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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has told Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State that there will be no automatic ticket for him.
The APC made the declaration ahead of the November 16, 2024, governorship poll in the state.
APC national spokesman, Felix Morka, made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
According to him, the APC is democratic and everyone who desires a nomination must earn it.
When asked whether the APC would give Aiyedatiwa the right of first refusal ahead of the party’s primary for the November poll, Morka said, “We have not had that discussion but we are a democratic party; we are a progress party; we don’t give anything to people; people have to justify and earn it.
“And it is not to us they have to justify their suitability, their qualification, or criteria; it is to the people of the state who are our members, who would participate in the direct or indirect primary.
“Whatever preference anyone may have, it is all subject to the democratic decision of the party members who will participate in our primaries.
“We don’t give free gifts in APC; we contest and we compete and we win whatever it is we can get in terms of representation,” he added.
Morka also said he can’t pre-empt whether the governorship ticket would be zoned in Ondo or not.
“We are yet to engage on zoning. We will explain to the people if and when we do that,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa, formerly Ondo deputy governor, was sworn in as the substantive governor of the South-West state on December 27, 2023, following the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed the Ondo State Governorship Poll for November 16, 2024, barring last-minute changes.
Former Governor of Kano State and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said that the issue of Kano emirates will be revisited.
Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had split the Kano emirate into five and dethroned the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi.
Following the victory of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, in last year’s election, Kwankwaso had said the government of Abba Kabir Yusuf would review Sanusi’s dethronement and the balkanisation of the emirate.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Kano on Friday, Kwankwaso restated that the issue of Kano emirates will definitely be revisited.
“Honestly it is one of the things that nobody has sat with me to discuss so far but I am sure we are going to sit and see how to go about it. Is it going to be allowed, demolished, corrected or whatever? It will be revisited, what’s supposed to be done will be done.
“There were a lot of things and this was a trap. All these things were not done in good faith or intention. It was brought with some bad intentions which everyone of you here and our listeners are aware of.
“Sometimes you come with things that are good and they turn out to be bad while sometimes you bring things that are bad and they turn out to be good. So, all I know is that I was not consulted as of now but definitely we will come to discuss and see what should be done.”
It has been observed that since the Supreme Court validated Governor Abba Yusuf’s election, there has been intensified calls for Sanusi’s reinstatement.
The acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, disclosed on Friday that the agency will not be relocating its headquarters to Lagos.
Speaking at an interactive session with journalists to unveil his vision for the NCAA, titled “NCAA Project 2024,” in Lagos, Capt. Najomo stated that the NCAA headquarters remains in Abuja.
“NCAA has not received a directive to relocate; we are still in Abuja,” the acting DG said.
LEADERSHIP reports that NCAA was one of the agencies that the former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Sen. Hadi Sirika, asked to relocate their head office to Abuja in 2020.
However, the directive by the current Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, directing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to relocate to Lagos raised speculations that other Aviation agencies may follow suit.
Criticism followed FAAN’s relocation, with stakeholders describing it as a misplaced priority.
According to the general secretary of Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, the minister should be more concerned about providing quality and efficient facilities than relocating the agencies.
“I am more concerned with the provision of quality facilities at the airport, extending operating hours, fixing the runway, its lighting system, as well as the repair of the lift at the control tower. These are more important than the relocation of the agencies. We need to manage this relocation issue before we get distracted, especially now that we have new management and expanded directorates.
“The relocation should be planned rather than sudden because a huge amount of money will be spent on relocation. I would rather want necessary departments that can work from Lagos to be in Lagos while others can still be in Abuja. I don’t think relocation should be a major priority at the moment, and if it has to be, it should be a gradual process and must be justified by looking at cost components.”
He continued, “I am not seeing it as cheering news, but we should see the provision of infrastructure as important, certification of the airports, and proper structuring of regular and operational staff to put necessary bite into the organisation and place it where it should be.”
Also speaking, the former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Capt John Ojikutu, also corroborated Ohunayo, berating the Minister for prioritising relocation against drawing a roadmap for the sector.
According to him, more pressing issues such as foreign airlines’ trapped funds, among other challenges bedevilling the sector, are more important than relocation.
“Why not ask them to relocate to Enugu, Owerri, or Port Harcourt? There is a problem with our politicians, for God’s sake. Which day did they move them out of Lagos to Abuja that they are moving them? Why did the government move them in the first place?
