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Anambra State Government has accused former governor of the state, Peter Obi, of making false claims about the debt profile and financial records he left behind when he left office in 2014.

The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, on Wednesday, alleged that eight external loans contracted during Obi’s administration had an outstanding balance of N127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026, while also challenging his claim that he left over N2.13 billion in an ecological fund account.

The statement was issued in response to a recent post by Obi on what he described as ‘Phantom Debts and Ecological Loan Fallacy’, which the former governor appeared to have made in reaction to comments by the state Commissioner for Finance.

Mefor said the state government considered it necessary to respond because the issues involved public funds and debts that the present administration was still servicing.

He said records from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that eight external loans obtained during Obi’s tenure remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026.

The loans, according to the statement, were for the Malaria Control Booster Project, Third National Fadama Development Project, Health System Development Project II, Malaria Control Booster Project (Additional Financing), State Education Programme Investment Project, Community and Social Development Project, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, and Value Chain Development Project.

The government said the loans were originally valued at $123.77 million, while $92.35 million remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026, equivalent to N127.37 billion.

The statement said Obi’s administration had contracted the loans for projects covering malaria control, education, healthcare, community development, erosion control and agricultural value-chain development.

The state government said it was not opposed to borrowing where such funds were deployed to bankable projects and human capital development, adding that the current administration had continued to service the debts.

‘We are not complaining. It is good for Anambra once we can show the impacts,’ the statement quoted the government as saying.

The government also claimed that Obi spent about $4.05 billion during his eight years in office, which it said would amount to about N5.4 trillion when converted at the current official exchange rate.

It, however, acknowledged that governments could not be expected to complete all development projects within their tenure.

The government alleged that despite the expenditure, Obi left the state with challenges in areas including public water supply, education, healthcare, insecurity and infrastructure.

It claimed that 44 per cent of communities in the state, amounting to 78 out of 179 communities, did not have public primary schools, while only about 27 per cent of residents patronised public health institutions.

The state government also accused the former governor of leaving behind unpaid salary, pension and gratuity liabilities.

According to the statement, the current administration had cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers.

It, however, said some legacy liabilities dating back to previous administrations remained outstanding.

The government specifically mentioned salary arrears owed to workers of the defunct Water Corporation, saying the current administration had negotiated a settlement and paid the first two instalments of an agreed three-instalment arrangement.

It also alleged that 16 months of salary arrears owed to primary school teachers under the local government system had been verified and certified during Obi’s administration, but that only five months were eventually paid.

The state government said it had constituted a committee headed by the Head of Service to conduct a fresh verification of the outstanding liabilities.

The most contentious issue raised in the statement was Obi’s claim concerning an alleged N2.13 billion balance in a First Bank account at the UNIZIK branch in Awka.

The former governor had reportedly stated that he left more than N2.13 billion in the account when he left office on March 17, 2014, and challenged the state government to prove otherwise.

But Mefor said the government had obtained a certified statement of the account and discovered that it was an internally generated revenue (IGR) consolidated revenue account, rather than an ecological fund account.

He further claimed that the account records showed no inflow or balance corresponding to N2.13 billion from the time the account was opened in 2011 to date.

The commissioner therefore challenged Obi to explain where the money was kept, arguing that the account he cited did not support the claim.

The government also dismissed the N75 billion savings or investment reportedly attributed to the former administration as ‘phantom’, noting that the claim had been disputed by the previous administration.

Mefor said the state government was responding to the former governor in the interest of transparency and accountability, insisting that it remained focused on delivering development to the people of Anambra.

Raffaele Annecchino, a transformative figure in the global media industry and former President and CEO of Paramount International, suddenly passed away at 55 years old. He was widely respected for his strategic vision, entrepreneurial mindset and ability to guide major media organisations through periods of profound change.

Over more than twenty-five years at Paramount/ViacomCBS, Annecchino rose from an early commercial role in Madrid to lead the company’s international operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. As CEO of Paramount International, he steered the business’s shift from broadcasting to digital, driving the international rollout of Paramount+, the global expansion of Pluto TV, and the creation of the SkyShowtime joint venture with Comcast.

‘Raffaele was a deeply valued colleague and a dear friend,’ said Alex Okosi, former EVP, BET International and Paramount Africa. ‘He built lasting trust, inspired those around him to think bigger, and always made time to uplift people. His impact on the global media industry is undeniable, and his warmth, generosity and spirit will be just as enduring. He will be deeply missed.’

