As a way of building the capacity of learners on creative thinking, Ogun State government has trained 500 selected senior secondary school students on computer literacy to create content, towards enhancing digital knowledge.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, while speaking during the opening of a 4-Day capacity building for the students, tagged, ’’Build-A-Thon Programme’’, organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, in conjunction with the Ministry, said the initiative was an avenue to take the state to a greater height.

Prof. Arigbabu, in a statement made available to newsmen by Mr. Ayoola Obadimu, Press Officer, MOES&T, pointed out that the training would provide opportunities for the students to develop their talents, relate and learn from one another, share experience, as well as become technology experts, hinting that the training was ongoing simultaneously in Imo and Maiduguri states and be replicated in all the 517 secondary schools in the state.

"If we develop children in this way, most of our problems will be easily solved. To me, this is the beginning of many good things to happen in the country. We want to catch the students young, starting from this stage; they are being developed as critical thinkers, problem solvers and technology experts", he said.

Also speaking, Minister for Communication, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, represented by his Special Assistant, Mrs. Banke Ajagunna, stated that the event would enable students get more involved in technological revolution.

Earlier, Director of Education, Science and Technology in the Ministry, Mr. Sunkanmi Ogunpola, explained that the programme was introduced to create an avenue where teenagers could grow up to be problem solvers.

Two of the benefiting students, Oluwatomi Talabi of Anglican High School, Ibara and Anjolaoluwa Adebowale of Lafenwa High School, both in Abeokuta, appreciated the Federal and state governments on behalf of other learners for the laudable initiative, describing the programme as an agenda to secure the future generation of the country.

The tectonic plates of international relations were not just trembling in January 2024; they had been grumbling for months. The tremors first became apparent on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2023. Ryan Shaban, in the January 2024 Eurasia Strategy Insights report, described the scene of the first UNGA emergency session held in 26 years, where a resolution demanding an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza exposed a starkly fractured world. 153 out of the UN's 193 member states voted in favour of the resolution -- highlighting a shift in the global power dynamic. The United States, for the first time in recent memory -- which voted alongside 9 other countries that opposed the resolution -- seemed to be on the outside looking in; its grip on the international political order loosening. This undercurrent of multipolarity, which has now bubbled into January 2024, has promised to reshape the international stage in unpredictable ways this year.

For those of us here in Nigeria, the tremors in December should have been a reminder that in the global order, alliances are fluid and interests diverse. 

This is why, with the North-South divide at Davos, the newly expanded BRICS+ flexing their muscles globally, the US-China diplomatic dance in Africa, and the lessons of African excellence from the ongoing African Cup of Nations — the message has become clear: the old world order has changed — and Nigeria must be intentional and strategic if it wants to play a prominent role in the new global order.

Here are three geopolitical trends that Nigerians should pay attention to on the international stage in 2024.

NORTH VS SOUTH, DAVOS VS KAMPALA

The World Economic Forum in Davos brought together leaders from the established powers of the global North to discuss pressing international issues like climate change, economic inequality, and technological disruption. At the same time, the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Uganda gathered representatives from about 120 nations — many of which are developing countries that belong to the global South — to advocate for their interests and priorities on the international agenda.

These contrasting events underscored the evolving landscape of international relations. The global South, once largely on the periphery of the global order, is now playing an increasingly assertive role. Developing countries are becoming more vocal about matters that affect their national interests — and collaborating to advance these shared interests.

The juxtaposition of the cold, wintry forum at Davos, and the warm, sunny summit in Kampala also highlighted the key areas of divergence between the interests of the global North and the global South. Going into 2024, the North is focusing on cold hard issues like economic growth, the proliferation of artificial intelligence and the free market system. On the other hand, the South is prioritising optimistic objectives like sustainable development, poverty reduction, and access to resources. These differences in priorities may lead to increased tensions this year— or, they can serve as launchpads for collaboration on the international stage.

As the world continues to evolve rapidly, it is important to bridge the divide between the global North and South. Developed and developing countries need to find ways to communicate and cooperate on common challenges in order to build a more inclusive and equitable international order.

This is why, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nigeria's calls for a democratisation of the international order could not have come at a more appropriate time. While speaking on a panel titled "Securing an Insecure World," our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, argued that the current structure of the United Nations Security Council, with its permanent members and veto powers, is outdated and hinders effective decision-making on critical issues that affect the global South.