“What are the economic and administrative reasons for moving them? Now, these people will be moving from wherever they are back to Abuja because when they are in Lagos, the management is travelling to Abuja two to three times a week, wasting government resources. Now, they will come back to Lagos and start from ground zero.”
[Leadership]
Protest has broken out in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, following the Supreme Court verdict which affirmed the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule in the March 18, 2023 election in the state.
The Lafia-Jos road has been completely blocked as the protesters lit bonfire to prevent travelers and other road users.
Daily Trust reporter, who was at the scene of the protest, reports that motorists had to take alternative routes out of Lafia.
An automobile mechanic, Mallam Dogo Audu, called for the deployment of more security operatives to restore calm and avert escalation.
Our correspondent also reports that shops owners and business centres have shut down.
[DailyTrust]
The Federal Government has given Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, in Nigeria the nod to buy electricity directly from power generation companies, GenCos.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, disclosed this in its 2024 Multi-year Tariff Order, MYTO, which was recently issued to the country’s 11 DisCos.
NERC noted that the DisCos can procure electricity directly from GenCos through bilateral contracts.
The regulator said the new order recognises a revision to the DisCos’ partially contracted capacity, PCC, to ensure a minimum energy offtake from January 1 2024.
Accordingly, NERC said the minimum energy offtake requirement for the 11 DisCos this year is 4,063MWh/h.
The DisCos are required “to secure adequate bilateral contracts to facilitate a seamless exit from NBET’s vesting contract regime,” it said.
NERC explained that through bilateral contracts, the DisCos are required to mitigate their “exposure to volumetric energy risks”, adding that they would have no recourse to claim revenue shortfall arising from generation shortfalls effective January 2024.
The development will end the ten-year reign of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, NBET, which buys electricity in bulk from generation companies through power purchase agreements and sells through vesting contracts to the DisCos.
Ayodele Oni, an energy law expert and partner at Bloomfield Law Practice, speaking on the development, said, “With the just released 2024 Multi-Year Tariff Order for each DisCo, it would appear that DisCos are now generally allowed to procure bilateral power from generation companies, directly.
“This is in preparation for the transition of the bulk trader, NBET.”
DAILY POST gathered that under the partial activation of contract, PAC regime, DisCos have take-or-pay obligations on their Partially Contracted Capacity, PCC, meaning they must pay for available capacity irrespective of their offtake.
[DailyPost]
Two persons have reportedly been kidnapped in a military estate on the outskirts of Abuja, the nation’s capital.
It was learnt that the bandits invaded Phase 2, Army Estate, Kurudu at about 10 pm on Thursday, January 18.
According to eyewitnesses, there was an exchange of gunfire between the bandits and the estate security officials.
However, the gunmen were said to have escaped with two victims.
Recall that Abuja has witnessed a significant rise in the number of kidnapping incidents recently.
On Wednesday, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike vowed to make Abuja hot for kidnappers.
The minister said he had received marching orders from President Bola Tinubu to provide all that the security agencies would need to keep the federal capital safe.
In the same vein, Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, established a Special Intervention Squad (SIS), in the Federal Capital Territory to curb the activities of kidnappers and bandits.
The SIS has in the last two days deployed to the six Area Councils of Abuja, more especially in Bwari where the kidnappers are operating daily.
Reacting to the incident, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josphine Adeh told our correspondent that all questions on the incident should be directed to the Army spokesman.
Details shortly…
[TheNation]
[PRESS STATEMENT] We Demand Adequate Funding of Public Education and Better Working Condition for All Education Workers
AdminThe Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC) supports the ongoing strike action of the primary school teachers in FCT Abuja. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory Wing, has directed primary school teachers in the territory to resume strike on 15 January at the end of an emergency meeting of the FCT Wing Standing Committee, held in Abuja on Friday, 12th January 2024.
The primary school teachers had earlier embarked on an indefinite strike on 11 September 2023, over non-implementation of 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and payment of 25 months minimum wage arrears, among other issues. We support this struggle and call on the striking teachers to back up the strike with action to also attract other workers to join in solidarity until victory is achieved.
