By Razak Owolabi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In a world characterized by rapid change and uncertainty, the pursuit of sustainable organizational success has become more than just a lofty aspiration—it has become a strategic imperative.

Recognizing this reality, leaders from across industries converged in Lagos for the TEXEM, UK Executive Development Programme titled “Strategies for Sustainable Organisational Success,” led by the esteemed Prof. John Peters.

Peters is a former prisoner of War and Chair of the Association of MBAs that accredits London Business School and Harvard.

Dr Alim Abubakre, Founder of TEXEM also delivered part of the executive development programme.

The two-day programme, organised by TEXEM, UK held on April 24 and 25, was meticulously crafted to equip executives with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to navigate turbulent times and thrive amidst uncertainty.

From building a solid foundation for success to fostering innovation and resilience, the agenda was designed to address the key challenges facing organizations in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Day One commenced with a focus on laying the groundwork for sustainable success.

During this TEXEM programme, participants delved into the importance of sustainable success in today’s business environment and explored the transformative power of pressure as a catalyst for innovation.

Through engaging discussions and real-world case studies, they gained valuable insights into leading through crisis and leveraging challenges as opportunities for organisational excellence.

As the day unfolded, the programme fostered opportunities for networking, informal discussions, and collaborative problem-solving—a testament to the interactive and participatory nature of the learning experience.

From panel sessions to strategic games, participants were challenged to think critically, collaborate effectively, and apply their newfound knowledge in practical scenarios.

Day Two built upon the foundation laid on the first day, focusing on building a winning culture, innovation, resilience, and risk management.

Participants explored the role of culture and innovation in driving sustainable success and learned to harness the power of organizational culture for strategic advantage.

Through immersive activities and group discussions, they developed a deeper understanding of resilience and risk management, equipping them to navigate uncertainty with confidence and poise.

The programme culminated in the presentation of certificates—a symbolic gesture marking the participants’ commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

As they reflected on their journey over the past two days, it was evident that they had not only gained new skills and insights but had also forged meaningful connections with fellow executives.

This ultimately fostered a sense of camaraderie and collaboration that would extend beyond the confines of the programme.

The Executive Development Programme “Strategies for Sustainable Organisational Success” served as a beacon of inspiration and empowerment for leaders committed to driving positive change and achieving enduring success.

As participants returned to their respective organizations, they did so armed with a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of sustainable strategic leadership, and a shared commitment to building a brighter future for their organizations and communities alike.

In the words of TEXEM’s founder, Abubakre, “True success is not measured by what we achieve individually but by the lasting impact we create collectively.

“Together, let us chart a course towards sustainable success—one that empowers, inspires, and transforms lives for generations to come”.

In his own comment, Peters said “in the turbulent seas of today’s business landscape, sustainable success is not merely a goal but a necessity.

“Through strategic innovation, decisive problem-solving and competent leadership, TEXEM, UK has been able to inspire participants to navigate the waves of uncertainty, transforming crisis into opportunity, and charting a course towards enduring success”.

Testimonials from the participants lauded the rich and thought-provoking content of the programme, among whom is Nafisa Ibrahim, Manager, Internal Audit, NNPC Pension Fund Limited.

“It’s been two days of very impactful learning for me. I must say that as an ardent believer in personal and professional development, I have attended a lot of trainings and courses.

“But TEXEM stands out. They deliver this course excellently. One thing that stands out for me is the fact that they assembled very interesting, exceptional and sufficient activities into all of the learnings.

“And with this, I know that it will be very hard for us to forget. It’s all about impact and implementation,” Ibrahim said.

Muhammed Gwadabe, President of, the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigerian, another participant in the programme also spoke.

“I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen where tradition is being converted to modernity… I’ve learned how to keep sustainability.

“I have learned teamwork. I have learned different strategy tools from Marshmallow, from OODA, observation of my opponents, orienting my business, making decisions and acting fast.

“I’ve also learned the importance of balancing culture with my organizational objective,” Gwadabe said.

As the sun sets on another successful TEXEM, UK programme, it is time Nigerian leaders look forward to the continued journey of growth, resilience, and transformation that lies ahead. (NANFeatures)

**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

By Mark Longyen & Tosin Kolade, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

When travel content creator Pelumi Nubi embarked on her 68-day solo journey from London to Lagos a few months ago, little did anyone anticipate the beauty, excitement, and challenges that would unfold.

She embarked on a journey from London through France, Spain, and Morocco before venturing into the West Sahara Desert.

From there, she continued her expedition through Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Togo, Benin, and on the other end arrived in Lagos, Nigeria on April 7.

Pelumi made history as the first black woman to complete a solo drive from the United Kingdom to Nigeria, garnering accolades and recognition worldwide for her remarkable achievement.

Fans greeted her arrival with cheers, having closely followed her journey online.

In recognition of her extraordinary feat, the Lagos State government bestowed upon her a new car, a house, and an ambassadorship for state tourism.

While the journey progressed, the solo trip revealed the beauty, culture, and traditions of all the countries she visited.

However, a major highlight was the difficulty and delay in moving past the West African borders as a British-Nigerian citizen with the required travel documents.

Different passport checks, attitudes of border security officers, and seemingly deliberate delays, were shown on her social media page, Instagram, with millions of viewers.

According to Pelumi, she hopes to use her platform to create an awareness campaign for improving freedom of movement for people in the African region.

Pelumi is not alone in the narrative about the frustrating and agonising road-travelling experiences on the borders of member states by ECOWAS citizens.

Doris Brown, Deputy Secretary-General, Lions Club District 40382, comprising Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Togo, who experienced the same, urged Customs and Immigration officers to treat ECOWAS citizens, who cross the sub-regional borders by road with dignity and respect.

Like Pelumi, she said that 29 of the club’s members, while traveling to Togo by road from Liberia through Ivory Coast, and Ghana for their district convention, were subjected to agonizing hours of delays due to relentless searches at checkpoints.

According to her, by the ECOWAS protocols, people should travel freely without taking a visa from member states, as ECOWAS Heads of State have signed the protocols, so people should not be treated “inhumanly as if we came from space.”

“ECOWAS needs to have a second look at the relationship between its member states, especially with the ordinary citizen who embark on a journey by road.

“Each member state needs to ensure security, but as ECOWAS citizens, they should be accorded some respect and dignity.

“These were not part of the dreams of the founding fathers of ECOWAS for the ECOWAS citizens and Africa as a whole. If we cannot be respected at our borders and ensure free movement, what is the reason for having ECOWAS?” Brown queried.

Critics say that in spite of the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of persons and goods, challenges persist regarding the free movement of people and goods in the West African sub-region.

The free trade agreement, brokered by the African Union (AU) and signed in Kigali, Rwanda on March 21, 2018, aims to establish a single market for goods and services in Africa, promote the free movement of people, and drive economic growth and development across the continent.

With 54 signatories, the AfCFTA is the largest free trade area by member states after the World Trade Organisation, encompassing over 1.3 billion people and vast geographic regions.