Responding to a question on what the global North must do to accommodate the interests of the global South, the Foreign Minister criticised the veto power held by the five permanent members, which he described as undemocratic — stating that these powers prevent the passage of resolutions on pressing conflicts. He also called for a number of reforms, including the creation of new permanent seats for countries like Nigeria — which would better reflect the realities of the 21st century.

Now, Nigeria must see how it can work within the established international framework to lead this democratisation process —understanding that this change will not be served à la carte and that the only thing that remains constant on the international stage is that every country, even our allies, are self-interested.

BLINKEN, CHINA, AND BRICS+

In another major trend, geopolitical analysts are also closely monitoring the growing influence of China and BRICS+ nations on global affairs. To put this into perspective, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), with a projected 43% of global oil production under their belts, BRICS+ nations are poised to challenge the West's dominance in the financial sphere through the creation of a new institutional development bank and their de-dollarisation agenda. This move could potentially reshape the global financial landscape and offer alternative financing options for developing countries.

China, specifically, with its expanding influence in the global South, will also have a major impact on the future of international relations. For instance, following the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visits this month to Egypt, Tunisia, Togo, and Ivory Coast—in response, the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, announced a four-state visit to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Angola, and Nigeria.

For both superpowers, their visits to Africa were strategically motivated. China was sending a signal regarding the future trajectory of Africa-China collaboration. While the United State’s visit was aimed at securing and strengthening its already existing partnerships across the continent.

For us here in Nigeria, we must see the visit of both Wang Yi and Blinken to Africa as a reminder that the global superpowers have growing or declining strategic interests on the continent. Hence, we must evaluate our strategic alliances on a case-by-case and issue-by-issue basis. As the foremost political, economic, and military force in the West African subregion, if we want to maintain our strategic relevance, every decision that we take must adhere to our longstanding commitment to multilateralism and non-alignment.

Moving forward, our foreign policy must be primed to monitor the growing influence of BRICS+ on the global financial system, in order to take early advantage of any benefits that might arise from such a system. As we do this, we must also maintain a strong relationship with the West that prioritises our development objectives and overall national economic and security interests.

AFCON AND SOFT POWER

The ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Ivory Coast serves as a powerful reminder that the world will pay for and pay attention to well-organised African entertainment, and will tune in to watch African excellence. With a staggering 6000 media accreditation applications – over 100% more than the 2022 Cameroon edition – the tournament has captivated global interest. This surge is further fuelled by a significant increase in financial backing from broadcasters across continents, promising a substantial viewership boost for this AFCON. This translates not just to amplified broadcasting revenue for CAF, but also to a crucial boost for football development across Africa.

Nigeria must see this AFCON’s success as a story of African excellence translated globally through entertainment. This is why we must look beyond the traditional avenues like security, economics, and diplomacy to exert our international influence. We already have an organic international reputation as a global superpower in the entertainment sector; it is time for us to turn this reputation into an actual National Softpower Strategy. 

Such a strategy should be driven by the global reach of Nigerian music and Nollywood. It should also focus on crafting a new and compelling international brand for Nigeria that amplifies our strengths, confronts our negative stereotypes, and opens new doors for beneficial international partnerships. It would be non-traditional diplomacy, but with the way the world is fast-evolving beyond non-traditional ways of doing things, a national ‘dancing diplomacy’ strategy — aka a Softpower Strategy — may not be such a bad idea.

First published in Daily Trust and Guardian newspapers on Thursday, January 25th,2024: https://dailytrust.com/from-superpower-to-soft-power-nigerias-diplomatic-dance-in-2024/ and https://guardian.ng/opinion/from-superpowers-to-soft-power-nigerias-diplomatic-dance-in-2024/

In what appears to be a landmark economic decision of the Bola Tinubu-led administration, the Federal Government last year, precisely on August 16, 2023 through the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) secured a $3.3 billion emergency crude repayment loan, which according to the NNPC, was to help give support to the Naira and stabilize the Foreign Exchange market.

The curious thing about this transaction is that up till now, the Federal Government continues to keep mum about it, and the only information available to the public on the mega deal is coming only through unofficial sources from the NNPC.

The deal is supposed to be a crude-for-cash loan arranged by the African Export-Import Bank.

According to information available, a Special Purpose Vehicle called Project Gazelle Funding Limited is driving the deal, and it was incorporated in the Bahamas. 

The SPV is the borrower while the NNPC is the sponsor, with an agreement to pay with crude oil to the SPV in order to liquidate the loan at an interest rate that is a little over 12 per cent.