According to the report the union had embarked on an indefinite strike on 11 September 2023, over non-implementation of 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and payment of 25 months minimum wage arrears, among other issues. The union later suspended the strike on 2 October 2023 for six weeks to allow for the resolution of the issues, following the intervention of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Mr Wike who has put it in the public that he had set up a six-man committee to look into the issues and recommend solutions which may solve the problem hasn’t done anything even after the reports of the committee have been submitted. Rather, the minister was seen casting blame on the Area Council chairpersons and urged them to be more alive to their duties.
After the six weeks had elapsed since November 2023, nothing positive has been achieved, even though the committee had submitted its report. The union had no option but to resume the strike on Monday, Jan 15 indefinitely.
We condemn this non-payment of workers' entitlements by the Federal Capital Territory Administration. For an FCT/Area Council administration with all the revenue generated both from tax and federal government allocation. It is an act of wickedness that teachers who work hard day and night are not being paid their entitlements.
We welcome the decision of the union on the secondary school teachers of the FCT to join the strike in solidarity from the 22nd of January if the demands of the primary school teachers are not met before 19 January, 2024. We propose that the strike action must also be used to demand adequate security in all area councils because of the continued robbery and kidnapping that has enveloped the FCT.
For us at Save Public Education Campaign, we hold that the strike should extend beyond the issues of entitlements for teachers and include the demand for better teaching and learning facilities for primary and secondary schools in Abuja. We believe that a demand for adequate funding of public education in Nigeria is as important as life itself now.
We call on the government to meet all the teachers' demands and we also call for proper funding of public education at all levels and better pay for all academic workers.
To win this struggle, a strike of the primary and secondary school teachers might not be enough. There must be an Open solidarity from other education unions within and outside the FCT and all the workers' unions.
We call on NLC and TUC to intervene and mobilize workers in solidarity to join this teachers and education struggle. We believe the teachers can win this solidarity and public support through public actions and not only sit-at-home strike actions. Activities like rallies and street protests are also important to inform the public of their demands and expose the irresponsibility of the Government that has kept children at home.
Damilola Owot
Secretary, Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC)
234(0)7069411796
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Friday pleaded not guilty to the amended 20-count charges brought against him by the federal government.
Naija News recalls the government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, increased the charges against Emefiele from six to twenty.
The charges against Emefiele now border on Criminal breach of trust, Forgery, Conspiracy to commit forgery, Procurement Fraud and Conspiracy to commit Felony.
When he was re-arraigned at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, January 19, before Justice Hamza Muazu, Emefiele denied all the charges against him.
The defense team also pleaded that Emefiele be allowed to continue to enjoy his bail earlier granted him by the court. The prosecutor did not object to this request, stating that they wanted the former CBN boss to attend his trial in good health.
Emefiele’s bail condition, which allows him to travel outside Abuja but remain within Nigeria throughout the suit, was sustained by the trial Judge, Justice Hamza Muazu.
The case has, however, been adjourned to the 12th and 13th of February for trial.
The Nigerian Army has officially declared its recruitment portal open for the online application process for the 2024 Direct Short Service Commission Course.
In a statement released via its various social media pages on Friday, January 19, the Nigerian Army mentioned that the application period will conclude on February 23.
Eligible applicants are encouraged to visit the recruitment portal for further details.
The post emphasized that the application is accessible to both civilians and current military personnel. However, it clarified that only military personnel who have been sponsored by civil institutions by any of the Services of the Nigerian Armed Forces will be taken into consideration.
The terse statement reads: “This is to inform the general public that the online application for Direct Short Service Commission Course 28/2024 has commenced. All applications must be submitted online not later than 23 February 2024. Visit http://recruitment.army.mil.ng.
“Application Is Free. The DSSC is open to both civilians and serving military personnel. Only serving military personnel sponsored to civil institutions by any of the Services of the Nigerian Armed Forces shall be considered.”
Requirements For Application
All applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
- Be a Nigerian as defined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Be a male or female between the ages of 20 and 30 years. Medical consultants could be between 25 – 40 years of age by April 2024.
- Be medically, mentally, and physically fit according to NA standards.
- Be recommended and attested to his/her good character by at least 2 recognizable referees who are either a Local Government Chairman/Secretary or an officer of the Armed Forces not below the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent or an Assistant Commissioner of Police and above who must hail from the applicant’s state of origin. Passport photographs of referees must be affixed to the letter of attestation.
- Applicants must submit a letter of Attestation from their former institutions.
- Measure in height at least 1.68m (for males) and 1.65m (for females).
