About 73 years ago when Nigeria was still a colony, the Emir of Gwandu, moved a motion in the Northern House of Chiefs requesting all Native Authorities to trace and sanction with strict impartiality persons involved in bribery and corruption which were becoming pervasive across the entire colony. What this suggests is that corruption in Nigeria is not new.

Hence, the first national government led by Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa (1960-66) formally declared corruption as the nation’s main enemy. But he couldn’t stop the malaise which became a subject of concern to every government thereafter. General Yakubu Gowon (1966-75) was probably the first to formally develop an anti-corruption policy with his promulgation of the ‘Public Officer (Investigation of Assets) Decree’ of 1968, resulting in the forfeiture of corruptly acquired assets by culprits.

Neither the sacking of 10,000 supposedly corrupt civil servants by the Murtala/Obasanjo government (1975-1979) nor the inauguration by President Shehu Shagari (1979-1983) of an Ethical Revolution Committee to wage a philosophical fight against corruption brought any respite. With the return of the military in 1983, General Muhammadu Buhari (1983-85) swore never to “tolerate kickback, inflation of contracts, forgeries, fraud and abuse of office.” On his part, General Ibrahim Babangida (1985-93) invigorated the existing Code of Conduct Bureau and added the Code of Conduct Tribunal to it in 1989 to fight corruption. General Sani Abacha (1993-98) set up the Failed Banks Tribunal and promulgated the ‘Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Decree No. 13 of 1995’ which he himself obeyed more in the breach.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) brought into the anti-corruption fight two full-fletched anti-corruption organizations – the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The Umaru Yar’Adua/Goodluck Jonathan government (2007-15) did little about Nigeria’s corruption impasse ending ingloriously as one that overlooked allegations of missing huge sums of money from government coffers. Arguably, their ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the general elections of 2015 to corruption. But President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023) also failed his admirers who thought the saviour had come. His party, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) unwittingly invited and protected from prosecution, many suspected corrupt politicians who decamped to the party.

Whether the current President Bola Tinubu would be the redeemer is too early to tell but he appears to be the first to recognize that having taken from the police the task of fighting corruption and handed it over to another entity – the EFCC, it is hypocritical to have asked police operatives to lead the same EFCC. Analysts such as this writer who drew attention to this were not only ignored, more and more members of the police family were drafted into the EFCC. It is the first malaise, the easy going new EFFC leader, Ola Olukoyede, a legal expert should halt. While it is unfair to condemn every police operative, to take a job from an organization and hand it to its operatives through the back door puts a garb of ‘business as usual’ on the so-called new handlers.

It is not only the imposition of police style of leadership that must change, customized bureaucratic processes and procedures must be critically subjected to global realities. For example, the fight against cybercrime is one that must be vigorously pursued, but EFCC must not copy or support the annoying method of picking-up affluent looking young Nigerians from our streets to hideouts to extort money from their ATMs etc. EFCC’s work methods must be distinct, clear, humane and directed only at crime, not extortion. If this is not done, the public will not know the difference between the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies especially those with criminal tendencies. Ample light must thus be thrown on the difference between the unpatriotic bodies and the EFCC so the latter does not incur a poor public perception that would antagonize the people against her employees. 

Curiously, poor public perfection is already the pathetic fate of the EFCC right now. She is doing the nation’s most intractable job, yet many in whose interest the hazardous job is being done prefer to idolize their corrupt kith and kin who strip the nation of the resources earmarked for executing development projects. Today in Nigeria, many communities organize huge rallies to welcome back home, their heroes who are temporarily released on bail while prosecution continues. EFCC workers are Nigerians to whom the hailing of corruption suspects, sends a clear dissuading message. If the truth must be told, Nigerians need to introspect and clearly make their intentions known because what many of us do now gives the impression that there is no need to fight corruption, yet we have anti-corruption agencies whose staff are threatened daily by corruption giants.

It is even more pathetic that the government which set up the EFCC and continues to mouth the need to seriously fight corruption is one of those whose disposition dissuades the EFCC from commitment to the same assignment it got. Otherwise, why will government pardon the few ex-governors that the commission was able to prosecute to the point of conviction? When what the commission went through to be able to secure conviction is looked at again, no one would be left in doubt that the establishment of anti-corruption agencies is merely to make the people believe that ‘government is working.’ Under the circumstance, the EFCC has no option than to incorporate in its public enlightenment programme, the exact nature of the challenges it passes through to execute its duty.

