The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian

  • Nigerian jailed for life in UK

    The sensational life of a Nigerian criminal has collapsed at the gates of a British prison.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said a fugitive, Abdul Adewale Kekere-Ekun, who was arrested… on February 12 for identity theft-related offences, is to spend the rest of his crimnal life in prison.

    Kekere-Ekun was jailed  for the murder of 18-year-old Marcus Hall in 2001, following a brawl outside Luton’s Atmosphere Nightclub, where the popular music group, So Solid Crew, had performed.

     

     

  • ‘Non-direct flights hindering Nigerian, Brazilian trade’

    The President, Nigerian-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI),Mr Emmanuel Ibru, has decried the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil,saying it is the major hindrance to trade between both countries.

    He said for Nigeria to tap into the Brazilian government’s new policy to internationalise its businesses,there must be direct flights as  it was 25 years ago.

    He said this over the weekend at a meeting of the Chamber in Lagos.

    He said: “Currently, it takes about 14 hours to travel to Brazil as a result of taking connecting flights instead of the six hours’ direct flight would have made possible and this is not good for trade and investmenty.”

    “Taking connecting flight is expensive for both business and tourism; Dubai is eight hours,yet people still go there because there’s a direct flight and Brazil has a lot to offer Nigeria, culturally, too, as direct flights will opened up trade between the countries.”

    He said the balance of trade between the countries is skewed in favour of Nigeria, adding that Nigeria was the main exporter of oil to Brazil, which was  $7billion per year.

    Ibru continued:”We looked at what Brazil did years ago as Nigeria is at where Brazil was 25 years ago and we want to replicate the same here as we feel there’s a lot of experience and technical know-how to grow our trade and improve the economy that we can learn from Brazil.

    “There’s potential for a lot of intercontinental trade and investments. We have a lot of resources that technical know-how from Brazil can help develop as we have the same terrainy,beliefs and, basically, the chamber is there to facilitate that and others.’’

    The Vice Consul, General Consulate of Brazil, Mrs Benedita Simonetti, said Brazilian firms are eager to take advantage of the business opportunities in Nigeria,but that they are afraid due to lack of information.

    She said Brazilian business owners believed that Africa is a closed market as the Chinese and Indians has taken over, coupled with unstable government policies and news of corruptiony, Nigerian business owners has to reach out more for investment partners from Brazil.

  • Nigerian, nine other Boko Haram members executed in Chad

    Nigerian, nine other Boko Haram members executed in Chad

    Chad yesterday executed a Nigerian, Mahamat Mustapha, also known as Bana Fanaye, and nine other alleged members of the terror sect, Boko Haram, by firing squad, 24 hours  after they were found guilty of a double suicide killing that left 38 people dead in the capital N’Djamena.

    “They were executed this morning on a shooting ground north of N’Djamena,” a judicial source told AFP. The report was confirmed by a security source who asked not to be identified.

    The 10 were condemned to death Friday in the country’s first trial of presumed members of the Islamist group.

    The trial lasted 48 hours.

    Prosecutor Bruno Mahouli said on Friday soon after the sentence was handed down that “the accused have recognized their guilt and accepted the sentence.”

    Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have all suffered attacks by Boko Haram and earlier this year they announced a regional force to end the militants’ insurgency that has claimed more than 15,000 lives since 2009.

    The defendants were accused of criminal conspiracy, killings, willful destruction with explosives, fraud, illegal possessions of arms and ammunition, as well as using psychotropic substances.

    The accused included a Mahamat Mustapha said to have masterminded the June 15 suicide attacks that struck a school and a police building in N’Djamena, killing 38 people and injuring 101.

    On July 12, a fresh attack in the Chadian capital claimed by Boko Haram left at least 15 dead and 80 hurt after an assailant dressed as a woman blew himself up in the central marketplace.

    Shortly after Fanaye’s arrest in late June, Chad’s top prosecutor Alghassim Kassim said the suspect was the “ringleader of a network smuggling weapons and munitions between Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad”.

    Chad has beefed up security in response to the bloodshed.

