Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina has been re-elected as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), for another five-year term. The re-election took place electronically during AfDBs’ 2020 Annual Meeting in August. But days after his re-election, analysts are already asking what will a post-pandemic economy in Africa look like? What contributions will Adeshina and his management put on the ground to help ensure inclusive growth in Africa?
Of course, a day before Adeshina’s election, he had said he wanted to seek a second term in office, and being given a second chance would assure the need for unity to enable the continent to pull together and stay focused on the goal of fighting the effect of the pandemic on Africa’s economy. According to him, “pulling together has always been the strength of the African Development Bank.”
He said that Africa has lost a decade’s worth of economic growth due to the pandemic and that despite Africa’s recovery being long, the need for unity would be needed now more than ever in the AfDB.
“Now we must help Africa to build back, boldly, but smartly, paying greater attention to quality growth: health, climate, and the environment,” he added.
He also disclosed that the bank’s Board of Directors was able to launch support schemes to Adesina said his first term as President of the Bank saw the implementation of the five strategic goals for Africa’s development, called the “High 5s”.cushion the effects of the pandemic. “
Adesina said the impact of his five years as President had enabled 18 million Africans have access to electricity, 141 million people have benefitted from improved agricultural technologies for food security. 15 million people have access to finance, 101 million people have access to improved transport and 60 million people have gained access to water and sanitation.
“With these positive results, President Adesina asked the Board of Governors to renew their trust in him for the next five years. “Dear Governors, these Annual Meetings are my opportunity to offer you my services and seek a second term as President of the African Development Bank. I do so with humility. I do so with an acute sense of duty and commitment. I do so to serve Africa and our Bank,” he stated.
Of course, he got his second term at a difficult time when it is clear that the world is currently in the midst of some kind of inflection point. But in confronting this inflection point, will Adeshina be able to deliver impact beyond that which he had delivered in his first five years as President of the AfDB, enabling more Africans to have access to electricity, access to health, water and sanitation, access to improved food security, access to finance?
Andy Grove, noted author and pioneer, introduced the concept of strategic inflection points as moments in time when the fundamentals of business change, requiring a major shift in how we operate. The dilemma is when to take action — move too early, you will waste resources; wait for a while, you will get buried.
The COVID-19 presents no such dilemma since this inflection point is here-and-now, and serious. Luckily the world is easing out of it, and the mortality rate is low due to social distancing and lockdowns but the impact on the global economy is big. In Africa, it is huge, something not witnessed in our lifetime.
Analysts point out the dismal disappearance of normality in the way people live and do things, it’s important to acknowledge how awful this is going to be for a great many people who are dependent on daily wages and monthly salaries. Many companies may soon refuse to pay, forcing workers to quit.
Observers assert that pandemics have often catalyzed social change. Water, sewage, and public health authorities all emerged from previous epidemics. Social change can also come from economic change, such as industrialization and the creation of the first instance of mass inequality in what came to be called the Gilded Age.
They say Dr. Adeshina should work better with African leaders and policymakers to work on early warnings scenarios, so as to be able to pull people out of the cave of economic pains. And that using inflection points, AfDB, and African leaders can build scenarios and early warning systems for the post-corona future of Africa. This will be like a “thin-ice” moment because things are moving very quickly but the framework may still be useful for decision-makers.
The proposed framework, they insist, will articulate two (or more) crucial uncertainties, create a story about the future states that different values of the future uncertainties might imply, define a “time-zero” event and work backward to create an early warning system. says Dr. Tade Olugubile, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun stat he explained that this was part of the issues Rita McGrath, a professor at Columbia University. M Muneer and the co-founder of Medicine Institute Foundation for Diversity and Innovation raised recently.
“Let us create four quadrants for potential post-corona economic scenarios. The first dimension (X-Axis) shall be the current capitalistic “maximizing shareholder value/profits” on the left side and the new “maximizing shared value”, which is neo-socialism, or reimagined as “stakeholder capitalism” where suppliers, customers, workers and society flourish along with the business, on the right.
For the other dimension (Y-Axis), choose “prolonged global slowdown” on top and “bounced-back economy” on the bottom.
He explains that the next step is to create a short “story” about the future state each scenario represents.
Four scenarios emerge Maximising shareholder value:
1) With economic catastrophe, the result could be pervasive poverty and inequality, economic insecurity even for middle class, and political instability in many countries.
2) With economy bouncing back, rinse and repeat of the last many years — middle and lower classes continue to struggle, high levels of inequality remain.
3) When doom happens, there will be expanded social security programmes, greater taxation, or even some nationalisation of private wealth, and alliances between government and NGOs.
4) Economy bouncing back, things will return to the consensus on distribution of societal wealth, inequality narrows gradually and social goods made more affordable.
“Now come up with what we call a “time-zero” event for each of the four scenarios — in other words something that might be in media that represents either positive or negative signal of an inflection point. Once the “time-zero” events are established, work backward to identify information that would represent leading indicators of the event becoming a reality. If you see lots of indicators piling up, it is highly likely for the event to become reality”.
Dr. Adeshina on a thank you visit President Muhammadu Buhari at ASO ROCK Villa
Interestingly, we see weak signals that any of the four scenarios outlined above could be in our future. In fact, for all of them, we are able to find real, in-the-here-and-now headlines reflecting that scenario coming to fruition.
The question for all of us is whether we can create strategies that are robust in the face of all of these possibilities or whether we should bet on one.
Let us assume the time-zero event, “death of the soul of capitalism”, ensues in which case governments will have to turn tough on profiteering private enterprises for the sake of the larger working class, both local and migrants. Some indicators we might see are:
A rise in the popularity of authorities to take coordinated action
Pressure builds to eliminate easy access to stock buy-backs that lead to mass layoffs
Restrictions on executive compensation
Investors to take a hard look at cash reserves of firms
Minimum sustainable income plans
Increased health and social benefits to the labour class
While these aren’t predictions about what is likely to happen, it’s clear that we are in the midst of some kind of inflection point.
We’re going to be asking questions about many of our taken-for-granted assumptions: That globalisation and trade are always good; air travel should be accessible to everyone; we shouldn’t have to invest in building resilient systems, just efficient ones; nationals cannot do hard labour; and so on.
African Development Bank, under Akinwumi Adesina, needs to make Africa able crawl out of economic crisis created by COVID-19 fast. In this way, he will justify his re-election as head of the AfDB to serve Africa “with an acute sense of duty and commitment.”
Hon Minister Mr Sundae Dare is a man who believes that Partnership is the way forward in governance– information is released in a timely manner. This is what has helped him got commitments from business leaders on the renovation of some stadia in the country. It is also what has made him achieve great results and admiration in the last one year. “Today, August 21, marks the first anniversary of my appointment as sports minister by President Muhammadu Buhari. All praises to God Almighty for His favour and faithfulness. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our country. Thanks to Mr President.” Dare said.
Within this first year in office he has achieved so much that he was rated among the three top ministers in Nigeria by an organization. In an interim scorecard released by Transparency Watch, Dare came third behind Hon Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development-Hajia Saddiya Farouk and Transport Minister Rt.Hon Rotimi Amaechi.
Apart from his achievements in the last one year, Dare is still racing gracefully on to ensure he buoys the psychology of Nigerian youth, helping them to discover themselves and build self-worth.
Recently President Muhammadu Buhari approved November 1 every year to commemorate the National Youth Day. This is part of Sunday Dare’s effort to further widen opportunities and more space for the youth. He explained, in his twitter handle, that the national day would be celebrated to draw attention and find solutions to the issues that affect the youth.
Before this time, in July, a month before Dare’s one year in office, President Buhari approved the establishment of a N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for three years, following a memo presented by Dare,. Back then he said, “The NYIF is to serve as a sort of Youth Bank that will fund and support the innovative ideas, skills, talents, and enterprise of the Nigerian youth.”
As soon as he was inaugurated in August 2019, Sunday Dare rolled out the four-point agenda he would deploy to revive the ailing sports sector. These were grassroots development with states governors and educational institutions all anticipated to play key roles, provision of facilities, which include resuscitating the moribund ones and adding new ones, where needed, creating a clear business model for the sector as it is the case in developed climes, Athletes’ Sustenance Fund, which will ensure that Nigerian athletes are always well-funded for training and other activities in and out of competitions. The last one was the well-being of the Nigerian youth.
Achievements
Hon. Minister Sunday Dare receiving a report from the permanent secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Gabriel Aduda
Adopt A Talent Initiative
One of the biggest problems of sports in Nigeria is funding. Over the years, athletes got little or no financial support from the sports ministry. They had to fend for themselves, straining their lean purses to pay coaches who trained them for major tournaments. But, Dare has been lauded for introducing what he called “Adopt A Talent Initiative” on his assumption into office.
Helping our sporting heroes
The sports minister won more friends than enemies when he revisited the long-awaited demand to reach out to ailing sports legends and the vulnerable. He believes there is a need to reconnect with people that laboured to put the country’s name on the world map. In this regard, the likes of Sunday Eboigbe, Kadiri Ikhana, Christian Chukwu got financial support to treat their ailments.
Similarly, the minister has extended his assistance to the mothers of late Rashidi Yekini, Samuel Okwaraji and quarter-miler Sunday Bada while the families of late coaches Shuaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi, and Mudashiru Lawal Manga Muhammed are now on his monthly welfare scheme package.This gesture has widely been commended and even pricked the conscience of the likes of the Nigerian Football Federation to follow suit.
Sports Industry Policy
Following his promise that he would take sports away from being just a pastime or mere recreational activity to becoming business as it is done in developed countries , the minister came out with a newly drafted Sports Industry Policy (SIP). And he is serious in this direction.
This Sports Industry Policy provides the much-needed framework that will transform sports in Nigeria from being recreational to business-led and unlock a ton of investments in the sector Minister of Sports Sunday Dare has declared.
Speaking after he had received the draft document of the National Sports Industry Policy Abuja,t he minister said the newly revamped SIP would replace the obsolete 2009 version and will address four key areas “3 Is and 1 P” – Infrastructure, Investment, Incentives and Policy, that would catapult sports in Nigeria to the next level.
The draft SIP is a revamp of the 2009 National Sports Policy carried out under the auspices of the Sports Ministry by members of the steering committee of the Sports Industry Working Group (SIWG), the policy validation committee, the National Sports Industry Policy drafting committee, relevant MDAs and Ministries.
Praising the efforts of all involved in the project, Dare described the new SIP as “a new dawn” for sports in the country and assured that the policy will stand the test of time when it is adopted by the Federal Executive Council.
“On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, I congratulate all members of the committee for this giant stride, your commitment, dedication and doggedness to bring this draft sports policy to reality,” Dare said in a statement.
“This policy no doubt is a new dawn that will drive the process of moving sports away from being recreational to business.
“I recall the opportunity I had during the 25th Nigerian Economic Summit, to chair its Sports Industry Business Roundtable Session. The session featured various speakers from all sectors emphasizing the challenges in developing sports as a viable business sector capable of attracting investments and delivering returns to investors.
“This gave birth to setting up various groups to review our 2009 sports policy which no doubt is now obsolete.
The Minister commended the permanent secretary, Mr Gabriel Aduda, the co-chairman of the steering committee Mr Ufot Udeme and other members of the committee for their invaluable contributions towards the drafting the new National Sports Industry policy.
Nigerian Youth Investment Fund.
The Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (N-YIF), which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) late July, can easily pass as one of the biggest gains of Dare in the office so far N-YIF is dedicated to investing in the innovative ideas, skills, talents, and enterprises of youth. N-YIF has a target to reach 500,000 youth between 2020 and 2023.
To ensure efficient managemt of the fund, the ministry has set up a focal group to help manage the utilisation of the newly-approved fund.The focal group is an assemblage of youth leaders and groups from diverse fields, entrepreneurial experts and individuals with youth development and finance experience.The group is entrusted with processing concerned parties’ views and inputs about the Fund and making the same available to the NYIF’s Technical Committee.
Commitments for rehabilitation of the Lagos and Abuja National Stadia
Still in line with his promise of revamping moribund sporting facilities, the Minister has shown he has better ideas of getting things to work again than most of his predecessors.
The Minister sometime ago announced that he had secured commitments from business moguls Aliko Dangote and Kensington Adebutu (Baba Ijebu) for the renovation of the Abuja and Lagos National stadia respectively. The development is commendable as the government will no longer have to dip its hands into its own lean purse to spend on facilities it allowed to go bad in the first place.