He built long-term partnerships with major players, including Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice and Viaplay, and oversaw the growth of networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Channel 5 in the UK, while supporting production hubs across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. His impact was felt especially in Africa, where colleagues in Nigeria remember a leader who made the region feel central to the business.

‘He guided the EMEA business through an extraordinarily difficult period, particularly during COVID, with exemplary leadership, empathy and humanity,’ said Bada Akintunde-Johnson, former Country Manager, Paramount Africa, Nigeria. ‘What I will especially remember was his genuine interest in Africa and the way he made those of us in the region’s executive leadership feel that our business, our people and our contributions truly mattered within the broader organisation.’

‘Raffaele was one of those leaders whose presence was genuinely felt. He had a deep love for Africa and carried that with him,’ said Solafunmi Oyeneye, former Senior Channels Manager, Paramount Africa, Nigeria. ‘Even those of us several layers removed from him remember him with enormous warmth and affection. He was deeply respected, genuinely loved, and will be very fondly remembered.’

After leaving Paramount, Annecchino founded Blue Ocean Media Partners, a global consultancy focused on innovation, transformation and strategic growth.

‘Raffaele had a profound impact on my career and on me personally. He saw potential in people and championed their growth,’ said Fathima Beckmann, former SVP, Global Inclusion, Paramount International. ‘Raffaele was an extraordinary leader, visionary and ambitious, yet deeply human, generous with his encouragement and always willing to share his wisdom.’

Colleagues remember Annecchino not only for his strategic acumen but for his warmth, humanity and ability to inspire trust wherever he went.

His legacy reflects the themes that defined his life’s work – embracing new technologies, building international bridges and reimagining the future of media – and he leaves behind a global impact that will continue to shape the industry he helped transform.

Giving the piece of advice in Ilorin on Wednesday at the turbaning ceremony of the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, the vice president also cited the disposition of his boss, President Bola Tinubu, whom he said accepted liability for the immediate past administration of President Buhari.

The Vice President, who said that eyebrows were raised by many people in 2023 when the Tinubu administration announced that it inherited only $3.9bn, added that Tinubu ignored the complaints, insisting that he had inherited both the assets and liabilities of his predecessor.

Shettima said Tinubu was decent and played no bitter politics with his predecessor.

He said the easiest way to offend Tinubu was to abuse Buhari, explaining that if one does that, no matter how close such a person is to him, he would call his bluff and walk away.

The vice president said though other people may have their views about the president, his own perspective from his encounter with him is that ‘he is a decent man’.

‘Against perception or criticism, the president I serve as his assistant is a good man. My own perception of him and closeness with him, proves to me that he’s a decent man. When we assume the mantle of leadership, what we had in the kitty was less than S3.9billion. Our economy was tethering on the verge of collapse. But president Bola Ahmed Tinubu refused to pass the blame. He inherited assets and liabilities of his predecessor. And you and I can bear witness, that many hurdles were before him towards getting the candidature of the APC. We have 19 states from the North. Apart from Sanni Bello and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. To avoid controversy, I’ll stop naming others. But governors supporting Tinubu were not more than six’.

Shettima urged his colleague politicians to play politics without bitterness saying ‘the beauty of politics is that there is no permanent enemy but permanent interest.

Shettima also advised that politicians, whenever they are in power, should use power with humility and for the service of God and humanity.

He said as it happens that politicians spend the greater part of their lives outside power than in power, a hint has been given about the importance of using power with humility.

The Vice President, while congratulating Abdulrazaq on his chieftaincy title, said the governor, by virtue of his pedigree and that of his family background, deserves the title.

‘It’s sobering for all of us to humble ourselves before God and humanity. Time heals, and time solves all problems. Here with me are colleagues who have served this nation many years ago. Senator Abubakar Sanni Bello was a governor. My friend, Mohammed Bello Adoki was a former Attorney General and minister of Justice. There are former senators here. The truism of what I’m driving home is that let’s embrace each other. Let us have the courage to forgive one another. Let’s have the humility to serve humanity with less fight. Power is one of the favours Allah bestows on us. We’re in power not because of our pedigree. There are people of superior pedigree than us here. We’re in power not because of our intellect. There are people who are endowed with intellect than us here. After all, wife of our governor is a professor. I call on us to unite in this political season. What binds us together supersedes whatever that divides.

