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General news

Stakeholders advocate increased spending for heaalth sector

Stakeholders advocate increased spending for health sector

By Kayode Adebiyi

Advocacy

Abuja, April 21, 2023 (NAN) Some stakeholders in the health sector have urged governments to close the gaps in the health sector through monetary and non-monetary reforms incentives to encourage qualified health workers to work in rural areas.

The call was made by participants at a webinar on Human Resources for Health Challenges and Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria in organised by ACIOE Foundation monitored in Abuja on Friday.

The webinar was aimed at providing health stakeholders the opportunity to share their expertise and data-driven recommendations on the biggest challenges of human resources for health.

It explored how training, recruitment, retention, remuneration and government strategies/commitment, and how task-shifting and task-sharing policy can be leveraged to achieve Universal Health Coverage for all by 2030 in Nigeria were discussed.

Experts also discussed the current situation of medical personnel emigrating to other countries and provided best practices on how the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could reduce migration of healthcare providers.

In his presentation, Dr Stanley Ukpai, Director of Projects, Development Research and Project Center, said Nigeria, with over 206 million people, has only 3 per cent of the world’s health workforce, while facing 24 per cent of the global disease burden.

“Also, the highest allocation of the Nigerian government to health care as a percentage of the budget was 6.19% in 2015, which is against the recommended 15 per cent in the Abuja Declaration of 2001.

“As a result, there are N2.38 trillion in deficits.

“The allocation of such an amount to the sector would have had a greater impact on personnel, which would have helped achieve minimum thresholds for skilled health workers,” he said.

He noted that production has not translated into adequacy in Nigeria’s tertiary, secondary, and primary healthcare centres.

He also said the difference between the number of professionals produced and those employed in the health sector could be attributed to brain drain, with low-capacity utilisation and an unfavorable working environment playing a part.

Dr Ngozi Azodoh, a public health physician, called for more advocacy to the government and labour employers on remuneration, career progression, job satisfaction, migration policy review, and production of healthcare workers, amongst others.

She said that if Nigeria gets the human resources sector right, achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030 would be easier.

While acknowledging that healthcare funding has increased in different countries, including Nigeria both at national and sub-national levels, the forum said that Nigeria was yet to achieve the Abuja Declaration of allocating 15 per cent of national budget to health.

Asides from funding, the forum called on relevant authorities to address discrimination against women in the healthcare workforce as well as a revision of self-care guidelines to accommodate emerging issues.

It also advocated the encouragement of migration of medical graduates to enhance their skills and knowledge, which eventually would flow back to benefit the source community and its healthcare system.

Experts at the webinar agreed that investments in skilled health workers from the public and private sectors should align with population health needs and health system demands. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

KIA/KUA

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Edited by Uche Anunne

Features

Doctors migration bill: Between mobility of labour and national interest

Doctors migration bill: Between mobility of labour and national interest

Recently, a bill to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act passed for second reading in the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by Rep. Ganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos) the bill, among other provisions, seeks to make it compulsory for graduates in medical and dental fields to render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted full license.

The bill is titled: ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Mandate Any Nigeria Trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a Minimum of Five Years Before Granted a Full License by the Council in Order to Make Quality Health Services Available to Nigeria; and for Related Matters.’

Johnson argued that the bill’s main aim was to address the issue of mass emigration of medical practitioners to other parts of the world in pursuit of greener pasture.

Expectedly, the move has received mixed reactions from stakeholders in the Nigerian health sector.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has thrown his weight behind the bill on the basis that the health sector should retain its best brains for some time before they migrate.

The minister echoed Johnson’s argument that medical education in Nigeria is heavily subsidised, therefore requiring some form compensation from the beneficiaries.

“If you look at the fact that the fees we pay at our universities, definitely they do not make up for the cost of training…

“So, actually, it means that it is subsidised with taxpayers’ money because if the government allows you to get training for about one-tenth or one-twentieth of the cost of the private university, then it means it is subsidized”, he said.

There is no denying the fact that the migration of health professionals has reached a worrisome proportion since COVID-19.

In 2022, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Uche Rowland, announced that 5,600 Nigerian medical doctors had migrated to the UK alone in the last eight years.

“In 2015, 233 Nigerian doctors moved to the UK; in 2016 the number increased to 279; in 2017 the figure was 475, in 2018, the figure rose to 852…

“In 2019, it jumped to 1,347; in 2020, the figure was 833 and in 2021 was put at 932,” Rowland said.

