The 2011 gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) in Lagos State, Ambassador Abayomi Nurain
Mumuni has advised Nigerians to desist from criticizing Pastor Tunde
Bakare for collecting loan to build his church.
Mumuni described those who have been escalating the matter as enemies of Bakare, who are envious of his successes.
It could be recalled that Bakare contested as Vice Presidential
candidate on the platform of CPC when President Muhammadu Buhari
contested as Presidential candidate of the party in the year 2011.
The general overseer of Citadel Global Community Church formerly
known as Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Bakare, has been reported in the
media to be swimming in debt of N9 billion loan which he allegedly
collected from a commercial bank.
But, Mumuni, while reacting, said those behind the circulation of the
news were Pastor Bakare’s adversaries who were not only envious of his
successes but wants to embarrass him.
He said there was no crime in collecting loan, especially for businesses.
The former CPC gubernatorial candidate added that the former Vice
President candidate of the defunct CPC had something tangible and
worthwhile to show for the loan.
Mumuni in a statement made available to DAILY POST in Ibadan on
Wednesday, said, “I have read with great disappointment the needless and
unnecessary dragging of Pastor Tunde Bakare on social media over loan
he collected from banks to build cathedral, a combination of worship and
business edifices.
“It is a common practice that individuals and cooperate bodies and
multi-national companies get loans from financial institutions that
comes with terms, including method of payment.
“What could have been issue of concern is if it’s established that he
doesn’t want to pay his loan but it’s in public domain that he has
started paying the loan, he reportedly took from five banks.
“Even several countries in the world, including the US, have debt
with the World Bank. The US loan is huge. What I am trying to say is
that people take loans for business and other projects without public or
social media trial. It should not be an issue once you are able to
repay the loan.
“Is he the only person owing? Why him? We live in the same country
where people masquerade around without any family inheritance, but,
possessing multiple private jets, without verifiable source, only
through loans. But this is a man who has built an edifice, section of it
for worship and another section for commercial which could have
generated the money borrowed if not for COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is in the public domain that he collected loan from 5 banks to
build the cathedral. The process is very transparent, and as a matter of
fact, as far back as October, he revealed that he has started paying
some of the banks”.
Apostle Dr. Ogochukwu Amaukwu of Excellent Christian Ministry
International Inc., has released his prophecies for the coming year
2022.
According to him, 2022 is the year of shocking surprises that would
usher in a water crisis, natural disasters and another pandemic.
In a series of predictions he made available to Fidelis Chidi Blog on
Thursday, Amaukwu said there will be a “frozen virus on rampage [being]
another pandemic.”
He also said there would be “earthquakes and tsunamis in a part of
Nigeria and some parts of Asia and Europe,” adding that there will be
“Intense flood in some parts of Asia and Australia,”
He said there will be another “protests in Nigeria” and “many politicians planning for the 2023 election will not see” the year.
Amaukwu, who predicted the death of a political bigwig in Nigeria,
also said that a General Overseer of one of the churches will be “called
home” while “many Nigerian pastors [will be] going to prison.
Speaking further, the pastor said that Taliban and other terrorist
groups would “overrun some northern parts in Nigeria and that
“kidnapping and killings will be on the rise.”
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has said that South-Easterners have a right
to the presidency in 2023 as they understand the country better.
Addressing journalists after visiting President Buhari at the state
house in Abuja, Ikpeazu described South-Easterners as "Pan-Nigerian
people".
He said;
“I think that the southeasterners have a right to take a shot at the
presidency of Nigeria and I dare say that our qualification starts from
the fact that we understand and know Nigeria better than the other
states of Nigeria.
“I dare say, this is my opinion. We go everywhere, we are everywhere, we invest everywhere, we are Pan-Nigerian people.
“Today, a lot of people are afraid of Sambisa, but for an Igbo man, Sambisa is a business opportunity."
Urging Nigerians and political parties to be magnanimous and consider
the yearnings and aspirations of the southeast geo-political zone,
Ikpeazu went to list the qualities the next President of Nigeria must
possess.
He said;
“The question of Nigeria president of southeast extraction is a
national question that required negotiation, discussion and conversation
with all parts of this country and I am least qualified to determine
what happened in 2023.
“I also want to spend my time supporting the incumbent president to
do his time and do his best while we wait for what happens to begin to
unfold. So, these are my views about the presidency
“In first place, anybody who wants to aspire to the highest post of
the presidency, it doesn’t matter where you come from, must have what I
regard as Pan-Nigerian mentality. He must be somebody who has an
understanding of all the contending interests and influences in this
country. He must understand that we are a country of diversity with the
different persuasions, traditional, cultural, religious and all of these
must be put at a place where you can understand and respect them.
“That individual must also be somebody who is ready to accommodate
the youths of this country because turning it into a slogan the fact
that youths are our leaders of our future have bit sever us correctly
because we are drifting into an age that youths understand which many
people may not understand, those who grew up before this era.
“So, that people must be willing to accommodate the youth without
necessarily throwing away very experienced ones, he must be able to find
a labyrinth of all the interests.
“He must also reflect an extreme women agenda. Such a must also be in
investor-friendly, he must be and individual who understands the
nuances of economics and what is the relationship between international
politics and economy and the person must be strong enough to face up to
the issue on the front burner, which is security.
“He must be able to create jobs, he must be able to not deploy the
kinetic device all the time, he must able to also listen and negotiate
peace.
“I’m a Christian and religion believes that you seek peace and you
will find it. So, that which you seek is not commonplace. So, must be
able to dredge up courage to listen to one another and then find a
middle course all the time for the interest of our people.
“What the political parties need to do. Well, the political parties
need to be sensitive to the feelings of the various contending ground
because politics should not be a winners take all thing.
“It’s not at all times that you want to use your might, at times you
listen even to those whom you think are weak or those whom you think may
not be able to find themselves at the centre stage due to
circumstances.
“Because of you don’t do that, you will bottle up sentiments that
will implode the system going forward. So, you must be able to create
ventilations from here and there so that you can accommodate diverse
opinions and have strategies to help you run the country.
“So, all the political parties should be alive to this sentiments and
feelings in taking decisions going forward. And we are at a critical
point in our history and anything that is self-serving, anything that is
selfish, anything that is leads to winner take all mentality should be
jettisoned at this time. We need to rescue our nation; we need to work
hard to put Nigeria in a strong footing before we can begin to look at
other things.
“So, if we have this at the back of our minds, my thinking is that we
will arrive at the fact that there is a geo-political zone that has
been clamoring and yearning for an opportunity to lead.
“And we should be gracious and magnanimous enough to give consideration to such yearnings and aspiration.
“But as I said earlier it cannot not be done in isolation. It’s not a
matter right, it’s not a matter of ‘I have to.’ It’s a matter of
negotiation, conversation and discussion going forward.
“And I think Nigeria is alive to all of that. We can find people who listen."
When asked if he is interested in the presidency, Ikpeazu stated that
he is very busy as governor and “thinking about what I will become now
will amount to shortchanging my people who gave me a mandate for an
initial four years and renewed it for another four years and it will
terminate around May 2023”.
Popular Instagram dancer, Janemena, took to her Instastories to react
to Reno Omokri's post saying a virgin wife is the only wife whose full
bride price should be paid.
The former presidential aide had written;
''Dear men,
Look at the Alaafin of Oyo. 83, and still having babies. Therefore,
never accuse any woman of marriage desperation. Your timeframe and her’s
are not the same. You are being selfish if you date any woman for five
years without genuine hope for marriage.
However, ladies should not give men sex as a means of luring them to
marriage. Everyone is equal as human beings, but not all wives are
equal.
The highest value wife, according to Scripture, is a virgin wife. She
is the ONLY Wife of which full bride price should be paid-Exodus 22:17.
Traditionally, the White Wedding dress is ONLY for virgins''
Reacting, Janemena thanked God that somebody's son has already paid her own bride price in full.