Of course, there are many advantages of public enlightenment schemes. The first is accountability where such organizations report back to the taxpayers who are their true owners. The EFCC should therefore tell Nigerians what it does and is currently doing as well as what it has failed to do. But most importantly, the reason it has failed to do certain jobs must be clearly stated – a good example being the obstacles it gets from corrupt elite. If I were EFCC chair I will go after any corrupt Nigerian irrespective of his political affiliation. But I will follow the rule of law as I know Barrister Olukoyede will do. I will not invade anybody’s house at night, but I will firmly operate with courage. Indeed, I will start by enlisting the support of fiery Femi Falana SAN, who said some two years ago that the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA knows the corrupt judges and even senior lawyers.

I will go after corrupt judges and their accomplices and present my findings to the National Judicial Council (NJC) which is the only body empowered to discipline judges in Nigeria. If nothing is done to them and therefore, they are allowed to remain in office, any time an EFCC case is assigned to any of such judges I will apply that they recuse themselves from my commission’s cases. I will tell the nation through the media why I object to such judges hearing the cases of their friends and associates in our custody. In other words, Ola Olukoyede should adopt the strategy of the late Dora Akunyili at NAFDAC to present occasional detailed and direct progress reports so that Nigerians can know why bodies like the EFCC are usually unable to successfully execute their assignments.  I will extend the strategy to the legislators that we hear pad the annual budgets and coerce heads of public bodies to render material returns to them.

If the above is done regularly, the EFCC will become the agency of the people; and many Nigerians will more willingly give information to the commission. But if the EFCC chair allows himself to be intimidated, he will be presented while leaving office as a corrupt EFCC chair like his predecessors.  Even if some chairpersons of EFCC were corrupt, we all know that Nuhu Ribadu an internationally acclaimed ant-corruption czar was not. Yet, corruption fought him back, got him sent away from EFCC on a course, demoted him from Assistant Inspector General of Police to a Deputy Commissioner of Police, stopped him from receiving his certificate at the course and eventually retired him from office. Today, he is the National Security Adviser NSA.  

It is because ordinary Nigerians, the media and civil society organizations are not with the EFCC that our wealthy elite is continuing with corruption. It is also for the same reason that corruption is cascading to the lowest cadre below. For EFCC to succeed, we must all stand behind the fight that will rescue Nigeria from its stunted growth. There is no better time than now to join other patriots in the fight. EFCC must work for us. 

Over dinner some 20 years ago, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then governor of Lagos state, narrated a story I find fascinating till today. After the very public falling-out with his deputy, Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, in 2002, he said he started scouting for her replacement. He wanted a “technocrat” — as we say in Nigeria. Specifically, one with knowledge of the economy. I don’t know what was going through Tinubu’s mind, but I should guess he wanted to focus on politics while his deputy would co-ordinate policy. Different names came up and he started talking to them one by one. One of them was Mr Olayemi Cardoso, who was his commissioner for economic planning and budget.

Tinubu said he liked the prospects of Cardoso stepping up to the plate. He invited him for a meeting on, I think, a Sunday. When Cardoso got to Tinubu’s residence, he saw a swarm of party members and politicians — men, women, youths and all — sitting outside the gate and within the premises. Tinubu said when he made the offer to him, Cardoso asked: “Is this how people will be flocking my house if I am deputy governor?” Tinubu replied: “It goes with the terrain.” Cardoso shook his head and gave Tinubu an instant reply: “Count me out, sir.” This story got me laughing uncontrollably because that is exactly what I would say. In the end, Mr Femi Pedro, a seasoned banker, got the job.

Therefore, when a very strong rumour started flying around in 2023 that Cardoso was going to be appointed either minister of finance or governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), I was sceptical. Why would anyone want to be CBN governor at that point in time? Inflation rate was in the skies, wiping off value everywhere; exchange rate was going insane without any asylum ready to rein in it; and the lending rates were a pain in the neck for businesses. The stability of these rates — which can define the level of macro-economic sanity in a country — is the primary responsibility of the CBN. It is a job that can wake up insomnia. That was why I initially doubted Cardoso would want the job.

