September 9, 2024

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Africa's Media Giant
Exclusive
Breaking News

1 EFCC returns vehicles, money to Canadian Police

2 FG grants UTM Offshore licence for 2.8m tonnes floating LNG facility

3 Wike signs MoU with Chinese companies on electricity, water supply

4 FG conducts clearance operation on illegal mining site in Kogi

5 ECOWAS MPs propose laws to boost subregional healthcare, education

Environment

Dadin-Kowa Dam secure, fully functional- FG

By Tosin Kolade

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has assured the public that the Dadin-Kowa Dam in Gombe State is in excellent condition, with no threats to its functionality.

In a statement issued after his inspection of the dam on Wednesday, Utsev noted that the dam had undergone rigorous daily monitoring and regular inspections.

Utsev confirmed that the dam was operating optimally, supporting hydropower generation, irrigation, and water supply.

He said that all key infrastructure components, including the spillway and penstock, were functioning as intended.

The minister reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation’s commitment to maintaining water infrastructure across Nigeria.

He urged the public to dismiss unfounded rumours about the dam’s condition and assured that his ministry remained dedicated to providing accurate and timely updates on all water infrastructure projects.

He stressed the ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance food production, job creation, and economic growth.

Utsev also underscored the ongoing benefits of the Dadin-Kowa Dam, particularly through the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMMING) Project and the upcoming Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN) project.

This, he added, was aimed at improving irrigation, dam safety, and power generation nationwide.

Dr Bello Goronyo, the minister of state of the ministry, at the visit stressed the importance of accurate information and expert consultation to prevent the spread of misinformation.

He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to safeguarding vital national assets in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Caleb Tyowuah, Acting Managing Director of the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, confirmed that the Dadin-Kowa Dam had a live storage capacity of 1.77 million cubic metres.

He added that the dam had no integrity issues and was currently irrigating 2,100 hectares out of the planned 30,000 hectares of land, while also generating 40 megawatts of electricity.

Mr Jayaharan Paul, Project Manager at Mabon Energy Limited, which operates the Dadin-Kowa Hydropower Plant, also affirmed the dam’s robust condition and its huge contribution to the region’s power supply.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister was accompanied by a team of water resources experts during his visit.

NAN reports that Abubakar Yelwa, Managing Director, National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), was alleged to have raised the alarm that the Dadin-Kowa Dam was on the verge of collapse.

He called for urgent measures to avert the looming disaster, which had become a significant threat to people and communities living near the facility.

Yelwa also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on flood disasters, noting that the menace has been ravaging several communities in 28 states across the federation.

NAN reports that Yelwa had on Monday briefed the media on measures aimed at mitigating the impacts of this year’s flood.

“As you may be aware, Nigeria records flood every year with varying level of devastation on the lives and means of livelihood of the affected communities. These incidences mainly attributed to natural causes and conditions, can sometimes occur because of human activities.”

Yelwa said that reports has shown that this year, flood has so far claimed nearly 200 lives, displaced over 208,000 people in 28 states, and washed away many homes and farmlands.

He said this could be attributed to poor infrastructure, failure to follow environmental guidelines and ineffective dams management. 

Yelwa commended President Bola Tinubu for the swift response in directing the release of victim support funds to states affected by flood this year. 

“This will go a long way in supporting the victims in this trying moment. 

“However, looking at the devastation this year as it affects critical infrastructure and people’s means of livelihood coupled with prediction on more flood to come, we call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on flood especially in N-HYPPADEC member states.”(NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

General News

Agora Policy, partners push for local govt. accountability

By Tosin Kolade

Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, has called for enhanced accountability, democracy, and good governance in Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

This was the thrust at a Policy Dialogue on Enthroning Accountability in Local Governance in Nigeria in Abuja.

Mr Waziri Adio, the founder of Agora Policy, stated that local government areas in Nigeria are responsible for resource mobilisation, regulatory functions, and serving as the frontline of security.

He said in spite of these roles, LGAs are the least trusted tier of government, plagued by low public confidence and engagement.

According to him, the 2008 Afrobarometer survey highlighted the decline in trust, with 28 per cent of respondents expressing confidence in LGAs in 2008 compared to only 58 per cent in 2000.

He noted that civic participation had declined, with only 18 per cent of citizens in 2008 feeling involved in local governance.