    The regional force against Boko Haram is expected to number some 8,700 troops and police, but it has yet to go into action.

  • Entrepreneurship as option for Nigerian graduates

    Nigerian graduates are trained to be job seekers in their various academic pursuits. This is the reason why lots of graduates, upon graduating from their various institutions, embark on job hunt without second thoughts. Yes, it is good to finally become independent, after all, our parents have done their part by training us to university level. At this point, we have to face the harsh reality: there are a lot of graduates but a little available job offers.

    Thank God that we have a new government which knows the plight of young Nigerians, and which is willing to listen to options, suggestions and advice from the public. The unfortunate thing is the reality that our youths graduate in geometric progression but the available job opportunities is in arithmetic progression. Lots of individuals are laying complaints about youths wasting away, without proffering solutions to these predicaments. Thank God for successful entrepreneurs like Tony Elumelu, who through his foundation, is looking at training a lot of youth to be self-sufficient through their focused entrepreneurship programs. Other NGOs like the Posh9ja Youth Initiative, also have embarked on the gospel of entrepreneurship through mentoring and vocational training/ skill aquisition. Instead of growing interest in this, lots of our youths have become up and coming artistes, looking for talents that aren’t there.I do not ascribe blames to them because they have to survive. In the journey of survival, some venture into internet fraud; others ditch their degree for menial jobs like okada riding, bus conductors/drivers, cobblers, corporate begging, e.t.c, all in a bid to make ends meet.

    As the clamour for entrepreneurship grows, the government should think it wise to bat the eyelid in this direction. Prof Pat Utomi, in one of his lectures at the Centre for Values and Leadership, explains entrepreneurs as individuals who see a problem and take punitive measures to create solution to these problems while entrepreneurship is the process of starting up a business or an organization. The entrepreneur is solely responsible for its conceptualization as well as its success or failure.The problem about our youth today is that they all aren’t ready to labour, they just want to start the business today and make profit immediately. We are all conversant with the stories of AlhajiAlikoDangote, who spent over 30 years in business before becoming the richest man in Africa. Also, Chief Mike Adenuga worked as a taxi driver in the USA before finding his foot in business. Nigerian youths just believe it is a day’s job of training, and money starts to spin by the next day.

    Entrepreneurship takes patience, grooming, under-studying, perseverance, finance and lots of encouragement. Business men who venture into this without the needed tools end up closing shop when the challenges gets too enormous. The big question now arises: how can one become an entrepreneur? What does it take?

    The first step is the dream and determination. The popular saying goes that ‘if you do not dream, you will eventually work for someone who dreams’. Having a dream isn’t just basically sleeping and wishing. It is what keeps you awake while everyone is asleep. Growing and nurturing the dream in view of every brickwall is what makes an entrepreneur. Once the idea has been conceptualized, the next thing required is to develop a step-by-step plan in actualizing the dream. Thank God we have internet available all around the country, and google isn’t keeping malice with anyone. There are tons of information available on the internet. Whatever business idea you might have, take a little bit of time to research on the internet. Its challenges, profitability, financial implication and even examples of people who have been in the business and have made considerable impact in it. If what you see does not encourage you, it is better to back out before becoming a failure. Research isn’t just about sitting behind the system and reading about it, it involves going for a course to understudy the idea. Having a form of internship or picking a mentor in the field will also go a long way in actualizing your dream. There are a lot of vocational centres across the country for those having the business ideas in fashion, baking, computer engineering and website development, e.t.c. If your idea is of a more complex nature, thorough research will be a plus. There is no knowledge as helpful as the knowledge gained on the field hence, the need to have good experience in whatever venture. After all research is done, test the waters with your services and possibly, execute your projects as the cheapest available in the industry. The standard you project will go a long way in categorizing you amongst either the best, average or worst.

