Despite not meeting its oil production quota of 1.74 million barrels per day (mbpd), Nigeria in the month of October, again maintained its top crude oil producer in Africa for the second consecutive month. The feat, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for November 2023, was achieved with a production of 1.35 mbpd output based on direct sources and 1.416 mbpd (secondary sources) in October 2023.
The report which was released by OPEC yesterday, showed that Nigeria’s crude oil production for October 2023, increased by an average of 4000bpd based on direct sources and 17,000bpd based on secondary sources compared with the previous month.
The OPEC report indicated that out of the 13 major member crude oil producing countries, crude oil output increased mainly in Nigeria, Angola, and Iran, while production in Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait decreased.
While this is still below the country’s 1.74 mbpd OPEC quota, yet it is a positive trend in the country’s crude oil output on a month-to-month basis, with a slightly lower but still significant increase from 1.181mbpd in August, 1.347mbpd in September, and 1,351mbpd in the month under review based on direct sources.
The report, according to secondary sources, showed a steady increase as the figures for August, September, and October increased to 1.249mbpd, 1.399 mbpd, and 1.416mpd, respectively. The number of functional crude oil production rigs in the country decreased to 13 operational rigs in October 2023 from 15 rigs recorded in September 2023. Yet, despite the country’s steady rise in crude oil production, Nigeria is still struggling to achieve above 16 functional rigs it recorded since 2019.
The report also showed that Angola’s crude oil production rose by 51,000 bpd, bringing the country’s total output in October to 1.172 mbpd, making it the second top African oil producer. Occupying the third position is Libya, whose oil production dropped by 26,000 bpd, bringing the total to 1.143 mbpd. Production in Gabon, Congo, Algeria, and Equatorial Guinea rose by about 10,000, 5,000, 3,000, and 2,000 bpd, respectively
Stakeholders have not failed to attribute this feat to the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which they maintained has been targeting crude oil recovery, including the administration’s sustained boost in crude oil exports up to October. The country has enjoyed a commendable stability in the oil sector, especially given that there has not been a major disruption to shipments.
Industry operators are confident that with President Tinubu’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia where he assured investors in the country of the safety of their investments, including international oil companies and returns on their investment.
Aracially inclined theoretical construct which claimed that Africans were genetically inferior to their brothers and sisters in the Western world crumbled away several decades ago in the face of some superior scientific evidence. It is a truism, that such great Europeans as Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Plato studied philosophy and mathematics among other subjects in ancient Egypt. Some African intellectuals taught these early Europeans aspects of the fundamentals of human civilisations. These African gurus were the unsung heroes of ancient Greek civilisations. Painfully, much of this early history suffers from knowledge filtering arising from the unbridled racial arrogance of Europe.
Nigeria was also well known for science and technology more than 2000 years ago. Relics of iron metallurgical practices in the Nok Valley region of central Nigeria and Nsukka as well as Isundunrin among other localities in the Southeast and Southwest respectively, are our witnesses. The target of this knowledge filtering was to create a perpetual state of under-development in Africa by engendering a gross lack of self-confidence. Our uncommonly rich past is a major source of pride, capable of stimulating socio-economic progress on a sustainable scale.
Most Nigerian professionals in Europe and America today are a force to reckon with. This is another evidence that Nigerians/Africans are not genetically inferior to other races. Nuclear power and micro-chip technologies of today are an outgrowth of ancient African science and engineering. Africa provided the stimulus for the emergence of modern human society.
The new government under the direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a lot to do to rescue Nigeria from the ravaging ocean of modern politics. This government has to be totally committed to the struggle to save the country from a tidal wave. PBAT must be ready to step on toes in the interest of the common good. Nigerians are not incorrigible people, once there is a good leadership. Nigerians demonstrated that they were governable when General Murtala Mohammed (of blessed memory) was in charge between 1975 and 1976. Mohammed tried to wrestle corruption to the ground even though his reign was short. His large-scale civil service reform shook the country to its solid foundations. However, some of his policies were expectedly criticised by a few reactionaries in our midst. An average Nigerian with a fine heart saw Mohammed as a trustworthy, highly disciplined leader of the upper crust essence. His tenure was characterised by a considerable amount of sanity. Although, he ruled by decrees as a military man, political leaders today have a lot to learn from him. It is a pity that most Nigerian leaders today do not know that history is unforgiving. History is ontologically about the rhetoric of remembering and to a limited degree, forgetting.
The executive arm is not a rubber stamp for decisions made by the legislature. The same thing applies to the latter. Separation of power in a democracy does not mean that each arm is completely on its own. The arms are mere branches of the same tree of political engineering. Nigeria has what it takes to be a world power, despite our colonial and neo-colonial challenges which are of course, not peculiar to this geo-polity. It was very gladdening to note here, that PBAT warned the new top government officials during a retreat recently, to perform optimally or get the boot.
Again, those government officials (especially the advisers), should know that the era of political recklessness including insensitivity to the feelings of the citizens is gone. Mr. President has to be mindful of some gluttons around him. They are capable of damaging his time-tested, robust reputation. There should be no space at all for bogus/opulent lifestyles in the face of unprecedented starvation, a component of multi-dimensional poverty. We need a stable Nigeria! But anarchy is inevitable in the face of uncaring/insensitive leadership. Thinking beings are historical animals. We must learn from history.