Hon Minister Mr Sundae Dare is a man who beleieves that Partnership is the way forward in governance– information is released in a timely manner. This is what has helped him got commitments from business leaders on the renovation of some stadia in the country. It is also what has made him achieve great results and admiration in the last one year. “Today, August 21, marks the first anniversary of my appointment as spoerts minister by President Muhammadu Buhari. All praises to God Almighty for His favour and faithfulness. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our country. Thanks to Mr President.” Dare said.
Within this first year in ofice he has achieved so much that he was rated among the three top ministers in Nigeria by an organization. In an interim scorecard released by Transparency Watch, Dare came third behind Hon Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development-Hajia Saddiya Farouk and Transport Minister Rt.Hon Rotimi Amaechi.
Apart from his achievements in the last one year, Dare is still racing gracefully on to ensure he buoy the psychology of Nigerian youth, helping them to discover themselves and build self-worth.
Recently President Muhammadu Buhari approved November 1 every year to commemorate the National Youth Day. This is part of Sunday Dare’s effort to further widen opportunities and more space for the youth. He explained, in his twitter handele, that the national day would be celebrated to draw attention and find solutions to the issues that affect the youth.
Before this time, in July, a month before Dare’s one year in office, President Buhari approved the establishment of a N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for three years , following a memo presented by Dare,. Back then he said, “The NYIF is to serve as a sort of Youth Bank that will fund and support the innovative ideas, skills, talents and enterprise of the Nigerian youth.”
As soon as he was inaugurated in August 2019, Sunday Dare rolled out the four-point agenda he would deploy to revive the ailing sports sector. These were grassroots development with states governors and educational institutions all anticipated to play key roles, provision of facilities, which include resuscitating the moribund ones and adding new ones, where needed, creating a clear business model for the sector as it is the case in developed climes, Athletes’ Sustenance Fund, which will ensure that Nigerian athletes are always well-funded for training and other activities in and out of competitions. The last one was the well-being of the Nigerian youth.
Achievements
Adopt A Talent Initiative
One of the biggest problems of sports in Nigeria is funding. Over the years, athletes got little or no financial support from the sports ministry. They had to fend for themselves, straining their lean purses to pay coaches who trained them for major tournaments. But, Dare has been lauded for introducing what he called “Adopt A Talent Initiative” on his assumption into office.
Helping our sporting heroes
The sports minister won more friends than enemies when he revisited the long-awaited demand to reach out to ailing sports legends and the vulnerable. He believes there is a need to reconnect with people that laboured to put the country’s name on the world map. In this regard, the likes of Sunday Eboigbe, Kadiri Ikhana, Christian Chukwu got financial support to treat their ailments.
Similarly, the minister has extended his assistance to the mothers of late Rashidi Yekini, Samuel Okwaraji and quarter-miler Sunday Bada while the families of late coaches Shuaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi, and Mudashiru Lawal Manga Muhammed are now on his monthly welfare scheme package.This gesture has widely been commended and even pricked the conscience of the likes of the Nigerian Football Federation to follow suit.
Sports Industry Policy
Following his promise that he would take sports away from being just a pastime or mere recreational activity to becoming business as it is done in developed countries , the minister came out with a newly drafted Sports Industry Policy (SIP). And he is serious in this direction.
This Sports Industry Policy provides the much-needed framework that will transform sports in Nigeria from being recreational to business-led and unlock a ton of investments in the sector Minister of Sports Sunday Dare has declared.
Speaking after he had received the draft document of the National Sports Industry Policy Abuja,t he minister said the newly revamped SIP would replace the obsolete 2009 version and will address four key areas “3 Is and 1 P” – Infrastructure, Investment, Incentives and Policy, that would catapult sports in Nigeria to the next level.
The draft SIP is a revamp of the 2009 National Sports Policy carried out under the auspices of the Sports Ministry by members of the steering committee of the Sports Industry Working Group (SIWG), the policy validation committee, the National Sports Industry Policy drafting committee, relevant MDAs and Ministries.
Praising the efforts of all involved in the project, Dare described the new SIP as “a new dawn” for sports in the country and assured that the policy will stand the test of time when it is adopted by the Federal Executive Council.
“On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, I congratulate all members of the committee for this giant stride, your commitment, dedication and doggedness to bring this draft sports policy to reality,” Dare said in a statement.
“This policy no doubt is a new dawn that will drive the process of moving sports away from being recreational to business.
“I recall the opportunity I had during the 25th Nigerian Economic Summit, to chair its Sports Industry Business Roundtable Session. The session featured various speakers from all sectors emphasizing the challenges in developing sports as a viable business sector capable of attracting investments and delivering returns to investors.
“This gave birth to setting up various groups to review our 2009 sports policy which no doubt is now obsolete.
The Minister commended the permanent secretary, Mr Gabriel Aduda, the co-chairman of the steering committee Mr Ufot Udeme and other members of the committee for their invaluable contributions towards the drafting the new National Sports Industry policy.
Nigerian Youth Investment Fund.
The Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (N-YIF), which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) late July, can easily pass as one of the biggest gains of Dare in the office so far N-YIF is dedicated to investing in the innovative ideas, skills, talents, and enterprises of youth. N-YIF has a target to reach 500,000 youth between 2020 and 2023.
To ensure efficient managemt of the fund, the ministry has set up a focal group to help manage the utilisation of the newly-approved fund.The focal group is an assemblage of youth leaders and groups from diverse fields, entrepreneurial experts and individuals with youth development and finance experience.The group is entrusted with processing concerned parties’ views and inputs about the Fund and making the same available to the NYIF’s Technical Committee.
Commitments for rehabilitation of the Lagos and Abuja National Stadia
Still in line with his promise of revamping moribund sporting facilities, the Minister has shown he has better ideas of getting things to work again than most of his predecessors.
The Minister sometime ago announced that he had secured commitments from business moguls Aliko Dangote and Kensington Adebutu (Baba Ijebu) for the renovation of the Abuja and Lagos National stadia respectively. The development is commendable as the government will no longer have to dip its hands into its own lean purse to spend on facilities it allowed to go bad in the first place.
Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor Borno State, Nigeria is a firm and disciple person who mirrors the character and principles embraced by Nigerian founding fathers. And as such he has been creating an inclusive society in Borno state, reconstructing, building peace and partnerships, working together with the people and changing lives
Leadership, learning, courage and good choice of words are the take-aways from Governor Zulum. An example of the leadership and character strength by such founding fathers as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Then plus some traits of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A leader who anchors himself on the philosophy of the Bostonia orator and late US President, John Kennedy’s saying that leadership and learnership are indispensable to one another, Zulum having gathered governance experience from former Governor Kassim Shettima, is among the leaders who are positively redefining governance narratives in Nigeria. This explains why he was able to execute over 326 projects in his first year in office.
And this is something instructive. No wonder he is drawing admiration, within and outside Borno state, for his giant strides in all aspects of governance, with his visionary, people-focused, articulated development agenda which he christened: 10-Pact Transformation Agenda.
Being an academic leader he fully understands the new purposes that scholars have now begun to classify as PPP: People, Planet, Plurality. This shows us new dynamics in different economic regions of the world, focusing on different priorities. For instance, Europe already defines the inauguration of the green revolution, the P for Planet, as its post pandemic. The USA, involved in the presidential elections, places plurality and its diversity, therefore the P for Plurality is its concern with insertive civil society. Leaders in Africa, frightened by the increase in extreme poverty and social losses, focus on reducing the social impact of misery and unemployment on the continent, putting the issue of people ahead. Therefore, Africa preferred concern to focus upon.
But surprisingly, Zulum-a professor of soil science is concerned with all these three Ps. As a result, he is working tirelessly to shape the future, bring back confidence and restore hope to his people, and never the one to gamble away his state’s stability and economic security , and never one to engage in sabre-rattling. As he is concerned with humanitarian and security issues, so is he concerned with food security, agriculture and climate change, as well as human resources development.
Even with the Boko Haram insurgents activities that have rendered many hopeless and homeless, Governor Zulum remains focused on delivering education as a dividend of democracy to his people. He has been going about to resettle people, once forced to flee their homes as a result of BokoHaram activities, in different towns and villages in Borno state, leading other government officials in the distribution of food and non-food items to those in critical humanitarian needs. Risking personal safety, he regularly visits disturbed locations where a large number of people have been displaced to wipe of tears from people faces and infuse them with hope and confidence. While supervising aid distribution to thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable members of society, he is equally concerned about their need for shelter.
Governor Zulum laying the foundation of a building project
A look at Zulum’s performance in office in just one year makes people marvel. He embarked on 375 projects.
To ensure peace and security become permanent features of Borno social and cultural life, Zulum places premium on the security of the citizenry. That is why he has been able to make several sustained efforts in tackling security challenges in the state. With 300 patrol vehicles purchased and distributed to CJTF, military and other sister agencies, establishment of security trust fund, formation of rapid security response team, special protection component for farmers tagged agro-rangers, created, procured security gadgets to CJTF and the upward review of their allowances, visitations to high-risk security areas for citizens’ needs assessments, among many other efforts has shown how focused and determined Zulum is, on security matters.
Aware that education is the key to scientific and technological advancement, the means to combat unemployment and the foundation of social equity, Zulum put it on his priority list. His outstanding achievements in the area of education within the one year in office, is breathtaking. 76 verifiable projects were undertsken across 21 Local government areas. 49 projects are already completed while 27 ongoing in the education sector. Zulum embarked on massive construction, rehabilitation and renovations of hundreds of blocks of classrooms and offices in schools.
In the health sector he has recorded huge transformation , too. The sector benefited 46 physical projects in 19 LGAs out of which 37 are newly built primary, comprehensive and maternity healthcare centres with some few still ongoing. The governor was aware of the unmitigated disaster dearth of equipment could pose to the people’s wellbeing and therefore, promptly procured several equipment of world class standard and essential drugs for most of the healthcare centres in the state, among many others.
He equally seeks to promote commerce and industry in order to boost the state’s economy and its development. He has brought about great transformation for enhanced services and efficiency of state-owned companies such as BOPLAS, BOSCO, Borno wire and nail industry. This is in addition to construction of a new modern market in Kwaya-Kusar and market stalls in many LGAs. Agriculture, ecology and biodiversity were greatly considered as Firgi (dry season) farming, installation of rice mill Zabarmari, procurement and repair of modern farm implements, establishment of woodloot plantation, construction of drainage systems to counter erosion and flooding, 2.7 million trees raised, and many others.
Rural/ Urban Development has numerous footprints of Zulum. He has clearly shown his committed resolve to build Borno State as he has embarked on massive construction of over 6000 housing units, installed litany of electrification and transformers on notably rural communities across the all local government areas. He drilled hundreds of solar powered boreholes, constructed and reconstructed several vocational centres or skills acquisition centres for job creation, constructed 53 municipal buildings in 12 local government areas, in a view to speed up his civil authority restoration processes in the recaptured LGAs.
The transport sector also receives the attention of the governor. In addition to the massive road construction projects, there has been remarkable improvements as Borno Express, the state-owned transport company, is witnessing rapid transformation.
In terms of reconstruction and psychological healing, Zulum is also firing on in all cylinders. This is because Borno state houses over two million internally displaced people (IDPs) forcefully chased out of their communities by Boko Haram in camps and host communities with women and children been the most affected due to their vulnerabilities. And this presents a huge challenge. But Zulum is up to the task.
Zulum who is also a humanitarian decided to get directly involved in coordination and supervision of distribution of food, clothes and conditional cash to displaced persons in many communities across the local government areas of the state. and since coming to office over one year ago, Zulum has personally supervised and distributed palliatives to hundreds of thousand individuals and families in 14 local government areas.
To address policy inconsistencies and lack of coordination in humanitarian response,the Governor established Agency for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Response with the mandate of coordinating activities of non-governmental organisations, among many other interventions rendered in the area of humanitarian support and social protection.
In June, this concern forced him to revoke the allocations of houses that remained unoccupied at the Indimi Housing Estate (INHE) in Bama Local Government Area. The governor was on a working visit to Bama when he gave the revocation order. The allocated houses at Bama has remained to be occupied for over a year.
