Programme: City Talks with Reuben Abati

Time: 12:00

Guest: Inibehe Effiong
Public Interest and Human Rights Lawyer

Topic: Criminalized and Forgotten: The Plight of Nigerian Children Behind Bars.

Date April 12th, 2025

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"When I confided in my pastor that my husband and I were finally ready to try IVF, he shook his head so vigorously I thought he was going to have a fit.

“Your faith is gone. Sister, have you concluded that God needs help, that he cannot give you a child? Have you not heard testimonies of women who had babies in their 50s, even in their 60s? Have you forgotten the story of Sarah? Why do you want to help God?”

Sister Joke was lost, short of words, shaken, could not understand where her pastor was coming from, where all his objections were pouring from. She told her pastor about the IVF option not because she needed counsel on the subject. Her mind was made up. She just needed prayers and encouragement. She was not expecting her Pastor’s objection or disapproval. The man has a MSc in Biochemistry for God’s sake!

So, why do some men of God think assisted fertility in any form is evidence of faithlessness? Some don’t even want to hear of adoption, least of all surrogacy. Yours sincerely has ruminated over this for years and I have not found any answer. What exactly is it about IVF that is anti-God or anti-faith or unchristian? In my own little analysis of conception, the science or faith of it does not and cannot exclude God. I am Christian enough to know that the most extreme science or smartest scientists have not been able to totally exclude the hand of God in what happens between when ferterlized egg is implanted in a woman and when she takes the first pregnancy test. Even when all the protocols and precautions have been followed meticulously, many, very many pregnancy tests still turn out negative. The disappointment, pain and despair that follow that all important test can best be described by couples who have experienced it. Imagine a woman who had had to endure seeing her period every month, resolving to invest (hope and money) in IVF, only to see the period again?

What women, couples endure while in the Lord’s waiting room have been subjects of many books, seminars, sermons, movies and researches. But here’s another angle, is God against IVF? Or is it just that some pastors feel ‘insulted’ by their people’s decision to try something else apart the prayers and fasting they preach?

I have reliably leant that both Muslim and Christian clerics are guilty of this ‘offence’. Isn't it time they changed their stance and reviewed their world views on the subject of assisted fertility?

Meanwhile, while we are researching the holy books and praying for a change of heart for our faith leaders, let us address the primary stakeholders of the matter at hand, the waiting fathers, mothers and couples. Everybody prays to dash through the process of conception, long lip-smack enjoyable sex and a positive pregnancy test a few short weeks later. No stress, No waiting, no loitering, no suspense, just delicious love- making and a set of twins.

But more and more couples are these days, waiting so long for conception to occur, that sex eventually loses its taste and flavour. More marriages are breaking down because the babies ‘refuse’ to show up. More women are doing the unthinkable out of desperation to have children. Good men, otherwise faithful and committed husbands are straying, trying more than one forbidden fruit to become Daddies.

Who can judge a desperate Mother-in-waiting? Nobody should preach holy homilies to a man who is holding in zillions of sperms that can run but never reach their destination or when they do fertilize eggs that are not viable (doctor have many terms for that single word). Babies are just slower in arriving these days. I’m sure God knew these days would come, believe me or explain why science could not figure out surrogacy, IVF and all these new help centers 100 years ago but they are all readily available today, even in places like Nigeria where we don’t know what to do with readily available anything. And who gave the doctors the sense and zeal to take Ade’s sperm and Joke’s egg (without them having sex), make a baby in the laboratory and then transfer it back into Joke to carry to term. This minute, this very minute, it just occurred to me that the first IVF that happened was done really by God himself more than 2000 years ago. Mary, Virgin Mary, that is, had no sexual intercourse but got pregnant with Jesus Christ, right. God from his abode, in a laboratory, that is above all other laboratories ‘made a baby’ and implanted it in Mary. It was a miracle supervised by God, guided and guarded to term by God himself.

So, darling sister, God is in the boat of your life. A woman’s body is hers to protect from all kinds of violation from predators including men who blackmail her to have an abortion. It is also her decision to become a mother using the science alternatives. Just get your man on board and agree on a solution. Follow God’s example and pray to him to guide the doctor’s hands.