Those who supported PBAT before, during, and after the election would not want him to fail. However, he has to curb the excesses of some of his appointees in order to prevent a political tsunami. The president is a very wealthy individual, arising from his world-class business acumen outside the domain of politics. Certainly, he does not need the Nigerian money. Therefore, let no political appointee smear mud on PBAT’s reputation. The recently created Service Delivery Unit to monitor the ministers and other senior officials is highly commendable, even though everybody should be vigilant. The followers must not go to sleep because the concept can be abused. The Nigerian state should become the focus of unalloyed patriotism and economic progress. It is time to begin to engineer a new national political culture devoid of unfettered corruption. In other words, the current asymmetrical democratic landscape, which remains a puzzle to all fair-minded social science geniuses, has to be thoroughly sanitised. This stench must stop now!
Those who have stolen our commonwealth have to be seriously probed. These ruthless politicians who have turned a lot of Nigerians into beggars must return the stolen monies. This is a task for the Tinubu administration to accomplish at all costs. This is what the citizens are waiting for. No excuses!
However, such recovered monies must not be mismanaged or re-stolen. No more room for bogus, people-insensitive projects that smack of huge recklessness. The ordinary people will continue to be disdainful of the leadership so long as injustice and economic exploitation reign supreme. Any society that directly or indirectly allows looters among other serious criminals to get off scot-free is doomed to failure. Indeed, such a scenario is at variance with good governance. Rules and regulations are social mechanisms aimed at reducing human excesses in a given society to the barest minimum. Therefore, they have to be enforced across the board. It is of global relevance understandably because man, regardless of the colour of his skin and/or geographical location, is corrupt by nature.
The EFCC and ICPC should not be operating from the perspective of political partisanship. The fight against corruption must be total, otherwise the country’s economy will continue to go from bad to worse. Natural law is no respecter of anybody. This is one of the reasons why the developed world is relatively much more stable than Nigeria. Apart from this, followers in saner climes and cultures are generally speaking, not docile. They hold their leaders accountable at all times. No room for religious/ethnic sentiments. Nigeria can set itself free from this stone age bondage via the lens of appropriate education. The ministries of education and culture have some critical roles to play in this connection. New curricula rooted in our indigenous values and value systems need to be urgently crafted. We must be prepared to critically combine the present with the past in order to get out of the woods. Fine-grained ideas must be used to weave our educational policies, so that we can begin to move gradually to the promised land, defined by spiritual and material abundance, as President Tinubu navigates the ship. This is a compelling enterprise in all its ramifications.
Prof Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider the restructuring of the country.
He described restructuring as the best solution to the foundational problems of the country.
The Yoruba Generalissimo, who stated these, among other issues, in a personal letter to the President, also congratulated him on his victory at the Supreme Court.
The letter, a copy of which The Nation obtained, reads: “Your Excellency, I, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, write to congratulate you on your victory at the Supreme Court.
“Your victory at the apex court was an affirmation of the popular mandate given to you by Nigerians at the February 25 presidential election. It is a reflection of your avowed commitment to justice, fair play and merits of the law, without fear or favour.
“In every election, there is always a winner and a loser. But the underlining fact remains that we are all one, indivisible Nigeria that is bound by fate to be the leading nation in Africa.
“Nigeria is going through a lot at the moment, but it must be said that your victory has given rise to a leadership that this time demands. And we must agree with the fact that this is truly a new chapter in the political trajectory of Nigeria.”
“Your Excellency, as much as I join other Nigerians to celebrate your victory, I am of the view that now is the time for us to build the Nigeria of our dream.
“However, let me say it for posterity that Nigerians, irrespective of our ethnic nationalities, have a common belief in the strength of our diversity.
“And your commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political persuasions, tribes and faiths with honour and respect for the diverse opinions and uniting values of our citizens should be the fulcrum of your administration.”
He added: “As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, I believe in restructuring as the best solution to the foundational problem of Nigeria. I will continue to support your administration as a Yoruba man, a brother and father of the nation, especially, a Nigerian nation that is tied to this political ideology…”
A two-time Minister, Mrs Onikepo Nike Akande has called for stronger cooperation between Nigeria and China in order to improve the countries’ $1.6 billion trades and ensure mutual growth and development.
Akande was the special guest of honour at the ‘China -Africa (NIGERIA) Production Capacity Cooperation Symposium’ organised by the Institute of Directors ( IoD).
She said though Nigeria and China have a robust diplomatic relationship and trade relationship, there is a big gap between Nigeria and China when we consider industrialisation and industrial capacity.
Akande noted that the key to economic development, employment generation and poverty alleviation is industrialisation and asked the Chinese Government to help address the trade imbalance.
She said: “China is way ahead of Nigeria and Nigeria has been an export destination for Chinese businesses. As a nation that is trying to take the right steps to move from consumption to production, we have quite a lot to learn from China on this journey”.
