The first Nigerian professor of Capital Market, Professor Uchenna Joseph Uwaleke, has been scheduled to speak on Nigeria’s Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability at the 2023 annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Abuja, the nation’s federal capital city. The chairman of the Conference Planning Committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Danlami Nmodu, mni, said in a statement today, September 25 that Prof Uwaleke who is currently the Special Adviser to the Senate Committee Chairman on Capital Market, will be giving the keynote address on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Abuja Continental Hotel (Old Sheraton Hotel) Abuja. The statement from GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Remmy Nweke, quoted Danlami as saying that the theme of the conference will be: “Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability” and will be chaired by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede. Danlami said that the choice of the topic is informed by the current socio-political and economic realities facing Nigeria, where a new set of leaders at national and state levels has emerged after the 2023 general elections. Professor Uwaleke is a professor of Finance and Capital market at Nasarawa State University Keffi and until recently, was the Finance Commissioner in Imo State under the governorship of Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
African Union Heads of State and Government, global health leaders and development partners have warned about the looming deadly malaria and issued a joint call for urgent action to address the looming emergency. They warned that failure to act now will put at risk both the African Union’s target of eliminating malaria in Africa by 2030, and the UN target of ending malaria epidemics by 2030. At a press briefing in New York, leaders warned that the world is facing the biggest malaria emergency of the last two decades, due to a perfect storm of climate change, growing resistance impacting the efficacy of insecticides, antimalarials and rapid diagnostic tests as well as inadequate funding linked to the global financial crisis. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance painted an alarming picture: “We are at a critical juncture. There are currently insufficient resources to even maintain existing lifesaving malaria programmes, posing the most serious threat to malaria elimination in the last 20 years. If we don’t act swiftly to address the immediate gap of $1.5 billion and mobilise the necessary resources, we will undoubtedly see malaria upsurges and epidemics.” Examples were shared of how the ongoing global financial crisis has led to significant increases in the cost of delivering essential malaria interventions. Countries are now facing increasing levels of insecticide and drug resistance requiring newer, more expensive tools and approaches to be effectively addressed. Leaders also shared how the impacts of climate change, including a rise in extreme weather events such as temperature increases, flooding and cyclones, and the resulting humanitarian emergencies, are expanding the areas impacted by malaria and the costs of delivering programmes. These higher costs are leading to the reversal of previously hard-won gains against malaria. “Defeating Malaria across the continent is a priority. Without defeating this age-old disease, we will miss the targets that we have set for ourselves for healthy citizens and socio-economic transformation. We must meet the ambitious targets set out in the Catalytic Framework to End AIDS, TB and Eliminate Malaria in Africa by 2030, Africa Health Strategy and Africa’s Agenda 2063, the Africa that we want. We need to ensure that we sustain our political commitment and continue to translate these commitments into concrete action. With most AU Member States off-track to achieve the goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, much still needs to be done” said Professor Julio Rakotonirina, Director Health, and Humanitarian Affairs at the African Union Commission. During the press briefing, leaders addressed accelerating the launch of multisectoral high level National End Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease councils and funds to maintain malaria high on the national development and resource mobilization agenda as well as to increase public and private sector domestic funding. Examples were shared of increasing public sector budget allocation to health and malaria. They addressed prioritization of health and malaria financing in the country allocations of World Bank International Development Association (IDA) funding; and the use of debt swaps. The World Bank was urged to commit to a new Malaria Booster Programme to facilitate the additional financing needed to close immediate gaps, with additional commitments from regional development banks. Increased international financing from traditional donors and new donor markets remains critical. The CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Dr Michael Charles said: “The malaria situation is extremely precarious. While we saw good progress against the disease in the early 2000s thanks to the immense support received for malaria programmes, in recent years we have seen funding overall plateau due to other health pressures like the COVID pandemic and the global economic downturn. As a result, we are now facing the biggest malaria emergency in decades. Already, this disease claims around 600,000 lives annually and kills a child every minute. If we do not take more action urgently, we will see this worsen and a regression of the gains we have made. We face a multitude of challenges, from climate change to insecticide resistance, but we also have an opportunity to get this right, and even use our response to malaria as an entry point to strengthen health systems more broadly. To do this, we need to integrate, innovate, accelerate and get the needed finances to take us over the line of elimination and eradication.” President Embaló called on fellow Heads of State, Government and partners to act: “Now is the time to fully finance the malaria fight to ensure that we eliminate the disease once and for all. This can be achieved through integrated approaches, with malaria as an essential pathfinder when strengthening health systems for UHC and pandemic preparedness; as well as for mitigating and adapting to the impact of climate change”. The fight against malaria is at a crossroads. It is up to countries, regions and the global community to protect the gains made over the past two decades, and to achieve the 2030 target of putting an end to malaria epidemics and delivering an Africa free of malaria.