    The government should really look at entrepreneurship as a means of creating jobs for the teeming youthful population. Not just in the creation of those jobs but also, proper verification as well as provision of enabling environment. Thank God that electricity has gradually improved since the take-over of President MuhammaduBuhari. While some individuals might be interested in being business owners, capital is one of the major drawbacks affecting many local businesses. During the previous administration by President Goodluck Jonathan, a scheme called YouWin was established to provide capital for would-be entrepreneurs. This really worked as lots of business ideas were birthed. Making this YouWin project a continuous one will go a long way in assisting these young ones in balancing their foot. There are some industries that are over-saturated while some are really in need of intellectuals to grow. While most graduates feel that agriculture is demeaning and degrading, they overlook the business part of that industry, forgetting that a commodity that never goes out of fashion is a commodity that is required for the daily living of humans.

    Also, entrepreneurship should be included in the curriculum of university students, irrespective of the course of study. We are in a society that everyone hustles for available jobs irrespective of the course of study. That is why we have Geologists working in Audit firms, Engineers working as teachers in primary schools and Biochemists as bankers.Our society is one that allows an individual employment as long as he passes the aptitude test. Corporate organisations should also step-up their CSR not just by maintaining and gardening round-abouts, but invest in human capacity building, especially the youth.

    Lastly, a country that engages its youths will not only clear out idle hands, but will also increase its revenue when these ones start to pay tax and employ people to grow their brands. The government should put special attention to the youth and entrepreneurship/ mentoring. If this is in place, a new set of billionaires will be groomed and in another 10 years, we will be glad we conceptualized such idea.

     

    • Oluwashola Jimmy Ayinde Idiagbon, President, SIJ Foundation/ CEO, SIJ Global Group.
  • Buhari’s wife tasks Nigerian women on unity

    Buhari’s wife tasks Nigerian women on unity

    •Okorocha seeks more roles for women

    The wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, enjoined Nigerian women to be united for developmental goals.

    Aisha, who was represented at the grand finale of this year’s August Meeting at the Ojukwu Square by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osibanjo, harped on the need for the women to arise and speak with one strong and united voice.

    She noted that the greatest challenge facing the womenfolk is the inability to come and reason together to chart a common course for the emancipation of women.

    She, however, expressed optimism that with the gathering of women under the auspices of the August meeting, as observed in the state, “it will only be a matter of time for the women to take their rightful place in the country”.

    According to Dolapo, “Wife of the President asked me to tell you that she appreciates Imo women and to remind them of the theme of this years’ August meeting, ‘Dare to Dream’.

    She said that when you dream, Nigeria will never be the same again. If women arise, there would be unity in the country”.

    The President’s wife also encouraged the women to strive and bring up their children in the knowledge of unity and truth, adding that, “I tell you when you do that, Imo will be great again, Nigeria will be great again”.

    Earlier in her speech, the host and Imo State First Lady, Nneoma Rochas Okorocha , stated that women in the state are deeply rooted in the change propagated by the All Progressives’ Congress (APC).

    The state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, in his speech, urged highly placed Nigerians in authority to give women a chance to prove their worth in rendering assistance to leadership in the country.

    Dignitaries at the event include the first ladies of Edo, Nasarawa, Enugu, Zamfara, Ebonyi and Abia states.

  • Memo to northern Nigerian youths

    SIR: It is your responsibility to make our office-bearers and spiritual leaders to be responsible and accountable. The angels didn’t do it for Nelson Mandela and wouldn’t for you. Stand up to be counted for the right reasons and there is no better time than now especially as Nigeria is presently encircled with the mantra of ‘change.’

    I am in a wonderland and find it hard to understand why you have chosen to take the back seat when burning national issues present themselves.

    How else can I explain the quietude displayed by you even in the face of dire consequences starring you eye-ball-to-eye-ball?

    These issues are legion. Politics and religious tenets do not mix but you have aided the political classes today to work with religious schisms to pull the youths apart.

    Why fall for these ruses? A man who chooses to use religion as a path to seeking elective office is a demagogue with nothing to offer. How many countries in the world succeed today by interpreting religious precepts over and above democratic principles or even the constitution of the country?

    It is inappropriate for you to be comfortable with leaders whose aim is to enslave you in perpetuity. Such leaders care more about the welfare of cronies than yours and send these yes men out of the country for religious pursuits at the expense of the development of state.