According to her, China should help and support Nigeria in its quests for industrilisation by deliberately putting in place measures that will aid the Nigerian government and people to improve their production capacity.
She advocated that manufacturers in China should consider moving their factories to produce in Nigeria and provide jobs for our teeming population and improve our economy.I must however confess that this symposium can be an eye opener to many opportunities that Nigeria as a country can avail itself as we commence this journey of rebirth and development.
Responding, Chinese Consul General Yan Yuging said in today’s world, unprecedented changes are taking place. and faced with a complex and ever-changing international landscape, China and Nigeria stand together, seeking mutual development, and continuously writing new chapters of practical cooperation.
He said: “ in August, the 15th BRICS Summit was held in South Africa. China has launched the “Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization” “Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization “ and “ Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development “ , focusing on areas urgently needed for African modernization”.
“ In October, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing. China signed a series of cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. A large number of infrastructure projects and projects benefiting the people will be implemented gradually. Due to the principles guiding China’s Africa policy, including sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith, and the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China-Nigeria relations are steadily advancing, with deepening cooperation in trade, investment, and contracted projects”.
He maintained that as a significant trade partner to Nigeria according to Chinese customs data, the bilateral trade volume between China and Nigeria reached $23.9 billion in 2022, with China’s exports to Nigeria amounting to $22.3 billion and imports from Nigeria totaling $1.6 billion.
He said: “ In the first three quarters of 2023, bilateral trade stood at $17.25 billion, with exports to Nigeria being $15.67 billion and imports from Nigeria at $1.58 billion, marking a 22.5 percent increase in imports from Nigeria compared to the same period last year Nigeria has become China’s second- largest trade partner in Africa, and China is Nigeria’s largest global source of imports.
Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are considering a mutual arrangement that allows companies to list on both the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and Saudi Stock Exchange.
Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga hinted at the plan for dual listing with the Saudi Exchange, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have created room for investment in Africa’s largest economy.
Kwairanga, who spoke on the sidelines of the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh, said that the summit was an opportunity to seek cooperation between the Saudi government and the Nigerian business environment.
He noted that the summit was an opportunity where the Nigerian government felt that there is a need to showcase itself and that the new government has come with a lot of new reforms which other countries in Africa and beyond are looking at.
“We believe with our population, and many other advantages we have opportunities to showcase, to Africans, Arabs based out of Saudi Arabia,” Kwairanga said.
He expressed optimism over opportunities in the NGX amid foreign exchange (forex) scarcity challenges.
“One of the discussions we had is on dual listing between the Saudi Stock Exchange and the NGX. We had a discussion with the Minister of Environment and his officials, looking at how our biggest companies quoted on NGX going to leverage this.
“We are going to take companies like Aramco to be listed on the NGX. We intend to replicate what we did on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) with the Saudi Stock Exchange regarding dual listings.
“Last month we were with Mr. President in NASDAQ. We had so many discussions on many business opportunities.
“So, it will attract a lot of investors into the Nigerian economy and I believe this government is doing a lot regarding reforms.
“We need to come and showcase investors and you can see the way people have applauded Nigeria’s delegates that have come for this conference,” Kwairanga said.
Experts in the technology sector have said that for Nigeria’s tech industry to expand, there is need for more participation from local investors, in addition to foreign investments.
The experts, who spoke at the DETAIL Private Equity and Tech Business Series with the theme “Insights: Legal Reforms in the Tech Ecosystem”, reiterated that Nigeria continues to be an attractive tech investment destination in Africa.
According to experts, Nigeria is the top destination for technology startup capital in Africa, cornering 20 per cent of about $5 million invested in tech startups in the continent in 2022.
They said Nigeria is poised to continue making progress in the digital space with tech entrepreneurs dotting the landscape.
The experts included Yvonne Johnson, Co-Founder of Indicina; Olufemi Shobanjo, Head, Broker Dealer Regulation Department, NGX Regulation Limited; Mobolaji Adeoye, Managing Partner, Consonance Investment Managers; Tomiwa Aladekomo, Chief Executive Officer, Big Cabal Media; and Ladi Asuni, Partner, Emerging Technology, Data & Analytics, KPMG.
They highlighted the major trends that have impacted and continue to reshape Nigeria’s tech landscape, including funding and capital cycles, evolving customer expectations, and the regulatory reforms.
In addition, they said the implementation of the naira redesign policy also created an in-road for agency banking among other global trends.
The panel session, moderated by Temidayo Ajayi Bello, Partner, DETAIL Commercial Solicitors, identified the key five pillars for market creation which included major considerations for investment entities to include human capital, social capital, real assets, digital infrastructure and financial services.
According to them, investors should place structure guardrails and benchmarks for startups in their portfolio investments to comply with in order to ensure appropriate governance.
Experts said Environmental Social Governance (ESG) also has a key role to play, with governance being more primary within the Nigerian context, to prevent the failure of startups.
They added that the overall role of ESG will ultimately advance the Nigerian tech industry.
Experts noted that Nigerian Exchange (NGX) recently launched a Technology Board with less stringent regulatory requirements for startups with an operational track record and market capitalization of N425 million.