But the mass exodus does not involve only doctors, neither is the destination limited to the UK.

Other health professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, public health experts, clinical psychologists and laboratory technicians are migrating in droves to destinations in Europe, America and the Middle East.

In this regard, the demonstration of concern by Johnson in proposing a bill to check an impending disaster in the health sector should be commended.

However, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), while rejecting the bill, said it was discriminatory and not in the interest of the people.

It said the bill erroneously assumes that only newly qualified doctors are emigrating, when, actually, a 2022 survey revealed that over 500 consultants were estimated to have left Nigeria over the preceding two years.

“This bill erroneously assumes the capacity of the government to employ all the doctors for the next 5 years post qualification.

“This is a capacity that even the most optimistic of analysts know that the government lacks,” the MDCAN said.

Mr Dipo Gbenga, a public health expert who recently relocated to the UK, agreed with the MDCAN.

“There is also mass migration among other health professionals such as nurses, pharmacists and even lab technicians.

“Apart from the health sector, do you know how many ICT experts have left Nigeria? Many of the hitches experienced in service delivery in the financial sector are a result of the mass migration of banks’ IT staff.

“The argument that studying medicine in Nigeria is subsidised is also a mere fallacy. Have you seen our labs? Medical students in Nigerian public universities pay for what they get.

“Medical students pay tuition and later join the demoralising labour market just like other students. So, the issue of subsidy is merely in the heads of those pushing it”, he said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said the legislature could not be seeking legal redress through an illegal procedure, as the bill violates the rights to freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed in the constitution.

“It is my considered opinion that resolving the challenge of brain drain in the country’s health sector cannot be achieved through this bill.

“Rather, we need to address the various factors that make skilled health workers desire to migrate out of Nigeria,” he said.

Experts say one of the factors responsible for mass migration among skilled health workers is the poor funding of the health sector.

The allocation of 5.75 per cent (or N1.18 trillion) of the 2023 national budget to the health sector, although an improvement on the previous year’s budget, it is a far cry from the minimum requirement.

The AU, in its Abuja Declaration of 2001, set a target of at least 15 per cent of their yearly budget to improve the health sector.

Stakeholders also argue that politicians and government officials who have made medical tourism a habit lack the moral conviction to prevent skilled health workers from seeking greener pastures.

They argue that migration is a human instinct that makes the mobility of labour a natural phenomenon.

Experts say rather than attempting the use of legislation to mitigate brain drain, improving living and working conditions by governments, as well as political and economic stability, can go a long way in addressing the situation. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

General news

Lawmaker pledges better life for constituents

Lawmaker pledges better life for constituents

Life

Abuja, April 6, 2023 (NAN) The lawmaker representing Oluyole Federal Constituency, Oyo State, Rep. Tolu Akande-Sadipe, has says she is committed to making making life more comfortable for the people of her constituency. 

This was made known in a statement signed by her Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Olusada Olamilekan, made available to newsmen on Wednesday.

Olamilekan quoted her as saying this while inaugurating the commencement of repairs  on a drainage while constructing Ayegun-Oleyo road, Ibadan.

According to the statement, the drainage was wrongfully damaged by a contractor during the construction of the road.

He quoted the lawmaker as saying that she was touched by difficulty in the movement of people goods being experienced by the residents of the area because of the damage.

Olusada said in the statement that the repair was part of Akande-Sadipe’s efforts to alleviate the hardship of her constituents, who have been experiencing difficulties since the drainage was damaged.

“The project is aimed at providing a lasting solution to the problem and to prevent further damage to the road,” he said.

Olusada also added that it was usual for the lawmaker to show deep commitment to the welfare of her constituents.

“This repair project is just one of the many ways she is demonstrating her dedication to the community,” Olusada said.

The special assistant also quoted Rep. Akande-Sadipe to have said:

“I understand the plight of the people in this community, and I am committed to ensuring that they have access to good roads and other necessary amenities.

“The repair of this drainage is part of my effort to make life comfortable for my constituents”, he quoted the lawmaker as saying.

According to him, the project is expected to be completed in record time.

He also said while commending the lawmaker the constituents called on other elected representatives in the area to emulate her in addressing the needs of the people. (NAN)

KIA/KUA

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Edited by Uche Anunne

General news

Lawmaker facilitates classroom construction, pledges more support for education

Lawmaker facilitates classroom construction, pledges more support for education

Project

Abuja, April 2, 2023 (NAN) Rep. Tolu Akande-Sadipe a member of the House of Representatives representing Oluyole Federal Constituency has pledged continued support for the development of education infrastructure in her constituency.

