Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Nigerian Hydrological Services has advised Niger riverine communities the River Niger and Kaduna to relocate.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah and made available to journalists in Minna on Thursday.

The statement added that the Agency’s warning is coming as a result of the discharge of water from Kainji, Shiroro, Zungeru and Jeba hydro dams located in Niger state.

The NSEMA boss said, ‘The dams are releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute that could lead to the overflow of these rivers.

‘The state government hereby advise our communities to limit activities around River banks during this peak rainy season to avoid being flooded.

‘People living in riverine areas should relocate to safer grounds already identified. NiMeT’s latest prediction indicated that the end of the rainy season will be accompanied by a violent windstorm; as such, people should avoid standing under trees during rainfall and also avoid substandard structures.

‘The state is already experiencing the negative impact of the flooding with houses, farm lands, bridges, and linked roads washed away in some LGAs located upstream and downstream of the 4 dams, rendering many homeless and affecting the socio-economic activities of the communities.

‘The affected LGAs include Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro and Wushishi.

‘Loss of lives has also been recorded, stressing that the assessments of the flood impacts are still ongoing and periodic updates will be provided.

‘NSEMA, hereby, calls on all the stakeholders, the traditional institutions, well-meaning Nigerlites and the media to help in propagating this information to the general public.’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again restated its concern over the delay in the National Assembly’s review of the existing Electoral Act.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, expressed the electoral umpire’s apprehension on Thursday when he received the Head of the European Union Follow-up Mission, led by Mr. Barry Andrews.

Professor Yakubu maintained that uncertainty over the legal framework for next general elections is a big encumbrance for INEC.

He also told the EU team that some of its recommendations towards improvement on the electoral process in the country rest heavily on legislative intervention by the National Assembly.

He said: ‘As you are aware, an election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. For this reason, the Commission had interfaced with our National Assembly, including a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters (Senate and House of Representatives).

‘We appeal to the National Assembly for an expeditious consideration of the electoral reform proposal. An early passage of law is critical to our planning for the elections. Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the Commission as election draws nearer.’

The INEC Chairman, who commended the EU for its engagement with his Commission aimed at promoting the integrity of the electoral process, declared that his Commission would be willing to sustain the collaboration.

‘We look forward to the next EU EOM for the 2027 General Election. As you are aware, International Election Observation Missions are deployed on the invitation of the Commission. I want to reassure you that we will continue to engage with you.

‘Very soon, the Commission will send out invitations to the EU as well as the Commonwealth, the African Union, and ECOWAS for the 2027 General Election. We believe that the recommendations arising from your observation of our election and electoral process help to improve the quality of our elections and electoral activities.’

In his remarks, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, who incidentally is a member of the European Parliament, said the focus of his team is to verify the response to the recommendations of the EU team that monitored the last general elections.

Andrews, who revealed that his team has been around in the last three weeks, applauded INEC’s genuine commitment to recommendations that would add value to the electoral process in Nigeria.

He said: ‘What we are here to do is to look at the recommendations that flowed from the overall mission, which were contained in the final report of the mission back in 2023, and we are very happy to see that there has been very significant progress against these recommendations. We recognise that there are certain time constraints, both in terms of judicial reform as well as administrative reform and, of course, constitutional reform.

‘INEC has obviously carried out its own review of the 2023 elections, and we’ll be looking forward to hearing what you have to report on the recommendations and the follow-up and implementation of those recommendations since 2023.

‘There are specific areas that require legislative action that I’ve referred to in my opening comments, and we would be delighted as a team to hear from you about what progress has been made and what concerns you have about obstacles in the future, and particularly around constitutional change, which is obviously a little bit more difficult.’

Other members of the visiting delegation were Mr. Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Mr. Ralph-Michael Peters, Election Expert and Team Lead; Ms. Eirini-Maria Gounari, Election Legal Expert.