Filmmaker Imoh Umoren has shared his experience from some of his trips abroad.
Umoren in a tweet he shared, revealed that he has seen more homeless
people in New York than in Lagos. He stated that this is because poverty
is everywhere.
Actress Beverly Naya who also contributed to the post, pointed out
that living in a shack is also considered being homeless abroad.
Pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo has once again dished a piece of advice to married women.
In a trending video, the clergywoman while preaching asked women to
ensure they always cover their husband's nakedness as there is no
perfect husband anywhere.
Speaking during her sermon, Adejumo said;
Let me say this to you that are married. Cover your husband's
nakedness. There is no perfect husband anywhere. Stop celebrating your
husband's failures. Is it because people are not telling you
their stories? Do you know what people have gone through and are going
through? You talk about your husband everywhere you go in the
neighborhood. Everybody knows your story. It's not right.''
Actress, Victoria Inyama, has attacked clergywoman, Pastor Funke
Felix-Adejumo, who in a trending video asked women to ensure they always
cover their husband's nakedness as there is no perfect husband
anywhere.
Adejumo in her message said
''Let me say this to you that are married. Cover your husband's
nakedness. There is no perfect husband anywhere. Stop celebrating your
husband's failures. Is it because people are not telling you
their stories? Do you know what people have gone through and are going
through? You talk about your husband everywhere you go in the
neighborhood. Everybody knows your story. It's not right.''
Reacting to her comment, Victoria opined that the clergywoman is
always attacking women in her message as she always talks about what
women should do in a marriage. She wondered if Mrs Adejumo is always at
home long enough to preach all the things she tells women to do
in marriage.
''Madam Preacher....Almost all your attacks are on Women '.....the
fact that you wear the trousers in your marriage doesn't mean you should
keep attacking women.... U only talk about what the woman should or
should not do....always.....I can't even place your husband's
face....Are you home long enough to do all you preach? Cause I see you
in different countries most times...Marriage is a union between '2'
people....there's no 'Perfect ' ......l would love to hear your husband
preach about you ' if he ever does......''she wrote
Controversial Nigerian preacher, Kate has said that women whose bride price are not paid will never see the face of God.
This came after a lady whose wedding she attended, narrated how she
saw a vision of herself going to heaven but started "coming down". She
said after another lady asked why she's no longer going to heaven, she
heard a voice saying 'her bride price has not been paid which is why she
can't go'.
She added that after she woke and told her husband about the vision,
he immediately started off the process of paying her bride price and
holding their wedding.
Backing the lady, Sister Kate stated that issue of bride price is
very serious and can hinder one from getting to heaven even with their
religious positions and soul winning campaigns.
Members of the Coalition of the Northern Groups (CNG) have asked
President Buhari to return Nigeria to the era of ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan when the country experienced a certain level of insecurity.
The CNG’s Director of Strategic Communications, Ismail Musa, made the
call while featuring on Vanguard live on Wednesday December 29. The
group lamented the alarming rate of killings, kidnappings, and general
insecurity across the country and knocked President Buhari over his
handling of insecurity in the country.
“What we are begging them for now is, you know human life is very important; in fact, it’s very key.
If you can do something, in fact, if you can take us back to the
insecurity you met on board that will be tolerable to a large extent to
say well he has taken us back to (former President Goodluck) Jonathan’s
standard we are crying about. I mean the killings at that time; the
statistics are there to speak for themselves.
So really as far as I am concerned, it’s unfortunate we have these
kinds of people ruling us by this time.” SaharaReporters quoted him as
saying
Some weeks ago, concerned Nigerians staged a protest against rising
insecurity in the North and other parts of the country, in Abuja.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has listed 100 achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
Claiming that success is not measured by the number of challenges you
face but by how you tackle the challenges, Lai Mohammed stated that the
Buhari-led administration has made “tremendous” progress in fighting
insecurity and growing the economy.
Here's the full statement;
TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF
INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, IN LAGOS ON THURSDAY, 30
DEC, 2021 TO SHOWCASE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION
DURING THE OUTGOING YEAR 2021
2. Let me admit straightaway that the year has not been devoid of
challenges. For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has
been that of insecurity. In spite of this and the usual economic
challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the
government, the Administration has availed itself creditably, as we will
be demonstrating shortly.
3. As I said in my introductory remarks, our biggest challenge in
the outgoing year is in the area of security. Despite the enormity of
the challenge, our military has continued to live up to their billing.
We owe them a debt of gratitude for their patriotism and sacrifice. We
just can’t appreciate them enough, as you will soon see when I break
down their achievements in the year under review.
FIGHT AGAINST INSECURITY
4. To keep our country safe, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has set
up various operations across the country. These include the Joint Task
Force (JTF) North East, tagged Operation HADIN KAI covering the
North East region; the JTF SS, tagged Operation DELTA SAFE covering the
South South region; the JTF NW, known as Operation HADARIN DAJI
covering the North West region; Operation SAFE HAVEN covering Plateau, parts of Kaduna and
Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE covering Benue, Nasarawa and
Taraba States; JTF SW, referred to as Operation AWATSE and covering
Lagos and Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE covering Abuja-Kaduna
Highway and Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna State.
5. Gentlemen, in the North East Zone under Operation HADIN KAI, a
combination of kinetic and non-kinetic operations, coupled with a review
of strategies, led to the neutralization of over 1000
terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and the surrender of over 22,000
terrorists including their families. Many arms and ammunition were also
recovered. This is in addition to destruction of several IED/bomb making
factories of the ISWAP/BHT. Under Operation HADARIN DAJI in the North
West, the conduct of offensive clearance operations, raids and air
operations resulted in the neutralization of about 427 bandits, arrest
of 257 bandits, rescue of 897 civilians and recovery of 3,087 livestock.
Similarly, Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna
neutralized about 215 bandits, arrested 133 bandits, rescued 296
civilians and recovered 136 livestock, while Operation THUNDER STRIKE
neutralized 36 bandits, arrested 74, rescued 296 civilians and
recovered 136 livestock. In the North Central, raids and clearance
operations conducted by Operation SAFE HAVEN neutralized 91 criminal
elements, arrested 155 suspects, rescued 159 civilians and recovered
3,259 livestock. For its part, Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralized 158
criminals, arrested 151 suspects and rescued 183 civilians. Operation
DELTA SAFE in the South-South destroyed about 1,520 illegal refineries,
confiscated 5,315 storage facilities and impounded 617 boats, amongst
other items. Additionally, about 74,297,425 litres of Dual Purpose
Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 litres of crude oil and 88,350 litres of PMS
were recovered. Furthermore, 174 trucks and 13 vessels were impounded
while 755 illegal oil bunkerers were arrested and 153 assorted weapons
recovered. In the South West, patrols and clearance operations by troops
of Operation AWATSE led to the arrest of 46
persons for various forms of criminalities while several vehicles,
jerricans, motorcycles and electricity generators used for illegal
bunkering were seized..
6. The effectiveness of the military was enhanced by the leadership
provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of
the armed forces and its leadership. The procurement of modern
platforms for the armed forces has also gone a long way in raising the
level of their operational readiness and efficiency, in addition to
boosting their capabilities. During the period under review, the
Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks and 60 APCs to improve its
equipment holding. Various kits were equally provided for troops. This
is in addition to the provision of accommodation for troops and the
recruitment of over 10,000 personnel into the Army. The Nigerian Navy
(NN), for its part, commissioned the FALCON EYE Maritime Domain
Awareness Capability, the third locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one
helicopter, 4 inshore patrol boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats.
Over 1,500 personnel were recruited into the Navy during the year. The
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17
Thunder Fighter Aircraft and other platforms with which it has conducted
several Air interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops
and destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to
terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
7. The Armed Forces of Nigeria has also contributed immensely to
International peace and security efforts with its robust participation
in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission
in Mali (MINUSMA) and the regional initiative, the ECOWAS Military
Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian military’s continued
participation in these Missions has ensured their viability and
sustenance towards achieving their military and political goals.
