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By Abujah Racheal, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Mrs Amina Halidu, a widow and rural farmer in Abaji Area Council in Federal Capital Territory, says she struggles to feed her family of three though she works very hard daily to support them.

Halidu said that erratic weather has made it difficult for her to meet her expectations during harvest times. She said it was usually worse when the rain is late in coming.

She is not alone in this situation as many rural farmers, particularly peasant farmers are increasingly finding it difficult to reap enough from their farms to meet their household feeding needs.

This has left many children in the rural areas malnourished.

According to Global Hunger Index (GHI), 12.7 per cent of Nigeria’s population is malnourished, while 6.5 per cent of under-five children in the country are wasted, and 31.5 per cent are stunted.

The data also shows that 11.4 per cent of Nigerian children die before reaching the age of five with malnutrition being one of the causes.

Experts have established a relationship between climate change and malnutrition.

“Climate affects malnutrition through an agro-ecosystems pathway with an adverse impact on food production; for instance, by affecting crop output, crop growth, diseases, and pests

“As a result, climate change could affect food security and diet diversity by changing the availability and quality of food sources, says a team of researchers led by Eduard van der Merwe in a study published in the Food Policy.

It is heartwarming that Nigeria is taking steps to address climate change and mitigate its impacts such as child malnutrition.

Some of such steps is the signing of the Climate Change Act; and the establishment of the National Policy on Climate Change.

Passed in November 2021, the Act that seeks to achieve low greenhouse gas emissions, green and sustainable growth by providing the framework to set a target to reach net zero between 2050 and 2070.

While the government and the international community chisel out appropriate response to climate change, families such as Halidu’s have to take measures to protect their young members from malnutrition and the health danger it poses.

It is for this reason that she felt elated she had the chance to work with Media Advocacy/Empowerment Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) of International Society for Media in Public Health (ISMPH).

It is a group that encourages critical reporting of health-related topics.

“I was excited to join the program to learn how to grow nutritious vegetables for my family.

“With the help of the programme I was able to grow a variety of vegetables including kale, spinach, and carrots.

“I learnt how to use compost to improve the soil and how to conserve water during dry spells. My children were thrilled to have fresh, healthy vegetables to eat every day,” she said.

She said that she became a leader of her community, adding that she shared her knowledge and skills with other families, and together they worked to adapt to the changing climate”, she said.

Halidu’s story is a reminder that determination and support can make a difference in the lives of communities affected by environmental or other challenges.

However, stakeholders insist that the administration of President Bola Tinubu must act decisively on the matter and prioritise food security.

Stakeholders at the 2023 Nutrition Policy Dialogue, called for a comprehensive approach to strengthen nutrition outcomes in the face of climate change in the country.

The event was jointly organised by Nigeria Health Watch in collaboration with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Action Against Hunger Nigeria (ACF), Save the Children International and Helen Killer International (HKI).

It had as its theme: “Strengthening Nutrition Outcomes in the Face of Climate Change”.

Dr Michael Ojo, Country Director, GAIN, said the event that climate change could affect food systems in multiple ways, which in turn could impact the nutritional quality and availability of food.

Ojo said climate change could lead to reduced crop yields, which could affect the availability and affordability of food, adding that this could lead to food shortages and malnutrition.

“Climate change can also affect the quality of food. For example, rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns can lead to changes in the nutrient content of crops, making them less nutritious.

“Climate change can also affect food prices, making it more difficult for people to access nutritious food.

He added that climate change could also affect dietary patterns.

“Changes in the availability and affordability of certain foods may lead people to consume more or less of certain types of foods, which can affect their nutritional status,” he said.

He said that it was, therefore important for Tinubu administration to take actions to mitigate these impacts and promote sustainable food systems that could help ensure access to nutritious food for not just but all Nigerians.

“This may involve promoting sustainable agriculture practices, investing in food storage and distribution systems, and promoting healthy and sustainable dietary patterns.

“This requires a concerted effort from governments, businesses, and all Nigerians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable agriculture, and ensure that vulnerable populations have access to diverse, nutrient-dense foods,” he said.

Mr Uruakpa John, Head, Prevention and Control of Micronutrient Deficiency, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) said that governance and leadership played a critical role in addressing the challenges of food security and nutrition in the face of climate change.