“A recent survey found that only 22 per cent of respondents believed LGAs used resources effectively, while 89 per cent viewed them as corrupt.

“The lack of interest in local governance is evident as many citizens are unaware of their councillors’ identities and prefer working at federal or state levels over LGAs.

“This disinterest contributes to the ineffective functioning of LGAs, which are critical to making Nigeria work optimally.

“To reform LGAs, accountability is crucial. This involves horizontal, vertical, and diagonal accountability mechanisms, ensuring that representatives serve the people, not themselves”.

Adio called for participatory budgeting, suggesting that Nigeria experiment with direct democracy to enhance citizen involvement and deepen democracy at the local level.

He said that the success of local government reform depended on placing citizens at the centre and making them active participants in governance.

He said by doing so, Nigeria could address the systemic issues of representative democracy and foster a more responsive and effective local government system.

Mr Kole Shettima, Africa Director, MacArthur Foundation, stated that in Nigeria, the journey towards effective local governance was hindered by a complex interplay of education, policy discourse, and local versus federal dynamics.

He noted that many people perceived local government positions as lucrative, often requiring minimal qualifications compared to federal roles.

“Moreover, the lack of platforms for policy discussions is a significant hurdle in addressing governance challenges.

“Unlike in systems like the U.S., where professionals can fluidly transition between roles in academia, consultancy, and government, Nigeria’s policy environment lacks such flexibility.”

He added that the introduction of spaces like the Agora Policy Centre was seen as vital for fostering dialogue and generating ideas to advance policy frontiers.

“In regions like Lagos, initiatives such as the Community Life Project are making strides by involving local communities in participatory budgeting.

“These efforts aim to enhance transparency and accountability, offering a model for strengthening local governance structures nationwide”.

Shettima said, “While the challenges are deep-rooted, there is hope that platforms for policy discussion and community-driven projects can drive positive change in Nigeria’s local governance landscape.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa
Defence/Security

Media coverage encouraging protesters – CDS

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence of Staff (CDS), has urged the media to stop giving undue publicity to the protests by some groups.

“I noticed that all the stations were hooked up to the protests the other day.

“The media should not do this. This is not an election,” Musa told newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

He was reacting to the nationwide protests declared by some groups said to be protesting against economic hardship in the country.

The protests started on Thursday.

“We don’t give them that coverage for them to feel. Some people just want to be on the screen.

“They are a bunch of people who believe it is only through the protest that they will be able to loot, steal, and destroy,” he said.

The CDS confirmed that most of the individuals causing chaos during the protests had been arrested, and assured the public of the continued support from the police and military.

He said that phone numbers would be made available to members of the public to report any suspicious activity.

Musa said that government had shown its commitment to allowing people to associate freely without restrictions.

“The only snag is that the protests have degenerated. We are disappointed  with the outcome of the protests.

“The security forces, especially the Nigeria Police Force, have shown a lot of professionalism, including where members of the armed forces had to step in.

“We have remained professional in our conduct and will continue to do so as long as the citizens understand the difference between peace and criminality.”

Musa described the initial phase of the protest as peaceful, but regretted that it was quickly taken over by criminals.

He urged Nigerians to understand that the federal government is doing its best to address the country’s economic and security challenges.(NAN)

Edited by Ephraim Sheyin

Features

Census: Is Nigeria racing against time?

By Folasade Akpan, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which was held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994 with over 180 countries in attendance, adopted a Programme of Action (PoA) to promote human rights.

This was with special focus on reproductive health and rights, gender equality and empowerment, and population and development.

The aim was to steer global action towards the rapidly increasing world population and how to set a goal to ensure that in spite of the growth, development is people-oriented.

According to the PoA, valid, reliable, timely, culturally relevant and internationally comparable data form the basis for policy and programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

It, therefore, called for political commitment by all countries to understand the need for data collection on a regular basis and the analysis, dissemination and full utilisation of data.

It further said all countries, particularly developing ones, should cooperate with stakeholders to strengthen their national capacity to carry out sustained and comprehensive programmes on collection, analysis, dissemination and utilisation of population and development data.

“Particular attention should be given to the monitoring of population trends and the preparation of demographic projections’’, it said

It said attention should also be paid and to the monitoring of progress towards the attainment of health, education, gender, ethnic and social-equity goals and of service accessibility and quality of care, as stated in the present PoA.

