Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen of South Africa for the manufacturing of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria.
This fact came to light today, Friday, when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The German leader was accompanied by top government officials and a business delegation.
Other Memoranda of Understanding which Nigeria had so far signed are with Petkus Technologies GMBH for the supply of seed and grain processing machines and with German African Business Association on fostering trade and investment by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
President Buhari made it clear to his host that all agreements entered into by Nigeria with other countries will be fully respected.
At a bilateral meeting, Buhari stressed that agreements reached in good faith will be followed through to the mutual benefit of countries.
President Buhari told Chancellor Merkel and members of her delegation that the rule of law embodies all the rightful mechanisms for conflict resolution, both within the country, and in dealing with all foreign partners, assuring that his administration remains focused on delivering a peaceful, economically viable and politically stable polity to all Nigerians.
The President said Nigeria remains grateful to the German government for the fair treatment of migrants.
President Buhari said Nigeria looks forward to improving its trade figures with Germany, which had taken strong interest in investing in the country and supporting the government in providing effective services in security, education and creation of jobs.
The President said that his administration instituted reforms in the economy to make it more internationally attractive and business friendly for investors, noting that infrastructure development had been a priority, especially in power supply, road and rail constructions.
He said that the economy is already responding to the diversification reforms and the stimulus of the government as growth is now largely driven by the non-oil sector.
The President said that Nigeria is politically stable, urging German investors to take advantage of the friendly climate.
“I enjoin you to invest in Nigeria because this is the best time to do so,’’ he added.
President Buhari noted that the successful political transitions since 1999 were clear indications of the country’s stability and preparedness to welcome more investments that will bolster the economy.”
Chancellor Merkel responded by saying that Germany is prepared to further strengthen bilateral and business relations with Nigeria, which, according to her, controls 60 per cent of ECOWAS economy.
The German Chancellor said that the population growth and opportunities in the economy can always be explored to improve employment situation in the country.
Chancellor Merkel said that the three Memoranda of Understanding signed during the visit represent a starting point for a healthier and deeper partnership with Nigeria in areas of security, trade, immigration and education.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar receiving the nomination forms from Mr. Edwin Adai on behalf of other Atiku Support Groups
Support groups of former Vice President and leading presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, have bought the party’s Presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for him.
According to a statement from Atiku media organization, the groups, whose members stormed the headquarters of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization in Wuse 2 area of Abuja today, Friday, with the forms they had earlier picked at the PDP national secretariat, said that they resolved to tax themselves to raise the funds for the PDP forms as expression of their commitment to support Atiku in his 2019 presidential bid.
The statement quoted the leaders of the groups as extolling the democratic credentials of the former Vice President even as they reaffirmed their belief that Atiku has the experience and the capacity to steer the ship of the country into a brighter future from 2019.
It said that the national President and global coordinator for Women and Youth Support for Atiku (WAYS), Princess Adekemi-Adesanya Eboda, said that Nigerians, particularly women, are looking up to Atiku to salvage the country from the quagmire of the APC-led maladministration
“I speak the voice of millions of mothers in Nigeria who bear the brunt of the gale of jobs losses in the country and I speak on behalf of women of this country urging you to rescue Nigeria from this current bad situation. And to show you that we are solidly behind you, we have chosen to purchase your nomination form and expression of interest form from the PDP to contest for president in 2019 and we shall give you all of our support.”
The statement said that one of the leaders of the group, Mr. Edwin Adai presented the forms to Atiku on behalf of all the groups.
Responding, the statement said that Atiku hailed the decision of the support group which he said was the first time in his political career that his supporters would show him such love to the extent of purchasing a nomination form for him.
“I have been in politics for the past three decades and in those three decades I have only been on the ballot for the presidential election only once and that was in 2007.
“But not once in those three decades have I received this much love from the people as you have done today by choosing to purchase nomination forms on my behalf.
“By this action, there is a pact between you and me that we are going to do this work together. Just as you gathered here together, we shall enter the race for the PDP nomination together and together also into the general election and by the grace of God and through your hard work, I believe that we are going to win together.”
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has apologized to the Not Too Young To Run for taking them unawares at his declaration to contest the 2019 Presidential election.
