key into the initiative by buying plots, I also bought, and we’re galvanizing resources around us to actually make it affordable to all our clergymen.

    Speaking on late RT. Rev’d Peter Adelewa Adebiyi, Odedeji described him as a good Christian, teacher and spiritual leader who lived a worthy life committed to the service for God and humanity.

    “Baba Adebiyi was totally committed to the service of God till he breathed his last at the ripe age of 79. We thank God because this is a celebration of life. He lived in God’s service, an evidence of the grace of God, he imparted many people and helped many to find purpose and meaning.

    Dr. Odedeji explained that those who accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, here on earth should not fear death because they have a hope of eternity with God, just as he said the late Bishop Adebiyi gave his life and lived for God, which he said had given him a hope of a hereafter.

    Bishop Odedeji also advised the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to see himself as father of the nation by reaching out to every part of the country and also make peace with his opponents in the last presidential election.

    “The election has come and gone, and it is time for reconciliation. He has been declared the winner, the next stage is to bring everybody together because there is a huge task ahead, and he can’t do it alone,” he added.

  • Lagos CAN chairman Adegbite cautions on false prophesies

    Lagos CAN chairman Adegbite cautions on false prophesies

    The Chairman, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos State Chapter, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, has called on Nigerians to pray towards the May 29 handing-over date, for peace to reign.

    Adegbite made the call during the Providence News, 21 years thanksgiving /appreciation service, and the inaugural PROKIHA Lecture held recently in Lagos.

    He said “Without peace, no one is safe. We should continue to pray together for the peace of Nigeria.”

    Adgbite called on the president-elect and the incoming administration to be magnanimous in victory and bring everyone on board to build bridges across the different socio-cultural groups towards reuniting the country for holistic growth and development.

    “Nobody can single-handedly solve the problems of Nigeria; it is the responsibility of all Nigerians. All of us must work together, both the leaders and the led.

    “Moment we can do that, we are going to have a better Nigeria and it shall be well with all of us,” he said.

    Following the outcomes of the 2023 general election, Adegbite admonished politicians and some clerics to be mindful of their statements and utterances to avoid heating up the polity.

    According to Adegbite, “No one should play god. God has clearly spoken through the electorate and INEC has declared the results with the winners emerging. Everyone must obey the voice of God through the outcome of the election results, instead of claiming God says this or that will happen.

    “Politicians and clerics should stop making unguided and inflammatory statements capable of igniting and threatening the peace of the country. They need to be careful, not to mislead the people,” he said.

    In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Archbishop John Osa-Oni, the Presiding Archbishop, Vineyard Christian Ministries and deputy national president (South-West) Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), represented by one of the associate ministers, Rev. Philip Modo, commended the publication’s doggedness and focus to spread kingdom information and celebrating the glory of God in the life and endeavours of people.

     He spoke on a reward system that recognises kingdom services. “Give a good reward; give something that will value the kingdom and appreciate people,” Osa-Oni said.

    Osa-Oni further urged participants to as a matter of necessity develop the attitude of giving gratitude to God, and individuals that have been used in one way or the other to impact lives, society and the church.

    Meanwhile, in his welcome address, the editor and publisher of Providence News, Gracious Akintayo attributed the sustainable and consistent publication of these 21 years to God’s grace.

  • Pastors opposing outcome of 2023 elections playing God – Bishop Williams

    Pastors opposing outcome of 2023 elections playing God – Bishop Williams

    Renowned cleric and the presiding bishop of Christ Vessels of Grace Church Inc, Bishop Kayode Williams has sent a word of caution to fellow clergymen, stressing that those threatening to instigate a breakup of the country over the outcome of the 2023 general elections should stop fanning the embers of war in the public interest.

    The cleric who spoke against the backdrop of the rising attacks by so-called men of God on the person of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said those portraying ill-feeling and bitterness against Tinubu are simply playing God, hence should desist from it.

    “It’s rather sad that supposed men of God have been hitting up the polity ever since the 2023 general elections were concluded. Many of them have assumed the position of God cursing, swearing, and proclaiming doom for the country. My question is this, why are they playing God? A winner has emerged from the election already. Yes, they don’t like the choice of the president-elect.  No problem. But is it enough to rain curses on the country and its people? No. Why not allow the court to decide the fate of all the contenders?”

    Bishop Kayode, who also doubles as the National Coordinator, the Integrity Ministers International Ministry Incorporated (IMIM) declared that the erring clerics should be ready to face God’s wrath for the creating tension capable of leading to bloodletting. 

    “God said that He will discipline some of them because He doesn’t want them to die now so that they will see the glory of God in Nigeria, a new Nigeria. He said that He will punish them for misleading the people, for saying God said what when God has not spoken.

    “You need to listen to what some people are saying that they will burn Nigeria. Majority of them have become demonic. God said that I should go and warn them that any man of God that said that there will be confusion on that day May 29. He said that I should tell them that He will put confusion in their midst.

     God said that there will be no bloodshed. God said that Nigeria will be congratulated worldwide. God will use Tinubu to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes for good.”

