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Tag: Alhaji Lai Mohammed

  • Finally, Buhari approves postponement of 2023 Census

    Finally, Buhari approves postponement of 2023 Census

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for 3-7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement issued and signed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed Honourable Minister of Information and Culture.

    The President gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (28 April 2023).

    In arriving at the decision to postpone the Census, the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people.

    The President noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of adhoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

    He also commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses

    The President further directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements.

    The meeting was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed
    Honourable Minister of Information and Culture
    Abuja
    29th April 2023

  • Return our looted artifacts – FG tells Britain

    Return our looted artifacts – FG tells Britain

    The Federal Government of Nigeria says the British authority has taken care of its looted artefacts for so long and it is time for the cultural and historical works of art to return home.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this in London during a working visit to the British Museum.

    Speaking after a meeting with officials of the museum, Mohammed, who was taken round the gallery and strong room, thanked them for their passion and for taking care of the artefacts for so long.

    The minister met with Sam Nixon, Curator and Head of Africa Section, British Museum and Lissan Bolton, Keeper of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas in the Museum.

    “Before now, they said we did not make a demand, but in October last year, almost nine months ago we made a formal request for the return of the artefacts especially the Benin bronzes for which we have not got any response.

    “We made them understand that our quest and clamour is for the return of the Benin bronzes and all other artefacts that were stolen and looted to their origin.

    “I said they should take a cue from Germany which was neither our coloniser nor the one that looted the artefacts but which has yielded to pressure and signed an agreement to return 1,130 Benin bronzes to us.

    “We also made it clear to them that they cannot hide under legislation and no Act of Parliament will make what you have stolen to become yours,” he said.

    Mohammed said he reminded the officials that Universities of Aberdeen, and Cambridge had respectively returned the looted artefacts in their custody.

    He added that all over the world, countries like France, Belgium, Germany were returning the artefacts in their countries while Canada had also made the promise to do so.

    According to the minister, the officials who listened to him with rapt attention did not make any comment because the matter was beyond them.

    Mohammed, however said they would not rest until Britain do the right thing by returning what they looted from the country a century back.

    The artefacts, mostly Benin bronzes were looted by British soldiers when they occupied Benin city in 1887, while some were stolen by explorers.

    Recall that Jesus College at the University of Cambridge was the first UK institution to restitute a Benin bronze to Nigeria,

    After 124 years, bronze cockerel, known as Okukor, that had been donated to the college by the father of a student in 1905 was returned to the country last year.

    This was followed by the University of Aberdeen which restituted a bronze sculpture, which depicts the head of an Oba (king).

    The artefact, one of thousands of religious and cultural artefacts looted by British forces in 1897 was purchased by the University at an auction in 1957.

  • Creative arts, cultural tourism bastion for foreign investment in Nigeria – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated government’s commitment on socio- economic potentials inherent in creative arts and cultural tourism of Nigeria for foreign direct investment.

    Mohammed, in a statement by Ahmed Sule, Director, Media & Public Relations in Abuja, made the remark during a business development visit by Nura Kangiwa, Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).

    The visit was made alongside a delegation of 14 eminent persons including the County officials, business men and women from Miami Dade County, Florida USA.

    The minister said Miami Dade County and Nigeria had common potentials in creative arts and culture, as such, could be explored for the benefits of Nigeria and the United States.

    “Nigeria is blessed with a vast social cultural, creative arts and tourism potentials investment.

    “The collaborations and partnerships with prospective investors from Miami Dade County will open a wide range of opportunities for the promotion, growth and development of the travel-tourism and hospitality industries of both countries,” he said.

    Mohammed urged the delegation to use the opportunity of their visit to explore the beautiful flora and fauna terrain that Nigeria possessed and savour the sumptuous delicacies of Nigerian foods.

    He added that they should also savour cuisines as well as interact with the hospitable people of Nigeria for the benefits of a memorable and fruitful visit of the country.

    Earlier, leader of the delegation, Jean Monestime said they were in Nigeria to explore the possibilities of investment partnerships in several key sectors of the economy.

    Monestime, who happens to be Commissioner for District 2, Miami Dade County, said the sectors include aviation, tourism, ports and maritime industries for the economic good of Nigeria and Miami Dade Florida, USA.

    He noted that Miami Florida had a lot in common with Africa especially Nigeria, in the areas of social cultural relations, creative arts and the entertainment industry.

    He added that partnering with Nigeria could explore and harness the potentials that would boost the economic and social cultural relationship that had long existed between Nigeria and the United States of America.