Having hit the ground running at home, with a series of very bold and unprecedented reform decisions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has gone ahead to seize the opportunity offered by the month of September 2023, to make a grand entry onto the global stage. In what has been his busiest month on the global stage since he assumed office, President Tinubu traveled to India for the G20 Summit on the special invitation of Prime Minister Modi, made a stopover on his way back home for a crucial meeting with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on lingering issues of concern between UAE and Nigeria, and then traveled to New York to make his debut at the most important annual gathering of Heads of State, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). At the UN—in a delivery reminiscent of the powerful and iconic ‘Africa Has Come Of Age’ speech by the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, almost five decades ago—President Tinubu caught the attention of a listening world with his emphasis on an equal and mutually beneficial relationship between Africa and the world, instead of one defined by condescension, pity and greed. The President spoke boldly for the entire African continent, tracing the history of the post-World War 2 global system, starting with a Marshall Plan that helped redeem Europe. Asking for a 21st century equivalent for that Plan, President Tinubu added, “We realize that underlying conditions and causes of the economic challenges facing today’s Africa are significantly different from those of post war Europe. We are not asking for identical programs and actions. What we seek is an equally firm commitment to partnership. We seek enhanced international cooperation with African nations to achieve the 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.” At every engagement, he has taken the time to remind the world of just how significant his first four months in office have been, in terms of laying the foundation for unlocking levels of economic growth and prosperity that we have always been capable of, but have sadly remained a pipe dream. He ended a costly and wasteful fuel subsidy regime that has, over the decades, deprived the country of tens of billions of dollars in potential infrastructure and human capital investments. He also commenced an overhaul of the Central Bank of Nigeria, shaking up the leadership of the bank and supporting it to abolish an inefficient system of multiple exchange rates, which, like the petrol subsidy, has seen a lot of abuse, and stifled domestic and international confidence in the economy. President Tinubu has also assembled a cabinet with an impressive representation of young people and women, while also creating new Ministries and ministerial portfolios to reflect the pressing realities of the 21st century, as well as the priorities of our administration. For example, we now have a Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, recognizing the unlimited potential of that sector to produce national prosperity. We also now have a dedicated Ministry for the Creative Economy. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture has been expanded to include Food Security, underpinning the President’s declaration of a national emergency on Food Security early on in his administration. On the regional level, President Tinubu has, in his role as recently-elected Chairman of ECOWAS, shown great commitment to stemming the condemnable wave of military takeovers that have rocked the sub-region, and I expect his diplomatic efforts to yield enduring fruit in the months ahead. The President is being supported in his many onerous assignments by a very energetic and committed Cabinet. In the last few days, I joined some of my colleagues for events at the UN General Assembly, and can testify to the remarkable levels of determination within the cabinet, to solve Nigeria’s problems with the support and cooperation of the global community. I can boldly assert that we stand on the threshold of a Nigeria that is a true global giant, a country that is able to fully exploit its immense potential energy of demographics, culture, and entrepreneurial dynamism. I have no doubt that my colleagues and I, under the leadership of the President, will step boldly forward, not backwards, from this historic threshold. We have a very busy last quarter of the year ahead of us. The administration will finalize and unveil its inaugural budget, which will set the tone for investors and other potential partners, about our priorities. Nigeria will take part in the annual global gathering for Climate Change, COP28, in Dubai. We will push forward with work