Following this are four rounds of decennial (10 years) world population and housing census programmes conducted since 1994 for measuring population numbers and tracking growth over time.

The sequences are year 2000 round conducted between 1995 and 2004, 2010 round from 2005 to 2014 and the 2020 round from 2015 to 2024. The 2030 round is expected to be from 2025 to 2034.

Population and housing censuses are a principal means of collecting basic population and housing statistics, according to Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The essential features of population and housing censuses are individual enumeration, universality within a defined territory, simultaneity, defined periodicity and small-area statistics.

Nigeria conducted its last census in 2006. Going by the PoA Nigeria was ripe for another exercise in 2016.

However, its eight years later and a subsequent one should have been conducted going by the 10-year recommendation by the world bodies and agreements.

Nigeria has been planning its development activities and aiming to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using estimates from its 2006 census. What does this portend for the giant of Africa?

Prof. Sunday Adedini, an associate professor of demography at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said that Nigeria’s population was estimated to be 218 million, ranking the 6th most populated country in the world.

According to him, population and housing data in Nigeria, in terms of recency, quantum, and quality, is worrisome.

“On the account of the obsolete nature and inadequacy of data, planning has often been based on estimations, projections, and speculations.

“For instance, our most recent census data is 18 years old and our most current population data is based on projections from the 2006 population and housing census.

“How successful can we be in our developmental aspirations when the implementation of our socio-economic agenda is not based on robust and timely data?” he asked.

Adedini also said that no data source could give reliable information on regional, ethnic, and socio-cultural diversities of the country and corresponding requisite planning for inclusive development.

He blamed irregular census in the country on politicisation of the census, failure to take census as a scientific exercise necessary for planning, insufficient political will to support data generation, and insufficient financing.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr Tayo Aduloju, said that the implications of not conducting a census in this long time were not limited to Nigeria alone but Africa as a whole.

He cited economic and trade implications, adding that Nigeria’s economic policies and trade agreements with other African nations depend on reliable demographic data.

“Inaccurate data can result in poor economic forecasts, affecting trade, investment, and regional economic growth.

“We also have migration and security. Nigeria’s population dynamics significantly influence migration patterns across West Africa.

“The lack of accurate data hinders the effective management of migration and refugee flows, contributing to regional instability.

“Also, Nigeria’s role as a major economic player in Africa makes its demographic data crucial for regional economic planning and integration efforts’’, he said.

Aduloju said Nigeria stood to lose international aid and support as donors and international organisations often base their support and aid on demographic data.

According to him, inaccurate or outdated data can lead to misallocation or reduction of aid because without credible data. Therefore without reliable data may miss out on financial support from international agencies and investors.

For him Nigeria is running out of time, but to recover lost ground, he advised that a date for the conduct of the exercise be set urgently and sufficient funds allocated.

He added that conducting extensive public awareness campaigns and engaging community leaders to ensure widespread participation would also suffice.

“Accurate census is important to harness demographic dividends and ensure inclusive development’’, says the Executive Director, United Nations Development Fund (UNFPA), Dr Natalia Kanem,

According to her, it is important to “count everyone because everyone counts.

“Moreover, for that mother who needs to register the birth for that statistic, and for the vital statistics issues, having population data is going to make it easier.

“Population is not just numbers, it is the people,” she said.

Dr Gifty Addico, Country Representative, UNFPA, said that timely censuses would provide the baseline data needed to track progress toward the SDGs.

“Our delay to generate timely inclusive data through the population and housing census and other exercises has masked the progress made. Timely population and housing census represents a critical opportunity.

“As we prepare to enter a new 2030 round of population and housing census era, we must ensure that our data generation exercises are prioritised and conducted timely and regularly’’, Addico said.

The Chairman, Association of the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji, said census data should drive decision making process.

“So that is why we are appealing that government should make sure this happens. If it doesn’t happen, we’re in trouble”, Orji said.

The Spokesperson, Population Advisory Group, Amb. Usman Sarki, urged the legislature to make a law making it mandatory for the country to execute population census every ten years.

In 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved that the census should hold from May 3 to May 7.

It was however postponed with the expectation that a new date would be fixed by President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Isa Kwarra, Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), said the way forward was for Nigeria and indeed Africa to strive to conduct regular censuses and surveys.