    What you need are leaders that can secure your future and that of your progenies and not mortgage it.

    Unlike your forebears, who appreciated the impact of ‘people power,’ today’s elected executives fritter your commonwealth on issues not related to development and they are not denounced.

    They ask you to work with an austere regimen but dole out monies frivolously to associates, buy up most of the properties in Abuja and I am left to wonder if there would be any property left for you to buy in Abuja at an appropriate time.

    Why celebrate administrators that cannot be credited with completing meaningful projects? They leave the states massively in debt and run to Abuja when their tours of duty are over.

    Like most youths elsewhere, why do you enjoy working with typecasts shoved down your throats for decades by people who say, “hate the other side”. You have worked with the charge surprisingly well. But how long are you going to work with such prejudices and stereotypes that pit one region of the country against another?

    Education is useless if it does not impact positively on the lives of millions of uneducated, ignorant youths who are teetering on hopelessness and poverty.

    Seek education enthusiastically; ensure your children attend schools and give the girl child an equal an opportunity for learning and development as the male child. Do not discriminate against children due to accidents of birth. Only small-minded people do so.

    When will you finally ask the elected, why are we so poor? Why are our youths known for begging? Why are these young boys in every major Nigerian city homeless?

    You wield a lot of power and can effect a positive change for the development of this country.

    Think about it again; at ages compared to your northern forebears ( some of you are even older now) they seized the moment to become nationalists but why have you kowtowed to intolerant politicians and some religious leaders whose mission is to pull this nation apart?

    Life has always been grim for the rural dwellers and today it is also greyer for the city dwellers with no supply of portable clean drinking water by government.

    Where then is the dole of democracy and why make the work of elected officials easy by not demanding accountability on issues impacting on your welfare?

    We need not recount the dangers of VVF caused by early marriages (child bride). How many of the rich give away their daughters at that age? They do not, because they secure the future of the girl child before marriage. Why should you – when they do not?

    Why don’t you raise awareness against the unwholesome practices where our girl-children are now abandoned due to being burdens and have become a menace to society?

    • Simon Abah,

    Port Harcourt

  • I SEE GREAT POTENTIAL IN NIGERIAN, S/AFRICAN FILM SECTORS –CHIOMA UDE

    I SEE GREAT POTENTIAL IN NIGERIAN, S/AFRICAN FILM SECTORS –CHIOMA UDE

    FOR Chioma Ude, it was not all about talk. It was obvious the AFRIFF CEO was content with the number of people that participated at the DIFF-Nigerian day: “Welcome everybody and thank you for finding time to be here. Uncle Mahmood has said it all. For me, I see this as a great beginning, and there is so much the two countries can come together and do. And for those that are not from these two countries, there is a lot you can also feed from what is going on.

    So I came here in March, and I learnt a lot. It was like an eye opener for me. What this side of Africa has to offer, we don’t have and what we have to offer, I don’t think they have either. So merging the two countries, I see great potentials.   And at the end of it all, there is also the tourist aspect. And we hope to achieve all that through this partnership.” She said.

    Pundits have expressed an open mind at the current development, arguing that Nigeria is already playing along the cultural and political line of the Durban film festival, while positing that Nigeria’s institutions such as AFRIFF and Afrinolly who are brokering such deals should be commended.

  • 12,000 Nigerian deportees return from Cameroon

    About 12,000 Nigerians said to have been deported from Cameroon after fleeing Boko Haram jihadists have begun returning home, authorities in Abuja said yesterday. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it had received 1,121 of the returnees at the Sahuda border post in  Adamawa State.

    A senior official in Abuja with knowledge of the repatriations told reporters the refugees had been expelled, although there was no immediate confirmation from Cameroonian authorities. “They are not coming on their own, they were pushed out of Cameroon,” he said, on condition of anonymity, adding that the number of expulsions was expected to rise to 17,000.

    NEMA said 650 of the returnees had been transported to Borno State while the rest remained at a camp for internally displaced people in Adamawa’s State capital, Yola. “In the meantime, NEMA is providing food and non-food items as well as medical facilities to cater for the returnees at the border while awaiting the conclusion of the immigration and security screening,” the government agency said in a statement.

