Chiemelie Ezeobi in Johannesburg, South Africa

An independent international public policy think tank, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), yesterday said that good trade, diplomatic and bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa would positively impact the African continent.

Programme Head, African Governance and Diplomacy, SAIIA, Steven Gruzd, said this in a meeting with the third cohort of the MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme (MIP) at the SAIIA, University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

While speaking on: “Assessing the Nigeria- South African Bilateral Relations and the Gains and the Losses”, Gruzd said: If South Africa and Nigeria are working together; if the relations are strong; if there is good trade; and if there is good diplomatic relations, it really makes a difference and it really can pull up the rest of the continent.”

Lamenting that there had been more attention on other things that get in the way of what really is a critical relationship for the continent, he added that tensions will makes things much more difficult for the continent to develop.

“There is much work to be done and we  call on our leaders to really make sure that this is a strong reciprocal relationship that can last for generations because it benefits the continent if both nations have the best relationship because they haven’t taken their place in the global stage.

“The South African Institute of International Affairs has a vision of a well governed, stable, peaceful continent and initiatives like this can really help us in that mission because we get to know Nigerians, we get to understand some of the issues that are motivating the media in Nigeria and it just helps us with creating a platform for dialogue which is what we are all about and it really gives us an opportunity to strengthen the relations between our two countries,” he added.

On the thorny issue of xenophobia and the rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria, he said it lingered this long because the SA government had in the past been denying its existence.

“The government kept denying it because they couldn’t bring themselves to believe it. Foreigners are blamed for crime and taking their jobs and some groups build their tickets on this anti-immigration, thus fuelling the situation.

“According to a 2017 BBC World Service Poll, 53 per cent of Nigerians view South Africa’s influence positively, with 27 per cent expressing a negative view. This is the lowest Nigerian positive perception of South Africa ever reported by the poll since polling began in 2009, with the 2014 poll reporting 65 per cent of Nigerians viewing South Africa’s influence positively and 17 per cent  expressing a negative view,” he said.

Also speaking on “Pan-Africanism, Nigeria South Africa Relations: The Role of the Media” he first commended MTN for the MIP initiative and the study tour to South Africa, adding that it will go a long way to propagate Pan-Africanism,

On the trade relations between both nations, he said there were far less Nigerian businesses in South Africa than there were South African businesses in Nigeria, which threw up the visa challenges that goes both ways.

The 20 fellows and their Nigerian coordinators- PAU SMC Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria; Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck and Samsideen Akano, SMC Marketing and Coordination, also visited the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

During the tour of Metro FM, Siyauda Izkelephi, Programmer Manager Metro FM, said: “as an organisation, we are at a point where now the South African government, are focusing at the SABC as a key asset of government.”

With their 6million listeners across the digital and terrestrial platforms, he said they have a mandate for responsible journalism where none of their programmes must harm another African.

Harping on the importance of integrity, he said they ensure they get the fact before the news is used and has since earned them the sobriquet from South Africans that “If it’s not on SABC yet, we will wait”.

Acknowledging that African journalists must correct these narratives between both nations, one of the fellows, Nkechi Ogbonna said: “One thing that stood out is the eye opener to the trade disparity between Nigeria and South Africa.

“It is important for African countries to begin to trade amongst themselves to boost their economies and strengthen their local currencies. Secondly, Nigeria and South Africa have long standing relations however certain incidents have driven some negative narratives.

“It is therefore the responsibility of media practitioners to verify information from authorities in both countries, holding them accountable and providing a platform for the truth to be told.”

To improve access to oxygen therapy, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation recently partnered the  Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, EDSPHCDA, which is responsible for delivering quality primary healthcare services in Edo State

and HealthPort Limited, a health-tech company dedicated to improving access to quality medical care through digital solutions. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that this service will complement the foundation’s ongoing efforts to revitalise  primary healthcare centres in the state under the Adopt-A-Healthcare-Facility-Programme

What is Oxygen therapy and why is it so important in healthcare? Also referred to as supplemental oxygen, it’s a form of medical treatment where oxygen is giving as a supplement to help those in need of it get oxygen their bodies need to function.

Either used in cases of hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), to maintain blood oxygen levels during anesthesia, or for those with lung diseases or breathing problems, the import of oxygen therapy to get their bodies need to function, cannot be overstated. 

While this might not be a novel idea, however, access to such therapy has often been an impediment to underserved communities in Low and Middle Income Countries. Across the globe, investing in oxygen systems has proven to drastically reduce mortality and long term health defects. 

Tripartite MoU for Primary Healthcare

It was on this premise that the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming public service delivery in Africa and advancing access to quality primary healthcare, recently entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) and HealthPort Limited. 

The EDSPHCDA is the governing body responsible for the provision of primary healthcare services in Edo State, while HealthPort is a health-tech company committed to improving access to quality medical care through innovative digital solutions.

Improving Access to Oxygen Therapy for PHCs 

This strategic partnership seeks to improve access to oxygen therapy across primary healthcare centres and other key facilities within Edo State. 

The initiative, titled ‘Oxygen as a Service,’ will complement the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to revitalise  primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state under the Adopt-A-Healthcare-Facility-Programme (ADHFP).

According to Bukky Akinsemoyin, the foundation’s Director of Funding and Partnerships, “We

are honoured to join forces with EDSPHCDA and HealthPort in this critical initiative. Our shared vision of enhancing access to quality primary healthcare forms the bedrock of this collaboration. 

“The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is currently revitalising 18 PHCs under the ADHFP to deliver affordable and reliable healthcare services to vulnerable populations. The Oxygen initiative seamlessly aligns with our broader goal of promoting innovative healthcare solutions across Nigeria by leveraging private sector resources. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our efforts to elevate healthcare standards in the country.”

According to her, this partnership aims to ensure that patients at the PHCs have seamless access to oxygen therapy as part of their medical care, thereby eliminating the need for long-distance travel to obtain such services. Additionally, the Foundation will collaborate with HealthPort to strengthen the operational capacity of the PHCs by providing specialised training for healthcare staff in the administration, management, and maintenance of oxygen plants.

Given that each partner in this collaboration will contribute their unique strengths, the EDSPHCDA will facilitate access to PHCs for the delivery of essential medical and non-medical services while HealthPort will oversee the implementation and life cycle of the project; and the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation will provide evidence-based technical expertise, advisory support, and strategic guidance to ensure the project’s success.

For humanity, the signing of this MoU solidifies a robust partnership between the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, EDSPHCDA, and HealthPort, marking a significant step forward in the collective effort to improve access to quality primary healthcare in Edo State.

Modalities for Oxygen as Service Initiative

The MoU aligns with HealthPort’s innovative “Oxygen as a Service (Breathe)” initiative, which involves a collaborative effort to install Micro PSA plants, train healthcare staff, and establish a robust distribution system for medical oxygen. 

The Foundation facilitated this collaboration between EDSPHCDA and HealthPort, as part of its commitment to fostering public-private partnerships for quality primary healthcare.  

The “Oxygen as a Service (Breathe)” project complements the Foundation’s ongoing Adopt-A-Healthcare-Facility-Project (ADHFP), which focuses on revitalizing 18 primary healthcare centers to provide affordable and quality healthcare services to vulnerable populations. By integrating oxygen therapy into these revitalised facilities, the Foundation aims to ensure that patients have easy access to comprehensive medical care.

The project will also enhance the capacity of healthcare staff in administering, managing, and maintaining oxygen plants. This will enable primary healthcare centres develop and strengthen their capabilities to meet the needs of their patients and deliver sustainable healthcare outcome. This collaborative effort represents a significant step towards improving healthcare access and outcomes in Edo State.

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation 

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is a public sector-focused philanthropic organisation founded by Aigboje and Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede to improve the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and increased access to quality primary healthcare. 

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation accomplishes its mission by supporting the reform initiatives of public sector entities, providing financing, consulting support, and capacity-building programmes and resources for the public sector workforce. The Foundation provides funding and strategic support to drive the work of affiliate organisations such as ABC Health, the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), the Nigerian Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), and others. 

Quote

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is currently revitalising 18 PHCs under the ADHFP to deliver affordable and reliable healthcare services to vulnerable populations. The Oxygen initiative seamlessly aligns with our broader goal of promoting innovative healthcare solutions across Nigeria by leveraging private sector resources. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our efforts to elevate healthcare standards in the country

The overarching objective of the MTN Media Innovation Summit, which was held in collaboration with Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Nigeria; and University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa, was to advocate for the sustainability and survival of the media business while empowering media professionals to drive innovation within the industry. Themed “Sustainability of Media Business in Digital Age”, the summit was an integral part of the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) study tour to South Africa to retool the skills of the 20 fellows to understand the evolving media landscape, and equip them to effectively utilise technology in creating impactful media content. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Among other initiatives, for three years, MTN, a telecommunication and ICT giant, found expression of their “What Are We Doing Today?” slogan by sponsoring the Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a six-week long fellowship at the School

 of Media and Communication (SMC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) in Nigeria.

Spread across six months, it was targeted at selected media practitioners in the Nigerian space “to increase their knowledge and skill base and help them understand the changing media landscape, and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content”. 

This week, the third cohort of the MIP converged on South Africa for a study trip targeted at highlighting the bilateral relationship of both countries, while equipping them on the skills and knowledge needed to drive sustainability of the media landscape in the ever evolving digital age. 

As part of the Nigerian contingent to guide the fellows in South Africa were PAU SMC Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria; Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck; and Samsideen Akano, SMC Marketing and Coordination. 

Sustainability of the Media Business 

Thus to drive conversations and proffer solutions on how to sustain the media industry in the ever evolving digital age, the MTN Media Innovation Summit was held in collaboration with Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Nigeria; and University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. 

Themed “Sustainability of the Media Business in the Digital Age”, civil society, government, media professionals, and renowned academics, both locally and internationally, drove conversations on the challenges and the way forward. 

Anchored by Dr Sifiso Minisi, Head, School of Communication, UJ, the summit delved into the concept of sustainability survival of the media business while empowering media professionals from both nations to drive innovation within the industry.

MTN’s Quest to Build Media Capacity 

On the continuous quest by the MTN Group to build media capacity, Senior Manager, External Relations, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Funso Aina, said the MIP was designed to foster such conversations, all targeted at innovating the media space. 

He said: “The media plays an all important role in the society so they must speak truth to power while setting agenda for all. It was therefore to build capacity for media professionals that the MIP was born.” 

“To give you a view of how intentional this has become for us, today we have 20 of some of the smartest talent Nigeria has to offer from print, electronic and new media. To let you know how special these people are, we got over 5,000 applications and only 20 of them got in. That is to let you know how highly sought after this programme has become. 

“Why are we doing it in MTN, an African ICT company. We believe very much that in any environment we operate, we owe it as a duty to also impact that environment beyond the telecommunications and ICT services that we provide 

“The media in any society has a very important function to gain public trust, set agenda and speak truth to power to ensure we have a better society. So for us, it was how do we support the media, by helping them build their capacity, functioning like the tide that leads all roads at the same time. 

“We know in many African countries, we know some of the challenges that we have and we know the media does not necessarily get all the training intervention and we thought it important to intervene and help them build capacity so they can not only report MTN better but also report African societies better so that at the end of the day, it’s a win-win situation for us. 

“It’s something we will continue to drive as the year goes by and we feel at this stage, it will be important to have South African journalists come to Nigeria because we feel that as the two largest economy in Africa, if Nigeria and South Africa succeeds, the continent succeeds. It’s important to continue to provide such leader and the way to do it is by helping the media to develop and grow.”

Charge for Media to Sustain Commercial Viability, Quality of News 

 In the keynote address, the Honourable Deputy Minister in the Presidency, HE Keneth Morolong, charged the media to embrace the digital space as society depends on the quality of information they churn out, just as he clamoured that they should sustain not only its commercial viability, but the quality of news it purveys. 

Quoting Walter Lipman’s Liberty and the News book, Morolong said although “the health of society depends upon the quality of the information it receives”, it is instructive to ensure a balance between profit making and sharing of quality information that insures that our 

society is in good health. 

Adding that the ecosystem of digital networks connects public administration to the active citizen; promotes economic growth, development and competitiveness; drives the creation of decent work; and underpins nation-building and strengthen social cohesion; and support local, national and regional integration.

For South Africa, he said the quest to digitise led to the institution of  the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (4IR), which has been placed at the centre of digital policy in the country after its establishment in 2022. 

The Presidential 4IR Commission and its immediate implementation government and stakeholder, he said expedited  innovation in their country by building  human capacity in the area of the 4IR; establishing the National Artificial Intelligence Institute; Creating the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI); the establishment of a National Data Centre; and Incentivising SMMEs for the adoption of 4IR technologies and the emergence of future industries and platforms. 

Stressing that South Africa needs a strong open data policy, he reiterated that the significance of profitability and revenue streams in the transformation debate cannot be understated either from advertising revenue, revenue from cover prices, competitive practices regarding advertising sales, government advertising and the impact of digital media.

He said: “The media terrain is highly contested and very competitive, and this must be taken into account in the drive towards transformation. Media companies in general play a fundamental socioeconomic role in society. The media and journalists facilitate the exercise of holding government and corporate leaders 

accountable to citizens.

“Media companies are also at the forefront of the driving economy development in terms of their contributions to a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), employment creation, general literacy and skills development.”

Flaying the rise of fake news, predatory content and unscrupulous content creators, he said they are also creating a serious and ever-evolving threat to society as a whole, often derailing the public’s trust in the media.

Shared Commitment to Empowering Media Professionals 

Earlier in his welcome address, Vice Chancellor and Principal, University of Johannesburg, Prof. Letlhokwa Mpedi, said the collaboration represents a significant step forward in “our shared commitment to empowering media professionals and driving innovation across the industry. 

“We are tasked with understanding innovation and the sustainability of the media business in the digital age.

Every facet of society is fundamentally undergoing a shift characterised by the injection of technology – innovation is key to our response to these shifts. Through the lens of the media business, we have seen a distinct evolution in mediums of media.

” Traditional media forms have evolved into online publications, blogs, podcasts, tiktoks and social

media posts to name just a few examples. What this indicates is that there is still immense value we gain from media. 

“As it is said, ignorance is a choice in this age. It is through media that we are able to disseminate information, shape public thought and contribute to a more meaningful and engaged society”.

How MIP Has Strengthened Media Industry 

In turn, Director of Professional Education, School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Prof Isaac Ogugua-Ezechukwu, highlighted the importance of the MIP and the successes recorded thus far since its inception three years ago, adding that the fellows in the three cohort so far has been exposed to the critical role that technology plays in shaping the media of tomorrow.

He said: “MIP is a gift and the best capacity building programme in Nigeria sponsored by MTN Nigeria for the Nigerian media. The programme has been helping SMC in achieving one of its cardinal objectives of the school, which is to strengthen the media industry.

“When you have a strong media, the nation society and culture starts to gain. The course content and research methodology continue to stir new thinking in media practice and empower the participants to better society. 

Unsurprisingly, the programme has become a big success and is sought after in Nigeria.”

For MIP Fellow, Chioma Chinyere Chukwuemeka, who also doubles as Radio/Tv Sapientia Onitsha, News Lead

“The ability of the media to tell the truth without bias is the biggest defender of journalism and will ensure its sustainability. Again, it’s imperative to teach young journalists the business of media”.

Also speaking, the Executive Dean, Faculty of Humanities, UK, Prof Kammila Naidoo, who was represented by Prof. Corne Meintjies – Vice Dean, Teaching and Learning, said media organisations must adapt to the changing landscape by embracing digital technologies.

Chiemelie Ezeobi in Johannesburg, South Africa 

Good trade, diplomatic and bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa have been identified by an independent international public policy think tank, as some of the key drivers that would pull the continent up to take its place in the comity of nations. 

Programme Head, African Governance and Diplomacy, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Steven Gruzd, made this disclosure in a meeting with the third cohort of the MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme (MIP) at the SAIIA, University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. 

While speaking on “Assessing the Nigeria- South African Bilateral Relations and the Gains and the Losses”, Gruzd said “if South Africa and Nigeria are working together; if the relations are strong; if there is good trade; and if there is good diplomatic relations, it really makes a difference and it really can pull up the rest of the continent.”

Lamenting that there has been more attention on other things that get in the way of what really is a critical relationship for the continent, he added that “if we are at odds and at tensions, it makes things much more difficult for this continent to develop.

“There is much work to be done and we  call on our leaders to really make sure that this is a strong reciprocal relationship that can last for generations because it benefits the continent if both nations have the best relationship because they haven’t taken their place in the global stage.

“The South African Institute of International Affairs has a vision of a well governed, stable, peaceful continent and initiatives like this can really help us in that mission because we get to know Nigerians, we get to understand some of the issues that are motivating the media in Nigeria and it just helps us with creating a platform for dialogue which is what we are all about and it really gives us an opportunity to strengthen the relations between our two countries.”

On the thorny issue of xenophobia and the rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria, he said it lingered this long because the SA government had in the past been denying its existence. 

“The government kept denying it because they couldn’t bring themselves to believe it. Foreigners are blamed for crime and taking their jobs and some groups build their tickets on this anti-immigration, thus fueling the situation.