Those who tell a woman that IVF means doubting God’s faithfulness are never there when she cries until she cannot even make a sound or even produce a tear. Girl, do+ not wait until your eggs are old and dry before you make the first attempt. An IVF baby does not, will never stop God from giving you easily and naturally conceived babies. Jesus Christ had siblings that came from Joseph’s loins, Mary’s eggs. God is kind and unfathomable. A friend waited 25 years to get a first set of twins and then conceived naturally nine months later. While still breastfeeding the twins, she did not even know she was pregnant until she collapsed one morning while brushing her teeth. Her naughty husband scored a goal they tried all styles trying for 25 years! Go on. Do it. The best time to start is now.

Your sister’s or brother’s children are not yours. You are only claiming them by faith. It is safer for your mental health to deploy that faith you have in traditional adoption to assisted fertility. It may have worked in a few instances but the rate of failure is too high, too risky. By the time most women who adopted their nieces or nephews realize it, it usually too late to to undo the damage. The pain that follows such 'losses' are usually too deep and devastating that I say ‘why bother’. Ask Sisi Dupe the Yoruba star actress whose story broke a few weeks ago. Only she knows the pain. The lost years, the betrayal can lead to stroke or even sudden death. A woman who had been known and addressed as Mama Tunde wakes up one day to the sad reality hat the real Mama Tunde had just been humoring her all along.

Of course, assisted fertility procedures are expensive but you can save towards it. You can make a plan just like you make a plan for your annual rent, your wedding ceremony, a car and building or buying a house.

It’s a matter of focus, determination. Just kill the procrastination, stop complaining to everybody and just start. Make the first call.. Today.
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Re - Virgin hunters

Nice article as usual .

Any man who has deflowered is not deserving of a flower from a virgin and if he thinks he is lucky, God will turn it to a nightmare for him by marrying a frigid sexphobic lady!

God is not mocked; whatever a man sows the same he shall reap.

It does not really matter what the past had been. If any man ( or woman)is in Christ , he is a new creature, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. 2 Chor 5:17

-Olatunde S.

Considering the vast immensity of the global business landscape, few names command the same reverence and admiration as that of Aliko Mohammad Dangote, the richest black man in the world. Not given to one and done, Dangote, a serial investor and a visionary entrepreneur, has indelibly etched his mark on the annals of commerce, transforming not only his native Nigeria but also the African continent and beyond. His is a story of relentless determination, astute business acumen, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

An enigma of sorts, born on April 10, 1957, the business he founded currently has presence in 17 African countries and is a market leader in all the economic sub-sector where he operates on the continent. One of the Group’s subsidiaries, Dangote Cement Plc, is the largest listed company in West Africa and the first Nigerian company to join the Forbes Global 2000 Companies list. The Group has other subsidiaries: Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Dangote Sugar Refinery, and NASCON Allied Industries, with the latter two business units listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

His business group is fully diversified and operates in major sectors of the Nigerian economy including agriculture, foods, Sugar, salt, rice, real estate, steel, mining, communication, logistics, maritime, automotive, packaging, energy and infrastructure. The Dangote Fertiliser was commissioned on March 22, 2022 while the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was commissioned on May 22, 2023. The South Africa-based Brand Leadership Movement in collaboration with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) awarded Dangote ‘the most admired African brand’ in 2018, of African continent origin. Dangote sits on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa and is a member of the Steering Committee of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative, the Clinton Global Initiative, the McKinsey Advisory Council, and the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. He was named Co-chair of the US-Africa Business Center, in September 2016, by the US Chamber of Commerce.

Dangote amassed laurels both within and outside Nigeria in recognition of his achievements and philanthropy. On November 14, 2011, the Nigerian Government conferred on him the Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON), becoming the first person outside government functionaries to bag the honour. In 2013, he was conferred with the highest national honour in the Republic of Benin, the Grand Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Benin.

In 2014 he also made the list of CNBC’s “Top 25 Businessmen in the World” that changed and shaped the century. In November 2019, the Nigerian Government conferred on him the National Productivity Order of Merit Award in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian economy. In June 2021, he received the highest civilian honour in Cameroon – the Commander of the National Order of Valour – from the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.