John said that it was important to ensure that nutrition was addressed in national climate change processes, plans, and programmes.

“Policy coherence and multidisciplinary collaboration at all levels are essential to enhancing food chain sustainability and local access to adequate nutrition.

“Promoting the rights of vulnerable people to essential livelihood resources, including land rights and access to or protection of fishing grounds, is also crucial,” he told participants at the event..

He said that the national commitment to shifting towards healthy, sustainable diets is necessary to achieve viable food systems.

Dr Jane Bevan, Chief Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section, UNICEF, said that Climate change can have significant impacts on water availability and consequently the quality and quantity of farm produce.

Bevan said that it was important that the government took action to mitigate these impacts and adapt to the changing water landscape.

“This may involve investing in new water infrastructure, improving water management practices, and promoting sustainable water use and conservation,” she said. (NANFeatures)

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

Food: Of State of Emergency and availability of fertiliser

By reporters, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Among all the essentials of life, food is number one. From southernmost to the core northern, Nigeria is blessed with arable land, rivers and climate conducive enough for the nation to have enough to feed its estimated 200 million citizens and spare some for export.

However, this appears not to be the case as the country has, in recent years, struggled to meet the food needs of its citizens. A multitude of factors are responsible for this unfortunate situation.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in an October 2022 report painted a grim picture saying that about 25.3 million Nigerians will face food insecurity between June and August 2023.

The specialised agency of the UN in a statement, therefore, urged concerted actions to avert the crisis adding that already 4.4 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States were at risk.

In the nutrition analysis, the UN food agency said about 17 million people in the country were already facing food crisis.

One of the leading causes of food shortage in the country is insecurity, particularly in the north central part of the nation which hitherto was the food basket of the nation.

The farmers-herders crisis has made it almost impossible for farmers to operate at their best, while in some instances farmlands are destroyed by herds of cow.

The situation is compounded by bandits that operate in the northwest, like in the north central, their activities have minimised farming activities.

This is similar to what obtains in the northeast where the fear of Boko Haram insurgents has forced many residents to shun farming, while others are still stranded in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

Previous administrations, particularly the immediate past one, made spirited efforts to curb the food shortage menace but unfortunately their efforts did not make the needed impact.

Worried by the situation, the incumbent government of President Bola Tinubu has decided to take the bull by the horn declaring a state of emergency on food security.

Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, told newsmen after a meeting of stakeholders in agriculture and food production value-chain in Abuja that food security was a priority to Tinubu.

Giving details of the presidential intervention on food security, food pricing and sustainability, Alake said measures in the action plan would include an immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households.

Realising the place of water in agriculture, Tinubu also approved that all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.

Already the military is fired up to contribute its quota by ensuring that the country is rid of kidnappers and insurgents, a development that no doubt will make farmers to return to farm.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Maj.- Gen. Christopher Musa who led Service Chiefs to a meeting with senior personnel of Ministry of Defence vowed to end insecurity and restore peace in the country.

“We want to tell you and Nigerians that you can rely on us. We are committed; and God being on our side we’ll achieve success”, Musa told his audience.

While the military and politicians fine-tune their strategies to confront food insecurity there is one factor that cannot be brushed aside – Fertiliser.

The Chairman of the Grassroots Farmers Association of Niger-Delta, Edo Chapter, Chief Emmanuel Odigie, told NAN that his members had yet to receive fertiliser from either the State or Federal Government midway into the 2023 farming season.

According to Odigie, farmers are currently buying fertilisers in the market at high prices.

He said in the past, the Federal Government used to distribute fertilisers to farmers latest towards the end of June for free.

“But this year, we have not seen or heard from the state or federal government,” he said.

Mr Cement Obayuwana, the Secretary, Orhionmwon Farmers Association, disclosed that, some farmers including his association got one bag of NPK 20: 10: 10 each from the state government.

According to Obayuwana, majority of farmers buy NPK 20: 10:10 from the market at the cost of N22,000,

“The last time farmers benefitted massively from fertiliser distribution by the federal government was under the Growth Enhancement Scheme of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Since then, if it comes, it does not go round every farmer it is usually given to selected farmers. So we buy from the market,” he said.