on the various reforms that the President has kickstarted, from tax policy reform to a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transition for petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles, to the full implementation of a comprehensive relief package to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy. As the President has repeatedly said, most recently last week in New York: “I am mindful of the transient hardship that reform can cause. However, it is necessary to go through this phase in order to establish a foundation for durable growth and investment to build the economy our people deserve.” He understands how important it is to engage with the world to achieve this. During this month of diplomatic shuttling, he has met with Presidents and Head of States from the United States, India, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, Angola, Jordan, among others. From the global business executives he has held meetings with this month—Exxon Mobil, Bharti Enterprises, Oracle, Hinduja Group, Indorama, Skipper Seil, and others—he has received pledges amounting to several billions of dollars in new investments. This cannot be overemphasized: at the end of the day, one of our administration’s overriding goals is to attract new investment that will create jobs and wealth for the people of Nigeria. We will continue to finetune and amplify our narrative in this regard—a message that the President reiterated at every opportunity in New Delhi and New York—that Nigeria is open and ready for business, with partners who are equally open and ready for business with us, and who are not looking to exploit us or treat us like junior partners. And we will follow up the talk with action. My Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation will be very critical to the success of our national messaging, and we will give it everything required for our narratives to succeed. We have a vision that includes redesigning how the Federal Government of Nigeria engages with the Nigerian people at home and abroad, and with the world. As part of this, we will scale up our engagements with stakeholders, modernize our tools and platforms of information and communication, and work to craft credible and believable narratives that Nigerians will be proud of and delighted to share with the world. In a few days, our dear country will celebrate its 63rd Independence Anniversary. It will offer an opportunity to further reflect on our nationhood journey, and the expectations of our citizens, and for us as leaders to rededicate ourselves to delivering on the bold and dynamic leadership that will enable Nigeria to fully assume its rightful place on the global stage. I have absolute confidence that success in this regard will be a defining legacy of this momentous era of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Mohammed Idris, current Minister of Information and National Orientation, wrote in from Abuja.
A section of the Supreme Court building in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been gutted by fire this morning, September 25. Report, monitored on Arise TV, showed that offices of three Justices have been completely burnt down. The Supreme Court is located in what is termed “the Three Arms Zone” comprising the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court. As at the time of this publication, no official statement has been issued on the fire incident.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to revoke plots belonging to 21 Foreign embassies and 168 others if within three months they fail to develop them. Some of the diplomatic missions are the Embassies of Ireland, France, Canadian High Commission, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Embassy of Turkey, Embassy of the Peoples Republic of Angola, Embassy of the Republic Korea, Embassy of Philippines and Tanzania High Commission. Others are Embassies of Syrian Republic, Iran, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Thailand, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Cote D’Ivoire, Argentina, Togo, Indonesia and several government agencies including those of the FCT Administration. Those who are also affected by the three-month grace are the Abuja National Mosque Council, Abuja National Mosque Management Committee, Daily Times of Nigeria, Elf Petroleum, Access Bank, Federal Housing Authority, Adamu Ajuji Waziri, Isa Yuguda, Eyitayo Lambo, Abba Gana, Mohammed Abubakar Rimi, Nigerian Navy, Gamji Construction Limited, Lagos State Liaison Office, Nigeria Customs Service, John Kennedy Opara, Federal Fire Service and a host of others. A statement by the Director of Information of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Muhammad Hazat Sule, said that the minister insisted that the foreign embassies and the other 189 titleholders, must commence development of their properties as per the Building Plan Approvals. Meanwhile, the minister has already revoked the following plots in Abuja’s Central Business District CBD “for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development.” They include Lowe Lintas, Tourist Company of Nigeria, Coscharis Motors, CFA Motors, Chidol Properties among others.