Bama had severally been attacked and destruction of over 90 of houses and public buildings by Boko Haram terrorists, before troops re-captured it in 2016. On that particular day, Governor Zulum also supervised aid distribution to more than 25,000 IDPs and vulnerable members of the host community in Bama. The IDPs, staying in Bama town, were mostly from villages sacked by insurgents in Banki, Gulumba, and Ngurosoye of Bama Local Government Area. He told the IDPs that:
“I want to sympathize with you; you have been in a very difficult situation. The insurgents have displaced you from your houses and communities, without any means of livelihoods.The food items you see here are jointly provided by the Borno State Government and the Federal Government. President Muhammadu Buhari is very compassionate about your plights, may God bless him.”
He also announced the re-opening of three secondary schools in Bama. The re-opening, according to him, was to enable primary school pupils to continue with their education. “I will soon come back to Bama. I will personally supervise the enrollment of students.
“We’ve to reopen Government Day Secondary School; the Mega School will also be converted to a Secondary School, while a Girls’ Secondary School will be sited in Shettimari Primary School temporarily.”
At palace of the Shehu of Bama, Zulum informed the royal father of government’s plan to resettle people at Ngurosoye village and Banki, a border town with Cameroon.He said while the IDPs in Menawo and Kirawa taking refuge in Cameroon; will be repatriated to return Banki.
Earlier in August 2019, in his bid to ensure total restoration of civil authority to the local government areas previously ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency, Zulum had ordered immediate relocation of Shehu of Bama and his Dikwa counterpart back to their respective palaces.
He also made possible the immediate return of all local government staff and primary school teachers to their respective local government areas of postings.
The two traditional rulers had fled their homes to Maiduguri at the peak of the Boko Haram crisis between 2014 and 2015.It could be recalled that the Shehu of Bama escaped death by whiskers when the terrorists invaded his palace then.
But with the restoration of peace by the security agencies, civilian joint taskforce and subsequent return of the displaced persons from the areas who were earlier taking refuge in Maiduguri back to their ancestral homes through the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement programme of Borno State government, Zulum moves to ensure that the monarchs are also home to boost the morale of their subjects.
But who is Governor Zulum? What experience shaped him? And why is able to do all these things, reconstructing lives in Borno state? He has leadership qualities and enough experience. He understands that shaping the future essentially means planning to build a robust, prosperous and sustainable economy, as well as a successful development model that meets the competitive demands of the global economy.
This ensures that the concerned state or country excels in various areas of development compared to its counterparts worldwide.
He has been tested and trusted in the proper management of men and materials in his previous public positions. His wealth of experience and laudable achievements as the then Rector of Ramat Polytechnic and pioneer Commissioner Ministry for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), put him on a good footing and this is brought to bear in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
The good people of Borno state believe that with his unrivaled passion and concern for the plight of the common man, Borno state was about to witness a tremendous shared prosperity in all its ramifications having Zulum as the governor.
In 2015, Zulum was appointed pioneer Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement by Shettima. Despite being in control of billions of naira for the reconstruction of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals, he neither bought a personal house nor a personal car for himself. He also came under attack from Boko Haram twice but didn’t stop in his efforts to rebuild substantial parts of Borno.
It is also interesting to note that, as a don, Zulum had more than enough family challenges that he couldn’t even afford to build a personal house and lived in rented apartments with his families even when he was appointed Rector, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri and subsequently, Commissioner of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), one of the newly created State Ministries by former Governor Kashim Shettima in his second tenure in office.
“Governor Shettima told me in September 2015 that he was trusting me with so much funds for the rebuilding of hundreds of communities destroyed by Boko Haram, and he was worried about the displacement of more than two million people of the state.
That appointment was one major challenge, and I took it up ready to die doing it or trying. Yes, at some point, there was the issue of safety since insurgents can spring surprises, but we had the overwhelming support of the military and the police in particular, as well as other security agencies, and volunteers. The rebuilding was something that needed to be done. As the governor said, we couldn’t wait forever. I’m happy that he succeeded in his determination to rebuild many communities, particularly places like Bama. Today, the government has resettled victims in most of the LGAs, including Bama, Kaga, Dikwa, Gwoza, Askira Uba and others.” Said Zulum in an interview before he became governor in 2019.
Early in life, Zulum had to join his father in tilling the ground at a tender age in Loskuri village, Mafa Council of Borno State. “Every day, I trekked for seven kilometres to reach my father’s farm from our home,” he recalled. He combined farming with his primary and school in Mafa and Monguno from 1975 to 1980 and 1980 to 85, respectively.”
When Zulum was in class five in a secondary school in Monguno, he began to fully cater to his education. “I became a commercial driver of taxis, particularly Peugeot 404. At some point, I also drove buses carrying passengers to different villages and neighbouring states. At a later time, I drove commercial pickup trucks carrying firewood from forests. While working as a commercial driver, I learned how to fix any vehicle I drove,” he said.
In 1986, Zulum gained admission into Ramat Polytechnic in Maiduguri, owned by the state government, to study for a National Diploma in Irrigation Engineering, and lived with relatives off-campus in Kofa Biyu, a densely populated area.
“I trekked for eight kilometres from Kofa Biyu to Ramat Polytechnic and back whenever I had lectures. But I was already used to long walk all my life, as I couldn’t afford transport to school. Whenever I drove taxis and returned the vehicles to owners, I used what I got for my basic school needs. I later also became a commercial operator of grinding machine, and I owned one in Mafa, and during weekends I went there to serve customers,” he added.
Then, from 1990 to 1994, he studied at the University of Maiduguri, where he obtained a degree in Agriculture Engineering, after which he served as a youth corps member with Katsina State Polytechnic. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan from 1997 to 1998, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Agriculture Engineering. In 2005, he enrolled for a PhD in Soil and Water Engineering with the University of Maiduguri, which he completed in 2009.
The courageous decision by His Excellence , Professor Zulum, to initiate actions that build peace for the prosperity of the people reflects a much-needed, pragmatic vision for the future of Borno State and entire North-East region.
Operating within the template of his 10-Pact Transformation Agenda within one year of being Borno governor, Zulum undertook 375 projects, of which 326 are physical projects. The remaining 49 as capital-intensive programmes and policies. An average of one project per day that is the performance of a man popularly called “Governor Workaholic”.
Today , humanity is on the threshold of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, around which global economic development of the future will pivot. Governor Zulum is trying to gather his people for global economic development, so that they are not left behind in the scheme of things. Under him, governance in Borno State has evolved into the finest relationship mechanism that binds the citizens and the leaders in a shared vision of progress and welfare of the people. The same sense of pride and passion for national excellence marks President Buhari ‘s working style, which has a frank and uncompromising approach to policies and their impact on progress, is also noticeable in Zulum leadership
This provides an echo of old Kanem Bornu Empire, which comes to mind when the issue of tolerance was mentioned. Then the region was in its brightest times tolerant of the other and receptive to the other, courtesy, peace prevailed , the world-attracting scholars, traders and tourists from places like Sudan to Egypt, Baghdad to Damascus, Mali to Senegal to the Bornu Empire. Its people were beacons of knowledge, industry and civilization because they were based on real values that govern their relations with all civilisations, cultures and religions around them.
Governor Zulum bonding with the survivors and victims’ of BokoHaram attacks provides for them an opportunity to ease their pain and suffering. And in all of their sadness, there is joy too — with Governor Zulum’s commitments to touching and transforming lives, showing the true spirit of Islam, its compassion, its peace and its joy, attributes devoid of bitterness, acrimony, distrust and violence.
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta- the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) held an interactive session with the media, the first since his re-appointment by President Muhamadu Buhari in August.
Prof. Danbatta is concerned with how the Commission can best empower Nigerian people and businesses to leverage digital technology to changes lives, generate wealth, and contribute to the growth of the country’s GDP.
It was on the strength of this commitment and sterling performance in office in the last five years that President Muhammadu Buhari, in August, had considered him for re-appointment for another term of five years in office.
During the interactive session which he held with senior media chiefs from the mainstream and online media community, he gave impressive accounts of his stewardship as the Chief Telecoms Regulator in the last five years, while setting priorities for the next five years, promising to cut the cost of data by 60 percent.
The event, held at the NCC’s Communications and Digital Economy Complex, Miatama Abuja, was attended by the top-notch of the fourth estate of the realm both physically and virtually, as well as the senior management of the Commission, including the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu.
Addressing the forum, Danbatta listed the major policy initiatives which had produced record broadband penetration and enhanced the growth in the telecoms sector, especially in the contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He revealed that on the assumption of office five years ago, the Commission discovered 217 access gaps, a result that had affected 40 million Nigerians – having no access to telecom services. Then he tapped the drum:
“But today, we have reduced the access gap clusters to 114 with 15 million of the 40 million digitally excluded Nigerians now having access to telecoms services. We are committed to addressing the remaining access gap clusters, which are areas outside the frontier of economic viability to ensure the remaining 25 million Nigerians have access.”.
Equally, he talked about capital importation, saying the EVC said in 2015, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the telecom sector stood at $1 billion but declined to $212 million by 2018. He, however, noted that through regulatory efforts, the FDI in the sector had picked up again reaching $930 million according to recent figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He also listed the various consumer-centric initiatives his leadership has put in place to strengthen consumer protection and empowerment in the last five years. These include the declaration of 2017 as the Year of the Consumer, the introduction of the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code, the introduction of the NCC toll-free Number 622; the stringent provisions of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Registration Guidelines, issuance of direction on forceful subscription and data roll-over, among others.
Such initiatives included the constitution of a multi-sectoral committee on e-fraud, revision of the consumer complaints, and service level agreements (CC/SLA) for prompt resolution of consumer complaints by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
Prof. Danbatta receiving an Award
According to him, the careful implementation of the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) in the last five years with a focus on the 8-Point Agenda, had raised the country’s broadband penetration to 42.02 per cent by July, 2020 from 6 per cent in 2015. He pointed out that the telecoms sector’s contribution to the GDP increased from 8.50 per cent in 2015 to 14.30 per cent in the second quarter of 2020. This means that the Q2 2020 contribution translates to N2.272 trillion.
Prof. Danbatta also listed the Commission’s regulatory priority areas for the next five years to include:
facilitating attainment of 70 percent broadband penetration by 2025;
consumer protection and empowerment;
consolidation of spectrum trading to ensure maximum and efficient usage of available frequencies.
SIM registration audit to provide security and curtail incidences of banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery;
creation of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in more states of the federation;
execution of the counterpart funding agreements with the licensed Infrastructure companies (InfraCos) to facilitate the digital transformation of the economy.
He noted that when he came on board five years ago, there were 47,000 kilometers of fibre optic cables laid across the country. However, five years after, as a result of regulatory focus, there are now 54,725 kilometers of fibre cables laid across the country through the efforts of some private companies in the sector.
“In line with the Federal Government’s target, an additional 120,000 kilometers of fibre are being planned over the next four years. In this regard, the NCC is working on last-mile connectivity to different parts of the country through leveraging the 40 terabyte capacity of five submarine cables on the coastal shores of Nigeria,” he said.
He reiterated NCC’s commitment towards delivering on its mandate of ensuring the quality of service to the consumers, driving investment, and boosting healthy competition in the industry as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003. And he praised the role of the media in the reportage of the telecom sector over the years and urged the practitioners to continue to be objective and constructive in their coverage of the activities of the Commission and that of its licensees.
With the sterling performance by Professor Dambatta in NCC, one needs no wonder much as to why the organization regularly attracts accolades and awards. Some of these awards came in recently in recognition of the critical role the Commission has been playing in keeping Nigerians and businesses connected since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Two of the awards, ‘Human Rights Telecoms Defender’ for the EVC and ‘Human Rights Guard’ for the Commission, as a corporate entity, were presented by Wheel of Hope Human Rights Foundation (WHHRF), a frontline Nigerian Non-Governmental Organisation. The third award, ‘Icon of a Greater Nigeria’ was presented to the EVC by the Youth Coalition Against Corruption (YOCAC), a coalition of Nigerian youths from all walks of life. Coincidentally, WHHRF and YOCAC adduced similar reasons for finding the EVC and Commission deserving of the recognitions.
Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikeckukwu Adinde, who received the awards on behalf of the EVC, appreciated the organizations for their gestures, noting that the three awards will serve as an encouragement to the Commission to continue to strengthen effective, fair, and transparent regulation of the telecommunications industry.
“On behalf of the EVC and Chief Executive of NCC, we thank you for these recognitions. These latest awards will add to the long list of laurels in the NCC’s kitty. There are many initiatives by the Commission, to ensure increased connectivity, improved quality of service and consumer rights protection,” Adinde said while restating the NCC’s commitment to consumer-centric initiatives that promote digital inclusion and advance the digital economy vision of the government.