‘I’m not speaking as a politician, but I’m speaking as your brother and as a fellow Nigerian. If it’s about money, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu can do a lot here, but he simply submitted to superior power. So, I want to call on us all to play politics without bitterness.’

Kwara has recorded a significant rise in internally generated revenue as more residents and businesses enter the tax system, with the state’s IGR increasing from N69.19 billion in 2024 to N92.19 billion in 2025.

Speaking with journalists during commissioning of the 11-storey office building of the service, named Revenue House, in Ilorin on Wednesday, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), Shade Omoniyi, said that the development reflects growing taxpayer compliance and efforts to make tax administration easier for residents.

The KWIRS boss said the number of taxpayer records maintained by the Service has also grown from fewer than 50,000 when she assumed office to more than 1.4 million currently.

‘The KW-IRS records show that the state’s IGR rose from N35.45 billion in 2022 to N56.42 billion in 2023, N69.19 billion in 2024 and N92.19 billion in 2025′.

Omoniyi attributed the growth partly to improved technology, better data collection and efforts to build taxpayers’ confidence in the system.

She said the Service was no longer interested in constantly chasing taxpayers to comply, but was working towards creating a system where people would willingly come forward to fulfil their tax obligations.

‘Data is key to ensure that I have all the information I need as far as how to assess you. I don’t want to over-assess you. I don’t want to under-assess you either’, she said.

According to her, the expansion of the taxpayer database would enable the Service to assess taxpayers more accurately while reducing cases of multiple visits to different offices.

She also said that the new Revenue House was designed to address the challenge of hitherto scattered strategic departments across different parts of Ilorin.

The 11-storey building, she said, would bring the major departments together and provide space for about 600 staff, while also creating a one-stop centre for taxpayers.

Omoniyi said the project was financed from savings made from budgetary allocations previously set aside for consultants.

She explained that after assuming office, the Service reviewed the basis for paying consultants and began paying according to services rendered rather than total revenue collected.

By the end of 2022, she said, the Service had saved about N3.9 billion and reported the funds to the state government.

She said the state government subsequently approved the use of part of the savings for the construction of the Revenue House.

The new facility is also expected to provide additional services, including a banking hall, e-Centre, vehicle and driver’s licence services, a crèche, gym, restaurant and rentable spaces.

Omoniyi said these facilities were deliberately included to make the building partly self-sustaining and support its long-term maintenance.

She added that two floors would be rented out, while the banking premises, restaurant and charges for photography and other commercial activities would generate income for the maintenance of the facility.

On the issue of revenue management, the KW-IRS chairman clarified that the Service does not have access to the money it collects on behalf of the state.

She said the agency’s responsibility was to assess, collect and account for revenue, while the funds go into the state government’s IGR account.

‘I’m not a signatory to the IGR account’, she said, explaining that the Service’s role was to meet the revenue targets assigned to it.

Omoniyi also said the Service had continued to automate revenue collection across the state, noting that cash collection had been eliminated in several government facilities, including hospitals.

She said the long-term objective was to ensure that services available at the new Revenue House could also be accessed by taxpayers across the 16 local government areas through technology.

The KW-IRS boss acknowledged that enforcement activities sometimes generate resistance, citing the recent controversy surrounding revenue enforcement involving landlords in Malete.

She said the agency deliberately carried out the exercise during the period when students were away because the enforcement was targeted at landlords and not students.

According to her, improved understanding of the role of the revenue authority would ultimately help reduce mistrust and encourage voluntary compliance.

‘We want you to own your own. Because you are comfortable with the services we render, come over to us to pay,’ she said.

A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be cautious in handling the demand by APC governors that he should distance himself from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the emerging Rainbow Coalition.

Okechukwu, in a press release issued on Wednesday, described some of those behind the demand as ‘Few Pretender Governors’ within the party.

He said the matter should have been handled through internal party channels rather than being brought to the public domain.

‘In my 48 years of participation in Nigerian party politics, I have never seen where such an elementary issue was pretentiously thrown open. Don’t you have access to Mr. President, and what is the proverbial caucus meant for?’ Okechukwu queried.

‘My summation is simple: Mr. President, beware of pretenders.’

The APC chieftain said some of the governors pushing for Wike to be sidelined had not delivered sufficiently on dividends of democracy in their states.

He cautioned the President not to fall into what he described as a political trap arising from weaknesses in a few states.