- Must not have been convicted by any court of law. Military personnel applying must be free from any disciplinary case and endorsed by the applicant’s Commanding Officer/Commander.
- Possess at least a first degree with not less than Second Class Lower Division or HND (where applicable) of not less than Lower Credit from any accredited institution of learning.
- Possess a valid birth certificate endorsed by the National Population Commission, Hospital, or Local Government Council or a valid age declaration.
- Possess a valid certificate of state of origin.
- Applicants must possess an NYSC discharge certificate or valid exemption certificate as appropriate.
- Graduates with professional qualifications must be duly registered by relevant regulating bodies recognized by Nigerian Laws at the commencement of cadet training.
- Only Post-secondary academic credentials obtained from 2014 to date will be considered.
- Applicants must present valid contact addresses and telephone numbers of parents/guardians and Next of Kin as appropriate.
- Candidates must not have any bodily inscriptions or tattoos.
- Candidates must tender all original copies of educational certificates (primary to Post-secondary).
- Service personnel must present valid military identity cards and letters of recommendation by their Commanding Officers/Commanders. They must also present valid letter(s) of Service sponsorship to tertiary academic institutions (where applicable). Additionally, they must have served for a period of not less than 5 years.
- Candidates must not belong to any cult/society/fraternity.
- Candidates with the ability to swim will have an added advantage.
How To Apply
As stated in the announcement, all eligible and interested applicants are to submit their details online free of charge from 19 January 2024 to 23 February 2024.
Method of Application
- Go online and visit the Nigerian Army webpage at recruitment.army.mil.ng and choose the DSSC option from the page.
- You will be redirected to the page where you can read the qualification criteria for the ongoing DSSC courses.
- Click on the “Apply Now” button for the DSSC as per your qualification and Corps of choice.
- At the prompt, you will be required to select if you are serving or have served in the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Choose the appropriate option and proceed.
- If you do not have an account click on “Sign Up” (a verification will be sent to your email) or enter your login details and log in.
- Fill out the form and ensure all required documents listed below are uploaded:
- Passport photograph.
- Educational certificates.
- Evidence of membership of any professional body.
- Certificate of state of origin.
- Birth certificate or age declaration.
- NIN/BVN.
The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Dapo Abiodun as duly elected governor of Ogun State in the March 2023 governorship elections.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar who delivered the judgment dismissed the appeals against Abiodun.
The appeal was filled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and it’s candidate in the March 18, governorship election, Ladi Adebutu.
Mr Adebutu’s appeal is seeking the nullification of declaration of Dapo Abiodun as winner of the election.
Specifically, he is challenging Abiodun’s re-election on the ground that the Electoral Act, 2022 was not adhered to, citing corrupt practices and issue of non-qualification.
PDP and Adebutu want the Supreme Court to set aside and dismiss the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which had on November 23, affirmed the decision of the Tribunal in upholding Adiodun’s victory.
Recall that two Judges of the court below had dismissed the appeal filed by Adebutu for lacking in merit, while Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang saw merit in the petition and thereby ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return presented to Abiodun and conduct another election in 99 polling units where elections were disrupted.
The appellant said that INEC ought to have conducted fresh elections in 99 polling units where elections were cancelled and not declared a winner.
He said the return of the governor by INEC was unlawful and the election was wrongly concluded because corrupt practices were allegedly manifest during the March 18, governorship poll.
INEC had declared Abiodun winner of the governorship election after polling 276,298 votes to defeat his closest rival Adebutu, who polled 262,383 votes.
NAN
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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria notes the inquiries some Nigerians have made regarding the directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, to relocate the corporate Headquarters of FAAN from Abuja to its original base, Lagos, where it has operated for decades until recently.
FAAN wishes to inform Nigerians that following wide consultations by the new Management of FAAN with stakeholders, which also involved the Unions, it was agreed that this was in the best interest of the Authority and the country for now for the following reasons:
1. Those affected by the decision to move the headquarters to Abuja have since returned to Lagos as there is no office space for them in Abuja. It was ill-advised in the first place to move the headquarters to Abuja when there was no single FAAN building in Abuja to accommodate all of them at once.
2. Having returned to Lagos, the Authority would be liable to pay them DTA (DUTY TOUR ALLOWANCE) because technically they are working OUT OF STATION as their official posting is to ABUJA. The Minister has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse.