Jide Abdulazeez, Chairman, WHHRF, said the presentation of the two awards by the Foundation was in recognition of “the leading role the Commission has been playing in sustaining access to telecoms services throughout the period of the lockdown, following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.”
He added that the role of NCC in making the 112 Emergency Number available to Nigerians to report COVID-19-related cases and other emergencies; as well as its efforts in consistently protecting the rights and privileges of telecoms consumers, through effective resolutions of service-related complains, are part of the reasons for finding the Commission worthy of the awards.
In his own part the National Coordinator, YOCAC, Dahiru Umaru, said, “the Icon of Greater Nigeria Award conferred on the EVC is in recognition of his leadership qualities and achievements which have engendered quality regulatory supervision of the telecoms industry by ensuring that telecom consumers are not unduly shortchanged, especially during the critical stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to him, the Commission has been contributing immensely to the growth of the Nigerian economy by ensuring robust telecom infrastructure, making it possible for Nigerians to leverage social media and other digital platforms to ventilate their views against corrupt practices in order to ensure good governance in the country.
While NCC has done well in the area of using digital platforms to fight corrupt practices so as to drive good governance in Nigeria, some experts still contend that needs to enthrone a culture Nigerians youth can leverage on online platforms to generate revenues and participate in the gig economy.
They add that the extent to which the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices by Nigerians can improve on the quality of their lives will remain low until the youth and many Nigerian small businesses become more productive online.
They made the comment when they were asked questions on the report of a recent study, which ranks Nigeria as fifth in Africa, and 81 out of 85 nations, in terms of improved digital quality of life. a product of Privacy Company, Surfshark,
The study titled Digital Quality of Life (DQL) 2020 was conducted by a Privacy Company, Surfshark. It based its ranking on five pillars– Internet affordability, Internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic government, and electronic security, where it ranked Nigeria 85th, 81st, 70th, 53rd, and 53rd.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) informed that there are 146 million Internet users and 80 million broadband subscribers in the country. Statistics from Internet World Stat puts the Internet growth rate in the last 20 years in Nigeria at 62.9 per cent of an estimated population of 206 million.
President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, observed that “digital quality life goes beyond just the rising numbers, but we must be productive online.”According to him, there are many things that Nigeria is not doing right.
“Nigeria still counts subscriptions as if they are human beings. A lot of the subscriptions are duplicated SIM cards. There are multiple SIM cards, some are connected to machines, so it doesn’t give a true picture of those who are individual owners of devices with SIM cards who are doing productive stuff.
“The report is saying that having a mobile device doesn’t mean you’re digital native. Consuming YouTube, watching football, watching Big Brother are not productive activities, they are just entertainment and leisure coming from the fibre that is connected to the shows that is bringing traffic into the country. So we are just mere consumers, we have to stop being consumers, but producers.”
The ATCON president noted that digital economy is about creating an economy where you produce in the big markets, and other markets buy from you and revenues are earned.
Some telecoms expert equally decried the low productivity through the vast mobile connections in the country, saying Nigeria must reject the ‘consuming nation’ status placed on the country, which has resulted in it becoming a dumping ground for all sorts of good and services.
Kayode Aluko “It is disappointing and painful that despite the subscription figures, our impact is still very low in terms of productivity on the Internet. There is serious work before the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to make changes. We can’t just continue on a downward trend as a nation,” he stated.
While telecom analysts fume over the low productivity of the digital economy in Nigeria, many Nigerians are praising Professor Danbatta for his giant strides at NCC. And the COVID-19 lockdown period really provided the litmus test for the NCC to show that it is up to its mandate of pushing the Nigerian Digital economy on the watch of Danbatta.
An insight gained from the World Bank Nigeria Digital Economy Diagnostic Report reveals that the digital economy can change the way economies of scale are achieved. In 2016, the global digital economy was worth some $11.5 trillion, equivalent to 15.5 percent of the world’s overall GDP. It is expected to reach 25 percent in less than a decade, quickly outpacing the growth of the overall economy. It can also strengthen people’s trust in firms or governments by enabling some decentralized forms of trust (such as with a blockchain) where centralized authorities are not trusted.
It may allow products and services to be customized and targeted—enabling better inclusion but also easier ways to exclude some too. However, countries like Nigeria were reportedly capturing only a fraction of this growth and need to strategically invest in the foundational elements of their digital economy to keep pace. Professor Danbatta has been working on all these with some notable results.
These results became evident during the economic lockdown and cessation of movements caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, with online service delivery restricted, the digital economy provided a soft landing for both buyer and sellers in a competitive market. And again, it is certain to address the issue of irregular information, solving some principal-agent problems where buyers and sellers are separated by intermediaries or even multiple levels of intermediaries.
Ernst & Young Nigeria, in 2018 defined Digital Economy as the part of the economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods and services. The digital economy is made up of various components, including a platform economy, a gig economy, an industry 4.0, a digital economy, data analytics, robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, 3-D printing, and e-commerce among others.
Nigerians can benefit and make money from all these, most notably youth can take advantage of gig economy. And what is it/? The “Gig Economy” is a new work paradigm that has been gaining in popularity in recent years, largely as more people today rely on a secondary income or struggle to find full-time, stable employment. It describes the proliferation of temporary and flexible jobs that freelancers can pick up for quick pay. It’s a fragmented employment model where a worker has multiple shifts to work in a day or a handful of projects to make an income, being antithetical to the traditional nine-to-five shift that salaried employees would enjoy at a company they may expect to work at for years.
The success of companies like Uber, Lyft, Foodora, and many other players in the flexible workspace make these roles more accessible and popular to both casual freelancers and full-time gig economy participants. Other examples of gig work include freelance writing, doing small tasks for quick cash on a platform like TaskRabbit, and even renting out your property on Airbnb is included.
To make Nigerians benefit immensely from this digital economy, Prof Danbatta is pushing on all fronts to do things that allow Nigerians unlock a world of digital possibilities to improve their economic, psychological, social, and physical well-being, empowering youth to take charge of their own lives. In this way, they are better able to use creativity to build wealth and contribute to the development of individuals, families, communities and the country.
These and other measures are what Prof Danbatta is doing at NCC to make information and communication facilities and services easily affordable and accessible to the common man in Nigeria. And it is only through effective implementation of all these projects that Nigeria can lead or at least secure a seat among the comity of nations in the digitalized global economy. No wonder honour and awards keep flowing to the NCC.
First Bank Big Moves Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan on the Watch of Disrupting the Banking industry to usher in innovation and the FORBES Award
It is easy to sit back and get complacent once you are successful. But not Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan Managing Director/CEO First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Under his watch, First Bank continues its aggressive push into different sectors of the economy, while also drawing more and more customers currently unbanked or under-banked into the banking sector as it continues growing its volume through its financial inclusion strategy. And with over 45,000 First Bank agents across Nigeria, First Bank on average processes more than eight billion transactions on a daily basis, yet the elephant is hungry for more.
Over the years, First Bank has been at the forefront of supporting agriculture, industrialization, businesses, and SMEs in Nigeria and has been one of their key dependable lenders. Its resilience and commitment as a financial partner have earned it an award-winning track record where it has been recognized by the pubic and many institutions across the globe for being the Best Commercial Bank and for Best Trade Finance Offerings in Nigeria. These are what have drawn numerous awards to First Bank from many reputable institutions, with the newest one being the Forbes Best of Africa Award was presented to Dr. Adeduntan this September. The award is bestowed on him by Forbes Africa in conjunction with Foreign Investment Network (FIN), for his contributions to the financial services sector in the country and the African continent.
“We are not going to relent and for us at First Bank, profitability is very important, but also supporting economic growth and development is equally important for us. It is only when the country is growing and there is the development and we are all collectively create a bigger cake or pack, that is when the whole country can thrive.” Adeduntan said in an interview sometimes ago.
Prestigious events such as the Forbes award are not just mere events in themselves; they are moments of acknowledging individuals who have made indelible imprints in the lives of others and great lessons for posterity. Adeduntan, with his performance in First Bank, in a rather spectacular way, has added values to many businesses, helping them weather challenges, therefore touching lives.
Dr. Adeduntan is a man who believes that the role of a business is to be adaptable and to enlarge the basket through value-added products. This is because the market is constantly evolving and you have to keep up with it. No wonder First Bank does not go to sleep, relying on its size. Rather it embarks on initiatives that make it more efficient. This means more research, more innovation, more digitalization, and automation while working at reducing cost profiles.
This is because this giant is aware that there are huge opportunities for brands to connect with the consumers if they are willing to get out of their comfort zones and be disruptive in thinking and execution. As humans, we are unified by universally shared hopes and dreams, which are the blueprint for our psychology and, as such, underpin all our behaviors. The same way we share a physical template, we also share a predetermined psychological template that can guide brands on what they want to stand for and how they want to differentiate from the competition. This commitment to stand out of the multitude has been the preoccupation of First Bank for many years. And under Adeduntan the trend has gathered more impetus.
To him having a big market share is neither protected nor permanent. Someone else can take it away. Having been in the corporate world for around 30 years, he has seen it evolve, gained experience, and seen some big and successful businesses that didn’t sustain for a longer time. Business today has become more challenging because of the influx of numerous players, innovative ideas, and ever-changing customer’s wants.
He is aware of some prominent examples of companies that were No.1 in their respective markets. They became comfortable, forgot to remain innovative, and soon faded away. The first example is one that we are all familiar with; Nokia. There was a point in time where everyone held a Nokia phone. However, when touchscreen smartphones started becoming a trend, they did not adapt, and Apple and Samsung took over and Nokia is nowhere to be seen. Another example is Sony with TVs. It had the largest share and was the benchmark.
However, now there are others who sell smart TVs with varying features and have surpassed Sony. Adedutan would not allow this kind of thing to happen in First Bank. So he makes innovation, value for the customers’ financial inclusion strategy, and solid management capacity his watch words.
To stand-out, he makes agency banking a core part of First Bank’s strategy. And in this way, it helping Nigeria to drive the United Nations sustainability agenda. For financial inclusion is very central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
L.R Ibukunmi Awosika (Chairman Deputy ) Gbanga Francis Shobo ( Managing Director) Dr. Remi Oni (Executive Director Corporate Banking) First Bank Plc
Because it has a link to poverty eradication, women empowerment education, and health. And that is why the government, central bank, and all the banks are all working on promoting financial inclusion, because of its significance. A number of the SDGs are linked to financial inclusion. These include education, ending hunger, and achieving food security, good health, and well-being, gender equality, creating a decent work environment, all indicate that there is a direct correlation. With access to financial services people can invest in businesses; education; live healthy lives; farmers get rich agricultural produce and women are more empowered.
“At First Bank, our approach to driving the SDGs is in two-fold: firstly, aligning our corporate responsibility & sustainability strategy based on our business goals; the Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBPs) and global best practice in integrating sustainability within the business operations; and secondly creating awareness amongst staff and other stakeholders through sustainable partnerships. While the Bank work towards promoting all 17 SDGs, we focus more on 7 of the goals because they are material to us. These goals are:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13 & 17”
Positioning financial inclusion as an integral part of its business strategy, First Bank is a leader in agency banking, while taking other measures to enhance financial inclusion. This continues to help the bank gather customers on a daily basis, aided by the brand trust and security of its payment system. Driving this includes a plan called Agency 2.0, which means taking its agency banking business to the next level.
Apart from this financial inclusion strategy, FBN under Adeduntan drastically has reduced the incidence of non-performing loans in the bank. This came down to single digit in 2019.
“When I assumed office in 2016, part of what I said we are going to do was to strengthen our risk management capabilities with the goal of reducing the non-performing loans. I said it would be a two-prong approach and that we would strengthen our capabilities to ensure that we don’t create NPLs.
But remember that no matter how good your risk management capabilities are, because by default the kind of business we do, loans must always go bad from unexpected things.
My plan was to revamp risk management capability and the entire risk management architecture to ensure that we keep new NPLs to the barest level possible. So my team and I focused on the already existing NPLs and then worked on reducing it down to the levels that are in line with the central bank regulation.
What we have achieved is to successfully reposition the risk management system of the bank and today I am particularly very proud of what we have achieved. And it is a combination of these that ensured that we pushed the NPLs to single digits. When we started 2019, our presentation to the investor community was that we are going to end 2019 with single-digit NPL. And by October 2019, we actually achieved single-digit NPL ratio for First Bank.”
