Big industrial states that should be the leading light of lifting young people out of unemployment and poverty, are instead locked in a seeming nasty race for domestic debts. Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO) says Lagos, Ogun, and Rivers States are topping the list of states in the country with highest domestic debts as of last December. Jointly, they are owing N1.12 trillion in domestic debts, which accounts for 25.1 percent of the total state debts. Domestic debts owed by the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, according to DMO, increased by N272.23 billion in 2021…
Author: Akanimo Sampson
Ahead of the first round in the French presidential election on Sunday, April 10, a weekly intelligence report on Algeria says Algerians are likely to hear and read a great deal of what France, and especially its far right politicians, think of them. In its Algeria Politics and Security, Menas Associates, a political risk consultancy, is claiming that Algeria has found itself at the centre of an ugly and blatantly racist presidential election campaign being waged by France’s extreme right wing parties which are promoting a conspiracy theory about North African Muslims replacing the white Christian indigenous population. During the…
Menas Associates, a political risk consultancy, says the Vienna talks seem to be on their final leg. ‘’It is now clear that the new deal will take the form of a roadmap towards what can be termed ‘less for less’ compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), although it may be presented as a return to the agreement’’, it says. In its Iran Strategic Focus, a monthly intelligence report on Iran, the political risk group the agreement, in other words, will offer definitions on what can be understood as compliance within new technical, political, and legal realities. ‘’During…
Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) says the Red Chamber of Nigeria’s bicameral Legislature has passed the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Bill 2022 sponsored by Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC: Kaduna). The bill seeks to repeal the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and enact the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. This followed consideration of two consolidated Senate bills (SB. 642 and SB. 789) on the subject, which passed second reading in November 2021, with a public hearing conducted on 17th February 2022. This Senate Bill 642 seeks to provide for the establishment of the Bureau for Money…
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says with a combination of diminished fiscal space, increased indebtedness and limited vaccine roll out, holding back recovery and triggering divergence with advanced economies, the challenge facing developing countries is more immediate. Behind this divergence, however, lie decades of deepening economic and social divisions, an unstable insertion into global financial markets subject to mercurial flows of capital and diminished policy space. In many countries, these structural obstacles to a balanced recovery are compounded by shocks linked to warming global temperatures. In the advanced economies, the initial response to the Covid-19 shock, following…
Undoubtedly, Nigeria’s security crisis has taken a significant downturn with terrorist attacks going beyond the roads, to airport tarmacs and train services. According to Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), within a space of one week, an aeroplane set for take-off was attacked right on the tarmac of the airport in Kaduna while a train from Abuja heading to Kaduna had its rail track bombed, multiple numbers of passengers shot dead, injured and several others abducted for ransom. Sadly, Nigeria’s insecurity has never been this bad. The Buhari administration appears helpless and incapable of assuring citizens that it can protect…
A Consultant of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, South Africa, Peter Fabricius, says there are growing concerns that Europe may retreat from Africa as it confronts a growing threat from Russia that manifested itself on February 24. This is coming as Ukraine withdrew an important contingent of peacekeepers from the United Nations (UN) Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to defend their homeland. The ISS consultant is arguing that like climate change, Africa may have done very little – or indeed nothing – to cause the war in Ukraine, but is nonetheless…
The Senate is currently considering a legislation to provide an effective legal and institutional framework for the recovery and management of the proceeds of crime, as well as the restraint, seizure, confiscation and forfeiture of property derived from unlawful activities. This is coming as the Red Chamber has approved the report of its Joint Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters and Anti-Corruption & Financial Crimes on the re-committal of clause 74 of the Proceeds of Crimes (Recovery and Management) Bill, 2022. Policy anf Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) that made this known on its website said the Senate on…
A think tank group in Akwa Ibom State, Eket Collective, is appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to strategically turn the oil pollution of the Niger Delta into a massive employment machine for the unemployed youths. For the Eket group, ‘’the army of the unemployed youths in the oil and gas region can be trained to remediate the environmental despoiliation, and as the environmental guard of the region. ‘’As we see it, every situation provides a huge opportunity for those who care to identify such opportunities. We honestly believe that the pollution menace of the Niger Delta can provide the Buhari…
A political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, says the size of this year’s deficit in Nigeria under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari, will actually be determined by crude oil prices. In its Nigeria Focus, a monthly intelligence report on Nigeria it says some estimates now put the cost of subsidy payments alone as high as $29 billion. ‘’The commitment to the fuel subsidy is like a blank cheque, because the government must pay whatever it takes to ensure domestic supply. ‘’That makes for a largely unpredictable financial year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) already projects that more than 90% of…