3. The other option open to the Authority was abandon the old FAAN building in Lagos to rot away and to use its scarce resources to rent an office space in Abuja for Millions of Naira of public money when in actual fact more than sixty percent of its activities are in Lagos given the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports. The stakeholders and the Minister decided against that and to save the country this waste.
4. The Minister has rolled out plans to get concessionaires to build befitting offices for the Authority in Lagos and Abuja and until that is done, the Authority will continue to manage its old building in Lagos that can accommodate all its Directors and senior officials for now.
5. Abuja continues to have full operational offices and the Authority has not scaled down operations in Abuja one bit. It is just the technical decision of where the Authority has its ‘corporate headquarters’ that has been taken without affecting the structure of operations as they are for now in both cities.
6. In the near future, when befitting corporate buildings have been built for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja, a final decision will be taken as to the location of the permanent headquarters, depending on the exigencies of the time.
7. The Authority wishes to assure members of the public that it will continue to act in the best interest of the public and the country.
8. The Honourable Minister is committed to taking decisions that are in the best interest of the country, especially as it concerns public funds and will not yield to ethnic or sectional sentiments that will derail this commitment’
Thank you.
Obiageli Orah (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection
During a three-day retreat for the council chairmen and other top functionaries across the 38 local government areas and local council development areas in the state, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State cautioned local government officials against using his name for fraudulent activities. He emphasized that he did not authorize the deduction of N1m from the Christmas celebration money in December 2023.
Governor Oyebanji stressed, “I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me… I didn’t collect any money. Henceforth, when you hear something of this nature, quickly contact me.”
He further warned against the use of his name for any fraudulent schemes and assured transparency in his administration. The governor also pledged not to tamper with the local government’s allocations but emphasized the need for responsible spending.
Addressing the newly inaugurated local government officials, Oyebanji urged them to consult widely with the communities in executing projects that would benefit the people. He reminded them of their responsibilities and the need to make a positive impact during their tenure.
The retreat, organized by the state’s Ministry of Local Government Affairs, was described by the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Folorunso Olabode, as a strategic initiative for Ekiti State’s developmental plans.
Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, a resource person at the event, emphasized the need for effective partnership between the state and local governments to ensure value for the citizens’ money.
The Federal Government has for the third time amended the criminal charges it filed against the immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
In the latest amended charge taken before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accused Emefiele of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2m.
According to the amended charge marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele, on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”
According to the EFCC, Emefiele allegedly claimed that the SGF requested the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”
The EFCC said Emefiele made the claim despite knowing that it was false “and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Still in the amended charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.
He said to have allegedly connived with the fleeing Ocheme to commit the “illegal act to wit: forgery.”
Furthermore, Emefiele was accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother In-law, Omoile Macombo, by allegedly awarding a contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s residence in Lagos to the tune of N99.8m.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the contract for the renovation of the CBN Governor’s lodge, located at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was awarded to a company named Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, “wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders.”
The EFCC said Emefiele’s alleged action was a violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The amended charge sheet contains a total of 20 counts against Emefiele.
Justice adjourned till today (Friday) for Emefiele to take his plea on the amended charges.
In the original charge filed against him in August 2023, Emefiele was accused of perpetrating procurement fraud to the tune of N6.5bn.
He was then charged alongside a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment.
The EFCC later amended the charge by reducing the counts to six, removing the names of Yaro and April 1616 Investment, while the quantum of the alleged procurement fraud was reduced to N1.2bn.
Emefiele was arraigned on the second charge on November 29, 2023, and he pleaded not guilty.
The EFCC subsequently opened its trial and had so far called three witnesses before the latest amendment.
Meanwhile, the court on Thursday, varied the terms attached to the N300m bail granted Emefiele on November 22, 2023.
Justice Muazu removed the condition that Emefiele must be restricted to Abuja till the end of the trial.
The decision followed an application to that effect moved by the defence counsel, Mathew Bukka (SAN).
The PUNCH reports that Justice Muazu in November last year granted Emefiele N300m bail with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said the sureties must have landed property in the Maitama District of the FCT.
He also ordered the ex-CBN governor not to leave the court’s jurisdiction and directed him to deposit all his travel documents with the court.
At the proceedings on Thursday, Bukka urged the court to lift the restriction on his client, assuring that he would not jump bail if the restriction was lifted.
The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the request.