Equally, under Adeduntan FBN has made big investments in Cybersecurity. This has allowed banks to remove online threats and protect customers from online fraudsters. It also has developed the strategy of being the leader in the digital banking space, an area in which it has been very successful. Yet, it is forging ahead to be more digital.
Today, on the USSD banking platform, it has over 8.2 million customers actively transacting business, with it being by far the largest in that particular space. It is also dominant. in mobile banking, being very strong in agency banking.
Over 80 percent of its customer-induced transactions are conducted on channels such as First Mobile, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and the automated teller machine (ATM). Consequently, it has been quite successful in -moving customers to electronic channels.
“This is because of the kind of comfort it has been able to give them in terms of security in cyberspace. So, we needed to as a matter of business priority, have made those kinds of investment.” Adeduntan said.
Just as over the years, FBN has been at the forefront of supporting businesses and SMEs in Nigeria, as it looks to the future, it is showing even more commitment to SMEs as well as women entrepreneurs by using innovative strategies to empower these businesses. Even during these testing times, it remains committed to support SMEs by extending facilities to them.
However, the playing field has changed with COVID-19. With many customers now embracing technology, the digital world is essential if an SME is going to weather the new business climate.
And as First Bank caters for them, they need to adapt to the changing reality and digital landscape in order to survive and continue operations effectively. First Bank probably foresaw this new order coming a long while before COVID-19 broke out. This is courtesy of its platforms to bring SMEs together.
It is the first Nigerian bank to launch this type of forward-thinking platform in the country. The aim was to alleviate some of the challenges that currently exist by creating a community where SMEs can share their knowledge and expertise, connect with one another, and engage in industry-related conversations, as well as receive the latest market insights and learning about e-commerce and marketplace management, among many other banking and business services.
SMEs are essential to the Nigeria’s GDP and contribute as much to that. And the very fact that the First Bank is committed to the SMEs is indicative of their indispensable value to the country’s economic engine. As such, FBN aspires to continue playing an important role in extending its financial and business support to nurture the growth of this industry.
In terms of gender equality, and products for the women folks First Bank is the leader here. In 2017, it launched its female product line called First Gem. It followed this up in 2019 with its First Bank Women Network programme. This was one of -the biggest achievements of the bank last year.
The essence of First Bank Women Network which it formally launched in March 2019 was to promote a more inclusive working environment for female staff in the bank. To ensure that the ladies working with Fist Bank are supported to be whoever they want to be.
So, if there is any bank that is in the forefront of promoting gender equality, it is actually FBN bank. A look through its board, and subsidiaries, shows that the females are adequately represented.
How come the Elephant is trumpeting so loudly under the watch of Adeduntan? Observers say this is as a result of his experience.
With his training and experience in Arthur, KPMG, Andersen, Citibank, and AFC through to First Bank, Adeduntan is schooled in the logic that a business that wishes to be successful must be Flexible to any degree.
These anchors on the fact that the role of a business is to be adaptable: be aware of what you are selling, what the competition is doing, and, more importantly, what the market wants. Market needs, resources and ideas are changing at a fast pace. There is always cop for improvement in the value that your product brings. Sticking to one working model and not recognizing market requirements will lead to oblivion.
At First Bank, his main message is to enlarge the basket by providing value-added products. Only selling just raw commodities is not so fruitful, one needs to have value-added as well. There are numerous things to do to make a brand vibrant and exciting, planting itself in people’s minds, as on-sell it.
Why a customer prefers one brand to another is because of the value-added through the toppings and flavor. Similarly, create products that meet those extra needs. This is his reminder to everyone to be mindful of market requirements and be adaptable.
This will ensure a market share that can be sustained. And this philosophy drives First Bank under Adeduntan and now drawing accolades to him and the brand across the waters-Mediterranean and Atlantic. Such is the Forbes best of Africa honour.
Many Nigerians are happy now as it becomes clear that electricity power is improving and it is helping them to record some achievements in their business and productive activities. These achievements are the fruits of active actions by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), which has continued to operate the power plants in the interest of the Nigerian economy despite security challenges and huge debts of N121 billion owed it by players in the electricity market. This is because the company is characterized by efficiency, professionalism and deep understanding of the nature of its objectives and assigned roles.
The man behind this is Mr. Joseph Chiedu Ugbu. He is the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) — the radiant face of Nigerian power sector who leads national effort towards improvement in power ensuring power gets to the people, with constant successes and consciously and faithfully defends Nigeria’s interests. Ugbu incarnates the country’s renaissance, values, entrenched principles and foundations, which promote hardwork, making him a factor in the country’s energy sector. No wonder his endorsement by the Presidency for a new term of office as President Muhammadu Buhari approved the renewal of Mr. Ugbo’s as MD NDPHC.
He also reappointed Messrs Babayo Shehu and Engr Ifeoluwa Oyedele as Executive Directors of the Company. That re-appointments took effect from August 25, 2020 for a period of four years. This presidential gesture is an affirmation of the integrity and professionalism of Chiedu Ugbu and his team. Apart from Ugbu’s re-appointment, the appointment of three additional directors were also been approved for more effective and efficient coverage of the company’s areas of activity, according to presidency sources.
He was first appointed in June 2015. Following his inauguration back then, Ogbu and his team immediately set off at a round pace with their agenda in focus. At that time, doubts were raised, in some quarters, about the direction NDPHC would head under the watch of Ugbo, reflecting the critical space that NDPHC occupies within the scheme of things in the power equation of Nigeria.
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd, Nigeria’s generation, distribution and transmission infrastructure backbone and provider, is a national pride and one paradigm of a successful government’s incorporated limited liability company delivering stellar services in line with its mandate.
Its mandate is clear and unmistakable: to manage the power projects tagged, “ The National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP)”, a power intervention initiative involving the construction of seven (and later 10) medium-sized gas-fired power plants and associated gas infrastructure, and the critical transmission infrastructure needed to evacuate the added power into the national grid.
Many were wondering what’s next. The answer was more uncertainty. But Ugbu understood the mandate and his briefings. Since then on, NDPHC has taken the country to “next level” of re-engineering its operations with the attendant results of pulling the nation out of seemingly intractable power outage and collapse of power infrastructure.
In line with the vision of President Buhari, it has recorded and still achieving milestones in incremental power in Nigeria. Notably, the intervention of NDPHC is in three mainstream power sectors — generation, transmission and distribution.
The management was able to accomplish impressive and sustainable what is called incremental power in the sector for the country, a concept statement well articulated by the immediate past Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, in the three areas of generation, distribution and transmission. Ugbu and his team performed wonders under the supervision of Fashola, so much that by 2019 NDPHC has become a model of President Buhari’s success, with many projects to show. And since the new Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, took over, he has also added impetus to the projects with scrupulous supervision.
Serving with excellence
Prior to his appointment, he was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Power Privatisation in the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was also the Acting Head of the Advisory Power Team in the Office of the Vice President.
Chiedu is an electric energy law specialist. He qualified as a lawyer over 26 years ago. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree and a Master of Laws degree both from University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. He also holds a Diploma in International Legal Practice from The College of Law of England and Wales; a Certificate in Electricity Industry Restructuring from Canadian Energy Research Institute, Calgary, Canada and a professional certification as Certified Regulation Specialist, from Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Washington D.C., USA in conjunction with WEDC, Loughborough University UK. He possesses extensive experience in electricity industry reform, power project documentation, and privatization. No wonder he understands the power sector management so well.
His strategy considers “serving with excellence the Nigerian’s citizens” as the first objective, emphasizing his keenness to make the Nigerian electricity power sector a force to reckon with, one of the five most reliable in Africa.
As at June 2019, NDPHC had completed many projects, especially, in the three areas of its mandate:-generation, transmission and distribution. Equally, it has been doing other tremendous things to ensure Nigeria achieve adequate energy mix in order to fulfil President Buhari’s vision in the power sector. These include gas supply protocols, solar power scheme.
Power generation
First, is generation. In terms of generation, it has installed a total capacity of 4,051.2 MegaWatts (MH) from eight power plants connected to the National grid. The eight of the ten (10) power plants in the NIPP portfolio, along with associated gas transmission metering/receiving infrastructure projects to support commercial operation, have been commissioned and connected to the national grid contributing over 22,000,000kWHr of energy daily subject to availability of gas fuel.
Many of the NIPP power plants on the national grid also provide ancillary services like spinning reserve to support the system operations, a contribution critical for stabilizing the national grid.
The NPDHC has over 3000MW of generation capacity availability for deployment if the grid permits and this represents the best opportunity for the rapid improvement of power supply to the teeming Nigerians. It is important to note that completed power plants include 750MW Olorunsogo II, 450MW (Ogorode)Sapele, 434MW Geregu II, 450MW Omotosho II, 450MW Ihovbor, 450MW Alaoji, 563MW Calabar and 225MW Gbarain.
Imminently completed ones include 225MW Omoku, 338MW Egbema and 530MW Alaoji steam machines that would wrap up the total available capacity of the plants to 1, 774MW on full completion.
Transmission
Second, concerns transmission, on transmission, NDPHC has completed 2,194Km of 330kV transmission lines and 887km of 132kV transmission lines. A total of ten (10) new 330/132kV substations and seven (7) new 132/33kV substations have also been completed with several other existing substations significantly expanded thereby adding 5,590MVA and 3,493MVA capacity at 330kV and 132kV levels respectively to the national grid.
NDPHC’s contribution to the Transmission grid system has transformed the hitherto radial 330kV/132kV grid into a more robust grid system with significant provision of alternative power flow routes which now serve as redundancies and which has resulted in a more reliable and stable National grid.
Of note in these respects are the commissioning of the over 220km long 330kV Double Circuit (DC) lines providing alternative supply route into Abuja and the FCT from Geregu, through a new Lokoja substation, a new Gwagwalada substation into the existing Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) Katampe and Apo substations with several significant expansion works on existing substation developments along this route.
There is also the construction of a 12-circuit Switching Station at Ikot Ekpene which serves as a hub for marshalling power evacuated from the power plants based at Calabar, Afam, Alaoji and Ikot Abasi. From this hub a total of over 800km long Double Circuit lines emanate as a Power backbone to flow power generation to Jos and the North East through Ugwuaji and Makurdi in Enugu and Benue States, respectively.
With the commissioning of about 95% of this grid backbone in 2016, the Nigeria transmission Grid bid a firm and final goodbye to the radial grid era and entered a new hitherto unattainable level of grid security, reliability and stability that seemed elusive since the commencement of Nigerian grid operations in 1969.
Distribution
In the electricity distribution segment, NDPHC plays important role towards enhancing the capacity of electricity distribution infrastructure in the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI).
NDPHC has constructed and commissioned over 350 injection substations with a combined capacity of about 3540MW across the length and breadth of this country. NDPHC has further constructed about 2,600km of 11kV and 4,600km of 33kV distribution lines for improving access to electricity and quality of power supply to consumers.
It has also enhanced distribution capacity by the installation of 25,900 Completely Self-Protected (CSP) distribution transformers all over the country thereby significantly reducing technical losses.
The 296 Distribution projects which included Injection Substations, 33kV lines, 11kV lines and associated HVDS network are embedded within the existing networks of the 11 Distribution successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). As such, the Distribution Companies are fully involved in the commissioning and integration of the new facilities into existing networks.
In addition, the company has also embarked on some 100 projects across the country under its Distribution Intervention Projects, most of which are now completed with attendant impact of raising electricity supply to Nigerians. Today virtually every parts of the country except areas experiencing localized distribution infrastructure problems enjoys at least 10 to 18 hours of electricity per day while in some cases 24 hours supply.
NDPHC’s intervention followed low coverage/penetration of initial distribution projects, extended requests from host communities to NDPHC power stations, reconstruction of power infrastructure vandalised or damaged due to activities of vandals or insurgency, request from critical stakeholders including state governors, legislators, local governments, government agencies, community leaders, etc.
Also, the distribution value chain has received a boost with the construction of injection substations capacity added 4,082.5MVA, construction of 33kv of about 2, 643km, construction of 11kV of about 4,760km and provision of distribution transformers(100KVA, 200KVA, 300KVA, 500KVA) giving 250MVA. In all, the number of Completely Self-Protected Transformers (CSP) provided totalled 25,900.
Recently, NDPHC also Completed Distribution Substations (SS) & Lines scattered across Nigeria. Some of these include· Tambuwal, Sokoto State;· 1x15MVA, 33/11kV, 1X7.5MVA Inj SS, Fegge, Anambra State·;1X7.5MVA, 33/11kV Inj SS, Potiskum, Yobe State· 1X15MVA, 33/11kV Inj SS, Gagi, Sokoto State; 1×7.5MVA, 33/11kV Inj SS. Otta, Ogun State·; 1X15MVA, 33/11kV Inj SS, Angwan Dosa, Kaduna Stat; · 2×7.5 MVA, 33/11kV Inj SS, Lamingo, Plateau State; 2X15MVA, 33/11KV Inj SS, Zaria Rd, Jos ; Construction of 33kV line from Oke Aro TS to Mowe SS; 2x15MVA, 33/11kv Injection SS, Asaba, Delta State; 2x15MVA, 33/11kV Injection Substation at Okene; ·2×7.5MVA, 33/11kV Substation at Kabba; 2x15MVA, 33/11KV at Confluence Beach; & and· 1×7.5MVA, 33/11KV at Felele all in Kogi State.
On gas supply, NDPHC completed several gas assets including construction of metering stations and gas pipelines to its power stations. Of note is the signing of a Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG) with the World Bank to ensure regular gas supply to Calabar Power Generation Company. The risk guarantee amounting to $112 million is a form of securitization for gas supply under the Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) between NDPHC/Calabar Generation Company Limited and Accugas and it is for a period of nine months during which about 500MW additional electricity will be wheeled into the national grid for stable electricity to Nigerians.
NDPHC also has a solar energy scheme. In January 2017, it launched the Solar Home Systems (SHS) project which is anchored on the Presidential Initiative on Rural Solar Home Lighting Systems aimed at extending power to rural communities across the country which had no access to electricity from the national grid.
Tagged, “NDPHC Beyond the Grid”, the solar projects are being implemented in some rural communities in the six geo-political zones.
For instance, the company has deployed about 200 units of the SHS as pilot programme at Wuna. The beneficiaries of the 20,000 units were among the already identified communities of the 19 Northern states while NDPHC’s solar project is also directed at re-activating 1,073 solar powered boreholes to provide access to clean water.
The company was able to surmount some challenges facing it between 2015 and now which include shortage of gas to the NIPP Power Stations in the Western Delta Ogorode, Benin (Ihovbor), Omotosho and Olorunsogo, inadequate transmission capacity to evacuate power from the Eastern Delta plants, quick completion of the 12 circuit 330kV Ikot-Ekpene Switching Station and the dual circuit 330kV transmission lines from the Alaoji and Calabar Power Stations as well as the completion of the first circuit (line2) of the Ikot-Ekpene to Ugwuaji four circuit 330kV.
Others are inadequate gas pipeline infrastructure in the Eastern Delta (Alaoji and Calabar), completion of the NOPL by Total for gas supply to Alaoji Power Station, completion of the Seven Energy dedicated pipelines from Uquo to Calabar.
In collaboration with the State-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria, NDPHC will continue to maintain its relevance as infrastructure provider in the nation’s power sector with its different sets of projects further improve capacity in generation and networks
With Ugbu in the helms of affairs at NDPHC, the company has helped the power sector make a remarkable leap with available generation capacity of more than 7,000MW, enhanced transmission capacity that can wheel about 7,000MW and a consumption level gradually tilting towards a high level through various strategies by the managers and operators in the distribution segment of the power value chain.
The great accomplishments that have been achieved by the NDPHC under Barrister Ugbo’s leadership, do not come out of anywhere, but rather are based on his vision, philosophy, and approach to development activities, featuring numerous characteristics that represent a sure recipe for success and distinction.
It is no longer news that the plunging oil prices have increased pressure on the naira. since Nigeria produces less locally Africa’s largest economy exports mostly crude oil, but it spends its foreign earned currencies on supplies abroad for basic items such as food, wears, electronics, and refined petrol.
According to Nigeria’s foreign trade report, in 2019 alone Nigeria spent about Nl6.959 trillion ($47 billion) on imports compared to N 13.1 trillion ($36.5 billion) a year earlier. It spent about $28.7 billion on invincibles (spend on services such as professional fees, financial services, business travel, medical tourism, etc.)
This illustrates how Nigeria imports everything, and since it produces less locally, thereby increasing demand for the dollar needlessly; importers need American dollars to pay for goods bought abroad, causing depreciation of Nigeria’s local currency.
Though the disparity between the official rate and parallel market rates has narrowed to about 10%, the Naira is still experiencing pressure from the strong dollar.
As a result of this, the Naira has been tanking out as the greenback continue to draw many Nigerians who are moving their assets to dollar dominated assets, with it drawing strength from risk aversion. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of the American dollar has reached record highs, as many investors around the world are rushing to have a part ofit.
The sad part of the case for Nigeria is that the country is not seeing enough inflows of via the financial accounts that can help bridge the gap in the current account of the balance of payment. Right now, the country is looking to obtain over $6 billion in funding from World Bank, AFDB, and IMF as well as debt services relief on previous foreign debt. We believe the government is unlikely to obtain all the foreign borrowing it needs to plug the deficit.
If the needed amount of inflows is not obtained via external borrowings, FPI flows, or FD Is, the CBN could result to significant drawdown on reserves and may eventually bow to a devaluation when it runs out of armory to defend the Naira. Furthermore, a look at the Nigerian industrial sector shows that higher import costs, coupled with a fall in the foreign exchange reserves standing at about $33.9 billion as of 23rd April 2020, are increasing local production costs, spurring domestic inflation thereby depreciating the naira.
The case for further Naira re pricing is strong. Nigeria is facing a twin deficit crisis across its fiscal and current account books and these deficits are likely to get wider with the weak oil price and production. Given the trend in the oil market, the US (United States.) dollar rose against a basket of major currencies amid the sharp drop in oil prices, as investors move to haven assets. As lockdown continues and factories stay closed with travel restrictions, oil prices continue to dive lower due to low demand, it draws money from risk assets to the safety of the US dollar and its denominated assets. We, therefore, call on all to see protecting the Naira as a joint responsibility and cooperate with the government to bring down needless demand for dollar. This means we should curtail our consumption of foreign goods, increase productivity and export more.
Now that crude oil has started to lose footing and relevance within the global energy need chain, it is time to fall back on agriculture as a strong source of revenue for the government purse. But it is disappointing that many youths equate agriculture with just mere farming, and so don’t see very strong reasons to tap into the agriculture value chain to help roll productivity and wealth generation in the country. So, there is need for strong government advocacy to encourage young people to go into agriculture, push agriculture as business, not just hoe-and cutlass farming affair as well as offering credit support to those in the agriculture sector, including farmers . Effort should be made to make the CBN backed NIRSAL loan work for the ordinary farmers. There is need to relax access to this loan. Next comes the need for advocacy over climate change and its adverse effects on food security and environmental degradation are rising, causing brutal clash over water and grazing resources. The situation in the Lake Chad region where the lake has shrunk to one sixths of its size calls for serious concerns. It is dangerously causing regular clashes in rural farming communities in the Benue valley and other areas.
And to think more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population live in rural areas and practice subsistence agriculture. The majority of people are highly dependent on the country’s forests and rivers for their food security and to meet basic needs. The agriculture sector has always been the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and successful partnership programmes were needed in addressing impediments in growth and Cotton. These cash crops were ones of the first means for people to make their own revenue and take part in the local economy. Then the food security aspect is also there as well as export opportunity to earn Strengthening agriculture can produce positive ripple effects in a country’s economy. Investments in agricultural development can help at reducing unemployment and poverty. Agriculture has been at the centre of recent economic progress for many developing nations. Most governments are taking concrete action to address the problems and there is a clear recognition of strengthening agriculture and food systems in a manner that brings more affordable, healthier and diverse food options within everyone’s reach.
Revenue from agriculture could cater for the increasing expenditure the Government had to take care of given the increasing population over the years. And so, in the coming years, there will be a growing need for farmers, horticulturists, agronomists and other related careers where many people can settle. Analysts have repeatedly said one of the common misconceptions about why students did not take up studies in the agricultural field was that it was only limited to farming and animal husbandry. What many do not realise is that agriculture provides a wide range of career opportunities for students so studying agriculture could also be a way for many to find success.
The one advantage we have, is that Nigeria is an agricultural nation. And while we know agriculture based on knowledge passed on from our fathers, we should now adapt to the changing practice in the world. At the same time, concerns over climate change and its adverse effects on food security and environmental degradation should be speedily attended to. For instance, extreme weather changes, such as heat waves and water scarcity, arc negatively affecting crop production. The United Nations warned that climate change is driving global hunger. The trend is changing. The trend is growing. Support for the agriculture sector is increasing. Attitudes toward agriculture arc already changing, but not fast enough. Young people should be made to see reasons as to why they should embrace agriculture as business. And they should be encouraged and supported.
The Reassuring Leadership Of Atiku Bagudu In Kebbi State
Building symbiotic partnerships with the people to create growth that is more innovation-led, inclusive, and sustainable
Abubakar Bagudu , Governor Kebbi State Nigeria, is an inspiring and reassuring leader. A well-organized man of process and strategy, he is, often admired, for his belief in building trust and bridges based on a shared future, decided by the ballot box. No wonder, he is concerned with the well-being and security of his people, giving hope, building trust, tolerance and understanding and safety in a corner of Nigeria numbed by brutal terrorist violence, social injustice, economic deprivation.
His all-inclusive style of leadership and governance activities have kept Kebbi state secure and businesses in different industries in profit. And this has downplayed the traditional rivalry between the four emirates of the state and provided a common pedestal for all sons and daughters of the state, irrespective of party affiliation, to discuss the common interest of the state. Whoever is who in Kebbi State identifies with the government.
in this regard, he is turning the state to a land where the rich are becoming richer and the poor becoming better off than they have ever been, where services are being delivered more to rural areas, where accessibility via roads and bridges which used to be of major concern are being constructed. Not a place where public servants are working just for the interest of their political leaders and not the way people want or deserve.
With these, Governor Bagudu has validated the assertion that the world needs a decisive leader to whom they can look up to for guidance and reassurance. True indeed, people in different states want to look up to a reassuring leader rather than one who gives excuses. That is why it is in their best interest that the people of Kebbi state considered voting for someone like Bagudu to lead them in 2015. It is a huge thing they have done for their own good and for the good of humanity.
A man of strategy and few words and a man true to his word, he has single-handedly done more to prevent crimes and violence in his own part of Northern Nigeria — where one of the longest-standing terrorist campaign in West Africa festers that has claimed over 1000 lives and displaced 36,000 more — than many other governors in the region.
On June 12, Governor Bagudu gave an address where he talked about some of his achievements. since coming into power in 2015. He said these achievements were recorded in many sectors of the state, notably in agricultural transformation. Apart from this, other areas where achievements have been recorded include education, healthcare delivery, infrastructural development, power distribution, security network and environmental sanitation. He said that the state government had purchased 100 tractors, threshers, rice rippers and power tillers to enhance agriculture. These he said had given rise to 450,000 news jobs and created 40,000 multimillionaires in the agricultural sector.
Of course, it is not possible to capture the multitude of the glaring giant strides recorded by Governor Bagudu, these achievements are indeed as tangible, as timely, relevant and efficacious in further uplifting the ‘Land of Equity’ to greater heights. This has been the dream of Bagudu.
Agriculture
There is no doubt that Bagudu’s re-election for a historic and momentous second term by the people of the state is a clear indication and testimony to the ceaseless and invaluable love people of Kebbi State have for him in view of his tireless efforts to move the state forward in all spheres of human endeavour. Kebbi has remained the unbeatable pacesetter and trailblazer in agriculture, especially rice production with the attendant multiplier effects for the citizens, as well as the economy of the state and that of Nigeria in general.
It is no doubt that governor Bagudu’s giant achievements in agriculture, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Anchor Borrowers’ Program geared towards improving rice production. Although, the 15 billion Naira scheme is owned and financed by the Federal Government as part of President Buharis economic diversification agenda, to make Nigeria sustainably self-sufficient in food production, especially bolstering the rice value chain.
This effort has greatly assisted President Muhammadu Buhari’s diversification agenda, to reduce over dependence on oil, as well as assisted the country in overcoming the hitherto economic recession and the stoppage of rice importation into the Country.
