Let us be categorical from the outset. There is no constitutional or statutory significance to the first 100 days of a governor or president’s term, which, nevertheless, seems to have become a tradition. In fact, the origins of the concept is hazy and its import remains a subject of debate.

Some historians trace its origins to the second reign of French Emperor Napoleon I, beginning on March 20, 1815, when he retook his throne after his exile to Elba. However, that triumphant return ended July 8, 1815, when King Louis XVIII was restored to the French throne, a total of 110 days. Within five days of Napoleon’s return, the European powers at the Congress of Vienna declared him an outlaw and committed to increasing military troops on the ground in order to end his rule once and for all, a decision that led to a series of battles fought between the French Army of the North and the Anglo-Allied and Prussian armies, which culminated in the decisive Battle of Waterloo (June 15 – July 8, 1815) and the ultimate vanquishing of Napoleon.

The phrase les Cent Jours (the hundred days) was said to have been first used by the prefect of Paris, Gaspard comte de Chabrol, in his speech welcoming King Louis XVIII back to Paris on July 8, 1815.

But like most political concepts, the idea was popularised with the coming to power of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In fact, in the first 144 years of America’s democracy, no one made a big deal about the 100-day mark. But elected in the heat of the Great Depression and inaugurated on March 4, 1933, Roosevelt in his first 100 days in office took breathtaking actions, both legislative and regulatory, that Americans hailed as setting the governance bar very high.

For instance, it is on record that in those 100 days, his administration unfurled its New Deal agenda by declaring a bank holiday which stopped the disastrous run on the U.S. banks, took America off the gold standard, passed groundbreaking legislation for farmers, homeowners and the unemployed and also passed amendments to the hated Volstead Act which had created prohibition – actions promoting economic recovery and putting Americans back to work through federal activism in the face of the severe global economic downturn that affected many countries across the world.

So, while the concept is an artificial milestone with lots of attention but no significance in some quarters, it has increasingly become popular since the FDR era and in many countries, including Nigeria, it has become a standard fare to do leadership assessment after 100 days in office.

While one school of thought believes that 100 days is too short a time to gauge the performance of a governor or president who has four years – 1461 days – as it is the case for instance in Nigeria, to stay in office, those who believe in the old saying that morning shows the day aver that the first 100 days in office could actually be a pointer as to which direction an administration is headed.

So, while 100 days may be a short time to make an assessment, yet, to any chief executive who prepared to hit the ground running, it is enough time to make a loud statement. Abia State governor Dr. Alex Otti has validated that point with his performance in 100 days and beyond. Emeka Ihedioha also made the point in Imo State with his stellar performance before the Supreme Court threw a spanner in the works.

So when Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo, did a self-appraisal of his stewardship in 100 days, that ordinarily shouldn’t have raised any eyebrows.

But it did.

Why? If anyone is still in doubt whether the quality of leadership in Nigeria has gone to the dogs, Ododo’s self-appraisal erases such doubt. It is a proof that the country is in dire leadership straits.

Ododo was sworn in as governor on January 27, 2024 after winning the November 2023 offseason Kogi State governorship poll and on May 5, 2024, he clocked 100 days in the office.

To commemorate the milestone, the 42-year-old governor in a flyer shared across his social media handles, with a banal caption: “We will continue to do more for the good people of Kogi State. God Bless Kogi State. God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” listed meeting with Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, NSA, as his star achievement in his first 100 days in office.

Those who think that was ridiculous may have cause to change their minds after reading what amounted to a drivel, because the achievements’ which are in five major categories – governance, agriculture, education, health care, and general information – also included a reception organised for him in Okene, his home town, participation in the meeting of Progressive Governors Forum in Abuja, first courtesy visit by Ife-Olukotun Community in Yagba East Local Government Area, and participation in a joint meeting of the governors of Kogi, Ondo and Taraba with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.

Now, how on earth could these perfunctory duties be termed as achievements? What manner of low self-esteem would make an elected governor consider a meeting with an appointee of the president a privilege? That is sheer neurosis because even a meeting with the president cannot be considered an achievement for a governor. In the same vein, how can his participation in a meeting of fellow governors be celebrated as a big achievement in his first 100 days in office? To say the least, Ododo’s self-advertised achievements is a scandal. It is a sign of low self-esteem for someone to consider a parley with peers an achievement worth celebrating and every well-meaning indigene of Kogi State should be worried.