He only urged the court to ensure that Emefiele wrote an undertaking that he would remain in the country if his plea was granted.
“From experience, we have seen cases where travel documents are with the court and the defendant will travel out of the country. What they usually do is go to the immigration and depose an affidavit that their traveling documents are missing.
“So in addition to his traveling documents being with the court, he should write an undertaking that the defendant will remain in Nigeria for the duration of his trial. I am not in any way suggesting the defendant will jump bail,” Oyedepo said.
Ruling, the judge held, “The defendant’s application is hereby granted. He must remain in the country for the pendency of his trial.”
The Nigerian telecoms market size has been estimated at $9.09 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $11.43 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.70 per cent between 2024 and 2029. This was revealed by market intelligence firm, Mordor Intelligence, in its recent report of Nigerian tele- coms sector. Noting that the Nigerian telecoms market had undergone significant transformation over the past few years owing to various initiatives taken by the government to boost the country’s internet infrastructure and broadband connection, the firm stated in the report that growth in data consumption from businesses as well as individuals, growth in 5G deployments across the country and various innovations by the significant telecoms market vendors operating in Nigeria would drive the projected revenue.
“The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions is revolutionising various sectors, enabling improved efficiency, automation, and enhanced user experiences. The Nigerian telecom market is experiencing a profound transformation with the rapid growth of IoT usage,” it stated. It added that increased smartphone adoption in Nigeria had fueled the development of a dynamic digital services sector. “Currently, millions of Nigerians use mobile apps, including social networking sites, e-commerce, and financial services. These apps could leverage smartphones’ capabilities to offer speed, convenience, and efficiency, encouraging more people to invest in smartphones. “In addition to these expansions and collaborations, the growing adoption of digital technologies and government support in aiding the same alongside the 5G technology implementation across the country is analyzed to boost the demand for telecom towers significantly.
“Moreover, the long-term ROI for heavy Capex investments in advanced telecom infrastructure may be uncertain, particularly in rapidly evolving technology environments. Factors such as changing consumer preferences, regulatory dynamics, and market disruptions can impact the revenue streams and payback periods for Capex-intensive projects, creating risk for telecom operators. “With COVID-19, the telecoms industry witnessed a significant increase in demand for Internet services, owing to most of the population staying at home and corporate offices employing remote working conditions. “The increase in people working from home has led to a rise in the de- mand for downloading, online video viewing, and communication through video conferencing, all leading to increased network traffic and data usage.
However, these trends have been limited to countries where the internet penetration and digital transformation of the end-users are high,” it added. Meanwhile, the report projected that mobile services, which include Mobile Data Services, Voice Services, Text and Multimedia Messaging, and Other Mobile Services, that can be operated on mobile netaqworks such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc, will hold major market share. It further noted that the increasing smartphone penetration in the country, with mobile plan subscriptions, was fueling the market for mobile services in Nigeria. For instance, in February 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigerian telecom regulator, reported that the number of active mobile telecommunication plan subscriptions in the country reached about 222,571 million in December 2022, which shows the demand for mobile services in Nigeria.
Additionally, in October 2022, the NCC stated that the country’s broadband subscriptions majorly depend on 3G and 4G networks contributing 44.5 per cent of the total broadband subscriptions in Nigeria, and the regulator has planned an objective to increase it to 70 per cent by 2025. In July last year, the NCC also declared that investments in the country’s telecom industry comprising foreign direct investment (FDI) and local investment, had reached $75.6 billion as of 2021. The research firm said highspeed mobile Internet, such as 4G and 5G, can support businesses’ transforming supply chain management to create smart and efficient manufacturing in the country due to its networking application in the cloud computing services in the business environment. It added that mobile telecommunication services are used in the functioning of the Internet of Things in an enterprise that collects, transmits, and shares data via the Internet, driving the adoption of mobile services in the country.
“Further, the Nigerian government has launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy toward opportunities that digital technologies provide and diversifying the economy, which would require voice and data services in the country and fuel the demand for mobile tele- coms services in Nigeria due to its application in providing low- cost telecoms services to the end users. “Therefore, the demand for data and voice services in the consumer segments, the increase in the number of smartphones, and the country’s national digital economy policy are driving the adoption of mobile services in Nigeria, supported by the vendors’ partnerships and expansion to offer 4G and 5G based mobile telecoms services in Nigeria during the forecast period,” it stated stated.