They said although recent foreign exchange policies have dealt a major blow to players in the tech industry, startups can mitigate this risk by having a global outlook in their products and services offerings, and focus less on regulated industries like banking and insurance.
They added that startups can also expand their global footprint through strategic international partnerships and provide service products such as software-as-a-service.
Sir: One funny axiom in Nigeria is the claim that “bad news is good news for the media.” This assertion negatively affects professionalism, ethics, conscience and even patriotism. It has resulted in a media tradition that glorifies exposure over correction, effect over efficiency, and coverage over conduct.
The disposition of many Nigerians towards everything anti-Nigeria is worrisome.
First off, even without being an expert in economic discourse, I can tell affirmatively that a dollar is almost as useless to the American as a naira is to a Nigerian, except when we dwell on comparison. The only time the dollar comes like a heavenly currency is when we discuss the exchange rate with the naira. Does a dollar visit the barbershop anywhere in America? Do we still not get our haircut for less than a thousand naira in most parts of Nigeria?
The question now is: why do we not have this dimension and similar ones foregrounded in the media?
Moving on to other fields, anyone who has been to European countries, including the UK, will most likely know that those in London have an experience similar to that of Nigerian “molue” (congestion) with both their road and train transportation modes. You may not read this in their media and your countrymen there will not likely talk about it so you do not think less of your impression about being abroad.
It is equally not only in Nigeria that you are asked to return to the hospital after two weeks to see the doctor; it happens in many parts of the world, but their citizens think more of progress than condemnation. For whatever reason you want to give, there are thousands of homeless people in America and other developed countries of the world. Those who have been to the US should say if their states require the heavy downpours that we often contend with, leading to occasional struggles with floods. Are bus and train schedules not occasionally cancelled due to floods and other reasons, prompting questions about the government’s actions and inactions?
Now, let’s discuss actions we take here that we would not consider elsewhere. Anyone who lives in Europe and America and those of us who visit can share whether it is possible to request landlords or the government to extend the rent after just a week or if there is even a law that allows you to be granted six months to find a new apartment. You are indeed dislodged in less than a month if you do not have to pay with an increase. With these experiences, an American will still wake up and say, “God bless America,” when some Nigerians will affirmatively say their own country can never be great again. One wonders why we underestimate the communal virtue that unites us as Nigerians, a trait nearly unmatched elsewhere. If the Nigerian government were to adopt a radical approach to tax collection similar to what is implemented in places we often commend, what would be the next song on our lips?
I wish to state that every country has their struggles, and patriotism demands citizens to stay positive while seeking responsibility from the government. Critical appraisal of government goes beyond condemnation and fault-finding. While we appeal to the government to do better, we must plead with ourselves to be patriotic, appreciative, and optimistic.
Most importantly, we need to do less needless comparison, which always makes us appear like the worst country in the world.
Angola has disclosed its intention to improve bilateral relations with Nigeria.
Amb. José Bamóquina Zau, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Angola to Nigeria, Benin, and Niger, made the disclosure at the 48th independence anniversary ceremony of the country on Friday night in Abuja.
Zau pointed out that Angola and Nigeria are brother countries and giant crude oil producers in Africa and have been in a relationship that started since Angola’s liberation struggle began until its independence.
He said: “Angola and Nigeria faced challenges and their respective leaders remain committed to resolving most essential problems and strengthening bilateral cooperation are core plans of Presidents Joao Lourenco and Bola Tinubu.
“Since 2008, Angola-Nigeria Bilateral Joint Commission has awaited a roundtable with the officials of the two countries to work on socioeconomic, political, defense, and internal security issues.
“The commission also awaits to consolidate the bilateral legal instruments needed, in view of the dynamic that is to be created between the two brotherly countries.
“The Angola-Nigeria economic balance still does not reflect the strategic dimension of the two giants.
“The African Free Trade Zone is coming, so it is in everyone’s interest to prioritise trade cooperation and reverse the current situation in the short and medium term.”
The envoy while acknowledging the partnership between Angola and Nigeria within the framework of Technical and Methodological Coordination of the African Petroleum Producing Organization (APPO), which extended to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), noted that the Gulf of Guinea Commission as one of the outcomes of the sub-regional organisation’s coordinated actions aimed at gaining momentum, amidst the current challenges in the area.
Going to play at the senior World Cup anywhere in the world should be a birthright for Nigeria, given the exploits of her players in Europe, the Americas, and the Diaspora. Our players in the foreign legion need to replicate their mastery of the game which they display at their various clubs, while playing for their fatherland. Super Eagles have been consistently awful in their outings relying on the artistry displays of a few players such as Victor Osimhen. Preparing the Super Eagles for the World Cup is the most expensive project with as it takes a minimum of N540 million per game. No hyperbole. You better believe it.
Every invitation for any qualifier attracts as many as 29 foreign-based players flying on business class while some privileged few with long legs fly on first-class tickets. This crowd of 29 players reside in some of the best five-star hotels in the world, beginning with the African continent. At other times, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) secures a charter jet, which takes a contingent of 200 people including supporters Club members. This crowd flies into such countries with high altitudes the evening before the game and departs immediately after the game, irrespective of the results.