Aside being mortified by such pedestrian outing in the name of celebrating a non-existent milestone, the question that should concentrate their minds is: What kind of transformative vision can a governor who records first courtesy visit of a community as an achievement have for their state?

But is anyone surprised? How did Ododo become governor? His political ascendancy speaks to the faulty leadership recruitment process that has bedeviled the country since 1999. Ours is a democracy where power does not belong to the people. Ododo is Kogi State governor today because his predecessor, the fugitive Yahaya Bello, wanted him to be, the same way the Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike made Sim Fubara governor of Rivers State.

The faulty recruitment process is responsible for the gross delinquency we are celebrating in the name of governance across the country.

But there are more pertinent questions. Where are the Nigerian people in all this mess? Why are the people still cutting these misfits in positions of authority some slacks? Why are there no popular revolts against the prevalent idiocy in high places?

Sadly, this is a country that used to have leaders as Dr. Michael Okpara, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Dennis Osadebey as regional premiers. Even in the Second Republic, we had governors like Sam Mbakwe, Jim Nwobodo, Balarabe Musa, Abubakar Rimi, Lateef Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, Michael Ajasin, etc. Can anyone imagine any of these great statesmen and tested leaders listing a meeting with President Shehu Shagari’s NSA as achievement?

While it is true that 100 days may not be long enough time to appreciably evaluate the capacity of a governor or president and while it is also true that some leaders are slow starters who end up finding their rhythm with time, the truth is that any governor who consciously listed those frivolities as achievements and who believes same to be true as Ododo obviously does, will end up a spectacular failure. Ododo, without any iota of doubt, will prove that truism four years hence.

Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a human rights attorney, emphasized yesterday that the police and other security services are powerless to detain, arrest, and bring charges against Nigerians for cyberstalking.

Falana noted that the ECOWAS Court of the Economic Community of West African States had ruled that Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015 was unlawful. Falana urged for the withdrawal of all ongoing cases pertaining to this section of the act.

He said that the Federal Government had also been ordered by the ECOWAS court to change the clause in order to comply with Nigerians’ right to free speech.

“It has become illegal to arrest journalists for cyberstalking, insult, causing annoyance, offensive message, and criminal intimidation,” the rights activist stated in a statement.

“Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 had criminalised ‘cyberstalking’, ‘insult’, ‘causing annoyance’, ‘sending offensive messages’, and ‘criminal intimidation’ ‘insult’, ‘causing annoyance’, ‘sending offensive messages’, and ‘criminal intimidation’. Specifically, section 24 provided as follows: (a) Any person who, knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter using computer systems or network that (a) is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene, or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be so sent; or (b) He knows to be false for causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent: commits an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7million or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“However, in the cases of Laws and Rights Awareness Initiative (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/53/18) and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (Suit Laws and Rights Awareness Initiative (Suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/09/19), the Ecowas Court declared section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015 illegal and directed the federal government to amend the section to make the law conform with the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens to freedom of expression guaranteed by section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“In line with both judgments of the Ecowas Court, the Government of Nigeria has repealed section 24 by removing the provisions relating to ‘cyber stalking’, ‘insult’, ‘causing annoyance’, ‘sending offensive messages’, and ‘criminal intimidation’ from the Cybercrime Act 2015 and replaced same with Section 5 of the Cybercrime Amendment Act which provides as follows: Any person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter using computer systems.

[OpinionNigeria]

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has recently disclosed the distribution of N1.208 trillion to different government tiers for the month of May 2024.

This allocation, derived from several revenue streams such as statutory allocations, Value Added Tax (VAT), and Electronic Money Transfer Levies (EMTL), originates from the revenues collected in April 2024.

This latest disbursement marks an approximate 8% increase from the N1.123 trillion allocated in the previous month, signaling a modest but notable rise in government revenue flows.

According to a statement from the Office of the Accountant General signed by its Director (Press and Public Relations), Bawa Mokwa, the figure was disclosed in a communiqué issued by FAAC after the May 2024 meeting. 

The N1.208 trillion total distributable revenue consisted of N284.716 billion distributable statutory revenue, N466.457 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, N18.024 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue, and N438.884 billion Exchange Difference revenue.  