Similarly, the Chairman, Rural Farmers Association, Bayelsa chapter, Mr Owen Azibapu, said though the use of fertiliser had assisted their members to record bumper harvest in the past, regrettably the product had become too expensive for the local farmers.

“Currently, 50kg of NPK fertiliser sells for N23,000; Urea, N30,000 while a liter of organic fertiliser goes for N10,000.

“Though Bayelsa has fertile land to grow any kind of crop, we still need the fertiliser to increase and boost our farm produce,” he said.

He expressed the fears that the federal government’s food security plan remained threatened by rising cost of farming materials, including fertiliser.

A farmer based in Elebele community, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa, Mr Emmanuel Agum, said “though we are blessed with fertile land here in Bayelsa and our crops are growing well, our fear is the predicted flooding”.

Chief Sylvanus Ejezie, Delta State Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), said the high cost of fertilisers had continued to make it difficult for farmers to perform at their optimum

“Aside the cost of fertilisers, cost of rice seedlings has risen from N400 per kg to N600 per kg. All inputs including fertilisers are very costly now.

“Most times, fertilisers are not readily available and also not affordable; and this is why farmers cannot get expected yield,” he said.

Mr Richard Asenime, the State All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said 25 farmers from each of the 25 local government areas of Delta got about three bottles of different liquid fertilisers free from the federal government.

He said “the state government also made provisions for farmers who can afford the cost of fertilisers to buy from stores located at various places across the 25 LGAs of the state.’’

He said that the farmers could access the liquid fertilisers at the cost of N4,000 per liter.

However, Asenime said it was unfortunate that most farmers could not afford the product this year to support the cultivation of their crops.

As at the federal level, Edo government said it was ready to contribute its quota towards food security in the country and called on the federal government to help in making this a reality by making fertiliser affordable to farmers,

For instance, Mr Iwanegbe Iguosade, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Edo, told NAN that the ministry was yet to receive fertilisers from the headquarters.

“But before now, the ministry used to distribute fertilisers to farmers at the beginning of every farming season.

“For this season, we have not received any fertiliser consignment from our headquarters. We are expecting them, when they arrive, we will distribute to the farmers,” he said.

However, Mr John Onovroke, State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Delta, said it is not about gloom and doom.

According to him, the federal government had distributed fertilisers to various clusters and association of farmers free to support the 2023 farming season.

“We distributed the fertilisers to registered farmers through AFAN, RIFAN and other rice farmers clusters in Owene River Basin, at Ngegwu, Illah; Patani clusters, others in Delta,” Onovroke said.

Given Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa, the international community is waiting with bated breath for how it will match words with actions and conquer its food security challenges. Nigeria’s template can serve as a model for other developing countries.

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

By Philip Yatai, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In July 2022 the residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its neighbouring states were gripped with fear over the escape of over 800 inmates from Kuje prison, the nation’s foremost correctional centre.

The incident generated reactions from stakeholders who expressed shock at the level of security crisis in the country and stressed the need for a working synergy among security agencies to address security challenges.

In December of the same year, the FCT Police Command arrested three suspected kidnappers connected to the abduction of residents in Kasanki village, Gwagwalada area of the territory.

The suspects, all male residents of Niger State, were arrested by the special anti-crime operation, code-named, Operation G-7.

In May 2023, Nigerian security forces rescued 58 people who were abducted by gunmen in Kogi state, near Abuja.

The Nigerian police said in a statement that the rescue mission was part of G-7 Operations initiated to fight violent crimes, rescue victims, and nab offenders around FCT and neighbouring states.

The G-7 is made up of FCT and its six neighbouring states, namely Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States.

It was initiated in 2007 by the then Minister of the FCT, Dr Modibbo Umar, and meant to deal with crimes that were plaguing the FCT and its contiguous states.

However, in spite of the successes being recorded by the G-7 joint operations, stakeholders expressed concerns that criminals were taking advantage of the country’s porous interstate borders.

Cross border crimes include illegal and notorious activities carried out by individuals and groups across national and international borders, either for financial, socio-political, or religious gains.

They identified some of the criminal activities as human trafficking, kidnappings, drug trafficking, arm robbery, money laundry and illicit arms trafficking or religion-related crimes.