Kwarra said that conducting the census in alignment with the global schedule ensures that the nation’s demographic data is comparable with international datasets, positioning Nigeria for informed decision-making and global relevance.

“This alignment also enables us to leverage global best practices and expertise, ensuring a high-quality census that meets international standards.

“It is good to continue to re-echo this so that more Nigerians will see the relevance of conducting the census within this 2020 global census round”, he said.

He said that the commission was prepared to conduct the exercise but was awaiting the Tinubu’s approval.

“The 2020 round of census is ending this year. We will be making a hypothesis to make sure that we conduct the census before the 2020 round of census comes to an end.

“I want to believe that we will get it right, we are just waiting on the president to give us the date, and the commission is ever prepared to do it once we have a date declared by the President.

“The resources should be able to recruit extra hands to help us in conducting a very robust census that will provide inclusive data that is not just verifiable, but will be acceptable by all.

“If we start now, we can achieve it; at least the 2020 round of census gives us an opportunity to extend up to April 2025”, he said. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Foreign

Conflicts: IPCR, others unveil mechanism to improve early warning, response

By Sarafina Christopher

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) on Friday in Abuja unveiled a cutting-edge  application aimed at improving early warning and early response to conflicts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the platform was unveiled during a dialogue with stakeholders on the use of ICT devices and the Early Warning Early Response (EWER) application in conducting early response meetings.

The other party to the unveiling of the EWER application is Peace Action for Rapid and Transformative Nigeria Early Response (PARTNER) Project.

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of the institute, said the early warning system in Nigeria had been disjointed, less collaborative, and with many agencies working in an environment that has created noticeable gaps for effective response to early warning on potential conflicts.

Ochogwu, represented by Dr Emmanuel Mamman, Director of Internal Conflict and Prevention at the institute, added that in today’s interconnected world, “we must harness the power of technology to monitor, predict, and respond to conflicts before they escalate.

“To achieve a robust, effective, and coordinated response to early warnings, IPCR and PARTNER have adopted the use of technology to enhance our conflict-prevention strategy in EWER.

“The EWER application will be a tool that will assist us in working better at integrating our responses from community, state, and national environments.”

Mr Danjuma Dawop, the Chief of Party PARTNER, Mercy Corps said  the unveiling of the technology was timely given the increasing global concerns over rising tensions and violence in various regions.

He said the platform would aggregate data from various sources, including social media, news reports, and local intelligence, to identify patterns and warning signs of potential conflict.

“It employs machine learning algorithms to assess risk levels and generate alerts, which can be disseminated to stakeholders via mobile applications and other communication channels.

“We believe that early intervention can significantly reduce the likelihood of conflicts escalating into a full-blown crisis.

“Our new platform will empower local communities, governments, and organisations in taking proactive measures aimed at preventing conflicts,” Dawop said.

NAN further reports that the PARTNER Project is a 5-year USAID-funded programme implemented by Mercy Corps in Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara states, among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

General News

Rotary Club sensitises nursing mothers on family planning, hygiene

By Akpan Glory

The Rotary Club of Abuja Aso-Golf District 9127, has carried out a sensitisation campaign to promote family planning services and hygiene practices for nursing mothers at Mpape Health Centre, Abuja.

At the event on Friday, Liz Asomugha, the Club President, said the theme, ‘Maternal and Child Health’, is aimed at enlightening nursing mothers on the importance of family planning, child spacing, and self-care.

“Having children is important, but having the resources and funds to care for them is more important,” Asomugha stated.

She said the initiative by her club exemplified their dedication to improving maternal and child health in the community.

Makosi Musambasi, a retired registered nurse and Rotarian, educated the mothers on the benefits of child spacing and family planning for both their children’s health and their own.

She said that these practices help ensure better health outcomes and resource management within families.

Dupe Abosede, the past assistant governor of the Rotary Club Aso-Golf, reiterated Rotary’s commitment to maternal and child health, one of their key focus areas.

“Our goal is to meet the needs of women and encourage them on how to care for their children, homes, and themselves,” she said.

Several nursing mothers expressed their gratitude to the Rotary Club for the education and support.

Tolufashe Jumoke, a single mother, appreciated the club’s efforts, noting the challenges of single motherhood, especially in the current economic climate.

Nafisat Shehu, another nursing mother, also expressed her hope that the Rotary Club would continue to support nursing mothers.