In a statement today, Friday by his spokesman, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki recalled the immediate response by the Not Too Young to Run group when he announced his intention as he addressed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and aspirants of the group.
The Senate President said that the occasion was first in a series of Dialogues organised by the Not Too Young To Run along Party lines.
“It is true that the Not Too Young To Run leadership had no prior knowledge of the content of the Senate President’s remarks. However, the announcement by the Senate President that he intends to throw his hat into the ring to contest for the Presidency was made in good faith to young PDP aspirants, partly as a symbolic act of encouragement.
“It was not the intent of the Senate President to put the group or its leadership in an invidious position. The Senate President appreciates the contribution of the group to the development of our democracy and will continue to work closely with young people across the country in order to make Nigeria a better place for all.”
President Muhammadu Buhari pose in a group photograph with women political aspirants advocacy after addressing the Summit they held at the Women Development Center in Abuja. The President (in the middle), is flanked by his wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, President of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Dr. Gloria Laraba Shoda, APC Chieftain and Former Deputy Governor of Plateau State Chief Mrs Paullen Tallin, among others.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has formally declared his intention to run for the post of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2019 election as a mark of respecting the call by the Nigerian youth on him to run.
He declared: “I have decided to answer the call of teeming youth who have asked me to run for President. Accordingly, I hereby announce my intention to run for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming General Elections in 2019 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“I do so with the firm conviction that I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria and Nigerians. My Plan for Nigeria has inclusion in all aspects of the country’s affairs as a central pillar.”
Senator Saraki made the declaration today, Thursday at the National dialogue conference organized by the #NotTooYoungToRun Movement, in the presence of the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus in Abuja.
His full speech is reproduced here:
Let me say, once again, how wonderful it is to see so many talented and purposeful young people at this first edition of the Public Dialogue Series with Political Parties on Youth Candidacy and Party Primaries.
Looking at you, I see future leaders who present themselves as capable and worthy to take on the mantle of leadership in this country, and this gladdens my heart. From my interactions with many of you, and with your contemporaries across the country, I can see that we are blessed with a determined generation that stands ready to join with us to power a Nigerian renaissance.
The quality of people I see here today affirms my belief that, indeed, you are Not Too Young To Run. I deeply appreciate this opportunity to share some of my ideas about where we are as a nation, as well as the challenges before us as we approach the great decider that is the 2019 General Elections.
It is widely acknowledged that ours is a relatively ‘young’ country bursting with tremendous energy, ability and potential. More than 70 per cent of our population is under the age of 40. You are indeed the future of this country. Ordinarily, such a young population would be the envy of many Western countries that are faced with ageing populations, but the dire state of our affairs tarnishes the youthful advantage that we have.
Up and down our country today, Nigerians are crying out for succour. Many of our children are hungry. Many people are dying of avoidable or otherwise treatable diseases. Many have fallen below basic living standards, and are now among the 87 million that sealed Nigeria’s position as the country with the highest number of people in extreme poverty. Our young people lack opportunities. The necessary education facilities and system to equip them for the future simply do not exist.
We are not creating the jobs needed to usefully engage them in order to grow our economy. And too often, the youth feel shut out, prevented from having any say in the direction of this nation. The harsh conditions of extreme poverty faced by the people, fuels the state of insecurity all over the country. Hunger, lack of education and lack of opportunities push many Nigerians into criminal activities including terrorism. Many of our communities are paralysed with fear – due to incessant communal crises, kidnappings and other social ills, as well as the threat of terrorism. We are failing abysmally to tackle the problems of today and to prepare for the future. Our economy is broken and is in need of urgent revival in order for Nigeria to grow. GDP growth rate has declined. Diversification remains an illusion.
Unemployment is at an all-time high. Businesses are shutting down. Jobs are being lost in record numbers, and the capital needed to jumpstart our economy is going elsewhere. Nigeria is perhaps more divided now than ever before. We are increasingly divided along regional, religious and ethnic lines. Nigerians are also divided by class, a festering gulf between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have-Nots’. The fault lines of this nation are widening to an alarming degree. We must do something fast, and we must be brave about it.