Why would someone who could not imagine coping with the weekly congregation of a few dozens of party supporters at his residence be interested in handling the macro-economic headaches affecting over 200 million Nigerians? But that is just one way of looking at it. Maybe it is raw politics he couldn’t handle. Maybe he was more comfortable with policy. Maybe being CBN governor is a different kind of challenge that suits his skillset and temperament, compared to politics that could be convoluted. Regardless of my analysis, Cardoso took the job and has now spent a year and a half on the hot seat. But how has he handled the job so far? If he is stressed, it is not written on his face.

With a top team of four deputies — namely, Mr Philip Ikeazor, a former bank MD; Mr Bala Bello,  former ED of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM); Mrs Emem Usoro, former ED at UBA; and Mr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi (the man we call Dattijo), former commissioner for budget and planning in Kaduna state — Cardoso set out his agenda as a “return to conservative monetary policy”, “transparency”, and “bold corrective measures”. Among other things, he sought to reform the forex market to eliminate arbitrage by introducing a transparent trading mechanism. He toned down the development finance policy and announced a new capitalisation requirement for the banks.

Lately, the CBN has been receiving a lot of plaudits for its conservative approach to monetary policy which has boosted investor confidence and enabled substantial stability in the capital and money markets. I’ve read very positive reviews by both Nigerian and foreign analysts on the deepening of reforms and the restoration of confidence in the financial system. The banking sector might have experienced worse crises in the 1990s leading to bank failures, but the naira redesign fiasco and the failure of electronic payment systems in the run-up to the 2023 elections did a lot of damage to the confidence of customers. Some are still suffering the PTSD. Nigeria went really close to ground zero.

The forex market was also a nightmare. The official rate was around N425/$ and the black market was roughly N750/$ when Tinubu assumed office. The interim CBN management introduced the policy of “willing buyer willing seller” in a quickfire attempt to address the ailments and close the gap between official and parallel markets. The removal of the official peg nearly sank the economy as the markets went into a spiral. The parallel rate started racing recklessly towards N2,000/$. There was panic and pain everywhere. I was one of those who argued that the new policy — coming just a few weeks after the removal of petrol subsidy — was neither well thought-out nor well implemented.

The consolation is that after the rampage, the naira managed to settle around N1,500/$ for a bit. Many market analysts contend that the true value should be around N1,200/$. Nonetheless, it is now obvious that, like fuel prices, the naira will gain or lose from time to time depending on the variables — as it happens with even major currencies. Fixing a currency’s exchange rate is the real sign of trouble that will always inspire speculation. When the market knows that the exchange rate is flexible and can gain or lose as the forces of demand and supply interact, the reality may dim the light of marginal speculators with no staying power. Every genuine forex user needs this comfort.

I still do not support unbridled currency devaluation. I maintain that it is never a lasting solution to the forex crisis. A country that is “export-deficient” (the new politically correct term for “import-dependent”) will always run into this type of crisis. You cannot be demanding $3 billion for imports and earning $1 billion from exports and be expecting your currency to sleep easy. Will the forex rain from the skies? I have always favoured “deprecation with safeguards”, but I apparently lost the argument when we held on to the official peg for way too long and all kinds of shenanigans blossomed, with arbitrage billionaires springing up everywhere. The devil is always in the detail.

The CBN appears to have got a hold on the arbitrage haemorrhage. As the parallel market moves, the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) also moves. The signal to the parallel market is that stocking forex in anticipation of arbitrage is now a risky venture. Cardoso will argue that his forex management policy is working, judging by the increased non-oil inflows, especially remittances. The new pricing mechanism is managed on an NFEM platform called electronic foreign exchange matching system (EFEMS), an open system for rate determination which provides visibility around demand and supply. This visibility helps drive more credible determination of the exchange rate.

If I have to be honest, though, I do not envy CBN governors. Most often, they are fighting a fire they did not start. For instance, take a look at the 2025 budget. Tinubu initially proposed an expenditure of N49.74 trillion before increasing it to N54.2 trillion. Our amazing lawmakers added N700 billion on top, taking the total to N54.99 trillion. In naira terms, this is the highest budget in our history. The budget contains an estimated deficit of N13.08 trillion. In simple English, for every N100 we plan to spend, N24 is from money we don’t have. Agreed, public revenues have grown remarkably in the last couple of years, but why not use part of that to reduce the deficit instead of expanding spending?