Overall, the good news is that the military, in spite of its
achievements, is not resting on its oars. The Military has assured that
it is also poised, in fulfillment of its constitutional duties, to
address the myriad of evolving contemporary threats, particularly as the
2023 elections draw nearer.
8. Still on the fight against insecurity, the implementation of the
community policing initiative of the current administration has led to
the training of 25,000 constabularies in several police colleges
across the country. The successful officers who were trained on basic
police duties, modern intelligence gathering techniques, rule of law,
etc. were deployed to their Local Governments of Origin to aid in
intelligence gathering and improve police visibility in their
communities. Also, in an effort to improve the police/citizens ratio,
418 Cadet officers of regular course 3 were successfully graduated in
June 2021 and deployed into the operational asset of the Nigeria
Police Force. Through the Police Trust Fund, 200 Buffalo branded
vehicles, bulletproof vest, protective helmets, drugs, and medical
equipment as well as arms and ammunition, riot control equipment, and
combat equipment were procured for the Police Special Weapon and
Tactical Squad (SWAT). The Ministry of Police Affairs has also entered
into a contract agreement for the supply of police Anti Riot Equipment
with Poly Technology of China through a Government-to-Government
arrangement at a cost of 44 million U.S. Dollars. These equipment will
go a long way in boosting the capacity of the police to control civil unrest in the most efficient and civil manner.
ECONOMY
9. The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout
the year 2021. As you are aware, gentlemen, many countries around the
world face unprecedented challenges, starting from 2020, as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria is no exception. The Nigerian economy
was hit by the pandemic in mid- 2020, and the economic
disruptions led to a recession. The poor performance of the economy
during the COVID-19 era affected output growth, trade, household welfare
and livelihood. However, this led to a quick response by the federal
government with the rolling out of effective fiscal and
monetary policies as well as health-related policies intended to curb
the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the negative impact of the
pandemic on the economy. This has yielded considerable results. For
example, the country’s domestic growth in the first three quarters of
2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent in Q1, 5.01
percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, This was an improvement
from a declining performance in the first three quarters of 2020 (which
led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent in Q1, -6.10 percent in
Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020. Nevertheless, the fourth quarter 2020
recorded a slight improvement of 0.11 percent, ushering in positive
growth rates in the three quarters of 2021. This economic performance in
2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last three quarters
of 2020, and this can be attributed to government policies and
strategies such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; the N500 billion
COVID 19 Crisis Intervention Fund etc.
10. In the oil sector, real growth shows poorer performance in
2021, recording 2.21% (year-on-year) in Q1 2021, -12.65% in Q2 2021 and
–10.73% in Q3 2021, from stronger growth of 5.06% in Q1 2020, -6.63% in
Q2 2020, and -13.89% in Q3 2020. However, oil production in million
barrel per day continued to decline in 2021, from 2.07mbpd in Q1
2020,1.81mbpd in Q2 2020, 1.67mbpd in Q3 2020 to 1.72mbpd in Q1 2021,
1.61mbpd in Q2 2021 and 1.57mbpd in Q3 2021. Non-oil sector indicated
better performance of 0.79% in Q1 2021, 6.74% in Q2 2021 and 5.44% in Q3
2021, compared to 1.55% in Q1 2020, -6.05% in Q2 2020, and -2.51% in Q3
2020. In Foreign Trade, Nigeria witnessed dwindling performance in
2020, arising from trade restrictions on accounts of COVID-19 pandemic.
Disruptions of trading activities driven by the pandemic
further weakened the balance of trade witnessed in Q4 2019 in the
subsequent quarters. Consequently, total imports in the first three
quarters of 2021 rose by 57.13%, from N13.97 in the corresponding
quarters of 2020 to N21.95 trillion. Similarly, total exports grew by
40.62%, which was N13.12 trillion in the first three quarters of 2021,
compared to N9.33trillion in the corresponding period, an indication of
improved trading activities although with a deficit position. Over the
same period crude oil export improved considerably at N10.03 trillion,
compared to N6.92 trillion, showing a growth rate of 44.93%, while
Non-oil exports grew by 21.17% – from N1.19trillion to N1.44trillion
over the
same period. Inflation rate has continued to decline on a year-on-year
basis since April 2021 when 18.12% was recorded. Looking at the trend, a
declining rate was recorded from 17.93% in May to 17.01% in August,
15.99% in October and 15.40% November 2021. It is projected that proper
implementation of the proposed 2022 project of N17.13trillion, and
Medium-Term Expenditure Framework & Fiscal Strategy Paper
2022-2024 are likely to improve the performance of the economy.. Also,
judicious implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act will likely
improve oil production/sales stability; relatively high oil prices
will enhance revenue performance and budget implementation, while
strengthening security will improve output growth of the economy.
OIL AND GAS SECTOR
Undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the Administration
in 2021, and indeed in the past several decades, was recorded in the oil
and gas sector, a sector very critical to the nation’s economic
well-being. The passage and signing into law of the Petroleum Industry
Act (PIA) is a landmark achievement. Many have described it as the
most profound event in the Nigerian oil and gas space in the last 20
years. The PIA is envisaged to foster investment in the industry and
delineate responsibilities to the various institutions. Its key
objectives are:
– to establish a commercialized National Oil Company (NNPC Ltd.)
– to entrench accountability and good governance
– to promote the exploration and exploitation of the petroleum
resources in Nigeria for the benefit of all Nigerians as well as foster
the sustainable development of the host communities.
12. Overall, the PIA serves to ensure the efficient and effective
technical and operational regulation of the upstream, midstream and
downstream sectors of the oil industry through the formation of the
Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and
Downstream Regulatory Authority, among others.
13. Also worthy of note is the transformation of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The nation’s national oil entity
has witnessed many changes and transformation through the decades. From
its take-off on 1st April 1977 as a merger of the
Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy
Resources, the NNPC – now re-christened NNPC Limited – has been
undergoing the kind of transformation designed to re-invent the entity
for greater efficiency and value creation. Yet, the changes and the
unprecedented deluge of reformations in 2021 eclipse previous attempts
to restructure the oil company. The tempo created with the passage and
eventual presidential assent of the PIA was sustained with the quick
activation of Part V of the new law which requires the incorporation of a
commercial and profit-focused National Oil Company (NOC) within six (6)
months of the passage into law. Thus, the NNPC Management – on behalf
of the Federal Government – incorporated the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) Limited under the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
Under the new arrangement, NNPC Ltd will, on behalf of the Federation,
take over assets, interests and liabilities of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
14. Another major achievement in the sector is the posting of a
N287 billion profit, after tax, by the NNPC. It was the first time in 44
years that the Corporation has recorded such profit, which the NNPC
attributed to aggressive cost cutting measures, cost savings through
renegotiation of contracts by up to 30%, improved efficiency through
business automation, emphasis on commercially-focused investment and
non-interference in the management of the corporation’s affairs, among
other factors. The construction/rehabilitation of 21 Roads under the
Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment
Investment Tax Credit Scheme is also a major achievement. Recall,
gentlemen, that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N621.2 billion for the NNPC to
take over the reconstruction of 21 federal roads across the six
geopolitical zones of the country. The construction and rehabilitation
of the selected roads are meant as strategic intervention under the
Federal Government Road Infrastructure and Refreshment Tax Credit Scheme.
INFRASTRUCTURE – WORKS AND HOUSING
15. Without question, an area in which the present Administration has
distinguished itself is in the provision of key infrastructures, which
is important to the growth and development of any economy. In its
efforts to provide basic infrastructure, especially roads and housing,
the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing carried out the following
projects in 2021.