We must ensure the security of lives in Nigeria. As things stand now, no one is safe in this country. No one feels truly safe. We must restore the sanctity of the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions in order to build a just, fair and equitable society for all. We must rebuild the trust of our people in government.
We need a new generation of leaders that are competent, with the capability to rise to the challenges of the 21st century. We must pull this country back together and rebuild, block by block, with dedication and commitment. You will agree with me that this is an urgent task that requires the concerted efforts of each and every one of us. If we look around today, what do we see? What is the condition of our citizens? Where are we as a nation? How are we perceived locally and internationally? Why are we not making the expected progress? Why are we not growing? There is no time to waste. The time is now, to come together to stimulate growth in Nigeria, especially in the national economy.
The choice we face in the forthcoming election is either to keep things as they are, or make a radical departure from the old ways. To find a better way of doing things or keep repeating the mistakes of the past. To fix the problems or keep compounding them.
It is with all these in mind, and taking account of the challenges that I have outlined, that I have decided to answer the call of teeming youth who have asked me to run for President. Accordingly, I hereby announce my intention to run for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming General Elections in 2019 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I do so with the firm conviction that I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria and Nigerians. My Plan for Nigeria has inclusion in all aspects of the country’s affairs as a central pillar.
Every citizen has the inalienable right to feel a sense of belonging, no matter their background or creed, or what part of the country they come from. No matter who you voted for or what your convictions are, government must work for you. Your generation does not deserve to live in the poverty capital of the world. It is no longer an issue of how we got here, but how do we get out of this situation?
I promise you that I will lead the fight and employ every God-given resource available to us in turning things around. I am determined to grow Nigeria out of poverty.
We will stimulate the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as one of the ways of energising the economy and to create wealth for our people, especially the youth. I want to see the youth play major roles at all levels, not only in government but also in the private sector and indeed in every area of Nigerian life. This will be a government driven by youthful energy, innovation and a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit. Nigerian youth will be given all the opportunities to realise their potential to the full within a national framework that guarantees inclusiveness.
For youth who have ideas and capacity, we will make sure that there is funding for their ventures; and we shall build on the Made in Nigeria legislation as part of our job creation drive. My plan is to secure Nigeria by redesigning our national security architecture, while adequately equipping our security agencies to fulfil their primary role of protecting lives and property. I will address our infrastructural deficit through aggressive financing initiatives including mutually beneficial PPP arrangements, regular floating of bonds and other financial instruments, which will ensure stable, adequate and reliable funding to see to the completion of core projects especially road, rail and power.
My plan is to protect all Nigerians and defend their constitutional rights and freedoms. I will stand for and uphold at all times the principle of the rule of law, which is the bedrock of democratic governance. Ours will not be a selective fight against corruption. The emphasis will be on strengthening institutions, with a particular focus on deterrence.
We cannot afford to compromise our institutions with proxy wars against perceived political opponents. We see the fight against corruption as crucial to Nigeria’s economic development. I offer leadership driven by empathy: where leaders are responsive to the citizens, where they know that government cares. We will not be indifferent or turn a blind eye to the real concerns of our people. Every single Nigerian life matters.
For me, the leadership we deserve is one that will be a source of pride to all Nigerians, one that will be respected and admired in Africa and around the world. It should be a leadership that can hold its own and stand tall anywhere in the world. That is the type of leadership I offer.
As a former two-term Governor and currently President of the Senate by the grace of God, I believe I possess a unique blend of executive and legislative experience to push for and implement reforms that will deliver real improvements in the daily lives of our people. I know what it takes to create jobs and grow the economy.
I can make the tough decisions when it matters. I will spearhead a new agenda that can transform the lives of ordinary Nigerians in real terms. Believe me when I say that it will not be business as usual. This will be a dynamic government of action that will pursue the growth of Nigeria with doggedness, determination and conviction. I will lead a result-driven administration. We shall set targets with clear timelines to ensure that anticipated deliverables are met. You can benchmark us and hold us accountable. In short, I assure you that I will deliver on all promises. What I envision is a new chapter in governance in this country.
We will be driven by what is best for Nigerians. I have deliberately chosen the opportunity of being here with you, my Number One constituency who I see as the future of our great country, to make my intention known. I believe the Nigerian youth are critical to rebuilding and growing the economy, and restoring our national pride. I therefore ask you and all well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with me in this noble cause.
