Intending pilgrims from Oyo State are expected to depart for Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage, two years after it was suspended by the Saudi authorities over Coronavirus outbreak across the world.
Chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Professor Sayed Malik, who made the announcement today, during the distribution of Hajj Clothes, Bags and other needed materials to Intending Pilgrims at Board Office, Hajj Camp, Olodo Ibadan, said that the first batch of the Pilgrims are expected to be moved from Ibadan to Lagos State on Thursday, 16th June and take off to the Holy Land of Saudi Arabia on the following day.
“The first batch of Oyo State Intending Pilgrims for this year’s Hajj is going to leave Ibadan on Thursday 16th June and airlifted inshaAllah early morning of the Friday, that is 17th July 2020.”
The Chairman called on all the intending Pilgrims to converge at Hajj Camp in Olodo on Thursday 16th June in preparation for their journey from Ibadan to Lagos.
He advised the intending pilgrims to abide by all regulations laid down by the Saudi Government and be good ambassadors of the State and Nigeria.
“They must realize that they are going there for religious exercises and must be careful not to go against regulations from the Saudi Arabia Government and abide by instructions given by officials of the Board.
“They should not do things that can tarnish the good image of Oyo State in particular and Nigeria in general.
“They must ensure that they do not carry any illicit drug along with them because the Law Enforcement Agencies will be on ground to examine them thoroughly.”
Professor Malik called on the intending pilgrims to pray for Nigeria while performing the spiritual exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He advised those that were unable to collect the needed materials today to make themselves available as soon as possible.
He said that the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde is expected to meet with the intending pilgrims tomorrow, June 15 to bid them welfare.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have reduced to babies, their opponents from Sao Tome and Principe, handing down to them 10 goals to nothing in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Victor Osimhen alone scored four goals.
Nigeria, who surprisingly missed out on a place at the World Cup in Qatar, completed the record rout, thanks to seven second-half goals as Terem Moffi (two), Moses Simon, Peter Etebo, Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Dennis also got on the scoresheet.
The defeat today, June 13, which was held in the neutral location of Agadir in Morocco, is not the heaviest in Sao Tome’s history. They had lost to Congo 11-0 in 1976.
The win means that Nigeria have a full haul of six points from their opening two games as they seek to reach the continental finals in Ivory Coast next June.
The top two teams in each pool qualify, with Sierra Leone to meet Guinea-Bissau in the other game in the group on Monday.
Presidential candidate of the Labour Part (LP), Peter Obi has landed in The Lord’s Chosen Church’s two-day crusade in Lagos with a surprise appearance. The crowd who were surprised to see Obi gave him a heroic welcome.
The ground immediately became more electrified as Obi stood to address the people.
Speaking at the event, Obi requested prayers for God to make him a vessel to use the public funds for the public good in Nigeria.
“I am a member of Chosen family and will always go for what will glorify God on every of my endeavour. It is an absurdity to misappropriate public funds and render the masses impoverished.”
Obi decried poverty in the society and prayed that God would use him to change the status quo for the public good.
The Lord Chosen crusade was held at the church’s headquarters in Ijesha Lagos.
The program was held to seek God’s face for the congregation’s progress and the good of the Society.
The crusade had a theme entitled: “And Enemies Submitted.”
The crusade is one of the church’s flagship programmes held biennially to draw people closer to God, and render supplications, petitions and intercessions by worshippers, that testified the goodness of God in their lives and businesses.
The event, which had people across the globe in attendance, was also used to offer prayers for countries undergoing a transition in governance and with a special prayer for Nigeria’s stability.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, has painted a picture of how military officers thwarted plans of terrorists from attacking Abuja and other major cities in the country last week.
General Irabor stressed that the operatives averted what could have been the most devastating incident in the history of Nigeria, saying that the same type of catastrophe was also averted in Kano State.
The Chief of Defence Staff, who spoke on Channels Television’s special programme, tagged: ‘Democracy Day: Giving Hope To Nigerians,’ said that large cache of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making materials were recovered before the attacks.
”We recovered a large quantum of arms and ammunition and other materials which, of course, the criminals were intending to use in various parts of the country, including Abuja.
”Perhaps, you may not know that just only the same week of the Owo incident, in Kano, for example, given the intelligence available to security agencies, we were able to botch what would have been the most catastrophic incident within our country.”
The military Chief said that the attack in Owo, Ondo State did not imply that improvements have not happened.
