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  • Tinubu approves initiative to provide eyeglasses for five million Nigerians

    Tinubu approves initiative to provide eyeglasses for five million Nigerians

    President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, declared his support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation to provide more than five million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairments.

    A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu declared his support for the initiative when he received the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous, on a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to the statement, the President who made a pledge on behalf of the federal government during the visit, recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was, narrating how his late mother encouraged him to take up the challenge of providing vision care for the needy of society.

    “My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?

    Read Also; Over 80 percent of Nigerians use traditional medicines, says FG

    “So I made a promise to her that I would pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed.

    “We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses,” the President fondly recalled.

    Highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern about the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.

    “We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth,” the President said, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.

    “I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched,” the President concluded.

    Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said: “Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries.”

    He shared his personal story and the transformative power of vision care: “When I was 12, I was told by my teachers that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam explained that I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves on a tree for the first time, and my life completely changed two weeks later, I was using my first pair of free eyeglasses and I saw stars clearly for the first time. My grades improved, and the trajectory of my life completely changed, all because of a very cheap intervention that is 700 years old. Had that not happened, I would not be standing in front of you today. I would not be a professor, and I would not be involved in the work I am doing because sight gives opportunity,” the Peek Foundation CEO shared.

    Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that the estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 percent of the health budget is spent on eye health.

    “The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector, and some of them have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries where we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school programme, and in Kenya, 17 million Euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses, and we would like a significant proportion of that to come to Nigeria,” he concluded.

    At the end of the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate was joined by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Chukuma Anyaike, as he presented a National Policy Document on Eye Health to the President.

  • BREAKING: Tinubu replaces Ondo, Cross River Reps on NDDC Board

    BREAKING: Tinubu replaces Ondo, Cross River Reps on NDDC Board

    President Bola Tinubu has amended the recently reconstituted Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), approving the replacement of the Ondo and Cross River representatives on the Board.

    This was contained in a statement on Friday evening by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

    Tinubu also said the reappointment of the Managing Director of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, would be in acting capacity until his confirmation by the Senate.

    Read Also: Speaker, deputy eulogise VP Shettima at 57

    “President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate replacement of the NDDC’s Ondo State Representative nominee, Mr. Victor Akinjo, with a new Ondo State Representative nominee, Hon. Otito Atikase.

    “The President has equally approved the immediate replacement of the NDDC’s Cross River State Representative nominee, Mr. Asi Oku Okang, with a new Cross River State Representative, Rt. Hon. Orok Otuk Duke.

    “Furthermore, the immediate past Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, is reappointed to a second term and will remain in acting capacity, pending the Senate’s confirmation of his reappointment,” the statement reads.

  • Tinubu appoints 32-yr-old Halilu as NASENI CEO

    Tinubu appoints 32-yr-old Halilu as NASENI CEO

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 32-year-old Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

    According to a statement issued Friday, September 1, by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Halilu’s appointment, which takes immediate effect, meant the termination of the tenure of Dr. Bashir Gwandu, who has filled the office hitherto.

    Read Also: Niger junta can quit within one year, says Tinubu

    “President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the appointment of Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the new Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

    The statement said: “By this appointment, Khalil Suleiman Halilu will serve for an initial term of five years in accordance with the relevant sections of the NASENI Act, 2014.

    “Mr. Halilu, 32, is expected to bring his significant experience as an innovator and technology expert to bear in this important new national assignment.

    “The tenure of Dr. Bashir Gwandu as EVC/CEO of NASENI is hereby terminated. By the directive of the President, this appointment takes immediate effect.” 

  • Don’t lose hope in Tinubu’s administration, Ex-Ajimobi aide tells Nigerians

    Don’t lose hope in Tinubu’s administration, Ex-Ajimobi aide tells Nigerians

    A chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former aide to late governor Abiola Ajimobi, Abiodun Gbolagade has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considering current economic challenges in the nation.

    He said President Tinubu’s performance was unprecedented while serving as Lagos State governor, saying though Nigerians are facing some challenges due to the removal of fuel subsidy, the President is capable of solving the problem.

    Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, Gbolagade noted that Nigerians should not lose hope because the country is going to be better, adding that Nigerian citizens need to be patient with the current administration to get desired results.

    According to him, the current administration has started well, and Nigerians still have hope under Tinubu’s administration.

    Read Also: Niger junta can quit within one year, says Tinubu

    He said: “People cannot say they have not been seeing the handwork of Tinubu, for instance, look at the introduction of the Blue Economy which is centred on utilising water to generate huge income for the nation, Tinubu has proven that his administration has not come to play but to work.”

    He commended Tinubu for the choice of his Ministers who according to him are capable of actualising his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, saying this is the first time a Nigeria President would form a rancour-free cabinet.

    He, however, knocked critics calling for military intervention in Nigeria, saying military involvement cannot proffer a solution to the current challenges because the worst democratic government is better than the best military era.

    Gbolagade added: “Military administration is not a way for any country, they will suspend the constitution, come up with their own decree, violate human rights and have no regard for freedom of expression.”

  • Tinubu approves initiative to supply eyeglasses to 5million needy Nigerians

    Tinubu approves initiative to supply eyeglasses to 5million needy Nigerians

    President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, September 1, declared his support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation to provide more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairments.

    A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu declared his support for the initiative when he received the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous, on a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to the statement, the President who made a pledge on behalf of the federal government during the visit, recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was, narrating how his late mother encouraged him to take up the challenge of providing vision care for the needy of society.

    The President fondly recalled: “My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?

    “So I made a promise to her that I would pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed.

    Read Also: Tinubu: we must exploit, deploy resources for Nigerians’ prosperity

    “We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses.”

    Highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern about the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.

    “We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth,” the President said, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.

    “I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched,” the President concluded.

    Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said: “Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries.

    “When I was 12, I was told by my teachers that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam explained I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves on a tree for the first time, and my life completely changed two weeks later, I was wearing my first pair of free eyeglasses and I saw stars clearly for the first time. My grades improved, and the trajectory of my life completely changed, all because of a very cheap intervention that was 700 years old. Had that not happened, I would not be standing in front of you today. I would not be a professor, and I would not be involved in the work I am doing because sight gives opportunity.

    Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that the estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 percent of the health budget is spent on eye health.

    He concluded: “The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector, and some of them have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries where we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school programme, and in Kenya, 17 million Euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses, and we would like a significant proportion of that to come to Nigeria.”

    At the end of the event, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate was joined by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo, and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Chukuma Anyaike, he presented a National Policy Document on Eye Health to the President.

  • Tinubu: we must exploit, deploy resources for Nigerians’ prosperity

    Tinubu: we must exploit, deploy resources for Nigerians’ prosperity

    • President hosts NESG board, management at Villa

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said he will not be distracted from his administration’s determination to deploy the human and mineral endowments the nation has been blessed with to enhance its economic development.

    President Tinubu spoke when he hosted members of the Board and Management of the Nigeria Economic Support Group (NESG) at the Presidential Villa yesterday in Abuja.

    He noted that the nation has not taken the steps required to exploit its resources to the advantage of Nigerians.

    The President also reaffirmed his support for a robust public-private sector partnership to grow the economy, saying his administration’s sustained, bold and coordinated reforms are anchored on a “strong adherence to accountability and transparency”.

    A statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu reiterated his unequivocal resolve to fully implement the eight priority reform areas under the Renewed Hope Agenda within the next three years.

    Read Also: My plan for NDDC, by Managing Director Ogbuku

    “We have gone through the past. I will not look back. The focus of my horse and my race remains forward-looking. We have an abundance of knowledge and untapped mineral resources, and an agricultural sector that is God-given. But we tend to shy away from taking those gigantic steps that will result in prosperity for our people.

    “We are not exploiting our diversity for prosperity. We are at each other’s throats, arguing about unnecessary things, instead of thinking and doing things for our people,” he said.

    The President said he was elected on a “no excuses” platform for Renewed Hope and that he would not accept excuses from anyone in his government as they set out to deliver on his agenda.