What is even more confounding about this deal is why the Federal Government would register a company in the Bahamas, knowing full well the recent scandal of the Paradise Papers that involved that country.

Curiously also, Nigeria’s current Barrels Produced Daily (BPD) is 1.38 million, and according to the Project Gazelle deal, Nigeria is to supply 90,000 Barrels of its daily production, starting from 2024 till it is up to 164.25 million barrels for the repayment of the loan.

Now, this is where the details get disturbing because Nigeria’s benchmark for the sale of crude per barrel in 2024 is $77.96. A simple multiplication of that figure by 164.25 will give us a whooping $12bn.

It is on this note that we are calling on the Federal Government to speak up on this shady deal. 

It is inconceivable that the Federal Government will lead the country to take a loan of $3.3b with an interest rate that is not more than 12 per cent, but with estimated repayment amounting to $12bn.  

That is a humongous differential of about $7b between what is in the details of the deal on paper and what indeed is the reality.

There are questions to be answered on the integrity of this deal, and we earnestly request the Federal Government to talk directly on these cloudy details behind the deal.

We therefore demand, on behalf of the ordinary people of Nigeria, that the Federal Government provides answers to the following questions.

1. Has the Federal Government accessed the loan?

2. Is the loan in the government’s borrowing plan as approved by the National Assembly?

3. Who are the parties to the loan, and what specific roles are they expected to play?

4. What are the conditions to the loan, including tenor, repayment terms, the collateral, and the interest rate?

5. And, lastly, why register an SPV in the Bahamas knowing the recent scandal of the country’s notoriety for warehousing unclean assets?

Signed:

Atiku Abubakar

Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007

25th January, 2024.

Nigeria’s currency fell to a record low of N1,416 per dollar at the parallel market following strong demand amid shortage as traders hoard the available dollars.

This indicated a 15.19 percent depreciation year-on-year when compared to N1,200 at the beginning of the month.

“Some people are hoarding the dollars waiting for when the demand will be high. Again, the market is uncertain of the next action by the government, a trader who gave his name as Aliu said.

At the official foreign exchange (FX) market, naira weakened by 0.41 percent as the dollar was quoted at N882.24 on Wednesday as against N878.61 closed on Tuesday at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), data from the FMDQ showed.

During the intraday trading on Wednesday, currency dealers quoted one dollar at N1,313, (high) on the spot and N700 lower rate. However, the rates were stronger than N1,336.05 and N701 per dollar respectively quoted on Tuesday.

The daily foreign exchange market turnover declined marginally by 3.18 percent to $56.60 million on Wednesday from $58.46 million recorded on Tuesday.

Yemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, on Wednesday declared that the national currency, the naira, is currently undervalued. Speaking at the launch of the NESG 2024 Macroeconomic Outlook report, he outlined the bank’s commitment to stabilizing the currency through genuine price discovery.

Cardoso emphasized a coordinated approach with fiscal measures to expedite the process, stating, “We believe that the naira is currently undervalued, and coupled with coordinated measures on the fiscal side, we will expedite genuine price discovery in the near term. This coordinated approach will contribute to a more balanced and stable exchange rate.”

Highlighting collaborative efforts, he pointed to initiatives ensuring that all foreign exchange (FX) inflows pass through the Central Bank.

This coordinated effort, he said, would greatly enhance the bank’s FX flows and contribute to the accretion of reserves.

Cardoso attributed the expected stability in the foreign exchange market for 2024 to the reduction in petroleum products imports and the recent implementation of a market-determined exchange rate policy.

He said, “This reform is designed to streamline and unify multiple exchange rates, fostering transparency and reducing arbitrage opportunities. The resulting consistent and stable exchange rate will not only boost investor confidence but also attract foreign investment, elevating Nigeria’s appeal to global investors.”

[BusinessNg]

The social media group, Meta, has rolled out new features that will place further restrictions on how teens receive messages on Facebook and Instagram.

The company said the new measures being rolled out today build on its earlier policy restricting people above 19 from messaging teens who are not following them.

Meta said it is now turning off teens’ ability to receive DMs from anyone they do not follow or are not connected to on Instagram including other teens by default.

In addition, Meta is also making its parental controls more robust by allowing guardians to allow or deny changes in default privacy settings made by teens. Previously, when teens changed these settings, guardians got a notification, but they couldn’t take any action on them.