Also in April 2014, TIME Magazine listed him among its 100 ‘Most Influential People in the World. For six consecutive years: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, Forbes listed him as the “Most Powerful Man in Africa” alongside the Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh el Sisi. In December 2014, he was named ‘Forbes Africa Person of the Year.’ In September 2015, he was named ‘African Businessman of the Year’ by London-based IC Publications. In October 2015, Aliko Dangote was listed among ‘50 Most Influential Individuals in the World’ by Bloomberg Markets.

In August 2022, Dangote was conferred with the Commander of the Order of Merit of Niger award by the then President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, in Niamey, in appreciation for services he rendered to the Republic of Niger and as well as a tribute to his business acumen and philanthropy. 

The President, as fondly called by hundreds of thousands of his employees, who earn a living through his investments, is a symbol of what can be achieved when ambition, innovation, and determination converge. Nothing speaks to these qualities better than his latest foray into midstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry at a time Nigeria’s oil refineries have languished in a state of disrepair, plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and a lack of political will to implement necessary reforms for over three decades. The country’s four state-owned refineries—located in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna—have failed to operate at optimal capacity, resulting in the paradox of an oil-rich nation heavily dependent on imported petroleum products, which has not only strained the economy but also exposed the nation to the volatility of global oil markets.

Recall that Dangote had in 2007 in the twilight of administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo purchased the carcass of Kaduna refinery in the hope that he would resurrect it and return it to full operations. Rather than see in the idea a national economic interest, the hawks felt otherwise and threw spanner in the works. Less than two weeks on assumption of office, they mounted pressure on the government and the late President Musa Yar’Adua rescinded the sale of the refinery, a singular decision that motivated Dangote to go back to the drawing board and opted for building his own refinery, which has now become the real game changer in the troubled Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

In an audacious move which no Nigerian businessman has ever taken, Dangote led the management of his Group, Dangote Industries Limited on September 4, 2013 to Abuja, in the full glare of many state governors and other stakeholders, to sign a $6 billion term loan agreement with a consortium of banks. The loan was part of the $9 billion estimated cost to build a 400,000 bpd refinery initially planned for Olokola Free Trade Zone, in Ondo State, to be financed with $3 billion equity and the rest from the banks. However, certain business considerations necessitated changing the location to Lagos Free Zone, Ibeju-Lekki and also increasing the refinery size to 650,000bpd thus shooting the cost to $19 billion.

It took Dangote over a decade to realize this dream of erecting a world class refinery in a country proliferated by rent seekers camouflaging as genuine investors. What stands out Dangote among the pack is his patriotic obsession with manufacturing which most Nigerian money men avoid like a plague as it takes time to bring returns. Kudos to Dangote because this is what Nigeria economy needs and not importation that reeks quick returns.

Today, beautiful to behold is the world single largest train Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, a monumental achievement that stands tall in the heart of Africa, symbolising innovation, progress, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. This colossal refinery not only marks a significant milestone in industrial achievement but also underscores the pivotal role of private enterprise in addressing longstanding infrastructural deficits in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Interestingly, while overburdened suffering Nigerians are hailing him for this feat chanting and labelling him as a liberator over the completion and subsequent roll out of petroleum products, the development rather created a deep seated hatred in the circle of Nigeria’s oil sector Cosa Nostra, members of which are the beneficiaries of the protracted logjam in the energy sector. To them Dangote is an irritant and a kill-joy kind of for delivering on the project. They never gave him a chance of final completion given the humongous size. They thought he was on a wild goose chase. How wrong they were. 

They just couldn’t stand the fact that the man already touted as the richest man in Africa is adding another prime asset to his crammed wealth collection. It doesn’t matter to them what the project means to Nigerians who have had to contend with a vicious circle of fuel scarcity all year round. Dangote refinery is seen as a ploy to take their hands off the cookie jar or so it would seem, then Dangote has stirred the hornet’s net and should therefore bear the consequence. Even the official regulators who should celebrate the project went all out to disparage the refinery and demonise the founder.