“Let me state that this is a process, and if you could take a look at the war stage in countries around the world, you will find incidents of violence and criminality in one way or the other.
“I will say that a lot has happened; there’s been quite a lot of improvement in terms of the armed forces and other security agencies doing all that is necessary to bring peace to the various troubled regions of the country.
“I can tell you that from last year till now, we have had quite a lot of improvement; from the North East to the North West, North Central, South South, South East and South West. Of, course, there still remains a long haul in terms of addressing the nuances that attend to insecurity in Nigeria.”
General Irabor appealed to Nigerians to always trust the military and other security agencies for the war on insecurity to be more effective.
“It is for us to have an understanding that we can’t withhold information and expect miracles to happen. Certainly it’s not going to happen.
“I’m a victim as well as any Nigerian that is on the street. We are all victims together. There’s no one who is on the other side. We are in it together. We are on the frontlines. Trust is not something we need to beg for.
“I will seek and crave the indulgence of all Nigerians to say that there has to be trust. Trust must exist and trust must be given in all respect, so that together we will achieve the state of peace that we so desire.”
Senator Uche Ekwunife, representing Anambra central in the red chamber of the National Assembly has predicted that the former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi cannot achieve his presidential ambition on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).
The two-term Senator, who spoke to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders at her event Centre in Awka at the weekend, said that PDP, on which platform she is running for another term, is still as solid as a rock in Anambra State.
She said that it would be a pipe dream for Obi to beat PDP or any other party in Anambra with Labour party.
Though stakeholders cautioned her at the event to shun talking ill of Obi and LP in her campaigns to avoid a backlash, she insisted that PDP remained a formidable party in Nigeria.
She said the PDP remained a party to beat in the next general elections, adding that her antecedents and track record placed her above other candidates.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has accepted what it called “the burden of the loss” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential tickets by the Southeast aspirants, admitting that the losses were due to lack of a rallying point.
“We are calling for a truce and calm, and the blame games should lessen down for we are back on the drawing board in partnership with all critical stakeholders in the southeast as it’s not over until it’s over.”
A statement by the Secretary-General of the organisation, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said: “we share in the traumas and pains of Ndigbo, particularly in the lamentations of the chairman of the Southeast Governors and the Governor of Ebonyi State Engr Dave Umahi.
“When the head is rotten it affects every part of the body, we tender our unreserved apologies to Ndigbo and the southeast Governors led by Governor Dave Umahi, what is expected of everyone is the aggressive mobilization of all Igbo eligible voters in 774 Lgas to register and obtain PVCs, there is a sizable population of Igbos outside and it’s not over yet for Ndigbo”.
“No matter how long we are trended in the wrong direction, Ndigbo should remember that the Messiah might not be in the major political parties, the southeast is still in the contest for 2023.
“There are some options open for the southeast, in the absence of the rotten head, selected special IMEOBI and ELDERS COUNCIL members are now saddled with the duty to navigate NdIgbo through the political stormy weather, the sun will always rise from the East, it’s not over.”
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has described the Northeast of Nigeria as the hero of the nation’s democracy for resisting and fighting back the Boko Haram terrorist group from bringing down democratic institutions in Nigeria, and replacing them with violent sovereign doctrines since 2009.
The Governor, in a 10 point statement to mark the nation’s Democracy Day celebration, said: “it is now 23 uninterrupted years since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. In those 23 years, societies across the country have witnessed different levels of progress and challenges.
“In those 23 years, the people of Borno State and other parts of the northeast, have since July 2009, ceaselessly resisted groups of extremely violent insurgents with the determination to wreck massive havoc on communities, pursuing the ultimate objective of bringing down democratic institutions in Nigeria, and replacing them with violent sovereign doctrines.
”From 2009 to date, which is about 13 years, thousands of our youthful fellow citizens, amongst them women and even old men, have devoted their lives to supporting armed forces in fighting Boko Haram and stopping the insurgents from undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty and our democracy.
“In these 13 years, countless number of these citizens as members of ‘Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes, have made sacrifices including giving their lives at battle fronts, to protect fellow citizens and to preserve our nation’s sovereignty and democracy.
“These fallen volunteers alongside those currently in front lines and all citizens of the northeast eminently qualify to be named amongst the heroes of Nigeria’s 23 years of uninterrupted democracy.
“We will forever be grateful to the volunteers for their sacrifices just as we should regularly remember them in our prayers as we seek end to the insurgency that is now on comparative decline. Survivors of our fallen volunteers have earned our help as a matter of obligation to them.