Security experts argued that criminals currently have escalated their trick of committing crimes outside their traditional boundaries where they are not known or go into hiding in neighbouring state after committing crimes.

According to the experts, the increasing cross-border crime has huge implications for internal and international security.

They particularly argued that the development threatens the security integrity of the nation’s seat of power, FCT, adding that Abuja has continued to face serious security challenges due to cross-border criminal activities.

Worried by this development, the FCT Administration on July 7, convened the 9th G-7 Technical Committee Meeting in Abuja, to tackle the upsurge of criminal elements traversing the FCT and the neighbouring states.

The committee comprised, security chiefs of FCT and cooperating states are: Commissioners of Police, State Directors of Department of State Security Services, and Commandants of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.

The Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Mr Olusade Adesola, told participants at the meeting that the G-7 provides opportunities for intelligence gathering, sharing and joint-border operations.

Adesola said in the last couple of years, the G-7 have recorded tremendous results, in containing incidences of cross boarder kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, and vandalisation of public infrastructures, amongst others.

“It is on this premise that the FCT Administration, during its regular Security Meeting, May 27 saw the need to reconvene the G-7 States Technical Committee Meeting.

“The objective of the meeting was to review operational strategies that would guarantee optimal success in the efforts to tackle security challenges bedeviling the seven-member states.

“Security, as we are all aware, is a fundamental pillar upon which any thriving society is built and an essential component that ensures the safety, well-being, and prosperity of our residents.

“In recognition of this fact, the FCT Administration has consistently prioritised the platform for the enhancement of security measures within our territory and beyond.

`He said recently, the administration provided several operational vehicles and security gadgets to security agencies within the Territory, in a bid to effectively combat crime and criminalities.

The Permanent Secretary said the nature of threats and challenges has become increasingly complex in a rapidly evolving world.

He said that criminal elements were continuously adapting and exploiting technological advancements to further their illicit activities.

This, according to him, requires dynamic approaches such as synergy and joint operations among other strategies to overcome the nefarious activities of these criminally minded individuals.

Similarly, the Director, FCT Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said that the G-7 initiative would strengthen collective efforts in fighting security challenges, particularly cross-border crime.

“Recently, we experienced an upsurge in cross border crimes, forcing the FCT Security Committee to convene the meeting with a view to adopting a unified approach in fighting cross border crime.

“This will ensure that whenever the FCT is fighting security challenges, it will be taking place simultaneously in other states,” he said.

On the functionality of the G-7 initiative, the Chairman of the Technical Committee, Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr Haruna Garba, said the initiative represents a united front.

Garba said that the G-7 brought together the collective expertise and experience of member states to tackle the prevailing security challenges facing the states.

He said the initiative would enable the states to pull their resources, both human and materials, to fight the criminals simultaneously.

“When FCT alone is in operation, the criminals will run into the forest and bushes of Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa or Kogi states and escape.

“But if it is a joint operation, as we are pushing from the FCT, the neighbourings states are also pushing, we will be able to collectively put the criminals in the middle and arrest them,” he said.

The commissioner urged coordinated efforts from all stakeholders given the complexity of fighting crime in new technology-driven world.

“This will not only mitigate existing threats to the collective survival of the FCT and the contiguous state, but also prevent future ones.

“Our collaboration, coordination, and seamless exchange of intelligence will undoubtedly serve as the bedrock of our success.

“Leveraging of the G-7 platform will foster understanding, strengthen partnerships, and devise innovative strategies that will defeat crime and criminality,” he said.

However, while joint operations through collaboration, coordination, and intelligence sharing seem plausible on paper security experts argue that no security operation would succeed without community participation.

Sharing this view, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Adebowale Williams, called on the member states to involve community structures in addressing security challenges peculiar to each state.

Williams urged the G-7 states to consider community policing in their strategies by carrying the communities along in the security operations to ensure success.

He equally urged the member states to be proactive, particularly when any member of the G-7 is faced with security breach to prevent it from spilling over to their own states.

The Commissioner of the Police, Nigeria Police Command in Kaduna State, Musa Garba, said “there is no good policy without collaborations.