When the resultant liquidity floods the system and too much naira is chasing after fewer goods, it is the job of the CBN governor to deal with the inflation — even though he was not the one that prepared or approved the expansionary budget. When the three tiers of government pump out trillions of naira into the economy and the naira starts chasing dollars to finance both legitimate transactions and illicit payments (such as bribes), it is the job of the CBN to mop up the mess by making sure the exchange rate is stable. But can you fight the dollar with the naira? Oil exports provide most of the oxygen for the forex market but we no longer earn enough of petrodollars.

Inflation remains the elephant in the room. We’ve been warned that no country can record meaningful progress with double-digit inflation. The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the CBN has been trying to control money supply by keeping the monetary policy rate (MPR) high, but the inflation report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has not brought smiles to our faces. It was only in January that there was a drop (based on a new methodology), but even 24.48 percent is an enemy of progress. Whatever the methodology, the CBN has to do more work to bring down the inflation rate. And the fiscal and political authorities need to make things easier for the central bank.

Despite all the glaring challenges that are bedevilling the economy mostly because of the tough decisions we failed to take ages ago, I have been much impressed with the CBN management in recent times. For one, Cardoso speaks confidently and convincingly about the bank’s mandate. He speaks like someone who knows what he is doing, knows the direction he is facing and knows how to get there. Markets thrive on clarity. It breeds confidence. Cardoso has returned the CBN to an orthodox, data-led central bank model. Of course, he will make mistakes. But if he is pragmatic enough to correct them when they arise, he will win more respect. It is a hard road to travel.

AND FOUR OTHER THINGS…

ONE EL OF A GUY

Hated. Adored. Never Ignored. That is a slogan among fans of Manchester United Football Club. Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna state, can as well adopt the slogan. I do not know of many Nigerian politicians who evoke as much passion — either positive or negative — as el-Rufai. His defection from the ruling APC to the SDP has been dominating debates and discussions on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, TV and radio. There are rumours he wants to run for president in 2027. Others say he is only preparing the way for the emergence of a major challenger to the APC, with the way opposition parties are imploding. Whatever it is, el-Rufai has sent tongues wagging. Intriguing.

HIDE AND SEEK

The Supreme Court appears to have fully pampered the Rivers house of assembly with its judgment. The lawmakers are now on a frolic. The apex court ruled that Governor Simi Fubara should present the budget to the rebel lawmakers, most of whom had publicly announced they had defected from PDP to APC. The court said it was not an established fact. The lawmakers first gave the governor 48 hours to present the 2025 budget before later locking him out of the assembly complex “for not following due process”. The next thing we saw: they adjourned indefinitely. Fubara has obviously demonstrated his desire to obey the court judgment, but the lawmakers are having a ball. Politics.

VARSITY VANITY

I have lost count of how many universities have been established by the federal government in the last five years. As we speak, there are reports that the national assembly is planning to create 200 more. What really is the motive — or should I say motivation? Are we trying to have the highest number of universities in the world? To what end? Do we have the resources — intellectual and financial — to provide quality education to the intakes? I can understand that our population is growing and we need to prepare for the new generation of students but can we, in all sincerity, claim that these overnight, haphazard creations will add value to the knowledge industry? Confounding.

NO COMMENT

Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former federal lawmaker and one-time minister of works, has added a curious dimension to the Senator Natasha Akpoti sexual harassment controversy by appearing to blame it on her beauty. “The beauty of distinguished Senator Natasha is a problem for her,” he said. When she is passing, there’s no way men will not look at her. How can you be a man, and when a beautiful woman is passing, you close your eyes? You might tag it as anything, but it’s inborn for men to look at beautiful women…” Can someone explain the relevance of this point to the issue at hand? Should robbers get a pass because they cannot take their eyes off the good things of life? Wonderful.

The Guinness World Records (GWR) has certified Oluwaseun Kuforiji, the Nigerian fashion designer, as the new record holder for the longest sewing marathon.

In a blog post, GWR announced that the fashion designer set the record by handsewing 22 items for 106 hours, 55 minutes.

The “sew-a-thon” attempt, which was held from January 22 to 26 in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, aimed to promote craftsmanship and creativity in fashion.

“The longest sewing marathon is 106 hr 55 min 20 sec, and was achieved by Oluwaseun Kuforiji (Nigeria) in Ijebuode, Ogun, Nigeria, from 22 January to 26 January 2025,” the post reads.