“According to a 2017 BBC World Service Poll, 53 percent of Nigerians view South Africa’s influence positively, with 27 per cent expressing a negative view. This is the lowest Nigerian positive perception of South Africa ever reported by the poll since polling began in 2009, with the 2014 poll reporting 65 per cent of Nigerians viewing South Africa’s influence positively and 17 per cent  expressing a negative view.”

Also speaking on “Pan-Africanism, Nigeria South Africa Relations: The Role of the Media” he first commended MTN for the MIP initiative and the study tour to South Africa, adding that it will go a long way to propagate Pan-Africanism,

Charging the fellows, he said they must “

find ways to represent the nations in a positive light. We’re looking for positive stories and if there is really a positive story on Nigeria-South Africa relations, there’s only one direction that it can go and that is up. 

“I hope that these journalists will be part of creating those positive stories between our two countries and transmitting the stories that you find.”

On the trade relations between both nations, he said there are far less Nigerian businesses in South Africa than there is South African businesses in Nigeria, which threw up the visa challenges that goes both ways. 

Gruzd further quoted the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who  pledged that the relationship between the two countries will be solidified when he received Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu last June. 

Ramaphosa had said: “For me, what matters most is to be able to have very good economic links with Nigeria. The two countries-South Africa and Nigeria – are very important in our continent and when the two countries work together, which we are, and we do things together, it benefits all.”

Also contributing, Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck, charged the fellows to take charge of the narrative in rebuilding the sore points between both nations, adding that a a negative naration allowed to fester will only become a stereotype. 

The 20 fellows and their Nigerian coordinators- PAU SMC Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria; Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck; and Samsideen Akano, SMC Marketing and Coordination, also visited the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

During the tour of Metro FM, Siyauda Izkelephi Programmer Manager Metro FM, said “as an organisation, we are at a point where now the South African government, are focusing at the SABC as a key asset of government.”

With their 6million listeners across the digital and terrestrial platforms, he said they have a mandate for responsible journalism where none of their programmes must harm another African.

Harping on the importance of integrity, he said they ensure they get the fact before the news is used and has since used earned them the sobriquet from South Africans that “If it’s not on SABC yet, we will wait”. 

Acknowledging that African journalists must correct these narratives between both nations, one of the fellows, Nkechi Ogbonna said: “One thing that stood out is the eye opener to the trade disparity between Nigeria and South Africa. 

“It is important for African countries to begin to trade amongst themselves to boost their economies and strengthen their local currencies.

“Secondly, Nigeria and South Africa have long standing relations however certain incidents have driven some negative narratives. 

“It is therefore the responsibility of media practitioners to verify information from authorities in both countries, holding them accountable and providing a platform for the truth to be told.”

Chiemelie Ezeobi in Johannesburg, South Africa

Good trade, diplomatic and bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa have been identified by an independent international public policy think tank, as some of the key drivers that would pull the continent up to take its place in the comity of nations. 

Programme Head, African Governance and Diplomacy, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Steven Gruzd, made this disclosure in a meeting with the third cohort of the MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme (MIP) at the SAIIA, University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. 

While speaking on “Assessing the Nigeria- South African Bilateral Relations and the Gains and the Losses”, Gruzd said: “If South Africa and Nigeria are working together; if the relations are strong; if there is good trade; and if there is good diplomatic relations, it really makes a difference and it really can pull up the rest of the continent.”

Lamenting that there has been more attention on other things that get in the way of what really is a critical relationship for the continent, he added that “if we are at odds and at tensions, it makes things much more difficult for this continent to develop.

“There is much work to be done and we  call on our leaders to really make sure that this is a strong reciprocal relationship that can last for generations because it benefits the continent if both nations have the best relationship because they haven’t taken their place in the global stage.

“The South African Institute of International Affairs has a vision of a well governed, stable, peaceful continent and initiatives like this can really help us in that mission because we get to know Nigerians, we get to understand some of the issues that are motivating the media in Nigeria and it just helps us with creating a platform for dialogue which is what we are all about and it really gives us an opportunity to strengthen the relations between our two countries.”

On the thorny issue of xenophobia and the rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria, he said it lingered this long because the SA government had in the past been denying its existence. 

“The government kept denying it because they couldn’t bring themselves to believe it. Foreigners are blamed for crime and taking their jobs and some groups build their tickets on this anti-immigration, thus fueling the situation.

“According to a 2017 BBC World Service Poll, 53 percent of Nigerians view South Africa’s influence positively, with 27 per cent expressing a negative view. This is the lowest Nigerian positive perception of South Africa ever reported by the poll since polling began in 2009, with the 2014 poll reporting 65 per cent of Nigerians viewing South Africa’s influence positively and 17 per cent  expressing a negative view.”

Also speaking on “Pan-Africanism, Nigeria South Africa Relations: The Role of the Media” he first commended MTN for the MIP initiative and the study tour to South Africa, adding that it will go a long way to propagate Pan-Africanism,

Charging the fellows, he said they must “

find ways to represent the nations in a positive light. We’re looking for positive stories and if there is really a positive story on Nigeria-South Africa relations, there’s only one direction that it can go and that is up. 

“I hope that these journalists will be part of creating those positive stories between our two countries and transmitting the stories that you find.”

On the trade relations between both nations, he said there are far less Nigerian businesses in South Africa than there is South African businesses in Nigeria, which threw up the visa challenges that goes both ways. 

Gruzd further quoted the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who  pledged that the relationship between the two countries will be solidified when he received Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu last June. 

Ramaphosa had said: “For me, what matters most is to be able to have very good economic links with Nigeria. The two countries-South Africa and Nigeria – are very important in our continent and when the two countries work together, which we are, and we do things together, it benefits all.”

The 20 fellows and their Nigerian coordinators- PAU SMC Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria; Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck; and Samsideen Akano, SMC Marketing and Coordination, also visited the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

During the tour of Metro FM, Siyauda Izkelephi Programmer Manager Metro FM, said “as an organisation, we are at a point where now the South African government, are focusing at the SABC as a key asset of government.”

With their 6million listeners across the digital and terrestrial platforms, he said they have a mandate for responsible journalism where none of their programmes must harm another African.

Harping on the importance of integrity, he said they ensure they get the fact before the news is used and has since used earned them the sobriquet from South Africans that “If it’s not on SABC yet, we will wait”. 

Acknowledging that African journalists must correct these narratives between both nations, one of the fellows, Nkechi Ogbonna said: “One thing that stood out is the eye opener to the trade disparity between Nigeria and South Africa. 

“It is important for African countries to begin to trade amongst themselves to boost their economies and strengthen their local currencies.

“Secondly, Nigeria and South Africa have long standing relations however certain incidents have driven some negative narratives. 

“It is therefore the responsibility of media practitioners to verify information from authorities in both countries, holding them accountable and providing a platform for the truth to be told.”

Chiemelie Ezeobi in Johannesburg, South Africa 

The Media Innovation Programme (MIP) cohort three fellows of the School of Media and Communication (SMC) of the Pan Atlantic University (PAU), on Monday  embarked on a study tour to South Africa. 

The MTN-sponsored MIP, a six month-long intensive training, was birthed three years ago to foster innovation and development, as well as to transform and empower media practitioners to take advantage of technology and innovation to do their jobs better and tell stories that needed to be told.

As part of the Nigerian contingent to guide the fellows in South Africa were PAU SMC Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria; Public Relations Manager MTN Nigeria, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck; and Samsideen Akano, SMC Marketing and Coordination. 

The first port of call for the 20 fellows was the  MTN Group Head Office in Sandton, South Africa, on Monday, where the cohort was immersed in the digital transformation the telecommunications company is driving. 

Also on the itinerary was study trip to the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, visits to the South African Broadcasting Station, innovation hubs in South Africa to incubate ideas and a tour of the MTN Innovation lab, amongst others. 

In no particular order, the fellows on the study trip include Chioma Chukwuemeka, Lead News, Sapientia International Media Centre; Anthony Obakeye, Producer/Reporter, CNBC Africa; Pius Chidiebere, Anchor, Signature Television; Oluwadunsin Sanya, Senior Content Associate, BellaNaija; and Chiemelie Ezeobi, Group Features Editor, THISDAY Newspaper.

Others include Nkechi Ogbonna, Senior Journalist Reporter, West Africa, BBC, West Africa; Blessing Agbeetan, Assistant Prog Manager, Women Radio 91.7 FM; and Aigbe Augustus, OAP/Producer, Cool FM.

 Stephen Angbulu, State House Correspondent, Punch Newspapers; Raahman Toheeb, Editor-in-Chief, Legit NG; Juliet Tontoye Pere-ere, General Manager/Broadcaster, Royals Roots FM; Ebunoluwa Dosunmu, Content Creator; and Ayodele Ayokunle, Managing Director, Rock FM Jalingo and Taraba Truth are also part of the cohort three. 

Not left out are Oluwatomisin Amokeoja, Staff Writer, Forbes Africa; Moninkanola Ogidan, News Anchor/Editor/Presenter, Adaba FM; Johnstone Kpilaakaa, HumanAngle; Nifemi Oguntoye, Deputy Head of Presentation, TVC Communications; Prince Osuagwu, ICT Editor, Vanguard Newspapers; Omonike Babatunde, Broadcaster, Bright Broadcasting Ltd; and Lucas Ajanaku, Assistant Business/Head, ICT Desk, The Nation Newspapers. 

At the induction of the third edition on May 20, 2024, Tobe Okigbo, MTN Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, said at MTN, they recognise the critical role media play in shaping society, which is why “the MIP is a testament to our commitment to empowering media professionals and fostering innovation in the industry. 

“We believe that a free and independent press is essential to a thriving society, and we are dedicated to supporting the development of a vibrant and responsible media ecosystem in Nigeria.

“Through this programme, we aim to equip media practitioners and innovators with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to tell the stories that need to be told”.

In week one, the fellows dealt with with Culture, Society and the Media; Ethical Issues for Media Practitioners; The Concept of Innovation and its Imperatives for Media Practitioners; Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Principles and Practices; and Management Principles and Practices.

Others include Branding and Etiquette for Media Practitioners; Media Laws: Principles and Practices Presentation/Interactive Session; and Taxation, Business Policies and Regulations

Week two dealt with ICT and the Media: The Necessary Convergence; Revenue Models: Building a Tech Stack and Optimising Ad Revenue; Communication Management Strategies; Creativity and Innovation; 

When Appearance Matters; and Graphic Design for Media Practitioners.

Also, the fellows were enlightened on how the  MTN Foundation Has Been Catalysing Change; 

New Media, Content Creation and Engagement – Developing Innovation Digital Media Skills; and  Sensationalism, Fake News & New Media Tools for Media Practitioners. 

Week three began with Telecoms and ICT Landscape in Nigeria; from 2G – 5G; 5G IoT and the Future of Tech Presentation; AI and The Media; Subscription Business Model and on Business Journalism; Building a Digital Economy for Nigeria’s Future; E-Commerce: Business and Revenue Models; Exploring Data-driven Solutions at KPMG; and it ended with an immersive experience at Huawei.

For  week four, the fellows tackled Ethical Issues for Media Practitioners;  Overview of the Nigerian Economy Presentation; Prognosis into the Future of the Nigerian Economy in the Digital Age; Strategic Planning and Strategy Implementation Skills; Investment Decisions: Operations Management; Emotional Intelligence; and Stakeholder Relations Management.

For the fellows, the immersive experience which began on a high note on Monday has thus far exposed them to the world of digital, bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa, as well as MTN’s Sustainability Strategy, amongst others. 

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC) has expressed shock and concern by the “ongoing attempts to incriminate, silence, and blackmail the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for its efforts to champion the rights and well-being of Nigerian workers”.

In a statement signed by Auwal Musa Rafsanjani Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC)/ Transparency International Nigeria, he said: “CISLAC recalls that on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, the NLC complex, popularly known as Labour House, was suddenly besieged by heavily armed security personnel.

“This invasion occurred just hours after the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting, where members condemned the heavy-handed tactics employed by security agents during the #EndBadGovernance protests. 

 “Furthermore, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, has been summoned by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.” 

 “The invitation, detailed in an official letter, requires the President of the NLC to appear for an interview on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the IRT Complex in Guzape District, Abuja. While we do not oppose a police investigation, we insist that it must be conducted in an open and transparent manner.

 “This investigation must continue so that Nigerians can clearly see that the government is not fabricating allegations. The integrity of both the NLC and the police is at stake. Only through a transparent and credible investigation process can Nigerians regain confidence in our security agencies.

 “The government and security agencies must do everything possible to restore trust and confidence in our criminal justice system, as citizens are rapidly losing faith in its ability to deliver justice fairly. Many Nigerians are frustrated by the government’s failure to address the activities of known criminals, including terrorist financiers, kidnappers, bandits, and corrupt public officials who openly terrorise citizens. 

“The recent kidnapping of the Emir of Gobir, along with a video from the bandits demanding ransom, is a stark reminder of this issue. Despite these blatant acts, the police have been unable to track down these perpetrators, raising serious questions about their effectiveness.”

He added that “In contrast, security forces have been recorded shooting and harming innocent protesters using live ammunition, even those outside designated protest areas, who are speaking out against issues like insecurity, hunger, and unemployment. This situation reflects a serious misplacement of priorities. 

“The police must prove that they are not being used as a tool to undermine the legitimate struggles of the citizenry. It is particularly disheartening that the police officers involved in these actions are themselves victims of poor governance, substandard living conditions, and loss of life, with even retired officers struggling to receive their benefits due to the corrupt system in the country.

 “This action worries us, as it has the tendency to further damage the global reputation of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, being seen as an attempt to suffocate civil space. This could have severe consequences for Nigeria’s image on the international stage. 

“We advise that the President must make a personal effort to checkmate those who are demarketing his administration with his name and his personality with these brutal violations of the rights of peaceful Nigerians.  

“We urge non-state actors to recognize this as a wake-up call, as desperate politicians may attempt similar tactics to frame journalists, credible civil society organizations, ASUU, other trade unions, and non-violent mass democratic organizations. The integrity of our democratic institutions is at serious risk.”

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

To ensure enhanced safety and security in the maritime domain of Zone E through operational patrols and sustained force presence at sea, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Niger Navies recently activated a joint maritime, air surveillance and intervention of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) waters. 

The combined maritime security initiative within the Multinational Maritime Coordination Zone E codenamed Operation Safe Domain 111 was flagged off at Cotonou Port Naval Base, Republic of Benin, on Monday, and involved vessels from participating nations with SD Abuja commanded by Captain Idongesit Udoessien as the Officer-in-Tactical-Command while Commander Ayo Pacheco manned Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KANO. 

 Themed  ‘Protecting the Blue Economy of ECOWAS Zone E through Maritime Security Collaboration’, this multi- faceted initiative aims to fortify the blue economy of ECOWAS Zone E through unprecedented maritime security collaboration.

During the five-day operation,  four vessels from Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo, alongside the aircraft provided by Nigeria, are to patrol and monitor the total water area of 105,746 square nautical miles (sqnm).

Targeted at tackling piracy and other maritime crimes, the operation is within the framework of policing duties at sea so as to deny pirates and other maritime criminals freedom of action that otherwise thrive on the Zone E flank of the GoG waters. 

Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, representing the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral EI Ogalla, highlighted the operation’s goal of enhancing maritime safety and security across the GoG. 

He said the third iteration of Operation Safe Domain aims to build on the lessons learned from previous operations, while enhancing information sharing and collaboration among the participants. 

Recounting the successes recorded during Operations Safe Domain 1 and 11 conducted in November 2021 and September 2023, respectively, the CNS said the GoG no longer bears the tag of one of the most dangerous waters in the world.

 “While we may not be where we want to be yet in terms of maritime safety and security, we have moved past the darkest days when maritime criminals operated in the Gulf of Guinea with impunity,” he added. 

He attributed the success of these operations to the coordinated efforts of the ECOWAS, maritime security stakeholders, and international partners, adding that the transition from international sponsorship to Zone E member states taking full ownership of the initiative, demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring maritime safety and security.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Director of Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone E, Commodore Aniedi Ibok, said the operation was in furtherance of the implementation of the MOU on Joint Maritime Operations and Patrols (JMOP) agreed upon by the countries involved. 

Commodore Ibok noted that the ECOWAS Maritime Domain has faced numerous transnational maritime security challenges, including piracy, sea robbery, and various forms of trafficking, which have undermined economic development and affected local communities. 

He highlighted the adoption of the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy (EIMS) in 2014, which established a comprehensive maritime security architecture in the region, including the MMCCs in Cotonou, Accra, and Praia.

“The mission of the Centre is to strengthen activities aimed at cooperation, coordination, pooling, and interoperability of resources among Zone E Member States,” he noted.

Commodore Ibok said the significant reduction in maritime crime incidents, from 49 reported piracy cases in 2018 to just two in 2023 was part of the successes recorded to coordinated efforts by ECOWAS, member states, and international partners.

While outlining the objectives of Operation Safe Domain 111, he said it focuses on enhancing the capacity of navies and maritime security agencies; promoting information exchange and cooperation; and creating a safe environment for maritime commerce. 

The Special Guest of Honour, Minister of National Defence Mr. Fortunet Alain Nouatin, represented by Brigadier General Sanni Bachabi, commended the collaborative efforts that made Operation Safe Domain III possible, just as he wished the participating nations success in achieving the exercise’s objectives.