Given the Nigerian government’s long-standing inability to revitalise its own refineries, Dangote Refinery to ordinary Nigerians emerges as a testament to what visionary business leadership and private sector dynamism can achieve in the face of governmental irresponsibility that has dogged the nation’s socio political and economic landscapes. A visit to the refinery’s Single Point Mooring System (SPM) located 20km in the middle of the ocean offshore through which crude is received and refined products sent out, leaves one with one question as to what could have been the motivation for the project. Certainly, profit only could not have been for the construction of the facility but also sheer patriotism and love for dear country.

None of his traducers could have put their money into a business that will take over a decade to complete. Little wonder, scores of them that were given refinery licenses years before him failed to erect a single pole but converted them to fuel import license that brings returns almost immediately especially with the regime of obnoxious subsidy.

At 68, he continues to chart new territories and explore innovative opportunities. His legacy as a transformative entrepreneur remains firmly intact. 

His vision for a self-reliant Africa, driven by industrialisation and economic empowerment, is gradually taking shape. Through his pioneering efforts, Dangote has demonstrated that Africa’s potential is boundless, and that with determination and vision, remarkable achievements are within reach.

Happy birthday to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger standing tall at the helm in Dangote Group.

. Awowole-Browne, a Strategic Communication Expert, writes from Lagos.

The proposed Abia Airport in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, has sparked fresh controversy, with increasing concerns about the government’s transparency, or lack thereof, in the land acquisition process.

Local communities are demanding clarity on the amount of land acquired and the beneficiaries of the compensation scheme, claiming that the process is convoluted and potentially flawed.

The Abia State government has repeatedly stated that the airport project will require 1025 hectares of land. However, communities are now demanding definitive proof.

Community leaders and residents are demanding that the government publicly release a detailed breakdown of land acquired by the community to determine whether the total land area matches the claimed 1025 hectares.

“We need concrete evidence,” declared Chief Eze Ugochukwu, a prominent community leader. “The government keeps using the 1025-hectare figure, but we have yet to see any verifiable documentation to back up this claim.

“We deserve to know exactly how much land has been taken from each community and that it matches what has been promised.”

Allegations that imported names were added to the list of landowners and allocated significant portions of land are fuelling the fire.

Landowners argue that people who have no legitimate claim to ancestral land are being strategically placed to benefit from the compensation scheme.

To address these concerns, there is a strong call for the government to publish a comprehensive list of landowners whose properties have been acquired, as well as the exact amount of land taken from each individual.

The landowners believe that this critical step will help confirm the legitimacy of the land acquisition process and expose any potential fraud.

“We are hearing whispers about people who have no connection to this land being given large swathes of it. “This is simply unacceptable,” said Mrs. Ngozi Okoro, a Nsulu landowner.

“The government must publish the names of the landowners and the extent of their land acquisition so that we can confirm the legitimacy of this process. We have heard stories about party members being given large parcels of land. To prevent injustice, the government must be transparent.”

The lack of transparency is exacerbated by differences in compensation packages.

According to reports, compensation for land acquired for similar projects in Ukwa and Umuahia was set at around N1.8 million per plot.

However, the compensation rate and process for the Nsulu airport project are shrouded in secrecy, raising concerns about unfair treatment.

“Why is the Nsulu compensation being handled so differently?” questioned Mr. Chidi Nwankwo, a community youth leader. “We are aware of the compensation rates offered in other parts of the state.” Why is Nsulu’s case so secretive? Are we being cheated on purpose? We demand the same level of transparency and fairness as our Abia counterparts.”

Adding to the concerns, private estate surveyors consulted by community representatives estimate that the actual land acquired for the airport is closer to 500 hectares, significantly less than the government’s claim of 1025 hectares. This disparity raises serious concerns about the future of the remaining 600 hectares.

“Our private estate surveyors have confirmed that the actual land acquired is around 500 hectares. “Where is the rest of the land going?” Asked Chief Ugochukwu.

“Who benefits from the alleged seizure of our 600 hectares of land?” The government must answer these questions and provide concrete evidence to refute these allegations.”

Rising tensions highlight the critical need for the Abia State government to prioritise transparency and address the Nsulu community’s concerns.