The scheme which was launched and flagged off by President Buhari himself, in November 2015, in Kebbi, had achieved tremendous successes, with the political support of governor Bagudu. Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu’s administration supported the program by also providing logistics support to the Anchor Borrowers Program committee to go out to all the 21 LGAs, to capture the bio-data of all genuine benefiting farmers, in order to ensure that, the only genuine small holder farmers got the loan.The program has also made many youths and civil servants who were hitherto not farmers to go back to the farms.
From 2016 to 2017, most of the pilgrims that registered to travel on holy pilgrimage to Mecca were farmers who got their money through the rice cultivation. The story did not also end here as many Kebbi farmers became instant, jubilant millionaires. The state also witnessed the influx of both foreign and local investors. Rice processors established rice mills, both big and small. Modern rice mills like Labana and Wacot established their bases in Birnin Kebbi and Argungu, respectively. Other mini ones abound in different parts of the state, such as the one in Lolo, Kamba, in Dandi local Government Area, Jega and Bunza, among others. It is on record that Oxfam, an international non-governmental organization came out to openly commend Kebbi State Government for allocating 10% of its budgetary allocation to agriculture, for over two years in a row. In 2016, N12.6 billion was allocated to agriculture and in 2017, a whopping N14 billion was further injected into the agricultural sector by Bagudu’s government.
Education
Education is another vital sector Bugudu’s administration prioritised, sensing that the sector holds the backbone of development of any society. The educational sector in Kebbi had previously suffered serious neglect by previous administration.The Kebbi State Government undertook massive renovation and reconstruction of new and existing primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state. In his Inaugural speech on the 29th May,2015, he decried, “the educational sector of the state is in shambles, schools over stretched without qualified teachers and structural infrastructure like classes, toilets and dormitories are in ruins over the years.”
To demonstrate his determination to overhaul the educational sector in the state, education received the highest allocation in his maiden budget. Governor Bagudu doled out over 5 billion Naira for the renovation of both primary and secondary schools in the state, including setting aside additional funds for the purchase of assorted learning materials in that same year to 2016.
Teachers and principals were appointed on merit, unlike a few years back when appointments were politicised. The students are motivated to perform and there is positive competition and that make them work harder. As a result in Kebbi secondary schools today, any failure cannot easily get into the system.
The Governor also awarded a contract for the renovation of 25 secondary schools across the state. The schools cut across the six zones; Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Jega, Yauri, and Zuru. To further enhance teaching and learning in 2019, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu also approved the recruitment of three thousand (300) teachers for schools across the state. Girls secondary Schools across the state from each of the 4 senatorial zones were provided with new busses to facilitate their movement, to take part in sports and extracurricular activities, within and outside the state.
Governor Bagudu also ensures the prompt payment of scholarship to students studying at various institutions of higher learning, within and outside the state, including the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees for secondary School students of the state. He also upgraded three higher institutions which are under the Ministry for Higher Education. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Higher Education in the State, Dr. Isa Muhammad Sama, confirmed the development. The three institutions upgraded are Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, the Kebbi State School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin Kebbi and the School of Health Technology, Jega.
Health
Health is vital to life. Governor Bagudu is concerned with the health of people, though with a philosophy that health is everybody’s business in Kebbi state.Whether farming, processing rice in the mills, gardening, dancing, attending mosque or church, selling fish at the market or in formal employment, all Kebbi people and their families benefit when each person participates.
This is to solve the threats facing the health of his people, to ensure that families, communities and workplaces do not lose the productive years of their men and women, that many women do not die giving birth to children, that babies don’t lose mothers and husbands don’t lose wives, that babies and children under five are no longer dying from preventable diseases.
When Bagudu got into office in 2015, Kebbi health systems were facing tough and complex challenges, partly derived from new pressures, such as ageing populations, growing prevalence of chronic illnesses, including the procurement and distribution of medical supplies. He attacked these from the taproots. This is to ensure that serious illness and preventable diseases do not take the productive years of Kebbi men and women. Also that they are in a clean and safe environment.
Bagudu was able to prepare a road map for achieving and delivering healthcare to citizens of the state, as well as to bring all health care sections under one roof, by providing an enabling law through the State House of Assembly. A series of medical outreaches were successfully conducted in the state, in collaboration with Moses Lake Medical Foundation from USA. Medical services including surgeries and medication, including feeding of patients were all provided free of charge to thousands of patients in Kebbi and neighboring states. Primary health care centers are being rehabilitated across the 225 wards in the state.
With his effort, preventable diseases appear to be leveling in prevalence in many part of the state as awareness of healthy lifestyles, sanitation and primary healthcare continues to increase rapidly throughout the state
Governor Bagudu was in Takalau and several other rural areas to commission the renovated primary healthcare centers. In an effort to increase the manpower of the health sector and improve their working conditions, he approved employment of health personnel, especially Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses/Midwives and other lower cadre staff such as cleaners, drivers and watchmen among others . Bagudus government also strengthened the free drugs programme for pregnant women and children under the age of five years, as well as routine immunization which led to the success of eradicating transmission of wild polio virus in the state. Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi , one of the oldest General hospitals in the Northwest, is totally reconstructed, with new blocks, to a new befitting modern health institution by the Bagudu administration for greater delivery.
On the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), pandemic that is ravaging the world, Bagudu swiftly swung into action by taking plausible measures to contain the disease in the state, including setting up a Taskforce to control the spread of the disease and provide medication to patients. The governor doled out mouthwatering allowances to the Frontline medical health workers and members of the Task force. Isolation center and ICU were set up in Kebbi Medical Center, Kalgo and Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital , Birnin Kebbi, with adequate beds and ventilators. This is in addition to the massive awareness campaign on Covid -19 specific to personal and environmental hygiene carried out for women groups and associations across the state.
Investments
Investment and Infrastructural development are two areas the administration of Bagudu accords priority with a lot of successes recorded. Government policies and programs in the agricultural sector, especially the success recorded in the Anchor Borrowers Programme, triggered the establishment of private rice mills, hence, big, medium and small ricemills sprang across the state. Notably, Labana Rice mills in Birnin Kebbi, Dangote Rice Mills at Shanga and Wacot in Argungu are glaring examples of big modern ricemills established in the state. Other medium and small ricemills also followed suit in Lolo, Dandi, Bunza, Jega, Suru, Yauri local government areas and even within Birnin Kebbi metropolis.
The establishment of such private ventures has no doubt led to employment of thousands of Youths and even women in the agricultural sector. Other prominent investors like Dangote and other Companies, as well as International Organizations like United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the partnership between the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), and the Kebbi State Government strategic partnership for $10 Million enterprise investments cooperation in February, this year, were all geared towards industrialisation and opening up more opportunities for investments in the state. The joint memorandum of understanding to promote enterprise development of producer cooperatives in the state had since became effective.
The two parties have agreed to support agricultural producers and enterprises in the state ranging from provision of funds, equipment and capacity building. Each party has provided $5 million, making it a $10m dollars scheme for selected farmers’ cooperative groups across the state. A major Cassava- based Ethanol Programme is being undertaken under the able leadership of an illustrious son of the state, Professor M.A Kaoje. The programme which is being undertaken in partnership with NNPC, shall lead to ethanol production in Zuru Emirate. This project promises to churn out a whooping N388 billion revenue when finalized. Tomato factory at Gafara in Warra, Ngaski local government area of the state has reached an advanced stage. All these developments were sequel to the conducive business environment provided by government, such as tax waiver or reduction, free land allocation, access roads and other incentives necessary for the establishment of any company.
Infrastructural Development :
Bagudu also deployed man and machine to give the pothole riddled Koko-Mahuta-Dabai road a facelift, Commuters now ply the road with ease. The government has also executed various projects that includes construction of bridges, culverts, and erosion control across the state. The completed bridge on the Suru-Giro, Kaoje-Illo and the Shema-Bakoshi roads that allows for free vehicular movement, business and other developments that strive in the areas are some of these projects.
Others are the 2.0 Kilometer completed erosion control project in Bunza, the Kwanar Dabai- Zuru township road awarded has been complete as well as the completed Maga-Ribah road and another 56.8 kilometer Ribah-Bena road projects.
Governor Atiku Bagudus administration has embarked on the rehabilitation of several other township road across the state. These includes the Sultan Abubakar road which runs from First-Bank to Rima round about through the Government House, and the First Bank round about to Sir Yahaya round about as well as Ahmadu Bello way which have been completed with effective drainage system. Other roads projects are the completed access road around Mechanic village, Birnin-Kebbi, the completed 31km Jega township, the rehabilitation of the Koko township, as well as the Tudun Wada Zuru and Birnin-Kebbi roads The abandoned Sabiyel-Kashinzama road inherited from the previous administration has been completed.
To solve the problem of the perennial flooding in some areas of the state capital Birnin Kebbi, the government expanded the Rafin Barau outfall, one of the major drainage in Birnin-Kebbi metropolis, to allow for free flow of water. To elide the re-occurring problems of flood in Birnin Kebbi. The administration discovered that unless the drainage is extended, the problem will persist, thus contract was approved by the state government to extend the outfall down to the Fadama area. Work on the Badariya-Kola Zuguru road which was awarded to the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers on direct labour.
To encourage land and housing ownership, the present administration has allocated 10 hectres of land Gwadangaji to the Federal Government for its Mass Housing Project. 140 applications have been processed for the grant of Statutory Rights of Occupancy, 20 applications for consent for Mortgages and 88 certificates of Occupancy processed.
The importance of potable water cannot be overemphasized especially considering the adverse effect of unsafe water on the health of the people.
People of Kebbi State have, for long, grappled with problem of inadequate water supply. The State capital and other major towns were having problems with their water works while villages had their hand pumps, boreholes and other schemes not functioning.
In realization of the importance of potable drinking water to the generality of the urban and rural populace, the administration of Governor Bagudu embarked on the expansion and renovation of broken down water supply schemes in various parts of the State. These include motorized, solar operated boreholes as well as hand pumps and the procurement of water treatment chemicals for the supply of clean and healthy water to Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Argungu and Yauri.
Electricity
As for electricity supply in the state, the people cannot but thank the present administration for ensuring steady electricity supply, especially in the state capital. The Rural Electricity Board has expended huge sums of money on the repairs of high tension lines, the connection of Equity FM Radio and other communities to the national grid. These include improvement of electricity supply to Gwandu town, supply of electricity to the Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu, Supply of 30 units of assorted transformers in the first phase and 40 supplied in the second phase. The 500KVA capacity of the new transformers have been installed at Hajiya Turai YarAdua General Hospital Zauro/Ambursa, Haliru Abdu Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi and two others to service Jega town.
Other areas that received the transformers are Gamji Gulumbe, Birnin Kebbi Local Government, Zara Birni, Gumbin Kure, Kuberi, Giwa-Tazo, Kalgo as well as in Nakengan and Kwali-Kwali in Dandi Local Government. They were also installed at Gwabaren Kasawa and Alwasa in Argungu Local Government, General Hospital Bagudo, Jabaka town, and Gudale in Augie Local Government Area, Nasara, Jiga Birni and Gumbin Dari in Aliero Local Government as well as Arewa Local Government Secretariat, Kangiwa.
Women and Youth development
In recognition of their vital role as caregivers and home planners, the Kebbi State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs has recorded laudable achievements in the promotion and implementation of programmes and activities geared towards the welfare of women and children ranging from health, education and entrepreneurship. Many women and youth organizations have benefited from trainings on skills acquisition, in addition to soft loans given to individuals and organizations, for enhanced businesses. Livestock, fish farmers, handset sellers and even transport unions like the NURTW and NARTO, have benefited from the loans guaranteed by the State Government to enhance their business.
Tourism Development
Over ten years, the Argungu International Fishing Festival known world wide for its fascinating fishing and cultural festival had been inactive. The festival could not hold largely due to security concerns. However, with improved security and huge financial resources released by Bagudu led administration, the festival took place successfully with President Muhammdu Buhari, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawal and many state Governors and Emirs across the country and beyond attended the event. The Kebbi State Government spent millions of Naira to rehabilitate and reconstruct major infrastructure in Argungu like roads, hotels, the fishing village, street lights and other facilities in the town. The Yauri Emirate ‘Rigata’ Festival was also revived with the active financial backing of Bagudu led government. The Uhola festival of Zuru Emirate and the Hutungo Fulani festival in Gwandu Emirate too had been supported by government to ensure their sustainability and boost the tourism sector of the state.