The event drew a distinguished gathering of VVIPs from the maritime sector: Ministers, Ambassadors, and CNS of participating countries and culminated in a symbolic flag-off, marking the beginning of the operation. 

•Police say investigation to extend to hotel

Chiemelie Ezeobi

ARM Pension Managers yesterday said it has placed its Executive Director, Technical, Abisola Onigbogi, on administrative leave following the allegations of rape made by another employee of the firm, Ogochukwu Odogwu, a Human Resource business partner.

Odogwu had accused Onigbogi of allegedly abducting her, driving her to a hotel and sexually assaulting her after an office party on July 18, 2024.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, the firm said they had initiated a thorough and independent investigation into the allegation and are also fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies.

The statement read in part: “ARM Pension Managers (PFA) Ltd is aware of a serious allegation of assault involving our employees. We are deeply disturbed by this and are committed to addressing the situation with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with our colleague who has come forward. We want to express our deepest concern and support for her during this tough time.

“Sexual assault is a grave matter that has no place in our organisation and society at large, and we stand firmly against all forms of harassment or violence. This incident reportedly took place outside the office premises on the night of July 18, 2024, after an office team bonding event and involved two of our colleagues.

“We have initiated a thorough and independent investigation into the allegation, and we are fully cooperating with the law enforcement authorities to ensure that the investigation is comprehensive and impartial.

“The accused employee, an executive in the company, has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome.”

Additionally, the company said it was offering support services to the complainant who had come forward, including counselling and any other resources she may need now.

“We are committed to fostering a safe and respectful workplace for all employees with zero tolerance for sexual harassment or assault and will continuously strive to maintain a culture of integrity and respect.

“We understand the gravity of this situation and the impact it has on all involved. Hence, we will handle this situation with the highest level of integrity and transparency,” the firm said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has said it would have to investigate the role the Limeridge Hotel played in the saga in a bid to fully unravel all the intricacies of the case.

Although no other arrest had been made, the command said the Gender Unit has prioritised the case and would investigate all angles, including why the said hotel allowed the suspect to lodge with a seemingly inebriated woman and was allowed to leave without questioning.

•ARM: We are cooperating with law enforcement in ongoing investigation

Chiemelie Ezeobi

An employee of,  Ogochukwu Odogwu, has allegedly been raped by a colleague of hers, Executive Director (Technical) of the company, one Abisola Onigbogi.

According to information available to THISDAY, the 36-year-old lady who works at ARM Pension as a Human Resource Business Partner, had gone to a party on July 18, 2024, with a number of her colleagues.

“I would like to officially report that I was sexually assaulted i.e. I was abducted and raped by Abisola Onigbogi, ED technical at ARM Pension on the night of July 18, 2024 when we had the office party.

“Abisola Onigbogi of ARM Pension had penetrative sexual intercourse with me, without my consent. The assault was done at a certain hotel I woke up to find myself, called Limeridge hotel at Chevron drive, Lagos,” she said in a report.

In her report, she chronicled the events that led to probably one of the worst days of her life.

“On the evening of the office party just like every other staff member at the party I had food and drinks. I had mixed a small amount of Jameson whiskey and coke. This whiskey bottle was opened by Francisca Azie on the table I was seated at with other colleagues.

“However, being part of the planning committee I had to stand up from my table at intervals to coordinate the serving of food and at such times left my drink, food and other personal effects in the care of Damilola Oluyori, who is a colleague and one I am very friendly with.

“My last memory of the party was at about 7.30,8ish. However, Dami claimed that I mentioned to her that I was tipsy and could not drive. So she offered to find a way for me to go home and then approached Abisola Onigbogi to drop me off since he lived around the same axis as me,” she narrated.

Lost Memory

In her report, she stated that the last memory was still around the time she mentioned earlier. ” Along with the Jameson whiskey which was like ¼ of a plastic cup, I had one cocktail from the bar that is the last I remembered.

“I lost total memory of every conversation and activity as my last memory of the night was from 7.30pm. My entire memory was wiped out which was very unusual even for someone who might have drunk excessively which I didn’t and have quite a good alcohol tolerance from precedent”.

Piecing the Puzzle at the Hotel Room

For someone that went to party and had no plans to lodge in a hotel, it was a puzzled Odogwu that woke up on July 19, 2024, in an unknown location, on a strange bed and to cap it all, fully undressed.

“Next thing I know I wake up and realise I am in a room fully undressed. I look around and I realise it was a hotel. I find my clothes in a pile and my wig, my phone and my handbag.

“I checked the time it was around 3am and my private parts were sore and felt like someone had invaded me. I walked out of the room, looked around for a clue of the name of the hotel to even have a sense of where I was, I saw the name Limeridge hotel, I googled it and I found that it’s on chevron drive.

“ I ask the receptionist and security man to help me get a taxi so I can go home. I further checked my WhatsApp messages and I saw that Abisola the perpetrator had sent me a message that he was with my laptop bag and ID Card.

“Damilola had sent me a couple of messages that sounded frantic wanting to know if I was okay and if Abisola dropped me at home. I sent her a message to tell her that I do not understand why my memory is wiped out and it’s unusual.

“When it was morning, I tried to call Abisola twice and he didn’t pick up. I messaged him that I’d like to talk to him and shortly after he called me. When he called, I asked him how I ended up in a hotel since I was in his car as my colleagues said and he was to drop me at home.

“He said he asked me for my address and I was incoherent and so he took me to that hotel. I further asked why I was naked when I woke up and he said he didn’t know that he just dropped me and left. I later spoke to my colleagues Damilola and Odera because I needed to find my car and I was told that my car was safe in the office.

“Damilola further mentioned that she sent videos of me and her dancing at the party to Abisola as he requested her to.  I have no recollection of her making any video except for some pictures we had earlier taken at the start of the party and an 11 seconds video.

“However she shared videos with me this morning of me and her dancing and another colleague was in the video. Again my memory is blanked out on this. I messaged Abisola later on Friday morning to ask how I could get my laptop bag and ID card and he said he had given the security guards in the office to put it in my car,” she added.

Personal Preliminary Investigations

Still not convinced about the explanations she got, she set off to personally investigate what happened to her at the party and after. Thus, she went back to the hotel that Friday morning after she dropped off her kids at school.

“I asked to see the CCTV footage to ascertain when he brought me there and if he really just left after dropping me. The receptionist first confirmed that he paid for the hotel room at 22.05, showed me evidence and then went ahead to show me the footage, I was seen leaning on him and he was holding my shoes and a hand on my back guiding me into the hotel and hotel room at about 15.52 and was seen leaving at 17.36.

“Now this time I am quoting is because the CCTV time in the hotel was not West African Time (WAT) but the time interval was about 1 hour 45 minutes he was in the hotel room with me. I called my family and informed them of this.”

Rape Test Confirms Suspicion

Probably hoping her suspicions were unfounded, the rape test she did same Friday shattered her hope and threw her into pain.

“I have had a rape kit test done at Island maternity on Friday. I made a formal report at the Ikoyi Police station on Saturday morning. My private part was bruised and I have been in pain.”

While stating that she had formally reported to the Head of HR, who is her immediate boss, as well as the Managing Director and another Executive Director in the report, she said her life has been disrupted badly.

“I am a single mother with two kids and my mental and physical state has been impacted by this incident and I need to take care and show up for my kids in all of this,” she stressed.

Armed with the confirmation of the assault, she went further to ask more questions. “I sent him another message that Friday morning asking why he didn’t ask Dami or any of my other colleagues for my address if truly he had the intention to drop me at my house which he had no response to.

“I did not remotely have any conversation with Abisola Onigbogi or give any consent to be involved with him in any remotely personal way. He asked me at the party to come sit with him and I refused and sat with my colleagues who I was comfortable with.

“He took me against my will, most likely spiked my drink with the help of someone or by himself and took me to a destination I didn’t know or want to be and raped me. It is beyond sad that I could not be safe at an office function and instead my whole world has been overturned.”

“I am on some very strong medication given to me at Island maternity, antibiotics and HIV post exposure prophylaxis and have requested some time from work to recuperate.  I believe he is a serial rapist and I might not be the first person he would have done this too,” she explained.

Call for Justice

Although attempts to reach Odogwu proved abortive as she didn’t take her calls or respond to the message sent to her, her call for justice was as heart-wrenching as it was affirmative.

In the report made to one Opeyemi, she wrote: “I am requesting that Lagos State takes (…sic) this case up fully and this predator who has tried to ruin my life and cause me this trauma be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, he and whoever aided him.”

Arrest of Suspect and Investigation Underway

After the alleged victim made her report, the suspect was arrested by the Ikoyi Police Division where initial questioning was done, as was confirmed by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, and the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer,  Benjamin Hundeyin.

While Vivour-Adeniyi declined to give further details about the case, especially as regards whether the agency ran tests, understandably to protect the survivor, she however said they were on the case.

Hundeyin on the other hand, said the case had been moved to the Gender Unit at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja, adding that it would be given top priority.

He however declined to state the level of investigations carried out so far and the confessional statement given by the suspect.

THISDAY however gathered that their investigations would not be limited to the allegations of rape alone, but would work to unravel possible collaborators, what drug was used to spike her drink and the role of the hotel in the act.

Attempts to reach out to the said Damilola also proved abortive as she didn’t take her calls or respond to the message sent to her for clarifications.

Limeridge Hotel Provides Clarity on ‘Safety Lapses’

The burning question was how a hotel would allow anyone bring in an ‘inebriated’ woman or ‘semi-conscious’ and didn’t think to question their moves or involve the police.

A quick search on Google had unearthed the number of the hotel which THISDAY proceeded to call. Upon revealing the reason for the call, the reporter was re-directed to the right number to call the manager.

The manager, who didn’t give her name for print, provided some clarifications to these questions, including asking the reporter to come in to watch the CCTV recording with the proper identity card.

However when asked why their hotel didn’t provide any protection for Odogwu, she  clarified that when the duo came to lodge in, she walked into the hotel, although Onigbogi had his arms wrapped around her.

She said: “You can come and check the camera if she was unconscious. If someone was unconscious, we would not even allow that in the first place. It’s not possible to allow the person into the room. We can never allow such.”

Also asked why they would allow the man in question to check out and leave the woman in the hotel room without fulfilling the basic safety room of calling the woman to ensure she was okay, she alluded that the man left deceptively without the hotel knowing.

According to her, the first time the man tried to leave, the porter had asked him if he was checking out and he said he merely wanted to go to his car to get stuff and put in the fridge.

The manager said it was based on that information that the porter did not query the man again when he came downstairs the second time, because he assumed he still wanted to carry the second tranche of things from his car to the room.

The hotel only realised the man had left when the lady called them to know what happened to her and who brought her into the hotel.

ARM Reacts…

However, a top official of ARM Pension who pleaded anonymity, told THISDAY late last night, that the company does not condole such abuse. “It is not our policy to tolerate this kind of behaviour described by one of our staff. We are cooperating with law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of this very unfortunate incident.”

What the Law against Rape, ‘Consent’ Under Intoxication Say

Under the Criminal Code, Section 357, rape is when any person has sexual intercourse with a woman or girl, without her consent, or incorrectly obtained consent.

It further stipulated that such consent can be incorrectly obtained where it is obtained by force/threat/intimidation; by means of false and fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act; or by a person impersonating a married woman’s husband in order to have sex.  Also, under the Criminal Code, sexual intercourse with underage girls or people with unsound mind (intoxication inclusive) is the offence of defilement, and so technically a person could be charged for rape and defilement.

Essentially, under the existing law, a man or woman under state of intoxication cannot give valid consent.

… Advocates for upward valuation of the naira to achieve 70% local drug production 

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), while commending the federal government for the recent executive order it signed on medicals and pharmaceuticals, has however, said a clear timeline for the implementation was crucial.

The Executive Order signed by President Bola Tinubu was aimed  at boosting local production of healthcare products, thus reducing costs.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the forthcoming 7th Edition of the Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo, slated for September 4th to 5th, 2024, Patrick Ajah, made this advocacy recently in Lagos.

While also lamenting that the recent fluctuations in the value of the naira have made it difficult for companies to plan and invest, including the Pharmaceutical sector, he said government needs to take proactive steps to achieve 70 per cent local drug production. 

Speaking, Ajah, who is the Managing Director of May & Baker Nigeria Plc,  warned that delays in the implementation of the order could lead to the drug shortages, which is an aberration, given that the executive order seeks to boost local manufacturing of medicines and reduce importation as well as foreign dependence.

Stressing that the most critical factor for the success of the domestic pharmaceutical industry is a stable exchange rate, he said the government will need to put things in place to achieve 70 percent local drug production, especially with that the ongoing fluctuations in the value of the Naira, adding that with the right backing, Nigeria can produce 70 per cent of the medicines it consumes.

He went on to state that if Implementation is delayed, ” the things that companies should have placed order for, there will be scarcity. And if the implementation doesn’t start immediately, we’ll have a situation where you do not know where we’re going.”

“This is one major reason why multinational companies are leaving. It’s not the fear of subsidy removal. If we didn’t tamper with the currency, all the multinational companies would be here and they would still be making more investment.

Pointing to India as a perfect example of a country that has successfully supported its domestic pharmaceutical industry, he said the Indian government has provided financial and technical assistance to local manufacturers, and has even intervened to secure technology from other countries.

Thus, he posited that the most effective way to combat counterfeiting is to boost local production and reduce reliance on imports.

Although Ajah acknowledged that some progress has been made in terms of local capacity, he however said many companies lack the financial resources to invest in new facilities or upgrade existing ones. 

This was just as he called for a reduction in interest rates, stating that current rates, which are as high as 30 per cent are a major barrier to investment in the industry.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of PMG-MAN, Pharm Frank Muonemeh,  said Nigeria is already on the right track, with local manufacturers currently producing 40 per cent of the medicines used in the country.

Highlighting partnerships between state governments and local companies, he tasked for government support similar to that which has been provided to other sectors, such as cement and petroleum given that a strong domestic pharmaceutical industry is essential for national security.

On the 2024 Edition of NPME, with the theme “40 Years of Advocacy: Fostering Partnership and Innovation to Unlock the Pharma Manufacturing Value Chain in Nigeria, Central & West Africa”, the executive secretary said

their ambitious goal is to drive Nigeria towards self-sufficiency and medicine security, aiming to reverse the country’s dependency on imported medicine. 

He said the 7th NPME 2024 is the flagship expo and the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing exhibition in Central and West Africa, organised by PMG-MAN and partners, GPE India.

To biennial Pharma Expo and Exhibition focuses on the latest pharma technology, machinery, equipment, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and showcasing locally manufactured medicines, diagnostics, and consumables.

“The recent economic challenges have pushed us to innovate, repurpose, and upscale our facilities to be more competitive and responsive in closing the gap in medicine access. 

“Members are making SMART investments, building new greenfield facilities, acquiring machinery, and exploring innovative partnerships and technology transfer opportunities,” he added.

He said the event which is a must-attend event for all actors in the pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem and potential investors in the pharmaceutical space offers a rare opportunity for productive networking and B2B engagement among all stakeholders, including regulators, policymakers, professionals, ancillary companies, academia, students, development partners, bilateral organisations, researchers, and NGOs. Participants are also expected to visit the PMG-MAN’s website for registration.

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

In an operation that spanned days across the nation’s maritime domain, the Nigerian Navy units rescued eight female victims of human trafficking, just as they intercepted and arrested eight male stowaways. 

The Quick Response Team of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base BADAGRY had intercepted a wooden passenger boat with eight females aged between 18-23 years en-route the Benin Republic.

According to the Naval Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, upon interrogation it became obvious that the females were being trafficked by a yet to be identified agent. 

In line with best practices, he said the victims were handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), while further investigation to identify the agent and trafficking syndicate is ongoing. 

 In a different incident, on July 13, 2024, the Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT patrol team arrested eight suspected stowaways in two speedboats attempting to board MV NORTHERNLIGHT while underway along Lagos Channel. 

The incident occurred when the patrol team sighted the suspects attempting to board the vessel through its rudder compartment. 

Upon interrogation, five of them admitted that they attempted to board the vessel to enable them travel abroad. 

The DINFO said the suspects and speedboats have been handed over to Nigerian Immigration Service, Lagos State Port and Marine Command for further investigation

He added that these arrested suspects have increased the number of stowaways intercepted and arrested by NNS BEECROFT since January 2024. 

In another development, he said on July 10, 2024, he said the Nigerian Navy personnel of Forward Operating Base IBAKA, Akwa Ibom State intercepted suspected sea robbers attempting ot rob a supply vessel along Uyenghe River ni Mbo Local Government.

He said the robbers opened fire on own troops, prompting them to respond with heavy gunfire and made the robbers retreat into the creeks as their robbery attempt was obviously foiled. 

Meanwhile, on July 12, 2024, Nigerian Navy personnel from Forward Operating Base LEKKI rescued two drowning fishermen around Lekki Anchorage Area, about 10 nautical miles from Dangote Refinery at Ibeju- Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State. 

Findings revealed that the fishermen were fishing within the area when their boat capsized due to the rough sea state.

Commodore Adams-Aliu added that “It is important to remind all operators and stakeholders within the Nation’s maritime domain that under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Nigerian Navy is poised to keep Nigerian waters safe and secure for legitimate economic activities. 