Adama Musa, the Officer-in-Charge of Mpape Health Center, thanked the Rotary Club for their support and asked for their continuous support for the mothers and the health centre.

The event concluded with the distribution of care packages to the nursing mothers.

These packages included mosquito nets, diapers, sanitary pads, detergents, rice, seasoning cubes, petroleum jelly, and cooking oil. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

Foreign

Nigeria can replicate China’s media approach to driving modernisation – Expert

By Sarafina Christopher

Mr Shen Haixiong, Director-General of China Media Group (CMG) said Nigeria could replicate China’s media approach to driving modernisation.

He said this on Friday in Abuja at a seminar organised by CMG with the theme: “Global Opportunities in Deepening China’s Reform in the New Era.”

According to Haixiong, a strategic media approach could help bridge the gap between government initiatives and public understanding.

He noted that CMG has been striving to tell the story of China’s reform, it’s opening up, and the process of its modernisation as well as how it is actively building bridges and ties for exchanges, dialogue and mutual learning with the rest of the world.

“We are actively fulfilling our media responsibilities, producing a large number of high-quality features and documentaries like “Charting the Decade,” and “Our Journey,” – in order to present to the world the vitality and impressive practices of Chinese modernisation.

“We actively promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges through brand projects such as the CMG Forum, the CMG media partners mechanism, and the “Opportunities in China” Global Media Dialogue.

“We believe in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations, and establishing platforms for collective wisdom and discussion.

“We are actively expanding our international ‘circle of friends,’collaborating extensively with cultural institutions, international organisations, and think tanks from various countries.

“We are jointly exploring and sharing the global opportunities arising from China’s deepening reforms in the new era, and contributing greater efforts to achieving a world of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and shared prosperity,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Raphael Oni, the Dean of Diplomatic journalists in Nigeria, said as Nigeria seeks to modernise its infrastructure and services, the insights from the seminar have provided a roadmap for leveraging media as a powerful tool for change. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Business

Food prices rise in June- NBS

By Okeoghene Akubuike

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says prices of beans, tomatoes, irish potatoes, garri, yam and other food items witnessed significant price increases in June 2024.

The NBS said this in its Selected Food Prices Watch report for June 2024 released in Abuja on Tuesday.

The report said that the average price of 1kg of brown beans increased by 252.13 per cent from N651.12 recorded in June 2023 to N N2,292.76 in June 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of brown beans increased by 14.11 per cent in June from the N2,009.23 recorded in May 2024.”

It said that the average price of 1kg of tomatoes increased by 320.67 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N547.28 recorded in June 2023 to N2,302.26 in June 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of tomatoes increased by 55.97 per cent from the N1,479.69 recorded in May 2024.”

The report said that the average price of irish potatoes increased by 288.50 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N623.75 in June 2023 to N2,423.27 in June 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 51.92 per cent from the N1,595.07 recorded in May 2024.”

The NBS said that the average price of 1kg of white garri rose by 181.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N403.15 in June 2023 to N1,135.51 in June 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of white garri increased by 1.86 per cent from N1,114.72 recorded in May 2024.

In addition, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber rose by 295.79 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N510.77 recorded in June 2023 to N2,2021.55 in June 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 52.87 per cent from N1, 322.36 recorded in May 2024 to 2,021.55 in June 2024.”

On state profile analysis, the report showed that in June 2024, the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans was recorded in Kogi at N 3,006.43, while the lowest was recorded in Adamawa at N 1,336.11.

It said that Abuja recorded the highest average price of 1kg of tomato at N3,992.61, while the lowest was recorded in Kebbi at N1,200.

The NBS said that the highest average price of 1kg of yam tuber was recorded in Lagos at N3,376.54, while the lowest price was recorded in Adamawa at N1,100.

According to the report, Gombe recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white garri at N1,619.27, while the lowest was reported in Taraba at N900.

Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg of brown beans was highest in the North-Central at N 2,923.45, followed by the South-South at N 2,630.03.

“The lowest price was recorded in the North-West at N1,647.03.”

The South-West and South-East recorded the highest average price of 1kg of tomatoes at N3,261.84 and N2,852.59, respectively, while the lowest price was in the North-West at N1,411.16.