Of course, the charter jets spend the night at the airport with all its huge logistics, landing rights paid for in foreign currencies. I don’t know how much it costs to keep an aircraft in the hangar in foreign land. All attempts are made by the NFF to treat our players as the big boys that they are. The pre-match show of class for players melts away like ice cream when the matches begin with our players behaving on the pitch as if they are doing us a favour.
On a few occasions, one can understand why our players are mindful of their commitment towards our matches because of the terrible conditions of the pitches compared to what they have in Europe which propels the players in their different clubs to always give their best. Many people have sworn not to watch the Super Eagles on live television after the breathtaking 3-2 away win against Sierra Leone played in Monrovia. The Eagles led by 2-0 only to falter a bit. The Sierra Leoneans seized the loop to level the scores at 2-2. It took a last-ditch effort by Kelechi Iheanacho to score the winning goal at the death.
Some other times, the Eagles struggle with the atmospheric conditions of some of these African countries necessitating the medically-informed plans by the NFF to fly the team to such places by charter flights a day before such games. Sadly, the plans to curtain the altitudinal problems are thrown into the trash bin by the same players who stroll into the camp as if they were in town to attend a disco session.
Rather than hit the camp on Monday for the Sunday match, our big boys don’t report until Thursday, leaving the coaches with between two to three days to prepare the boys instead of the six days agreed with them after the last game. Guess what, these players who sauntered into the Nigerian’s camp at their leisure scamper to return to the European clubs, knowing the implications of late coming.
Why the Eagles manager has failed to bench latecomers remains a mystery. The excuse that the European clubs pay their wages is neither here nor there. After all, they are not playing for Nigeria for free. The players each gets paid between $5,000 and $ 10,000. They all share in the qualification bonus paid by FIFA which is quite handsome. Multiply $5,000 by 29 players not forgetting the manager, who gets twice what the players earn in games won and drawn, you will appreciate why the players must play the country’s World Cup qualification matches as if their lives depend on the ticket. It is double the figure spent at $5,000 if the players are paid $10,000 each. Who gets paid $5,000 or $10,000 for a job done in 90 minutes in Nigeria?
We have seen how Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah have flown in charter jets to their countries to honour their invitations to camp. If our players can report early to camp and apply themselves to the six days of training, Nigeria has players who can deliver World Cup tickets with, at least, two matches left.
It is instructive to state here that apart from those players who changed their nationalities to Nigeria, the rest cut their teeth playing for Nigeria, beginning from the country’s age-grade teams. Need I waste space naming those in these categories?
Fortunately, the players and officials have the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations to be staged by Cote d’Ivoire in January to also prepare for the senior World Cup. Happily, the NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau while receiving the Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to Nigeria, His Excellency Kalilou Traore, in his Dankaro House office in Abuja said: “I have been receiving regular briefings on the preparations from the President of Cote d’Ivoire Football Federation, Yacine Idriss Diallo, who is a personal friend. I am aware that the Government of Cote d’Ivoire has really invested in stadia and general infrastructure to make the AFCON a success and a huge spectacle.
“Our two teams (Super Eagles and Elephants) are in the same group at the finals, and it would be a very interesting game when we play on 18th January. We know the whole of Africa and even the world will be focused on Cote d’Ivoire before, during, and after the AFCON, and our team will be ready to do its best. When Cote d’Ivoire played host to the AFCON in 1984, our Eagles finished second. This time round, we will work very hard to emerge champions.”
Gusua’s comments find expression with most soccer-crazy Nigerians who support our national teams during competitions and international friendly games. And the least that players, coaches, and officials can do for the over 200 million Nigerians is to win their matches by scoring goals with aplomb. Gusau reiterated that three-time champions Nigeria are ready to give the campaign their best shot when the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations begins in Cote d’Ivoire on 13th January 2024.
Nigeria’s green-white-green flag wasn’t among the comity of nations that participated in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. We can’t afford to miss the next edition.
No country runs its sports on the yearly fiscal budget because of its clumsiness. Sports competitions are run on a calendar system which gives participating countries to prepare adequately for periods of one to four years. Besides, there are other tournaments that serve as qualifiers for the main events across the globe which makes it imperative that funding must be handy, not dependent on any form of bureaucracy
The countries that excel in sporting events have systems that guarantee enough funds for the sportsmen and sportswomen to compete with the best such as tax rebates on sport-friendly firms, lotteries, and businesses owned by wealthy nationals who know what is in such a sponsorship that benefits them by the sitting government. Such financial taxes are spelled out to companies and wealthy citizens after agreements have been reached. These cast-in-stone policies are binding on all the parties to such an extent that breaches are adequately addressed to allow either of the parties to seek redress in court.
The beauty of this organised method of funding is it gives all the concerned sponsors enough time to schedule their commitments to their boards to provide for them in the yearly budgets for the duration of the contractual agreements with reliant government parastatals for the exercise. Is Nigeria ready to prosecute a seamless World Cup qualification series with a solvent NFF? You tell me, dear reader.