“Consequently, nefarious elements are advised to desist from perpetuating any form of illegalities within Nigeria’s territorial waters.”

The second week of the six months-long MTN Media Innovation Programme at the School

 of Media and Communication of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, might have come and gone, but for the third cohort, it invaluably tackled issues on new Media convergence, tools and resources for media professional, corporate communications, the change MTN Foundation is catalysing across board, brand building and digital strategy, leveraging technology in news gathering, creativity and innovation, as well as graphic design and why appearance matters. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Still on its quest to foster innovation and media excellence, the second week of the ongoing six month-long MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme (MIP-3) at the School

 of Media and Communication (SMC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Lagos, focused on building media professionals to leverage technology and innovation.

When it was instituted three years ago, 

the overarching objective was to increase the knowledge and skill base that would help media and PR professionals to understand the changing media landscape, and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to tell the stories that need to be told.

New Media Convergence 

Monday morning saw the kick off of week two of MIP-3 with the topic on ICT and the Media: The Necessary Convergence, sessions 1 and 2 taken by Dr. Sola Oni.

While tackling the intricacies of New Media, she harped on the word convergence and how it has affected the media positively, albeit without come challenges. She also threw light on some of the ethical implications that come with that convergence. 

Tools, Resources for Media Professionals 

Revenue Models: Building a Tech Stack and Optimising Ad Revenue was handled by Nini Eze of Google, in two different sessions. She had the job of letting us into the world of resources and tools to assist media professionals in their job.

Listing Google tools available, she said these resources can help as media professionals in their work if they engage with it. Not done, she said using this tools can also help the digital journey and become revenue generating outlets.

Import of Communication Management Strategies 

For Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria, his class on Communication Management Strategies was both theoretical as well as realistic. Charging the cohort to maximise communication strategies in their day to day job, he also urged them to set objectives, know their audience in order to craft and plan suitable messages for them. 

He also harped on the import of communicating these messages properly in tune with the realities of the day. 

Creativity and Innovation 

Speaking on Creativity and Innovation was Dr. 

Chike Mgbeadichie, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria, where he teaches Cultural Analysis and Critical Thinking and also head of department.

Like his topic would suggest, he talked about creativity and innovation, harping on the need to use one’s mind in thinking in order to allow it make sense. 

He stressed on elements of thinking including point of view, purpose, questioning the issue, information, interpretation and influence, concepts, assumptions, implications and consequences. 

Most importantly, he charged the cohort to wear the appropriate hats- red, black, white, yellow, green and blue- when thinking as this will help them to “show and not tell” their audience.

When Appearance Matters 

As taken by Nkiru Nwachukwu, she used different slides to show how appearance matters. But first, she had the entire class participate in a fashion parade to show how their dressings communicate a particular message.

Designing for Greatness 

In Graphic Design for Media Practitioners, Mr. Kenneth Esere was very practical in his teaching as he had the cohort first draw their neighbours before he delved into the aspects of design – type, colour, image and layout. He also stressed on legibility, readability and colour. 

To end the sessions, he had the class to design a project they are passionate about and THISDAY’s Chiemelie designed the Sustainable Development Goals while urging all to join hands to accelerate the actualisation of these goals, given the harm COVID-19 caused on the gains made already. 

Leveraging Technology in News Gathering 

Dr. Ijeoma Onyeator spoke on Sensationalism, Fake News & New Media Tools for Media Practitioners. She first charged the cohort to leverage technology to tell stories as well as prevent the spread of fake news.

Harping on fake news and need for professional journalists to avoid anything that would only taint their reportage, she said AI can be utilised for investigative journalists for enhanced storytelling. 

How MTN Foundation Has Been Catalysing Change

When the CEO of MTN Foundation, Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, walked in, she changed the dynamics of the conversation with her heart-to-heart talk of the change MTN is catalysing through its foundation. 

Speaking on the impact of work MTN Foundation has on the society,  lives and foster positive change, the foundation has been advocating against drug abuse, championing youth empowerment, education, technology, health and community development, all targeted at transforming the lives of underserved communities, among others strata of society. 

Brand Building and Digital Strategy 

On New Media, Content Creation and Engagement – Developing Innovation Digital Media Skills, was Mr. Muyiwa Aleshinloye, who spoke on the import of brand building and strategy noted that creativity matters. 

On the SMART objective, he listed it as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed. He also demystified AI while listing helpful tools for journalists. 

While the second week was all shades of enlightening and the lessons learnt invaluable, leaving the cohort eagerly looking forward to the third week, which started this Monday, as they soak up the knowledge from the eggheads PAU has in its kitty as curated by Director Professional Education, Prof. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu with support from Mr. Samsideen Akano.

John Humphrey is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, HMTC, for Africa. As HMTC for Africa, he works closely with the wider diplomatic network and other colleagues to coordinate the UK government effort to promote UK trade and investment across the African continent given that he has full responsibility for all Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work in Africa including the growing the overall bilateral trade and investment relationship between the UK and Africa; improving market access for British companies, including small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs); and developing finance and trade policy. In his first ever visit to Nigeria since his appointment in 2022 as HMTC, amongst other things, he exclusively shared plans to boost the volume of trade deals with Africa, His Majesty’s wider prosperity agenda, as well as the partnership with Nigeria to unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable development for both nations, with Chiemelie Ezeobi 

​As His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, what are the plans to boost the volume of trade deals with Africa, especially in Nigeria? 

Africa matters. We want to foster opportunities for mutual-long term benefit. By 2050, Africa’s population will reach 2.4 billion – a quarter of the world’s population – with a median age of just 19. African markets will grow in real GDP terms by nearly 5% per annum between now and 2050. 

We have nine trade agreements with 18 African countries, and a further 34 countries, including Nigeria, have access to the UK’s market through the Developing Countries Trading Scheme. 

And we already have close ties with Nigeria. The UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade & Investment Partnership, which launched in February 2024, aims to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between Nigeria and the UK by prioritising specific sectors and areas of economic co-operation.

Our approach has always been built on understanding African buyer needs, helping to match real projects with UK companies and UK capability. And this process works. We have supported about100 substantial deals over the last year or so.  We have also built a team that has extensive UK sectors expertise, to offer African buyers a better set of links into UK companies, and more expertise on UK solutions. We are also increasing our activities with UK SMEs interested in Africa.

​In helping British businesses export and invest in Africa, a responsibility you have been handling since 2022, what have been the challenges and how have you been navigating it?

From Cairo to Cape Town, the African continent is evolving and changing rapidly. However, African markets can be complex and bureaucratic, with businesses facing multiple hurdles and unpredictable business environments. In the last ‘ease of doing business’ survey, the average score for Africa was just over 50, compared to the global average of 63.

To navigate through these challenges, we’re supporting African countries to remove longstanding barriers which limit economic activities. We have a network of colleagues across Africa who focus on building these partnerships and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to navigate through and improve the business environment. 

Covid-19 and the sovereign debt crisis that many African countries continue to face have impacted our activities, and we have worked patiently in these circumstances to increase awareness of the great opportunities that Africa offers. We have also engaged our African partners in Governments on improvements that can be made to ease access into African markets and are forging partnerships to help to drive this work forward. The Nigeria ETIP is an example of the progress that we can make together when we share priorities and match African buyer needs.

​Given the global economic crisis, especially in Africa, do you think this has affected HMG’s “wider prosperity agenda”? 

Many countries around the world have experienced challenging economic circumstances, which has been further exacerbated by Covid-19 and the wars in Europe and the Middle East. Despite this, HMG’s commitment to supporting economic development and global prosperity remains resolute. 

The UK is a leading investor in Africa, and we have seen strong progress in creating new investments from the UK – in some of the most important sectors that will spur Africa’s growth – in:

– renewable energy (e.g. Gridworks projects being finalised in Mozambique, Uganda and Ethiopia)

– agriculture (e.g. United Green in Ethiopia and upcoming in Zimbabwe, Angola, potentially Ghana)

– mining (e.g. De Beers has increased its exploration supporting potential further investment in Botswana, Rio Tinto has increased furnace and energy investments in SA etc). 

​With your regional responsibility to Africa, on your visit to Nigeria, are there any trade and investment policies that are coming to Nigeria, and how will this partnership unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable development for both nations? 

Deeper, closer partnership is what matters.  For example, more trade missions in key sectors like construction and targeted engagements to meet Nigeria’s needs. I’m very pleased that Nigeria has firmed up its regulatory environment for international partnerships in education – this will lead to new partnerships between universities here in Nigeria. And there is so much scope across many sectors,with the Afreximbank hospital investment in Abuja a great example of a new partnership with Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We also see new opportunities in listing on the London Stock Exchange to help raise the capital companies need to grow.  

​Can you share the regional trade plan deliverables, especially as the region is important in global markets?

We want to use trade and investment to drive forward economic growth. Nigeria will be a key partner in allowing us to achieve this mission, and we’re looking forward to working with businesses who share these ambitions.

Our mission is to drive forward sustained incremental growth over the years to come, in terms of new export contracts and business investments made across our key sectors – aerospace, agriculture/food, healthcare, FPS, mining, infrastructure, renewable energy, and education. All these sectors that are vitally important for Africa’s growth.

​While continuously trying to strengthen trade ties with Africa through various initiatives such as the UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme, can you shed more light on how the scheme intends to boost international commerce?

The DCTS is the UK’s simpler and more generous preferential trading scheme for developing countries. It benefits 65 countries which collectively export over £20bn in goods to the UK each year and came into force on 19 June 2023.  

The DCTS has been designed to boost trade with developing countries, to support their development, build the markets of the future and strengthen our economic security. 

The DCTS cuts tariffs, removes conditions and simplifies trading rules for developing countries that are home to 3.3bn people.

As an independent trading nation, we have been able to implement one of the most generous preferential trading schemes in the world, surpassing those of the EU and USA.

​Under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which African countries have been offered quota and tariff-free to access to the UK market, and what was the selection criteria for?

33 out of 37 DCTS recipients have duty-free quota-free access to the UK under the DCTS’s Comprehensive Preferences Scheme. Nigeria, Algeria, Cape Verde and Congo have at least 92% duty free quota free access. The full list can be found via https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preference-tiers-under-the-developing-countries-trading-scheme#find-out-your-country-preference-tier.

​The UK is one of the largest economies in the world with a diversified economy, how do you intend to make this trade process become more seamless and build value chain? 

You are right that the UK is a major exporter – 4^thoverall and 2^nd largest in services and a major investor in global terms. We plan to increase trade by supporting new businesses to enter African markets, from SMEs in the UK with new products and services, to large firms and new investors. We also want to strengthen the links between the City of London and Africa, helping African companies to raise finance for their businesses. As you know, UK firms such as Unilever, Diageo and the many others that have a presence in Africa, all have a strong reputation for building local value. This could be in terms of local production, links in with the science base, or in employment and Governance standards. UK production in mining is important too, through the activities of Rio Tinto and Anglo American.

​What other benefits are there for Nigeria as a Commonwealth nation, do they benefit from lower trade costs?

The Commonwealth’s 56 members include many of the world’s fastest growing economies, with a combined market worth of $13.1 trillion in 2021 and projected to reach $19.5 trillion in 2027. Thanks to shared language, cultural ties and similar legal systems, Commonwealth members benefit from an average of 21% reduction in trade costs and 27% higher investment flows when trading bilaterally with other Commonwealth members (the “Commonwealth advantage”). To capitalise on this, the UK will work to enhance cooperation and boost intra-Commonwealth trade.

​On your visit to Nigeria, you have engaged with different stakeholders. How did you position the UK as an investment hub in Africa that will reflect the shared goal of economic growth and prosperity for both nations?

The UK is one of the most popular destinations for international investment. Our stock of investment into the UK – assets owned by foreign companies –is worth more than $3trn, which is larger than France and Germany combined (UNCTAD WIR 24). This number reflects the appetite of the UK economy for international investment. Repeated investments and expansions over many years show that the UK is one of the most investable economies in the world. Not only is it a great place to raise finance, but also to help build a global business. Kuda Bank is a great example of a fintech that has benefited greatly from having a presence in both Nigeria and the UK, taking advantage of UK markets to accelerate international growth. There is real growth in African interest for investing in the UK, and we will help them to grow those businesses, in ways that will reinforce their success back home.

About John Humphrey is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, HMTC, for Africa. Prior to joining the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), he was the Group Chief Executive Officer of Kent HoldCo Limited (KHL) and between 2012 and 2019, he was with the UK Hydrographic Office (an MOD Trading Fund). 
From 2015, he was Chief Executive and Accounting Officer. Before that he was Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive. Earlier in his career, John worked in the technology sector in a variety of commercial, general management and executive roles in the UK and overseas.

He is a Younger Brother of Trinity House and was until recently a Lay Trustee of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy.

Caption 

John Humphrey, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, HMTC, for Africa

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

In its continuous quest to tackle crude oil theft, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has extended the Nigerian Navy’s Operation DELTA SANITY by 90 days. 

The announcement was made on Wednesday July 10, 2024, onboard Nigerian Navy Ship OKPABANA at Onne, Rivers State by the Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira who represented the CNS. 

Operation DELTA SANITY was launched on January 6, 2024 to combat oil theft and related crimes. 

According to the Naval Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, this was in line with the President and Commander-in-Chief’s directive to eradicate crude oil theft and ramp up Nigeria’s production for an improved economy. 

Accordingly, he said OPERATION DELTA SANITY involved the deployment of personnel, platforms, helicopters and UAVs on aggressive surveillance and interdiction operations across the Niger Delta area. 

“The successes were immediate and remarkable including the recovery of massive quantities of stolen products, the dismantling of Illegal Refining Sites, arrest of suspects and seizure of stolen products. Hence, the Operation was extended in April 2024 for 90 days,” he added. 

While assessing the achievements of the operation during a Press Briefing on Tuesday July 9, 2024, the Commander Task Group, Rear Admiral Samson Bura stated that since the extension in April 2024, a total of 22 suspects have been arrested and about 122 Illegal Refinery Sites were deactivated. 

“Furthermore, large quantities of crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil were seized and appropriately handled. 

“Also, a total of 57 wooden boats, 45 dugout pits and 65 storage tanks were deactivated while six vessels were arrested.

“Additionally, several items and equipment used in the construction of illegal refineries were seized. The achievements and successes of Op DELTA SANITY underscore the need for the operation to be extended.

“ Hence the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla has approved the extension of Operation DELTA SANITY for a further 90 days .”

In the same vein, the CNS thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support to the Armed Forces in general and the Nigerian Navy in particular. 

General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Chief of Defence Staff can best be described as a square peg in a square hole. With experiences garnered as Theatre Commander for Theatre Command North-East Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), he has been leading the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the right mix of military intelligence and diligence. But perhaps, his best known selling point is how he has juxtaposed kinetic and non-kinetic warfare in tackling the broad spectrum of insecurity. As he clocked one year in office on June, 2024, he engaged Chiemelie Ezeobi and a few other selected media executives on the gains made so far in the war against terrorism, insurgency and other security challenges, while highlighting their loyalty to democratic governance

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the Chief of Defence Staff on June 19, 2023, the brief was simple, yet heavy. Leading the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), the CDS was charged to maintain teamwork to ensure peace and stability in the country.

At his decoration to the rank of a General, the CDS had further said that while the appointment is a clear manifestation of the confidence reposed in them, they would carry out their duties with utmost dedication and full loyalty to the government and go wherever they are ordered, whether by air, sea or land, adding that they will “ensure that Nigeria is projected in good light”. 

Leadership Concept

Setting the ball rolling in fulfilment of that directive, General Musa mapped out his strategy “To nurture a professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People Centric, capable of meeting its constitutional responsibilities in a joint and corroborative environment”.

Suffice to say that this leadership concept has been the guiding principle in coordinating and implementing the trajectory of the military- the Nigerian Army (NA), Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

Trajectory 

One year after that pledge, the reforms the CDS instituted seems to have paid off as he has been able to build on intelligence gathering, restore confidence of troops and men,  embraced teamwork and cooperation, restored harmony in counter-terror operations, professional conduct and discipline. 

Running a tight ship, the CDS has also engineered discipline, cohesion and diligence in the whole gamut of the  Armed Forces. All these and many more were captured in the compendium put together by the acting Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, which was launched at the recently held one year in office Media Parley with some executives at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. 

Championing Non-Kinetic Warfare 

One thing the CDS had promised to do was to improve on the mandate of sustaining peace and tranquillity in the  country. To do this, he has been able to find the right blend of balance between kinetic and non-kinetic warfare in leading the military and their interface with civil authority. 

Stating that non-kinetic approach is the use of informational, psychological, diplomatic, economic, social and civil-military cooperation as part of instruments of national power to pursue national interests, the CDS also noted that it involves collaborations between the military and civil actors to achieve national interest through the application of non-lethal force or means that are sub-lethal or not intended to be lethal to dispose of the enemy. 

In reality, this ethos has been the guiding principle of the CDS’ leadership. Even when the military becomes sorely tested, his affinity for non-kinetic warfare has been a steadying balance. 

Speaking on this, he said why asymmetric warfare is a bit difficult is because “you are dealing with people without arms so it’s not written on their head that they are Boko Haram or others so what they do is once we come out, they hide their weapons and come out like ordinary people and you can’t kill everyone and by the time you don’t see anything, you just pass and that’s why it’s a very tricky kind of operation but we are doing all we can. 