This is contained in a statement signed by her Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Olusada Olamilekan, and made available to newsmen on Sunday.

Olamilekan  said Akande-Sadipe made the pledge while taking over the site for the contruction of blocks of classrooms at the St. Thomas Catholic School, Baare Olose.

According to the statement, the lawmaker facilitating the project was part of her commitment to the development of her constituency.

Olamilekan said Akande-Sodipe was handed over the site for the reconstruction on April 1, 2023, with community leaders and representatives of her constituency in attendance.

“The lawmaker, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora, expressed her delight at the development of the project, stating that education is the bedrock of any society.

“The construction of the classroom blocks is part of Rep. Tolu Akande-Sadipe’s efforts to improve the quality of education in Oluyole Federal Constituency,” Olamilekan quoted her as saying.

He also said the new classrooms would provide a conducive learning environment for the students and improve the standard of education in the community.

Olamilekan said Akande-Sadipe promised to continue to work tirelessly to ensure the needs of her constituents were met.

“I promise to continue to work towards ensuring that my constituency benefits from various developmental initiatives.

“Residents of Baare Olose expressed gratitude to the lawmaker, as they look forward to more developmental projects from her representation,” he further quoted Akande-Sadipe as saying. (NAN)
KIA/KUA

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Edited by Uche Anunne

 

 

Features

Another look at Nigeria on Global Terrorism Index list

Another look at Nigeria on Global Terrorism Index list

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In its 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released recently, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) said terrorist activities in Nigeria had dropped to their lowest since 2011.

The 2023 GTI showed that Nigeria dropped to the eighth most terrorised country globally in 2022, from the sixth position it held in 2021.

According to the report, the decline reflects a general decline in global terrorist activities as deaths from terrorism fell by nine per cent to 6,701 deaths.

It now stands at 38 per cent lower than at its peak in 2015 globally.

IEP said the fall in deaths mirrors a reduction in the number of incidents, with attacks declining by almost 28 per cent from 5,463 in 2021 to 3,955 in 2022.

Ironically, sub-Saharan Africa recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths in 2022. While Afghanistan remained the country with the highest impact from terrorism, it is followed by Burkina Faso, Somalia and Mali.

Also of concern is the GTI report that the Sahel region of Africa is the area in the world most impacted by terrorism, as it accounts for 43 per cent of global terrorism deaths.

The IEP said its annual GTI reports use data from TerrorismTracker and other sources, which provide event records on terrorist attacks, to arrive at its figures.

It also identified violent conflict as the primary driver of terrorism, with over 88 per cent of attacks and 98 per cent of terrorism deaths in 2022 taking place in countries in conflict.

“All ten countries most impacted by terrorism in 2022 were also involved in armed conflicts. Attacks in countries involved in conflict are seven times deadlier than attacks in peaceful countries,” the report said.

Curiously, the report said most of the terrorist activities occur along borders where government control is weakest. Also, the relationship between conflict and food security was laid bare in the report.

“Significantly, of the 830 million people facing food insecurity globally, 58 per cent live in the 20 countries most affected by terrorism.”

On its list of ‘20 Groups with the Largest Number of Deaths Attributed in 2022’, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram were listed sixth and seventh deadliest groups respectively.

The GTI report attributed 219 deaths, 65 attacks and 118 injuries to ISWAP, while Boko Haram was said to have killed 204 people in 64 attacks, leaving 51 injured.

However, the highlight that made the rounds in the Nigerian media space was the inclusion of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) among the 20 deadliest terror groups in the world.

“In recent years, IPOB has been linked to several attacks, which have been attributed to its paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (IPOB-ESN).

“In 2022, IPOB-ESN was suspected of 40 attacks and 57 deaths. This is an increase from the 26 attacks and 34 deaths attributed to the group in the previous year.

“IPOB has not claimed responsibility for any of these attacks,” the report said.

On Sept. 20, 2017, the Federal Government declared IPOB’s activities as illegal and acts of terrorism.

The Terrorism (Prevention) (Proscription Order) Notice, 2017, had proscribed IPOB and restrained individuals or groups of persons from participating in any activity relating to or involving the group.