(I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I and II (26.27km) in
Enugu and Ebonyi States
(II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM),
(Shuwarin-Azare) in Jigawa and Bauchi States
(III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum)
106.34km in Bauchi and Yobe States
(IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I and II (24km) in Benue and Cross River States
(V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km)
16. Also, various highway and bridge projects at various stages of
completion are ongoing across the six-geopolitical zones of the country.
The bridges include the much-talked-about 2nd Niger Bridge,
which is currently at 78% completion and is expected to be ready by
November 2022. Ongoing work on the bridge consists of the construction
of a 1.59km long bridge and 10.3km length of approach roads. The total
length of the Main Work is 11.90km. The bridge and approach roads are 2×3 lane expressways. Other
ancillary works include the construction of two secondary bridges at Oko
Amakun (21.70m) and Atani Road (21.70m). Also to be constructed is a
new cloverleaf interchange at Onitsha-Owerri Road. Several culverts and
drainage structures will also be constructed. There is also the
360-meter bridge at Ikom in Cross River State, which was completed in
2021 and awaiting commissioning; the 400-meter border bridge between
Nigeria and Cameroon at Mfum and Ekok, which was also completed in 2021
and is now awaiting commissioning.
17. In order to ensure that the private sector participates in and
contributes to the implementation of Federal Government Programmes, the
Federal Ministry of works and Housing is developing a Highway
Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), a framework for the
private sector participation in road development. HDMI was created by
the Ministry to manage and develop the Federal Road network, with the
aim of attracting sustainable investment and funding in the development
of road infrastructure and maximizing the use of assets along the right
of way.
The rationale behind the private sector engagement under the HDMI is to provide an alternative avenue of
financing road construction, management and maintenance. Out of the
total length of the Federal road network of about 35,000km, the first
phase of the proposed project will cover a total length of about
1,963.24km. Most of the ongoing projects of the Ministry, especially the
Highways Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), are already
attracting massive infrastructural investment. It is envisaged that
over a trillion-naira direct investment will be mobilized in the first phase of the HDMI.
18. It is imperative to state that the policies, programmes and
projects of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing have contributed
to stabilizing the macro-economic situation of the country, particularly
in job creation. The activities of the Ministry have further
contributed to the growth of other sectors of the economy such as the
Mining sector through the supply of aggregates, laterite, limestone and
other building materials; Cement manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation)
and steel production to support construction needs; the fact that
property values are reportedly appreciating by 30%-40% as a
result of road transport infrastructure and the growing demand for
petroleum products like diesel, petrol, lubricants and tyres as a result
of construction activities and the need to operate machines.
INFRASTRUCTURE – AVIATION
19. Key achievements recorded in the Aviation sector include the
construction and installation of Boeing 737 full motion flight Simulator
at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, a
development that will save Nigeria millions of dollars spent
in the retraining of pilots in other countries; the installation of
fully-automated Aircraft Firefighter Training Simulator also at NCAT,
the first of its kind in Africa; Re-fleeting of Trainer Aircraft in NCAT
with six aircraft so far; installation of novel Cat III ILS/DME
at Lagos and Abuja airports, instruments that will allow flights to land
at low visibility; Procurement of two mobile control towers in Lagos
and Abuja and the designation of four International Airports in Abuja,
Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones, aimed at
encouraging business/investment. Investors in Aviation, under this
project, are to
have pioneer industry status so as to have tax breaks.
INFRASTRUCTURE – TRANSPORTATION
Definitely the most outstanding achievement in the transportation
sector in 2021 is the flag-off of the commercial operation of the
Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line in June 2021 by President
Muhammadu Buhari. The trains are currently conveying goods and
services and reducing traffic and human pressure on infrastructural
facilities on the Lagos-Ibadan highway. Then there was the
ground-breaking ceremony for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of
Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway project and the
Bonny Deep Sea and Railway Industrial Park. The 2,044-km Port
Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line cuts across Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Benue,
Enugu, Ebonyi, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Borno. President Buhari also
performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano-Kaduna standard gauge
rail line modernization project in July 2021. The Project is a
continuation of the Lagos-Kano rail plan. It is the third segment, with
Lagos-Ibadan as well as Ibadan-Kano as the 1st and 2nd segments,
respectively. Then, the MOU for the construction of the US$1.959 billion
Kano-Maradi standard gauge line was signed with the Portugues
firm Mota-Engil Group. This is part of on-going Federal Government’s
initiative to provide inter-modal means of transportation across the
country as well as enhance trade between Nigeria and some African
countries. President Buhari subsequently performed the ground breaking
of the project, which traverses the major commercial centre of Kano and
passes through other economic hubs of the country, including Kazaure,
Daura, Katsina and up to the border town of Jibiya and the city of
Maradi in Niger Republic. On completion, the project would promote
import and export of goods from the Niger Republic and other countries
in the sub-region through Nigerian ports. The country would
earn revenue through expansion of trade and commerce, while the people
of Niger Republic will benefit from the ease of transportation logistics
at an affordable cost in their import and export business.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation also launched the Integrated
National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (also known as
Deep Blue Asset). This is aimed at managing, controlling and
protecting Nigerian waterways towards the advancement of coastal
prosperity, as the Gulf of Guinea in recent times has become a hotbed
for piracy.
INFRASTRUCTURE – WATER RESOURCES
21. Some 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes were constructed in the
North-East, IDP camps and some Federal Institutions and Establishments
by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in the year under review.
In addition to the completion of 12 dams, the Ministry also embarked on
the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation
and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes with the construction of 926 rural water
supply schemes in 12 States of Imo, Katsina, Jigawa, Plateau, Zamfara,
Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna and Gombe States.
Also, the Clean Nigeria Campaign has yielded the following results in
the last 12 months, with 71 LGAs now Open Defecation Free. In the area
of irrigation, 96,000 hectares of irrigation have been developed as of
2021. In line with the plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty
in the next ten years, the Ministry has ensured that both direct and
indirect jobs are created in the implementation of its
programmes/projects. A total of 57,261 direct jobs and 11,588 indirect
jobs have been created through the various dam, irrigation and water
supply projects completed within the reporting period.
NATIONAL SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES (NSIP)
22. The Federal Government has continued to implement the National
Social Investment Programmes. On the directive of Mr. President, the
N-Power has been expanded from 500,000 to 1 million beneficiaries. The
Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) has been
restructured to GEEP 2.0. The revamped GEEP 2.0 was officially launched
on 24 August 2021 and has successfully registered over 600,000 potential
beneficiaries in all the 774 LGAs nationwide through
collaborative partnership with the National Orientation Agency. The
National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) is also growing
strong. As you know, the programme is designed as an incentive to
boost school enrolment and improve nutrition of primary school pupils
while sustaining the impact of agricultural and women entrepreneurs in
communities to produce and provide a quality meal daily to pupils at
the basic education level. The NHGSFP aims to provide free school meals
to 25 million children in the country by 2030. Currently, the programme
is providing meals to nearly 10,000,000 school children nationwide. The
programme has further empowered over 100,000 cooks and over 100,000
small holder farmers in the local areas where the schools are located,
while creating employment opportunities across sectors
such as transportation and manufacturing. The programme is being
extended to children in non-conventional educational settings so that
they may access its benefits. The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP),
which has the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) as its flagship
intervention, is designed to provide targeted financial transfers to
poor and vulnerable households under an expanded national social safety
nets system. Those enrolled in the programme benefit from monthly grants
of N5,000 to smoothen consumption, stimulate demand and ensure survival
directly in the household. Since inception, a total of 1,676,799
eligible households across the country are benefiting from monthly
N5,000 grant, as of March 2021. This is in addition to the 1 million
Urban Poor who are benefitting from the Conditional Cash
Transfers, under the directive of Mr. President to further expand the programme due to the Covid-19 Pandemic
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SECTOR
23. The Digital Economy sector was highly instrumental in lifting the
Nigerian economy out of recession. According to the Q4 2020 Report on
Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released by the National Bureau
of Statistics (NBS), the Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of
the Nigerian economy. The breakdown of the different sectors shows that
the 14.7% growth rate of the ICT sector was greater than the combined
14.21% growth of the 2nd to 7th fastest growing sectors in 2020. The
telecommunications sector alone recorded a growth rate of 15.90%,
representing its highest growth rate in the last 10 years. In the NBS
report for the Q1 2021, the ICT sector maintained its position as the
fastest growing sector of the economy. This therefore indicates that the
Digital Economy sector has proven to be vital for the diversification
of the Nigerian economy.