About 55% of revenue made was shared among three tiers of government 

The total revenue available for April 2024 was N2.192 trillion. After deducting N80.517 billion for the cost of collection and N903.479 billion for transfers, interventions, and refunds, the remaining amount was distributed among the three tiers of government. Approximately 55% of revenue made in April was shared among the three tiers of government by May 2024. 

• From the N1.208 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received N390.412 billion, the state governments received N403.403 billion, and the local government councils received N293.816 billion. 
• Additionally, N120.450 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was allocated to the oil-producing states as derivation revenue. 

Revenue Details and Distribution 

• The gross statutory revenue for April 2024 was N1.233 trillion, an increase of N216.282 billion compared to the N1.017 trillion received in March 2024 
• However, the gross revenue from VAT decreased to N500.920 billion in April 2024, down by N48.778 billion from March 2024’s N549.698 billion. The Federal Government received N69.969 billion, the state governments received N233.229 billion, and the local government councils received N163.260 billion from the N466.457 billion distributable VAT revenue. 
• For the N284.716 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N112.148 billion, the state governments received N56.883 billion, and the local government councils were given N43.855 billion. From this, N71.830 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared among the oil-producing states as derivation revenue. 
• The N18.024 billion EMTL was allocated with N2.704 billion to the Federal Government, N9.012 billion to the state governments, and N6.308 billion to the local government councils. 
• From the N438.884 billion Exchange Difference revenue, the Federal Government received N205.591 billion, the state governments received N104.279 billion, and the local government councils received N80.394 billion. An additional N48.620 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was allocated to the oil-producing states. 

The communiqué highlighted significant increases in oil and gas royalties, companies income tax (CIT), excise duty, petroleum profit tax (PPT), electronic money transfer Levy (EMTL), and CET Levies for April 2024. Conversely, import duty and VAT recorded notable decreases. 

The Excess Crude Account (ECA) balance stood at $473,754.57 as of the end of April 2024. 

[Nairametrics]

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has temporarily suspended new licence issuance to operators in three categories.

Naija News reports that the NCC made this known on Friday in a statement via its X handle, signed by the Director of the Public Affairs Department, Nigerian Communications Commission, Reuben Muoka.

The categories suspended include Mobile Virtual Network Operator Licence, Interconnect Exchange Licence and Value Added Service Aggregator Licence.

The NCC said the suspension is in accordance with its powers under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to grant and renew licenses and promote fair competition.

The commission noted that the temporary suspension is to enable a thorough review of several key areas of market saturation, competition level and current market dynamics.

However, it noted that the new directive does not affect pending applications, which would be considered based on merit.

The statement titled “Temporary Suspension Of The Issuance Of Communications Licences In Three Categories” read,

“In line with its powers under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to grant and renew licenses, promote fair competition and develop the Communications Industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (The Commissions) hereby informs all stakeholders of a temporary suspension on issuance of new licenses in the following categories, Interconnect Exchange License, Mobile Virtual Network Operator License and Value Added Service Aggregator License.

“This temporary suspension is necessary to enable the commission to Commissionthorough review of several key areas within these categories, including the current level of competition, market saturation and current market dynamics.

“The public is invited to note that during the suspension period commencing on 17th of May, 2024, new applications for the aforementioned licenses will not be accepted. This is without prejudice to pending applications before the Commission whiCommission considered on its merits.

“Any enquiries of clarification in respect of this Suspension Notice should be forwarded to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”

[NaijaNews]

House of Representatives has urged the federal government to suspend the introduction of new Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops in the country, pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation by its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Hon. Muktar Shagaya (APC-Kwara) at plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Shagaya noted that genetically modified crops, commonly known as GM Crops, are plants used for agricultural purposes whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering methods.

The lawmaker said that the recent introduction of genetically modified crops in Nigeria has raised concerns and questions about safety.

He said concerns have also been raised on regulatory oversight and the potential impact on the country’s biosafety and ecosystem following the introduction of GMOs.

“Aware that genetically modified foods can be created to contain almost anything, including genes which have higher levels of toxicity and negative long-term effects on human health.

“Introducing these crops has led to public outcries, with serious concerns about the potential risks these GM crops may pose to human health, environmental degradation, and food security.