“Consequently, the General Public is hereby warned that any person or group of persons participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intensions or otherwise of the said group will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended) and liable to prosecution”, the proscription notice said.

According to a 2020 report published by the Journal of Public and International Affairs, IPOB was an offshoot or splinter group of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

Security experts believe that the activities of ESN, IPOB’s armed wing, were detrimental to the peace and peaceful agitation of the southeastern part of the country.

Former US ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, said in Council on Foreign Relations that the activities of IPOB’s ESN were capable of escalating violence.

“IPOB was saying that ESN forces were merely a “vigilante” group protecting the Igbo… Now Kanu has an organised wing and has the authority to order a cease-fire in a fight with the federal forces.”

With 51 deaths and 16 injuries in 40 attacks, IPOB, along with its Eastern Security Network (ESN) armed wing, was placed in 10th position on the GTI list.

In a twist of events, IEP recanted on the IPOB ranking. In statement it released later on its website it retracted its earlier classification of IPOB as a terrorist group and instead referred to it as a secessionist movement.

“It is important therefore to differentiate between the peaceful activities of the group and its alleged involvement in violent activity.

“We have today updated the Global Terrorism Index 2023 to reflect this necessary clarification,” IEP said.

Dr Fatima Akilu, who pioneered Nigeria’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programme under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), said Nigeria’s steady decline in terrorist activities is noteworthy.

She, however, warned that the country was not off the hook yet.

She said, with ISWAP which emerged as the deadliest terror group still prominent in the Northeast, non-kinetic security efforts should be intensified.

The forensic psychologist also said that government should invest in the youths, especially in the areas of life skills, opportunities and provision of basic amenities, to stem the tide of radicalisation and extremist ideological counter-culture.

Experts also warn that violent extremism and terrorism have assumed trans-boundary dimensions. Thus, increased terrorist activities in the Sahel region and sub-Sahara Africa should worry Nigeria, as well as other African countries. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Features

Anchor Borrowers’ Programme：Between willing lender and reluctant debtors

Anchor Borrowers’ Programme：Between willing lender and reluctant debtors

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In a recently released Selected Issues paper on Nigeria, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that only 24 per cent of loans under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria had been repaid.

According to experts, the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme a brainchild of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is a single digit loan intervention scheme. Its main purpose is to boost the agriculture sector of the economy.

The programme seeks to achieve this by creating a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and small holder farmers of key agricultural commodities.

The document, prepared by IMF staff team, is said to be based on the information available as of the time it was completed on Jan. 12, 2023.

IMF said the challenge of targeting the right recipients for credit had failed to make agricultural credit in Nigeria significantly boost production.

“The weak effect of agricultural credit on production growth could be associated with difficulties in targeting the correct recipients.

“Part of the problem is that the incentive structure for repayment is weak, the recipient loans are not always well targeted and occasionally the funding is used for other purchases,” IMF said.

The CBN has come out to refute IMF’s claim, saying N503 billion of loans under the programme has been repaid.

According to the apex bank, that amount translates to 52.39 per cent of the total loans collected by farmers under the ABP.

Interestingly, the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) seemed to tilt towards the IMF when, in December 2022, it said the CBN was having difficulties recovering the loans because most beneficiaries of the ABP were not Nigerian farmers.

In 2016, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, told The Banker, a Financial Times publication, that he wanted to use the apex bank’s core mandate as a springboard for achieving economic growth.

Emefiele said the bank was embarking on various sector-based Credit Enhancement Programmes to boost the Nigerian economy and reduce its reliance on crude oil revenue.

The ABP became the CBN’s flagship credit enhancement programme when it was flagged off in Kebbi State in 2016 with rice production as its focal crop.

The programme was designed as collaboration between the CBN and anchor companies which produce and process key agricultural commodities by bringing anchor firm off-takers and out-growers who are involved in production together.

In addition to other targets highlighted earlier, ABP aims to increase banks’ financing of the agricultural sector.

During the 2018 farming season, the CBN included new commodities to the ABP, including cattle fattening and the cultivation and processing of cocoa, ginger, oil palm, castor seed, tomato and sesame.

By the end of 2018, over N170 billion had been disbursed under the programme through participating financial institutions to benefit close to one million farmers, who worked with over 190 anchor companies.

According to statistics released by the Development Finance Department of the CBN, the ABP created over two million direct employments, in addition to well over eight million indirect jobs, in its first few years.

AbdulMumin Isa, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications, said recently that the ABP had “contributed significantly to the increased national output of focal commodities”.