Okechukwu argued that there was nothing wrong with President Tinubu maintaining his political relationship with Wike, given the FCT Minister’s role in the 2023 presidential election.

‘It is not improper for Mr. President to maintain the alliance with Wike after we harvested the Wike masquerade, which not only boosted our great party’s votes in 2023, but also denied His Excellency Atiku Abubakar substantial votes and will mobilise voters in states where some governors had alienated the electorate by personalising power,’ he said.

Responding to the position of the Progressive Governors Forum that they would lead the campaign for President Tinubu in 2027, Okechukwu said the President had not sidelined the governors.

According to him, what the President needs is supplementary support from other political structures, especially in areas where the electorate feels marginalised.

‘Mr. President has never overlooked the governors. All he wants is supplementary votes from Wike, especially in states where the electorate is angry.

‘The governors should therefore concentrate on strengthening their relationship with the electorate rather than asking Mr. President to abandon a political alliance that could broaden the APC’s electoral reach.’

Okechukwu urged President Tinubu to keep his options open and maintain a broad political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Traders at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on Monday protested the alleged expansion of Chinese merchants into retail trading, expressing fears that the development could push Nigerian businesses out of the market.

The protest was later suspended following interventions by the leadership of the Traders Association, local government officials and the police.

The traders’ main concern centres on allegations that Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers are increasingly moving beyond supplying goods to local businesses and opening retail outlets within the market.

Speaking on the development in a recent Facebook post, a social commentator, Martin Beck Nworah, said the development is causing concern among local traders and distributors who believe the direct entry of Chinese wholesalers into retail is disrupting the traditional trading structure.

Nworah said the traders alleged that Chinese merchants were bypassing local middlemen, selling directly to consumers at prices comparable to wholesale rates and making it difficult for Nigerian retailers to compete.

‘The entire trading model is based on the middleman, and once the wholesaler becomes the middleman, the retailer is edged out.

‘It is not yet too late for business leaders and the government to discuss a strategy to encourage collaboration and protect all relevant interests.

‘Left on their own, I do not see these local traders surviving because the Chinese wholesalers have direct access to low-interest credit from home and can afford to import more, sell for less and capture the market easily,’ he said.

The concerns were also reflected in a video shared by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in which one of the protesters warned that the continued expansion of Chinese merchants could have long-term consequences for Nigerian traders.

‘If this continues, I am telling you, five to six years from now, your shops will be taken away from you,’ the trader said.

The trader acknowledged the importance of the relationship between Nigerian traders and their Chinese business partners but objected to what he described as Chinese merchants taking over retail activities traditionally carried out by Nigerians.

‘What we are saying is that the personal relationship between us and the Chinese is important to us, but they should not do our business.

‘They came and built warehouses, rented shops and are now selling as we do as retailers. If we send a waybill, they copy the customer’s number. We no longer make sales.

‘If you import goods, they slash their prices lower than ours and sell to our customers. Is this how we would continue? Our forefathers, who did this business before us, was this how they did it? If this continues, five years from now, your shop will be taken away from you,’ he said.

In a separate clip, the trader alleged that the growing competition could leave Nigerian traders economically dependent, saying, ‘They want to turn us into slaves,’ as others in the crowd chorused, ‘Say no to China.’

Nworah, however, urged traders to look beyond protests and consider partnerships and local manufacturing as possible responses to the changing business environment.

‘While waiting for proper government-backed guidance, wealthy traders who can afford to go into manufacturing should do so now. If you cannot do it alone, team up with your social clubs and do something.

‘If you cannot produce the finished product here in Nigeria, find an aspect of the value chain you can support and own right here at home.

‘Protests will not solve economic problems because buyers will always seek out the best prices they can get. Collaboration will work best because these traders get most of their goods from China. Stakeholders need to discuss and map out a solution as soon as possible,’ he added.

The rapid adoption of AI has brought a new tech dilemma into the spotlight. The data centers that power everyday AI use are running into a thermal wall that traditional air cooling can no longer service. Without top-tier cooling systems in place, performance and stability suffer. In response, industry leaders, such as Nvidia, Google, and Oracle, have transitioned away from air cooling to sophisticated liquid-cooling architectures as the new fundamental requirement.