Herbalists, distillers, others flood market with products
Ghanaians, others smile to bank selling unregistered products
in Nigeria Youths high on enhancers mess up at orgy party
Production and sale of aphrodisiacs has become a big money spinner. Most herbal concoctions, energy drinks, alcoholic bitters, among others, are laced with aphrodisiac ingredients and marketed with messages that brazenly hype their potency. Ghana and many other countries are latching onto the thriving business and turning Nigeria into a dumping ground for all manner of unregistered aphrodisiac products. INNOCENT DURU examines the implications of the trend for the rising incidents of rape and health problems in the society.
ADAMU, a dark complexioned young man, sells herbal medicines stuffed in plastic bottles along LASU/Isheri Road in Lagos. Besides the herbs, he also sells all manner of aphrodisiacs which he brazenly displays on his table.
The products need no introduction, because the obscene pictures on the packages say it all.
“This one works well,” he said in reply to our correspondent’s request for potent brands. “It costs just N500 a pack. It is in tablet form and you only need it before the match,” he said in salacious tone.
Pointing to another, he said, “This one is just like coffee. You only pour it in hot water and drink before you start action. Walahi, e dey work well well (I swear, it works very well)”
Asked how he knew that it works well, Adamu said: “People buy it a lot. It is one of the brands that people buy the most.”
Checks on some of the products showed that they are not made in Nigeria and are not registered by NAFDAC. Information on the packages showed that some of them came from Ghana while others bear Arabic inscriptions without NAFDAC’s mark of approval on them.
As the conversation was going on, a man suspected to be in his 50s walked in. The customer knew what he wanted and where it was kept as he opened a box, took a small tablet and handed N200 over to Adamu.
“What is that?” our correspondent inquired after the customer left. Adamu opened the box containing different tablets cut into pieces. A particular brand was shaped like a man’s private part with the sac attached to it.
“It helps man to perform well. The man will last longer after taking it, Adamu said with a sense of expertise.”
A number of other young men also strolled in at regular intervals to pick their brands from Adamu while our correspondent sat observing the craze for aphrodisiacs among Nigerian men.
Besides the likes of Adamu who sell by the roadside, online checks revealed that many young ladies have been quitting their jobs and floating mega aphrodisiac businesses, which they say is highly lucrative because the products are in high demand.
Walking away from Adamu, our correspondent ran into another trader who gleefully marketed his products to him.
He particularly advertised a product he claimed had no side effects.
“Oga, this one is not for drinking. You only need to rob it on your manhood and it will stand well well,” he said, assuring that our correspondent would come looking for the product subsequently.
Prior to his meeting with the above traders, our correspondent had run into a trader who caught his attention in an unusual way.
“Oga, buy Maradona,” he said as our correspondent gazed at him to see what he meant.
Having caught his attention, the trader raised a very dark wood perfectly carved like manhood. Holding it firmly, he tossed it up and down to demonstrate how turgid a man’s manhood would become after using his product.
“When you use it, you will still be on after one hour,” he said as he brought out other products he said were in high demand.
Herbal concoctions aggressively marketed as aphrodisiacs
Apart from the above types of sex enhancers, checks further revealed that regular herbal concoctions sellers have begun to make brisk business aggressively promoting aphrodisiacs. While some sell their aphrodisiacs in raw forms, others have elevated their brands, selling them in well branded packages.
The poor herbal concoction sellers have moved from selling powdery aphrodisiac called ale (hardener) in Yoruba language. They now do a series of mixtures for their clients.
“How about the one that will make you perform very well as a man,” a seller asked our correspondent who had bought herbs meant for treatment of pile from her.
For some who use megaphones to market their wares in public areas, the manner of advertising the products are sometimes crude and disturbing. They pronounce private parts and sexual issues without any consideration for the effects it could have on the morality of the children who are listening to them.
One of the marketers’ advertisements on major roads in Lagos goes thus: “Oga, you do only three seconds and give up, saying yours is a quick action. Are you a fowl? Better buy this enhancer and make madam happy.
“When you use it, your manhood will stand kakaraka like iron, and wherever you meet your woman, you will be able to hit her well. If you see her in the kitchen, you hit her. If you see her in the bathroom, you hit her.”
At times, they employ fear appeal to compel pliable consumers to buy their products.
“You, a landlord that performs only once and gives up, may God never allow your tenant to take over your wife. You better come here before a tenant takes over your responsibility.”
Some more privileged manufacturers go on air to advertise their wares and are overlooked as they use all manners of foul expressions.
Alcoholic bitters, energy drinks, others as aphrodisiacs
Other forms of aphrodisiacs that are highly abused are energy drinks and alcoholic bitters. The brands in the market are innumerable and they all thrive on being potent aphrodisiacs.
The adverts are couched in suggestive words and at times in irresponsible manners. They come in sachets, small plastic bottles as well as big bottles.
Age restrictions about who can consume the products are at times placed on the packages but that is hardly followed.
Aphrodisiacs in pharmacies and supermarkets
The sales of aphrodisiacs are also common in supermarkets and pharmacies. In supermarkets, the drugs are sold as over the counter products and open to anyone who has the money to buy them.