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu “The issue of sharing rice as palliative does not have any meaning to any Igbo man but what you can do for him is to give him opportunity to make a living for himself.” This was the submission of the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, during a World Conference organised in Enugu to announce the programme for September 29 Igbo Day Celebration. The Igbo Leader appealed to the federal government to assist the Southeast zone with the reconstruction of railways, creation of seaports and more international airports to ease their businesses. He expressed worry over the lingering insecurity in the region, pledging to use non-kinetic approach to resolve the challenge. He appealed to the people causing bloodshed to embrace peace. Chief Iwuanyanwu described the killings and bloodshed in the southeast as ‘strange’, saying: “as a father, I am tired of the death of my children and they have given me the responsibility to lead them.” He said that each time he hears anybody killed, “I feel sad because most of them are doing what they are doing because of hunger and unemployment. “I am not saying that hunger and unemployment will make one to be a criminal but not everyone has capacity to endure hunger.” The president-general said that security of every place in Nigeria is a collective responsibility of everyone, pointing out that the Federal Government alone cannot handle it. He said that during the Igbo Day Celebration he would announce the non-kinetic approach to end insecurity in the zone. “As a father, I will call and appeal to everybody to embrace peace and the non-kinetic approach requires everybody’s support both state and the federal government for us to have peace in southeast. “Whatever sacrifice to bring non-kinetic approach to bring an end to bloodshed and killing in Igboland, I will do it. “I am going to reach these people by any means to beg them or even given my life if they want it; I will surrender it to ensure peace reigns in the region,” the Igbo leader said. He said he would send a delegation to Finland and other places to beg those causing bloodshed in the southeast. “We are not going to arrest or kill them. I don’t want to kill any of our children; we are going to appeal to them to tell us what they want us to do. “Those who are hungry, we will find them something to do to keep them happier but letting of bloodshed and killing should stop. “It is not easy to stop a hungry person who has found means of getting livelihood through guns but as a father, I will go and cry to them and I am praying God that these my approach work out well.” Chief Iwuanyanwu said that he would also resolve all the political crisis among the political leaders in the zone by reconciling them to move the region forward. Source: NAN.
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has disowned the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, saying that he is not qualified to practice public relations. Findings by PRNigeria from the newly elected governing council members of the Institute said that the law establishing the NIPR makes it a criminal offence for any individual to practise public relations without the necessary certification and licensing. The NIPR’s governing council said that Ngelale, without the basic knowledge and requisite training on PR, is ordinarily not ‘fit’ to hold the exalted position he now occupies in the Tinubu Presidency. “We have checked our records and membership register and we could not find Ajuri Ngelale in the list. One can be a good writer, broadcaster or journalist but there are set parameters of knowledge a communicator needs to acquire including qualification before he/she can practice Public Relations in Nigeria. “The law establishing NIPR provides laid-down rules about appointing spokespersons which also makes it a criminal offence for anybody to practice Public Relations by whatever name without certification by the Institute. In fact the NIPR act stipulates punishment for illegal practice including imprisonment, fine, or both,” said one of the governing council members who spoke to PRNigeria in confidence. This