“Oluwaseun hopes to promote fashion craftsmanship and inspire creativity in others. He sewed 22 items during his attempt.”

Speaking of the achievement via Instagram, he said the attempt was an “incredible” journey that showcased his perseverance and craftsmanship.

“Officially a Guinness World Record Holder! 106 hours, 55 minutes, and 20 seconds of non-stop sewing needle and thread in hand, passion in my heart,” he wrote.

“From crafting a full Agbada in the first 6 hours to completing 18 outfits, this journey has been nothing short of incredible.

“This is more than just a record; it’s a testament to perseverance, skill, and the power of believing in one’s craft.

“Many thanks to @guinnessworldrecords for the recognition, and to everyone who supported me on this journey. Victory is ours!”

Before this, no one had held the Guinness World Record for the longest sewing marathon.

Kuforiji is not the first Nigerian to attempt this record.

In July 2023, Edmond Peace attempted to set the record in 170 hours but suspended it after a few hours.

In December 2024, Ibikunle Olamide, another fashion designer based in Port Harcourt, attempted to break the record in 100 hours.

Alhaji Buba Galadima, an outspoken politician and self-confessed insider of many conspiracies, recently raised an alarm alleging that the current downward trend of food prices was a conspiracy by the Tinubu administration to impoverish the Northern part of Nigeria. Food prices are going down. Many ordinary Nigerians are happy with the development. But people like Galadima see it as an opportunity to sell another of his many fibs about north/south dichotomy.

Many of our politicians would be nothing without the weaponisation of ethnicity and religion. No matter their level of education, the only way many of them can attract any kind of following is when they set brother against brother, tribe against tribe, Imam against pastor. They think it’s all part of the game of politics, whereas, it is the very lives of the people that are at stake. What makes Galadima’s allegation even more tragic is that he has all the education and career attainment to qualify as a beacon of the society but has chosen instead to spread darkness.

A Building Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Galadima has held many choice public offices in Nigeria. He hails from Gashua, the town in Yobe State made famous when the human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, was incarcerated there. He worked with the Rivers State government in 1975 and has been a Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Director-General of NIMASA. He was the national youth leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) during the Second Republic and national financial secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC), during the Third Republic.

More recently, he was the national secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which was founded in 2009 and merged, four years later, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the PDP called the N-PDP, and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is one of the nine signatories that signed the merger agreement.

By all local standards, Alhaji Galadima has paid his dues in the political arena, even if the public is entitled to ask, what dues, or in aid of what?

Following the presidential election of April 2011, Galadima protested that the vote was rigged and that the CPC would not accept the results until a comprehensive audit had been conducted. INEC had announced that Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP won 22,495,187 votes, while Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC had won just 12,214,853. There were outbreaks of violence across Northern Nigeria after the elections, with many deaths. Buhari and Galadima were accused of orchestrating the killings.

By 2017, Galadima had decamped to PDP and was appointed a spokesperson of the party. On February 24, 2019, twenty-four hours after the 2019 presidential election was conducted, Galadima recklessly announced on his social media handles that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had won the elections, even as results were still being collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission. He was later arrested.

While Alhaji Galadima’s eloquence and doggedness are incontrovertible, his style is alarmist and reckless.
A survey of the Nigerian food market revealed that there has been a 40 percent drop in food prices between December 2024 and March 2025. That ought to be cheering news!
What kind of politics is this Galadima brand that expects me to start protesting against the government when food prices are going down? Imagine if the government had not taken timely measures to ensure adequate food supply for the Ramadan season! Is there something else, unknown to the rest of us that is propelling Galadima, the perpetual ‘insider’?

“The government has started massive food importation, and this will make the economy of the North, which depends on agriculture, to dwindle as many won’t be able to farm to gain any meaningful profit”, said Galadima, who is also a farmer. Perhaps what he expects is that since the wave of banditry sweeping through many parts of the country has negatively affected food production, the government should just fold its arms and we should all engage in dry fasting until Galadima harvests his crops next season.
He accused President Tinubu of deliberately causing a sharp fall in food prices to undermine the economy of Northern Nigeria. He alleged that the policy is part of a broader strategy to weaken the North’s economic stability. He was visibly upset that Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis recently eased for the first time since May 2023, offering an unexpected respite for households.