“We should also sustain our demonstration of love and support to fellow citizens who are still displaced even as government remains committed to safe and dignified resettlement that is ongoing.
”For our armed forces whose gallantry inspired our volunteers in the first place, we remain forever in their debts and we will continue to support them in any way that we can. We must also keep them in our prayers because their victory means our continued existence.
“We are grateful to Mr. President, Commander in Chief, Muhammadu Buhari for his sincere and undivided commitment in the fight against Boko Haram in Borno and rest of the northeast. The successes recorded are evident in our ongoing safe rebuilding of communities and safe resettlement of over 20 communities so far in Borno State, and I believe, in other parts of the northeast.”
The Yoruba World Centre has concluded arrangements to bring Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC Presidential Candidate, at the
celebration of the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Senator Lekan Balogun on June 19, 2022.
The event, scheduled to hold at the University of Ibadan under the Chairmanship of former governor Rasheed Ladoja, is being put together by the Centre, to formally introduce the new monarch to the larger Yoruba community, by presenting him to Yoruba lords of business, politics, administration and traditional rulers to be hosted by the Governor of Oyo state, Engineer Seyi Makinde.
The Coordinator of Yoruba World Centre, Ogbeni Alao Adedayo, said that the earlier plan was to celebrate the new Olubadan among the traditional rulers and other leaders, “and we had thus invited both the Vice President and Asiwaju Tinubu.
“But we later realised that these two foremost political and government leaders from our own side here had just come out of a competition which generated lots of misunderstandings among our people, so we intensified efforts to ensure their presence for rapprochement, and we are glad to say they shall be with us on that day.
“We are not inviting them for politics, therefore, no politics will be allowed on the occasion. It is for them and other respected personalities to come and relax, enjoy the arts and culture of their own people, look at ways to make this culture become a tool for national unity, beneficial co-existence, youth development and empowerment. You won’t believe how glad we were when signals came that the two are coming to celebrate with the new Olubadan and the Yoruba people.” Adedayo concluded.
Oba Senator Balogun was crowned on March 11, 2022, and the coming Sunday 19th marks his 100 days in office, thus the Yoruba World Centre, in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and Tunde Odunlade Arts Gallery, plans a huge celebration for the monarch.
The Federal Government has distributed farm inputs and hand tools to women in the 23 local government areas of Sokoto state.
in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government, on Sunday commenced the distribution of.
Inaugurating the distribution in Sokoto, The state Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Kulu Sifawa, who supervised the distribution, said the gesture is part of the federal government’s desire to engage Nigerian women into farming.
Hajiya Kulu Sifawa said that the purpose of the project, jointly organized by her ministry, is to boost agricultural activities in an effort to enhance food security across the country.
Items distributed include four bags of groundnuts, maize, rice and beans seeds to each of the 23 local governments of the state. Also distributed were farm hand tools including cutlasses, wheel barrows, rakes and shovels.
Others were GNID Super GRO organic liquid fertiliser, insecticides, permanent treated mosquito nets and new power fumigation tank sprayers, etc.
Speaking at th occasion, Commissioner Kulu Sgifawa said that the gesture is part of the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in engaging women participation towards nation-building.
“As you aware, women are the bedrock for every societal development, as such, the government came up with the programme to support the country’s commitment to food security.
“Therefore, I urge the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the opportunity in ensuring the success of the exercise.”
Hajiya Kulu Sifawa appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for Women Affairs for coming of with the programme, saying ”such will immensely support women farmers”.
The Chairman, Gudu Local Government Area, Alhaji Bello Wakili, said that the council would monitor the progress of the exercise.
“We are from the rural area and you know our women are full time farmers. So, with the current development, I want to assure you that there is going to be a lot of improvement in food production.”
China has been confirmed to be dominating trade relationship with Nigeria, with bilateral trade deficit against Nigeria widening in favour of China.
Available data shows a steady increase in Nigeria’s importation from the Asian country, rising by 183.91 per cent from N530.98 billion in the first quarter of 2018 to N1.51 trillion in Q1 2022.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data on foreign trade, China is responsible for the bulk of imports into Nigeria, ranking number one on the list of top 10 countries in the five quarters under review.
However, export to China is negligible, as Nigeria was missing from the nation’s top 10 export destination in Q1 2018 – Q1 2020, and Q1 2022. Only in Q1 2021 did China rank on the top 10 export destination when it ranked third with N190.11bn. In the same quarter, total imports from China were put at N2.01tn.