Others were Mr. Maros Gabriel, Election Administration Expert, and Ms. Laolu Olawumi, Programme Manager, Democracy and Rule of Law, EU Delegation.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed grave concern over the ongoing action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), warning that the action amounts to self-help and tantamount to economic sabotage capable of derailing the country’s fragile economic recovery.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, emphasised that: ‘conflict is an inevitable feature of the labour ecosystem, and Nigeria has statutory and institutional frameworks designed to address any disputes, including the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN). Any action capable of discouraging investment, undermining enterprises sustainability, or harming the workers that the unions claim to protect will be counter productive. While trade unions have the legitimate right to embark on industrial action, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the bounds of the law.

‘It is unacceptable for any union to conscript or coerce those not interested in its action or disrupt the operations of legitimate businesses not party to the dispute. Treating Institutions of labour administration with disdain and resorting to self-help is not only absurd but also against all known Conventions and Recommendations. When employers or workers are aggrieved, there are Institutions created to adjudicate or arbitrate in such matters. Nigeria’s recovering economy cannot be sacrificed on the altar of actions and pronouncements that are alien to global and local industrial relations practice’, he added.

Speaking further, the DG noted that: ‘uninformed and disruptive actions that could jeopardise the nation’s economic survival are neither envisaged nor acceptable in global labour practice. NECA will not be a passive onlooker as the foundation of Nigeria’s labour ecosystem is trampled upon. While we acknowledge the right to strike, such rights cannot infringe on the rights of others or threaten the survival of enterprises.’

Citing international labour instruments, including ILO Conventions 87 and 98, Mr. Oyerinde reaffirmed NECA’s commitment to upholding global labour standards, decent work and responsible business conduct, while not negotiating employers’ rights to manage their enterprises and investments within the ambit of the law. He stressed that the protection afforded to union officials under international conventions does not extend to sabotage, coercion, or actions that undermine legitimate businesses or threaten national security.

Mr. Oyerinde called on the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment to act decisively by stopping the wanton and wilful denigration of Nigeria’s industrial relations system. He stated that ‘with Nigeria sending one of the highest delegations to the ILO Conference annually, it is curious that basic industrial relations principles, Conventions, and Recommendations remain poorly applied.’ He called for the dispute to be resolved through lawful and constructive channels, warning that failure to act decisively could have far-reaching consequences for economic sustainability, job creation and preservation, investment attraction and promotion and national development.

PDP is confused, members of the public should disregard the claim, says APC spokesperson

THE Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday raised an alarm over an alleged plan by the sacked APC chairmen in the state to illegally pay out almost N13 billion of the state’s local government funds as legal fees.

The party therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the matter, saying that in a leaked letter trending online, one of the sacked chairmen instructed UBA to pay a law firm (name withheld) 15 percent of the allocation paid into the council’s account last week as legal fees.

PDP chairman in the state, Hon Sunday Bisi, described the directive as illegal, saying that the party even gathered authoritatively that the APC ex-chairmen in all the 30 local government councils gave the same instructions to the bank.

‘The total balance in all LG accounts is about N85 billion. Fifteen percent of that amount translates to N12.75 billion which these APC men wanted to pay out as legal fees. Fortunately, the Oyo State High Court order of last Friday stopped them and their scheme,’ he disclosed.

He alleged that the ex-council chairmen used non-council staff members as treasurers and co-signatories of the letters.

‘There is no officer designated as treasurer in the local government scheme of service across the country. Yet these people used individuals who are not local government staff to fill the nonexistent position of treasurer.

‘One of those so used to sign the letter is a non-teaching staff (member) of a private polytechnic in Boluwaduro Local Government Area.

‘It is shocking,’ the PDP chairman said.

According to him, the letter was written a few days ago, instructing a 15% deduction from the accounts of local governments to be paid to a legal practitioner with a UBA account.

The PDP said the sacked chairmen signed ‘IR- REVOCABLE LETTERS OF DE- DUCTION in favour of the law firm, which were forwarded to a branch of UBA.’