discovery is coming after the presidential spokesperson goofed in his recent official statements. Ngelale recently committed major blunders when he claimed that President Tinubu was the first African leader to ring the bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) during a visit to the United States. The presidential spokesperson had also made a similar mistake when he claimed that the United Arab Emirates had lifted the visa ban on Nigerians after a bilateral meeting between President Tinubu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Presidency later admitted that it goofed in both instances as UAE did not issue any statement on the Visa ban while former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, and other notable leaders had rang the NASDAQ bell before President Tinubu. PRNigeria gathered that the NIPR Governing Council is already compiling a list of uncertified spokespersons, appointed recently to public office contrary to the regulations. The newly elected council under the leadership of Dr. Ike Neliaku as the President has vowed to intensify its advocacy that only professionally trained and practicing PR experts should be saddled with the job of spokespersons, especially for government and public officials. According to it, while the journalism pedigree, antecedents and credentials of President’s spokesman is not in doubt, he is legally not qualified for the current job he is doing at the Presidency. President Tinubu had in July appointed Ngelale, an ex-aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, as his SA on Media and Publicity. Ngelale had served as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Buhari. He was the Assistant Principal Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the 2023 elections. Ngelale, again was a staff member of DAAR Communication, owners of AIT and Ray Power, and equally worked at Channels Television. Source: By PRNigeria
In a twist of events, U.S. District Judge has wisely granted President Tinubu’s request to delay an order that would have compelled Chicago State University (CSU) to hand over certain academic documents related to his graduation. Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – Atiku Abubakar’s demand for Tinubu’s personal school records. It’s got many of us scratching our heads and wondering: What’s the real deal here? First things first, we’ve got to recognize that releasing someone’s personal records without their consent is a big no-no. It’s not just frowned upon; it’s often illegal. There’s a reason for this – privacy rights. Whether it’s academic transcripts, disciplinary records, or any other personal data, these are usually protected by law. Educational institutions are like vaults for this kind of information, and they’re entrusted with safeguarding students’ privacy. Unauthorized disclosure can harm the individual and damage trust. There are exceptions, sure, like in legal or safety situations, but there’s usually a whole lot of red tape to cut through before anything gets released. So, let’s get back to Atiku’s demand for Tinubu’s school records. Why does he want them? Some say it’s to check if Tinubu’s got the right academic qualifications. Fair point, right? Well, not so fast. It’s essential to clarify that academic records, like certificates, are typically demanded for employment purposes. Tinubu, in line with this practice, submitted his certificates to INEC during his candidacy for public office. However, the demand for his academic records by Atiku, an individual, raises eyebrows.
Firstly, Tinubu isn’t the custodian of Atiku’s educational records, so the idea of reciprocity is puzzling. It’s not within Tinubu’s purview to possess Atiku’s certificates, and therefore, Atiku’s demand for his educational records seems misplaced.
Moreover, both parties find themselves embroiled in a legal dispute. In such a scenario, it would be unwise for Tinubu to provide evidence that Atiku is actively seeking to use against him. It’s a bit like handing your opponent the playbook before a crucial match – an action that could have serious consequences in a fiercely contested legal battle. In essence, President Tinubu’s reluctance to release his academic records to Atiku is not about hiding anything; it’s about upholding principles of privacy, legality, and fair play in the legal proceedings. In this high-stakes game, one must play their cards carefully, and Tinubu’s decision to protect his academic records is a strategic move in a complex chess match. For now, it seems like Atiku’s quest might need a bit more scrutiny. Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the Chairman and CEO of Bush Radio Academy.