It envisions provisions for visa-free travel, residency rights, and the absence of movement barriers, enhancing economic integration and regional cooperation.

While policymakers see labour movement as crucial to the success of the continental free trade agreement, not all African countries fully support the idea.

Additionally, alongside the AfCFTA agreement and the Kigali Declaration, 30 African nations signed the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, aiming to establish a visa-free zone within AfCFTA countries.

The ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of goods and people promotes regional integration and economic progress among its member states.

The Protocol on Free Movement, Right to Residency, and Establishment, mandates member-states to allow ECOWAS citizens with valid documents the right of entry into their territories under the provisions of the protocols.

ECOWAS member states are also required to adopt measures to ensure that ECOWAS citizens enjoy to the full the rights granted in the Protocol.

Dr Matthew Ogali, a researcher from the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, highlighted one of the objectives of ECOWAS as promoting trade and commerce among member countries.

He identified various institutional and non-institutional barriers hindering the free movement of people and goods, such as excessive customs checks and entry restrictions.

According to him, after forty-nine years of existence, ECOWAS has primarily thrived in the informal trade sector, characterised by small-time entrepreneurs conducting business across borders with minimal adherence to established trade policies.

Ogali noted that this informal trade environment has also fostered criminal activities like smuggling and cross-border armed banditry, resulting in significant losses of goods and, at times, lives.

“Despite its resilience over the past forty-nine years, ECOWAS has struggled to translate many of the documents produced by its intellectual community, often seen as scholarly discourse, into practical policy implementations.

“This gap between academic insights and policymaking poses challenges for addressing the region’s problems effectively.

Prof. Charles Ukeje of the Department of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, while commenting on Pelumi’s experience at the borders of ECOWAS countries, said her challenges may have been unrelated to any deficiencies in the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of its citizens.

He said: “One would not know whether she was carrying a British passport or a Nigerian/ECOWAS passport during the trip, which would have guaranteed her free movement, or otherwise, within the subregion in line with the ECOWAS protocol.

“Also, we need to know whether the passport she carried had expired or was invalid at the time she was traveling, which may have necessitated scrutiny by security officials at the borders.”

Corroborating Prof. Ukeje’s view, ECOWAS Director, Free Movement of Persons and Immigation, Albert Siaw-Boateng, said that the delay experienced by Pelumi at the points of entry or exit could not be attributed to any weaknesses in the implementation of the protocol.

He said that due to the prevailing security challenges in the region, triggered by terrorism and violent extremism, ECOWAS’ security architecture necessitated thorough checks on travelers by security officials without impeding the free movement of community citizens within the region.

According to him, the protocol also gives room for National Laws to take precedence, hence, there are inconsistencies in the implementation of the protocol by individual member states.

“It is also to be noted that even though all member states have signed up to the Free Movement Protocol, it gives room for National Laws to take precedence.

“In this regard, there are inconsistencies in the implementation of the protocol by Member States.

“So, any delay at the point of entry or exit cannot be attributed to weaknesses in the implementation of the protocol,” he said.

Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, speaking on the Free Movement Protocol recently, noted that: “Free Trade moves with Free Movement of persons and goods.”

Touray said that ECOWAS had been implementing joint border posts, which brought together border officials of two neighboring countries to carry out joint operations, to ease cross-border crossing, which sometimes took cognizance of respective member states’ laws.

“We have built a joint border between Nigeria and Benin at the Seme-Krake border, and between Togo and Ghana at the Noepe-Akanu border. These border posts are now operational.

“There is another border post that has been made operational between Nigeria and Cameroon at the Ekok-Mfun area. This was financed by the African Development Bank,” he said.

The creation of the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of persons and goods on May 29, 1979, to facilitate a borderless ECOWAS, is a cardinal scheme of the bloc’s integration programme, aimed at moving from an ECOWAS of states to ECOWAS of people.

The Protocol adopts the removal of roadblocks and security checkpoints on intra-ECOWAS international highways, the introduction of a single ECOWAS passport, and a Schengen-type visa for the community’s citizens, among others.

Experts say this has fostered regional integration and development by boosting citizens’ mobility, which has yielded multi-sectoral benefits and contributed to key developments in the ECOWAS subregion.

They emphasise that effective policy implementation and addressing institutional barriers will fully realise the benefits of regional integration in West Africa. (NANFeatures)

If used please credit the writers and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Between April 22 and April 23, the Nigerian government hosted a High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja with the theme “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism”.

The summit brought together several presidents across Africa and more than 20 African countries that are successful in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.

Also in attendance were African regional organisations, international partners, United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities, and 20 African-based civil society organisations.

Organisers said the objective of the summit was to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa.

They also said the meeting was necessary to emphasise the importance of “African-led and African-owned” solutions to violent extremism and terrorism.

With the support of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the gathering set out to provide a platform to review the nature and severity of the threat of terrorism in Africa.

That platform, participants said, would enable the continent to agree on concrete strategic priorities and measures to address the scourge.

Organisers also aimed at fostering deeper regional collaboration, enhancing the institutional capacity of African countries, and facilitating the exchange of best practices and knowledge to combat the multifaceted threat of terrorism.

In his opening address, President Bola Tinubu reminded the gathering that terrorism gets at the fabric of the tranquil, prosperous and just societies that African leaders seek to build for themselves.

He also emphasised that terror cannot co-exist in the same space as democracy and good governance.

“This violent threat seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women from the marketplace, and families from their very homes.

“It wants the city dweller to cower and businesses to close. It craves despotism and suppression, not democracy and enlightened society.

“Its goal is to cause such havoc that we doubt our democratic principles, putting societies and governments into such confusion and disarray that we begin fighting among ourselves,” he said.

He, however, said the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach, stating that African countries must address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, marginalisation, and social injustice.

The president did not just leave his audience with empty rhetoric devoid of meaningful action, as he made some suggestions to the meeting on areas of solution to explore.

He reminded his colleagues as African leaders of the need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre, stressing that such a centre would serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building.

He also called for strengthening existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers.

President Tinubu also pitched the idea that a Regional Standby Force which includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate should not be abandoned.

“I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force.

“However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with the international law and respects national sovereignty such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism.

“The idea is for a regional force capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region,” he said.

On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said Africa’s security landscape is challenged by terrorism and violent extremism, evidenced by seven coups between 2020 and 2023.

He also said terrorism in Africa is being driven by factors such as foreign terrorist fighters, organised crime, prolonged conflicts, drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, high youth unemployment, porous borders, and inadequate policing.

He cited political instability, governance challenges, ethnic and religious tensions, economic inequality, and poverty as factors that also significantly contribute to terrorism in the continent.

“In 2023, the world witnessed a 22 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths, affecting 41 countries. The continent faces threats from diverse terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP in northeast Nigeria, and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

“The DRC and Mozambique face threats from Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP).

“These groups exploit local vulnerabilities and contribute to ongoing instability, necessitating integrated security strategies that combine military, economic, and regional cooperation efforts,” he said.