“Sharing of ideas and experiences among the neighbouring states will enable us to address both similar and peculiar challenges.

“Although states might differ, the criminals are the same and roam about the seven states,” he said.

According criminologists, security is the pillar upon which any society is built. It is therefore essential that security agencies work together to ensure the safety, well-being, and prosperity of residents.

One challenge the G-7 strategy faces is the imbalance in the human and operational resources at the disposal of each state, bridging this gap is essential if the approach will deliver on expectations,

Therefore, state governments should collaborate with Federal Government by prioritising funding and equipping various security agencies in their areas to minimise the differences the same level of firepower. (NANFeatures)(www.nannews.ng)

Promoting peace, democracy in W/Africa through election observation

By Emmanuel Oloniruha, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Globally, elections have not only become a commonly accepted means to legitimize governance institutions, it is also considered as the main pillars and backbones of democracy.

Though democracy largely remains the form of recognised government in West Africa, analysts have identified elections as one of the major factors that trigger violence and insecurity in the sub-region.

According to a publication, “Electoral Commissions in West Africa – a comparative study (Second edition)’’,  published in Nigeria by  Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in 2011, in countries of the West Africa, elections have been a primary conflict generating factor.

The publication co-authored by Mr Mathias Hounkpe and Prof. Ismaila Fall, states that close to two decades after the commencement of transitions to democratic regimes and succession of electoral cycles, elections still remained questionable and prone to crisis in several new democracies in West Africa.

They states that: “tensions leading to confrontations which threaten the stability often arise during the preparation of elections, while conducting elections, and after election results have been declared.

“As a matter of fact, be it upstream where stakeholders do not agree with the rules which govern the electoral process or the modalities for the organization of elections, or downstream where candidates who lost elections view the outcome of elections as not being a true reflection of the will of the electorate and choose to contest the results of polls.’’

Bearing in mind the consequences of election triggered violence on peace and democratic development, governments and democratic institutions including political leaders and other stakeholders in West Africa considered it a priority to ensure elections in the sub-region are not only credible but also peaceful.

Some of these institutions include the Africa Union (AU), Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), West Africa Elders Forum (WAEF), and Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).

These institutions and groups have always deployed election observation missions to countries where elections are holding in the sub-region to ensure that the elections conform to global standard and that the will of the people prevail.

The latest of this was the Sierra Leone general election conducted on June 24. The election was the nation’s fifth and third fully self-administered poll since the end of the civil war in the country in 2002.

Though the country has 17 registered political parties, 13 candidates including a female contested the presidential election, in the landscape majorly dominated by the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All-People’s Congress (APC).

The incumbent President, Julius Maada-Bio of SLPP was declared winner of the election by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) having scored 1,566,932 ( 56.17 per cent) of the total valid vote cast, while his closest rival, Samura Kamara of APC polled 1,148,262  (41per cent) of the total votes.

The 59-year-old President Maada-Bio was subsequently sworn in for his second and final five-year term.

Though the opposition candidate rejected the election result, the country has remained largely calm in spite of the heightened tension ahead of the polls.

According to reports, the country’s electoral environment was characterised by heightened tension, incidents of violence in some parts of the country as well as high levels of misinformation, disinformation, fake news and hate speech mainly conveyed via social media platforms and radios.

Also the electoral context was reported to be characterised by mistrust of the ECSL by some political parties with regard to its neutrally.

According to preliminary report by the Africa Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Sierra Leone “Campaigns in some parts of the country were marred by politically motivated violence spurred by the general mistrust especially between the SLPP and the APC.

“Violence incidents included torching of party offices and physical attacks, resulting in injuries and a reported death in Free Town,’’ the preliminary report stated.

A report by the Communications officer of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), Mr Wealth Ominabo, who served at the WAEF secretariat, also highlighted the polarisation of campaign and the sensitivity surrounding political parties colours and symbols in the country.

In Sierra Leone, red is the official colour of the APC, while green is associated with the SLPP.

Ominabo noted how this restricted choice of attire by diplomats who were on election observation mission in the country to avoid signaling political preferences.

“The situation escalated to the point where students in schools were reportedly victimised and punished for wearing colours associated with political parties,’’ he said.