The determination of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to generate 50 million jobs for the Nigerian youths got a boost at the just concluded 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in the United States of America with the launch of a national talent export programme, tagged “National Talent Export Programme (NATEP).” The initiative is designed to create at least, one million jobs over the next five years as a special purpose vehicle. The minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, who spoke on the sidelines of the UNGA, at an event tagged “Positioning Nigeria as a Global Talent Hub0, said that the initiative is in line with President Tinubu’s agenda to diversify the Nigerian economy, create sustainability opportunities, and generate about 50 million jobs for the youths. “NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service export, talent sourcing and talent export. “As part of our strategy towards achieving this, his excellency president Bola Tinubu whose agenda for job creation, we have initiated a national talent export programme for Nigeria, which targets the creation of one million jobs across Nigeria over a five year period. NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service exports, talent sourcing and talent export. “The Nigerian government under the leadership of President Bala Tinubu as part of the renewed hope agenda is committed to diversifying the economy and creating sustainable employment opportunities, especially for youth by creating 50 million jobs. This is in tandem with the theme of this year’s UNGA, rebuilding trust and igniting global solidarity, accelerating action on the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” Dr. Uzoka-Anite told a gathering, comprising officials of the World Economic Forum and the Microsoft group that NATEP will be dedicated to addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by the talent and service sector export industry, laying emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth through trade in services. Available data indicates that the global talent sourcing industry is valued at $620 billion as at 2020 and it is forecasted to be valued at about $904 billion by 2027. According to Dr. Uzoka-Anite, Nigeria has the ability to supply top talent for the global service export and outsourcing business, with over 1.7 million graduates from higher education institutions entering the workforce annually. “NATEP will serve as a dedicated entity to address the unique needs and challenges faced by talents and service export industry. The programme will lay special emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth through trade and services. It is noteworthy that the global talent sourcing industry was valued at $620 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to be valued at $904 billion by 2027. With a youthful population and over 1.7 million graduates from the higher educational institutions joining the workforce each year, Nigeria has the potential to provide high quality talent for the Global Service export and outsourcing industry.” She said that Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent export, adding that government will take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACfTA) to penetrate the continent’s huge market and target job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, among others. “As a country we have a significant value proposition for regional and global markets for the export of services. We will actively target Greenfield and brownfield job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, among others. “We will take advantage of the African continental free trade agreement to access the African market. “The four pronged objectives of the NATEP initiative as follows: One to deliver one million service export jobs over the next five years; to increase foreign exchange earnings and revenue for Nigeria; to create economic growth and to stimulate the growth of ancillary industries and support services and to improve skills and strengthening the Nigerian brand. “To put it succinctly, the message from today’s launch of the national talent export programme is clear. Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent experts. We have the vision and commitment and we seek your partnership and trust as we embark on this mutually beneficial journey. We look forward to partnering with you.” In his remarks, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said that the initiative is timely as Nigeria is loosing out of the benefits countries like India enjoy. “I think one thing we’ve not done well, is actually to be intentional, around how we milk that opportunity for our own economic development. And this is why this program is extremely important. “I’ve been following the Nigerian story, we’ve been losing a lot of our top talents to the world. Canada is soaking in a lot, the UK as well as. I think the UK last week or so announced that if you’ve never taught physics, but you’ve studied physics, you can now come into the UK to teach and they’ll give you £10,000 to actually come in. “So the implication of that is that we’re going to be losing a significant proportion of people in that space of the academy. “There’s nothing we can do about it. The best we can ever do is to be intentional about it and turn it into exports. And it’s going to become even deeper for us because this becomes a significant resource that we can tap into. “As you all know, Africa’s 1.2 billion people, 40% are young people, Nigeria is about roughly 20% of the entire continent. And we have 60% of our 220 million people as young people. So which means we are in a very strong position to power global economy. But if we do it well intentionally, it means that we can cash in on that opportunity but also connect our people back to how good the development we want to see in the country but also on the continent. “We cannot stop people from moving. I think this is why our president is extremely passionate about it. He’s given mandate to different ministries. I’ve got the mandate to train 1 million technical talent, we believe we can actually do much more than one million. And the intention is that we may not have the local tech economy to absorb the 1 million, so the goal is actually to export, which is also something we’ve been doing. “But I think in the process of exporting, we, must also be intentional about it. It’s not just about exporting our people by it’s not another slave trade. It’s about making the most of it, we export for value. These people contribute and add value to the world, but also they bring value back to us as well. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about meaningful exploitation of talent. I think that’s where Nigeria I want to be.” Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Dr. Saadia Zahidi, who also spoke at the event, promised to support Nigeria’s effort in the new talent export programme. She said: “The World Economic Forum in Nigeria has a long standing partnership and we are very happy to support this particular effort. The forum established some months ago, a skills accelerator in Nigeria and under the leadership of Her Excellency, the minister and others, we hope that we will be able to provide support to NATEP through the continuous rescaling and upskilling of the workforce that will be a part of this initiative. “The way these accelerators work, we bring in some of the learning and training providers, we bring in some of the companies that have the most to teach very often to the youth that are part of these programmes, and of course, bringing together the public sector as well, to then ensure that in a rapid 18 to 24 month period, there’s a rapid setup of not just the learning for those that will be part of this workforce. But that there is ongoing systems, change ongoing upskilling, ongoing rescaling so that those skills are not redundant at some point in time.” The official launch of NATEP also featured a panel discussion moderated by Dr Femi , CEO Outsource Global, Amal Hassan, Head of Policy for West and Central Africa for Meta, Adaora Ikenza, and Country Representative for Microsoft Nigeria, Dr Ola Williams.
President Bola Tinubu has assured the world leaders and shakers of the business world that Nigeria is the greatest economy of Africa. He stressed that there is an immense opportunity in Nigeria where they can invest their money without fear. President Tinubu spoke when he rang the closing bell of the world’s second largest stock exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ), in the world’s financial capital. Surrounded by Nigerian business leaders and officials of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in trademark fashion, Tinubu seized the opportunity, presented by the historic moment to boldly advance his foreign investment push as he stood in front of financial markets at the famous stock exchange. President Tinubu said that he felt honoured to bring Nigeria to them, “and I am honoured that we are here today with a bubbling Nigerian stock market that will evolve in the West African sub-region. The Nigerian leader said that his government would continue to address longstanding problems and impediments, such as his work to restore and unify the foreign exchange rate market to a stable and trustworthy level, allowing new investors to seamlessly bring their money into the country, free of worries about whether or not they can take their money out at any point in time. “You are free to take in your money and bring out your money. I count on you to invest in Nigeria.” At the Nigeria-U.S Executive Business Roundtable held just after the closing bell, President Tinubu assured prospective investors that he intentionally brought successful Nigerian industrialists and public officials to share their experiences and operational plans respectively, in addition to all that he has already done to boost the confidence of the global investment community in Nigeria’s presently reforming fiscal, monetary, regulatory and tax policy environment. “Nigeria is an opportunity that is impossible to replicate or find elsewhere in any part of the world. We have brilliant young people who both innovate and consume at a large scale. Our entrepreneurial spirit is a major part of what makes our market totally unique, aside from demography. “Nigerians build businesses and Nigerian businesses partner with other businesses to conduct larger business. There is enough value to spread around. Be careful of what you hear about Nigeria. You may be dissuaded out of a major opportunity that others will take up. We are here for you. We will give you all the support you need to succeed and succeed abundantly.”
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Home And Away, Tinubu Is Taking Nigeria To Its Rightful Place, By Mohammed Idris
Having hit the ground running at home, with a series of very bold and unprecedented reform decisions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has gone ahead to seize the opportunity offered by the month of September 2023, to make a grand entry onto the global stage.
In what has been his busiest month on the global stage since he assumed office, President Tinubu traveled to India for the G20 Summit on the special invitation of Prime Minister Modi, made a stopover on his way back home for a crucial meeting with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on lingering issues of concern between UAE and Nigeria, and then traveled to New York to make his debut at the most important annual gathering of Heads of State, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
At the UN—in a delivery reminiscent of the powerful and iconic ‘Africa Has Come Of Age’ speech by the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, almost five decades ago—President Tinubu caught the attention of a listening world with his emphasis on an equal and mutually beneficial relationship between Africa and the world, instead of one defined by condescension, pity and greed.
The President spoke boldly for the entire African continent, tracing the history of the post-World War 2 global system, starting with a Marshall Plan that helped redeem Europe. Asking for a 21st century equivalent for that Plan, President Tinubu added, “We realize that underlying conditions and causes of the economic challenges facing today’s Africa are significantly different from those of post war Europe. We are not asking for identical programs and actions. What we seek is an equally firm commitment to partnership. We seek enhanced international cooperation with African nations to achieve the 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.”
At every engagement, he has taken the time to remind the world of just how significant his first four months in office have been, in terms of laying the foundation for unlocking levels of economic growth and prosperity that we have always been capable of, but have sadly remained a pipe dream.