    While reiterating that the May 29th inauguration will be heavenly celebrated, the cleric said the Tinubu’s programme encapsulated under the name ‘Renewed Hope’ is indeed a divinely inspired message, noting that God has a hand on it.

    “Within four days of his inauguration, Tinubu will come out with people who will show that it is a government of integrity, and they will work well to improve the economy of the country. God Has said He will give him (Tinubu) the energy to pick the right people to join him to do the work. He will touch so many areas that will rebuild the nation and put it in the spotlight.”

  • Nigeria’s problems are beyond politics – Daniel

    Nigeria’s problems are beyond politics – Daniel

    As Nigerians anxiously await the May 29 inauguration date of the in-coming administration, the spiritual and administrative leader of the Holy Throne of the Most High God on Earth Ministry, Daniel Ayoola, spoke to Adeola Ogunlade at the 2023 celebration of the Birth of the Throne of God on Earth, on the need for the president-elect to seek spiritual intervention and other sundry issues.

    Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the inauguration of the new administration; what is your message to the president-elect?

    It is important for the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sit down and begin to trace the problem of Nigeria, beyond political, beyond economic, beyond rivalries, and all of that to spirituality. Visit it spiritually, and it’s important to seek what the kingdom of God we preach has to offer because it’s about rulership. I’m talking about the dominance of Satan the devil, he should trace it beyond the material or beyond the political economy; look at the spiritual angle to it. That’s very serious, because no matter how wise humans are, no matter how much effort is put in place; “unless God watches over the city, they labour in vain that built it.”

    Earlier in your sermon, you spoke about the final agenda; can you explain further on that?

    Well, precisely we are talking about the situation of our world here, that is man’s and we don’t have a different planet. The earth is the planet that is given to the sons of man to manage.  

    Now, talking about what happened which allowed the devil to intrude into our world, and in that exposition I was discussing primarily that it is man that actually allowed the devil to get in. So, what I was talking about is the compromise of patrons or compatriots because the devil himself without man compromising to allow the devil in penetrating human lives and activities. But in the first place, we’re discussing how the devil came to the earth first, before penetrating into man in the Garden of Eden.

    So, I was saying in that teaching that the devil’s mission was to deal with God in His understanding. How is it going about that? This is the earth created by God, which was good, to make a mess of the earth to destroy the earth.  That is the situation in our world. So, to attack the sons of God to destroy anything that is God.

    How do you relate this to the current situation in Nigeria?

    If you heard clearly, I was talking about the activities of Satan in the world and the plan of God to end it. So, that plan is what God has started. We are talking about the beginning of the end. I was talking about the final offensive. I’m not saying that the devil is out of our world, but that God has started to end his reign and end his rule. Now talking about the situation of the world, Nigeria as it relates to God’s plan, you know, whatever suffering that we have in Nigeria, is not the same thing physically in other nations.

    In Nigeria, it means that Nigerians are suffering, and in another country, they are not suffering. Does it mean that the devil is not there? No. But what we’re saying is that the situation of Nigeria,  or the majority of citizens of the world, is the activities of the devil. And God has a plan to end it

    Talking about the final agenda and offensive; what is God’s plan?

    The devil has been having a field day. He has been making strides, a giant leap in the human world and we all can see this. Now we started talking about the agenda of the kingdom of God. And God started rebuilding this clearly in the book of Daniel. That is very clear about the agenda of God setting up the kingdom on earth. But we need to understand the power of that Kingdom. In that message, I was also sharing how God has been demonstrating the importance of his kingdom, the supremacy of his kingdom over that of the devil.

    These days, many people don’t really have much regard for men of God, and the church; so what is the message to preachers who have compromised?

    It’s not surprising because, from this revelation, you have seen the beast struggling against the saints of God. That’s easy. Most people that claim to be children of God or men of God, most of them actually probably started well, but along the line, there was a compromise. I am not judging anyone but everybody sees what is happening in our world. So that’s why I was talking about compromise and giving in to the devil. The devil initiates most trials in our world, but that does not mean that God is losing in heaven. So, in our world, people are compromising, men of God, religious leaders, and all. But God’s agenda is still standing to end the reign of Satan.

    What then is the implication for the church?

    If we are preaching that the reign of God has come; if we are preaching the kingdom of God has come – is for them to accept the gospel and partner and be part of this gospel of the established kingdom. The Church of Jesus is great. I have said it. You know the devil cannot prevail against the church because the bible tells us that the gates of hell will not prevail and the devil needed to fight the church because the kingdom will come to be, and the reign of the prophecy will be fulfilled with the instrumentality of the church itself. And if the church has failed, it means that maybe it will delay more, because God cannot fail.

    So, it is for them to join forces with the kingdom that has come on earth and maybe I would say if they are to hear, our doors are open, irrespective of your religion or faith because people are so religious; men are religiously minded. I have my church and my faith, but you know the deceit in the world. Many people are losing their faith in God, because of the failures of these religious leaders, but telling the world that salvation and the kingdom of God are here, even if only they can believe and come and join the kingdom of heaven.