“The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has been accused of approving the introduction of GM crops into Nigeria without following due process and scientific protocols.

“Concerned that these GM crops are being introduced into Nigeria at a time when the said crops have been banned in several countries like France, Russia, Germany, China, India, and a host of other countries in Europe due to safety concerns,” he said.

According to him, the introduction of genetically modified crops could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s food security and could potentially transfer control to foreign biotechnology companies which are primarily driven by profit and cost reduction.

He said that GMO crops’ long-term impact on human health remains uncertain, prompting precautionary measures due to potential health risks including cancer, antibiotic resistance, allergic reactions, and reproductive issues.

Shagaya said there is a need to prioritise public health, biodiversity, and traditional farming practices due to uncertainties surrounding the long-term impact of GMOs on health, the environment, and food security.

The green chambers urge the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to cause the already introduced GM foods and crops in Nigeria to be properly labeled to safeguard consumers.

In his ruling, the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu mandated the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the introduction of GMOs by NBMA.

The deputy speaker mandated the committee to assess the potential health and environmental risks associated with genetically modified crops and report back within four weeks and mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

 [Leadership]

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will miss Sunday’s concluding game of the Premier League season and next week’s FA Cup final, the club announced Thursday.

The Brazilian was forced off with a facial injury during City’s 2-0 win at Tottenham on Tuesday that left Pep Guardiola’s men on the brink of an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.

Scans have confirmed Ederson suffered a small fracture to the right eye socket following a collision with Cristian Romero.

He will miss Sunday’s league game at home to West Ham and the FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley the following week.

[DailyTrust]

Norwich City have sacked boss David Wagner less than 24 hours after their crushing Championship play-off defeat by Leeds.

BBC Sport understands the Canaries have acted following Thursday’s 4-0 semi-final second-leg loss which left them facing a third successive season in the second tier.

Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta is of interest as a replacement having worked with sporting director Ben Knapper when he was loans manager at the Gunners.

Wagner was on borrowed time after Knapper replaced Stuart Webber in November but managed to guide the Canaries to a sixth-placed finish.

An official club statement is expected later on Friday.

[TheNation]

IN a tumbling world with shifty and shifting alliances, the European Union, EU, met with its Nigerian and West African partners on Wednesday for a possible reset.

The twin meetings at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Abuja, held under the shadows of France and United States losing military bases in the region to Russia and, claims that the two-some are in search of new bases. There are also other challenging developments such as a spike in coups, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso exiting the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and supposed democracies, like Togo, subverting the democratic system.

The theme was about “Reducing vulnerabilities through partnerships”. A session was a stakeholders engagement on “Nigeria’s defence and security perspectives” and the second, on “Regional defence and security perspectives.”

These meetings are coming on the back of a High-Level African Counter Terrorism Meeting in Abuja a few weeks ago and on-going “Strategic Dialogue” between the EU and the Tinubu administration.

Ambassador Samuela Isopi, the Italian diplomat who is Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS told the May 15, 2024 meeting in Abuja: “We live in a single security theatre. What happens in one region of the world directly affects another…Crises or conflicts that emerge locally can quickly become global, with more far-reaching consequences than ever before.”

Ms Isopi who has had diplomatic experiences in Russia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina posited that: “Threats are transnational, more complex and diverse, but the nature of the threats we face is increasingly similar. Hybrid, cyber and information manipulation are now the norm everywhere.”

Major General Adamu Luka, National Coordinator of the Nigerian National Counter Terrorism Centre, NCTC, lamented that while West Africa, with diamond in Sierra Leone, gold in Ghana and oil in Nigeria, is a rich region, its people are very poor with 70 per cent below the poverty line. He said democracy demands certain expressions such as good governance and children at school. He added that while it is true that Africa has a huge youth population, the large number of out-of-school-children, constitutes a future problem. General Laka added sarcastically: “They say two heads are better than one, but two empty heads, are not.” He said there are talks about resilience but wondered if it is possible to be resilient on an empty stomach.

He traced the worsening security challenges such as that in Mali, to the overthrow of President Muamar Ghadaffi in Libya. He asked rhetorically how the EU is assisting in the fight against corruption and for good governance, adding that such challenges are recipes for terrorism.