    He said: “Looking backwards is retrogressive for any reformer. Looking forward can give you the leaps that will propel you in the right direction. We need think tanks in the Agricultural sector. I don’t see why Nigeria will be so blessed with good soil and not have a commodity exchange. I don’t see why we have not been able to interrogate our real estate sector and propel it.

    “I don’t see why we have not used consumer credit to build the purchasing power of our people and the capacity of our very own manufacturing sector.”

    Praising the NESG for believing in the reforms of his administration, President Tinubu said the “bitter pill” must be administered to an ailing nation and the economy in order to build a better future for the country.

    NESG Chairman Olaniyi Yusuf welcomed the economic reforms announced by the Tinubu administration, especially on fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange rate harmonisation, food security and palliatives to sub-national governments.

    “Your track record in the effective implementation of bold economic reforms as the Governor of Lagos leaves those of us in the private sector without doubt that you will achieve much greater feats as our nation’s president,” he said.

  • Tinubu to address world leaders at UNGA Sept. 19

    Tinubu to address world leaders at UNGA Sept. 19

    President Bola Tinubu will address the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, September 19.

    Tinubu, in his first outing to the Assembly, will  address world leaders in the evening .

    The president would be the fifth African leader to speak on day one of the session, according to the speakers list from the Office of the General Assembly President, Denis Francis.

    Tinubu will be the 14th of 20 leaders slated to speak on the first day.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the 10th speaker, will be the first African leader to speak in the morning session.

    In the afternoon session, five African leaders are expected to address the gathering.

    Tinubu would deliver his statement around 6pm (11pm Nigerian time) during the afternoon session.

    The President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, will be the first African leader to speak at the afternoon session, followed by the Moroccan leader, Aziz Akhannouch, and Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi.

    The President of Senegal, Macky Sall, will be the fifth African speaker will be the last leader to speak on the first day.

    Read Also: Akeredolu’s return imminent, says spokesman

    The President of Brazil, Luiz da Sliva,  would be the first world leader to present his address to the 78th session as it is tradition, followed by the U.S. President Joe Biden, the traditional second speaker, being the host country.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),   the 78th session (UNGA 78) will open on Tuesday, Sept 5 with the inauguration of a new President Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, who will take on the mantle for the next 12 months

    The high level ‘General Debate’ will be held from   Sept 19 to Sept. 29.

    The theme of the General Assembly, including the general debate, is ‘Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.’ 

  • Tinubu, Biden and UN

    Last September, Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s immediate past President, spoke at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. At the time, Nigeria was preparing for the general elections. He emphasised the fact that it was his last outing and that at the 78th UNGA, there would be a new face at the podium speaking for Nigeria. That new face is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a two-term governor of Lagos State and ex-senator. 

    Because of UNGA, New York is going to be busy this month. Aside the UNGA itself, several side meetings will take place in the Manhattan axis. Bilateral meetings will be held and deals will be sealed. 

    One of the meetings that is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of UNGA will be between President Tinubu and President Joe Biden. 

    Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee, was in Abuja on August 26, where she revealed the American President’s willingness to meet his Nigerian counterpart. 

    “You are the only African leader he has requested to meet. It is a mark of his high regard for your leadership,” Phee said. 

    It will be the first time Tinubu will be meeting Biden. 

    After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu President-elect, Secretary of State, Antony J Blinken, on phone, told Tinubu that the Biden administration was committed to strengthening ties with Nigeria.

    Read Also: NAICOM, Reps differ over investment in housing sector

    The administration also sent a delegation to the May 29 inauguration. Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge led the nine-member delegation to Abuja.

    That inauguration day, Biden, in a statement, said he would work with Tinubu to deliver a more peaceful and prosperous future for our world. 

    His administration, he said, has worked to strengthen ties between the United States and Nigeria.

    “I look forward to continuing this work with President Tinubu to support economic growth, advance security, and promote respect for human rights. The people-to-people connections between our two countries run particularly deep, nurtured by a vibrant Nigerian Diaspora in the United States,” he said.

    Biden added: “As we further deepen our partnership with Nigeria, I look forward to drawing even more on the ideas and energy of this dynamic connection between our countries. As Africa’s largest democracy and economy, Nigeria’s success is the world’s success. Elected leaders owe it to their people to show that democracy can deliver for their needs. And the United States will continue to work closely with Nigeria, as a friend and partner, to deliver a more peaceful and prosperous future for our world.”