Imports from China grew across the quarters under review. In Q1 2018, it was N530.98bn, it grew to N979.29bn in Q1 2019, and N1.11tn in Q1 2020. It was highest in Q1 2021 at N2.01tn and dropped to N1.51tn in Q1 2022.
According to the NBS, imports from China include motorcycles, machines for reception of voice, electrical apparatus for line telephony, or line telegraphy, mackerel, parts of machinery for working on rubber or plastics, crude salt, compressed salt used in animal feeding, antibiotics, herbicides and more.
Nigeria’s exports to China in the period under review included, polyethylene, leather, sesamum seeds, cashew nuts, zinc ores and concentrates, lead ores, and more. In Q1 2022, imports to China accounted for 25.55 per cent of the total import (N5.90tn).
In Q1 2021, it was 29.34 per cent of the total imports (N6.85tn). In Q1 2020, it was 26.28 per cent of the total import (N4.22tn), in Q1 2019, it was 26.4 per cent of total imports (N3.70tn), and 21.1 per cent of the total imports (N2.52tn) in Q1 2018.
Data from China’s customs agency showed that the top five African countries that imported the most goods from China in 2021 were Nigeria $23 billion or 16 percent, South Africa $21 billion or 14 percent, Egypt $18 billion or 12 percent, Ghana $8 billion or 5 percent, and Kenya $7 billion. Their combined imports made up more than half of all imports of Chinese goods to Africa last year.
On the other hand, Nigeria is not among the top five African exporters to China in 2021 which include South Africa $33 billion or 31 percent of total exports to China, Angola $21 billion or 20 percent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) $12 billion or 11 percent, Republic of Congo $5 billion or 5 percent and Zambia $4 billion or 4 percent. Their combined exports accounted for 71 percent of all exports to China last year.
In terms of total trade volume (exports and imports), China’s top African trading partners in 2021 were South Africa at $54 billion representing 21 percent of all China-Africa trade, Nigeria $26 billion or 10 percent, Angola $23 billion or 9 percent, Egypt $19 billion or 8 percent, and DRC $14 billion or 6 percent. The combined value of trade between China and these countries accounted for more than half of all China-Africa trade last year. Africa’s main exports to China include minerals, metals, crude oil, and agricultural products.
Checks show that Nigeria’s trade balance had remained relatively healthy until sometime in 2019 when it started recording deficits. The situation got worse last year when it jumped 986 per cent, growing from N178 billion to an all-time high of N1.94 trillion.
The shortfall is about 10 per cent of the total value of exports in the same year. The amount is also about 2.7 per cent of the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP), which was estimated at N73.4 trillion last year.
In 2018, the country recorded a trade balance of N5.37 trillion; the figure slipped to N2.23 trillion in 2019 but that was still considered a healthy position. In 2020, trade volume slumped globally as the world grappled with the restriction of movement of persons in a bid to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expectedly, Nigeria’s exports suffered a dip of 35 per cent, climbing down from N19.19 trillion to N12.52 trillion. Imports also fell substantially but not enough to cancel out completely the wide hole created by the falling crude prices in the export figures. At the close of the year, Nigeria’s hitherto positive balance of trade went into the negative region, leaving a deficit of N178.26 billion only for the figure to balloon to nearly N2 trillion last year.
In 2018, Nigeria’s yearly exports were valued at N18.53 trillion and only gained marginally to reach N18.91 trillion last year, implying that the country’s exports grew by only two per cent. In dollar terms, what the country earned in the form of the export injection last year was less than the value of earning four years earlier. This is because the value of naira had depreciated by, at least, 10 per cent at the official market, within the period.
The position of both export and import on the trade chart in 2018 as against last year is also revealing of a scary future in the near- to medium-term. In 2018, the share of exports in the total foreign trade was 58 per cent. But as of last year, imports had grown by about 58 per cent reversing the ratio to 52:48 in favour of imports.
In economic theory, imports are considered as leakages while exports are injections. While the latter increases local capacity utilisation, including jobs, the former fritters away or creates jobs for other economies. In the four years reviewed, crude and oil products accounted for an average of 89.4 per cent of the total goods exported, leaving industries and agriculture where the bulk of the jobs are created with about 10 per cent. Despite the renewed campaign for non-oil exports, oil still controlled 88.7 per cent of the export basket last year.