To many analysts, the calmness enjoyed in Sierra Leone after the election was not without the interventions by some power blocks and influential elders including the WAEF, who played mediation role in the country before, during and after the election.

WAEF is a former leaders and statesmen in West Africa, established by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GFJ) with the objective of promoting preventive diplomacy as a means of reducing electoral-related tension and violence in Africa.

Since its establishment in 2020, WAEF has deployed its mission for elections to Nigeria, Gambia and recently Sierra Leone.

Beyond its engagements in Sierra Leone, WAEF is also scheduled to carry out a similar mission to Liberia, two nations that are expected to hold general elections in 2023.

Just like it did in Nigeria and Gambia, to ensure that the election in Sierra Leone was peaceful and successful, the forum in April 2023 deployed a pre-election fact finding mission led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the country.

The team which also includes former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President of The Gambia Fatoumata Tambajang interfaced with major political leaders and other key stakeholders in the country as a means of deepening the confidence and trust of the citizens in the electoral process.

Also in June the WAEF deployed an Election Mission to Sierra Leone led by the forum Chairman, Jonathan to encourage and support a peaceful democratic transition in the country.

The team also has former Burkinabe prime minister and one-time president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Kadre Ouedraogo and staff from the WAEF secretariat as members.

Jonathan on his arrival in Freetown urged citizens of Sierra Leone to approach the election with utmost patriotism by prioritizing the nation’s peace and stability and refrain from acts capable of undermining the nation’s democracy.

Jonathan emphasised the importance of the election to the region urging all stakeholders to ensure a credible and peaceful outcome.

Jonathan-led team was reported to have had series of consultative engagements with different political actors and key stakeholders in Sierra Leone, including leadership of the political parties, the candidates, the ECSL, security agencies, the diplomatic community, civil society groups, and the media.

Jonathan during the engagements with stakeholders emphasised the need for candidates and their supporters to prioritise peace and the interests of the country.

Drawing from his personal experiences, Jonathan reiterated his political philosophy, reminding politicians that no ambition is worth the bloodshed of any citizen.

Immediately after the announcement of the election result, WAEF and other international observer missions in Sierra Leone called for calm in that country.

They urged citizens to desist from inflammatory rhetoric capable of jeopardizing the nation’s peace and undermining the democratic process of the country

The missions made the call on Wednesday in a joint statement by the heads: Jonathan for WAEF; Hailemariam Dasalegn Boshe for African Union; Mohamed Ibn Chambas for ECOWAS, and former Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo for Commonwealth.

The Heads of Missions urged all Sierra Leonians within and outside the country to refrain from any inflammatory language that could lead to violence, loss of lives and destruction in the country.

As the intervention role of the election observation groups has continue to promote credible elections and peace in  West Africa, political analysts have urged WAEF, AU, ECOWAS and other stakeholders to sustain the deployment of their election observation mission to Africa countries during their election cycles.

This valuable tool they believe would continue to help in improving the quality of elections, building public confidence in the electoral processes as well promoting peace and economic stability in the sub-region.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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

By Chijioke Okoronkwo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The recent removal of subsidy on fuel by President Bola Tinubu and its aftermath have become one of the most prominent issues in national discourse lately.

The pronouncement has drawn rage and applause from its proponents and opponents; it has also elicited threats of industrial action from labour unions who contend that their members bear the brunt of the new policy.

Nonetheless Tinubu has acknowledged the attendant variables of the policy, its micro and macroeconomic implications and multiplier effects although the initial its implementation may bring temporary difficulties.

“The decision to remove the subsidy is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements”, Tinubu said.in his Democracy Day address to Nigerians.

Consequently, to address those initial difficulties, Tinubu directed the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Kashim Shettima, his vice, to produce palliatives measures to ameliorate the impact of the subsidy removal.

Taking the bull by the horn, in NEC’s first meeting under the new administration on June 15, subsidy removal, palliatives, among other issues were addressed.

Espousing on NEC’s deliberations and resolutions, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said the Council received a proposal from stakeholders for a consequential adjustment estimated at N702.9 billion to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Nigerian workers.

“NEC has taken very far reaching decisions and deliberations on the issue of the removal of petroleum Premium Motor Spirit subsidy and its general impact on the economy, the federation and the sub nationals, including workers and everybody, that are vulnerable.