At supermarkets, they come in different forms, including herbal teas. Everywhere you turn to in the country, aphrodisiacs are available in any form you want.
Why demand for aphrodisiacs is on the rise
Speaking on why demands for aphrodisiacs are on the increase, a sex therapist and Executive Director of Sex in Marriage Therapy (SIM) Omolola Natural, said: “Its use has been abused overtime just because of people’s ideology of what is expected of them when it comes to sex. It is something majorly used by men because they want to last longer.
“That is not the only reason, but most times, men want something that will make them last longer in bed because they feel that is what makes them a man.
“The use of those things come from wrong viewpoints about sex in the first place. For a woman’s satisfaction, it is not about the man lasting longer because the man can last as long as can be and still not satisfy a woman. Most men don’t understand that aspect. They don’t understand that satisfying a woman is not just about the jerking and penetration. They are just all about ‘let me last long’.
“It has become something like a norm that if you don’t use these things, you can’t perform and you are not a man. Everybody wants to feel like a man and they go all out. They can pay anything to get it.
“Like I can have people book for therapy and tell them the therapy fee and explain the gains of doing it. But they will just tell you no, no,no, just give me the drugs.
“I tell them you actually don’t need drugs but they don’t want to hear that. They are not interested in the right information. They are just interested in the drug.”
Aside from wanting to last longer in bed, she said: “Some men tell me that they want a longer manhood because theirs is six inches. They want eight inches. It is just this mentality of wanting more.
“I don’t know if you read the story of the man with the longest manhood. He is feeling he is carrying too much load. Although he has entered the Guinness Book of record, he has lost many job opportunities. Now it has become a burden for the man who has a long one, but those who have shorter ones want it to be longer.”
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Initiative for Sustaining Family Unity, Kate Ibeanusi, said: “Some people take it as self-help medication to help them perform no matter how minimal. Some are using it to show that they can do this and do it more than any other person. Then, there are these people who are taking it for the fun of it to embolden them to molest people.”
Going further, she said: “Nigeria is a fertile ground for everything that is not good, and it is coming from the point of regulation. We have the rules but we don’t have strong institutions that can monitor and control whatever rules that exist.
“The country becomes very porous and people can bring in anything at any time without any fear of reprimand or being caught or cautioned. Even when they are caught, they would easily tell you that they will get away with it.”
She regretted that individuals in Nigeria are using the excuse that the times are hard to indulge in vices that have long term implications for productivity for relationships with one another.
“These vices are affecting meaningful conversations because a number of people take this, I don’t know if it is only the sexual effects it has on them, I also believe it impairs their judgment.
“If the only thing that is occupying the mind of a man is how he will take aphrodisiac to perform, it will impair his judgment, which will eventually make him not to have attraction just for the partner for which he has taken it but it could also be for harassing and intimidating other people.”
Youths share aphrodisiacs at orgy party
Kate Ibeanusi also spoke about how youths hold orgy parties where they share aphrodisiacs.
She said: “Young people now put anything in the foods they eat. They now hold orgy parties where they come together and collectively share aphrodisiacs to spike their sexual desire for one another.
“Beyond it being linked to the increase in rape cases, what about the ones that these teenagers come together cook food and spike it?
“They also make cookies and spike it with the intention to raise their sexual arousal level so that they can all make love to one another. It is a huge problem.”
She said the use of aphrodisiacs among the youth is like a rite of passage now. “It is a way to show that you are in town. It is not only for the guys but also for the girls. It is a ritual of growing up in recent years. They force themselves on one another. For those who are not consenting, they will force them.
“Little children engage in different sexual activities simply because they are taking these things. So many of them are getting raped and raping one another because they are taking these things.
“And because we don’t have strong institutions, anybody can buy anything. In more organised countries, even to buy alcohol, you have to show your ID card to show that you are up to a certain age. But here, even little children are sent to buy alcoholic drinks. Even these alcoholic drinks you are talking about and all these sachet drinks they call all manners of ridiculous names, little children are sent to buy them for adults. So, why would it not be everywhere?
“It is no longer a thing that people hide. Before, when people talked about Viagra they covered their mouths and lowered their voices. Now with the proliferation of production of all these kinds of bitters, energy drinks and all that, people are no longer ashamed of using it.
“Young men buy a bottle of coke, pour these drinks in them and consume.”
Why some women use aphrodisiacs
Omolola Natural explained why apart from men, some women also use aphrodisiacs.
She said: “Women take these things for different purposes. I told you that men take it for the purpose of energy to last longer. Women are not interested in energy or lasting longer. Some women are interested in being wet for a longer time because they go dry on time. There is what we call virginal sugar.
“Some women take it because they want their virginal sweeter. We have something like Spanish Fly that can make a woman go gaga, but only a few women want to do that. I hardly see women who would do that because they want to go gaga.
“I am not talking about women who use sex as their means of trade. Those ones might want to do anything to be in the mood. We hardly have products in this category that are adulterated because they are natural.”
Demand fuels adulteration
Omolola Natural noted that there has been adulteration of aphrodisiacs because of the high demand for them.