Peace and Security
Strengthen security, law and order is of prime interest to Governor Bagudu. He rose to this occasion. and he is doing everything possible to ensure that Kebbi state safe and peaceful for all so that industry and social lives can thrive without interruption. The Government routinely supports security agencies in the state especially in the areas of logistics and some materials. Even the National Bureau of Statistics adjudged the state to be the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
Some parts of Northern Nigeria have come under siege in recent times due to the fact that they are being used by foreign criminal syndicates for transnational crimes, targeting mostly the North-East and some parts of the West Africa region. This could well be the case for terrorist activities too. But not in Kebbi state..
Kebbi is different from the rest of the North because of its security architecture and cooperation with the different emirates. Under Bagudu, Kebbi seems to tenfold its security strategy and operations. And this is a wakeup call for other states to upgrade the level of effectiveness of national security resources in terms of manpower, logistics, infrastructure and funding, to effectively contain the prevalence of criminal activities.
Bagudu. Of course, advanced developments in telecommunications such as internet and mobile phones with advanced applications, has made the world more accessible in terms of networking, planning and coordination, especially on the part of the perpetrators. Bagudu is aware of this, he has equally deployed them for security purposes.
To ensure security of lives and property of all citizens in the State, the Bagudu led administration participated in a joint security operation covering the Kamuku/Kuyambana forest involving seven states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Katsina.
The state operation code name Operation Sharan Daji
Through this Sharan Daji operation, involving the Nigeria Army, Police, Air-force and other security operatives the state is secured against the menace of cattle rustlers and other criminals. Because of this secure nature of the state, farmers in different areas go about their normal daily activities without any fear.
Realizing the importance of peace to the development and progress of the state, the administration of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has resolved the age long border dispute between Benin Republic and communities in Kebbi state and also wadded into herdsmen farmer disputes across the state by identifying and institutionalizing the old cattle routes and grazing reserves.
To ensure the traditional rulers played a critical role in the maintenance of peace and security of lives and properties in their domain, a security summit was organized for traditional rulers in the state to intimate them on them as chief security officers of their respective domains.This enables security agencies to raise the level of performance in order to be able to provide counter operations, including enhanced counter intelligence sharing.
In the last five years that his administration came into office in Kebbi State. Bagudu has delivered a lot of positive changes in the ways governance is done in the state and ensure the revival of critical sectors of the States economy such as Tourism, Massive Agricultural Production and Investment.
Garba Abubakar and the Promotion of Efficiency, Productivity and Service Delivery at the Corporate Affairs Commission
They say the public service is the engine room of any country and that is true. If it stops functioning well, whatever plans a Government has will never be achieved. Alhaji Garba Abubakar Registrar-General/CEO, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) knows this very much, and he has made maintaining the integrity of service delivery his watch word.
Since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari in January this year, he has strengthened efficiency and improved the work ethos in that capitalist institution of the Federal Government. Under his watch at CAC now, regardless of what is on the calendar, service to the public should be provided unhindered to ensure that the Ease of Doing Business policy of the Federal Government is achieved. In this way the CAC will be able to best play its mandate role to help lead the private sector to the economic transformation of the country.
Public servants, over time, have always been challenged to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. That means they should learn to listen, look around with an open mind on what the society/community goes through daily. These are parts of what guide Abubakar’s activities at the CAC. Only if one goes out and experiences the hardship then you will feel and understand the people’s cry for service. Like they say, “you have to be in it to feel it”.
Abubakar listens and works with stakeholders, in order for the CAC to better able to help drive productivity in different industries in the country, leading to economic transformation.
Of course, Economic transformation of Nigeria depends on a transition from the mono-source oil economy to a diversified and competitive economy that is heavy on manufacturing and exportation of goods and services. The Corporate Affairs Commission regulates and supervises the formation, incorporation, registration, management, and winding up of companies. The responsibility also extends to registration of business names, limited and unlimited liability companies, incorporated trustees (communal, religious and charitable associations). The discharge of these functions has much to do with how well Nigeria with economic transformation and the role of the Corporate Affairs Commission in the Ease of Doing Business in the country.
In the past the CAC seemed to have fared badly in leading the private sector to transform the economy because its ability is circuitously dependent on the strength of the nation’s economy which is ‘under the weather’.
Starting the business was quite straightforward, a clear testament of where Nigeria stands today with regards to its global ranking in Ease of Doing Business, published annually by the World Bank. What wasn’t easy though was choosing a name, to our own surprise, and the costs involved.
Choosing the name is probably our own fault for naively presuming that we will pick any name within a certain theme, and be fortunate enough to find that name available. We figured it out eventually, without having to go for any of our names, or that of a poet or a philosopher because of the push for high-sounding names.
The first thing to be done was to remove the then steep entry cost, as getting the trading and business registration used to cost a lot and take a long time to be processed. This is, of course, not taking into account costs that could come up in the future as more individuals are employed by the business. Then to be able to open a business was tough, and many people found this a bit bizarre and out of place. Here’s why.
One, if government is really ready and like to support entrepreneurship and the development of a vibrant environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), high start-up fees were surely not the way to go. The higher those business start-up fees were, the more they discourage individuals from starting their own businesses, encouraging them instead to find a job, and most probably in the public sector.
In addition to that, high start-up fees could affect the nature of the business that one would get into, getting into a business with the ability to make a quick money and recover those high start-up fees. For instance, getting into food and beverages (F & Bs) instead of manufacturing.
Cost of a name
Now for Nigeria to stay entrepreneurially competitive, that high start-up cost of business registration had to go. In many countries like the UK, for instance, start-up costs are negligible. The idea is that those start-ups should not be squeezed out of business before they have even started, especially when there are other costs to take care of, including rent and payroll. As such, governments make it easy and cheap to start a business, realizing that doing so will generate additional economic activities and tax revenue for government.
That is, those businesses will create jobs and will obtain loans to expand their business or even expand into other sectors, which by itself fuels additional economic activities. Governments are, therefore, better off allowing those businesses to actually grow with fewer start-up financial obligations in their first years, then make more money from income-connected corporate taxation.
And with the coming of Abubakar, CAC swiftly moved away from burdensome start-up registration fees . then corporate taxes will kick in. With growing businesses and incomes, government will generate higher government revenues than would, ever.
As an institution whose mandate it is to lead the private sector to transform the economy, the CAC collaborates with critical stakeholders, such as the different chambers of commerce as well as different professional bodies, holding dialogues with them on topical issues that concern its mandate. This is particularly in regard to the Ease of Doing Business protocols. One of such was the one-day stakeholders’ forum the institution held with the Council of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) in April this year.
Speaking during that one-day stakeholders’ forum, Ayuli Jemide, vice-chair NBA-SBL said the Section, which is the specialisation arm of the NBA, would constantly engage the CAC because the CAC is the company house where all the businesses are registered and for business lawyers, it is the hub for businesses.
He was upbeat, saying that beyond the collaboration, he was hopeful that a new Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) would bring changes that would help the ease of doing business, as he expected both organisations to engage more on how to make sure that the law is not just signed but the intent of the law is put into operation.
Speaking on the Section’s expectations from the CAC, he said, “The need to go digital for CAC is urgent for us and has been there for several years. We have been talking about deploying technology to enhance efficiency and it has been a very slow-moving train but with the current registrar general (RG) and the new chairman, we see a stronger will to get achieve this and to cross the finish line.
“The NBA-SBL will engage and collaborate more with the commission, to try to raise money by way of grants and endowments to achieve these objectives on a private basis and see how we can roll this out.”
Chief Ademola Seriki, chairman of CAC, observed that the NBA-SBL and the CAC are creating enormous awareness for the public. He lamented that a lot of people meddle with files inside the CAC office and people point accusing fingers at CAC, stressing that it is high time both bodies create awareness so that people can know the importance and position of the law.
Seni Adio, SAN, Chairman of the NBA-SBL, who spoke earlier on reform initiatives by the NBA-SBL said, declared that lawyers were very much involved with respect to the enactment of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. He pointed out that this is a very revolutionary bill and once that bill is signed by Mr President it will further help ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“The NBA-SBL has always been at the forefront in trying to enhance the proficiency of commercial lawyers in Nigeria. SBL advocates for lawyers to become specialists, so that people become experts in their given areas of work and can provide legal services efficiency with expertise in the commercial space.”
Speaking during a fireside chat with the vice-chair of the NBA-SBL, Mallam Abubakar said he took over as the Registrar-general, he had identified areas that require urgent reforms.
“We are currently doing a review of our checklist and guidelines to make it more business-friendly and to remove unnecessary bottlenecks that slow down our processes and procedures. So, what we have done is that most of the requirements that were alien to the law have been removed.”
This is true indeed as it will help many small companies come on board. Equally The importance and growing influence of the digital space is also one aspect that all government institutions and business players need to consider. Jumping on this trend, CAC is committed to delivering omni-channel services that provide potential business owners with consistency and continuity across all interactions. it has enhanced and implemented various digital tools to make SMEs’ online registration journey as convenient as possible.
There is no doubt that people have started seeing significant developments across the region in 2020, however, technology and innovation are unlocking a host of opportunities to enhance sustainable registration process, improve time and elevate entrepreneurs experiences and confidence – ultimately leading to sustained growth in different industries.
Another area of innovation from the Corporate Affairs Commission is the action it took last June to further remove barriers for business start-ups. The recent step taken by CAC management to ensure that business start-up don’t go through the inconvenience of spending months going to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, looking for how to get Tax Identification Number is commendable, indeed as it will help businesses.
The Corporate Affairs Commission says certificates of registration of business and non-business entities will be issued with Tax Identification Numbers. The Commission in a statement in June said the development conformed with the Ease of Doing Business Initiative being promoted by the Federal Government. It explained that customers won’t need to apply separately for tax numbers from the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The statement read, “This is to inform our dear esteemed customers that as part of the Ease of Doing Business Initiative, Certificates of Incorporation of Companies registered under Part A of CAMA will henceforth carry Tax Identification Numbers issued by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
“This has dispensed the need for companies to apply for the issuance of Tax Identification Numbers from the FIRS after incorporation.”
This particular action by the CAC will provide much relief for business start-ups.
But why is Alhaji Garba Abubakar able to do things with so much passion to deliver on CAC mandate on Ease of Doing Business? He has been around at the CAC for a while, holding a strategic post. He joined the CAC in April, 2004 as Principal Manager Compliance and rose through the ranks to become a Director in January, 2016. He was Special Adviser to Bello Mahmud the then Registrar-General of CAC between August, 2010 to October, 2017.
Before joining the CAC, Mr. A.G Abubakar worked with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (Formerly National Provident Fund) as Compliance Officer between 1991 to 1993. He also worked at NICON Insurance between June, 1995 to December, 1997.
A lawyer by training, he hails from Bauchi State. He was born on 14 October 1966. He attended the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989. He is a Member, Governing Council Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law, March 2017 – date, Member, Inter-Agency Committee Against Money Laundering and Terrorists Financing, 2007-date, CAC Focal on open Government Partnership, amongst others. He is also a Member, In-House Committee on the Review of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA)
Abubakar is a great model to public servants on need for efficiency and productivity. Another area that should be improved on is the punctuality and productivity of public servants. Abubakar is straight up with what he expects of CAC departmental heads and that he does not tolerate laxity. The message, most times, is simple and clear, shape up or ship out.
To him the Nigerian habit or style of getting things done should stop. Starting work very late, frequent absenteeism, unnecessary breaks, bad habits and culture and abusing ones position for personal benefits should come to an end. Work ethics refer to a basic set of moral values associated with the way work is done whatever its nature or status.
The departmental heads, by now, should know what they want to achieve so it’s now about planning to achieve their target with the limited financial support and resources.We need public servants to be smarter in managing the limited funds to deliver services, even to remote areas.
If they copy Abubakar’s work etho, they would not just believe in Nigeria, but also, demonstrate their honesty, integrity and accountability at the workplace. For hardworking and committed people contribute to the country’s progress to the best of their ability. The challenge is now on everyone, especially those entrusted to deliver, to learn from Alhaji Abubabakar at the CAC and continue to chart and develop a new part for service delivery.
In 2015, Zulum was appointed pioneer Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement by Shettima. Despite being in control of billions of naira for the reconstruction of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals, he neither bought a personal house nor a personal car for himself. He also came under attack from Boko Haram twice but didn’t stop in his efforts to rebuild substantial parts of Borno.
They say the public service is the engine room of any country and that is true. If it stops functioning well, whatever plans a Government has will never be achieved. Alhaji Garba Abubakar Registrar-General/CEO, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) knows this very much, and he has made maintaining the integrity of service delivery his watch word.