My brothers, My sisters, Let’s Grow Nigeria Together. God bless you all.
The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurshipat the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with support from the MasterCard Foundation, has named South African startup Wala as the grand prize winner of the 2018 Zambezi Prize for Innovation in Financial Inclusion.
The announcement came during the Open Mic Africa Summit in Nairobi yesterday August 29. Wala went home with US$100,000 grand prize while Tulaa of Kenya and RecyclePoints of Nigeria won US$30,000 each as runners-up. An additional US$5,000 will be awarded to an African entrepreneur—to be named later this year—who has demonstrated great leadership in unifying Africa’s tech ecosystem. the Executive Director of the MIT Legatum Center, Georgina Campbell Flatter said at the award ceremony: “Innovators like Wala and the other Zambezi finalists are vital to driving a more inclusive prosperity. We’re excited to work with them. “We are immensely proud to support the Zambezi Prize,” said Ann Miles, Director of Thought Leadership and Innovation at the Mastercard Foundation. “It shines a bright light on the creativity and talent of Africa’s young people, and the thinking they bring to financial inclusion. This is making real differences in the lives of poor people on the continent.” All the 10 Prize finalists will attend the Zambezi boot camp on the MIT campus during the MIT Inclusive Innovative Challenge (IIC) gala in Boston on November 5 to 9. As the Zambezi Prize winner, Wala also won the IIC Africa Prize in the Financial Inclusion category.
The startup will join the three other winners of the IIC Africa Prize, to represent Africa at the IIC global tournament which awards over $1 million in prizes. The IIC event is part of the MIT Innovative on the Digital Economy and, along with the MIT Legatum Center’s initiatives, exemplifies MIT’s global commitment to the future work. Wala is a mobile financial platform geared toward consumers operating outside the formal financial system. Using a blockchain system, it enables zero-fee, instant, borderless micro-payments for emerging market consumers. Through the Wala platform, users receive a cryptocurrency wallet and can access transactional banking, remittances, loans, and insurance.
“We’re especially grateful to the Zambezi Prize Board, our global ecosystem collaborators, and the 40 African tech leaders who served as Zambezi judges and whose dedication to entrepreneurship and financial inclusion helped us discover this new generation of innovators.”.
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a consideration and passage of Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill now before the National Assembly and implementation of 35 percent affirmative action by all political parties.
The President, who spoke at Summit in Abuja today, Thursday, by Women Political Aspirants and Advocacy, jointly organized by National Council for Women Societies (NCWC), Women in Politics Forum and Office of Wife of the President at the National Center for Women Development, said “I am happy to say that I am in support of both issues because they will improve the representation of women in political office.”
He called on all political parties to create the needed enabling environment for women to have level playing field to contest elective positions.
The President said that politicians rely on women because their word is usually their bond, saying: “they stand by candidates they believe in, and therefore politicians do a lot to gain this confidence.”
He used the opportunity to thank Nigerian women for having confidence in him by voting for him in 2015 and asked them to sustain such confidence as he gets set to bring more development in all sectors of the nation’s life.
In her remarks, Mrs. Aisha Buhari charged women to aspire for political office and that with political office, they can effect the change they want to see in society.
She said that access to clean drinking water, hygiene and sanitation, health care and effective educational systems are things that are always in the minds of every woman. She said that the election of women is achievable because women make up the larger body of voters and as such can determine the fate of any election.
She called on religious and political leaders to support and encourage women candidacy even as she also called on women to support one another, especially when more than one are vying for the same position.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has ruled out the possibility of granting automatic ticket for serving governors and the president at its forthcoming primaries ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Speaking to news men on the outcome of the party’s 6th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today, Thursday in Abuja, the Plateau State governor, Simeon Lalong said: “we didn’t discuss the issue of automatic ticket, but we discussed that yes, patriotic and loyal party members should be rewarded but not necessarily with automatic ticket.”
He said that the party had agreed to adopt direct primary election to pick its candidate for the Presidential election, saying that the Constitution of the party “provides for either direct, indirect or consensus, but for the presidential election, we all agreed that we will adopt direct primaries.