What Meta is saying

Announcing the new features to protect teens on its social media platforms on Thursday, Meta said:

• “To help protect teens from unwanted contact on Instagram, we restrict adults over the age of 19 from messaging teens who don’t follow them, and we limit the type and number of direct messages (DMs) people can send to someone who doesn’t follow them to one text-only message.
• “Today we’re announcing an additional step to help protect teens from unwanted contact by turning off their ability to receive DMs from anyone they don’t follow or aren’t connected to on Instagram – including other teens – by default.
• “Under this new default setting, teens can only be messaged or added to group chats by people they already follow or are connected to, helping teens and their parents feel even more confident that they won’t hear from people they don’t know in their DMs.
• “This default setting will apply to all teens under the age of 16 (or under 18 in certain countries). Those already on Instagram will see a notification at the top of their Feed letting them know we’re making these changes to their message settings.”

The company added that it is also making these changes to teens’ default settings on Messenger, where under 16s (or under 18 in certain countries) will only receive messages from Facebook friends, or people they’re connected to through phone contacts, for example.

More parental control

Meta first launched parental supervision on Instagram in March 2022 and since then has continued to add new features to help involve parents more in their teens’ online experiences.

These include the ability for parents to set time limits and schedule breaks, to understand when their teen blocks or shares they have reported someone, and to be notified when their teen changes their settings. The company is now adding more features.

“Now, parents using supervision will be prompted to approve or deny their teens’ (under 16) requests to change their default safety and privacy settings to a less strict state – rather than just being notified of the change.

For example, if a teen using supervision tries to change their account from private to public, change their Sensitive Content Control from “Less” to “Standard”, or – now – tries to change their DM settings to hear from people they’re not already following or connected to, their parent will receive a notification prompting them to approve or deny the request,” Meta said.

[Nairametrics]

President Bola Tinubu has urged the Super Eagles to improve their performance and do better in the final stages of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.

Tinubu’s message was conveyed to the national team through the Minister of Sports, John Enoh, who spoke to the players from Abuja via Zoom on Wednesday night.

According to Enoh, the President was not too impressed with the showing of the team during the group stage.

He said, “I had a meeting with the President yesterday. I went to the villa for something else and the President cornered me and said we (Eagles) managed to qualify and I said that’s how we are going to keep going until we win the tournament.

“He said that I should tell the players that he wasn’t too impressed with the last match but he knows that now that they are off the group stages, they are going to impress him more.

“That’s what the President told me and it means that the President is actually watching your matches. Would you believe this? And the President is urging you and also showing an understanding of the game because he knows that there is a lot of caution at the group stage and from the round of 16, you are going to be more impressive.

“I remember that in 2022 in Cameroon, Egypt as a country struggled to qualify but they went ahead to play the finals.”

Responding, team captain, Ahmed Musa, thanked the sports minister but also called on the President to come to see them play live, saying it would serve as a motivation to the players.

The Super Eagles will play the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the last 16 of the tournament on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

[Leadership]

British media and hospitality company, Time Out, has ranked Lagos above Melbourne, Australia; Naples, Italy; Singapore; Miami, US; Dubai, UAE; Beijing, China; Montreal, Canada among others, in its best city to visit list.

It ranked New York city as number one city in the world while South Africa’s Cape Town placed second in the list that contained 50 cities. 

The firm which ranked Lagos as the 19th best city to visit in the world, said it drew its conclusion from a survey of more than 20,000 city dwellers around the world, along with its network of editors.

The criteria used to rate the cities include food (quality and affordability), culture, nightlife, how the city makes people feel, strong community vibes, access to green space, historic sites, and much more.

“Whether you’re a staunch mainlander or from Lekki, there’s something for everyone in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city. Posh Victoria Island continues to deliver a trifecta of swanky resorts, food haunts, and nightlife.

“Lekki is for the brunchers – make Maple Lagos your first stop. On the mainland, Kuti’s Bistro in Ikeja, owned by the legendary afrobeat family, serves up reliably delicious food and hosts parties, karaoke and games nights.

“And then there are the beaches – hit up Oniru Beach for some fun in the sun, but be sure to bring naira for this private beach. For those who live for the night, Hard Rock Cafe Lagos provides a massive indoor-outdoor playground with top artists including DJ Obi (‘Obi’s House’ on Mondays), who set a Guinness World Record in 2016 for a 240-hour marathon set,” it said about Lagos.