The NSA said Nigeria’s efforts to tackle terrorism are reflected in various strategies and the enactment of key laws to back up implementation frameworks.

He mentioned the National Counter Terrorism Strategy, the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

He also said the country’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre is leading Nigeria’s coordinated efforts, bolstered by the recent establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

Recall that the NCCSALW just recently retrieved 20,000 small arms and 60,000 units of ammunition in Nigeria.

Ribadu said local communities and other stakeholders play, and should continue to play, crucial roles in countering violent extremism.

He said through partnerships with civil society, youth, and the media, and collaboration with state governments, the federal government is preventing violent extremism, has rehabilitated thousands of terrorism victims and is actively rebuilding affected communities.

Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, UNOCT’s Under-Secretary-General, said at the event that terrorism is a threat to international peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impact is most felt.

He also said that to effectively counter terrorism, African regional organisations have an important role to play.

“Effectively preventing terrorism in Africa necessitates a whole-of-society approach that includes governmental bodies, civil society, academia, and religious institutions.

“Civil society plays a vital role in reaching communities vulnerable to radicalisation. We continue to engage them to address the root causes of violent extremism.

“I am pleased that UNOCT facilitated the participation in today’s meeting of 10 civil society organisations from across Africa,” he said.

At the end of the summit, parties agreed that climate insecurity could exacerbate fragile contexts as well as act as a risk multiplier in combination with other underlying drivers of violent extremism conducive to terrorism.

They emphasized the need to promote the meaningful participation, leadership, and representation of women, youth, victims of terrorist activities and/or people in special situations in decision-making processes related to counter-terrorism.

They also reiterated the promotion of effective “African-led and African-owned” strategies for countering terrorism and violent extremism, among other resolutions. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Between April 22 and April 23, the Nigerian government hosted a High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja with the theme “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism”.

The summit brought together several presidents across Africa and more than 20 African countries that are successful in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.

Also in attendance were African regional organisations, international partners, United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities, and 20 African-based civil society organisations.

Organisers said the objective of the summit was to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa.

They also said the meeting was necessary to emphasise the importance of “African-led and African-owned” solutions to violent extremism and terrorism.

With the support of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the gathering set out to provide a platform to review the nature and severity of the threat of terrorism in Africa.

That platform, participants said, would enable the continent to agree on concrete strategic priorities and measures to address the scourge.

Organisers also aimed at fostering deeper regional collaboration, enhancing the institutional capacity of African countries, and facilitating the exchange of best practices and knowledge to combat the multifaceted threat of terrorism.

In his opening address, President Bola Tinubu reminded the gathering that terrorism gets at the fabric of the tranquil, prosperous and just societies that African leaders seek to build for themselves.

He also emphasised that terror cannot co-exist in the same space as democracy and good governance.

“This violent threat seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women from the marketplace, and families from their very homes.

“It wants the city dweller to cower and businesses to close. It craves despotism and suppression, not democracy and enlightened society.

“Its goal is to cause such havoc that we doubt our democratic principles, putting societies and governments into such confusion and disarray that we begin fighting among ourselves,” he said.

He, however, said the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach, stating that African countries must address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, marginalisation, and social injustice.

The president did not just leave his audience with empty rhetoric devoid of meaningful action, as he made some suggestions to the meeting on areas of solution to explore.

He reminded his colleagues as African leaders of the need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre, stressing that such a centre would serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building.

He also called for strengthening existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers.

President Tinubu also pitched the idea that a Regional Standby Force which includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate should not be abandoned.

“I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force.

“However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with the international law and respects national sovereignty such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism.

“The idea is for a regional force capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region,” he said.

On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said Africa’s security landscape is challenged by terrorism and violent extremism, evidenced by seven coups between 2020 and 2023.

He also said terrorism in Africa is being driven by factors such as foreign terrorist fighters, organised crime, prolonged conflicts, drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, high youth unemployment, porous borders, and inadequate policing.

He cited political instability, governance challenges, ethnic and religious tensions, economic inequality, and poverty as factors that also significantly contribute to terrorism in the continent.

“In 2023, the world witnessed a 22 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths, affecting 41 countries. The continent faces threats from diverse terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP in northeast Nigeria, and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

“The DRC and Mozambique face threats from Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP).

“These groups exploit local vulnerabilities and contribute to ongoing instability, necessitating integrated security strategies that combine military, economic, and regional cooperation efforts,” he said.

The NSA said Nigeria’s efforts to tackle terrorism are reflected in various strategies and the enactment of key laws to back up implementation frameworks.

He mentioned the National Counter Terrorism Strategy, the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

He also said the country’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre is leading Nigeria’s coordinated efforts, bolstered by the recent establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

Recall that the NCCSALW just recently retrieved 20,000 small arms and 60,000 units of ammunition in Nigeria.

Ribadu said local communities and other stakeholders play, and should continue to play, crucial roles in countering violent extremism.

He said through partnerships with civil society, youth, and the media, and collaboration with state governments, the federal government is preventing violent extremism, has rehabilitated thousands of terrorism victims and is actively rebuilding affected communities.

Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, UNOCT’s Under-Secretary-General, said at the event that terrorism is a threat to international peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impact is most felt.

He also said that to effectively counter terrorism, African regional organisations have an important role to play.

“Effectively preventing terrorism in Africa necessitates a whole-of-society approach that includes governmental bodies, civil society, academia, and religious institutions.

“Civil society plays a vital role in reaching communities vulnerable to radicalisation. We continue to engage them to address the root causes of violent extremism.

“I am pleased that UNOCT facilitated the participation in today’s meeting of 10 civil society organisations from across Africa,” he said.

At the end of the summit, parties agreed that climate insecurity could exacerbate fragile contexts as well as act as a risk multiplier in combination with other underlying drivers of violent extremism conducive to terrorism.

They emphasized the need to promote the meaningful participation, leadership, and representation of women, youth, victims of terrorist activities and/or people in special situations in decision-making processes related to counter-terrorism.

They also reiterated the promotion of effective “African-led and African-owned” strategies for countering terrorism and violent extremism, among other resolutions. (NANFeatures)

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

By Mark Longyen, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Foreign affairs analysts have postulated that West Africa, and indeed the entire Africa, is facing an existential threat triggered by a surge in terrorism on the continent.

Terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government, and banditry, have spiked, assuming an alarming rate, and spreading like wildfire, across Africa.

For instance, the African Center for Strategic Studies, in a recent study, said that terrorist activities in Africa have spiraled out of control by more than 100,000 per cent in the past two decades.

The center posited that in spite of the local and foreign interventions initiated over the years, more than 23,000 people were killed in 2023 by terrorists. This represents a 20 per cent increase in the number of those killed in 2022.

This terrorism threat, experts say, is fueled and exacerbated by three main causes, namely: global terrorism financing, illicit arms trade, and poor governance, with its negative offshoots of corruption, deception, and the adoption of unfair policies. 