The said deduction was to commence from February 2025 to September 2025.

‘The APC has descended to the lowest level with outright impunity and deliberate trampling on the law and the constitution.

‘Despite a court order and a subsisting case before the Supreme Court, the APC is violating all known laws and public finance rules and regulations,’ Hon Bisi said.

An Oyo State High Court on Friday granted an injunction restraining UBA from allowing any payment out of the accounts opened by the APC ex-chairmen, into which the CBN paid the local governments’ seized seven-month allocations.

‘We call on the Inspector General of Police to open criminal investigations into these letters and their authors. All perpetrators of this illegality must be brought to book,’ the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the APC spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, described the claim as falsehood, saying it is far from the truth. He charged members of the public to disregard it.

Olabisi said it is a plot to give APC a bad name in the face of members of the public, and that PDP is confused and does not know the right direction to take any longer.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unperturbed and completely not disturbed about the coalition, under the umbrella of African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing them as ‘food is ready politicians’.

This was just as he said that the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) in 2023 election, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is free to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdulaziz, who made this known during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Kano, added that most of these people now ganging up can best be described as food is ready politicians, frustrated because they thought the business is no longer as usual.

Dismissing political coalitions being championed by some opposition figures, he then described their promoters as ‘politically expired, bitter individuals driven by personal vendetta.

‘You should also know that these are a group of bitter individuals. People driven by personal vendetta and a sense of personal loss.

‘Their concern is not the people, is not the ordinary Nigerians. Their concern is that they are not on the table. And Nigerians have sufficiently understood this. And that is why the coalition is not catching fire as they thought it would,’ he added.

While reacting to questions on whether the presidency was worried about the coalition moves ahead of 2027, he said President Tinubu remained ‘completely unperturbed.’

‘President Tinubu is not in any way jittery about whether it is coalition or any political formation. Because one, is that the people that are championing these things, most of them are politically expired,’ he said.

‘There are people with no political weight or relevance that would jitter the government or the president. We have had serial contesters who had, you know, thrown their hearts into the ring on many occasions. And they were fully lost. And nothing much has changed. In fact, their star is dimming.

‘The so-called coalition leaders were only concerned with their exclusion from power rather than the welfare of Nigerians.’

Abdulaziz maintained that Tinubu’s leadership style was focused on tough but necessary reforms rather than political expediency.

According to him, ‘There is a difference between leadership and politics. Politics is a game of popularity. Leadership is a game of nation building. And that is what President Tinubu is doing.

To really take hard-hitting decisions, even if they affect him personally. But those decisions that he feels are for the good of the country,’ he said, citing infrastructure projects, the student loan scheme, and subsidy reforms as examples.

While commenting on the notion that the administration was concentrating major projects in the South, Abdulaziz said such claims lack substance and political sentiment to court favour by disgruntled politicians.

‘These views were ‘largely political,’ he said, noting that the president has continued with multi-billion-naira projects in the North including the Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway and Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline.

Tinubu’s aide therefore stated that if Tinubu ‘is like other politicians and is wicked or doesn’t like the North, he could leave these projects to be abandoned.

‘He can withhold financing. If there is no financing, these projects will stagnate or will even naturally die. But none of these projects that he inherited, which are massive, are actually stopped,’ he added.

He however noted that the Tinubu-led administration was also embarking on new projects such as the Sokoto-Badagry highway, stressing that development under the president was ‘holistic and not fragmented.’

Also commenting on the move by the presidential candidate of the NNPP in 2023 election, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to rejoin the APC, he noted that everybody is free to come to the party.

‘Tinubu’ is a kind of man, who does not forget his friends, ‘ adding that both Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’, the immediate past National Chairman of the APC and Senator Kwankwaso were his good friends and there is no love lost between them.