Melbourne, Australia; Naples, Italy; Singapore; Miami, US; Bangkok, Thailand; Lima, Peru; Budapest, Hungary; Beijing, China; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Montreal, Canada and Glasgow, UK ranked 19th to 30th respectively. Accra, Ghana, the other African country in the list was ranked 44th ahead of Marseille, France (45); Taipei, Taiwan (46); Istanbul, Turkey (47); Osaka, Japan (48); Hong Kong, China (49) and Vancouver, Canada (50).

[DailyTrust]

48 hours after the change of leadership in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Governor Dapo Abiodun has broken his silence on the crisis rocking the state’s legislative body.

The crisis in the Assembly consumed the former Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, on Tuesday, as he was impeached and replaced by Oludaisi Elemide.

Reacting to the development, the governor agreed with the Assembly that the legislators reserve the right to choose whoever pleases them as their leader in the legislative arm of the government.

Speaking through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Akinmade, on Thursday, the governor also acknowledged that the crisis in the Assembly had lasted for a while.

“There had been internal wrangling in the Assembly that had persisted and degenerated despite several interventions.

“ It is the prerogative of members of the House of Assembly to choose their leadership in line with the constitution and the law guiding the conduct of the Assembly.”

It will be recalled that the former Speaker was impeached on Tuesday after he was accused of high handedness, lack of focus and transparency, arrogance, poor leadership style, financial misappropriation and inciting members against themselves.

The governor, however, added that the government was working with the party, All Progressives Congress, APC, with the intention to resolve all contending issues.

The statement added, “Working with the leadership of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Government intends to see all the contending issues resolved in a democratic, fair, and just manner.

“The Ogun State Government notes that the Honourable Members have openly stated that their grouse is not with the Governor, whom they again pledged their loyalty to.

“Given that the Ogun electorate gave us a mandate to represent their best interests and deliver democratic dividends that will significantly improve their well-being, the Ogun State Government, along with the Party leadership, have intervened to ensure that whatever disagreement members have is resolved peacefully and amicably, so that the delivery of democratic dividends to our people will not be hampered in any way.”

[DailyPost]

The Nigerian military has identified several factors contributing to the recent crisis in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba stated that herder militia, cattle rustling, and a combination of other factors were responsible for the crisis that engulfed the town.

He said this on Thursday, January 25, while addressing a news conference in Abuja on the activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

However, he said that to control the situation, Special Forces had been sent to state hotspots.

General Buba said: “The situation was triggered by a number of factors including the attempted cattle rustling and the killing of a Mangu man by herder militia.”

He claimed that on January 22, 2024, it was reported that a guy on a motorbike down the road collided with a herd of cattle crossing the road.

He said: “The herders reportedly killed the man on the spot. Consequently, militia mobilised and attacked residents in the early hours of 23rd of January.”

When attackers invaded Kwahaslalek village, a hamlet in the Mangu Local Government Area, approximately thirty people were killed, several more were injured, and numerous buildings were set on fire.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has since imposed a curfew on the LGA.

[TheNation]

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday remanded some loyalists of the River State governor for their alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked and razed the Rivers State Assembly complex.

An explosion had rocked the complex of the state Assembly amid alleged moves by some lawmakers to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara on October 30, 2023.

Some loyalists of the governor were said to have been behind the incident.

No fewer than five of them were arraigned on Thursday before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

They are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

In the 7 charges, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalising and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly during the wake of the political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

They were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state.

The police informants alleged to have been killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu, and Saturday Edi.

They are to remain in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications will be determined by the Judge.

They were also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

They all pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Although the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, was not listed in the 7 counts terrorism charges, he was however represented in court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Oluwole Aladedoyin, on the ground that his name featured prominently in the alleged offences.

He challenged the allegations that he was at large alongside other suspects.

Justice Olajuwon did not however allow further arguments on the ground that he was not yet a defendant in the charges.

Shortly after the arraignment, the leader of the prosecuting team, Audu Garba, applied for a date for a full-blown trial of the defendants.

However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Lukman Fagbemi, who stood for Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele who are 1st and 2nd defendants, sought to move applications for their bail on the ground that they have been in police custody since last year.

The government lawyer, Audu Garba, vehemently opposed the reason that he had just been served with the bail applications and needed time to study them and file a counter affidavit.

Justice Olajuwon agreed with the prosecution lawyer that the bail applications were not ripe for hearing and fixed February 2 for the hearing of all bail applications.

Pending hearing and determination of the bail applications, the judge ordered that the five defendants be taken to Kuje Prison on remand and be returned to court on the adjourned date.

“The defendants are hereby remanded pending the hearing and determination of the bail applications,” he said.

[Punch]