He also said maize and rice production peaked at 12.2 and 9.0 million metric tonnes in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

“The programme has also helped to improve the national average yield per hectare of the commodities, with productivity per hectare almost doubling within eight years”, he said.

Isa said the IMF, in its document, might not have taken into account the tenure of loans under the ABP which was based on the commodity gestation period.

“For instance, loans granted to farmers cultivating some perennial crops could have up to a seven-year tenure,” he said.

However, some stakeholders wonder why, last year, the apex bank threatened to deploy the Global Standing Instruction (GSI) against loan defaulters under the ABP to ensure repayments if it was pleased with its performance.

GSI is an instruction executed against a borrower being an account holder in a participating financial institution authorising the recovery of an amount specified by the creditor from any/all accounts maintained by the account holder across all participating financial institutions.

The CBN said activating GSI became necessary in order to compel defaulting farmers in the ABP offset their debts after they had ignored repeated appeals to do so.

It is common knowledge that in previous credit enhancement programmes, especially social interventions and agricultural credit guarantee schemes such as the ABP, there are perennial impediments which pose a challenge to their success.

Experts say in most cases, beneficiaries see such programmes as an opportunity to have their slice of the national cake by refusing to repay loans.

Also, poor coordination, inadequate due diligence and the adoption of a top-down approach to the distribution of such schemes often constitute a recipe for long-term failure.

The Punch quoted the National Secretary of AFAN, Yunusa Yabwa, to have said that the CBN was finding it difficult to recover loans under the ABP because beneficiaries were not captured in the database of the association.

“That is why you see today that the CBN, NIRSAL, commercial banks, who were the channels for the distribution of this fund, are complaining that these beneficiaries are not repaying the loans,” he said.

Whether it is the IMF’s 24 per cent or the CBN’s 52.39 per cent, the fact remains that there are beneficiaries of the programme who have refused to repay their loans.

For the ABP to be deemed successful, such loans need to be recovered so that other farmers can benefit from the scheme. That’s the first measure of success for any credit enhancement programme. (NANFeatures) (www.nannews.ng)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

General news

Nigeria’s silent success in regulating use of explosives

Nigeria’s silent success in regulating use of explosives

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

At the height of terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Boko Haram and other insurgency groups increased the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Most of the IEDs deployed by those terrorist groups were made from Ammonium Nitrate and Carbamide, which are also used for controlled explosions (mining, for example) and as fertilizers.

The continued risk of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) related materials by non-state actors for terrorism or other criminal purposes became one of the gravest concerns of the Nigerian government.

According to Action On Armed Violence (AOAV), a security think tank that specifically focuses on the impact of explosive weapons in populated areas, from 2011-2020, 11,649 deaths and injuries from explosive violence were recorded in Nigeria.

AOAV also reported that IEDs caused the most harm in the period under review, with 92 per cent of civilian deaths and injuries resulting from this type of violence.

The use of CBRNE materials for IEDs peaked in 2015, with 2,920 civilian deaths and injuries recorded from explosive violence.

In response, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was mandated to develop a policy and strategic framework to counter the threat.

In both the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), the illegal and unauthorised use of CBRNE by non-state actors was clearly identified as a threat to national security.

Those documents call for increased awareness of the importance and benefits of adhering to and fully implementing the international legal instruments against CBRNE terrorism; providing assistance to national policymakers and law enforcement agencies in drafting and reviewing relevant legislation.

It also called for conducting capacity building for criminal justice officials to ensure effective investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of CBRNE-related terrorism offences; developing and disseminating training tools; and enhancing national, regional and international cooperation in criminal matters related to CBRNE terrorism.

Stricter measures have, therefore, been put in place to regulate the sale of fertilizers and explosives for controlled use.

For instance, all fertilizer producers and suppliers must be registered with the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), while all fertilizer distributors and farmers in Nigeria must be registered under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES).

These and other measures implemented over the past few years have led to a substantial reduction in the ability of terrorist groups to have access to CBRNE materials used in making IEDs.

In Sept. 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari transmitted an executive bill to the National Assembly seeking to control the proliferation of arms and to regulate the importation of explosives into the country.

It is said to be part of efforts to drastically reduce illegal access to CBRNE materials.

This stemmed from the fact that, apart from the use of these materials by terrorists, the indiscriminate and uncertified use of explosives at illegal mining sites constitutes a violation of Nigeria’s law on arms and explosives control.