“As we speak, the areas are free, what they do is they have areas they hide, do things, drop their weapons and you see them as normal human beings but we are working to address that problem. We recommend to the FG that such areas should be turned to farm lands  because we need to go into commercial farming. The idea of sustainance farming for over 200 people isn’t good enough, we must get into commercial farming so that we can feed ourselves.”

Tackling Insecurity Holistically 

Upon assumption of office, General Musa had vowed to go after terrorists, bandits and other criminals in full force, defeat them and ensure that Nigeria is secured.

One year down the line, General Musa believes that the AFN has kept their word as they have indeed taken the war to the enclaves of the terrorists, even though they have not been completely wiped out- a phenomenon he says is still achievable. 

In fact, in Quarter 1 of 2024, the Defence Headquarters revealed that troops neutralised no fewer than 2,352 terrorists, apprehended 2,308 and rescued 1,241 kidnapped hostages in different operations nationwide between January and March.

At the media parley, the CDS said the security challenges bedeviling the different regions are being handled simultaneously. 

In the South-east, he said the enhanced security of the region is key as well as guaranteed public safety for socio-economic activities. Pointing out the major cause of the insecurity and Simon Ekpa, the factional member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), he charged the international community to ensure he is stopped and prosecuted. 

Revealing that the group have made a lot of human sacrifices, killed people, he said their actions are against Humanity and God, adding that they are fighting for their pockets and not freedom like they claimed.

Although he said the South-west is stable, he noted that some acts of criminality are being tackled by the police, with support from the military. 

For the FCT, he said they have increased  patrols to enhance security, adding that given the reports of kidnapping and banditry at the outskirts, they are tackling the entry and exit point of Abuja.

Still on kidnapping, he lamented that it has become a business, just as he said the Armed Forces cannot do it alone as they need the support of the citizens and other security agencies too.

In the South-south, the CDS said it is critical for Nigerians to stop these acts of vandalism so the future generation can thrive, adding that they are doing everything to curb oil theft and to boost production. He however added that the Operation DELTA SANITY that is ongoing has been clearing those areas with lots of recoveries made. 

In the North-east, he said the issue of terrorism and insurgency are being tackled despite the challenges and life is returning to normal in most of these areas. 

“Most times, over time, the forests were left opened. We used to have forest guards but we left them open until the criminals took over so that is being restored and efforts are being made by Civil Defence to have forest rangers. If you go to Maiduguri, you will be surprised that it is one of the safest place in the country but most thing it’s worse. 

“We are trying to ensure everywhere is free. We have over 1000 entry points unmanned and I am happy the Ministry of Internal Affairs is doing a lot. We have to also enhance the security of border communities because the issue of smuggling, a lot of people think they are making money but they are being compromised. Some of these people bring rice and weapons too, so we are enhancing those ability and capacity within the border areas.”

Streamlining the Amnesty Programme 

Addressing THISDAY’s concern that the Amnesty Programme might be brooding informants for terrorists, he said it’s not a “Go and Sin No More” programme. “Normally, in military operations, if your enemy surrenders, you are duty bound not to kill him. That is why we are giving them that option. What we realised from them is that it’s not everybody that was part of them. Some of them were forcefully recruited. Some of them were enslaved.

“From Maiduguri, some of them were captured and used as farmers and labourers. Our duty is to identify who is who and the community members are helping us to do that. What we did is that we ensure that the community is also a part of the team working with the military, so they help us in identifying them.

“One other critical aspect is that the victims are also looked after. Because most times, we tend to look at the perpetrators and forget the victims. So we make sure that it is holistic. What we do is that we profile them. Those who don’t have any basic case or are not perpetrators are treated separately. So we are able to profile the elderly, children, and women separately from the main actors.

“The main actors are being kept. And what we are projecting is to have a kind of reconsilatory commission, the way it happened in Rwanda. No matter how you fight war, you must sit back with your enemy to deliberate and discuss, and that’s all part of it. Mediation and deliberation so you can get full spirit of those issues. So the word is Surrender not Amnesty. And we are still going to do the legal works which is just to be able to get the facts and prosecute adequately.” 

Upholding Tenets of Democracy 

A year ago, he had urged personnel to uphold the tenets of democracy, safeguard citizens’ rights, and ensure a peaceful and secure environment for all. Even now, he had not budged in his commitment to supporting and strengthening democracy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“We want Nigerians to understand that the armed forces is here to protect democracy and ensure it thrives. The military will continue to support democracy because we thrive better in democracy,” he said at the media parley. 

Training, Welfare of Troops

A welfarist to the core, he had also promised to prioritise the welfare of personnel to enable the military to get the best from them. How best has he done that? From logistics to insurance, housing, medical and hazard allowances, General Musa has placed premium on that too. 

At the moment, his concern that personnel are not covered in the Federal Housing Authority Policy or the NHIS, not covering gunshot wounds, are valid. To ameliorate the situation to an extent, he said since budgetary allocation cannot cater for this, they are looking at the Armed Forces Trust Fund. Welfare-wise, he said the president is working on increasing the per day allowance for troops. 

Beyond welfare, premium has been placed on training as they conduct local and overseas courses with over 85 personnel attending  training on counter terrorism in US, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan and several others. 

Uniting Nigerians with the Sussex’ Visit 

For a national that has so much polarised along ethnic, religious and political lines, the CDS did the unthinkable- he invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan to Nigeria.

Although the idea was to champion the cause of wounded soldiers through the Invictus Games, the international adaptive sporting competition for wounded servicemen, women and veterans which Prince Harry founded in 2014, the visit not just brought so much joy and hope to  Nigerians at large, but united them for a common purpose. 

Interagency Cooperation

A chief proponent of interagency collaboration, General Musa believes that the synergy of working together with other security agencies will achieve more results than working in isolation. 

International engagement-wise, the military has not been found wanting as they engage in International Peace-keeping. The CDS said they presently have about 650 personnel in Gambia, Sudan an Guinea Bissau, plus request from Central Africa Republic and Sierra Leone to enhance training on capacity building for their armed forces. 

On defence, diplomacy and international cooperation, the military has Increased collaboration with regional partners, enhanced national and sub-regional stability, and effectively managed the security situation created by military coup in Niger.

Nonetheless, THISDAY raised the question on the need for balance in championing interagency cooperation, especially when it comes to civil organisations that are performing the job of security agencies. 

The CDS, while agreeing that there is need for balance, said “If we don’t handle them properly, they become a nuisance and also become a problem. But in the North-east, we are positively making use of the natives because they understand the terrain, they know the people who are there well. So what we did is that the communities were allowed to select the members of the group, they brought them down to the police and DSS for profiling, handed over to the military who took them through military training on the mandate to secure their community. 

“Because if you put all the agencies we have together, we cannot man the entire country. So we use them to hold on to their community, not to allow anyone to penetrate it until the military comes in. And for the other areas, we are also advising them to do the same. The danger is, don’t use one ethnic group, else it becomes dangerous. Because the tendency is that we will be viewed as though we are against one ethnic group. With over 350 ethnic groups in Nigeria, it will be problematic if we allow that to happen.

“That is why it is important that they are regulated properly and other agencies are also brought it. If we believe in the Armed Forces and police, and they are properly funded, we can do so much. It’s work in progress, and I am sure we will get there.”

On the issue of the incessant unmanned drones that fly recklessly in the airspace, he said: “These are things we are also getting into, especially on how to regulate them because if we don’t, people will start settling personal scores with them.”

Prospects for the Future 

General Musa is very optimistic of the future. Although he said there is need for more equipment to tackle the insecurity in all the regions, he said force multipliers  and combat enablers-the use of satellites, drones, counter IUD instrument are being put to use. 

He also said the AFN under his command is keen on development of new capability and they are working with their foreign partners to enhance the capability of personnel.

Despite the successes recorded, he said they constantly  review their defence headquarters operations by examining the shortcomings, loopholes and gaps and fixing them, with the overarching objective to be better at what they do. 

While thanking President Tinubu and the National Assembly for the support in the past year, he however appealed to Nigerians to have faith in its military, adding that success cannot be achieved overnight. On the same note, he urged Nigerians to rally round and support its military. 

About General Christopher Gwabin Musa 

Born Christopher Gwabin Musa in Sokoto State, North-west Nigeria on December 25, 1967, he attained primary and secondary education in Sokoto too.  

He is however from Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in Kaduna State. In 1986 he was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna State and on September 1991 he was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a second lieutenant in the Infantry Corps.

Of the Infantry Corps and a Member of the 38th Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, General Musa has held the following appointments including Platoon Commander at 192 Battalion;

Intelligence Officer at 192 Battalions; Administrative Officer at 2 Div Camp (Garrison); Pioneer Adjutant 195 Battalion; Operations Officer – NIBATT 8 UNAMSIL; 195 Battalion 2ic; 149 Battalion 2ic; and General Staff Officer 1 Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division.

Others include Commanding Officer 73 Battalion; Assistant Director Operational Requirement at Department of Army Policy and Plans; Infantry Representative/Member Training Team at HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps; and Deputy Chief of Staff Training/Operations at HQ Infantry Centre and Corp.

He was also Chief of Staff at HQ 2 Division; Commandant Depot Nigerian Army; Principal Staff Officer (Combat Arms) at Army HQ Department of Projects and Programmes; Pioneer Executive Director Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Ltd; and Commander 82 Division Task Force Brigade OP LAST HOLD in the North East.

Not left out were his roles as Commander Sector 3 OP LAFIYA DOLE; Comd Sect 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Tchad Region; Chief of General Duties TRADOC; Director Campaign Planning AHQ DATOPs; Director Training AHQ-DATOPs; 

Senior Research Fellow, Nigerian Army Research Centre; Theatre Comd JTF (NE) Op HADIN KAI; and Commander Infantry Corps, from where he was made CDS six months later. 

He has in his kitty the Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, and Distinguished Service Star, as well as the General Operation Medal, Command Medal (CO 73 Bn), Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award, Silver Jubilee Medal, 

Meritorious Service, Centenary Medal, Training Support Medal, OP LAST HOLD Medal, OP LAFIYA DOLE Medal, MNJTF Medal, Grand Service Star (GSS), Field Commander Medal of Honour (FCMH), and Operation HADIN KAI Medal (OPHK), amongst several others. 

In 2022, Musa won the Colin Powel Meritorious Award for Soldiering; and also, the African Youths Initiative For Good Governance and Peace honoured him with the Nelson Mandela Exemplary Leadership Award, for his outstanding contributions to peacekeeping, and protection of the Nation’s territorial integrity; also awarded the Fellowship of the Institute of Leadership Assessment and Development during the second edition of the Africa-Dubai Investment Business Summit held in Dubai; as well as the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria’s Golden Star Award for the Fight against Insurgency. 

While he received the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), the Atyap Chiefdom bestowed on him the Tsuung Atyap, meaning “Pillar of Atyap”. General Gwabin Musa is married to Mrs. Lilian Oghogho Musa, the National President of DEPOWA and they are blessed with four children.

In its quest for sustainable development, Sahara Group, including Asharami Energy, Egbin Power Plant, and Ikeja Electric, has pledged to achieve zero carbon emissions from its oil and gas operations by 2060. At the inaugural edition of Asharami Asharami Square, a pioneering initiative aimed at advancing the reportage of issues related to sustainability through impactful media advocacy, the group unveiled practicable strategies to earn carbon credit, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, recently unveiled its target of achieving zero carbon emissions from its oil and gas operations by 2060. According to the company, it has alongside its sister companies in the energy value chain have started arrangements to reduce carbon emissions and earn carbon credit for a sustainable future.

This commitment, which was disclosed at a forum with journalists tagged: “Carbon Footprint And The African Narrative” held by Sahara Group and the Asharami Square in Lagos, was shared by Sahara Group sister companies like Asharami Energy, Egbin Power Plant, and Ikeja Electric, and is aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions and earn carbon credits for a sustainable future.

Asides the interactive panel, speakers at the maiden edition of Asharami Square were Sahara Group Head, Cooperate Communications, Bethel Obioma; Ejiro Gray; Foluso Sobanjo, Head, Downstream Africa, Sahara Group; Wole Ajeigbe, Group Projects Manager, Asharami Energy (A Sahara Group Upstream Company); Mokhtar Bounour, CEO Egbin Power Plc; Ogochukwu Onyelucheya, Chief Commercial Officer, Ikeja Electric; Prof. Sunday Adebisi, Professor of Entrepreneurship Hub & Strategic Management, University of Lagos; ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, Regional Director, West Africa, Ford Foundation; Eugene O. Itua, CEO Natural Eco Capital; and Dr. Marcel Mbamalu, CEO Newstide Publications Limited.

At the parley, Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye, Regional Director, West Africa at Ford Foundation, underscored Africa’s minimal contribution to global emissions (about four per cent) despite housing 17 per cent of the global population. She urged strategic planning to leverage opportunities for a sustainable environment.

Strategic Approach to Decarbonising Africa’s Upstream Operations

Wole Ajeigbe, Group Project Manager at Asharami Energy, highlighted the company’s strategic approach to decarbonising Africa’s upstream operations, emphasising efforts across its seven oil-producing assets in Nigeria. 

 Ajeigbe detailed Sahara Energy’s incremental plan to achieve net zero emissions by reducing and minimising carbon output annually. 

Key initiatives include eliminating gas flaring, reducing freshwater usage, and implementing Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). Sahara Energy is also the first African company to join the global CCUS forum, showcasing its commitment to sustainable practices. 

 The company is also progressing with gas commercialisation projects slated for completion by 2025-2026. Ajeigbe stressed the importance of government support through tax incentives, risk mitigation, and capital availability to stimulate investment in decarbonisation projects. 

Understanding Carbon Footprints 

 Ms. Ogochukwu Onyelucheya, Chief Commercial Officer at Ikeja Electric, emphasised the importance of understanding the carbon footprint and its implications. 

She explained, “The footprint we look at encompasses everything we do, marking carbon emissions in our environment and energy sectors. While Africa’s contribution to global carbon emissions is low, we must avoid the mistakes made by developed countries and solve our problems faster.” 

She also discussed Africa’s energy transition, highlighting the need to leverage local resources. “Lagos, for instance, should be powered by hydropower given its wetland resources. By focusing on renewable energy sources like solar and hydropower, we can reduce reliance on the national grid and lower energy costs,” she stated. 

Strategies to Mitigate Carbon Emissions 

 Ejiro Gray, Director of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, outlined various strategies to mitigate carbon emissions, including natural gas development, renewable energy expansion, and protection of natural carbon sinks, adding that already, the company is also promoting tree planting initiatives and youth awareness campaigns to enhance sustainability. 

“Protecting and rehabilitating Africa’s natural carbon sinks, such as forests, oceans, coastal mangroves, wetlands and grasslands can significantly aid in mitigating the effects of climate change”, Gray said, adding that these developing intentional policies and investments on protecting the continent’s carbon sinks would enhance carbon sequestration and reduce net emissions.

She said these natural landscapes act as significant carbon reservoirs, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere, adding that developing reforestation and afforestation programs, implementing strict conservation policies, and providing financial incentives for conservation projects are critical for combating climate change in Africa.

According to Gray, Natural Gas Development and Commercialisation, Increase Use of Renewables, investment in low-cost / low emissions clean energy solutions, Carbon Capture Storage / Carbon Capture and Reutilisation are other factors that can help accelerate Africa’s march towards sustainability.

“Natural gas presents a viable opportunity to serve as a transition fuel as Africa continues to gradually invest in renewable energy. It is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel, producing fewer CO₂ emissions compared to coal or petroleum. In 2021, Africa’s natural gas reserves totalled over 620 trillion cubic feet. 

“By developing and monetising these reserves through processing and eventual usage of CNG, LNG, LPG and other gas products, Africa can leverage its natural gas resources to support sustainable energy development,” Gray noted. 

Role of Media in Promoting Sustainability 

Speaking on the role of the media in promoting sustainability, Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications at Sahara Group said Africa needs to articulate and promote a robust sustainability narrative that leaves no one behind in issues relating to climate change, energy access and energy transition, among others.

He said globally, sustainability reporting in the media has seen significant growth and development, reflecting a broader trend towards transparency and accountability in corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. Increasingly, corporate organisations now disclose their policies and targets related to emissions reduction, resource conservation, biodiversity, and other issues.

Therefore, he said it was imperative to support media organisations and journalists covering these issues through capacity building programs. 

“This would help journalists achieve a clearer understanding of the issues and empower the media to play the critical role of monitoring, agenda-setting, transparent reporting, awareness creation and galvanising collective action from the public on how best to approach the subject-matter of sustainability,” Obioma said.

He also announced the establishment of Asharami Square, a platform for journalist training and mentorship, along with the Asharami Awards to recognise contributions to sustainability in Africa.

The initiative is in partnership with the University of Lagos and Pan Atlantic University to foster skills in sustainability practices. This forward-thinking approach positions Sahara Energy as a leader in driving Africa’s energy sector toward a greener, more sustainable future.

“To achieve this, Sahara Group hopes to make Asharami Square a formidable platform through advocacy and collaboration towards shoring up capacity and participation of all segments of the media to drive accuracy, clarity, impact, positive policy formulation, agenda-setting and collective action,” he said.