‘Therefore, political party is about members adding that if today Senator Kwankwaso is ready to rejoin the APC and others also, the door is wide open for them, as numbers matter most in a political party,’ Abdulaziz added.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Kayode Olasehinde, popularly known as Ajirebi, has opened up on his relationship with filmmaker and producer Funke Akindele after the actress’ support during his trying times.

Speaking on Gbenga Olohunlana’s podcast show called ‘ Osupa’ on Osaga TV on YouTube, Ajirebi praised Akindele’s generosity, recalling how she provided him with financial assistance when he was struggling to secure accommodation.

However, Ajirebi expressed sadness that the relationship took a different turn afterwards, adding that while Akindele prefers to give quietly without drawing attention, her silence and withdrawal have left him feeling neglected.

Ajirebi also acknowledged other colleagues who have stood by him, including Kunle Afod, whom he described as consistently supportive.

According to him, Afod mobilised others to assist him during his difficult period, enabling him to build a house within three weeks.

He further appreciated comedian Woli Agba and Ambassador Muritala Adeyemo, CEO of Pelican Company, who made him an ambassador of the Company, gifted him a car and allocated land for another house project.

He said, ‘Funke Akindele is a very good person, I pray her parents live longer to enjoy the fruits of her labour.

‘I appreciate her so much. She saved me when I was struggling. She did not buy an apartment for me. What hurt me is that she does not pick my calls since she helped me, we did not have any misunderstanding.

‘What I notice about her is that she does not like to help and make it known. When it happened, she gave me money to rent an apartment and I did.

‘Kunle Afod also tried for me, he has been doing things, he has been assisting people for long but not known to everyone, people just found out lately.

‘When life happened to me then, he was the one who told Funke and some other people, the money I got then was enough to get a car but I used the money to build a house. I built that house for three weeks.

‘Afeez Owo, Woli Agba and some others also assist. Someone from Abeokuta also stood up for me, Ambassador Muritala Adeyemo, the Pelican CEO.

‘He made me an ambassador of their company, he gave me a Car and gave me another land to build another house.’

The Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, witnessed a landmark moment recently as Gold Star Line’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership, the MV Sapphire, berthed at APM Terminals.

The vessel, built in 2024 and sailing under the Singapore flag, has a carrying capacity of 7,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Speaking at the event, Todd Rives, Managing Director of Lagos and Niger Shipping Agency Limited (LANSAL), which represents Gold Star Line in Nigeria, described the berthing as a historic milestone.

He recalled that Gold Star Line, incorporated in 1958, remains one of the oldest shipping agencies operating in Nigeria, with a longstanding commitment to customer service.

He stressed that the arrival of the MV Sapphire was more than just a routine docking, but rather a symbol of progress and partnership, designed to reduce voyage costs, promote operational efficiency, and reinforce environmental sustainability.

According to him, the vessel is the beginning of a new era in Nigerian maritime trade, and he expressed optimism that her sister ships would also call at the port in the near future.

Kayode Daniel, Commercial Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, described the moment as a significant achievement for the port and underlined the shared commitment to sustainable maritime practices.

He explained that shipping lines globally are working together to reduce emissions, in line with international sustainability targets.

He praised LANSAL for deploying LNG-powered vessels in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reaffirming that it was aligned with the global APM Terminals ESG goals, to move to cleaner sources of energy thereby reducing carbon emissions.

The Port Manager of the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Adebowale Lawal, represented by the Chief Port Security Officer, Bukar Kaumi, commended Gold Star Line and LANSAL for their foresight.

He noted that the maritime industry is evolving as larger vessels begin to berth at Nigerian ports and stressed the importance of creating an enabling environment for such developments.

Lawal explained that LNG vessels are critical in addressing the challenges of climate change, while at the same time reducing costs and driving economies of scale.

He assured stakeholders of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s commitment to ensuring a viable and competitive environment for trade.

In his remarks, the Controller of the Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Osoba, represented by Deputy Comptroller Musa Sama, congratulated both the shipping line and the terminal operator for what he described as the dawn of a new chapter in maritime transportation.