Poor governance also manifests in the pollution of the judiciary, electoral manipulation, inadequate policing, ethnic marginalisation, political exclusion, unemployment, poverty, and, above all, insecurity, rendering the country a fertile ground and conducive atmosphere for terrorists to thrive.

African leaders and other stakeholders are, therefore, of a consensus that collaboration, institution building, resource mobilisation, intelligence sharing, and social contracts, are crucial in curbing the marauding scourge.

To tackle this menace, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) a few days ago in Abuja held an inaugural joint consultation meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) and the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) at the ambassadorial level.

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS and Chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, Amb. Musa Nuhu, in his remarks at the event, called for a unified response that should go beyond national boundaries.

“We need to emphasize the critical role and the absolute necessity of collaboration and cooperation in preventing, managing, and resolving these conflicts in our region,” he stressed.

The Gambia’s Permanent Representative to the AU and  Chairperson, AU-PSC, Amb. Jainaba Jagne, said that terrorism, violent extremism, and unconstitutional changes of governments were Africa’s main scourges that must be decimated.

She said that the AU PSC was working very closely with the ECOWAS MSC to address these emerging threats on the continent.

“We need to collaborate, synergise, and work to ensure that we combat all of these scourges on the continent,” she said.

ECOWAS Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, said that ECOWAS and AU were determined to rout out the scourge of insecurity.

He described terrorism and unconstitutional changes in government as “the two existential threats facing the continent.”

Amb. Musah disclosed that ECOWAS and the African Union were already working on a clear roadmap and joint action plan on the challenges facing West Africa.

He said that the roadmap entailed producing a framework of action, as well as raising resources together to confront the challenges to meet the exigencies of the moment.

“We have chosen terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government as the main issues to discuss because these are the two existential threats that are facing the West African region today,” he said.

Also, AU’s Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Bankole Adeoye, noted that foreign and local terrorism financing and sponsorship were critical terrorism enablers, adding that, “we must rid the continent of terrorism and silence the guns.”

Adeoye called for effective financial intelligence system that looks at the wider global picture and works with the UN office on counter-terrorism to track terrorists’ funds.

“Once you cut off that lifeline, most of the terrorists will not be able to survive,” Adeoye said.

To underscore the urgency and seriousness, which Africa’s leaders take the continent’s degenerating security situation,  a two-day African high-level counter-terrorism summit was also held in Abuja, just a day before the AU-ECOWAS consultation meeting.

The summit aimed at precipitating “African-led and African-owned” solutions against terrorism and strengthening regional response to terrorism threats.

It also aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and producing a comprehensive framework, as well as curbing the conditions that are conducive to the spread of terrorism.

Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, called for the establishment and strengthening of an African standby military force.

He explained that the force would curb the menace of terrorism and violent conflicts, as well as deter unconstitutional changes of government.

“Terrorism snaps at the very fabric of the prosperous and just society, which we seek to build for ourselves and our children.

“This violent threat seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women from the marketplace, and families from their very homes.

“We must, therefore, fight this threat together, combining determined national effort with well-tailored, regional and international collaboration,” Tinubu said.

Also speaking, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, called for urgent collaborative actions to combat terrorism, which he said, had continued to threaten Africa’s peace, security, and development.

He noted that the evolving nature of terrorism in Africa demanded a dynamic and coordinated response that would transcend national borders and individual efforts.

“These groups are exploiting grievances, and vulnerabilities and are manipulating ideologies to spread fear, division, and chaos,” he said.

President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, in his speech, reiterated the need for African states to collaborate, and  mobilise their defense and security forces to collectively, and effectively, curb the threats of terrorism, which he described as “critical.”

In her remarks, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation and institution-building to address Africa’s unprecedented threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

She said that the epicenter of terrorism had shifted from the Middle-East and North Africa into Sub-Saharan Africa’s Sahel region, with dire consequences.

According to her, Africa alone currently accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally.

“Our leaders must ensure that the institutions of the African Union and ECOWAS, who are responsible for driving integration, have the capacity and resources to do so if we are to achieve their mandates,” she said.

Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office on Counter Terrorism, UNOCT, stressed that ECOWAS, AU, and other African regional organisations had a crucial role to play in effectively countering terrorism.

According to him, the success of the United Nations in Africa hinges on the UN’s commitment to support “Africa-led solutions to African challenges.”

He lauded the efforts of the AU and ECOWAS in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism.

“No single actor can resolve today’s threats to peace and security, instead, we need multiple actors working together with solutions grounded with strong national ownership and support of bi-funding partners,” Voronkov said.

AU Commission Chairman, Moussa Mahamat, in his remarks, said the time had come to work out a holistic and all-encompassing continental strategic plan of action to fight terrorism in Africa.

He wondered why elsewhere in the world, coalitions to fight against terrorism were established but similar efforts were not made in even one of Africa’s 5 regions, where terrorists had ravaged human lives, infrastructures, and institutions.

Mahamat then urged the international community to do more in supporting Africa’s fight against terrorism, and asked rhetorically: “Why are our voices not being heard and heeded?”

Amadu Sesay, Africa’s foremost Professor of International Relations, opines that to tackle terrorism in Africa, its leaders must first resolve the Sahel imbroglio.

He said that the way out of the Sahel quagmire was to urgently search for diplomatic solutions that could resolve the dangerous and delicate security situation there, and return Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to the ECOWAS family.

Sesay urged ECOWAS leaders to deploy diplomatic dexterity with the view to returning the Sahel countries to ECOWAS, adding that it was key to any collaborative efforts towards an African standing force that would repel the terrorists from spreading to West Africa’s coastal member states and beyond.

“ECOWAS leaders should look for capable, credible, and competent emissaries, especially within the membership of its Committee of the Wise and Elders, to drive the diplomatic engagements that could provide realistic and practical pathways that are acceptable to all parties, including the three countries,” he told NAN.

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, pioneer ECOWAS Commission President, and AU’s High Representative for ‘Silencing the Guns in Africa,’ corroborated Sesay’s view.

“I’m aware that Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, is already working actively with the ECOWAS President, Dr Omar Touré, to ensure that every diplomatic step is taken to keep ECOWAS united,” Chambas said.

Diplomatic observers are, however of the view that, notwithstanding the multilateral efforts by African and global leaders to stem the tidal wave of terrorism and violent conflicts sweeping across the continent, they must “walk the talk,” if they must achieve any meaningful success.

They advocate strongly that collaboration, cooperation, financial intelligence-sharing, especially to track terrorism financing and sponsors, institution building, resource mobilisation, good governance, and social contracts, are crucial in curbing the surging scourge of terrorism in Africa. (NANFeatures)

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

By Usman Aliyu

Kidnapping has become very common in Nigeria with people abducted on the highways, Railways, schools, and even their houses.

While some get to return home after huge sums are paid, others get killed while some victims are turned into wives, sex toys or slaves of their abductors in the forests.

For families of victims, it is usually a litany of galling tales.

Very often, affected families spend so much to ensure that the victims are released. Stories have been told of families that sold practically everything they had, including even the house they may be living in.