His claim elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians, many of who accused him of being part of the cabal profiting from the misery of the poor in Nigeria. One social media respondent, Amina Adamu, pointedly accused him of being a hoarder and a shylock merchant.

“Surely, there is a sign that he has hidden food, and by the grace of God, you will see, you will lose more than that”, said Amina. “If the poor will get better, Alhamdulilah! May God break those who play hide and seek.”

There are those who continue to make the academic argument that opening the borders to food imports will discourage local production. However, the answer to the current spate of banditry which has badly affected food production is complete routing of the criminals. Until that is done, Nigerians have to be fed.
In their bid to fully decode the complex persona of this intriguing politician, many Nigerians have zeroed in on his business activities. They draw attention to Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1136/2019 at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in which the court ordered AMCON to take over the assets of Bedko Nigeria Limited, one of Galadima’s companies. Bedko Nigeria Limited and Buba Galadima owed AMCON about N900 million. The order, which was granted to AMCON by Justice A.I. Chikere, also gave the government recovery agency the power to take over some properties belonging to the politician, including House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2 also in Abuja.
Nigerians, who have watched helplessly over the years as big political camels passed effortlessly through the eye of the needle, swore that Galadima was too big to be forced to pay his debts and that the court’s judgement ceding his company and other assets to AMCON was government’s way of reminding him that he wasn’t as squeaky clean as he wanted the world to be and that his soft underbelly was not unreachable.

Buba Galadima is a journalist’s delight any day and I hope Providence preserves him on this side of the divide for many more years. The fact that, in spite of his wide political experience, he has wrongly predicted the winner of Nigeria’s presidential elections on at least three separate occasions should teach him to sip the waters of humility. He is one politician who can be said to possess a functional brain – which is more than can be said of many of his colleagues.

In a 2015 interview, he boasted: “No politician has ever suffered the kind of calamities I went through in the country. I was arrested, detained and harassed about 38 times.”

In whipping up primitive ethnic sentiments over the reduction of food prices, however, he should tarry awhile to benefit from the counsel of this student of the university of life: Courage is to the brave what recklessness is to the foolish.

...Leads FG's delegation on condolence over Sheikh Saidu Hassan Jingir's death

Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Federal Government's unwavering commitment to ensuring lasting peace, stability and economic development in Plateau State and across Nigeria.

Speaking on Saturday in Jos during his condolence visit to the National Chairman, Council of Ulama Jama'atu Izalatul Bid'ah Wa'Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, the Vice President emphasised the administration's determination to foster national unity and progress.

"President Bola Ahmed Tinubu specifically directed me to convey his heartfelt condolences and to assure the people of Plateau that this administration places high premium on the peace and economic prosperity of this strategic state. We recognise the critical role Plateau plays in our national cohesion and development agenda," VP Shettima said.

The Vice President, who was in Jos to commiserate with Sheikh Jingir over the death of his close associate, Sheikh Saidu Hassan Jingir, commended Plateau State government's peace-building efforts.

"We must acknowledge and applaud the tireless efforts of the state government in maintaining the peace we now enjoy in Plateau. This administration will continue to support these initiatives because without peace, there can be no meaningful development," the VP said.

While offering prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Sheikh Saidu Hassan Jingir, who served as the Deputy National Chairman of the Ulama Council of JIBWIS, the Vice President also prayed for peace, stability, cohesion and progress across the nation.

"I want to assure all Nigerians that better days lie ahead. The economic reforms being implemented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are designed with the long-term prosperity of our nation in mind. We are already seeing early positive indicators, and we ask for your continued patience and support," he added.

Earlier in his speech, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their show of compassion during this difficult period.

"This visit demonstrates the human side of governance that often goes unnoticed. We are deeply touched by this gesture," Sheikh Jingir said.

"We are grateful to Allah for the good work President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are doing for Nigeria. True leadership requires commitment and patience with the people at all times, and this administration has shown both."

The religious leader specifically praised the government's responsiveness to infrastructure needs. "When we requested that the Jos-Saminaka-Kaduna road be fixed, you not only listened but acted swiftly. The Federal Executive Council's approval of N33 billion for the reconstruction of that critical road is evidence of a government that cares for its citizens," he noted.