Oluwole Ojewale, the Regional Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator – Central Africa, for Institute for Security Studies’ (ISS) ENACT, has advanced reasons why Africa is accounting for around 42% of this $200 billion global demand for counterfeit medicines. According to him, it is due to the continent’s badly monitored borders, weak legislation and poor healthcare services. Shockingly, tens of thousands of people in the continent die every year from taking fake drugs. According to the World Health Organisation, these are the world’s most lucrative counterfeit goods, with a global market worth roughly $200 billion. Gabon has recently emerged as a major…
A political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, says the size of this year’s deficit in Nigeria under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari, will actually be determined by crude oil prices. In its Nigeria Focus, a monthly intelligence report on Nigeria it says some estimates now put the cost of subsidy payments alone as high as $29 billion. ‘’The commitment to the fuel subsidy is like a blank cheque, because the government must pay whatever it takes to ensure domestic supply. ‘’That makes for a largely unpredictable financial year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) already projects that more than 90% of…
The management of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc says it is seriously working to make Nigeria has self-sufficient in sugar production. The country’s annual import of the commodity currently stands at over $337million, Worried, Dangote Sugar Refinery has accordingly declared its commitment to the Backward Integration Policy (BIP) of the Buhari administration in a bid to reverse the trend. The company is already committing over $700million to its sugar projects. While making this known to the visiting members of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, it pointed out that its investments in sugar will revolutionalise the economy of the state and lift…
An organic technology developed from banana plant waste material may be the ultimate rescue for potato cyst nematode (PCN) pest. This is coming as potato production in East Africa is under increasing threat from the invasive and highly destructive potato cyst nematode (PCN) pest. Known as “wrap and plant”, the solution involves enclosing potato seed in a thick absorbent paper made from the fiber of banana plants before planting. This strategy provides a protective barrier for the plants against damage by PCN. These research findings led by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), International Institute of Tropical…
The 2022 first quarter Outlook of African Energy Chamber (AEC) tends to show that Nigeria will have to wait for deep water projects to come online to improve its production capacity. AEC’s Executive Chairman, NJ Ayuk, says “Nigeria needs to ramp up crude oil production on existing discoveries that have not yet materialised to be able to sustain a secure supply in future to meet local, regional and international demand. ‘’Lifting of force majeure at the Brass terminal, Bonny NLNG and Okpai Power Plant comes at the right time. We have to continue paying attention on vandalism, sabotage and theft…
Thousands of people have continued to flee ongoing violence in Cabo Delgado province one year after brutal attacks by suspected Al Shabab militants began in northern Mozambique. United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has reported to diplomats. UNHCR’s Spokesperson, Boris Cheshirkov, said from Geneva, “according to partners in the region, a series of attacks by non-State armed groups between January and mid-March displaced some 24,000 people within Nangade district. With hundreds of families reportedly still on the move, he said that “they need urgent humanitarian assistance and protection services”. Some 5,000 people have also sought protection in the neighbouring district of…
The audited results of Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) Plc for the year ending last December 31, has shown that its gross earnings grew to N6.8 billion from N6.0 billion. This resulted in a 13 percent increase. Revenue rose by 14.9 percent from N5 billion recorded in 2020 to N5.8 billion in 2021. The group’s profit before tax (PBT) also jumped by 25.4 percent to N2.4 billion while its profit after tax (PAT) rose by 22.2 percent to N2.3 billion from N1.84 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2020. The jump in its revenue, according to the group, was driven…
President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Gilbert F. Houngbo, from Togo, will be the next Director-General of International Labour Organisation’s (ILO). He was elected by the ILO’s Governing Body, comprising representatives of governments, workers and employers, during their meeting in Geneva. He will be the 11th Director-General of the ILO, and the first African to hold the post. Speaking after his election, Houngbo said, “Although my origins are African my perspective is global. In an age, unfortunately of dividedness, my commitment to be a unifying Director-General stands firm… ‘’I will be the Director-General of nobody and the Director-General…
Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), a front line civic group in Nigeria has perfected plans to work with the National Assembly (NASS) to strongly enforce and uphold the human rights of the citizenry. PLAC says it is committed to working with the Human Rights Committees of the National Assembly to develop an effective mechanism for responding to human rights petitions and proffer remedies to victims who suffer violation of their rights. This was disclosed during the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights’ Capacity Development Retreat for its members in Abuja. It was organised in collaboration with PLAC with…
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, says violence against women and girls may be the world’s “longest, deadliest pandemic”. He spoke during an event focused on the role boys and men need to play, to help eliminate gender-based violence. “One in three women worldwide has directly experienced violence”, Guterres said in a video message at an event on the fringes of the annual Conference on the Status of Women (CSW). He noted that every 11 minutes, a woman is killed by a partner or family member, often in her own home, “where she should be safest.” “We cannot accept a world…