Ambassador Pieter Leenknght, whose country, Belgium holds the rotating EU Presidency was more focused on misinformation, disinformation and the power of the press. He said the press can make threats look much bigger than they actually are, so some attention should be focused on these.

Ambassador Kalilou Traore of Cote d’Ivoire presented what he called the worst and best case scenarios. In the first, he said the coup epidemic continues; Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic finalise their withdrawal from ECOWAS with some other countries joining them; terrorism continues and ECOWAS collapsing. In the best case scenario, coups stop, democratic elections are strengthened and ECOWAS strengthens. The meeting he said, provides an opportunity to examine why things have not worked out well and how the situation can be changed. The 68-year-old diplomat advocated for the stabilisation of ECOWAS, and the polity in member countries. He added that although democracy is a process, the costs, including elections which sometimes take lives, is too high and should be checked.

Dr Cyriaque Pawomothom Agnekethom, ECOWAS Director of Peacekeeping and Regional Security, in commenting on the three countries exiting ECOWAS, said the security threat we are facing is transnational, hence no single country can succeed in fighting them off. So, ECOWAS should continue to play the central role as it is best suited to check the threats. He said those who partner with the region should favour regional leadership. Such leadership, he counselled, should be locally owned so that it does not appear it is being teleguided.

Colonel Ademola Lawal of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, SCDDD, made an interjection to which there was no coherent response. In noting the issue of military coups in the region, he asked: what about civilian coups? He described such coups as those executed by the civilian leadership of some countries who apart from capturing executive power, also exercise legislative and judicial powers and perpetuate themselves in office.

Dr Paul Andrew Gwaza of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution argued that the trigger of insecurity are local so there is the need to localise initiatives and the ECOWAS. He said it is imperative to return to the vision of the ECOWAS of the People with focus on economic empowerment.

Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security submitted that: “It is not just ECOWAS, but the world that lacks leadership.” He said the body’s vision to move from the ECOWAS of States to the ECOWAS of the People, has stuck in “the ECOWAS of States.”

He said ECOAWS wanted to institutionalise two terms in office for the Heads of State in the region but some wanted more dialogue, so the dialogue is on-going. He added: “You are as strong as your weakest link.”

The leadership problem in member states, from his perspective, is not ECOWAS as an institution, but the people. He cited the cases of Burkina Faso and Gambia where the people rose to change their circumstances. In response to the ECOWAS silence on Togo where President Faure Gnassingbe is perpetuating himself in power by changing the constitution into a so-called parliamentary system that would ensure his continuation in power, Musah asked rhetorically: “You talk about Togo, where are the forces in Togo?”

He regretted that apart from the big powers, “medium forces”, especially from the Middle East, are beginning to interfere in Africa.

Mr Paul Ejime, former war correspondent disagreed with Mr Musah on subversion of the constitutional process such as in Togo, saying nothing stops ECOWAS from taking a position in such a case.

Ambassador Juan Ignacio Sell of Spain, in giving a summary of the twin meetings, said the EU wants to get things right and is ready to review its past work. The meetings, he said, feed into the Schuman Security and Defence Forum of the EU and over 60 partner countries scheduled to hold from May 28-29, 2024 in Brussels.

As the Brussels Forum approaches, the question remains: For how long would African countries remain recipients of EU generosity especially when ‘there is no free lunch anywhere, not even in Freetown’?

 The Federal Government yesterday admitted that most of the electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, in Nigeria are technically insolvent and unable to pay for invoices sent to them from the electricity market and invest in network expansion projects.

Speaking at the 8th Africa Energy Market Place 2024 in Abuja, Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Engr. Sanusi Garba, said the poor financial state of the DisCos makes it difficult for them to raise the needed capital to invest.

Garba pointed out that the challenges facing the sector were a culmination of past inactions and missteps by those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the sector, both at policy and operational levels.

According to him, “Today when you look at distribution companies, they are clearly and technically insolvent, and you also want them to raise capital in terms of debt or equity. It’s a herculean task.

“I also want to mention that implementing the power sector reform requires powerful political will to implement decisions that impact the wider public.”

On his part, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said the government is working to get the distribution companies solvent and effective by unbundling their operations along state boundaries.
Adelabu insisted that the areas covered by the current DisCos are too large for them to deliver effective services to consumers.