The National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria reflects the focus of the Federal
Government with respect to Nigeria’s Digital Economy, which was hinged
on 8 strategic pillars. And as part of the efforts aimed at implementing
the Policy, some of the projects implemented nationwide include:
ICT Innovation Hubs
Digital Skills for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
Community IT Training Centers
Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC)
School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, and
Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), to mention but a few. Over 300 of
these centers have been established all over the Country.
24. During the period under review, the Ministry of Communications
and Digital Economy – in order to ensure increased capacity download
speed by up to 20 times and decrease latency – conducted a transparent
bidding process for the provision of the 5G Network Service. Mafab
Communications Ltd and MTN Nigeria Plc emerged the winners of the 3.5
gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction.
CONCLUSION
25. Gentlemen, as you can see, this Administration, in spite of
daunting challenges, made tremendous progress in 2021 in fighting
insecurity, growing the economy, reforming the oil sector to spur more
investments, emplacing world class infrastructure, providing social
safety net for the poor and most vulnerable in the society and also
taking advantage of the huge opportunities offered by the Information
and Communications Technology Sector. What we have done here is to
highlight the major achievements, hence this is by no means exhaustive.
That’s why we are also giving you a list of 100 achievements of the
Buhari Administration in 2021, Success is not
measured by the number of challenges you face, but by how you tackle the
challenges. This is what the Administration has demonstrated by
tackling insecurity headlong while also growing and diversifying the
economy. We want to most sincerely thank all Nigerians for their support
and perseverance. We want to reassure the nation that President
Muhammadu Buhari is determined to leave a legacy of a safe,
secure and prosperous nation. We urge Nigerians not to relent in
supporting our security forces, who continue to make sacrifices to keep
our country safe.
Finally, We thank you, gentlemen of the press,
for always honouring our invitation. Best wishes for a better year for all in 2022.
LIST OF 100 BUHARI ADMINISTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021
The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) sets up various operations across
the country to enhance security. These include the Joint Task Force
(JTF) North East, tagged Operation HADIN KAI covering the North East
region; the JTF SS, tagged Operation DELTA SAFE covering the South
South region; the JTF NW, known as Operation HADARIN DAJI covering the
North West region; Operation SAFE HAVEN covering Plateau, parts of
Kaduna and Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE covering Benue,
Nasarawa and Taraba States; JTF SW, referred to as Operation AWATSE
and covering Lagos and Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE covering
Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of
Kaduna State.
Under Operation HADIN KAI, a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic
operations, coupled with a review of strategies, led to the
neutralization of over 1000 terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and
the surrender of over 22,000 terrorists including their families.
Several arms and ammunition were also recovered. This is in addition
to destruction of several IED/bomb making factories of the ISWAP/BHT.
Under Operation HADARIN DAJI in the North West, the conduct of
offensive clearance operations, raids and air operations resulted in
the neutralization of about 427 bandits, arrest of 257 bandits, rescue
of 897 civilians and recovery of 3,087 livestock. Similarly, Operation
WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna neutralized about 215 bandits,
arrested 133 bandits, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136
livestock, while Operation THUNDER STRIKE neutralized 36 bandits,
arrested 74, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136 livestock. In the
North Central, raids and clearance operations conducted by Operation
SAFE HAVEN neutralized 91 criminal elements, arrested 155 suspects,
rescued 159 civilians and recovered 3,259 livestock. For its part,
Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralized 158 criminals, arrested 151
suspects and rescued 183 civilians. Operation DELTA SAFE in the
South-South destroyed about 1,520 illegal refineries, confiscated
5,315 storage facilities and impounded 617 cotonou boats, amongst
other items. Additionally, about 74,297,425 litres of Dual Purpose
Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 litres of crude oil and 88,350 litres of
PMS were recovered. Furthermore, 174 trucks and 13 vessels were
impounded while 755 illegal oil bunkerers were arrested and 153
assorted weapons recovered. In the South West, patrols and clearance
operations by troops of Operation AWATSE led to the arrest of 46
persons for various forms of criminalities while several vehicles,
jerricans, motorcycles and electricity generators used for illegal
bunkering were seized..
The AFN also acquired a number of platforms during the reporting
period to raise the level of their operational readiness and
efficiency, in addition to boosting their capacities. During the
period under review, the Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks
and 60 APCs to improve its equipment holding. Various kits were
equally provided for troops. This is in addition to the provision of
accommodation for troops and the recruitment of over 10,000 personnel
into the Army. The Nigerian Navy (NN), for its part, commissioned the
FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, the third
locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one helicopter, 4 inshore patrol
boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 personnel were
recruited into the Navy during the year. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF)
took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft
and other platforms with which it has conducted several Air
interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops and
destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to
terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
The AFN has also contributed immensely to International peace and
security efforts with its robust participation in the United Nations
Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)
and the regional initiative, the ECOWAS Military Intervention in
Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian military’s continued participation in
these Missions has ensured their viability and sustenance towards
achieving their military and political goals.
5 Passage of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
6. Incorporation of NNPC limited under CAMA.
7 Entrenchment of Transparency, Accountability and Performance
Excellence (TAPE) in NNPC.
8 Final Investment Decision on $3.6bn methanol plant in Bayelsa. The
plant, an integrated methanol and gas project in Odioma, Brass Island,
Bayelsa State, which is scheduled to come into operation in 2024, is
expected to produce 10,000tons of methanol daily.
9 US$260m Funding Agreement for ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited
(AGPC). The project will deliver 300 million standard cubic feet of
gas per day and 1,200 megawatts of electricity to the domestic market.
10 Launch of Nigerian Upstream Cost Optimization Programme (NUCOP) to
drive down the cost of crude oil production in the country so as to remain competitive in the global market.
11 Award of $1.5 billion contract for Rehabilitation of Port Harcourt
Refinery to Tecnimont SPA of Italy.
12 Commercialization of OML 143 Gas13 Execution of OML 118 (Bonga)
Agreements between NNPC & Partners.
13 Shareholder Agreement for Brass Petroleum Product Terminal (BPPT).
When completed, the BPPT will help close the infrastructure gap in the
distribution of petroleum products which will consequently stabilize
petroleum product price in the riverine communities of the Niger
Delta.
14 Contract signed to build Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
15 NNPC Posts N287 billion Profit, the first time it will record such
profit in 44 years.
16 Construction/Rehabilitation of 21 Roads under FG’s Road
Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit
Scheme.
17 Sustained Supply of Petroleum Products.
18 Projects carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in 2021
(I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I and II (26.27km) in
Enugu and Ebonyi States
(II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM
(Shuwarin-Azare) in Jigawa and Bauchi States
(III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum)
106.34km in Bauchi and Yobe States
(IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I and II
(24km) in Benue and Cross River States
(V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km)
(VI) The 360-meter bridge at Ikom in Cross River Stater –
completed and awaiting commissioning.
(VII) The 400-meter border bridge between Nigeria and
Cameroon – completed and awaiting commissioning.
(VIII) The 2nd Niger Bridge is 78% completed, expected to be
ready in November 2022:
(IX) Launch of the Highway Development and Management
Initiative (HDMI), a framework for private sector participation in
road development.