Obioma said Asharami Square would feature mentoring, training, exchange programs, facility tours for media practitioners and competitions to recognise and celebrate exceptional reporting of sustainability in the media. 

In the maiden edition, BusinessDay, was awarded with the 

Asharami Square’s Sustainable Media Reporting Excellence as a foremost provider of business and financial intelligence and insight in West Africa. 

Captions

Panel session at the “Carbon Footprint And The African Narrative” held by Sahara Group and the Asharami Square

Ejiro Gray, Director of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group (left) with Bethel Obioma, Head of Corporate Communications at Sahara Group (right) presenting the Asharami Square’s Sustainable Media Reporting Excellence award to 

BusinessDay, as a foremost provider of business and financial intelligence and insight in West Africa

To foster innovation and media excellence, MTN Nigeria launched the Media Innovation Programme (MIP), at the School of Media and Communication of the Pan-Atlantic University three years ago. This year, the 20 MIP fellows, including ThisDay Newspapers’ Chiemelie Ezeobi, have kickstarted the six-month journey to increase their knowledge and skill base that would help them understand the changing media landscape, and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content

“What are We Doing Today?” That is the slogan of MTN Nigeria. In walking the talk, the brand is doing so many things at the same time with the overarching objective being to touch lives, give back and impact society. 

From healthcare to education, environment, energy, social welfare, culture and even entertainment, they took the axiom “a finger in every pie” quite literally. But beyond these largesse, the brand has actually exhibited such dexterity in managing its so many portfolios. 

Media Innovation Programme 

One of the ways MTN found its expression of “What are we doing today?” slogan was by sponsoring the Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a six-week long fellowship spread across six months for selected media practitioners in the Nigerian space “to increase their knowledge and skill base and help them understand the changing media landscape, and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content”. Run by the School

 of Media and Communication (SMC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), the fully funded residential fellowship is open to media practitioners whether print, electronic, online platforms and social media content creators.

The certificate fellowship includes a study trip to the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, visits to the South African Broadcasting Station, innovation hubs in South Africa to incubate ideas and a tour of the MTN Group Head office in Sandton, as well as MTN Nigeria Headquarters. 

So for three years, the MTN has kept the faith in equipping media practitioners and innovators with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to tell the stories that need to be told, thus proving its commitment to improving the Nigerian media landscape and technology reporting.

MIP-3 Application and Selection 

The application process commenced on March 23, 2024 and ended on April 10. Out of over 2,000 entries, the PAU facility judiciously reviewed the applications and selected 20 top candidates who had the most outstanding essays.

Thus on May 20, 3024, the third cohort of the Media Innovation Programme converged on PAU for what portends to be a life changing experience. 

Meet the 2024 MIP-3 Fellows

In no particular order, the fellows chosen to grace the MIP-3 platform include Chioma Chukwuemeka, Lead News, Sapientia International Media Centre; 

Anthony Obakeye, Producer/Reporter, CNBC Africa; 

Pius Chidiebere, Anchor, Signature Television;

Oluwadunsin Sanya, Senior Content Associate, BellaNaija; Chiemelie Ezeobi, Group Features Editor, THISDAY Newspaper; Nkechi Ogbonna, Senior Journalist Reporter, West Africa, BBC, West Africa; Blessing Agbeetan, Assistant Prog Manager, Women Radio 91.7 FM; and 

Aigbe Augustus, OAP/Producer, Cool FM.

Others include Stephen Angbulu, State House Correspondent, Punch Newspapers; Raahman Toheeb, Editor-in-Chief, Legit NG; Juliet Tontoye Pere-ere, General Manager/Broadcaster, Royals Roots FM; 

Ebunoluwa Dosunmu, Content Creator; 

Ayodele Ayokunle, Managing Director, Rock FM Jalingo and Taraba Truth; Oluwatomisin Amokeoja, Staff Writer, Forbes Africa; Moninkanola Ogidan, News Anchor/Editor/Presenter, Adaba FM; Johnstone Kpilaakaa, Senior Tech Reporter, BCSL – Bendada.com; 

Nifemi Oguntoye, Deputy Head of Presentation, TVC Communications; Prince Osuagwu, ICT Editor, Vanguard Newspapers; Omonike Babatunde, Broadcaster, Bright Broadcasting Ltd; and Lucas Ajanaku, Assistant Business/Head, ICT Desk, The Nation Newspapers. 

Induction

The third edition of the Media Innovation Programme started in earnest with the opening remarks by the Dean SMC, Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya before Tobe Okigbo, MTN Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer,

took to the stage to regale the class of the decision that gave birth to the MIP. 

Introducing participants to the structure of SMC-PAU was Director Professional Education, Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu, after which Dr. Obiaya gave a run down of the programme overview as Course Director.

 Dr. Obiaya, while commending MTN Nigeria for the viable collaboration, said the programme will cultivate a new generation of media professionals who are equipped to drive innovation and excellence.

Regaling the class with the decision that gave birth to the MIP, Mr. Okigbo said it was a choice between spending to commemorate the anniversary of the brand or touching lives. Having chosen the latter, the three sets of cohorts are better off for it. 

On what he hopes the fellows get out of the programme, he said: “First, When somebody reads your story or listens to you, they don’t say ‘and this one calls himself a journalist’. Secondly, how do you monetize what you do? This is your opportunity to learn how to contribute to make this country greater than it is. We need to make this country great and nobody has the power to do more than the press.”

He added that “At MTN Nigeria, we recognise the critical role the media plays in shaping our society. MIP is a testament to our commitment to empowering media professionals and fostering innovation in the industry. We believe that a free and independent press is essential to a thriving society, and we are dedicated to supporting the development of a vibrant and responsible media ecosystem in Nigeria.

“Through this programme, we aim to equip media practitioners and innovators with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to tell the stories that need to be told.”

Week One In Focus 

Done with the introductory aspect, the lectures for week one began with “Culture, Society and the Media” by Dr. Richard Ikiebe, who also handled the thorny “Ethical Issues for Media Practitioners”.

The next day being Tuesday, May 21, “The Concept of Innovation and its Imperatives for Media Practitioners” was taken by Mr. Frank Aigbogun. This was followed by a Workshop/Discussion on Innovation, which he also handled.

Taking over to discuss the Project Topic was Prof. Ezechukwu before the participants were taken on a tour of the campus by Olalekan Aro-Oyedele.

Day three, which was on Wednesday, May 22 was heralded by “Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Principles and Practices 1-3” by Dr. Peter Bamkole, who also held a Workshop/Case Discussion on Entrepreneurship. 

On Thursday, May 23, which was day 4, Dr. Nkem Iheanachor held sway in “Management Principles and Practices – 1-2” which led to a Workshop/Case Discussion. Afterwards, the first female  lecturer the MIP-3 cohort had, Dr. Ruth Oji took the class on “Branding and Etiquette for Media Practitioners”.

The last day of the first week, which was on Friday, May 24, started off with “Media Laws: Principles and Practices

Presentation/Interactive Session” by Barr. Tomi Vincent followed by “Taxation, Business Policies and Regulations 1-2” by Dr. Olusegun Vincent.

Although the classwork ended, the cohort did not depart until an address by the Alumni Team led by Mr. Mike Okwoche, a media veteran and two others.

 Afterwards, the cohort ran an intensive election that saw Nifemi Oguntoye emerge as President; Juliet Tontoye as Vice President; Blessing Agbeetan as Secretary; and Augustus Aigbe as Social Secretary. 

About MTN Nigeria

At MTN Nigeria, the brand is keen on the belief everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life, thus their  “dedication to enabling connections that matter – among families, friends, and communities – is fuelled by this conviction, and has not faltered since the very first call was made on the MTN network – at Maritime House, Apapa, on May 16, 2001”.

Twenty-three years later, MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting approximately 77 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world with their leadership position in coverage, capacity and innovation remaining constant since its launch in 2001.

MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a multinational telecommunications group, which operates in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

With Ambition 2025 to be “Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress’, the brand has built strong core operations, which are underpinned by the largest fixed and mobile network in Africa; a large, connected registered customer base; an unparalleled registration and distribution network, as well as one of the strongest brands in our markets.

They are committed to bridging the digital and financial divide, furthering inclusion and advancing the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through their core business activities and their support to governments, communities and customers.

Guided by the principle of shared value, which enables shared prosperity, the proudly Nigerian company with a rich African heritage is committed to using their technology and assets to help build a better tomorrow, where businesses expand, the economy grows, and people make progress because with real access and support, there is nothing Nigerians cannot achieve.

School of Media and Communication (SMC)

According to information found on its website, “the School of Media and Communication was instituted by Pan-Atlantic University in recognition of the critical role of the media and entertainment industries in shaping societal values and cultural life.

“No less important is the growing contribution of the creative industries to the Nigerian economy. The establishment of SMC is informed by the aspiration to train professionals who will uphold the highest intellectual, ethical and professional values that promote creativity, critical knowledge, technical perfection, social responsibility, and the spirit of the enterprise.”

The school offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication, Information Science and Media Studies, Film and Multimedia Studies, as well as a full-time and part-time M.Sc. programmes in Data Science and Media & Communication; a PhD in Media and Communication as well as non-degree programmes for professionals as well as other courses like Executive MBA and EDC Programmes. 

While the cohort looks forward to the bearings of the school this new week that started on Monday, it would be pertinent to commend the organisational skills of those who would bend and mould our lives these six weeks in six months. For the Dean to Ezechukwu to Samsideen Akano and Grace Kenneth, the goal is for the cohort to learn in character and in deed. 

The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, NAFRC, which is saddled with the task of integrating military retirees into civil life, recently churned out 725 graduands. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the Passing out Ceremony of Course 01/2024 Trainees was quite nostalgic but also a vista of hope for all the retirees  given that for six months, they were trained on post-service life with various vocational skills to sustain their entrepreneurial journey

For the 725 recent graduates of the the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), a centre established for military retirees to transition into civil life, the journey started about 35 years ago when they joined the military where they went through series of military trainings to ensure they turn out to be professional soldiers in their various units and fields. 

Throughout those 35 years, they recited the soldiers creed, and were solely dedicated to the actualisation  of the Armed Forces core responsibilities. However, after those 35 years, it was time to reformat their thinking process back to the civilian life they were used to before their sojourn into military life. 

To ensure a smooth and seamless transition back to civil life, NAFRC was borne. At the centre located at Oshodi, Lagos, the retirees underwent six months training and re-training to ease their transition. They are also equipped with relevant civilian skills that would ensure they are kept busy. 

Seamless Integration 

Drawn from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the Nigerian Army (NA) and the Nigerian Navy (NN), with 26, 500 and 165 retirees, respectively, they underwent training in management, fashion, fine arts and printing, soap and cosmetics making, domestic products, agricultural training, woodwork, building and civil works, electrical and electronics, auto mechanics, fabrication and welding, music, food and beverages and information technology. 

At the Passing out Ceremony of the Course 01/2024 Trainees of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), held at Danjuma Hall, it was a new vista for the soldiers turned civilians. 

After years of meritorious service to the nation and months of training to enable them to integrate seamlessly to civilian life after the end of the six months intensive pre-retirement for the men and women of our Armed Forces, they returned to civil life. 

A Nation’s Gratitude 

The Special Guest of Honour was the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, who expressed his gratitude to the retirees, adding that the nation was grateful for their service and sacrifice. 

According to the chief, NAFRC has a mandate to adequately prepare retiring personnel of the Armed Forces, allied Forces and staff of paramilitary agencies, to re-integrating into civil life, adding that “the centre is achieving this objective through diverse vocational skills to maximize potentials of personnel for self-reliance as you all have experienced in the last five months. 

“The skills you have acquired in the Centre is germane to entrepreneurship and I urge you to put the skills into proper use. As entrepreneurs, you will require attributes such as determination, diligence, optimism as well as honesty, imbibed in the course of your career and the training in this centre to succeed. 

“As you integrate into civil life, your conduct also must be in accordance with ethics, professional standards and respect for the rule of law. You will be judged  by these virtues as retired military personnel as well as ambassadors of the Armed Forces and this Prestigious centre. 

“This present administration under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has amongst others, prioritized the welfare of persons who have  diligently served the Armed Forces. The President has approved the implementation of 20 per cent increase in pension rates for pensioners with effect from January this year.

“This and others packages including those initiated by various Services is to appreciate your sacrifices and  service to the nation. On this note, may I seize this opportunity to appreciate the President, Commander-in-Chief for his guidance and unwavering support to the Service as well as for enhancing the welfare package of those who have served our country diligently. 

“We remain grateful and will continue to carry out our statutory mandate for national economic prosperity and poverty eradication in line with your Renewed 

Hope Agenda. To our disengaging personnel, I urge you to be good ambassadors and conduct yourself in a manner that will not bring disrepute to the Armed Forces or your distinguished career records.

“You must also influence your community positively and also be loyal to the nation and President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. I commend you all again for your sacrifice and courage to serve your fatherland and  also congratulate you for successful completion of this course.”

While commending the NAFRC Commandant, officers and staff of the Centre for ensuring that the disengaging personnel are prepared to integrate seamlessly into civil  life, he further urged them to sustain the laudable efforts.

Earlier in his speech, NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Adeniyi Amesinlola, said the event was “worthy of celebration and fulfilment for these senior citizens and their family members as they pass out of the Centre and as most of them would be retiring from the Armed Forces from here. 

“The graduands exhibited discipline and keen interest throughout their 6-months vocational training. In line with the mandate of NAFRC, the centre impacts theoretical and practical knowledge to retiring personnel in vocations of their choice to aid their re-integration to civil life. 

“Suffice to state that the realization of the Centre’s mandate has been successful. So far, over 51,000 personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, para-military agencies and allied armed forces have been trained by this Centre.

“Similarly, over 3,600 youths and widows have undergone various vocational training at NAFRC as part of the Centre’s Corporate Social Responsibility. The training equips beneficiaries with skills to start and manage businesses and vocations towards self- sustenance.

“This, in tum, contributes to personnel morale and to the Federal Government’s committed drive to increase Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across the Country. The personnel and civilians trained by the Centre have been contributing meaningfully to their various communities, thus preventing them from becoming liability to the society or resorting to crimes and other vices.”

While thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the commandant also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Defence, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, the Senate and House Committees on Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs for their guidance and support to the Centre. 

Gathering of Eagles 

To show the retirees that their sacrifices were in no small measure appreciated, it was a gathering of eagles including senior officers at the graduation last Friday at the centre. 

While the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TA Lagbaja, was represented by the General Officer Commanding 81 Division. Major General Muhammad Usman;  the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal HB Abubakar, was represented by Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdullahi. 

Also present were the Chief of Defence Training and Operations and other Principal Staff Officers from Defence and other Services Headquarters; Flag Officers Commanding, Western Naval Command and Naval Doctrine Command, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan and Rear Admiral Zakaria, respectively.

Others include Corps Commanders of Signals and Nigerian Army Ordinance Depot, Commandants and other Commanders of Military and Para- military institutions, units and agencies; Admiral Superintendent Naval Ordnance Depot, Rear Admiral Livingstone Izu; Admiral Superintendent Naval Dockyard Ltd, Rear Admiral Bolaji Orederu; and Hydrographer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Ayo Olugbode.

Also in attendance were NAFRC Deputy Commandant and Director; President, Retired Army, Navy, Air Force Officers Association; NAFRC past Commandants;  Commissioner of Agriculture, Lagos State; Executive Chairman, Mushin Local Government Area 16; and Founder and Director, Songhai Regional Centre.

*Abductors demand $1.5m ransom

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the Managing Director of Fouani Company, Mohamed Fouani, distributors of LG and Hisense electronic and electrical products, and others on Lagos waterway.

Fouani and three other persons of Lebanese descent, were kidnapped on Friday evening around Falomo Bridge, Ikoyi, Lagos, while travelling from Apapa to Victoria Island by boat.

As at press time, the abductors were said to have contacted the company and family, demanding $1.5 million as ransom, according to unconfirmed reports.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the command was already aware of the incident.

“We got the report and we are looking into it,” he said, without giving details.

However, speaking anonymously, a senior police officer said the police were not ruling out any angle in their investigation- whether it was a targeted or random abduction.

He said: “At the moment, we have the basic facts but we are investigating. I wouldn’t want to divulge the facts at our disposal; so, we don’t jeopardise their safety.

“I also wouldn’t want to toe the line of a disgruntled employee or employees but be rest assured that we are not leaving any stone unturned,” he said.

Reacting on the alleged ransom asked by the kidnappers, he also insisted that while it’s advisable not to pay, most families are expectedly desperate to receive their loved ones safe and sound and would always oblige the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the Marine Police are said to have intensified patrol of the waterways following the report of the abduction.
A marine police officer debunked claims that the waterways have been porous, especially at night.

According to him, the backwaters and even up to the Fairway Bouy have not been left unprotected as both the Marine Police and even small patrol crafts of the Nigerian Navy routinely patrol that axis.

He said: “This is why I said we are investigating whether it was a random abduction or it was planned because our waters are always patrolled.

“This is not the era of sea or river blindness anymore because the government at federal and state level have really equipped the relevant authorities in terms of infrastructure and even platforms for patrol of the waterways,” he added.