She said: “The reason why we are having adulteration is because of that unsatisfying desire in the heart of people to just want to do anything to feel like a man and what makes them feel like a man is because they feel it is when I am able to last longer to the extent that she can’t walk.
“But like I said earlier, satisfying a partner sexually is not really about that.
“If you are greedy about gain, you can actually put anything together and say it works for this, and people will gladly buy it. That is why we are beginning to have a lot of adulteration, because whether it works or not, as long as you give it that tag, people will gladly buy it.
“They may try for the first time and not come back, but they will gladly buy it.
“I have had a friend who spent N5,000 buying one online to improve his performance. Immediately he opened it, the whole house started smelling, and that was something that he was supposed to drink. He ended up turning the drink which costs N5, 000 into his toilet. There was no way someone could have drunk that kind of thing because it was really smelly.”
Recently, the operatives of the Zone ‘B’ Strike Force of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted assorted foreign sex drugs worth over N6 million in Katsina State.
According to the agency, the drugs, all bearing fake NAFDAC registration numbers, were intercepted in Malumfashi and Jibia Local Government Areas of the state as part of the NCS’s ongoing war and zero-tolerance for smuggling.
They included 52 cartons of EJAC powder manpower alongside several manpower capsules such as Bobarak capsule manpower, Ginseng coffee manpower, Sacks manpower, Goldfly, gonorrhea capsule, amipara plus capsule and hympashy capsule.
Aphrodisiac business highly profitable
Speaking on the profitability of the business, Executive Director of SIM, Omolola Natural, said: “Aphrodisiac business is a big market and it is extremely profitable. If you know how to mix the natural herbs in a way that they will work, you might probably spend N1,000 to mix something and sell it for N20,000.
“People will buy it. You know human beings need anything to save face. One big problem of humans is shame. Anything that will make them boost their ego, human beings can give anything to get it. This is why you will see people quit their jobs to go into it.”
Relationship between use of aphrodisiacs and rising rape incidents
Incidents of rape in the country are said to be on the rise. Although there are no statistics to confirm this, the United Nations Women said a total of 11,200 rape cases, including children who were raped to death, were reported in Nigeria in 2020.
The Technical Specialist, Spotlight Initiative of the UN Women, Tosin Akibu, added that violence against women and girls had continued to grow at an alarming rate.
She said: “In 2020, a total of 11,200 rape cases were reported. Some of these included children who were raped to death. Violence against women continues to occur at an alarming rate.
Speaking on this, Kate Ibeanusi said she could not expressly say that the use of aphrodisiacs is responsible for rising rape cases. “Just like we would tell you that alcohol is not a reason for any form of abuse, the use of aphrodisiac, I cannot say it is directly related to the increase in rape. Rather, I will say that it has an influence in the sense that people who take aphrodisiac, they have a motive for taking it.
“Having taken it, it now emboldens them to go out and carry out that act. Just like the way alcohol does not necessarily make a man beat his wife, but with the intake of alcohol, he is more emboldened to do it. That is what these aphrodisiacs are doing.
“Yes, rape is on the increase, but with the use of aphrodisiacs, the users are able to complete the process. At the end of the day, it still has its negative impact on our social interactions. Remember when I talked about how it interacts with social interactions, relationships and conversation.”
NAFDAC raises alarm over indiscriminate use of aphrodisiacs
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), recently raised the alarm over indiscriminate use of aphrodisiacs.
The agency warned that consumption of such substances could lead to stroke, organ damage or sudden death.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye,
said: “Most of the performance enhancing drugs are not registered with NAFDAC. They are smuggled into the country. If they were registered, the producers and peddlers alike would not be doing what they are doing in the supermarkets, social media platforms and on the streets.
Adeyeye lamented that many men have died using performance enhancing drugs and their relatives would blame their death on some imaginary witches in the village.
The NAFDAC boss also described as false the claim by the producers of the products that they have no side effects, insisting that the majority of the products did not go through the approval process of the agency.
Health implications of aphrodisiacs
Adeyeye noted that unbridled use of aphrodisiacs has a lot of implications in the entire body system, noting that the use of the products could potentially affect blood pressure.
The NAFDAC boss explained that “when you have a disproportionate flow of blood to a particular part of the body and lasting longer than normal, they tend to disrupt the normal flow of the circulatory system.
“When these things are used, especially with some herbal medicines that don’t have dosage and professional prescription, it can lead to internal organ damage. It can hurt the liver and the kidneys, leading to untimely death.”
Adeyeye recalled that over N3 billion worth of falsified and banned drugs and unwholesome food products were seized by the Agency recently at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex where no fewer than 20 trailer loads of such banned and unwholesome products were seized by officials of the agency’s investigation and enforcement directorate led by Barrister Kingsley Ejiofor.
She disclosed that some of the drugs impounded at the trade fair complex were performance enhancing drugs. Worse still, they are counterfeited.
“When something is counterfeited, the manufacturers don’t care about quality. They add what they are not supposed to add or add more than what they are supposed to add. Invariably, the user is the loser,” she said.