The bill sought to repel the 1964 Explosive Act and enact a new law that would regulate the manufacture, storage, possession, use, distribution, purchase, sale, transportation, importation and exportation of explosives and other related matters.

The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is responsible for issuing licenses for explosives meant for mining and construction uses, with additional security checks carried out by ONSA through End User Certification.

A person who wishes to deal in explosives is required by the provisions of the bill, to make an application for a licence, permit or certificate to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

Where granted, such approval shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance.

Where the minister refuses the application, an applicant who is unsatisfied with the decision can approach the courts to challenge the Minister’s decision.

Also, an applicant shall be screened by the appropriate security agency upon the request of the minister, to determine his or her suitability to be granted a license.

Also, according to the bill, a licence can be varied, revoked or suspended by the minister in certain circumstances stipulated in the bill.

It is important to note that at the heart of Nigeria’s success in controlling access to CBRNE materials is the effective collaboration among relevant stakeholders within Nigeria.

It also involves the cooperation among regional and international partners, especially in the areas of capacity building and provision of training tools.

Experts identify capacity building of personnel in line with global best practices and standards in the detection of illicit trafficking of CBRNE materials as crucial.

So in 2022, the Nigeria Police, in conjunction with ONSA and the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Smuggling, Detection, and Deterrence (NSDD), approved the continual training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD-CBRN) Command on the operation and maintenance of Mobile Detection System (MDS).

The practical training is a continuous effort aimed at re-evaluating and re-strategising performance levels in meeting the goal of safeguarding the nation against internal security threats.

Indeed, there has been tremendous success in the federal government’s efforts to regulate the use of CBRNE, which has led to the near-elimination of access to their illegal and unauthorised use by terrorists and illegal miners.

While such efforts deserve commendation, there is the need to avoid complacency and the hope that the various interventions put in place are sustained long-term for the interest of national security.(NANFeatures)

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

General news

Rep. Akande-Sadipe’s mother passes on at 91

Death

Ibadan, March 3, 2023 (NAN) The passing away of Princess Bamidele  Akande, mother of Rep. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has been announced.

In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ibadan by Akande-Sadipe’s media aide, Lekan Olusada,  Akande passed away peacefully on Friday at the age of 91.

He said the deceased was the daughter of Princess Sijuolaade, daughter of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Siyanbola Akanbi-Ladigbolu.

Her father was also reported to be of the Afolabi family of Ile Kolobo, at Isale Oyo, in Oyo State.

Olusoda said: “The late Akande left indelible marks on the sands of the time.

“We thank God for using her to bring Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe and her siblings into the world and for the many lives she had touched through her work in public service.

“She was a devout Christian and a loving mother to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Her passing is a great loss to the family, her royal lineage and the nation at large. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her,” Olusoda said.

The aide said that the bereaved family took solace in the fact that the late matriach lived a fulfilled life and left a legacy of love, kindness, and service to others.

She was also described as a community leader whose unwavering support for her daughter’s political career would always be remembered.

Olusada quoted Akande-Sadipe as conveying her gratitude for the outpouring of love and support from friends, family and well-wishers on the demise of her mother. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

KIA/BRM

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

General news

FCT UBEB boss bags award for prudence

FCT UBEB boss bags award for prudence

Award

By Kayode Adebiyi

Abuja, Jan. 22, 2023 (NAN) Dr Alhassan Sule, Acting Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board, has been presented with the award of the Most Prudent State Universal Basic Education Board Chairman for the North-Central geo-political zone.

The recognition was presented to Dr Sule by Dr Isiaka Kolawole, Deputy Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), at the National finals of the 62nd Independence Anniversary of the President’s Inter-Basic (Primary) Schools Debate Championship.

The debate is organised by the President’s School Debate Nigeria, in collaboration with UBEC, and took place at the main auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.

Dr Isiaka Kolawole, Deputy Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)

presenting the award to Dr Alhassan Sule. 

In his welcome address, the National Coordinator, President’s School Debate Nigeria, Elder Dare Oritu, said that debate is often deployed all over the world as a tool for dialogue between conflicting groups.

He stressed the importance of debates in conflict resolution among diverse groups, especially in an emerging democracy such as Nigeria.

Oritu also expressed appreciation to the UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hammid Bobboyi, for collaborating with and supporting the President’s School Debate Nigeria.

While thanking the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Senior Secondary Education Commission for their technical support, Oritu called for more focus on national discourse.