The government can rebuild trust and ensure the airport project moves forward fairly and equitably by publishing the requested information, which includes a breakdown of land acquired per community, a comprehensive list of landowners and their land allocations, and a clear explanation of the compensation process.

Without transparency, the Abia Airport project in Nsulu risks causing long-term resentment and undermining the very development it seeks to bring.

The burden of proof is on the government to demonstrate that the land acquisition process is just, transparent and benefits the entire community, not just a select few.

The Nigerian Senate (Red Chamber) under the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is a joke. If anyone thinks the Senate is not a joke but represents an arm of government, it is still a joking arm of government where joking relationship seems not to be frowned upon. I am yet to change my stance that the Red Chamber, under Akpabio, is not capable of making common and uncommon Nigerians happy through lawmaking and oversight function especially as that relates to checkmating the excesses of the executive arm of government and its proclivity towards dictatorialism. And this because the Senate President is an uncommon senate president.

Under this current regime which has President Tinubu as the First Citizen, it is doubtful if the three arms of government still exist. Examples abound to argue that the three arms of government, since the emergence of uncommon Akpabio with the support of Tinubu, had been merged into one single executive arm. The executive arm, which looks like a merciless sledge hammer, now hammers the masses at will—unhindered and unchecked. That sledge hammer does not discriminate between the lowly and mighty. Once one does not belong to the caucus of Tinubu’s henchmen, escaping that sledge hammer would be miraculous. That is why I pity Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in her lone fight. 

Who is Natasha to challenge Akpabio? If the bimbo eruption in the Red Chamber could be verified to be true, who is Natasha to say ‘no’ to Akpabio’s advances? Maybe she needs to be tutored that as a senator, one loses his or her gender and transforms into a unique human specie that cannot be sexually harassed. I don’t know if that is what a former female senator, Florence Ita-Giwa, meant when she said: “When you get to the Senate, you are there as a person. You’re not there as a man or woman.”

Bimbo eruption means a sex scandal in which a woman publicly accuses a male politician of sexual misconduct. The problem here is that the woman making the accusation is also a politician. I have, for long, struggled to find a streak of integrity in the Senate President. Yet, I must say it clearly that it is difficult to believe any of the Akps (Akpoti and Akpabio). Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a saint that must be believed and Akpabio may not be the billy goat that he has been caricatured to be—no matter how loose we think he conducts himself. 

Untill Natasha substantiates her claim that Akpabio harassed her and was fixated on that ‘thing’ that should ideally be monopolized only by her husband, it is still an allegation that women easily make against men when they lock horns with men. This is  not to say the Senate President is not lascivious (we should not forget his “We are not in a nightclub” address to Natasha sometime in July 2024). It is also not to say he is. The truth is that lasciviousness, of this magnitude that involves the Third Citizen, can only be established with convincing evidence; not by mere weaponization of the media to heat the polity. 

Again, Akpabio might be excused since he is known for his characteristic verbal diarrhea or ‘verbal incontinence’ as Prof Toyin Falola chose to put it, but can’t the Third Citizen learn to be polite or pretend to have some dignity while discharging his duty as Senate President? Only few would raise an eyebrow, for instance, if he uses dirty language in a club while he socializes with female lawmakers. Dignified language should, however, be reserved for the Parliament and the serious business of lawmaking.

Whether Natasha is right or wrong in her accusation, she has been knocked out (for six months). She was suspended, they said, not because of the sexual harassment allegation made by her but because of her unruliness in flouting some rules in the Parliament as they relate to sitting arrangement. We thought the suspension was too much for punishment, we were wrong. A recall process was immediately initiated. Akpoti has indeed crossed the red line. Fighting Akpabio, if she was well informed and appropriately counselled, is like fighting the Federal Government. For that reason, even the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, who was once threatened to be impregnated when she was a senator by an unruly misogynistic senator could not empathize with her. Her body language to Natasha is OYO (On Your Own).