The industry-wide takeaway is clear. Performance today isn’t limited by power; it’s limited by heat. In less than two decades, smartphones have evolved into pocket-sized computers capable of console-level gaming, AI processing, and sustained high-performance workloads. That phenomenal leap in pint-sized computing power comes with the same fundamental cooling constraint as large-scale data centers. The new challenge is keeping handheld devices cool under pressure while maintaining performance.

Now that same cooling upgrade is making its way into our handheld devices. The Infinix GT 50 Pro gaming-focused smartphone is built using those enterprise-level thermal management principles, applying them to cutting-edge cooling technology in the palm of your hand. If it’s good enough for the xAI ‘Colossus’ supercomputer, it’s more than capable of taking your gaming sessions further.

Why smartphone performance breaks down

You’re on your smartphone, gaming smoothly (high frame rates, responsive controls), but after about 15 minutes, things begin to change. There are frame drops, inconsistent FPS, and the device starts to feel less stable as heat builds. This is thermal throttling in real time, and it’s the ultimate barrier to peak performance.

Once device temperatures rise beyond a safe threshold, the system automatically slows itself down to protect the hardware. Long sessions can reveal the gap between what a chip is capable of and what it can maintain without proper cooling technology.

The Infinix GT 50 Pro’s engineering breakthrough uses HydroFlow Liquid Cooling System (the same large-scale active-circulation logic used in AI data centers) in a smartphone. It features the industry’s largest micro-pump liquid-cooling system, covering 100% of the core heat source, removing heat for sustained high performance during heavy usage.

The following video shows the GT 50 Pro’s vapor chamber plate on the left and its liquid cooling module on the right.

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Extra cooling with the GT Magcharge Cooler 2.0

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In addition to built-in liquid cooling tech, the GT 50 Pro can be used with the GT Magcharge Cooler 2.0, an external cooling accessory and charger that extracts heat from your phone during extended gaming sessions. Paired with your original charger and cable, the GT Magcharge Cooler 2.0 uses wireless bypass charging to reduce battery strain, routing power directly to the phone’s system instead of constantly cycling through the battery.

When used together, the GT 50 Pro and GT Magcharge Cooler 2.0’s dual approach works internally and externally to draw heat away from the smartphone’s core for stable performance without slowdowns and hiccups. The cooling fan is aligned with the liquid cooling membrane design to improve heat transfer and overall thermal efficiency.

Performance and design beyond cooling

Cutting-edge cooling is at the core of the GT 50 Pro’s innovation, but it’s what that stability enables that defines its overall performance. By pushing past the thermal wall constraints, the GT 50 Pro takes full advantage of its hardware and software, providing a gaming experience that typical smartphones struggle to sustain.

Competitive gaming advances

The GT 50 Pro aims to set a new benchmark for competitive gaming by incorporating refined software updates, including a deeply immersive, updated esports mode and a suite of AI-driven enhancements that improve stability, responsiveness, and overall gameplay experience.

With a single tap, you can toggle to esports mode and engage a focused environment that blocks notifications and uses a specialized interface for elite-level play. The phone’s resources are then optimized for gaming, providing consistent performance during extended sessions.

At the GT 50 Pro’s core, the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultimate chipset supports native 144FPS gameplay across six major titles, including CODM, MLBB, Blood Strike, and more. It offers ultra-smooth, power-efficient performance for a sustained competitive advantage. This experience is further supported by Infinix’s self-developed N1 Network Chip, which improves signal stability, even in challenging network environments.

The Open-Cut, Pressure-Sense GT Trigger supports faster reaction times that go beyond the limits of a standard touchscreen. Tap, press, and swipe on just one key for complete control over your gameplay. Plus, the customizable shoulder keys offer 10 adjustable sensitivity levels to customize the smartphone to your exact needs.

On the software side, XOS 16 brings AI gaming enhancements for faster, more consistent gameplay. The Smart Trigger recognizes in-game images to perform preset operations, such as reward collection, so that you can stay focused during high-pressure moments. And AI voice prompts keep you ahead of the curve with vocal cues for advanced strategies.

All these features come wrapped in a Kevlar-inspired texture with a sleek, hypercar aesthetic that represents the power within. The textured 3D finish is available in three colorways (black abyss, red blaze, and silver glacier), and the mechanical light wave design supports up to eight styles and eight colors to personalize the final look. To top it all off, the back panel has a transparent window for viewing the GT 50 Pro’s liquid-cooling architecture in action.