The report said that the South-West recorded the highest average price of 1kg of yam tuber a tN2,745.80, followed by the North-Central at N 2,440.35, while the North-West recorded the lowest price at N1,238.49.

The NBS said also that the South-West and the North-East recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white garri at N1,199.62 and N1,155.63, respectively.

“The North-Central recorded the lowest price of 1kg of white garri at N1,055.87.”

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the federal government in a bid to address the incessant increase in food prices and ensure food security recently granted a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities.

The suspended duty tariffs and taxes will be on the importation of certain food items across the land and sea borders which include maize, cowpeas, wheat, and husked brown rice.

However, experts have suggested more sustainable measures such as addressing the issue of insecurity, foreign exchange and transportation costs to address the soaring food prices and ensure food security. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

FCCPC logo
Economy/Business

FCCPC explains $200m fine against Meta, WhatsApp

By Ginika Okoye

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has said that the 200 million dollar fine against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC was based on discriminatory practices and sanctionable offences committed.

The acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the penalty was slammed on the companies after three years of intensive investigations.

Abdullahi said the companies were found culpable of denying Nigerian data subjects the right to self determination, unauthorised transfer and sharing of personal data which was not the practice in other climes.

He said the companies gave options to data subjects in other climes to decide whether their data should be shared or not.

”Only last week, FCCPC issued a final order and imposed a monetary penalty of $220,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twenty Million USD) against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC over discriminatory practices in Nigeria.

”This is an investigation that has taken place for the past three years and I was part of it.

”We found out that when you register for the first time to join WhatsApp, there is a column that says you have agreed for your data to be shared for research.

”That is opposed to other climes where you have the choice of saying yes or no so, that is discriminatory at the first instance.

”Secondly, we found out that they share our data across platforms,” he said.

According to Abdullahi, the Commission is already getting international accolades for the investigation and sanction.

”We are getting international accolades that at last, there is a competition authority in Africa that is standing against all these anti-competitive practices by multi-national agencies.”

On his achievements through his seven months tenure in the Commission, Abdullahi said that FCCPC implemented measures to curb price gouging, promote fair competition and protect consumers.

Abdullahi said the Commission had also carried out a review of the stand-alone curriculum for consumer education in secondary schools across the country.

He said the Commission introduced sensitisation for traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders, to enhance capacity and empower them as consumer protection agents in their localities.

According to him, the most common consumer complaints in the electricity industry include exploitative billing, unlawful disconnection, non-metering of customers, lack of transformers and other salient issues.

”Given the relevance of electricity as a critical utility, the Commission prioritised intervention in the industry to tackle prevailing issues and improve service delivery.

”This we did by implementing various programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the sector,” he said.

Abdullahi said the Commission would continue to work tirelessly to promote competition and protect consumers to create a vibrant economy that would benefit both businesses and citizens.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FCCPC published its final order in which it imposed a penalty of $220 million and a reimbursement fee of $35,000 on WhatsApp LLC and Meta Platforms, Inc.

The penalty is for violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), following a joint investigation conducted by the FCCPC and Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC). (NAN)

Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

Defence/Security

We’ll respond to planned protest professionally – Police

By Monday Ijeh

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olukayode Egbetokun, says the Nigeria Police will respond to the Aug. 1 planned protest by some Nigerians in a professional manner.

Egbetokun said this on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with Strategic Police Managers.

He said the meeting was designed  to share intelligence from the various Police Commands in the country, and analyse it for the security of the country.

“So we are prepared and I want to assure you that we will manage the protest in the most professional manner,” he said.

The I-G said the police would remain committed to provide security for those that would engage in peaceful protest.

“If the protest is peaceful, you will see us protecting the protesters as long as they remain peaceful.

“But we have a duty to protect lives and property, so we will not sit back and watch hoodlums burning down facilities in the name of protest.

“So, we are not against peaceful protest, we will support peaceful protest by protecting those who will engage in peaceful protest,” he said.

He said the task of maintaining law and order during the protest would not be a challenge if the protesters engaged in peaceful protest.

According to him, it becomes a challenge if the protest is violent, adding that: “I have always said that the right to protest is right to peaceful protest.

“No civilised society will tolerate violent protest. Violent protest is criminal, but peaceful protest is a right.”

The police chief enjoinedp youths to ignore anyone inciting them to violent protests. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

error: Content is protected !!