Though Natasha outsmarted the powers that be in Kogi State and rendered them toothless and tactless by her ‘magical’ helicopter in her last visit where she was warmly welcomed by an overwhelming crowd of supporters, one is not sure if she would defeat the powerful Akpabio even if she could convincingly substantiate her claim. I am saying this because this regime seems to be more dictatorial than democratic. If that assumption is right, no amount of evidence could all the Natashas of this world pull together to unseat or villainize Akpabio. He is although a lawmaker, Akpabio belongs to the presidency and the presidency belongs to him. But, again, because Natasha has been carrying the global community along, we can only remain spectators in the ongoing match of immorality in our national parliament.

Akpoti versus Akpabio’s harassment match started long time ago. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the sitting arrangement which led to the unmuting of the initially muted sexual harassment. Now again, it is assassination harassment. But this time, it is Natasha that is harassing Akpabio. So, what do the suffering Nigerian masses gain in all this? Nothing! 

Conversely, what do the suffering Nigerian masses lose in all this? Everything! When lawmakers abandon lawmaking to entertain the citizens with in-house altercation that bothers on sexual harassment, we can only mourn the death of democracy or queue behind the Burkinabe military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who recently claims democracy does not produce development. Traore’s claim about democracy is true of Nigeria. One of the products democracy produces in Nigeria is the shameful display in our national assembly. No one should think all our lawmakers are birds of the same feathers. It is possible there are fine exceptions but their voice cannot withstand the cacaphonous voices that we often hear.

In one of my columns two years ago after the inauguration of the 10th Senate and knowing that Akpabio is the Senate President, I wrote: “I advised Nigerian lawmakers that law-making is a serious job and that it should be given the seriousness it deserves. Nigerians are not to be ridiculed in the name of law-making.” I saw it coming and it has come to pass. Although I never knew there would be bimbo eruption and that things will be this bad and even worse, I knew many of the lawmakers will end up ridiculing Nigerians.

Nigerians are eager to see Natasha in court to prove her allegations or shut up. They are also eager to see Akpabio in court to defend himself or apologize to Natasha and recall her from suspension. If Natasha would not shut up and Akpabio would not apologize, the court should act fast to determine their case. My advice to them is not to be represented by lawyers or any legal team. After all, they both read law and bagged a degree in law. If they both defend themselves in person, the sexopolitical drama will be more interesting. 

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests.

The discussions in this session have been quite enriching. Our profound thanks to the speakers and the panelists for their incisive analysis. 

These analyses have lent insightful perspectives to the discourse regarding how Africa can leverage the potential in its 1.3 billion population to boost trade and investment. Such a large population, plus Africa’s combined GDP of $3.4 trillion and the fact that the continent has 65 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, means that Africa should actually be building the table – and not waiting to be invited to the table.

But one of the challenges lies in translating Africa’s remarkable potential into real economic development that benefits the continent’s people. The big question has always been how that can be achieved. One of the solutions lies in fully exploiting the power of trade, particularly intra-Africa trade. It would seem this was what the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA came to fill. Indeed, the need for integration and trade facilitation has never been more compelling than now, given all the existential crises we are experiencing.

The World Bank estimates that AfCFTA could lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, raise incomes for 68 million people, and boost Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035. That is about 10 years from now. But another big question is the extent to which AfCFTA’s key objectives, such as removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers have been actualised. The answer leaves much to be desired. Rhetoric has not been matched with necessary action. The result is that the economic benefits that African economies would have reached from improved inter-trade remains a dream defied.

How can it be explained that despite its vast arable land, Africa still spends $40bn on food imports, annually? Now, imagine what difference such a substantial sum could have had on African economies if they were generated by intra-continental trade.

The dream of a continent-wide common market remains as yet elusive. Despite our frameworks, deep-rooted structural barriers still exist: Only 14.4% of Africa’s trade is intra-African, compared to 69% in Europe and 59% in Asia. Just 7% of Africa’s trade moves by air, yet we still face the highest intra-continental flight costs in the world. Over 70% of goods are transported by road — but poor road infrastructure and border bottlenecks cost us over $4 billion annually in lost trade.

Furthermore, maritime transport is underutilised. Only one in ten African countries has a major port efficiently connected to inland markets. Only 1 in 10 African countries has a major port efficiently connected to inland markets. Rail systems – our most cost-effective bulk trade option — remain disconnected or outdated across most of the continent. These statistics are dismal, especially given that it is nearly a decade since the signing of the AfCFTA.