    “Arrangements have also been concluded to locate the returnees to a new camp in Fufore, Adamawa state, for proper care.”  Security sources and local media said last week Cameroon had deported more than 2,000 Nigerians living in the country illegally as part of new security measures intended to prevent Boko Haram suicide attacks.

    The deportations came just a day after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Cameroon for talks on how to combat the escalating regional threat from Boko Haram. Buhari and his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya pledged to strengthen cooperation between their two countries in the fight against the insurgents.

    Between July 12 and July 25, Cameroon’s far north, on the border with Boko Haram’s Nigerian strongholds, suffered three suicide attacks — two in the regional capital, Maroua — leaving at least 44 people dead. The Cameroonian border post at Kousseri — which has been hit by two suicide attacks since June — occupies a strategic position, with just a bridge separating it from Chad’s capital N’Djamena.

    Boko Haram’s bloody insurgency in Nigeria has left more than 15,000 people dead since 2009 and has increasingly spread across the country’s borders, with Chad and Cameroon suffering deadly suicide bombings in recent months.

  • Nigerian, UK firms explore opportunities at Shell’s business summit

    A total of 100 delegates representing 56 companies from Nigeria and the United Kingdom explored opportunities for collaboration at the annual Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme organised by Shell Nigeria Exploration Company Limited (SNEPCo) in conjunction with the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI).

    The event which held in Lagos weekend, according to Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager Precious Okolobo brought together companies engaged in a wide variety of activities in the oil and gas industry including engineering, maintenance, fabrication and subsea support services. The UK delegation, which included Nigerian experts in the diaspora who SNEPCo had reached in previous business summits in Aberdeen and London, first met with Shell Companies in Nigeria companies on areas of need and technical gaps.

  • Nigerian, UK firms partner on business opportunities

    Nigerian, UK firms partner on business opportunities

    ABOUT 100 delegates representing 56 companies from Nigeria and the United Kingdom have explored opportunities for collaboration at the annual Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme organised by Shell Nigeria Exploration Company Limited (SNEPCo). It was in conjunction with the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI).

    The event, which was held in Lagos at the weekend, according to Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager Precious Okolobo, brought together companies engaged in a wide variety of activities in the oil and gas industry including engineering, maintenance, fabrication and subsea support services. The UK delegation, which included Nigerian experts in the diaspora who SNEPCo had reached in previous business summits in Aberdeen and London, first met with Shell Companies in Nigeria companies on areas of need and technical gaps.

    The Chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Osagie Okunbor, said: “The striking feature of this year’s business summit is the presence of Nigerians in the diaspora in the UK delegation. It shows that, our engagements with Nigerians to take up opportunities back home in the oil and gas industry, is being well received, and this is good news for everybody.”

    The UK delegation also held networking meetings with their Nigerian counterparts which included several members of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

    “Shell has a long-term and continuing commitment to Nigeria, its people and the economy,” said Chiedu Oba, General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Shell Nigeria in a welcome address.

    “One of the most significant ways we have delivered on that commitment is by  increasing the participation of Nigerian companies and individuals in our supply chain and operations – to ensure that as many Nigerians as possible benefit from our activities and business,” he added.

    The General Manager Production PSC (Production Sharing Contract) in the National Petroleum Investment and Management Services (NAPIMS) enjoined the participating companies to work towards taking advantage of upcoming opportunities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. He reiterated the importance of local content in the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. UKTI Director Chris Maskell thanked Shell for the continued support on the Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme.

    Speaking at a reception organised by UKTI for the suppliers, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Denzil Kentebe lauded the Shell initiative to foster partnerships that will help local vendors strengthen their technical capability.

    SNEPCo initiated the Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme in 2009, and this has led to some 27 partnerships between Nigerian and UK companies with another 43 partnership discussions progressing well. Shell Companies in Nigeria are major contributors to the national economy, not only through the energy they produce and the revenues generated, but also via achievements in supply chain, local content and social investment.