In many cases, communities pull resources together while others borrow from just any source to meet the greedy needs of the abductors.

Stories have also been told of people who conveyed ransom getti80ng arrested by the abductors while delivering the negotiated monies or, in some cases, motorcycles, food items, or even animals.

One of such families is the Aziegbemi family in Benin City, whose member was recently abducted in the city while returning from a meeting.

The victim, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, the Chairman, Edo chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was whisked away in the midnight. The bandits later demanded for N500 million as ransom.

“We were asked to produce an amount that was beyond our entire life savings. How could we ever have gathered such a fortune?”, a family member fumed.

In Ilorin, the capital of Kwara, the family of Abdullahi Saadu found itself grappling with a similar nightmare when Aisha, a student, was taken. The poor family found the ransom too high and didn’t even know how to start the negotiation.

Sa’adu, a peasant farmer, recounts his ordeal.

“We work tirelessly every day to put food on the table. How could we ever come up with such a colossal sum? It was a hopeless case for us.”

In Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the family of Akadiriya faced a similar ordeal when five sisters, alongside their father, were taken into captivity. The ransom demanded was far beyond the family’s meagre resources, plunging everyone into a nightmare.

Luckily, Prof. Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and some neighbours, mobilised resources to secure the release of the victims. Tried as they did, not all of the victims came back as one of the siblings was murdered.

Enhanced digitalised ID system as a solution

To address this breach in security, Nigeria has, in recent time, been at the forefront of efforts to establish a reliable national digitised ID system through the National Identification Number (NIN), and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), linkage policy.

The primary goal of this policy, according to the Federal Government, is to create a secure and inclusive digital society while enhancing overall security within the country.

In spite of these efforts, however, Nigeria still faces significant challenges such as the failure to properly identify some of these criminals while accessing telecom services to negotiate for ransoms.

According to Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), there are about 224 million active lines in Nigeria as of February 2024. 12 million of them have, however, not been linked to NIN.

Pantami, the former minister, under whom the policy was introduced, identifies complexities involved in coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including telecom companies and citizens, as one of the constraints on the path of a seamless compliance with the policy,

“We are aware of the hurdles hindering the effectiveness of the policy, and we are committed to addressing them to strengthen our national security framework,” he said recently.

Similarly, Dr Emeka Nwosu, a cybersecurity analyst, points out the technical challenges faced by telecom operators in verifying and linking millions of SIM cards to NINs within the stipulated time-frame.

Nwosu says the sheer scale of the task, coupled with the limited infrastructure and resources, poses significant hurdles for the industry.

The cybersecurity expert recommends enhancement of the verification process during SIM card registration to ensure that individuals provide accurate personal information linked to their NIN.

This, he says, can help in tracing the origin of anonymous calls made by kidnappers.

He adds that there is also a need to strengthen collaboration between telecommunications companies, law enforcement agencies and relevant government bodies to facilitate the timely sharing of information related to suspicious phone calls or activities.

“By establishing a streamlined communication system and data-sharing mechanism, authorities can quickly track and investigate ransom calls made by perpetrators,” he adds.

While emphasising the critical role of a robust national ID system in enhancing the operations of security agencies, particularly to curb criminal activities, a retired AIG, Ambrose Aisabor, corroborates the importance of effective collaboration among the relevant agencies of the government, security forces and telecommunications sector to make the policy more effective.

“Security agencies, particularly the police, need a unified approach to leverage technology in combating threats to national security and safeguarding the lives of our citizens. This can hardly be done without the cooperation of other sister agencies.

“Inter-agencies rivalry among our security architecture is one of the challenges impeding the full benefits of the policy and its implementation,” Asiabor added.

Asiabor makes a case for education of security agencies on basics of intelligence, saying the policy is not yielding the desired result due to poor planning.

“It is flawed because the basic rudiments of intelligence are not incorporated in the policy.

“Before you can fight insecurity, intelligence must be there. The policy looks poorly planned, even though it is a good policy. Before you do something like that, some of the security agents are supposed to be trained.

“There is no synergy among the security agencies. There is high-level of individualism among the agencies. There is inter-agency rivalry,” he fumed.

Robust digital verification system

Sharing a similar sentiment, Nwosu advocates streamlined registration and verification processes that deploy advanced technological tools such as artificial intelligence and biometric authentication systems for a robust system.

This, he says, will not only enhance the accuracy and efficiency of linking NINs with SIM cards, but also bolster the overall security architecture of the country.

To Mr Adebayo, an engineer and the chairman of ALTON, enhancing public awareness and engagement is crucial to drive compliance and adoption of the NIN-SIM policy.

“Educating citizens about the significance of a national digital ID system in safeguarding their personal information and enhancing security can foster a culture of proactive participation and support for the initiative,” he says.

Adebayo regretted that the level of compliance among the citizens was somehow low, blaming the situation for the observable lapses largely contributing to the ineffectiveness of the policy.

The telecom expert describes the policy as good for the country, but calls for a strict compliance to sequence and procedures, to make the innovation result-oriented.

“While the intention is good, I think compliance remains a major problem. People have not really complied with the sequence and procedures,” he said.

Adebayo clarified that telecom operators in the country usually provide information to security agencies, but what the agencies do with the information, he said, was out of place.

“We give information to security agencies, but what they do with it is not in our control,” he said.

Also to entrench a robust system, Mr Tunde Adeleke, a telecom expert, calls for a continuous monitoring and evaluation of the NIN-SIM integration policy to identify loopholes and address shortcomings in the system.

By regularly reviewing the implementation process and soliciting feedback from stakeholders, says Adeleke, the policymakers can make necessary adjustments to strengthen the effectiveness of the initiative in combating kidnapping and other criminal activities.

Analysts, while acknowledging that the policy is good to strengthen the digital identification system, observe that it is important to adopt a multi-faceted approach that combines technological solutions and collaborative efforts among key stakeholders.

They also call for public awareness campaigns and continuous monitoring and evaluation.

By implementing the recommendations, they feel authorities can enhance their capabilities in identifying, tracking and apprehending individuals involved in kidnapping activities and ultimately contribute to the safety and security of citizens. (NANFeatures)

By Tosin Kolade and Olasunkanmi Onifade, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In April 2017, the Federal Government of Nigeria launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to boost the nation’s economic growth and global competitiveness.

ERGP focuses on delivering key government services, enhancing the macroeconomic environment, investing in human capital, and fostering a local digital economy.

Central to ERGP’s success is the need for robust identification systems, as they are crucial for effective delivery of government services, social safety nets, financial inclusion, and in elections.

It also provides opportunities for firms to innovate in Nigeria’s digital economy.

According to the World Bank, only 42.6 per cent of Nigerians possess birth certificates, highlighting a significant shortfall in identity management.

In 2020, the World Bank initiated a partnership with Nigeria for the Digital Identification for Development project, teaming up with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The project’s goal is to register 148 million Nigerians and issue them digital IDs by June 2024.