Speaking on how the government will tackle the N1.3 trillion owed to power generation companies and the $1.3 billion debt to gas companies, the minister disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved a plan to liquidate the debts.

He said: “Mr. President has approved the submission made by the Minister of State Petroleum (Gas) to defray outstanding debts owed to gas supply companies by power generation companies.

‘’The payments are in two parts, the legacy debts and the current debts. For the current debt, approval has been given to pay about N130 billion from the gas stabilization fund which the Federal Ministry of Finance will pay.

“The payment of the legacy debt will be made from future royalties in exchange for incomes in the gas sub-sector which is quite satisfactory to the gas suppliers. This will allow the companies to enter into firm contracts with power generation companies.

“For the power generation companies, the debt is about N1.3 trillion and I can also tell you that we have the consent of the President to pay, on condition that the actual figures are reconciled between the government and the companies.

“This we have successfully done and it is being signed off by both parties now. The majority has signed off and we are engaging to ensure that we have 100 per cent sign-off.

“The debt will be paid in two ways, immediate cash injection and through a guaranteed debt instrument, preferably a promissory note. This assures the companies that in the next three to five years, the government is ready to defray these debts.”

On its part, the African Development Bank, AfDB, said it had so far spent over $450 million to support various power sector projects and programmes with another $1 billion planned to support the power sector reform effort by the government.

Vice President, of Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth Complex, AfDB, Dr. Kevin K. Kariuki, pointed out that with 90 million out of 600 million people in Africa without access to electricity living in Nigeria, the effectiveness of the reforms will be measured based how much of the over 13GigaWatts of installed capacity Nigeria utilizes for its development.

“The African Development Bank is acutely aware of the extent of the challenge, ranging from addressing the electricity access deficit to rehabilitating and upgrading the power system to meet a load of 20GW which is believed to be the true demand, for Nigeria’s 200 million people, hence, we must have all our hands (i.e. all stakeholders) on the deck empowered by the new Electricity Act, 2023!

“At AfDB, we put our money where our mouth is! As is manifested by the fact, we will be shortly seeking board approval for a one billion US dollars policy-based operation (PBO) with a significant energy component aimed at supporting the ongoing power sector reforms triggered by the new Electricity Act,” he stated.

How Nigeria can overcome energy crisis – Mahama, Nnaji, Obi, Kwankwaso, Duke, Ooni

Meanwhile, eminent Nigerians and leaders, including former Ghanaian President, John Mahama, yesterday, dissected Nigeria’s energy crisis and returned a grim verdict: The country has no business with epileptic electricity supply given her huge resources. They said there is a need for a state of emergency to be declared in the energy sector to address the challenges.

Those who proffered solutions to Nigeria’s energy crisis included founder and chairman of Geometric Power Group, Professor Barth Nnaji; 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi; former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke; former Kano State Governor and 2023 Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Senator Musa Kwankwaso; Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Chairman of British Tobacco, Chief Kola Kareem; and Dr Dele Momodu among others.

They spoke at the Inaugural Dele Momodu Leadership Lecture held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Lagos.

Held as part of activities to mark the 64th birthday of Dele Momodu, publisher of The Ovation magazine, the event lived up to its billing, drawing participants across political and regional divides.

We can’t continue paying for electricity and getting darkness — Momodu

Welcoming participants, Momodu said the country’s endless energy crisis has become embarrassing and he has elected to encourage dialogue to halt the trend.

His words: “On the occasion of my 64th birthday, you may be wondering why I am starting a lecture series. The reason is not far-fetched. The clock is ticking, and by the grace of God, on my next birthday, I will be 65 years old and will undoubtedly be called an elder statesman. In my moment of soliloquy, I asked what next. I wrote over a thousand articles and spoke endlessly on radio and television, but not much has changed in my greatly endowed country. My verdict is that criticism alone could not do the job. I decided to reach out to our leaders, technocrats, and my fellow citizens in general.

“The next facet of my struggle would be to encourage dialogue and conversation, so I came up with the idea of a national and international lecture. My country is riddled with all the denigrating challenges of which we are all guilty.