He applauded the adoption of LNG technology as a bold step towards a cleaner and more efficient logistics chain, reaffirming the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to support and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure seamless trade facilitation and to enable businesses in Apapa to thrive.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has applauded the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Managing Director/CEO of Ibom Airport Development Company, Mr Uwem Ekanem, and the airport board for the successful restoration of night flight operations at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the governor said the exercise, which culminated in the full calibration and overhaul of navigational aids as well as the reinstatement of airfield lighting, was completed within the 30 September deadline he had set.

With the successful execution of the task, the sunrise-to-sunset restriction earlier imposed on the facility has now been lifted, allowing flight operations to continue into the night with immediate effect.

Governor Eno expressed satisfaction that the airport management rose to the occasion, stressing that the achievement was a direct outcome of his administration’s insistence on meeting deliverables under the Arise Agenda within specified timelines.

‘I congratulate the MD/CEO, Mr Uwem Ekanem, the staff, and the board for getting the job done within the timeline. I am equally appreciative of the invaluable role played by NAMA in ensuring the smooth completion of this project,’ the governor stated.

He assured that the government would not relent in providing the necessary support for the state’s aviation infrastructure, pledging further investments in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, the international terminal, and other ongoing projects within the aviation ecosystem.

According to him, the improvements at Victor Attah International Airport are part of broader efforts to position Akwa Ibom as a key player in both aviation and tourism-sectors he described as central to the state’s economic diversification plans.

The governor linked the development to the state’s tourism agenda, pointing out that with night flight operations restored, the movement of tourists and business travellers would no longer be hindered. He noted that this would be particularly beneficial as the state prepares to commission the Arise Resorts in December, which he described as the nation’s premier family-themed resort.

‘Tourism remains a major plank of the Arise Agenda, and this milestone will ensure seamless operations by our flagship airline, Ibom Air, as we welcome tourists and investors into the state during the Yuletide season and beyond,’ he said.

Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Akwa Ibom the tourism haven of Nigeria, adding that with the strides recorded in aviation and hospitality, the state was steadily building a sustainable future with or without oil.

INDEED it is an irony that as a young school teaching, Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (who was to later emerge as the First Executive President in the America styled administration of the defunct second republic) has in 1948 written strongly against the amalgamation. The Northern opposition to the amalgamation process was to be re-enacted against in 1953 debates leading to the call for the independence of the country, when Sir Ahmadu Bello was quoted as saying that the ‘amalgamation process’ was a ‘mistake of 191’. In his book on ‘Nigeria’ the German author Walter Schwarz had quoted Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto as saying ‘I would rather be called Sultan of Sokoto than President of Nigeria’. The above underscores the position about the faith in the geographic expression called Nigeria, previously held by the Northern political elites.

Nationalist movements

The first major constitution for the country since the fusion of administration (amalgamation in 1914) was the Sir Hugh Clifford’s Constitution of 1922). Though the constitution was handed down in veiled reaction to a steady growing feelings of Nationalist movement, its provision failed to completely address the crux of the expectations of the Nigeria elites. The divergence of opinions as between the colonialists and Nationalists may be understandably traceable to a crisis of loyalty and allegiance. The British had for several years after the purported amalgamation, failed and or neglected to translate the full text of the legal concept of amalgamation into a political reality. As much as possible Nigeria had remained a union only for economic reasons and until after the first world war the Northern and Southern sections were being administered as two distinct countries, the south enjoying all the trappings of a normal colony/possession protectorate having an Executive and Legislative councils whilst the Northern part of the country was being ruled by the Governor’s proclamation. In view of this therefore it was difficult for a common outlook amongst the British officials in the North and in the South on the one hand and their wards in the others.

When however following the promulgation of the constitution of Sir Arthur Richards and the division of the country for administrative purposes in 1939, into the Eastern, Northern and Western group of provinces, the colonial administration was reaction to the political reality in Nigeria.

Ever since this administrative division, regional parties had grown from trial organisations. Invariably the largest number of these parties membership were drawn from the regions of the party leaders. The Nigerian Youth movement form in 1934 by Dr. J. C. Vaughan, Ernest Ikoli and Samuel Akinsanya soon disintegrated because of trial jealousies and machinations of rival supporters of Samuel Akinsanya and Ernest Ikoli whop fought over Dr. Kofoworola Abayomi. It was this unhealthy state of affairs which watered the soil of decampings and new entrants into political struggle that greeted the formation on the 24th of August 1944 of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). Suffice it to submit that the emergence of NCNC marked the beginning of Nigeria’s tortuous journey into Nationhood. As events were changing in England politically. The effect of the second world war which was going on can also not be over emphasized in considering factors which convinced the British in believing that there must be a gradual process towards a progressive disengagement from her colonies. With the intention of forestalling nationalist demands the British unfolded their plans for constitutional reforms in Nigeria.

Preparation for independence

The Richard constitution therefore tried to address some of the demands of the nationalists by enlarging membership of the legislative council to forty-three. For the first time also the jurisdiction was countrywide unlike what happened before wherein the Northern region was being administered separately. The constitution also contained the provision which related to election of four members, three representing Lagos and one, Calabar. Regional legislatures were established in Enugu, Ibadan and Kaduna with an upper house of Chiefs in the North where the Emirs have been so important and necessary for the purposes of the Colonial administration.

The powers of these regional legislatures were clearly defined. They included mainly a consideration of budgets and also serving as electoral colleges for the legislative council in Lagos. The Richard Constitution was the first attempt in Nigeria’s history of arranging within a Constitutional framework an arrangement to associate different ethnic groups with one another for the purpose of governance. Notwithstanding the far-reaching provisions, the Nationalists were far from being placated and called for a situation wherein more people would be elected. The constitution was also seen by some of the Nationalists as a subtle device by the British to perpetuate the division in the country by creating regions around which vested interest would revolve.

As political awareness increased there arose the need to accommodate people of similar political learnings. The action group emerged from a cultural association of the Yorubas called ‘Egbe Omo Oduduwa’ of which Chief Obafemi Awolowo was Secretary. The Northern Peoples Congress emerged from similar cultural movement in the North called ‘Jaman Mutane Arewa’.

With the formation of the Action Group and the NPC, the NCNC was increasingly identified with the Igbo aspirations. They represented the stage of political situation in the country when in 1951, the Macpherson Constitution came into operation. The constitution actually formalized the informal division of the country into regions by the Richard Constitution. Slight modifications were made in the constitution to enlarge membership of the Legislative and Northern House of Assembly continued to be bicameral i.e. the Governors still had reserve powers like under the Richard Constitution and could be invoked to guarantee law and order and good government. Nigeria still continued to operate a Unitary system since all the subordinate lieutenant-Governors in the regions were still loyal to the Governor General and the state legislature still served as electoral colleges for the central legislature the constitution was still a far cry from true federalism.

In 1953, when Anthony Eronmonsele Enahoro moved a motion calling for the independence of the country in 1956, the British government was quick to point out to the uneven development in the country and the hostility existing between Northern and Southern elites. The motion was roundly condemned as been unrealistic by the Northern Peoples Congress Leadership, Sir Ahmadu Bello later opined that independence at the time the southerners wanted it would have been suicidal for Northerner if they had accented to it. He meant by this that the North would have been at a disadvantage in that most of the administrators would have been southerners because there were few qualified Northerners at the time. Opposition of Northerners to independence earned them public jeers from a motley of crowd in Lagos an unfortunate development which further convinced the Northerners that maybe they after all did not have much in common with southerners.