Responding to the recognition accorded the FCT UBEB, Dr Sule said, being a victim of kidnapping for ransom, he has found that moulding the characters of children in the classroom would go a long way in reducing societal ills.

He also used the opportunity to appreciate the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, for giving him the enabling environment to ensure that every child resident in the FCT gets access to qualitative and free basic education. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

KIA/KUA

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Edited by Uche Anunne

General news

How sustainable is Nigeria’s public debt?

How sustainable is Nigeria’s public debt?

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Recently, many Nigerians were alarmed when news circulated that Nigeria’s public debt burden might hit N77trillion  if a request to restructure the Ways and Means Advances (WMAs) was approved by the National Assembly.

The Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, gave the hint at the public presentation of the 2023 budget.

“There are a lot of discussions on the Ways and Means; in addition to the significant cost saving in loan service we would get by securitising it.

“There is an element of transparency in the sense that it is now reflected in the public debt stock.

“Once it is passed by the National Assembly, it means we will be seeing that figure included in the public debt. You will see a significant increase in public debt to N77trillion,“ she said.

Ways and Means Advances (WMA) are temporary loan facilities issued by an apex bank to the central and state governments to finance shortfalls in the government’s budget.

On Jan. 3, President Buhari appealed to the Senate to reconsider his request to restructure the N22.7trillion WMAs, some days after an initial request was rejected.

Sensing the mixed reactions the DG, DMO’s comment generated, the office released a statement to clarify her position.

The statement explained that the N77trillion figure was arrived at by using the actual public debt stock of N44trillion as of Sept. 30, 2022, and taking into account “a number of ongoing activities”.

The DMO further stated that the debt that would be added to the public debt data in 2023 included the N1trillion WMA to finance the supplementary budget already approved by the National Assembly.

However, the technicality of Nigeria’s public debt profile and the technical terms used to describe it do not matter much to the uninitiated; the person on the street who only worries about its sustainability.

According to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, the Federal Government spent N5.24trillion on debt service alone between January and November 2022, out of its N12.87trillion total spending for the same period.

This is worrisome under any circumstance.

Adding to the heightened anxiety about Nigeria’s public debt is the World Bank’s projection that interest payments on the federal government’s borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria would gulp over 62 per cent of revenue by 2027.

Should citizens be worried by this data?

Stephen Onyeiwu, Professor of Economics at Allegheny College, USA, recently wrote that debt risk is about how much a country has borrowed and its ability to service its debt.

“Economists use two indicators to determine a country’s debt sustainability. The first is gross debt as a percentage of a country’s economy as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP).

“This is commonly referred to as the debt-to-GDP ratio.

“Another indicator of debt sustainability is the debt service ratio, which is the proportion of export earnings that is used to service debt, including principal and interest payments,” he said.

In September 2022, the DMO put Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio at 23 per cent. By the end of the year, experts argued that the ratio was around 35.2 per cent.

Also, the IMF has projected that Nigeria’s total debt-to-GDP ratio of public debt would rise steadily to 44.2 per cent by 2027.

If that happens, Nigeria would have exceeded its set debt-to-GDP ratio threshold of 40 per cent.

However, more alarming is Nigeria’s debt service ratio, which analysts, including those at Afrinvest, estimated at between 83 per cent and 90 per cent in 2022.

According to  Onyeiwu, a healthy debt service ratio is below 15 per cent.

While it has become clear that revenues from petroleum alone cannot sustain growth and development in Nigeria, experts worry about the terms of servicing public debts and the purpose of borrowing in the first place.

However, the federal government often insists that it is borrowing mainly to finance critical infrastructure projects.

Indeed, borrowing is one of three major ways through which countries finance a variety of big projects, the others being through capital reserves and pay-as-you-go.

Careful and strategic borrowing allows the government to continue to renew infrastructure on a regular basis and add to it when necessary to accommodate growth while maintaining good fiscal health.

The danger, however, lies in when the government is borrowing to finance utility renewal projects and restructuring settlements because they reduce the capacity of the government to borrow for important projects and lead to defaulting.

The DMO insists that it continues to demonstrate good negotiation skills in dealing with the country’s debt matters with both internal and external creditors.

But analysts warn that Nigeria has to shore up its revenue base by curbing systemic corruption in the petroleum sector and expanding its non-oil revenue sources to reduce heavy reliance on borrowing. (NANFeatures) (www.nannews.ng)

** If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria