Following the decision at its meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State at the weekend to continue with their strike, a cross-section of Nigerians have condemned members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Nigerians, who took to Twitter to react to the extension of the strike which began on February 14th, 2022 after the federal government failed to meet some of its demands, majorly turned against the union, calling for the sack of the unwilling members.
Below are some comments:
@MbahTheCreator, “At this point Asuu are the problem. Miracle kosisochukwu
@IamShola_best wrote: “The Federal Government should just allow those that want to resume among the lecturers go back to class and dismiss the rest and pay those that resume, then recruit new people to take the place of those that will be dismissed.”
@Israell1942, “Asuu is such a useless union that even under Obi they’ll go on strike. They’ve gone on strike under every administration. Everybody knows ASUU is the one and only problem.
@vixsonics, “The thing that is hurting the feelings of these ASUU people is that, they are not going to receive free 6 Months of Salaries for the time they were on Strike.
@Dambatta_1, “They should keep extending it while the country’s future keeps staying at home. The solution is for FG to proscribe the organization, sack all of them and employ those that are ready to work. If not for ASUU, many students would’ve been graduates by now.”
@Homodayor, “It seems our leaders don’t value education due to the manner in which the strike is being handled by the Ministers of education and labour while Fmr pre. Obasanjo said he went to Minna to discuss the national agenda. Does it mean education is not vital? The strike has been going on four more than 6months.
@miracle_emedo, “Pls how is Asuu the problem …you know ASUU can start and run the school like a gov sec school where u come to school and never see your lecturer cause they might start a side Business to meet up with this messed up economy if this govt did their job would ASUU be on strike?
@japaprofessor_ wrote: “Sad, students should better start getting productive and stop hinging their hopes on the outcome of FG-ASUU meetings.”
@AhanotuIkenna wrote: “Sad to say, but students should forget going to school this year. I don’t see that strike being called off till after the elections except if something happens.”
@ukange_davidx wrote: “Every time they call for a meeting. I always have this feeling we Gonna get bad news.”
@Miniboyyrn_ wrote: “Tho my sister is crying for a big help, we wey dey
Two pilots in the service of one of the world’s largest airlines – Air France — have been suspended following a mid-air fight in the cockpit.
According to reports, the fight, which resulted to blows, has earned both pilots serious sanctions which included being barred from active flying for now.
The professional misconduct was said to have happened sometime in June 2022 on a flight from Geneva and Paris.
The pilot and the co-pilot of the Airbus A320 had a disagreement that degenerated into a physical fight mid-flight shortly after takeoff while the plane climbed to its cruising altitude.
Although the cause of the fight could not be confirmed at press time, the two men reportedly took each other by the collars and potentially hit or slapped each other before the noise alerted fellow crew members.
A source said the disagreement might be a personal reason or a professional cause such as the co-pilot’s refusal to follow instructions.
One pilot’s version of the events indicated an “inadvertent blow” that led to the escalation of aggression.
The other pilot claimed that it was a slap while the other one alleged the other threw a wooden object in his face.
Upon hearing the noise in the cockpit, members of the cabin crew stepped in to defuse the situation just as the tension died down.
One member of the cabin even stayed in the flight deck with the pilots for the remainder of the journey to ensure peace and record the situation for later review.
The plane, however, landed safely in Geneva with all passengers and crew, without any further interruptions.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that the flight proceeded as usual and that the pilots are awaiting a decision by management on their inappropriate behaviour.
He said: “the incident ended quickly without affecting either the conduct or the safety of the flight which continued normally” and specified that the airline had removed the pilots involved from active flying pending a managerial decision.
It was learnt that the incident was not referred to France’s Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority, the Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA), which confirmed it was not notified of the incident as there were no consequences for the flight.
The news of the in-flight fight followed a report by the BEA published earlier this week, which points to several potential safety violations from the carrier, “most notably, a flight on December 31, 2020, from Brazzaville (Congo) to Paris onboard an Airbus A330.”
After a fuel tank leak was discovered, the pilots in question failed to follow standard emergency procedures of shutting down the engine to decrease the risk of the leaking fuel catching fire.
The aircraft successfully diverted, and all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has advised Nigerians to get fully involved in acquiring digital skills, even as he vowed that Nigeria’s march towards attaining 95 percent digital literacy in 2030, as contained in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020 – 2030, will be pursued vigorously.
Pantami, who spoke today, August 29 at the graduation of participants at a two-week Digital Job Creation Training for the North-East in Gombe, which was facilitated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said: “the reason we train citizens is because digital skills are no longer considered a luxury, but necessities required in any business you do. If you want to be successful, you need to have digital skills.’
“ICT is not just an independent sector but the key enabler of all other sectors today. It enables opportunities in education, in health, in agriculture, in security, in defence, in manufacturing, in trade, in investment and in industry.”
He, therefore, advised the participants to adopt innovation-driven enterprises and to utilize the training they have received to improve their economic status and make Nigeria a better place.
“We have to utilise ICT in order to make our country a better place. We must use ICT even for our personal economic benefits amongst others. Therefore, we want to encourage you not to waste your times online but rather to use the knowledge you have acquired to make Nigeria a better place and at the same time, derive many economic benefits from it.”
The Minister highlighted that recent reports of the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, about the performance of each sector of the economy, which indicated an unprecedented ICT’s contribution of 18.44 per cent to the economy, as very heart-warming about the prospects of the industry meeting with the expectations of the relevant policies.
“So, by implications, we set a record last year and we surpassed that record this second quarter of 2022 without involving the digital services. Only the ICT sector contributed 18.44 per cent, which can be attributed to the policies which we have introduced in the sector.”
He said the training which has taken place in nine other states, including the Federal Capital Territory, will be conducted throughout the remaining geopolitical zones.
The Digital Job Creation Training is a two-week programme targeted at youth desirous of developing and enhancing their ICT skills in order to promote and enhance growth in the yet untapped and commercially viable digital economy both locally and globally. Each participant at the training received starter packs comprising laptop with accessories, MiFi Modem with three months data subscription, and some money.
Managing Director of TAJBank Limited, Nigeria’s non-interest lender, Hamid Joda has announced that very soon, the bank will begin the issuance of its N100 billion Sukuk bond.
According to Joda, in a statement today, August 29, the commencement of the bond followed the signing of all parties for issuance of the first ever non-interest private Sukuk bond offer in the nation’s capital market.
He said that the bank has secured all regulatory approvals required for opening the Sukuk to the general public, adding that the bond would be listed on the Nigerian Exchange.
Joda described the bank’s latest investment initiative as a very important milestone in the annals of Nigeria’s capital market development, while assuring investors of good returns on their investment in the TAJBank Sukuk bond.
“The Sukuk bond issuance is a very important milestone in the history of Nigeria’s capital market.
“I believe that after this issuance, we will see a number of companies in the Nigerian market coming out to issue Sukuk bonds and that will lead to deepening of the non-interest market and eventually economic development of Nigeria.
“My message to the investing public is to take advantage of the opportunity in view of its potential for good returns.’’
Joda said that the instrument is coming out at an expected rate of 15 per cent.
“It is also an ethical instrument and there are very few ethical instruments out there and I believe a lot of investors are looking for instruments that have ethical leaning.”
Also speaking, TAJBank’s Executive Director of the bank, Sheriff Idi, emphasised the importance of the Sukuk bond to the bank’s operations.
He said that TAJBank had capacity to provide financial support to needy enterprises with the attendant positive implications for the nation’s economic growth.
“In the last two years of the bank’s operations, we have raised additional capital apart from the Sukuk we are issuing now. With the Sukuk bond issuance, we wanted to raise TAJBank’s capital base to about N30 billion by the end of the year.
“That means we can now finance those sectors that probably some initially thought we cannot provide funding support. That is the essence of this Sukuk bond issuance.”
Idi said that when the bank commenced business about two years ago, its capital base or finance obligor element was little, adding that it limited the bank’s financial support to people and businesses.
According to him, in view of the lender’s improved capital base and other positive financial trajectory recorded over the last two years, TAJ Bank will be fully positioned to surpass public expectations.
“It will ensure improved returns to shareholders and more positive impact on the economy. In the last two years, we have raised additional capital apart from the Sukuk we are issuing now.”
The bank’s Chairman, Alhaji Tanko Gwamna, said that the Sukuk bond would benefit investors in multidimensional ways.
According to him, the impact of the Sukuk bond on the economy is that we are trying to provide more liquidity for the economy and return on the investment is very favourable.
“We are virtually competing even more than what is available in the market because its potential returns on investment is going to be very huge to investors.
“The funds raised through the Sukuk bond and innovative deployment to needy sectors of the economy will help to create jobs and boost economic activities.
“It will also improve the non-interest banking sub sector’s contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the years ahead.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has virtually declared war on those who are in the habit of attacking police officers and men in the line of duty across the country.
He cried out loud: “attacks on police officers and men in the line of duty would no longer be tolerated under whatever guise, as the Force holds the lives of its personnel sacrosanct.”
A statement today, August 29 by the Force spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the police boss has directed all Police Commands and Formations to ensure that individuals who engage in assault on police officers, irrespective of preceding factors, are made to face the full wrath of the law via swift prosecution in courts of competent jurisdiction.
Usman Alkali, who condemned the recent trend of assault on Police Officers and men in uniform, carrying out official and lawful duties in various locations across the nation, emphasized that attacks on Police Officers, who are uniformed agents of the state, is both illegal and an affront on the rule of law.
“Inspector-General of Police while reiterating the commitment of the Force to ensuring protection of lives and property, stressed the importance of according respect to the fundamental rights of Police officers and other security operatives, in order to enable them advance their sacred mandate of serving and protecting the citizens better and maintenance of law and order.”
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, joined the national chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to welcome Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, representing Kano Central and former Governor of Kano State, into the PDP in Kano. The Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Senator Jibrin Wali look on.
Employees who perpetrate fraud through stealing in the workplace have been labeled as “Workplace Rats” in a new book, which has just been released to the public.
The book, which admits that poor business model and financial management contribute to business failures, specifically identified stealing as a major cause of bankruptcy in organisations.
The book says that some employees and executives within the lowest and highest rung of organizational ladder are pilfers, who often exploit any cavity within the system to generate unearned income for selfish ends, referring to such employees as Workplace Rats.
The book, which reveals motives, schemes, intrigues and tactics deployed by fraudulent employees to rip off employers, also contains ways and how organisations can prevent Workplace Rats from executing their dishonest and unethical practices at the workplace.
Written by Dr. Michael Owhoko, renowned author and journalist, the book is entitled: “Workplace Rats. It was published by Exceller Books, and is currently on sale on Amazon, Banes and Nobles as well as major bookstores worldwide.
“Fraudsters in organizations are likened to rats at the workplace because they leave in their trail, destruction of valuables and capital through fraud and unethical practices, resulting in most times, to bankruptcy or liquidation. Like rats, their actions invoke pains as they never add value to anything. Wherever rats are found, there is complete threat to material order. They destroy by consuming all valuables within sight,” Owhoko said in the book.
“Like rats, there are people in organizations whose only motive is to perpetuate selfish agenda through methods that advance their interests, even if it is at the expense of the organization. They have prick-proof conscience that does not respond to malevolence, attendant destruction, losses and pains resulting from their actions.”
The author said further that Workplace rats are not limited to employees alone. “They are also found among entrepreneurs, business executives, politicians and top government functionaries, including civil and public servants.”
He said that the book is a must read not only for entrepreneurs, business leaders, government officials and business influencers, but all Nigerians with potentials to establish their own business in the country.
Dr. Michael Owhoko is a Lagos-based journalist and author who has mostly worked in the banking, oil and gas, as well as media industries where he held senior and management positions. He earned degrees in political science and mass communications, and had authored The Language of Oil & Gas; Career Frustration in the Workplace; Nigeria on the Precipice: Issues, Options and Solutions; The Future of Nigeria; and Feminism: The Agony of Men.He can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com.
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has described as rubbish, insinuations and suggestions in certain quarters that he would step down for the flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu or form alliance with any of the political parties for the 2023 elections.
He declared, when he spoke to news men yesterday in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State: “to say NNPP will join or withdraw for APC or PDP is absolutely rubbish; it can’t happen.
“Some people are terribly mischievous and I don’t see how any of these four political parties at this critical time will accept joining one another. There are some elements making mischievous postings and insults on social media, but we believe in sportsmanship and we are out for good campaign.”
“Some are envisaging that there will not be an outright winner in the first round of the presidential election but from our own camp, we believe that we are going to win during the first round of the presidential election because we have the people.”
The NNPP candidate said that those who are saying that his popularity is limited to Kano or the Northwest alone are mistaken.
“Some people are saying Kwankwaso’s political base is Kano state and I am so happy about that because Kano is not a small state in terms of millions of registered voters, some are saying Northwest and others are saying the North is the only base for Kwankwaso but they are making a mistake. Unfortunately, some people are now campaigning on social media; they have employed irresponsible people talking about things that they know is not true but we have kept on telling their masters. To say that anyone of us is withdrawing for the other, everybody knows that is absolutely impossible.”
The former Kano State Governor said that he was a founding member of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC, adding that their failures led to the establishment of NNPP and there’s no way he would go back to the parties that had led Nigeria into problems.
“Don’t forget that six months ago. there was nothing like NNPP; it was when we joined that it became the force that it is today and from now to another six months, only God knows what this party will become.”
“The people of goodwill are now saying, how do we get out of it because nobody wants this country to collapse and that’s is why you see people coming into the movement to rescue the country.
You see these parties, the PDP and APC, I was a founding member of all the two but they have derailed completely and that is why some of us had to leave and bring in a new thing; that was why we brought NNPP and people are buying into it.”
Founder and General Overseer of Apata Adura Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ekute, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Pastor Adekunle Afolabi has converted to Islam.
After practicing Christianity for over 25 years, who now wants to be addressed as Alfa Abubakar Afolabi, explained that his reason for accepting Islam is because he had a divine encounter with a stranger in his dreams.
He said that the man showed him certain flaws in Christianity and convinced him that Islam is the only religion that leads to heaven, adding that he had no regrets swapping to the other religion.
“I was preparing for the anniversary when I started having dreams that eventually led to my conversion.
“At first in the dreams, I noticed my members were sitting on the floor in the church and some of them were covering their heads. I also saw that people were washing their hands and feet before entering the church just like it is done in Islam”.
Asked if he still engaged in some spiritual activities like he did while in Christianity, Afolabi said, “rendering spiritual help is given to all men by God for their own use, so the wisdom of it is given to me by God, he didn’t take it away from me because that is different from religion.
“It is a way of livelihood; so, if any one falls sick, wants to give birth, is having stillbirth, stagnation at work, that is all what we use that for. He showed me places in the Bible where many prayed to God in Islamic way. By this praying, I mean to kneel down and bow down your head and face down.”
Answering questions on how his church members reacted when he decided to dump Christianity, he said: “They all left me the day I invited an Imam to come and preach in my church, the day of our anniversary.
“I have also been stripped of my position as president of our association. The only thing the pastors do once in a while is to call to ask me if indeed I still want to continue in the new faith and I usually confirm it. As for friends, some have stayed, while others have left.”
I didn’t realise how much Nigeria’s water sector has been grossly under-reported until I attended a media briefing, addressed by the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman H. Adamu in Abuja recently.
Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Director of Public Relations in the Ministry, had made several efforts to stoke my interest in the water sector for possible media coverage in our Economic Confidential or PRNigeria platforms.
I had worked closely with Mrs Offie, my senior while I was in the public service and after my retirement a decade ago. I always wondered what was so exciting for her about the Ministry of Water Resources, particularly after she had served in a number of ‘juicy’ positions in the State House, Aso Rock, Abuja; the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during the tenure of Mrs Amina Mohammed (now Deputy Secretary General of United Nations); and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, among others.
Therefore, last Thursday, she invited me again to attend a press brief, where some milestones in the water sector under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration were to be revealed with facts and figures, I finally decided to honour her requests.
She had early told me that the Minister was a pragmatic leader who deliberately refused to abandon inherited projects, as he essentially regards government as a continuum for which the public good is paramount and the overriding consideration, not personalities. With this crucial mindset, Engineer Adamu has not only improved on ongoing programmes within his remit, but has more so ensured the completion of most of the old projects he inherited on coming into office.
At the briefing, the Minister proudly emphasised his strong conviction on how it was a vital professional imperative for him to make sure he completes all inherited projects before engaging in newer ones. This is a highly unusually and largely commendable attitude to enhancing the Nigerian commonwealth and infrastructure for the greater good, particularly in an environment in which many are prone to the individualism – if not selfishness – of executing only projects that they are architects of, and which serves interests with which they are identified, without much contemplation of what is really of enduring benefit to the public.
As such, the entire country almost feels like a dumpsite of uncompleted, and even overlapping, projects that have been some of the biggest sources of wastage of the national commonwealth, very unfortunately.
Engineer Suleiman pointed out that being one of the key sectors that drive the agenda for national food security and human capital development, the Ministry of Water Resources’ core mandates are to improve the supply of potable water in the country, the improvement of irrigation systems to bolster what could otherwise be low-yield rain-fed agriculture, and the development of Nigeria’s hydro-power infrastructure.
Beyond the controversy over the Water Bill that was criticised by politicians and sections of the media, I was amazed by the accomplishments of the Ministry in its core mandates.
Apart from the construction of 185 solar-powered water projects and 370 public sanitation facilities across the states of the federation, the Ministry engaged 77,400 youth volunteers for Hand Washing and ODF campaigns, which also created awareness on open defecation in Nigeria, across all the 774 local government areas of the country.
With the revitalisation of the River Basin Development Authorities to deliver on their obligations to Nigeria, the Songhai model of integrated agricultural practice was introduced by the Ministry to boost agricultural production and achieve integrated rural development. In this regard, 253 farmlands have been leased to the private sector for commercial farming, out of which 182 are fully utilised presently.
Currently, there are a total of 250 medium- and large-sized dams in the country, with a combined storage capacity of about 30 billion cubic metres, of water, which is more than the projected future demand of Nigeria by the year 2030. Some of the inherited and now completed dam projects include the Kashimbilla Multipurpose dam in Taraba State; Ogwashi-uku Multipurpose Dam in Delta State; Adada Dam in Enugu State; Sulma Earth Dam in Katsina State; Amla-Otukpo Dam in Benue State, alongside four others dams, and the rehabilitated Kampi Omi Dam in Kogi State.
In addition to the above, at least about 42 small dams have been constructed across the nation by the River Basin Development Authorities, while six of the dams are currently being utilised to support aquaculture farms.
In the energy sector too, the Ministry of Water Resources has also pursued the goal of ensuring the completion of inherited hydropower projects. So far, these include the Gurara One 30MW power plant in Kaduna State; the Kashimbila 40MW project in Taraba State; and the Daduin Kowa 40MW power project in Gombe State, which have all been completed and are ready for concessioning, while the contract for the Farin-Ruwa 20MW hydropower project in Nasarawa has been awarded. There are two other power projects that would generate a combined 1,750MWs of electricity in Lokoja, Kogi State and Makurdi in Benue State, which are currently being planned for development on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangements.
In similar vein, the Ministry is implementing an ambitious irrigation programme to boost agriculture production and support the nation’s quest for food security. Under the scheme, a 130,000 hectarage of irrigation has been developed, while another 55,000 hectarage has been leased to commercial farmers. Some of the completed irrigation projects include the Mamu Awka Drainage and Land Reclamation scheme in Anambra State; the Sabke Irrigation system in Katsina State; the Gari Irrigation schemes in Kano and Katsina States, coupled with the Rima Valley Irrigation project in Sokoto State, the Middle Ogun River Irrigation scheme in Oyo State and the Azare-Jere Irrigation project in Kaduna State.
Likewise, the Ministry of Water Resources has constructed 340 rural water supply schemes in the North-East, in IDP camps and some federal institutions and establishments. Through the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes, the Ministry constructed 3,372 rural water supply schemes in 19 states of the federation for the benefit of 5,262,189 people.
I am just been a bit concerned that even though all the states flagged off the WASH and Clean Nigeria campaigns, surprisingly only 83 out of the 774 local government areas are now Open Defecation Free in the country! Nevertheless, the water projects executed by the Ministry will go a long way in reducing dependency on the erstwhile largely rain-fed agricultural sector, thereby boosting food production, addressing rural poverty through progressive management transfers and, to some extent, curbing youth restiveness due to joblessness.
As the longest-serving Minister of Water Resources since 2015, I wish to reiterate the fact that Engineer Suleiman deserves to be commended for not abandoning old projects within his sphere of influence while initiating and implementing new ones geared toward economic diversification, job creation, and strengthening the quality of productivity by enhancing market access services for farmers. This certainly appears to be the secret to his longevity on the job – as we say: Why fix it when it is performing so well?
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Founder and General Overseer of Apata Adura Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ekute, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Pastor Adekunle Afolabi has converted to Islam.
Untold Stories Of Nigeria’s Water Sector, By Yushau A. Shuaib
I didn’t realise how much Nigeria’s water sector has been grossly under-reported until I attended a media briefing, addressed by the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman H. Adamu in Abuja recently.
Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Director of Public Relations in the Ministry, had made several efforts to stoke my interest in the water sector for possible media coverage in our Economic Confidential or PRNigeria platforms.
I had worked closely with Mrs Offie, my senior while I was in the public service and after my retirement a decade ago. I always wondered what was so exciting for her about the Ministry of Water Resources, particularly after she had served in a number of ‘juicy’ positions in the State House, Aso Rock, Abuja; the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during the tenure of Mrs Amina Mohammed (now Deputy Secretary General of United Nations); and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, among others.
Therefore, last Thursday, she invited me again to attend a press brief, where some milestones in the water sector under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration were to be revealed with facts and figures, I finally decided to honour her requests.
She had early told me that the Minister was a pragmatic leader who deliberately refused to abandon inherited projects, as he essentially regards government as a continuum for which the public good is paramount and the overriding consideration, not personalities. With this crucial mindset, Engineer Adamu has not only improved on ongoing programmes within his remit, but has more so ensured the completion of most of the old projects he inherited on coming into office.
At the briefing, the Minister proudly emphasised his strong conviction on how it was a vital professional imperative for him to make sure he completes all inherited projects before engaging in newer ones. This is a highly unusually and largely commendable attitude to enhancing the Nigerian commonwealth and infrastructure for the greater good, particularly in an environment in which many are prone to the individualism – if not selfishness – of executing only projects that they are architects of, and which serves interests with which they are identified, without much contemplation of what is really of enduring benefit to the public.
As such, the entire country almost feels like a dumpsite of uncompleted, and even overlapping, projects that have been some of the biggest sources of wastage of the national commonwealth, very unfortunately.
Engineer Suleiman pointed out that being one of the key sectors that drive the agenda for national food security and human capital development, the Ministry of Water Resources’ core mandates are to improve the supply of potable water in the country, the improvement of irrigation systems to bolster what could otherwise be low-yield rain-fed agriculture, and the development of Nigeria’s hydro-power infrastructure.