“Also, a recommendation was made by the National Working Committee (NWC) that states should adopt the indirect mode, but there may be situations that this might be difficult in the states, looking at their peculiarities.
”But the general option is that we go in for indirect option but any state that has a problem and will want to deviate is at liberty to write, following the normal process, with a resolution from the State Executive to the National Executive.”
Governor Lalong said that meeting looked into the issue of N21 million Expression of Interest and Nomination Form fee for governorship aspirants in the party as proposed by the NWC, adding that the cost was eventually left to the party’s NWC to come up with “a reasonable figure.”
File photo: President Muhammadu Buhari and President Xi Jinping
President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to participate in Beijing, China, in a discussion that will be aimed at engendering stronger China-Africa Community with a shared Future.
The President, according to his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu in a statement today, Thursday in Abuja, will fly out tomorrow, Friday to Beijing for the programme under the auspices of the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The statement said that the Summit will hold September 3 – 4, 2018 in Beijing, adding that the President’s first engagement in Beijing will be an interactive session with the Nigerian Community in China at the Nigerian Embassy.
“Before the formal opening of the FOCAC Summit, President Buhari in his capacity as current Chair of ECOWAS, is expected to deliver remarks at the High-Level Dialogue between Chinese and African leaders, business representatives and African entrepreneurs.
“The Nigerian President is scheduled to join President Jinping and other African leaders for the opening and roundtable sessions of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit under the theme: “Towards an even Stronger China-Africa Community with a shared Future.”
“After the FOCAC Summit, President Buhari will hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang to discuss infrastructure financing for strategic projects in Nigeria and the upgrading of Nigeria-China relations “from strategic partnership to comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The statement said that President Buhari will also use the occasion of his audience with the Chinese leadership to assess the progress made so far in Chinese interventions in Nigeria’s key priority infrastructure projects, particularly on-going projects in the railway and power sectors.
It recalled that since the last FOCAC VI Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2015, the first attended by the Nigerian leader, and his successful State visit to China in April 2016, the current administration has pushed forward practical cooperation with China in the areas of infrastructure construction, trade, investments, finance, power, agriculture, education cooperation, among others.
It also recalled that President Buhari has consistently acknowledged Chinese support for infrastructure development in Nigeria.
“In January 2018 while receiving the Board of Directors of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, the President had said:
“We send our gratitude to the Chinese for all their support to Nigeria. Since independence, no country has helped our country on infrastructural development like the Chinese. In some projects, the Chinese help us with 85 percent payment, and soft loans that span 20 years. No country has done that for us.”
According to the statement, Buhari will be accompanied to Beijing by his wife, Aisha, who is scheduled to participate in a Spouses’ Programme on China-Africa at the Great Hall of the People, under the theme,“Joining Hands for a Future of AIDS.”
It said that Governors Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state and Rochas Anayo Okorocha of Imo States will also be in the President’s entourage.
Others that will accompany the President are Senators Abdullahi Adamu, George Akume, Godswill Akpabio and Aliyu Wamakko representing Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto States respectively.
Also accompanying the President are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola;Minister of FCT, Muhammad Bello; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
There are also the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; and the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru.
Federal, states and local governments have shared a total of N714.8 billion revenue generated in July. The figure indicated a decline of N107.1 billion when compared to what was generated in June.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who today, Thursday, briefed newsmen in Abuja on the outcome of the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting, highlighted several factors that impacted negatively on the month’s income.
“Crude oil exports sales volume was 3.74 million barrels showing an increase of 0.17 million barrels when compared with the previous month sales of 3.57 million barrels.
“Despite the improved revenue, production was negatively affected in the period by shut-ins and shut-down at various terminals for repairs and maintenance of ageing facilities.
“The value Added Tax (VAT), import duty, Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Oil Royalty decreased, while Petroleum Profit Tax recorded an increase,” she said.
Giving a breakdown of the revenue generated, Mrs. Adeosun said that N376.14 billion was generated as mineral revenue, while N221.8 billion came from non-mineral resources.
The minister said that Federal Government received N269.8 billion, states N136.85 billion and local government N105.5 billion.
She said that N44.96 billion was also shared among the oil producing states, representing 13 per cent of the oil revenue generated in the month of July.
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