To some degree, the outcome of the 2023 elections with regards to the Presidency and governorship of some of the 36 states of the federation will depend on witches. The lords and ladies of the night are already showing strong interest on who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. They are also showing interest in some of the states where their members are pushing for their preferred governorship aspirants. In the meantime, the 2023 presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osibanjo does not seem to be flying with the witches. For the White Witches Association of Nigeria (WWAN), Osibanjo, a…
The Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Jarigbe Agom, says he wants to return to the Red Chamber of the National Assembly in 2023. Senator Agom was administered the oath of office for his current position in September 2021 after nearly a year of legal tussle. He said his emergence as senator was “largely divine,” issued a statement where he traced his legislative history from the eight National Assembly in 2015. Agom averred that he included a project for each of the over 50 political wards in the entire zone, and disclosed that he has since received a monetary…
United Nations Political Affairs chief has warned that Libya is currently facing a new phase of political polarisation, which risks dividing its institutions once again and reversing the gains achieved over the past two years. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, has accordingly told Security Council that amid a political impasse that threatens to see Libya fractured again by two parallel governments, the priority must be maintaining hard-won gains and fulfilling the electoral aspirations of nearly three million registered voters. DiCarlo who was speaking while briefing diplomats at the Security Council, also spotlighted an increase in reported human…
The Udom administration might be finding it difficult to source funds from the money market to execute some of its key legacy projects. This is because the Federal Responsibility Commission (FRC) does not appear to be playing ball with the administration. The Commission has placed an embargo on the N150 billion credit Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State is seeking. The Next Edition however, reports that the embargo was prompted by a petition from the state. The online news portal says a top government official who requested anonymity, claimed that the FRC halted the governor’s efforts to raise funds…
In collaboration with CGIAR Excellence in Breeding (EiB), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) delivered two professional workshops titled EiB Breeding Scheme Design Training” and “West Africa Breeding Operations for crop breeders and operations staff from IITA and national agricultural research systems (NARS) in West Africa. The breeding scheme design training aimed to increase the skill set of plant breeders to design breeding schemes. It focused on helping crop breeders improve breeding programs, consider farmers’ and consumers’ needs, and position the product towards the target market. The breeding operations workshop facilitated operations teams to develop action plans to improve their…
Do you know that the abundance and function of blood vessels in adipose tissue conditions the development of obesity? Shocking? Well, this is the surprising conclusion reached by the study led by laboratories from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and CIC bioGUNE, both members of the Cancer Networking Biomedical Research Center (CIBERONC). Obesity is a multi-factorial epidemic disease closely related to the development of multiple pathologies, originated by the exacerbated expansion of adipose tissue. The development of prevention and treatment strategies for this disease is, therefore, an urgent biomedical need. Those who know better say adipose tissue has important…
Jolted Akwa Ibom State Command of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) says their officials are neither involved nor embarking on any form of strike action. Spokesman for the Command, Ogbajie Ogbajie, a Deputy Superintendent, said so in a statement. According to him, the information about the planned strike action ‘’is false and should be disregarded as it is the handiwork of some mischievous persons trying to create unnecessary panic in the society. Officers of NCS are on duty in all formations in the State and they are carrying out their duties with a high level of diligence and patriotism.’’ “Akwa Ibom…
The Zero Hunger Project of the Buhari administration in partnership with IFAD appears to be yielding commendable results with the local production. The project is led by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). There is also the installation of a complete stainless steel versatile wet hammer mill machine at the project-Assisted Cassava Processing Centre in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. The team carried out the installation during a five-day capacity development event held at UDECO Fabrication Workshop, Makurdi. The intensive training involved 12 youth (including women) from three companies across the State. They learned how to source materials…
A new University of Maine study has found that pathogens can strengthen drug treatments. This, therefore, means that pathogens do not always work against drug treatments. Sometimes, they can strengthen them. Diseases caused by a combination of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites—also known as polymicrobial infections—are challenging to treat because scientists don’t fully understand how pathogens interact during infection and how these interactions impact the drugs used to treat them. In a study published in the journal Infection and Immunity, researchers in the Molecular & Biomedical Sciences Department looked at two pathogens that often occur at similar sites, particularly in…
The dragon is back. We mean, Nigeria’s political dragon. Hate him if you like. Truth is, he is back, and this time, coming up stronger than previously. He is promising that if he gets his party’s ticket, and gets a massive approval of the Nigerian people to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, his administration will focus on five key areas: Unity of Nigeria, security, economy, education and devolving more resources and powers to the federating units. For him, since the civil war, the wobbling country’s unity has never been threatened as it is today. Nigerians are losing hope in…