In a nation where identity verification seems to be a recurrent theme, the recent announcement by the Federal Government to introduce three new national identity cards has sparked both interest and skepticism among citizens.

The initiative, set to launch in May 2024, aims to target 104 million Nigerians, as part of a broader effort to establish a unified and secured digital identity framework across the nation.

The announcement, made in an official statement by the NIMC on April 6, also highlighted the collaboration between various key stakeholders.

They include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), to implement the new identity scheme.

Powered by AfriGo, a national card scheme established by CBN, the new IDs are designed to facilitate domestic transactions and provide a comprehensive solution to identity verification.

However, amidst the anticipation of a more streamlined identification process, concerns have been raised regarding the proliferation of identity systems in Nigeria.

According to NIMC’s Strategic Roadmap for Developing Digital Identification in Nigeria, identification remains underdeveloped in Nigeria, in spite of the urgent needs for it.

It says about 13 or more Federal Government-run agencies, and another 3 or more State agencies, offer ID services in Nigeria, where each government agency collects the same biometric information of people, overlapping efforts within government, at a high fiscal cost.

It listed many government agencies involved in identification to include; National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the National Population Commission (NPopC) Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Others are the Independent Election Commission (INEC), and National Communications Commission (NCC), amongst others.

The roadmap revealed that in spite of a fragmented ID ecosystem, the FGN is on track to spend US$4.3 billion on identification, with US$1.2 billion spent, and another US$3.2 billion to be spent.

Over the years, citizens have been subjected to various forms of identification, including national ID cards, Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), and National Identification Numbers (NIN), each accompanied by its share of controversies.

There are significant concerns about the effectiveness and security of Nigeria’s National Identity document, especially in addressing issues like insurgency, kidnapping, and digital identity fraud.

The findings from the 2024 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report highlight the urgent need for improvements in the country’s identity verification systems to better protect citizens and combat fraud.

Under the proposed scheme, Nigerians will be issued with a bank-enabled national ID, a social intervention card, and an optional ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card.

While the intention behind these initiatives is to enhance security and improve access to essential services, many citizens have expressed frustration over the perceived complexity and redundancy of the system.

Social media platforms have been abuzz with criticism, with many questioning the necessity of introducing yet another layer of identification.

Some argue that the existing identification mechanisms, such as a simple plastic ID with a QR code, are sufficient and less cumbersome for citizens to manage.

Moreover, concerns have been raised about the financial implications of implementing these new identity systems.

In spite of significant allocation of funds to the NIMC in previous years for the procurement of ‘state-of-the-art’ equipment for NIN registration, challenges persist in meeting registration deadlines and linking identification numbers with SIM cards.

This, however, has led to disruptions in telecommunications services for many Nigerians.

A business woman, Mrs Toyosi Olawale, said identity cards should be unified into one card as it was done in developed countries.

“With a social security number and identity system in advanced countries, all information about an individual can be gotten in less than one minute.

“So, government should see how to unify its information and identity systems into one database and card.

“It makes it easier, avoids duplication of identity. It will also be easier to carry. Too many identity cards may be easily stolen or misplaced,” she said.

Prof. Adeshina Sodiya, former President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), also appealed to NIMC to seek experts’ advice before introducing the proposed multipurpose Identity cards for Nigerians.

He said there should be a strategic workshop for critical analysis before the introduction of the multipurpose cards.

He said there was need for NIMC to get it right for betterment of the country.

“Now, we have many existing cards, platforms, resources for financial transactions. How will the new cards be able to compete with them?

“We were also told that the new NIN cards will also be used for social investment programmes.

“How would vulnerable Nigerians be able to handle and manage it? The issue of privacy also comes in, these questions need to be addressed”, Sodiya said.

He said the success of NIN cards would largely depend on how relevant organisations work together, adding that the e-Naira introduced was not really acceptance.

However, Mr Kayode Adegoke, NIMC’s head of corporate communications, responded to stakeholders` criticisms by affirming that the new National ID card is a General Multipurpose Card (GMPC).

According to him, it will consolidate the need for multiple cards into a single, convenient solution for various purposes.

Adegoke explained that the GMPC offers comprehensive functionalities, including payments, access to government services, and travel, simplifying individuals’ wallets and reducing the clutter of carrying multiple cards.

To facilitate the financial features of the GMPC, he said, NIMC would collaborate with the CBN and NIBSS, aiming for seamless integration of payment and financial services into the GMPC.

“Applicants for the GMPC are required to request it using their National Identification Number (NIN) through online portals, NIMC offices, or their banks.

“Upon approval, the card will be issued through the applicants’ banks, adhering to established protocols for debit/credit card issuance and powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, supported by NIBSS”, he said.

Experts say efficient national identity management system is pivotal for economic development, as it establishes a universal identification framework, facilitating access and verification of individuals’ identities within a country.

They also assert that such a system aids comprehensive economic planning, enhances intelligence gathering capabilities, and fosters a robust internal and external security framework in Nigeria.

As the government pushes forward with its plans to overhaul the national identity framework, it faces the daunting task of balancing the need for enhanced security with the imperative of minimising the burden of procuring them on citizens.

The success of these initiatives will ultimately hinge on government’s ability to streamline processes, addressing existing gaps in the identification system, and regaining the trust of Nigerians that government’s ability to manage complex processes. (NANFeatures)

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

Nigeria: The Changing Governance Story

By Temitope Ajayi

Tracking many stories of remarkable progress currently taking place in Nigeria can be a challenging task. This is so because these important stories are lost to some who daily indulge in the cacophony of adverse reports. These negative news often dominates the headlines.

With a 24-hour news cycle that tends to focus mainly on distasteful narratives, several Nigerians have been made to accept the view that nothing good is happening in their country.

Those who rely on the mainstream media and social media as the only sources of news and information they consume are the worst hit by the cycle of misinformation that portrays our country as descending rapidly to the edge of the precipice. However, the reality is different: the country is making progress in leaps and bounds.

Late Swedish physician and Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute, Hans Rosling, his son, Ola Rosling, and daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling, extensively dwell on this subject in “Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think,” a book published in 2018.

In the book, the authors demonstrate that most people are made to hold the wrong notion about the state of the world because the media project data, analyse trends and select stories to make people assume that things are getting worse around them. The authors assert that a majority of people view the world as poorer, less healthy, and a more dangerous place to live in than it actually is. In other words, many people believe they are living in a worse period in the history of mankind because of misinformation.

The same situation the Roslings describe in their book is at play in Nigeria, where individuals, interest groups, activists, analysts, self-serving politicians, and opposition elements constantly project and amplify negative stories.

It is as if we are in a race with those who can say the most horrible things about our country. Yet, we have an abundance of good stories to tell the world. We seem so numb to the good news that we are dismissive of breakthroughs and innovative trends. For instance, we downplay the significance of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and its possibilities to reflate the economy.

Many people forgot so soon that we had been importing petroleum products for over three decades because the state-owned refineries are moribund. Our national economy bled, and the country was in a fiscal cul-de-sac for those years as a result of subsidy payments on petroleum products.