But it is not all doom and gloom. Europe’s long walk to the European Union offers some inspiration, given the many barriers it faced. It took the European Union over 35 years — from the Treaty of Rome in 1957 to the launch of the Single Market in 1993 — to fully realise a space where goods, services, capital, and people could move freely. They did not just talk integration — they backed it with laws, infrastructure, and political commitment. The Schengen Agreement, which came later, made it possible to travel across most European countries without a passport. The EU’s common legal and regulatory framework ensures that a product approved in one country can move freely across all others — without new checks or taxes. It was not instant — but it was intentional.

Africa can learn from this. We do not need to reinvent the wheel — we just need to align ours. If Europe could do it with dozens of languages, diverse economies, and a history of divisions, then AfCFTA as its compass, Africa has every reason to succeed.

However, we cannot talk about building a common market when we are not yet connected — physically or digitally. So, the question is not what is wrong, but what must be done. First, consolidation is key. We need more than political will. We need a unified legal and regulatory framework — one that harmonises trade rules, streamlines procedures, and builds confidence for businesses across borders.

Second, investment in the enablers is critical. The growth engines of African trade are not abstract: they are transport corridors, smart ports, cross-border rail, digital payments, efficient customs, and unified standards.

Africa’s youthful population may be a unique demographic advantage in a world where many other continents contend with aging populations. But it could still prove to be a social tinderbox if not carefully harnessed. Nurturing Africa’s human capital should be seen as an imperative because it is every nation’s true wealth. No nation ever rises above the sheer capacity of its human capital. So, it goes without saying that growing our human capital will necessarily entail fixing our education system. Only when we sufficiently train our youths can they be truly considered as the future of world labour. This is a development imperative.

That brings me to a challenge and a call to action. AfCFTA is not a feel-good creation. Neither should it be subsumed by a regional block. It is for all of us. Let us not allow regionalism to become a barrier to pan-African growth. Let us unite our markets, our ports, our rails, and our ambitions.

To global partners: Africa is a force — in fintech, agriculture, logistics, green energy, and more. While much of the world is aging, Africa is getting younger. By 2030, over 40% of the world’s youth will be African. That is not just statistics — that is a competitive advantage.

So, the message deductible from the discussions this afternoon is that Africa’s economic renaissance lies in extensive trade – not aid or charity.

Africa is ready. Let us turn frameworks into highways; Let us turn policies into power; Let us turn potential into performance. The time is now. And the opportunity is massive. And Africa is moving.

Thank you.

•Being a closing remark by Governor Mbah of Enugu State during the session on “The Africa Opportunity: Regional Collaboration and Trade Facilitation” at the just concluded Commonwealth Enterprises and Investment Summit in London

The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise has vowed to investigate the alleged diversion of imported finished goods to FreeTrade Zones (FTZs) from other ports by unscrupulous Customs Licence Clearing and Forwarding agents in connivance with bad eggs in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Leke Abejide, stated this in an address at the Lekki Free Trade Zone Command of the NCS on Friday.

According to him, the criminality which he described as a great economic sabotage, was perpetrated to shortchange the nation of needed revenues, especially the loss of over N1.5 trillion in one year.

He said, “It was so bad that in one of the free trade zones that I don’t want to mention because I don’t want them to run away; we know them and we will go back to five years later and collect this trillions from them. So this is where you should be looking at.

“They will not pay duty because the law says in three months after production you will come and pay duty. They will go and sell first. Honourable colleagues, this has worked so fast.We need to do something about it. More than 1.5 trillion lost in the process of this last year.

“We are doing it already but I don’t say it out. The system we are going to use, they will know that we, too, we are experts in this. We will be able to get them those who they thought they have beaten five years, they must vomit it.

“We know them and I believe in this place it’s happening too whereby they will come in the form of bringing raw materials and they bring finished goods and they take it to the market”.

Speaking at DUFIL Prima Packaging factory located within the Lekki FTZ, the committee chairman said the House would amend the NEPZA Act to address the loopholes that companies and individuals exploit to shortchange the government.

[DailyTrust]