On the administration's economic policies, Sheikh Jingir was unequivocal in his assessment: "The economic and agricultural initiatives of this government have begun yielding tangible results. We are witnessing a gradual but steady reduction in the prices of essential commodities, particularly foodstuff. This offers hope to ordinary Nigerians and validates the direction of your policies."

The cleric also spoke on the security situation in Plateau State, saying, "I am pleased to inform you that peace has come to stay in our beloved state. The followers of Islam, Christianity and other faiths have collectively resolved to embrace peaceful coexistence as the only path forward."

"This unity of purpose was clearly demonstrated during the funeral of our departed brother, Sheikh Saidu Hassan Jingir, when people from diverse religious backgrounds and all sections of the state gathered in unprecedented numbers to pay their respects. This is the Plateau we want to see and build upon.

"While we mourn our loss, we submit to the will of Allah. Death is inevitable for all mortals, and we find solace in the exemplary life our brother lived," he said.

The Vice President was received at the Yakubu Gowon Airport by the Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Her Excellency, Mrs. Josephine Piyo.

His delegation included the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Wase; Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, and Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Aliyu Modibbo Umar.

Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)

First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu says the Nation has a space for women in all spheres and they can occupy that space with their continued hard work and dedication.
She was speaking during the visit by the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Sports Commission and others paid her a visit at the State House Abuja.
The visit which was led by the Comptroller General of the NCS Wale Adeniyi was to honour her as the Grand Patron for the 2025 African Women’s Volleyball Championship, scheduled for April, this year.

The First Lady who expressed her appreciation noted that the Nation occupies the pride of place in the sports world due to the relentless efforts of female athletes.
She urged these females who have been made their mark to mentor and be role models to young Nigeria Females with the message of encouragement to them.
She called on female star athletes from Nigeria to come back home and inspire other girls.
“Share not just your stories of successes and achievements but also your humble beginnings”.
“I can see that out of the 4 DCGs here 3 of you are women. And that tells me you have worked, worked, worked and worked. For you to be at the top, you must have worked hard. When you have been given a platform, it is not just about you. Go on and lift others, encourage them”.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who according to her guests is fast gaining reputation as a pillar of sports in Nigeria, particularly, where it involves women explained that she is expected to carry yet another torch for women, this time as the Grand Patron for the 2025 African Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, to be hosted by Nigeria, with the Customs Service flying the flag of the nation.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, while presenting her with the offer said the Service has taken particular notes of her support for female athletes and teams in the country, and will want her inspire the Nigerian team to victory at the championship.
“there is a popular saying that when a woman puts her hand to the plough, the earth itself will respond to her. All your initiatives and generosity are unparalleled and this is a great source of inspiration to us all”.
In his remarks, the Director General of the National Sports Commission Bukola Olapade pointed out with enthusiasm that the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the support of the First Lady for Sports has brought in a new vista of life to participants in the sector especially the females.
According to the DG, the Nigerian Girl Child can now truly hold her head up high.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu was then presented with her kits as the Grand Patron of the 2025 Africa Female Volleyball Tournament.

23 other African countries are expected to join the host, Nigeria, at the championship which runs between April 1 and 14.

SIGNED
Busola Kukoyi
SSA Media to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Bitcoin’s recovery to $84,500 on Friday exemplifies why following crowd sentiment often leads to poor trading decisions.

The recent market movements contradict common predictions during periods of extreme fear or greed.

Data analysis from Santiment reveals that social media reached peak negativity when Bitcoin btc0.01%Bitcoin dipped to $78,000 earlier in the week. There was also online chatter about further declines. This pattern mirrors late February’s market behavior when a temporary price surge in early March followed retail traders’ bearish outlook.

“Bitcoin’s rally back to $84.5K Friday shows what happens when the Monday crowd claims it’s time to sell,” Santiment noted. “Predictably, FUD hit its peak as $BTC was down to $78K, with predictions pouring in for lower prices all across social media.”

The research highlights Bitcoin’s recent stability within a defined range, having neither fallen below $70,000 nor broken above $100,000 over the past month. This stability creates clear sentiment markers: predictions below $70,000 means excessive fear, while forecasts above $100,000 signal overexuberance.

“Historically, markets move the opposite direction of the crowd’s expectations,” Santiment explained. They noted that clusters of bearish predictions ($10K-$69K) often follow upward reversals, while groupings of bullish forecasts ($100K-$159K) usually signal downturns.