In 1953, the AG sent a delegation led by Chief S. L. Akintola to the North to appeal to the masses. It was a wrong step forward and the delegation was attacked by rioting NPC supporters which resulted in mutual killings and Northerners and Southerners living in Kano. Alarmed by the violence, the British government became more convinced that a large measure of regional autonomy was expedient and that only a federal system could hold Nigeria together.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has identified key skill areas where it will focus its capacity-building efforts to create optimal job opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

According to the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, these skill areas include underwater welding, subsea engineering, geosciences, project management, deepwater operations (drilling and production engineering), as well as instrumentation and controls.

Others include digitalization-such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-and helicopter piloting, with training delivered through both classroom and hands-on approaches. Ogbe disclosed this in his keynote address at the ongoing Africa Energy Week (AEW), where he highlighted Nigeria’s success story in local content development.

In his keynote address, entitled ‘From Policy to Prosperity: Scaling Local Content for Africa’s Energy Future,’ the Executive Secretary stressed that no policy succeeds without people. He explained that challenges such as infrastructure gaps and financing limitations should not be reasons to slow down but rather opportunities to deepen collaboration among government, operators, service companies, and host communities to co-create solutions.

He pointed out that these challenges also present opportunities for African countries to harmonize local content policies, create regional supply chains, and leverage continental institutions such as the emerging African Energy Bank. He further urged African nations to ensure that the skills of their citizens, the creativity of entrepreneurs, and the strength of their institutions shape the future of Africa’s energy sector.

Represented by the Director of Corporate Services at the NCDMB, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Ogbe noted that the local content strategy developed by the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) for member countries, as well as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) policy of the African Union, are clear pathways to fostering trade-based multilateral cooperation within the continent.

He emphasized that scaling local content requires human capital development and deployment, infrastructure development, technology and innovation, cross-border collaboration and partnerships (through common standards, tariffs, and demand), in addition to policy harmonization.

On Nigeria’s local content journey, Ogbe noted that in-country value addition has risen to 57 per cent, up from five per cent in 2010 when the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act came into effect. He explained that the overarching objective is to position Nigeria as the destination of choice for investment in exploration and production (EandP), but more importantly, to create jobs for citizens, establish new industries to support the EandP value chain, and ensure sustainable operations for future generations.

Local content implementation, according to him, is anchored on six broad pillars: regulatory framework, gap analysis, capacity building, incentives and funding, research and development (RandD), and market access. These pillars are driven by several policy interventions.

‘The policy interventions include the Equipment Component Manufacturing Initiative, which requires companies to obtain a Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate to qualify for equipment supply; the marine vessel categorization scheme, which mandates proof of indigenous ownership for vessel contracts; and project-based training, which requires project promoters to commit a percentage of project costs to industry-relevant training,’ he said.

Highlighting accomplishments under the NOGICD Act, Ogbe stated: ‘Nigeria now hosts a world-class fabrication and integration yard for the production of platforms and the integration of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, high-voltage cables, and fiber optics for LNG trains.’ He added that production platforms are now fabricated using Nigerian-made cables, while design engineering capacity now exists for onshore, offshore, LNG, and gas-gathering facilities.

He also disclosed that operators such as Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, Seplat, and Oando have acquired assets from international oil companies (IOCs) under a divestment programme and are poised to become key contributors to Nigeria’s target of achieving three million barrels per day in production by 2030.

Ogbe further noted that recent Executive Orders by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which introduced tax incentives tied to time-bound upstream investment and cost leadership, as well as measures to accelerate contract processing cycles from 36 months to six months, have already given rise to major projects such as the UBETA Gas Development Project and the Bonga North Project, with others in the pipeline.

He concluded with a strong assurance to other oil- and gas-producing countries on the continent that the NCDMB remains committed to partnering with them to build an African energy sector that is ‘owned, operated, and sustained by Africans.’

The African Energy Week, organized by the African Energy Chamber, is an interactive exhibition and networking event attended by energy policymakers, operators, service companies in the oil and gas sector, and prospective investors.