(X) The policies, programmes and projects of the Ministry
have contributed to stabilizing the macro-economic situation of the
country, particularly in job creation. The activities of the Ministry
have further contributed to the growth of other sectors of the economy
such as: –
i. Mining sector through the supply of aggregates,
laterite, limestone and other building materials;
ii. Cement manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation); steel
production to support construction needs;
iii. Property values are reportedly appreciating by 30%-40%
as a result of road transport infrastructure;
iv. Demand for petroleum products like Diesel, Petrol,
Lubricants and tyres has increased as a result of construction
activities and the need to operate machines.
19 Designation of Four International Airports in Abuja, Kano, Lagos
and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones, aimed at encouraging
business/investment.
20 Construction and installation of Boeing 737 full motion flight
Simulator at NCAT. By that, Nigeria will be saving millions of dollars
spent in the retraining of pilots in other countries.
21 Installation of Fully Automated Aircraft Firefighter Training
Simulator at NCAT, first of its kind in Africa.
22 Re-fleeting of Trainer Aircraft at NCAT. Six have since arrived.
23 Installation of novel Cat III ILS/DME at Lagos and Abuja airports.
The instruments allow the flight to land at low visibility.
24 Procurement of two mobile control towers in Lagos and Abuja airports.
25 The Ministry of Aviation received provisional approval for the
establishment of Aerospace University in Abuja.
26 Abuja airport received an award from Airport Council International
for being the best by size and region in Africa.
27 The Ministry of Aviation, in its effort to resuscitate airstrips in
the country, commissioned the construction work of Wachakal airstrip
in Yobe state.
28 The Federal Government, through the Ministry, has disbursed N5
billion palliative to the aviation industry in a bid to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on their operations.
29 Flag-off of the Commercial Operation of Lagos-Ibadan rail line in June 2021.
30 Launching of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (Also known as Deep Blue Asset).
31 MOU with Mota-Engil Group for the construction of US$1.959 billion
Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines.
32 Ground-breaking ceremony for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
of the 2,044-km Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway
project and Bonny Deep Sea and Railway Industrial Park.
33 Ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge
Rail-line Modernization Project.
34 Construction of 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes in the North-East,
IDP camps and some Federal Institutions and Establishments.
35 Full implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water
Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes with the construction of
926 rural water supply schemes in 12 States of Imo, Katsina,
Jigawa,Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna and
Gombe States.
36 Secured World Bank loan for the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water
Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme in the sum of $700 million
to be disbursed to eligible States.
37 The Clean Nigeria Campaign has yielded the following results in the
last 12 months:
(I) 71 LGAs are now Open Defecation Free. All States of the Federation
except one have now flagged off the Clean Nigeria Campaign.
(II) Collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) resulted in
the training of community mobilization officers in all 774 LGAs.
Sensitization is on-going at ‘grassroots’ level.
(III) To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry developed and
implemented the National WASH response to COVID-19 projects which
include the rehabilitation of 185 Water Supply Projects (5 per State
and FCT), construction of 185 solar powered Water Supply Projects (5
per State and FCT), Construction of 370 Public Sanitation Facilities
(10 per State and FCT), Support to State Water Agencies for their
operation to ensure uninterrupted Water Supply, Procurement of 370
Contactless Hand washing Facilities with soap and sanitizers (10per
State and FCT) and Engagement of 77,400 Youth Volunteers for Hand
washing and Open Defecation Campaigns.
38 Twelve Dams were completed in a bid to maximize full utilization of dam infrastructure.
39 Under irrigation, so far 96,000 hectares of irrigation were developed in 2021.
40 The River Basin Development Authorities are being revitalized to
deliver their mandate.
41 Creation of a total of 57,261 direct jobs and 11,588 indirect jobs
through the various dam, irrigation and water supply projects completed within the reporting period.
42 The commissioning of a pilot cottage poultry processing facility at Dei Dei Livestock market in Abuja.
43 Flag-off of the 4-km Ung Wabai- un Doka Day Secondary School Asphaltic road in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
44 Commissioning of a Communication Center and Administrative Block of
the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria in Abuja.
45 Rollout of the distribution of free agricultural Inputs to 7,500 Women Farmers in FCT and the North Central States.
46 Flag-off of training of 1,000 Extension Agents, comprising 30 from each state and FCT.
47 Distribution of free agricultural inputs to Smallholders Farmers in
Maiduguri, Borno State to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 Pandemic.
48 Distribution of free agricultural inputs to Physically-Challenged
Farmers in Maiduguri, Borno State, to mitigate the effect of COVID 19
Pandemic.
49 Commissioning of Yam Storage Facility in Nasarawa State with a storage capacity of 45-50 Metric Tons.
50 Streamlining of the guidelines for the grant of Expatriate Quota Positions and related instruments.
51 Review of the various Expatriate Quota fees, thus generating additional revenue for the Federal Government.
52 Improved on-line tracking of applications, thereby boosting Nigeria Foreign Direct Investment.
53 On-line linkage on eCitibiz platform with other MDAs like NCDMB,
NIS, CAC, FIRS and other government agencies to verify documents and
enhance the integrity of on-line processing of Expatriate Quota services
in line with the Executive Order 1 (EQ1) for the Ease of doing Business
in Nigeria.
54 Creation of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Unit in the Ministry of Interior to boost the fight against corruption.
55 Presidential approval of Legal Notices which allow Local
Governments to conduct Statutory Marriages sequel to compliance with
regulations by the Ministry, in line with the Marriage Act of 1958 as
amended.
56 Approval of the National Action Plan to end statelessness in Nigeria, as required by the UN.
57 Launch of the new Visa Policy reclassifying the Visa Categories from 6 to 79.
58 Visa on Arrival to holders of Passports of African Countries.
59 Construction of a world-class technology building to manage all
Nigeria Immigration Service ICT enhanced Systems, Installation of
Migration
60 Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) installed in all
Airports in the country, as well as the construction and commissioning
of Immigration State Commands in Kaduna, Enugu, Sokoto.
61 Introduction of the Passport Issuance Reform, which ensured the
clearing of a backlog of 96,083 Passports applications between January
and September, 2021.
62 Also, 42,768 standard and Visa On Arrival (VOA) were issued within
this period.
63 Creation of Citizen Integrity Unit at the Nigerian Security and
Civil Defence Corps as well as training of Squad to protect schools and
the deployment of over 1,500 personnel as Agro-Rangers to protect
farmers in Yobe and Adamawa States in order to promote food security in
the country.
64 Construction of 3,000-capacity custodian centers in the three
geopolitical zones as well as the re-opening and rehabilitation of 32
correctional centers shut down due to insurgency.
65 The Nigeria Correctional Service Command Complex was recently
commissioned in Osogbo, Osun State.
66 Crude oil export improved considerably at N10.03 trillion, compared to N6.92 trillion, showing a growth rate of 44.93%.
67 Twenty-eight newly-procured fire engines were deployed across the country to boost emergency response.
68 Training of 25,000 constabularies in several police colleges
across the country under the implementation of the community policing
initiative.
69 Four hundred and eighteen Cadet officers of regular course 3 were
successfully graduated in June 2021 and deployed into the operational
asset of the Nigeria Police Force.
70 Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) was inaugurated as a
permanent structure that will help to effectively nip in the bud civil
unrest and serve as an opportunity for Nigerians to channel their
grievances on the misconduct of police personnel.
71 Establishment of the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS).
WAPIS connects member countries in a platform for shared intelligence
utilization, mutual cooperation, and exchange of expertise.
72 Federal Executive Council approval for the Police Specialized
Services Automation Project (Po-SSAP). It is envisaged that in the
medium- and long-term period, the project will deliver economic
benefits and improved efficiencies as follows:
a. Special protection services for the Oil and Gas and
Telecommunication sectors.
b. Special protection and Guards’ services for the banking and
financial services sector.
c. Special protection and guards’ services for Hospitality, Real
Estate, and Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors.
d. Special protection to politically-exposed persons (PEPs), high net
worth individuals, and large corporations.
73 The Police Trust Fund procured 200 Buffalo branded vehicles,
bulletproof vest, protective helmets, drugs, and medical equipment as
well as arms and ammunition, riot control equipment, and combat
equipment for the Police Special Weapon and Tactical Squad (SWAT).
74 The Ministry of Police Affairs entered into a contract agreement
for the supply of police Anti-Riot Equipment with Poly Technology of
China through a Government-to-Government arrangement at a cost of 44
million U.S Dollars.
75 The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning generated
N1.53 trillion from Value Added Tax (VAT). Some N496.4 billion was
generated from VAT in the first three months of 2021, the highest in
nine years.
76 The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has
maintained the January-December Budget cycle with the support of members
of the National Assembly.
77 Perfected the implementation of e-Customs Limited. This is a
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with the sole objective of implementing
the 20-year concession for the Presidential Initiatives on Customs Modernization (e-Customs Project).
78 Implementation of the Economic Sustainable Plan (ESP) approved by
the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last year.
79 The economy’s Exit from recession, an indication that the Federal
Government’s fiscal policies and diversification of the economy effort
is yielding results.
80 Development and launch of the Federal Government’s Medium-Term and
Long-Term National Development Plan, known as ”Nigeria Agenda 50”, for
the
next generation.
81 The partnership of the Ministry and International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) to support Nigerian Farmers and
vulnerable small-scale farmers in the seven northern states was boosted
with N342m.
82 Gradual repayment of national debts – both domestic and external.
83 Through the economic and recovery policies put in place by the
Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the economy has
gradually recovered from the negative effects of the COVID -19 global
pandemic.
84 Cashless Economy is recording further boost as the value of
electronic payment transactions rose year-on-year (YoY) by N9.7
trillion or 80% to N21.9 trillion in 2020, from N12.2 trillion in
2019.
85 During the period under review, the Consolidated Revenue Fund and
Forex Trade doubled as a result of the economic and recovery policies
put in place by the Ministry.
86 During the period under review, both the GDP growth was sustained,
pressure on balance of payments abated while the Ministry continued to
ensure that Forex shortage resulting in pressure on the Naira was brought to manageable level.
87 Expansion of N-Power from 500,000 to 1 million beneficiaries.
88 Restructuring of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment
Programme (GEEP) to GEEP 2.0. The revamped GEEP 2.0 was officially
launched on 24th August 2021 and has successfully registered over six
hundred thousand potential beneficiaries in all the 774 LGAs
nationwide
89 National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) now
providing meals to nearly 10,000,000 school children nationwide. The
program has further empowered over 100,000 cooks and over 100,000
small holder farmers in the local areas where the schools are located
while creating employment opportunities across sectors such as
transportation and manufacturing.
90 The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), which has as its flagship
the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) has covered all the 36 States and
FCT. A total of 1,676,799 eligible households across the country are
enrolled into the CCT intervention and benefiting from the monthly
N5,000 grant. Due to the pandemic outbreak and the directive of Mr.
President to further expand the National Social Register and the CCT,
the Ministry designed the Rapid Response Register (RRR) especially for COVID 19 Cash Transfer targeting 1 million Urban Poor.
91 The National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria reflects
the focus of the Federal Government with respect to Nigeria’s Digital
Economy which was hinged on 8 strategic pillars. As part of the efforts
aimed at implementing the Policy, some of the projects implemented
nationwide include:
(I) ICT Innovation Hubs
(II) Digital Skills for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
(III) Community IT Training Centers
(IV) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC)
(V) School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, and
Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), to mention but a few. Over 300 of
these centers have been established all over the Country.
92 The issues of National Identification Number and that of
unregistered/improperly-registered SIM cards have been addressed. This
has led to:
(i) Significant increase in the National Identification Number (NIN)
Enrolments and Enrolment Centers. The current number of monthly
enrollments has increased significantly from less than 50,000 to over
2.6 million registrations (more than 500% increase).
(ii) There has also been a remarkable increase in the number of
enrolment centers across the country, with about 3,800 centers now
available for enrollments.
93 Increase in Broadband Penetration from about 33% in August 2019 to
about 45.07% in November 2020, an increase of about 10% in a year.
94 Significant drop in the cost of 1GB of broadband from N1,200 in
August 2019 to N487.18 in November 2020.
95 Selection of Nigeria for the Chairmanship and position of the
Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecom Regulators Assembly
(WATRA) on the 10th of March 2021.
96 Creation of 2 Virtual Institutes and training of about 210,000
Nigerians, many of whom received certifications.
97 Among the ICT Centers that have been developed, completed and
commissioned nationwide are:
(i) Emergency Communication Centers;
(ii) Digital Economy Centers;
(iii) ICT Hubs;
(iv) IT Innovation and Incubation Park;
(v) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers;
(vi) School Knowledge Centers;
(vii) E-Accessibility Centers;
(viii) E-Accessibility; and
(ix) ICT Community Centers among others.
In each state of the Federation, at least five centers have been
completed and commissioned.
98 Successful bidding process to select the companies that will
provide 5G network service
The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout the
year 2021. For example, the country’s domestic growth in the first
three quarters of 2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent
in Q1, 5.01 percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, This was an
improvement from a declining performance in the first three
quarters of 2020 (which led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent
in Q1, -6.10 percent in Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020. This economic
performance in 2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last
three quarters of 2020 arising from government policies and strategies
such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis
Intervention Fund etc.
100. Inflation rate has continued to decline on a year-on-year basis
since April 2021 when 18.12% was recorded. Looking at the trend, a
declining rate was recorded from 17.93% in May to 17.01% in August,
15.99% in October and 15.40% TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED,
IN LAGOS ON THURSDAY, 30 DEC, 2021 TO SHOWCASE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
BUHARI ADMINISTRATION DURING THE OUTGOING YEAR 2021
Gentlemen, good morning, and thanks for honouring our invitation to
this press conference which, in line with our tradition, we have called
to brief you on the achievements of the Buhari Administration in 2021.
In view of the long list of achievements and time constraints, we will
go straight into the highlights and then provide you with a fuller list.
2. Let me admit straightaway that the year has not been devoid of
challenges. For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has
been that of insecurity. In spite of this and the usual economic
challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the
government, the Administration has availed itself creditably, as we will
be demonstrating shortly.
3. As I said in my introductory remarks, our biggest challenge in
the outgoing year is in the area of security. Despite the enormity of
the challenge, our military has continued to live up to their billing.
We owe them a debt of gratitude for their patriotism and sacrifice. We
just can’t appreciate them enough, as you will soon see when I break
down their achievements in the year under review.
FIGHT AGAINST INSECURITY
4. To keep our country safe, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has set
up various operations across the country. These include the Joint Task
Force (JTF) North East, tagged Operation HADIN KAI covering the
North East region; the JTF SS, tagged Operation DELTA SAFE covering the
South South region; the JTF NW, known as Operation HADARIN DAJI
covering the North West region; Operation SAFE HAVEN covering Plateau, parts of Kaduna and
Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE covering Benue, Nasarawa and
Taraba States; JTF SW, referred to as Operation AWATSE and covering
Lagos and Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE covering Abuja-Kaduna
Highway and Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna State.
5. Gentlemen, in the North East Zone under Operation HADIN KAI, a
combination of kinetic and non-kinetic operations, coupled with a review
of strategies, led to the neutralization of over 1000
terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and the surrender of over 22,000
terrorists including their families. Many arms and ammunition were also
recovered. This is in addition to destruction of several IED/bomb making
factories of the ISWAP/BHT. Under Operation HADARIN DAJI in the North
West, the conduct of offensive clearance operations, raids and air
operations resulted in the neutralization of about 427 bandits, arrest
of 257 bandits, rescue of 897 civilians and recovery of 3,087 livestock.