To drive a collective resolution and citizen-oriented approach towards the prevention of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism with specific focus on North-East Nigeria, the  Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), recently convened a multi-stakeholder national dialogue where commitments were made. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Globally, terrorism constitutes a threat, and for Nigeria, it’s at a high level. Over the years, attempts to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the country have been on high heat, policy attention has been shifted towards many sources of terrorism financing, which have continued to fuel terrorism and other violent conflicts in Nigeria. 

This increased level of terrorism was what necessitated the recent multi- stakeholder national dialogue driven by a collective resolution and citizen-oriented approach towards the prevention of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism, organised by the  Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria).

Financed by the Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering In West Africa-Economic Community of West African States (GIABA-ECOWAS), the event which held at Abuja Continental Hotel, was themed Dialogue on Preventing Terrorism Financing, and Violent Extremism, was a gathering of state and non-state actors as part of the effort to drive a collective resolution and citizen-oriented approach towards the prevention of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism with specific focus on North-East Nigeria.   

The workshop was attended by over 100 participants from Anti-corruption agencies, Security agencies, Defence institutions, Private Security outfits, Financial Sector, Traditional institution, Community-Based Organisations, Faith-Based Organisations, Women-led organisations, Youth-led organisations, State Government, Civil Society and the Media.

Some of them include Chairman Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede; Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Rotimi Oluwaseun Akinde; Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Hon. Solomon Bob; Chairman, House Committee on Civil Societies & Development Matters, Hon. Victor Obuzor; Chief of the Air Staff represented by Air Cdre David Dung Pwajok; Head of Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Al-Mustapha Sani; Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Muyi Magaji; the National Security Adviser (NSA) represented by Commander Daminlola Owonuwa; Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS represented by Dr. Isaac Armstrong; Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps represented by Comdt. Ekundayo Remi Omolade; Commandant, NSCDC, Borno State Command, Comdt. Musa Farouk Kuram; Bauchi state Commissioner of Police represented by Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi state Command, Mr. Ahmed Muhammed Wakil; Benue State Governor represented by Mr. Leo Angelo Viashima. 

The Dialogue had some technical sessions with presentations titled: Preventing violent extremism and countering the financing of terrorism: The role of state actors (military, police, NSCDC, and other agencies) by Barrister Tijani Mohammed; and Preventing violent extremism and countering the financing of terrorism: the role of non-state actors (citizens, media & civil society) by Dr. Yakubu Sani Gombe. 

Terrorism Finance

According to the Executive Director,  Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head, Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), without any doubt, terrorism finance is the backbone of terrorist groups as funds go into buying weapons, recruiting militants, and operating terrorist organisations. 

Quoting the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) he said:  “terrorist groups need money to sustain themselves and carry out terrorist acts”. 

Putting it in context, he said terrorist financing encompasses the means and methods used by terrorist organisations to finance their activities, leveraging funds from legitimate sources such as business profits and charitable organisations, or from illegal activities including trafficking in weapons, drugs or people, or kidnapping.

Causes, Consequences of Terrorism Financing in Nigeria

In effect, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council, terrorism diverts foreign investment, reduces capital inflows, destroys infrastructure, disturbs financial markets, impedes economic growth, and has significant negative impacts on social and cultural human rights. 

This is why the ED Rafsanjani believes the prevention of terrorism is highly desirable and should be a top priority of “our beloved country for sustainable development. The increasing concerns about the financing of terrorist activities within the country, have triggered unfavourable indices from the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), which ranks Nigeria eighth among the top ten countries with the greatest levels of terrorism in the world. 

Citing examples he said: “In March 2024, the Federal Government naming 15 entities including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms that are said to be involved in terrorism financing has highlighted the pressing issue of terrorism and terrorist financing in the country. 

“As poor awareness at community levels hamper collective monitoring and timely response to warning signals of potential terrorist activities and violent extremism, the security situation in Nigeria has become increasingly complex and uncertain, as various non-state armed groups have emerged and consolidated coercive power to terrorise the population in Nigeria, as evident with the activities of the armed bandits, criminal gangs, separatist groups, religious fundamentalists, amorphous kidnappers, and many others often referred to in the Nigerian media as “unknown gunmen”.

“The consequences of terrorism have continued to aggravate extreme poverty rates among Nigerians, internally displacement, devastated livelihoods, just as opportunities for broader growth, development and prosperity are destroyed.

“Moreover, weak security and surveillance at national borders contribute to the issue of terrorism financing in Nigeria. This lack of control and monitoring allows terrorists, as well as small arms and light weapons, to infiltrate the country quickly. 

“The former Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, revealed that 137 out of about 261 borders in the North-East and North-West are unguarded. With such easy access, terrorist organisations conduct operations and finance their activities more efficiently. This stresses the imperative of strengthening security measures at borders by Nigerian authorities to prevent the inflow of funds and resources for terrorist activities.

“Poor collaboration on the part of law enforcement and regulatory agencies has contributed to the problem of terrorist financing in Nigeria. Effective information sharing is crucial in combating terrorism financing, yet there seems to be a lack of coordination among various agencies and institutions. 

“This hinders the ability to track and intercept suspicious transactions and apprehend those responsible for financing terrorism. 

The lingering inter-agency rivalry among response agencies constitutes an impediment to intelligence gathering and information sharing for coordinated Response to potential violent signals.

” Unhealthy inter-agencies rivalry and struggles for superiority among response agencies competing for resources have been identified as major barriers to coordinated response to conflict warning signals at all levels. This in September 2022 had triggered a reaction from former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, who acknowledged that rivalry existed despite the fact that no individual agency could holistically handle security issues alone.

“More importantly, the capacity gaps within law enforcement and regulatory agencies also hamper efforts to address the challenge of terrorism financing effectively. These institutions must be adequately equipped and trained to detect and disrupt the financial networks of terrorist organisations. Without the requisite capacity, it becomes incredibly challenging to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in financing terrorism.”

The CISLAC ED added that poor governance and corruption drive terrorism and violent extremism, which are among observed cases in the North-East of Nigeria as they provide avenue to fund armed groups and criminal networks, prevent development of and weaken effective institutions of governance, depress social and economic development. 

“Also, religious dimension, which has to do with extremism, hard beliefs and ideologies held and taught by some religious leaders have led to indulgency in the North East,” he pointed out.

Policy Neglect in Legislative System, Structure

According to Rafsanjani, it would be pertinent to note that the legislature has a role to play given that politics are local and people-centred.

Pointing that every state in Nigeria has a state of Assembly with members representing local governments, he said: “There are 109 members in the Senate, located in the Federal Capital Territory and 360 seats in the House of Representatives. Every lawmaker represents a Constituency, they link national and state politics to the grassroots, reinforcing the notion that politics is essentially local and people-centred.

” However, inactive Legislative Constituency Offices across the country as a primary mechanism in detection and reporting of violent signals contributes to major policy neglect in reporting system and structure.”

Exploitation of the Financial Sector 

The CISLAC ED also lamented on how the financial sector has been exploited for terrorism financing, adding that the use of the financial sector indicates the increasing capabilities of some terrorist groups. 

These include the Bureau de Change operators, Point of Sale (POS) devices, wire transfers, and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, among other enabling platforms expanding the scope and depth of terrorism financing. 

“It is worrisome that illegal money exchangers including Bureau De Change have been featured in several Terrorism Financing investigations. The 2022 National Inherent Risk Assessment of Terrorism Financing report reveals that between 2019 and 2022, about 19 companies were linked to illegal money exchangers who have used their companies to comingle funds considered to be linked to Terrorism Financing.

” Illegal money exchangers are not under any form of regulations and as such, they implement any preventive measures. The activities of the illegal money exchangers provide a channel for moving illegally obtained funds for Terrorism Financing.

“While the Banking sector in particular has in recent times been subjected to strict regulations that intend to increase transparency and identify suspicious transactions; however, studies illustrate that the Banking sector continues to offer opportunities for terrorist financing; as current measures employed by banks have proven ineffective due to the knowledge gap that surrounds concrete methods terrorist financiers employ. 

“For instance, in March 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that 70 per cent of financial fraud in Nigeria were carried out in the banking sector. This includes the inside and outside related fraud. This disturbing report exposes the extent of illicit funds movement through the banking sector.”

Role of Media in Reporting Factual Information 

Also touching on the role of the media in reporting such financial crimes, the ED said over-sensationalised media reportage with profit-oriented tendency and deliberate information misrepresentation contribute to violent extremism and social instability at all levels. 

“Factual misrepresentation and unverified information presentation by various media outfits trigger conflict insensitivity and violent response. Because of their roles in audience perception of events and issues, media framing and reportage are considered veritable instruments for violent prevention or de-escalation.”

GIABA’s Contribution to the Fight against Terrorism Financing, Violent Extremism 

GIABA, a specialised Institution of Economic Community of West African Stated (ECOWAS) with the mandate to coordinate the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in West Africa, is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and as such, GIABA is the FATF Style Regional Body for West Africa (FSRB). 

As part of its contribution to the fight against terrorism financing and violent extremism, GIABA sponsored the multi-stakeholder dialogue. 

According to GIABA Director General, Mr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., it was in response to the devastating effects of these crimes that the authorities of ECOWAS established GIABA in 2000 as a clear demonstration of their political will to address these challenges within the region and to support the global fight against these vices. 

Harris Jr., who was represented by GIABA Country Head in Nigeria, Tim Melaye, said the primary mandate of GIABA is to develop measures to protect the economies of member States from abuse and the laundering of the proceeds of crimes and to strengthen cooperation among its member States.

 In addition, GIABA is saddled with the responsibility of assessing member States’ compliance with International Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing standards.   

He said: “Since its establishment, GIABA has taken practical steps to promote the implementation of AML/CFT measures amongst its member States, including supporting the enactment and/or strengthening of AML/CFT legal and regulatory framework; development of National AML/CFT Strategies, national coordination through initiating the establishment of AML/CFT Inter-Ministerial committees; strengthening of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs); and capacity enhancement of competent authorities and other critical agencies involved in the implementation of AML/CFT laws and policies, through training, mentorship and provision of equipment.

“Other efforts include public awareness and sensitisation on the ills of ML/TF.  

The establishment of AML/CFT Information Centres in Lagos and Abidjan and strategic partnerships with civil society and the news media are yet other noble initiatives to promote public awareness, engender public support for regional AML/CFT campaigns, and serve as repositories of relevant information which researchers and the academia could leverage on.

” GIABA has also undertaken several research/typology studies, including the reports on Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW); Money Laundering and Insurgency, Study on Tax Fraud and Money Laundering in West Africa: A Human Development Perspective; Typologies of Tax Fraud and Money Laundering, and so on. We have also published mutual evaluation reports of member States, annual reports, etc; which could be valuable to the academic community.   

“On a broader context, the leadership of ECOWAS was obviously concerned, and deeply so, about the spate of violence extremism, banditry, and terrorism in the region, thus the need to take a decisive action in addressing the spread across the region. 

“From Nigeria, to Mali, to Niger, to Cote d’Ivoire, to Burkina Faso and so on. In 2018, ECOWAS developed a regional framework for counter-terrorism, The initiative was well received and led to the convening of series of experts meetings that brought stakeholders together across the spectrum. The point is to build a structure and find a homegrown (West African) solution that will abate the challenges. 

“The outcome was welcomed by both the council of ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council and subsequently, the Authority of Heads of State and Government. At its extraordinary summit in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2019 the summit gave strong consideration for the need to adopt the recommendation and take concrete steps. This led to the adoption of Regional Action plan to fight against Terrorism.”

He cited the eight adopted priorities as-“Strengthening national legal frameworks to prevent and combat terrorism; Enhancing broader security and controls to prevent the movement of terrorists and illicit goods; Strengthening intelligence sharing and cooperation among members States and relevant international organisation; Strengthening the capacity of security agencies to prevent and respond to terrorist threats; and Addressing the conditions that make it conducive to spread terrorism and violent extremism, including poverty, marginalisation, and radicalisation.

Others include Countering the Financing of Terrorism through enhance cooperation with financial institutions and law enforcement agencies;

Strengthening the legal and judicial framework to prosecute and bring terrorists to justice; and Promoting regional and international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including through partnerships with the United Nations and other international bodies.

Conclusively, he said it is the desire of GIABA, and indeed ECOWAS to have a safe and peaceful society, where we can all thrive, socially, politically, and economically. 

Pledge by ICPC

Going down memory lane, Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),

Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said violent attacks and campaign of terror in North Eastern Nigeria started in 2009 and almost 15 years after, the region is yet to recover. 

“Thousands have been killed, properties worth billions destroyed, millions displaced from their ancestral homes, millions of children are out of school, poverty and malnutrition have worsened, etc. 

“The devastation caused by this campaign of terror cannot be easily quantified. The overall impact of terrorism has been profound. The process of rebuilding shattered communities and restoring stability will come at a cost but it is a task that must be done,” pointed out.

“But, how did this start and how were these violent acts sustained over the years? The answers to these important questions are necessary if we are determined to dismantle the sophisticated networks that manage the illicit financial flows that facilitate the purchase of arms, the recruitment of terrorists, operational logistics, etc. that help to sustain the reign of terror.

” Tackling this intricate problem of terrorism financing is essential, as it is fundamental to crippling the operational capabilities of extremist groups and restoring peace and security to the region. To this end, this meeting could not have come at a better time.

Poverty and illiteracy have been identified as some of the main causes of terrorism in Nigeria. 

“These twin ills must be tackled effectively to stop extremism and violent dissent. Bad Governance and corruption have a direct relation with the prevalence of poverty and illiteracy. The ICPC therefore has an active role to play in the prevention and elimination of these vices that create the conditions that allow extremism and terrorism to take root in the society.

“ICPC is fully committed to contributing its expertise and resources to this fight. We are prepared to intensify our efforts in financial oversight, enhance our investigative and prosecutorial capacities, and work closely with all stakeholders to disrupt the financial networks that fuel terrorism.

“Our approach encompasses not only rigorous enforcement but also preventive measures aimed at fostering economic and social development. Through community engagement, educational initiatives, and support for economic empowerment, we aim to address the root causes of extremism, building a resilient foundation for our future.

“The collaboration of every sector represented here is crucial. By combining our strengths, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing regulatory frameworks, we can sever the lifelines that enable terrorism. Your dedication and relentless efforts in law enforcement, civic engagement, and legislative governance are vital to our collective success.

“As we move forward, let the ICPC’s commitment to this cause be clear — we are ready to stand at the forefront of these efforts, ensuring that our collective actions lead to meaningful and lasting impacts,” he vowed.

EFCC’s Follow the Money Trail Focus

In confronting the scourge of terrorism financing that oxygenate the activities of violent organisations such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and those of Yan Bindiga and Yan Tadda that are on the fringes, the Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, said: “For us in the EFCC, like most Nigerians, the concern is on how this crisis continues to defy solutions and fester? How is it that the terrorist groups in the region are able to sustain their operations, acquire more sophisticated weaponry and engage in daring combat with the Nigerian military?

“It would seem that an economy of criminality has developed around terrorism and violent extremism in the region, where actors who are profiting from the chaos do not cherish the return of civil order. How for instance do we explain the activities of supposed Non-Profit Organisations who profess to want to provide succor to the distressed but end up exploiting their misery for financial gains? How do we explain the action of unscrupulous actors who hide under the cover of humanitarian activities to fund terrorist groups? These are issues that we must continue to interrogate.

“The EFCC has had cause to prosecute so-called promoters of Non-Profit Organisation who exploited the desperate conditions in the North-east to profiteer. I am sure many of you are aware of a lady that is called Mama Boko Haram, who at the peak of the insurgency positioned herself as a credible intermediary for the insurgents, but is now in jail for exploiting the distressed citizens of the North east for personal gain.

“Part of the focus of the EFCC in the quest to tackle terrorism and violent extremism in that region is to follow the funds trail of critical actors in the region and cutting off the supply line of illicit funds to known criminal groups. This responsibility has seen the Commission pay more attention to the movement of funds by NPOs in the region, who are now required to make a declaration to the EFCC.

”  Indeed the enactment of the Money Laundering( Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Terrorism ( Prevention and Prohibition ) Act, 2022 have strengthened the anti-money laundering and terrorism financing framework, with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML which is domiciled in the Commission given powers to monitor, supervise, regulate  and assess the activities of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) which are vulnerable to terrorist financing and money laundering in the country.”

He charged members of the Civil Society to assist the anti-corruption agencies to tackle illicit financial flows into the region, adding that this calls for peer vigilance and willingness to blow the whistle against renegade civic society actors, just as he noted that citizens’ mobilization against terrorism financing and violent extremism in the North-east, is critical.

Legislative Contributions 

The legislature were not absent in this dialogue. In his goodwill message, Chairman, House Committee on Civil Society Organisations and Development Partners/Matters

Hon. Engr. Victor Obuzor MNSE, DSSRS, Member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing the people of Ahoada-West/Ogba,Egbema,Ndoni Federal Constituency, Rivers State of Nigeria, said terrorism has led to the difficult security environment that has Internally displaced an estimated two million people in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States, and the external displacement of more than 333,000 Nigerian refugees to neighboring countries, principally Cameroon, Chad, and Niger is on record.