    Blinken’s calls and Biden’s statement have given a sense of what their first meeting will be about. Both men will talk about their countries’ interests and how to strengthen them. Niger Republic, for which Blinken has also made a number of phone calls to Tinubu, will certainly feature during the meeting because of Tinubu’s role as the leader of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

    These matters are germane. But, there is something else I want them to talk about. It is the need for Africa to have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The clamour for this started long ago, but it has remained a discourse and nothing tangible has been done to it. 

    Buhari raised this issue when we were in New York last year, but his plea was received and dumped in the thrash where previous pleas ended. 

    It is absolutely unfair that countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Russia have permanent seats on this important Council, yet, the whole of Africa, a continent with several countries, doesn’t even have a single permanent seat.

     The Council is composed of 15 members. The five permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ten other members are non-permanent. They are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. Over 50 Member-States have never been on the Security Council. So, they can only participate, “without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers the country’s interests are affected”. 

    I don’t know any other name for unfairness if Africa’s exclusion from the permanent seats of the Council is not. This is a body that preaches democracy and its tenets but exclude a whole continent from its Security Council. This body also preaches equality. Where is equality in an arrangement that pushes out a whole continent when countries whose population are not more than just one African country (Nigeria, for instance) have seats?

    My final take: The United Nations Security Council is due for reforms. The reforms should have taken place years ago. Member-States are demanding change, and the time to correct the wrong is immediately. Better structures are needed to meet the demands of the times. The world has outgrown the current system, which might have met the needs of the world in 1945. The world we have now is very different from the one the founding fathers lived in. UN-backed development financial institutions also need to change in such a way that priority is accorded to not leaving any countries behind.

  • UPDATED: APGA, ADP, NRM presidential candidates, others lobby Tinubu for inclusion

    UPDATED: APGA, ADP, NRM presidential candidates, others lobby Tinubu for inclusion

    Presidential candidates of some opposition political parties in the 2023 general elections on Thursday asked National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to persuade President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for inclusion in his administration.

    They made the request during a courtesy call on the APC National Chairman at the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja.

    The Presidential candidates are of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Action Democratic Party (ADP); National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Action Peoples Party (APP) among others.

    The candidates, under the aegis of the Forum of Concerned presidential candidates, said the need for peace and development of the country informed their decision not to challenge the victory of Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT)

    Spokespersons of the forum and presidential candidate of the NRM Ambassador Felix Johnson Osakwe assured the President and the ruling party that they were for peace and should be included in the government of national unity.

    Osakwe maintained that not all the presidential candidates were against his victory in the election.

    According to him: “We are here sir, not only to see Mr. President, but one is to be identified with you and to thank God for your appointment, then number two, we see you as a father, who has been a Commander-in-Chief of a state and here you are today to be the pilot that will lead the presidential candidate especially those who are ready and those who love this country and the interest of this country first before politics, before parties.

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    “That you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr. President, so he can hear our views in person and also for him to know that it is not all the presidential candidate that is against him.

    “We choose not to go to court because this is Nigeria and we have no other country to go to.

    “So we are here to thank you and to thank God and everyone seated here and to say that as presidential candidates, there is something we can offer this country and I believe with government of inclusion will be necessary in terms like this.”

    Appreciating the presidential candidates, the APC national chairman promised to convey their views to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    He said: “I will convey your views and requests. And I will ensure that you see Mr. President eye to eye. I thank you for being faithful to your respective parties. What I am seeing is one political aspirant who became a presidential candidate by accident. Who became a presidential candidate by hijacking another party because he was partyless.

    “He decided to hijack a political party. And since, he could not realise his aspiration he decided to make that party a revenue platform rather than a political party.

    “He has now decided to expel the founder. God forbid. He will not succeed. You presidential candidates I salute you for being good ambassadors of your political parties, not destroyers of your political parties. And not turning your political parties into a source of revenue.

    “No doubt we will include you in the three states that we are having elections come November this year. Thank you and God bless.”