    “The partnership will pave the way for harnessing those hidden potentials of both countries that have been left unexplored and untapped.

    “Our visit to the country is an eye opener of the vast socio-economic potentials that Nigeria is endowed with.

    “The investment opportunities as well as the conducive environment for foreign direct investment are positive signs of great importance, as we make the needed decision of investing in Nigeria when we return home,” Monestime said.

  • Lai Mohammed clears air on renaming National Theatre in Lagos

    Lai Mohammed clears air on renaming National Theatre in Lagos

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has stated that the federal government is not re-naming the entire Lagos National Theatre complex, built-in 1976 to host the 1977 Festival of Arts, popularly known as FESTAC but rather renaming the complex housing the edifice.

    Mohammed, said the complex housing the National Theatre would be known as Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre, with four creative hubs and other facilities currently under construction.

    Mohammed made the clarification when he featured on “Good Morning Nigeria’’, a live programme on the Nigerian Television Authority, monitored by newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

    “The controversy on the re-naming of the National Theatre is just a storm in a teacup.

    “What we said in Spain was that there are lots of developmental projects going on within the National Theatre complex.

    “You have the National Theatre fully refurbished and renovated, you also have four hubs each for music, fashion, IT and film. You cannot call all of them National Theatre again.

    “The entire complex is what will be known as the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre, comprising the National Theatre and the four hubs.’’

    Mohammed said the hubs were being built to provide capacity in the creative sectors.

    According to him, the music hub and the film hub will be respectively built and equipped with latest technology for recording and processing music and films.

    He said it would forestall Nigerian artists and film makers from going outside the country like South Africa and other places to record, process and package their music or films.

    In addition to the national theatre monument and the new four hubs, the minister said a modern police station, fire station and 500 capacity car park were also being constructed in the complex.

    The minister expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the enabling environment for investment of 100 million dollars by the Bankers Committee, led by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the project.

    “Regrettably, the National Theatre which was built in 1976 has been in a state of disrepair for decades without any form of renovation or proper maintenance.

    “I want to express our gratitude to the Bankers Committee because there was no way we would have funded this with our budget allocation

    “The donation of the 100 million-dollar investment in renovating the edifice and in developing the creative industry is an achievement of this administration.’’
    Mohammed also thanked the Lagos State Government for its invaluable contributions in making the dream possible.

    According to him, the Lagos State Government is investing a lot of money in the reclamation and dredging of the surrounding area which is by the lagoon.

    He said the Lagos State Government was working with experts and the Federal Ministry of Environment to restore the Ebute-Metta creek so that water within the wetland would be clean for restoration of the flora and fauna in the area.

    The minister added that the state was extending the blue rail line to have a terminal at the complex to ease traffic from and into the National Theatre and the hubs.

    He expressed his optimism that the National Theatre renovation project, the construction of the hubs and other facilities in the complex would be ready by November for the hosting of the first Global Conference on Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry.
    On April 19 in Madrid, Spain, the minister signed a hosting agreement for the global conference with the Secretary-General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili.

    The conference which would hold from Nov. 14 to Nov. 17 is expected to re-position the creative industry as the engine of growth not just for Nigeria or Africa but for all countries of the world.

  • Re-activate Presidential Council on Tourism – FTAN urges FG

    Re-activate Presidential Council on Tourism – FTAN urges FG

    The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has advised the Federal Government to re-activate the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) to fast track the industry’s growth.
    Mr Nkereuwem Onung, National President of FTAN, in a statement on Tuesday said this was necessary to make tourism a viable sector of the Nigerian economy.
    Onung said this during the 5th National Tourism and Transportation Summit held in Abuja on Monday.
    He said there was a great need to stimulate the states’ apparatus to drive genuine development and promotion of practical tourism in Nigeria.
    He noted that the tourism sector had been sidelined because of the absence of a stand-alone ministry to activate its pivotal role as a relevant ecosystem of the Nigerian economy.
    “Nigerian government has not realised the contribution of tourism to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) because we do not have a stand-alone ministry.
    “When you add up the contribution of transportation and you bring aviation and other allied tourism sector business that made up the value chain together, it will give you an incredible outlook of data and inflow that will blow your mind.
    “We have many people who are doing events and because they think tourism is not viable, they begin to get into an alliance with other departments of the economy.
    “And that is why we want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to re-enact the PCT, where the eight different ministries will be brought together so that tourism will find focus in Nigeria.
    “We were told that tourism resides with the states but we know that tourism should be a national phenomenon and that is the problem we have,” he said.
    Onung said transportation was not the only problem confronting the tourism industry as he highlighted others as the non-availability of the functional master plan and outdated tourism policies.
    He, however, called for serious dialogue between tourism stakeholders and government at all levels to see to how these problems could be tackled
    “It is time for us to sit together to explore the lowest hanging fruit of tourism for the development of our country.
    “This industry needs help and that is why I am asking the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Information and Culture, to take the message back to our Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,” he said
  • 2023: Buhari’s govt. not a threat to media – Lai Mohammed

    2023: Buhari’s govt. not a threat to media – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is not and will not be a threat to the media.