Similarly, Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna
neutralized about 215 bandits, arrested 133 bandits, rescued 296
civilians and recovered 136 livestock, while Operation THUNDER STRIKE
neutralized 36 bandits, arrested 74, rescued 296 civilians and
recovered 136 livestock. In the North Central, raids and clearance
operations conducted by Operation SAFE HAVEN neutralized 91 criminal
elements, arrested 155 suspects, rescued 159 civilians and recovered
3,259 livestock. For its part, Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralized 158
criminals, arrested 151 suspects and rescued 183 civilians. Operation
DELTA SAFE in the South-South destroyed about 1,520 illegal refineries,
confiscated 5,315 storage facilities and impounded 617 boats, amongst
other items. Additionally, about 74,297,425 litres of Dual Purpose
Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 litres of crude oil and 88,350 litres of PMS
were recovered. Furthermore, 174 trucks and 13 vessels were impounded
while 755 illegal oil bunkerers were arrested and 153 assorted weapons
recovered. In the South West, patrols and clearance operations by troops
of Operation AWATSE led to the arrest of 46
persons for various forms of criminalities while several vehicles,
jerricans, motorcycles and electricity generators used for illegal
bunkering were seized..
6. The effectiveness of the military was enhanced by the leadership
provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of
the armed forces and its leadership. The procurement of modern
platforms for the armed forces has also gone a long way in raising the
level of their operational readiness and efficiency, in addition to
boosting their capabilities. During the period under review, the
Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks and 60 APCs to improve its
equipment holding. Various kits were equally provided for troops. This
is in addition to the provision of accommodation for troops and the
recruitment of over 10,000 personnel into the Army. The Nigerian Navy
(NN), for its part, commissioned the FALCON EYE Maritime Domain
Awareness Capability, the third locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one
helicopter, 4 inshore patrol boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats.
Over 1,500 personnel were recruited into the Navy during the year. The
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17
Thunder Fighter Aircraft and other platforms with which it has conducted
several Air interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops
and destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to
terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
7. The Armed Forces of Nigeria has also contributed immensely to
International peace and security efforts with its robust participation
in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission
in Mali (MINUSMA) and the regional initiative, the ECOWAS Military
Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian military’s continued
participation in these Missions has ensured their viability and
sustenance towards achieving their military and political goals.
Overall, the good news is that the military, in spite of its
achievements, is not resting on its oars. The Military has assured that
it is also poised, in fulfillment of its constitutional duties, to
address the myriad of evolving contemporary threats, particularly as the
2023 elections draw nearer.
8. Still on the fight against insecurity, the implementation of the
community policing initiative of the current administration has led to
the training of 25,000 constabularies in several police colleges
across the country. The successful officers who were trained on basic
police duties, modern intelligence gathering techniques, rule of law,
etc. were deployed to their Local Governments of Origin to aid in
intelligence gathering and improve police visibility in their
communities. Also, in an effort to improve the police/citizens ratio,
418 Cadet officers of regular course 3 were successfully graduated in
June 2021 and deployed into the operational asset of the Nigeria
Police Force. Through the Police Trust Fund, 200 Buffalo branded
vehicles, bulletproof vest, protective helmets, drugs, and medical
equipment as well as arms and ammunition, riot control equipment, and
combat equipment were procured for the Police Special Weapon and
Tactical Squad (SWAT). The Ministry of Police Affairs has also entered
into a contract agreement for the supply of police Anti Riot Equipment
with Poly Technology of China through a Government-to-Government
arrangement at a cost of 44 million U.S. Dollars. These equipment will
go a long way in boosting the capacity of the police to control civil unrest in the most efficient and civil manner.
ECONOMY
9. The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout
the year 2021. As you are aware, gentlemen, many countries around the
world face unprecedented challenges, starting from 2020, as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria is no exception. The Nigerian economy
was hit by the pandemic in mid- 2020, and the economic
disruptions led to a recession. The poor performance of the economy
during the COVID-19 era affected output growth, trade, household welfare
and livelihood. However, this led to a quick response by the federal
government with the rolling out of effective fiscal and
monetary policies as well as health-related policies intended to curb
the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the negative impact of the
pandemic on the economy. This has yielded considerable results. For
example, the country’s domestic growth in the first three quarters of
2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent in Q1, 5.01
percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, This was an improvement
from a declining performance in the first three quarters of 2020 (which
led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent in Q1, -6.10 percent in
Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020. Nevertheless, the fourth quarter 2020
recorded a slight improvement of 0.11 percent, ushering in positive
growth rates in the three quarters of 2021. This economic performance in
2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last three quarters
of 2020, and this can be attributed to government policies and
strategies such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; the N500 billion
COVID 19 Crisis Intervention Fund etc.
10. In the oil sector, real growth shows poorer performance in
2021, recording 2.21% (year-on-year) in Q1 2021, -12.65% in Q2 2021 and
–10.73% in Q3 2021, from stronger growth of 5.06% in Q1 2020, -6.63% in
Q2 2020, and -13.89% in Q3 2020. However, oil production in million
barrel per day continued to decline in 2021, from 2.07mbpd in Q1
2020,1.81mbpd in Q2 2020, 1.67mbpd in Q3 2020 to 1.72mbpd in Q1 2021,
1.61mbpd in Q2 2021 and 1.57mbpd in Q3 2021. Non-oil sector indicated
better performance of 0.79% in Q1 2021, 6.74% in Q2 2021 and 5.44% in Q3
2021, compared to 1.55% in Q1 2020, -6.05% in Q2 2020, and -2.51% in Q3
2020. In Foreign Trade, Nigeria witnessed dwindling performance in
2020, arising from trade restrictions on accounts of COVID-19 pandemic.
Disruptions of trading activities driven by the pandemic
further weakened the balance of trade witnessed in Q4 2019 in the
subsequent quarters. Consequently, total imports in the first three
quarters of 2021 rose by 57.13%, from N13.97 in the corresponding
quarters of 2020 to N21.95 trillion. Similarly, total exports grew by
40.62%, which was N13.12 trillion in the first three quarters of 2021,
compared to N9.33trillion in the corresponding period, an indication of
improved trading activities although with a deficit position. Over the
same period crude oil export improved considerably at N10.03 trillion,
compared to N6.92 trillion, showing a growth rate of 44.93%, while
Non-oil exports grew by 21.17% – from N1.19trillion to N1.44trillion
over the
same period. Inflation rate has continued to decline on a year-on-year
basis since April 2021 when 18.12% was recorded. Looking at the trend, a
declining rate was recorded from 17.93% in May to 17.01% in August,
15.99% in October and 15.40% November 2021. It is projected that proper
implementation of the proposed 2022 project of N17.13trillion, and
Medium-Term Expenditure Framework & Fiscal Strategy Paper
2022-2024 are likely to improve the performance of the economy.. Also,
judicious implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act will likely
improve oil production/sales stability; relatively high oil prices
will enhance revenue performance and budget implementation, while
strengthening security will improve output growth of the economy.
OIL AND GAS SECTOR
Undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the Administration
in 2021, and indeed in the past several decades, was recorded in the oil
and gas sector, a sector very critical to the nation’s economic
well-being.
The Ooni of Ife and Olori Silekunola Moronke Naomi have reportedly
reconciled after a meeting between some elders and Naomi's family.
This claim was made by Prince Eniola Ojajuni, a former Ondo State
governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP).
As an indigene of Ondo state, where Olori Naomi is from, Prince took
to Facebook to give updates on the Yoruba royal couple's relationship.
He claimed that elders from the Ooni' side (Ile Ife) and elders from
Akure, where Olori Naomi is from, met on the evening of Wednesday, Dec.
29, to help reconcile the couple.
He alleged that the meeting held in Akure and that the Olori's mother "asked for forgiveness" on her daughter's behalf.
"Battle is over!" He wrote alongside a photo of the Olori being led to a waiting car by Palace aides and uniformed officials.
He shared another post, welcoming the Olori back to the source (palace).
Despite Prince Eniola Ojajuni's claim that the couple has reconciled,
Olori Naomi's post announcing the end of her marriage to the Ooni
remains on her Instagram account.