Technical analysis supports this sentiment-based approach. Crypto analyst Rekt Capital pointed out that “the signs for a weakening resistance were there.”

He noted that the recent price movement is filling the CME gap between $82,245 and approximately $87,000. He suggests that a daily close above resistance could catalyze further upward momentum.

The current market structure also presents potentially bullish technical signals. Another analyst, Merlijn The Trader, highlighted Bitcoin’s approaching “golden cross.”

This is a technical pattern where the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day moving average.

This indicator has historically preceded substantial rallies:

• 139% in 2016
• 2,200% in 2017
• 1,190% in 2020 following previous occurrences.

When sentiment reaches extremes, positions become overcrowded on one side, creating the conditions for sharp reversals. As traders collectively lean bearish, selling pressure exhausts, leaving primarily buyers to influence price action.

At last check, Bitcoin was down 0.2% for the day, trading at $84,145. It’s down 22.7% from its all-time high of $108,786.

[Crypto News]

Bitcoin is struggling to break past $85,000 in March, and traders on Polymarket, a Polygon-based prediction market, are betting that a major rally is unlikely.

Data from Polymarket shows that traders see almost no chance of Bitcoin reaching $200,000 by March 31, with the probability sitting at less than one percent.

The most popular bet suggests Bitcoin will remain below $75,000, with nearly 30% of traders backing that outcome. Even a move to $100,000 is seen as unlikely, with only a ten percent chance assigned to that level.

Bitcoin’s consolidation phase

Despite the bearish outlook from Polymarket traders, macro investor Dan Tapiero remains optimistic. Speaking on TheStreet Roundtable with Scott Melker, he said Bitcoin’s recent price action is unfolding exactly as expected.

“I think we’re going to chop up back and forth between $70,000 and $100,000 to digest all this news, and at some point, we’re going to head back up,” Tapiero said. “I’ve had this $180,000 target in mind for a while.”

He believes that the current consolidation phase is healthy for Bitcoin’s long-term growth and that the next major move will push the price toward $180,000, possibly by the end of the year.

While traders on Polymarket remain cautious, Tapiero sees no reason for concern. He pointed out that Bitcoin is still up significantly from 18 months ago, and market cycles take time to play out.

Bitcoin’s current market activity

As of now, Bitcoin is trading at $83,234, up 1% in the past 24 hours. The broader crypto market is also seeing gains, with Ethereum rising 1% to $1,900, and Solana climbing 5% to $132. BNB coin is up 2.47% at $594.06, while Dogecoin has gained 2% to $0.173.

Despite these price movements, overall trading volumes have been declining. February saw a sharp 20% drop in trading activity across centralized exchanges, falling to a four-month low of $7.2 trillion. The decline was largely attributed to macroeconomic concerns, including international trade tensions and tariff threats from the Trump administration.

[The Street]

The Goldman Sachs 2024 annual letter to shareholders devotes a few words to crypto and distributed ledger technology.

According to the report, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and other digital assets have led to "increased competition" in the financial industry.

The company notes it has exposure to distributed ledger technology via client facilitation, investment and as a third-party vendor only.

The report cites fears of the market and cyber vulnerabilities associated with these technologies.

“[A]lthough the prevalence and scope of applications of distributed ledger technology, cryptocurrency and similar technologies is growing, the technology is nascent and may be vulnerable to cyber attacks or have other inherent weaknesses”, states the letter.

In 2024, the bank was set to initiate tokenization projects to help clients invest in financial assets like real estate and money market using public and private blockchains.

However, this does not mean that the firm is making a major strategic pivot in the direction of cryptocurrencies, the report explains.

In December 2024, CEO David Solomon had suggested that Goldman Sachs would look to participate in Bitcoin and Ethereum markets if the U.S. regulatory landscape changed, stating that current regulations prohibited the bank to trade in cryptocurrency.

He also reiterated his characterization, as of this January, of Bitcoin being an “interesting speculative asset" adding, “I do not think Bitcoin is a threat to the US dollar” in an interview with CNBC back on January 22.

In late 2024, Goldman Sachs raised its holdings in Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by 15%. Based on its most recent 13F disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Goldman raised its total crypto ETF holdings to $2.05 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 from the $744 million it held in the third quarter.

With its largest concentration in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) at $1.2 billion, the bank's Bitcoin ETF holdings $1.6 billion.

[The Street]