Today, however, Nigeria is home to the largest single-train refinery in the world, with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude per day. Cynics do not see this as a breakthrough.

Nigerians who are 60 years old and below started seeing modern rail infrastructure in 2016 when the All Progressives Congress-led administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the standard gauge rail system, beginning with the Abuja-Kaduna route, later Lagos-Ibadan and then the Warri-Itakpe.

The national rail modernisation project is progressing with Kano-Katsina-Maradi and Kano-Kaduna standard gauge rail projects at different stages of completion. The contractor working on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge recently announced the completion of the Port Harcourt-Aba section.

While the Federal Government is rallying stakeholders to promote economic integration across the country, the Lagos State Government recently launched two metro rail lines -Blue and Red Rail lines – as part of the state’s elaborate master plan to build a modern and efficient megacity. Like Lagos State, there are visible signs of remarkable, quantifiable progress in several other states, including Kaduna, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Kebbi, Borno, Gombe, Oyo, Ekiti and Ogun, among others.

A few weeks ago, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration embarked on the construction of the 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway that will connect nine coastal states in another bold move to bolster economic growth further and open up the country to productive economic activities.

While it may be very easy for critics and other armchair analysts to ignore these developments and their significance to remaking Nigeria, there is no gainsaying that these projects and many more that are ongoing or about to be instituted across critical sectors are the core of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Indeed, it is hard to process why the so-called critics and cynics can not see the Lagos-Calabar Highway project as a clear demonstration of the President’s commitment to harnessing the potential of our renascent Blue Economy.

Despite what is bandied by the most vociferous critics, a recent policy intervention on the state of the economy by the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a think-tank group, refuted the apocalyptic prognosis of the economic situation of the country by opposition figures, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The experts at IMPI made brilliant and well-thought-out submissions that repudiated the doomsday prophesy of critics.

Acting true to type, the People’s Democratic Party Presidential candidate in the last election and a few others, including business advocacy groups, derisively heightened tension with their pronouncements on the state of the economy. They framed the country under the leadership of President Tinubu as a hostile business environment, scoring the administration low on business enablement.

While politicians, such as Atiku Abubakar, will naturally play politics with everything to score cheap points, some corporate advocacy groups often raise needless alarms, ostensibly to compel the government to do their bidding and usually in manners adverse to the interests of the people.

For example, while private sector advocacy groups, such as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), regularly issue press statements on many businesses shutting their operations in Nigeria, such statements always fail to disclose that new businesses are also springing up in the country.

It is not only in Nigeria that businesses shut down operations. In any case, businesses wind up operations for many reasons that may have nothing to do with the operating environment.

It is a worldwide phenomenon shaped by a variety of factors. For instance, when the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria announced that 767 companies shut down in 2023, the Small Business advocacy group in the United Kingdom announced that 345,000 businesses closed shop in the UK.

The UK Group said: “More businesses closing down than starting up for the first time in 12 years.”

While it is not good for any business to shut down operations, irrespective of the number of employees, those who project the negative narrative should be nuanced and more balanced in their analyses.

In its submission titled, “In Defence of the Nigerian Economy,’ the Independent Media and Policy Initiative declared: “767 companies that closed down in Nigeria do not in any way come close to the 345,000 closures recorded in the United Kingdom in that same period. Neither can the number be compared to the 460,000 companies that shut down every quarter, that is, every three months, in China, or the 10,655 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) shut down in 2022-2023 in India.

“As routinely rendered, we are further informed by the Indian data that there were over 11,000 new firms that started business afresh for every one of the 175 shutdowns in 2022.”

Interestingly, while the announced exit from Nigeria by GSK and Sanofi generated much furore on the social media and mainstream media last year, about the same period the two companies were planning their exit, indigenous pharmaceutical companies, such as Emzor were making new multi-million Dollar investments to expand their production lines in Nigeria.

More balanced news reports on Nigeria in that respect should have also included statistics circulated by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which indicated that 105 applications for the construction of drug manufacturing facilities across the country were approved and 35 per cent of the promoters of the approved applications actually completed construction of their factories.

Within this period, Emzor Pharmaceuticals Company, owned by Mrs. Stella Okoli, Japanese Multinational Pharma, Otsuka, and over 20 newly registered local drug manufacturers cumulatively, invested over $2 billion to complete their World Health Organisation (WHO)-compliant facilities to produce quality pharmaceuticals and essential drugs for Nigerians.

In its ranking of Africa’s 100 fastest-growing companies in 2023, the Financial Times (FT) ranked 27 Nigerian businesses on the list.

The FT list, again, validated the strength of the Nigerian economy and its viability as a business destination for investors seeking to make good returns on their investments.

Since he assumed office less than a year ago, President Tinubu has been bullish in addressing the identified problems besetting the investment climate in Nigeria.

The administration has restored global confidence in the monetary policy reforms of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that have seen the Naira rebound strongly against the Dollar and other convertible currencies, making the Naira the best-performing currency in the world.

On the back of the reforms embarked upon by the fiscal and monetary authorities, the country’s currency gained N900 against the US Dollar within a spate of two months. This is spectacular progress, but to subjective critics, they are unimportant.

On security, the progress being made is noticeable and can be felt in the calmness that has returned to the South-East geopolitical zone. This is where the criminal activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) have been brought under control. In the North-West zone and parts of North-Central, most especially Abuja, where there was a surge in banditry and kidnapping, the Nigerian Military and Police have successfully gained control and counterbalanced major threats to the security of lives and property.

The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, announced on Monday, April 15, 2024, that the security forces had rescued 1,000 Nigerians from their abductors without payment of ransom. This is evidence of successful security operations across the country. Again, the cynics and inveterate critics will not find such feats interesting to amplify.

In the technology ecosystem, Nigerian startup companies have continued to record big strides. At least 10 Nigerian startups were selected among 40 technology firms listed for the $4 million Black Founders Fund. Google sponsors the Black Founders Fund for Startups (GfS).

Nigeria continues to lead the pack in tech startups and capital raising in Africa. In the First Quarter (Q1) of 2024, 121 African tech startups, led by Nigeria’s Moove, raised $466 million. Of the total amount raised in Q1 2024 by tech startups on the African continent, Nigerian startups got the lion’s share of $160 million. Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has remained vibrant and a massive centre of innovation and driver of economic growth.

A 2022 report on African Tech Startups Funding by Disrupt Africa also showed that startups from Nigeria accounted for 28.4% of the total funded ventures and received 29.3% of total investments in Africa. The report indicated that 180 startups from Nigeria collectively raised $976 million from the $3.3 billion that flowed into the continent.

From the Nigerian tech ecosystem, Andela, Flutterwave, Opay, Jumia, and Interswitch emerged as unicorns out of 7 unicorns in Africa. That each one of these five companies with over $ 1 billion in valuation came out of Nigeria is an affirmation of the progress Nigeria is making in human capital development.

Another interesting twist to this enchanting story is that the majority of the founders of the leading startups came out of the Nigerian school system. They had their education from primary school up to the university level in Nigeria.