    The presidential candidates in attendance include Action Peoples Party Charles Nnadi; his counterpart in National Rescue Movement, Felix Osakwe; All Progressives Grand Alliance flag bearer, Prof Peter Umeadi, Action Democratic Party Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Odey Udo and the leader of the team, Adewale Adeogun.

  • Niger coup: Military option will be the last choice for ECOWAS – Tinubu

    Niger coup: Military option will be the last choice for ECOWAS – Tinubu

    President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, August 31, assured those intervening in the political crisis in Niger Republic that the military option would come last for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after all diplomatic options must have been exhausted.

    Receiving the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the State House, President Tinubu noted that the alternative of kinetic intervention in the Niger Republic had not been jettisoned.

    According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu, however, insisted that any forceful removal of a democratic government remains “wholly unacceptable.”

    He said: “I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic, Your Eminence, but you will still have to go back. My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copycats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped. We are neighbours with Niger Republic, and what has joined Nigerians together with their great people cannot be broken.

    “Nobody is interested in a war. We have seen the devastation in Ukraine and Sudan. But, if we don’t wield the big stick, we will all suffer the consequences together,” the President warned.

    President Tinubu noted that Nigeria, under General Abdulsalami Abubakar, instituted a nine-month transition programme in 1998, and it proved very successful, leading the country into a new era of democratic governance.

    The President said he sees no reason why such cannot be replicated in Niger if Niger’s military authorities are sincere.

    “Your Eminence, please don’t get tired, you will still go back there. The soldiers’ action is unacceptable. The earlier they make positive adjustments, the quicker we will dial back the sanctions to alleviate the sufferings we are seeing in Niger,” the President affirmed.

    On the hardship faced by many Nigerians post-fuel subsidy removal, the President assured that all ongoing reforms will liberate and reposition the economy, which will benefit the majority of the population in terms of opportunities, infrastructure, healthcare and education.

    “Nigeria is headed for a promise. Our diversity will turn into prosperity, not adversity. We will build a country that our children will be proud of.”

    The President told the delegation that the Federal Government had opened talks with State Governments to provide land for the proper sustenance of animals with a view to developing pan-national animal husbandry and agro-allied production and processing facilities for mass export, job creation and revenue generation.

    He added: “If Nigeria is still looking for vaccines for basic health issues; if infant and maternal mortality is rampant, then we should examine ourselves. I will commit to consulting with other leaders, like the NSCIA, and we will meet the needs of our people.”

    In his contribution at the meeting, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the President had budgeted N50 billion to support the ongoing rebuilding of lives and property in the North West and North East, with a new focus on dialogue to address security challenges. 

    The Sultan of Sokoto pledged “one hundred per cent loyalty” to the President, affirming that a leader can only reach a position by the will of God, and not man.

    He assured the President that the NSCIA would be available to advise and support President Tinubu to realize his dream for the country, adding that “God will hold all leaders to account, in justice and fairness.”

    He suggested that the distribution of palliatives across the country should be monitored and augmented, where it fails to reach some of the people who remain in dire need.

    “I honestly believe we will come out of the challenges stronger,” the Sultan of Sokoto concluded.

    Meanwhile, speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa, after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, said the President had been insistent on seeing to a speedy resolution of the crisis in Niger, so as to prevent the sort of situation in Gabon.

    He noted: “The President always says that there should be engagement and it is precisely for the reason of Gabon that he has asked that the issue of Niger be resolved. If we don’t nip it in the bud, as they say, Gabon and things like that could continue to happen.

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    “He’s a democrat, he believes that changes can only come through constitutional means. Therefore, he has asked the Ulamas to continue to engage and to tell everybody in the world to respect constitutional order.”

    Also speaking to journalists, Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, said the body lent its own idea to the President on how it thinks the various challenges being experienced across the country could be managed.

    Oloyede noted: “The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, under the leadership of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General, is here to pay a courtesy call on Mr. President, to appreciate him for the nation and to also advise him as to what the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs feels should be done to make sure that he continues to rule with transparency, honesty, equity, to the benefit of all members of this great country of ours.”