Evolving the new GT ecosystem

The Infinix GT 50 Pro marks a clear milestone in the evolution of the GT series. What started as a bold, cyberpunk-inspired gaming-centric smartphone with the GT 10 has evolved into a refined smartphone gaming experience in the GT 50 Pro. Over the years, the GT series has prioritized sustained performance by finding a balance between power, thermal control, and gaming features.

Now, Infinix is training its focus on cultivating a new GT ecosystem that aims to be an esports sanctuary of hardware, accessories, and AI-powered peripherals. The GT 50 Pro, GT Magcharge Cooler 2.0, GTWATCH 5 Pro, GTBUDS 5, and GTPOWER POD 10K are all part of a continually expanding group of hardware to empower the hardcore gaming community.

From within this community and through its GT Gaming Co-Lab, Infinix is collaborating with global game publishers to optimize its software and deliver user-centric designs. The brand has focused on addressing real user pain points and building flagship-level products that are accessible to gamers everywhere.

A new standard for the performance era

Liquid cooling architecture is becoming a defining requirement for sustained performance in the tech ecosystem, not just large-scale AI data centers. Mobile performance hits the thermal wall when it relies exclusively on traditional air cooling, cutting off its true capabilities at the knees. The Infinix GT 50 Pro places itself ahead of the curve, using liquid-cooling principles to improve performance and allow its software to operate more consistently under pressure.

As hardware continues to evolve, liquid cooling is poised to be the rule rather than the exception. Even the most powerful chips lose their punch without the cooling capabilities to support sustained output. The Infinix GT 50 Pro reflects this broader shift and the closing gap between data-center engineering and consumer devices.

Future performance won’t be determined by who has the fastest chip alone, but by who can stay cool under pressure and sustain performance when it matters most.

PROFESSIONALS in Nigeria’s travel and tourism industry were confident that the sector is capable of hitting the $100 billion mark, by 2030, set by the Federal Government, if its critical stakeholders are intentional about achieving such goal.

The nation’s tourism sector is presently valued at $14billion.

The experts made the declaration at the Ember2Remember Stakeholders’ Conference and the official launch of Nigeria’s coordinated September-to-December 100-day Calendar of festivals, concerts and cultural events, in Lagos, on Monday.

The CEO, MyCityApp, Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwu, noted that while building a $100 billion tourism economy sounded ambitious, evidence, globally, however, showed that such was achievable.

‘In 2024, tourism contributed over $270 billion to Spain’s economy, about $289 billion to France and more than $2.5 trillion to the economy of the United States.

‘So, the question is not whether a $100 billion tourism economy is possible. It is: why not Nigeria?’ she queried.

She therefore advised stakeholders to avail themselves the opportunity of turning visitor’s experience of the nation’s rich culture, and vibrant creative industry, into economic value.

She explained that the idea of Ember2Remember initiative stemmed from the need to close the gap of fragmented information regarding events at this period, with MyCityApp and MyLagosApp, serving as digital engine for the National Digital Calendar.

‘Events are all over the social media, another festival may have existed for 50 years, yet someone outside that community has never heard about it. That is the gap we want to close,’ she added.

She explained that the digital engine would bring events and experiences across Nigeria into one place and push them through a 360-degree media ecosystem to Nigerians.

Speaking on ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s $100 billion Tourism and Creative Economy Opportunity,’ Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, stated that every year, particularly between September and December, millions of Nigerians and visitors travel, celebrate, reconnect and spend across the nation’s cities and communities.

She explained that the thinking behind the Ember to Remember initiative was designed to convert those activities into sustainable economic value.

The minister commended the chief executive of My City App for being instrumental to driving the initiative, while also expressing the ministry’s commitment to supporting the initiative and working with the private sector to take it to greater heights.

Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Africa, Paul Onwuanibe, described the target as a low benchmark when viewed against the backdrop of the immense potential in the sector.

According to him, for Nigeria to achieve such target, therefore, stakeholders must own the narratives about the Nigerian brand.

He added that for the country’s very rich potential and culture to be effectively showcased to the outside world, it must be well- packaged to attract investors.

He urged stakeholders, especially the government to see tourism not as a decoration, but a serious business, involving both national and sub-national governments.

He also advocated for a single tourism desk in the country to facilitate tourists’ experiences, while also calling for the concession of some of the nation’s tourist sites, such as Olumo Rock, Nike Lake and others to enable it to fast-track growth in the sector.