“Specifically on the issue of National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NEC has received recommendations on the various ways and means that the country can use whatever increases that we have in the revenue to mitigate the impact that is going to make on the lives of our workers and all those people involved.

“They gave us a scenario recommending that there should be a consequential adjustment, estimated at N702.9 billion as part of the allowances that should be given as petroleum allowance to all workers and as well as a N23 or N25 billion monthly offer to cushion the effect on workers.

“There were other suggestion that will go a long way in making sure that there is review of salaries and wages”, he told State House Correspondents.

In addition to the palliative, he said, government looked at all the issues, the challenges and problems holistically.

According to him, consequently it set up a small committee to review and come up with a term of reference to organised areas, specifically where this palliative can go to and how it will be dispensed.

“And some of the recommendations that were made include that the states create platforms having strong capacity to handle the implementation of palliatives.

“Additional funding can be sourced from the Federal Government, World Bank, development partners as well as Nigerian private sector.

“In specific, the World Bank can be approached for additional financing on NG-Cares programme. Discussion can start as soon as possible. So these are the recommendations that were made.

“And, NEC will pursue these recommendations for the benefit of the Nigerian, vulnerable and the poor,’’ said Gov. Umar Radda of Kastina State.

One area of concern to stakeholders is the legality of any framework to alleviate the impact of the policy and Gov. Alext Otti of Abia said it also attracted the attention of NEC members.

According him, consequently, NEC recommended that there should be a legislative backing to the policy to avert litigations.

The governor said that the council reflected on the removal of petroleum subsidy vis-à-vis the floating of foreign exchange.

Otti said that the impact of the two actions definitely was increased prices; hence the need to find a solution to the shock they would trigger on the economy and individuals.

Energy experts say automobiles are at the centre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) consumption in Nigeria.

They argue that to ensure that more money is saved through consumption of less PMS some radical changes have to happen in the automobile industry as is presently going on in developed and even some developing nations.

The NEC meeting presented an opportunity for the leaders to brainstorm on the automobile industry through a presentation by the Director-General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu.

“It was that about six states in the country, including Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna and Kano that have benefited from domestic production of vehicles or assembling of vehicles by Nigerian companies operating in Nigeria.

“And these companies include INNOSON, Maikano, Dangote Peugeot, Peugeot automobile of Nigeria, Stallion Hundai, Honda, Elizade/Toyota, Coscharis and Ford, Kojo Motors, Jet Systems motors.

“At the moment, about 50,000 jobs have been created by this simple action of either assembling vehicles in Nigeria or producing them Nigeria.

“A great feat is that some of these companies have gone into the manufacturing or assembly of electric vehicles and vehicles powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

“The impact of this is that the pressure on the price of petroleum products particularly PMS will be reduced; the more we use electric vehicles and CNG powered vehicles.

“Some of the decisions that we were taken include that legislative support will need to be given to these companies that are doing great things in Nigeria”, Otti said.

He said it was important to underscore the point that former president Muhammadu Buhari had made a commitment that by 2060 that Nigeria would join countries that would eliminate fossil fuel powered vehicles.

Otti said the commitment also entailed switching to electric vehicles in pursuit of the net zero emission that some of the countries in Europe, America and Asia had signed on to.

“So if that must happen, then we need to ramp up the production of electric vehicles and CNG vehicles.

“It is estimated that if we give legislative support to this company, that about a million jobs from the 50,000 jobs that exist in that industry would be created.

“It was also suggested that the funding that is required by most of these vehicle manufacturers and assemblers shall be made available to them; so that we begin reduce the dependence on PMS and other fossil fuel powered vehicles.

“It was also suggested that electric vehicle development plan, will fast track the development of electric vehicles should be supported wholeheartedly by the new government”, he said.

Experts in the petroleum industry say from every indication, including Tinubu’s body language, petroleum subsidy is here to stay so it is important that mechanisms are put in place to cushion its effects on the citizenry.

Given its projected positive implications for various sectors of the nation’s economy such as the automobile, it is important that all stakeholders should embrace subsidy removal and give support to alleviation mechanisms being worked out by the Federal Government. (NANFeatures)(www.nannews.ng)