He said To effectively combat terrorism, it is of paramount importance to disrupt the flow of funds to these organizations. He however said while cutting off the source of terror financing may not entirely eradicate terrorism, it can significantly impact the frequency and scale of attacks carried out by these groups

“ The Nigerian government has made efforts to curb the activities of such groups through legislative measures, utilizing the law as a tool to address these security threats. However, despite these efforts, more needs to be done to effectively sever the various sources of finance available to terrorist organizations in Nigeria.

Also speaking, Spokesperson, House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi Jr; said while terror financing is a global menace that poses a significant threat to security, economic development, and stability in Nigeria, terrorism financing is a pressing concern that demands immediate attention. He however commended the government and security agencies for the role they play to curb the menace, just as he pledged continued support from the legislative. 

Spotlight on Human Trafficking-funded Terrorism

 Aondoaseer Leonard-Angelo Viashima, Director General – Benue State Bureau for International Cooperation and Developments Unit, who represented the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, touched on an angle that was overlooked by all- funding terrorism through human trafficking. 

According to him,  the stories that come out from cases of terrorism go beyond the norm as it has delved into human trafficking. He pointed out that most of the terrorists also fund their acts of terror by raiding villages and abducting young girls to be sold off afterwards to willing buyers. The proceeds from those sales are now channeled into funding their acts of terror. He charged the relevant authorities to raise the gusto in fighting the hydra-headed monster to a conclusive end. 

Multi-Stakeholder Commitments

As expected, commitments were made and they include 

Deliberate tracking of funds trail of critical actors in the region and cutting off the supply line of illicit funds to known criminal groups, to tackle terrorism financing and violent extremism in the North East.; Whistle-blower protection and data security to encourage timely reporting of threat signals and elicit appropriate and coordinated response; Strengthening community surveillance system and collaboration through proactive approach and local initiative to identify and de-escalate threats to sensitisation process and de-radicalisation effort; and enhancing collaboration between Civil Society and Anti-Corruption Agencies through combined strengths, enhanced transparency, and reinforced regulatory frameworks. 

Others include Relentless efforts in Civil Society advocacy towards law enforcement, civic engagement, and legislative governance for enhanced accountability and positive orientation, required to effectively tackle illicit financial flows, and disrupt the financial networks that fuel terrorism in the North East; Strengthening capacity of anti-corruption agencies to build institutionalised expertise and resources in financial oversight, enhance investigation and prosecution; and Building synergy among government agencies, civil society organizations, religious leaders, educators, law enforcement, and other stakeholders for verifiable and timely information-sharing essential for identifying and addressing emerging threats, implementing targeted interventions, and maximizing resources. 

Also, Restoring community trust in counter-terrorism efforts by relevant agencies through improved recruitment and promotion standards for high operational and response efficiency; Enhancing security and surveillance across national borders to prevent infiltration of small arms and light weapons and counter sources of funding for terrorism and violent extremism; Activating functional Legislative Constituency Offices across the country to facilitate proactive reporting of threat signals and timely response; Mainstreaming the Traditional Institutions, Religious/Community Leaders, women/youth-led Associations in community mobilisation against terrorism and terrorism financing, to elicit inclusiveness, trust, ownership and sustainability; Integrating the gatekeeping system led by key actors at community levels to support efficient information gathering and accurate reporting process that facilitate Early Response mechanisms; and Promoting comprehensive and inclusive regulation of social media giving cognisance to human rights as a proactive measure to de-escalate tension and violent extremism.

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

To highlight the unique challenges faced by women married to Naval Officers and other military men, Agbaje Menunaya Ayah, a renowned actor, movie producer, and naval wife, recently produced a film “The Women Called Wives.”

According to Ayah, who also serves as the National PRO of the Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA), the 
need to address societal issues, advocate for change and instil that core values brought the vision of the film to light. 

Ayah spoke at the private viewing of the movie at EbonyLife Cinema in Lagos, where she hosted NOWA members led by NOWA National Vice President, Mrs. Zainab Akpan, who represented the NOWA National President, Mrs. Ijeoma Ogalla at the sidelines of the recently commemorated Nigerian Navy 68th anniversary. 

She said: “The idea behind the movie is advocacy. We tried to use the movie to talk about core values that we want to impact in society and things that we think should be changed because, over time, there’s been an evolution. Some traditional practices have not changed. As a woman, I chose to speak about those things and, if possible, correct them.

“The Women Called Wives delves into pressing issues such as hunger, starvation, unemployment, drug abuse, and the struggles within marriages and family units.

“It sheds light on the peculiar challenges faced by military wives and offers guidance on coping, adapting, and improving family dynamics.”

Ayah, who expressed confidence that the film would significantly impact women in the naval community, added “We have taken steps to speak about some of the things we have considered as ills and documented them in a movie form to educate.

“We are watching to see how we can apply this in our homes, support our husbands, and make positive changes.

“The movie, which will be aired on DSTV and shown to officers’ wives nationwide, aims to reorient thinking and promote resilience. 

“When you see a movie over time, it begins to gradually affect the way you think. We will achieve the reorientation that we are working on”.

On how military wives cope in the absence of their husbands, Ayah said she prioritizes activities that build her family and mind, participating in training, events, and seminars designed to support naval officers’ wives. 

“It takes a strong breed to be married to a military man. We need to stay focused, strong, and supportive.  As part of their initiatives, the Naval Officers Wives Association hosts programs to impact both commissioned and non-commissioned officers’ wives, emphasizing strength, mental and physical well-being, and self-love.”

Ayah also highlighted the importance of prayer for military wives. “Every woman, whether a military wife or not, should be prayerful. Without God, we will all be losing our minds. The uncertainty of our husbands’ safety is scary, and prayer is a stabilising factor.” 

Her message to officers’ wives was clear: “Be strong, be prayerful, pray for your husbands day and night, stabilise your homes, and preserve your minds and those of your families. We will continue to sail in unity and unison.”

Beyond the protection of Nigeria’s territorial and Maritime space, the Nigerian Navy, NN, has always been involved in empowering its host communities. Recently, to commemorate its 68th anniversary of the NN, the Naval Dockyard Limited, NDL, held a medical Rhapsody for the Oniru Community, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes 

To commemorate the 68th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy (NN), the Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) last week,  flagged off its free Medical Rhapsody outreach for the Oniru Community.

This move was in tandem with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, for all units and commands to sustain civil-military relations with their host communities. 

The outreach was an avenue to provide vital healthcare services to individuals in the community and it involved general consultations, eye care, dental care and  issuing of medication, among others.

According to the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard (ASND), Rear Admiral Abolaji Orederu, the outreach was borne out of the good relationship between Naval Dockyard and the people of Oniru community, which dates back to more than half a century.

The ASND, who was represented by Surgeon Captain Ifeoma Okeke, who is in charge of the Naval Dockyard Hospital, said: “Today marks a significant milestone as we come together to extend a healing hand to those in need, embodying the spirit of compassion and solidarity that defines our community. 

“The primary aim of this noble exercise is to provide vital healthcare services to individuals who may not have regular access to medical care due to economic or social barriers. 

“Through this outreach, we seek to address the immediate healthcare needs of our underserved community members by offering medical consultations, screenings, and essential treatments at no cost. 

“Additionally, we aim to raise awareness about preventive healthcare practices and promote overall well-being among our people. Our ultimate objective goes beyond the provision of immediate medical care.”

He added, “We aspire to foster a lasting impact by empowering individuals to take charge of their health and encouraging a proactive approach to wellness

“ By offering education on disease prevention, healthy lifestyle choices, and access to available resources, we endeavor to promote long-term health outcomes and improve the quality of life for those we serve.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to all the volunteers, healthcare professionals, and organizations that have generously contributed their time, expertise, and resources to make this outreach possible. 

“Together, we stand as a beacon of hope and compassion, dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of our fellow community members. Thank you for joining us in this important initiative. Your support and participation are invaluable as we strive to create a healthier, more equitable future for all.”

In his response, the Oniru of Iruland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, Abisogun II, commended the Nigerian Navy for the hand of fellowship it extended to the community, just as he asked that the partnership continues beyond even medical Rhapsodies. 

Every May 31, the World No Tobacco Day is marked globally. This year, the theme “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference,” aims to pressure governments to implement policies to prevent children from becoming replacement smokers. It was on that premise that Renevlyn Development Initiative, RDI, and Vital Voices for Africa, VVA, recently held a virtual discussion to highlight the role of the media in tackling youth tobacco addiction, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports 

Globally, the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is held every May 31 and it is targeted at informing the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

But how did that day come to be? The Member States of the World Health Organisation created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. 

In 1987, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for April 7, 1988 to be a “a world no-smoking day.” In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May.

Global Burden of Tobacco Use

Tobacco use as studies have shown, is the single most preventable cause of death globally. Tobacco kills up to half of its users. By 2030, the World Health Organisation (WHO) projects that tobacco will kill more than 8 million people every year, with most of the deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

 Tobacco is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

Collaboration to Address Youth Tobacco

Addiction 

This year, the theme was “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference,” and it was aimed at putting pressure on governments to implement policies to prevent children from becoming replacement smokers.

To mark the 2024 WNTD, a virtual discussion was organised by Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), a Nigerian non-governmental organisation that works with indigenous communities and grassroots groups to expose and challenge corporate impunity, unsound environmental practices and human rights violations; and Vital Voices for Africa (VVA) for media to address the pressing issue of youth tobacco addiction and the predatory tactics of the tobacco industry.

In the session, 57 journalists from 20 countries were taken through effective tobacco control reporting. The countries represented were Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

 The event featured key presentations and discussions with journalists across Africa, emphasising the role of media in combatting tobacco use among children, as well as how the tobacco industry targets children in Nigeria and Zambia, and provisions of the WHO-FCTC related to the health and rights of children. 

The session also presented an opportunity for Development Gateway to highlight the lack of sufficient data on adolescent smoking in Africa, and to present its DaYTA initiative.

Reiterating that the WNTD is marked to mobilise governments and genuine stakeholders in public health across the world to take actions to prevent deaths, diseases and disabilities associated with tobacco use, the organisers said it was also an occasion to expose the antics of the tobacco industry to undermine public health through its lethal products and to pressure national governments to implement comprehensive policies to prevent the tobacco industry from grabbing the lungs of our children as replacement smokers. 

Need to Shield Children from Tobacco

In his speech, Caleb Ayong, Executive Director of Vital Voices for Africa (VVA) said the annual observance of the World No Tobacco serves “as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our communities, especially our youth. The theme for this year resonates deeply: “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.” 

“As we step into this critical conversation, let us recognise that our actions today will shape the future for generations to come. We at Vital Voices for Africa are committed to ending the manipulative tactics and strategies of the tobacco industry targeting youths whom we know very well are seen by the tobacco industry as replacements for the 8 million people who die every year from tobacco-related causes. 

“The tobacco industry’s tactics are cunning—targeting our youth, enticing them with flavored products, and perpetuating addiction. But we stand united against this predatory marketing. Our mission is clear: shield our children from the clutches of tobacco, empower them with knowledge, and advocate for policies that prioritise their health.”

Ayong also linked tobacco control to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that tobacco use undermines health and welfare goals. “Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start before the age of 18, making the industry’s youth-targeted marketing particularly harmful,” he said.

Also speaking, Oluchi Joy Robert highlighted how transnational tobacco companies exploit Nigeria’s large youth population. The industry’s tactics include appealing packaging, covert advertising in media, flavored products, and easy accessibility via online platforms. 

“The economic burden of smoking is significant, with a large portion borne by developing countries,” she noted, calling for robust data collection to inform policy. 

Earlier, Executive Director, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip 

Jakpor stated that research shows that about one-third of youth experimentation with tobacco results from industry marketing and advertising.

He said: “Research shows that about one third of youth experimentation with tobacco occurs as a result of tobacco industry marketing and tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Worldwide, 78 per cent of young people aged 13-15 years report regular exposure to some form of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. 

“More recent researches show that children as young as 10 are also getting inducted into smoking due to their exposure to the internet and other factors that we will hear about today. 

“In ensuring our governments take the WNTD message for this year seriously, the media must play a strategic role in exposing what the industry does and most importantly, write or broadcast incisive reports to elicit policy level interventions. It is the media that must put our governments on their toes to ensure they do not shirk their primary responsibility of protecting our children. 

“This understanding informed our organising this capacity building discussion to further hone the reporting skills of participants. We are happy that this event has brought the different regions and countries of Africa together to speak with one voice on one issue of primary concern.”

Achieng Otieno presented on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its alignment with children’s rights. 

The FCTC includes measures like bans on advertising targeting minors, smoke-free policies, and access to education about tobacco risks. “Children have the right to breathe clean air and be free from the harms of tobacco,” Otieno emphasised. 

The Role of the Media in Tobacco Control

For Jakpor, the role of the media in tobacco control cannot be overstated. From producing captivating reports on youth tobacco smoking to the MPOWER package of the WHO, which focuses on six effective measures to reduce demand for tobacco products. 

While the W denotes the “Warn about the dangers of tobacco“, which is a role that the media is tasked with carrying out, Jakpor added that the media shapes tobacco-related knowledge, opinions and influences individuals and policy-makers. 

For signatories to the WHO –Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC),  mass media anti-tobacco campaigns are key components of their TC programmes, he added. 

Shedding light on where to get tobacco stories that concern children, he listed tobacco farms and factories; social media platforms, hospitals, schools, entertainment centres, homes of victims and even shopping malls. 

On who to interview, he said for stories to be seen as credible, the right people should be interviewed like tobacco farmers, students, children themselves, parents, medical professionals, government officials, victims of tobacco use, tobacco control groups, and

 teachers, among others.

He however charged journalists to remember that good stories must also go with the right pictures or videos like resonating ones like child slavery in tobacco farms, secret smoking parties and other largely documented pictures in Nigeria. 

Above all these, he said a journalist must have passion to expose what the industry has to hide in annual reports, allies internal reports, news sources, newsletters, annual general meetings, and social media accounts. 

In his charge to journalists, Caleb said they hold immense power—the power of the pen, the lens, and the microphone. “Your words can ignite change, expose industry lies, and inspire action. Today, let us pledge to amplify the voices of our youth, to unmask the tobacco industry’s deception, and to create a world where every child breathes freely. 

“Together, we can turn the tide. Let us be the storytellers who illuminate the path toward a tobacco-free future. Thank you for joining us on this crucial journey.”

In essence, the webinar was a powerful reminder of the media’s role in shaping public health policies and protecting the next generation from the dangers of tobacco. 

Discerning travelers flying British Airways from Lagos can now experience a whole new level of comfort and luxury as the airline has unveiled a stunningly renovated lounge at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, marking the completion of a six-month transformation project, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes 

 British Airways has opened a totally renovated luxurious lounge in Lagos airport following a six-month refurbishment.  The space has been cleverly designed to give customers more room to enjoy an upgraded food and beverage experience. It allows customers to relax, dine or work in a premium space, while also proudly exhibiting local art from Akoje Gallery.

Customers will be transported into a new contemporary lounge as soon as they pass through the grand entrance with floor to ceiling glass.  Following significant investment, the airline has created zones throughout the 360 square metres of space to cater for different customers’ needs.  

For those who want to dine ahead of the evening flight to London, there is a self-serve dining area with a wide selection of freshly made dishes.  The food and drink menu offers a range of Nigerian classics and British inspired dishes which will change regularly.  Customers can also pull up a chair at a newly built bar where a bartender will serve drinks including cocktails, wine, and soft drinks.   Champagne and canapes will also be offered to customers travelling in First.

To commemorate British Airways’ strong association with Nigeria, art from local artists will be displayed across the lounge.  The airline has launched a partnership with Akoje Gallery – founded by Maro Itoje and Khalil Akar – to curate an innovative new in-lounge exhibition featuring and celebrating guest artists.  The first showcase of works is themed ‘New Beginnings’ to celebrate the lounge opening.  

The selected artists will centre their works around the chosen theme. The first artists are Olawunmi Banjo: Two paintings titled The Wait I and II;   Qozeem Abdul Rahman: A Large painting titled The Guardian; and Steve Ekpenisi: A large metal sculpture titled Ulaga. 

The newly imagined lounge space features a quiet room with day beds, while the main area features relaxing comfy sofas and clusters of tables and chairs.  Customers needing to work can take advantage of new printing facilities.  

Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We’re focused on investing in the entire customer journey, not just on board.  For many of our customers, lounges are an important part of their experience, and the re-design of our Lagos lounge is a key part of our transformation strategy across our lounges around the world.

We’re delighted to open our doors to this stunning lounge in Lagos and we’re confident customers will enjoy spending time in this cleverly created space.”

The lounge is open to customers travelling in Club World (business) and first, as well as Silver and Gold Executive Club Members.

Khalil Akar, The Akoje Gallery adds: “We are honoured to partner with British Airways and give local Nigerian artists the chance to showcase their talents in the brand-new Lagos Lounge. We hope British Airways passengers enjoy the immersion in Nigerian culture and the artists’ contribution to their local art community.”

British Airways operates a daily flight between London Heathrow and Lagos, BA75 departs London Heathrow at 11.50, arriving at 18.15. BA74 departs Lagos at 22.45, arriving at 05.25+1.  The preferred aircraft is 787-10, the airline’s newest aircraft.  Customers have four cabins to choose from: First, Club World (business), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and World Traveller (Economy).