He ended a costly and wasteful fuel subsidy regime that has, over the decades, deprived the country of tens of billions of dollars in potential infrastructure and human capital investments. He also commenced an overhaul of the Central Bank of Nigeria, shaking up the leadership of the bank and supporting it to abolish an inefficient system of multiple exchange rates, which, like the petrol subsidy, has seen a lot of abuse, and stifled domestic and international confidence in the economy.
President Tinubu has also assembled a cabinet with an impressive representation of young people and women, while also creating new Ministries and ministerial portfolios to reflect the pressing realities of the 21st century, as well as the priorities of our administration.
For example, we now have a Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, recognizing the unlimited potential of that sector to produce national prosperity. We also now have a dedicated Ministry for the Creative Economy. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture has been expanded to include Food Security, underpinning the President’s declaration of a national emergency on Food Security early on in his administration.
On the regional level, President Tinubu has, in his role as recently-elected Chairman of ECOWAS, shown great commitment to stemming the condemnable wave of military takeovers that have rocked the sub-region, and I expect his diplomatic efforts to yield enduring fruit in the months ahead.
The President is being supported in his many onerous assignments by a very energetic and committed Cabinet. In the last few days, I joined some of my colleagues for events at the UN General Assembly, and can testify to the remarkable levels of determination within the cabinet, to solve Nigeria’s problems with the support and cooperation of the global community.
I can boldly assert that we stand on the threshold of a Nigeria that is a true global giant, a country that is able to fully exploit its immense potential energy of demographics, culture, and entrepreneurial dynamism. I have no doubt that my colleagues and I, under the leadership of the President, will step boldly forward, not backwards, from this historic threshold.
We have a very busy last quarter of the year ahead of us. The administration will finalize and unveil its inaugural budget, which will set the tone for investors and other potential partners, about our priorities. Nigeria will take part in the annual global gathering for Climate Change, COP28, in Dubai. We will push forward with work on the various reforms that the President has kickstarted, from tax policy reform to a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transition for petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles, to the full implementation of a comprehensive relief package to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy.
As the President has repeatedly said, most recently last week in New York: “I am mindful of the transient hardship that reform can cause. However, it is necessary to go through this phase in order to establish a foundation for durable growth and investment to build the economy our people deserve.”
He understands how important it is to engage with the world to achieve this. During this month of diplomatic shuttling, he has met with Presidents and Head of States from the United States, India, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, Angola, Jordan, among others.
From the global business executives he has held meetings with this month—Exxon Mobil, Bharti Enterprises, Oracle, Hinduja Group, Indorama, Skipper Seil, and others—he has received pledges amounting to several billions of dollars in new investments. This cannot be overemphasized: at the end of the day, one of our administration’s overriding goals is to attract new investment that will create jobs and wealth for the people of Nigeria.
We will continue to finetune and amplify our narrative in this regard—a message that the President reiterated at every opportunity in New Delhi and New York—that Nigeria is open and ready for business, with partners who are equally open and ready for business with us, and who are not looking to exploit us or treat us like junior partners. And we will follow up the talk with action.
My Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation will be very critical to the success of our national messaging, and we will give it everything required for our narratives to succeed. We have a vision that includes redesigning how the Federal Government of Nigeria engages with the Nigerian people at home and abroad, and with the world.
As part of this, we will scale up our engagements with stakeholders, modernize our tools and platforms of information and communication, and work to craft credible and believable narratives that Nigerians will be proud of and delighted to share with the world.
In a few days, our dear country will celebrate its 63rd Independence Anniversary. It will offer an opportunity to further reflect on our nationhood journey, and the expectations of our citizens, and for us as leaders to rededicate ourselves to delivering on the bold and dynamic leadership that will enable Nigeria to fully assume its rightful place on the global stage. I have absolute confidence that success in this regard will be a defining legacy of this momentous era of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Mohammed Idris, current Minister of Information and National Orientation, wrote in from Abuja.