Of the meagre 10 per cent controlled by other sectors, raw materials accounted for 2.68 per cent. The dominance of the country’s export mix by raw materials and commodities, whose prices and volumes are determined by external factors, is compounded by Nigerians’ growing appetite for foreign manufactured goods.
Last year, for instance, manufactured goods accounted for 49.82 per cent of the value of imports. This figure excludes oil products, which took 30.96 per cent. The two items – which are essentially by-products of raw materials sourced from developing countries, including Nigeria – took away N16.84 trillion in foreign earnings from the economy last year.
The amount equates 81 per cent of all the export leakages. In sharp contrast, less than three of the export earnings of last year came from manufactured goods.
This has a huge consequence for the foreign exchange (FX) market and employment creation. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shared this concern recently when it was compelled to respond to the shrinking non-oil commodity processing through the RT200 FX Programme, a policy thrust that targets yearly repatriation of $200 billion from non-oil exports in the next three to five years.
Nigeria produced about 770,000 metric tonnes of sesame, cashew and cocoa in 2019. Of the number, about 12,000 metric tonnes was consumed locally while 758,000 metric tonnes was exported. Unfortunately, of the 758,000 metric tonnes that were exported, only 16.8 per cent was processed. The rest was exported as raw, thereby denying Nigerian farmers a significant share in the value chain.
Also, the global chocolate industry was estimated at $130 billion in 2019. Sadly, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, which control about 72 per cent of the cocoa exports did not receive more than five per cent of the windfall or $6.3 billion. According to the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the three West African countries in that order generated about $3.6 billion, $1.9 billion and $804 million from the industry in the reference year.
“In contrast to West African countries, Belgium accounted for 11 per cent of global chocolate exports in 2019, at a value of $3.16 billion. Similarly, Germany’s chocolate exports were worth $5.14 billion in the same year. These numbers are the same for other commodities as well,” Emefiele said.
Last year, the country’s unemployment rate relapsed to 33.3 per cent, a figure many analysts described as a crisis level, while youth unemployment exceeded 50 per cent.
Commenting on the balance of trade position of Nigeria with China, Dr. Muda Yusuf, of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), an economic and business advocacy think tank, blamed weak production capacity, low competitiveness of Nigerian firms and unfavourable infrastructure environment for the nation’s deteriorating trade balance with the Asian country.
Changing the narrative
Dr. Yusuf, said: “International trade volume, value and direction are outcomes of business decisions. “Importers opt for imports from countries that offer the best deals. This explains why there is a high level of imports from China which has a strong competitive edge in manufactured products.
“The same is true of exports. Exporters would focus on countries with good bargains for them as they seek to maximize returns on their investments. “Market access issues are also important considerations. These are the factors that shape the flow of trade at bilateral, regional, continental or global levels. These are also factors that determine balance of trade outcomes for Nigeria.
“Balance of trade position is a function of imports and exports. Our recurring trade deficit speaks to the persistent weak production capacity and competitiveness of Nigerian firms. Export is very critical to remedy the situation.
“But for that to happen, our production must be competitive regionally and globally. We therefore need to create the environment for the production of quality goods at a globally competitive price. There is no other way. On her part, the Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Chinyere Almona, said: “It is true that Nigerian import from China has significantly increased in the last decade displacing the West.
“The reasons can be attributed to: The Chinese Government putting in place international trade policies that deliberately fund Chinese exports to third world countries, making their goods readily available and cheaper.
“Exporting from Nigeria is a tough venture considering the bottlenecks in the processes. This must be addressed to compete favourably; and some loans granted by China to Nigeria and other African countries are tied to projects that are executed using Chinese materials. All of these raise the Chinese exports to Africa”. On what Nigeria needs to do to redress the situation, Almona said: “Nigeria must improve on its export infrastructure to boost exports and seek for cheaper sources of loans that are tied to boosting productive capacities in the country.
“Once we are able to produce more, and export processes are not cumbersome, Nigeria will record higher exports and lower imports towards balancing the trade between the two countries.”
In recent years, the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and China has improved. In the period under review, Nigeria’s borrowing from China increased by 89.94 per cent to hit $3.67bn, making it the nation’s largest bilateral lender.
According to the Debt Management Office, about $3.12bn of the loans from China are project-tied and include 11 projects such as the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s modernisation project, Abuja Light Rail project, Four Nigerian airports’ terminals expansion project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt), and more.
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