The story of Kiakia Bits Limited and Sycamore, two companies managed by innovative and enterprising young Nigerians, illustrates the impact Financial Technology (FinTech) companies are making on the economy as enablers of growth for small businesses.

Established in 2016 by Olajide Abiola and his partner, Chiemeziem Anyadike, Kiakia has over 200,000 customers and has advanced credit worth over N20 billion to more than 12,000 small and medium-scale enterprises within eight years. Babatunde Akin-Moses and two of his partners started Sycamore in 2019 after they met during their MBA programme at Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), in Lagos.

Within five years, the company has gained recognition and a reputation as one of the most visible and viable brands in the FinTech space. Sycamore has 140,000 registered customers, out of which over 10% are active.

The value of transactions on Sycamore’s platform in dollar terms is in excess of $30 million. The company has disbursed over N25 billion in credit to various small and medium enterprises. A significant revelation from both Kiakia and Sycamore is the report that 99% of their credit to small and medium-scale enterprises are performing, an indication that the businesses they support are doing well.

Overall, the groundbreaking performance of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) as, possibly, Africa’s best stock exchange in terms of capital appreciation, the footprints of BUA Group in manufacturing and other consumer goods, the solidity of IHS Towers and MainOne as Africa’s telecoms infrastructure backbones, the disruption caused by Air Peace on the lucrative Lagos-London route, the grandeur of the sprawling Lekki-Deep Sea Port rank highly among countless high-impact business endeavours.

And finally, the indomitable spirit of Nigerians epitomises the narrative of progress that all patriotic Nigerians should regularly amplify.

-Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on media and publicity.

 By Abujah Racheal, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Mr Shedreck Hammayaji, 37-year-old, a dedicated nurse at Kwali General Hospital, Kwali, Abuja, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to healthcare and community service despite facing numerous challenges. 

During the height of outbreaks, Hammayaji said that he witnessed the strain on the healthcare system firsthand as patients inundated the hospital with symptoms of the deadly virus.

“I remember the fear in people’s eyes as they sought treatment, unsure if they would survive.

“We were overwhelmed, with limited supplies and staff to handle the growing number of cases,” he recalled.

His experiences shed light on the critical importance of adequate funding in epidemic preparedness. 

With increased resources, healthcare workers like him could receive better training, access essential equipment, and strengthen disease surveillance systems to respond effectively to outbreaks.

His story serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact of funding decisions on frontline healthcare workers and the communities they serve. 

It underscored the urgent need to invest in epidemic preparedness to safeguard the health and well-being of Nigerians nationwide.

In light of recent health crises also unknown in the country, including outbreaks of diphtheria, Lassa fever, measles, and meningitis, the significance of epidemic preparedness funding cannot be overstated in Nigeria.

Nigeria, as one of the most populous countries in Africa, faces unique challenges in dealing with potential epidemics due to its large and diverse population. 

Comparing the budget amounts for 2024 with the total budget for health security in 2023 reveals a significant discrepancy.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa stands as one of the deadliest in history, starkly illustrating the repercussions of insufficient epidemic preparedness funding. 

The impact was profound: limited funding impeded early detection and response efforts, exacerbating the severity of the outbreak. 

Conversely, countries with stronger healthcare systems and better-funded preparedness programmes demonstrated more effective responses.

Beyond the human toll, the outbreak inflicted economic turmoil, especially in regions lacking adequate preparedness funding, resulting in income loss and trade disruption. 

Despite global mobilisation, the fragmented response underscored the urgent need for enhanced coordination and investment in preparedness.

From this crisis emerged valuable lessons- the critical necessity of adequate funding for preparedness to mount effective outbreak responses. 

Moreover, it highlighted the pivotal role of public-private partnerships and international cooperation in shaping an effective response framework. 

According to public health experts, investing in preparedness not only fortifies healthcare systems but also equips them to confront future threats with resilience.

In spite of commendable strides in recent years, they said that the country still faces significant challenges in funding epidemic preparedness, as per a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

The report underscores the need for increased investment in surveillance, laboratory capacity, and health system strengthening to adequately respond to infectious diseases.

One major challenge the report said was the lack of sustained financial commitment from both the federal government and international donors. 

While funding spikes during crises like the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, it often lacks consistency, hindering long-term preparedness efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic also exposed the vulnerabilities in the country’s health system, underlining the urgent need for increased investment in epidemic preparedness. 

Shortages of critical supplies during the pandemic highlighted the consequences of insufficient funding allocation and prioritisation.

To address these challenges, experts underscored coordinated efforts to prioritise preparedness, boost funding commitments, and enhance resource allocation and utilisation. 

The Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool has been instrumental in evaluating Nigeria’s health capacities, leading to notable improvements in health security ratings.

Nigeria utilised the JEE tool 3.0 to evaluate the implementation status of health capacities in the country, measuring progress across 56 indicators spanning 19 International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities. 

Dr Geoffrey Jagero, Senior Technical Advisor for Laboratory Systems at the Division of Global Health Protection, US CDC Kenya, stressed the importance of increasing trained professionals in biological risk management. 

Jagero called for collaboration with government agencies to develop biosecurity frameworks.

Dr Patrick Nguku, AFENET Regional Technical Coordinator, stressed the need for investment in healthcare infrastructure, disease surveillance systems, and training healthcare workers for early detection and reporting.

Dr Solomon Chollom, a Virologist, highlighted the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and international donors through joint funding mechanisms, advocacy efforts, and transparent fund utilisation.

Dr Gafar Alawode, Chief of Party, Health Financing Governance Projects, advocated for public-private partnerships to bolster epidemic preparedness funding, diversifying funding sources through innovative mechanisms like social impact bonds.

Alawode stressed the urgency of bolstering epidemic preparedness financing mechanisms, addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies, and strengthening domestic resource mobilisation.

Meanwhile, Dr Simeon Onyemaechi, Chairman of the Forum of CEOs of State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIA), emphasised the necessity of adopting a holistic approach to address the funding gap in epidemic preparedness. 

Onyemaechi highlighted the importance of prioritising collaboration among stakeholders, implementing innovative financing mechanisms, and enacting policy reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness efforts.

The Coordinator, Africa Health Budget Network, AHBN, Dr Aminu Magashi, said that the country needs more funding to pay hazard allowances on a monthly and timely basis to the teeming frontline health workers such as medical doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians amongst others. 

Magashi said that as of now, payment was erratic and meagre and not commensurate to the risk of exposure to infections. 

He stressed the urgent need for governments to fortify healthcare systems and improve surveillance and response mechanisms for infectious diseases. 

He emphasised the importance of domestic financing for health initiatives while also advocating for ongoing international support.

In conclusion, investing in epidemic preparedness is essential for Nigeria’s resilience to health emergencies and sustainable development. 

By examining funding mechanisms, identifying gaps, and implementing strategic interventions, Nigeria can ensure a healthier future for its citizens. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the Writer and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)