Rather than continue to have a blame game, why can’t we end this endless energy crisis? It is the most disturbing and embarrassing thing for a Nigerian. If I want to buy any product, all I need to do is pay, and it will be delivered. So how come we paid for electricity and it cannot be delivered? That is the challenge I am throwing at our leaders today. With all our investment in electricity, it has gone up in smoke. The more we paid, the less electricity we got. It seems that electricity affects all of us; we should propose a solution to it in a non-partisan way.”

Nigeria has all it takes to advance Africa’s collective energy — Mahama

Former President Mahama of Ghana, who chaired the lecture, said the theme of the inaugural lecture: “The Politics of Energy and the Way Forward in Nigeria’’, is the most appropriate and suitable because, despite Africa’s tremendous energy resources, such as hydro, wind, and solar, the continent continues to suffer from severe energy deficit, which undermines the totality of economic growth and development.

Mahama who recalled Ghana’s energy challenges despite generating over 5,500 MW of electricity, said: “The African continent is home to about 17.8 per cent of the world’s population, of which about 600 million people are without access to electricity. And 98 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa and another 940 million people lack access to clean cooking fuels and technology. This calls for bold policies by leaders and pooling resources to achieve Sustainable Development Goal No. 7, which is access to affordable, reliable energy by the year 2030.

“Nigeria can be described as a continental economic leader and powerhouse of Africa. Nigeria has a unique opportunity and potential to achieve energy security and sufficiency for itself and the entire West African sub-region.

“Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa have to address the critical question of which energy path we intend to adopt. Are we to take the path of a wholesome transition by tapping our gas or must we adopt a customized energy transition that prioritizes climate justice, wealth creation, and inclusive growth? This is the basic question we need to answer. This is the moment Nigeria must show leadership in the global politics of energy.

I wish to call on Nigeria to lead the politics of energy resources in Africa. There’s an urgent need for Ghana and Nigeria to deepen our economic and technical cooperation in harnessing and developing our energy resources for energy security and reliability as a catalyst for industrialization for the entire sub-region. The energy sector is the foundation for economic growth, and Nigeria must take the leadership mantle to build a regional consensus that would provide a more promising future for Africa.

We need emergency in energy sector – Obi

Also speaking, Obi commended Momodu for renovating the NIIA, and providing rugs and air conditioners, and said there is a need to imbibe a maintenance culture in Nigeria.

With Ghana of about 24 million people producing over 5,500Mw of electricity and Nigeria of over 200 million people generating less, he said there is a need to declare an emergency in the energy sector and boost the supply of gas locally.
“We must declare an emergency on power. We need embedded power and the way to go is very simple, I insist on gas supply. Making Nigeria productive and pulling our people out of poverty will give more dollars than export,” he said.

Kwankwaso, Ooni, others speak

Speaking at the lecture, Kwankwaso, who recalled that he did a 35MW power project in 2015 and $43m in Kano treasury for his successor to do the transmission, urged Nigerian businessmen and women to emulate the good work of Professor Nnaji in Aba where his Aba power project is providing power to nine of the 17 local councils of Abia State. “I urge our governors to join forces and ensure we have electricity in Nigeria,” he added.

On his part, the Ooni of Ife, urged Nigerians to join forces, shun partisan considerations and collectively tackle the challenges of the country.

How Nigeria’s rejection of gas pipeline proposal from US hurt us — Duke

On his part, Duke rued Nigeria’s missed opportunities in rejecting the proposal of the United States to build a gas pipeline from the Niger-Delta that would pass through Niger Republic, Algeria to Europe in the 1980s.

His words: “The topic is very important in terms of this continent and where it is going. Nigeria has a $37 billion oil reserve. In 1985, as an intern in the US, an American lady asked me a question in a rebuking manner, asking what was wrong with Nigeria. I was about 23 years old, so I didn’t understand what she meant. She said she just come back from the White House, and she had an interview with the chief of staff, and they proposed a gas pipeline from Nigeria to Europe.

I thought it was a brilliant idea that it was going to be paid for by the Western world, but we gave a condition, and the condition was that the United States would have to pull out of South Africa. She said it was a very stupid decision, that no one gave the United States conditions. It would have made more sense if we agreed, and we would have had a lot more leverage. This is a nation that has been flaring 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas daily for over 40 years. That is equivalent to burning 25 million gallons of diesel.”

[Vangaurd]