Beyond the controversy over the Water Bill that was criticised by politicians and sections of the media, I was amazed by the accomplishments of the Ministry in its core mandates.
Apart from the construction of 185 solar-powered water projects and 370 public sanitation facilities across the states of the federation, the Ministry engaged 77,400 youth volunteers for Hand Washing and ODF campaigns, which also created awareness on open defecation in Nigeria, across all the 774 local government areas of the country.
With the revitalisation of the River Basin Development Authorities to deliver on their obligations to Nigeria, the Songhai model of integrated agricultural practice was introduced by the Ministry to boost agricultural production and achieve integrated rural development. In this regard, 253 farmlands have been leased to the private sector for commercial farming, out of which 182 are fully utilised presently.
Currently, there are a total of 250 medium- and large-sized dams in the country, with a combined storage capacity of about 30 billion cubic metres, of water, which is more than the projected future demand of Nigeria by the year 2030. Some of the inherited and now completed dam projects include the Kashimbilla Multipurpose dam in Taraba State; Ogwashi-uku Multipurpose Dam in Delta State; Adada Dam in Enugu State; Sulma Earth Dam in Katsina State; Amla-Otukpo Dam in Benue State, alongside four others dams, and the rehabilitated Kampi Omi Dam in Kogi State.
In addition to the above, at least about 42 small dams have been constructed across the nation by the River Basin Development Authorities, while six of the dams are currently being utilised to support aquaculture farms.
In the energy sector too, the Ministry of Water Resources has also pursued the goal of ensuring the completion of inherited hydropower projects. So far, these include the Gurara One 30MW power plant in Kaduna State; the Kashimbila 40MW project in Taraba State; and the Daduin Kowa 40MW power project in Gombe State, which have all been completed and are ready for concessioning, while the contract for the Farin-Ruwa 20MW hydropower project in Nasarawa has been awarded. There are two other power projects that would generate a combined 1,750MWs of electricity in Lokoja, Kogi State and Makurdi in Benue State, which are currently being planned for development on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangements.
In similar vein, the Ministry is implementing an ambitious irrigation programme to boost agriculture production and support the nation’s quest for food security. Under the scheme, a 130,000 hectarage of irrigation has been developed, while another 55,000 hectarage has been leased to commercial farmers. Some of the completed irrigation projects include the Mamu Awka Drainage and Land Reclamation scheme in Anambra State; the Sabke Irrigation system in Katsina State; the Gari Irrigation schemes in Kano and Katsina States, coupled with the Rima Valley Irrigation project in Sokoto State, the Middle Ogun River Irrigation scheme in Oyo State and the Azare-Jere Irrigation project in Kaduna State.
Likewise, the Ministry of Water Resources has constructed 340 rural water supply schemes in the North-East, in IDP camps and some federal institutions and establishments. Through the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes, the Ministry constructed 3,372 rural water supply schemes in 19 states of the federation for the benefit of 5,262,189 people.
I am just been a bit concerned that even though all the states flagged off the WASH and Clean Nigeria campaigns, surprisingly only 83 out of the 774 local government areas are now Open Defecation Free in the country! Nevertheless, the water projects executed by the Ministry will go a long way in reducing dependency on the erstwhile largely rain-fed agricultural sector, thereby boosting food production, addressing rural poverty through progressive management transfers and, to some extent, curbing youth restiveness due to joblessness.
As the longest-serving Minister of Water Resources since 2015, I wish to reiterate the fact that Engineer Suleiman deserves to be commended for not abandoning old projects within his sphere of influence while initiating and implementing new ones geared toward economic diversification, job creation, and strengthening the quality of productivity by enhancing market access services for farmers. This certainly appears to be the secret to his longevity on the job – as we say: Why fix it when it is performing so well?
Yushau A. Shuaib
Editor-in-Chief Economic Confidential and blog
www.YASHuaib.com