    Lai Mohammed gave the reassurance on Tuesday in Abuja when a delegation from International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria chapter, paid him a courtesy visit.

    He said Nigeria had one of the most vibrant and free press in the world and the administration was not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally-guaranteed rights.

    “If anything, it is the government that is at the mercy of the media.

    “After all, this must be one of the very few countries in the world where a section of the media can refuse to recognise popular sovereignty.

    “How does one describe a situation in which a President who was duly elected by millions of Nigeria is wilfully stripped of that title, President, and then cheekily cloaked in the garb of a dictator by playing up his military title?

    “Despite that abuse of press freedom, those doing that have continued to practice their profession without hindrance.

    “Ours must also be one of the few countries in the world where a reputable medium will report fake news and, when called out, will not retract or apologise,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said he was delighted that serious organisations such as IPI were taking the issues of not just press freedom but also ethics and fake news, among others very seriously.

    He charged the institute to take holistic look at the issues concerning ethics, regulation, sustainability, credibility and fake news.

    “For example, on the issue of ethics, is it part of the ethics of journalism for a media organisation to function like an opposition party, seeing nothing good in the government of the day and only reporting bad news?

    “The last time I checked, the constitutionally-guaranteed role of the media here in Nigeria is that of a watchdog, not an opposition,’’ he said.

    The minister noted that some people had misconstrued their efforts to ensure responsible use of social media as an attempt to tamper with press freedom or threaten independent journalism.

    He reassured that they did not harbour such intentions to stifle press freedom.

    Mohammed commended the media organisations that had set up platforms to fact-check stories that circulate in the media space contending that “it is one sure way to contribute to the fight against fake news and misinformation.’’

    The minister dismissed the reports by Reporters Without Borders which recorded Nigeria’s decline in global press freedom.

    He attributed the preponderance of fake news and misinformation, failure to retract them when the truth came out, misuse of social media by quacks who, turned journalists and the handiwork of some naysayers for the rating.

    Mohammed, therefore, admonished media practitioners, particularly the traditional media not to join the bandwagon in churning out news without verification and fact-checking.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Musikilu Mojeed said to they were in the ministry to engage on how they could collaborate to make Nigeria a better operating environment for journalists, and the media, especially as the 2023 elections season approaches.

    Mojeed, the IPI Nigeria chapter, President and Editor-in-Chief of “Premium Times’’ said they were worried about the declining press freedom records of the country and ready to collaborate to make it better.

    As part of the institute’s contribution, he disclosed that they had decided to open a black book to document every individual whose action or inaction encouraged or allowed harassment of journalists and the media in the country.

  • Lai Mohammed, Makarfi, Peter Obi, Gbenga Daniel, others for Freedom Online 4th annual lecture

    Lai Mohammed, Makarfi, Peter Obi, Gbenga Daniel, others for Freedom Online 4th annual lecture

    All roads lead to the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday March 22 as Freedom Online, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing online newspapers, hosts its fourth annual lecture.

    A statement by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Gabriel Akinadewo, says the Guest Speaker is Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, will chair the session, while the Keynote Speaker is former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

    Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, is the Special Guest Speaker while former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, is the Special Guest of Honour.

    Other guests to grace the occasion include former Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Omoniyi Olubolade (rtd); the immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; Prof. Akin Onigbinde and others.

    The statement by Akinadewo says the lecture is an annual event “that brings together captains of industry, media chiefs, politicians and professionals to reflect on national issues and propose objective course of action. We have always been forthright on matters of Nigeria’s progress and future.

    “Since the first edition of our annual lecture, we have been inspired by the commitment of our guests and Nigerians in the quest for a better country through advocacy. We believe this time around, the same zeal will be deployed to ensuring that Nigeria takes its rightful place in the comity of nations”.

  • ICPC tracks 2000 projects worth N300bn in three years, says FG

    ICPC tracks 2000 projects worth N300bn in three years, says FG

    The Federal Government has said that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had tracked 2,000 projects worth over N300 billion, between 2019 and 2021, through its Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative.
    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this, in Abuja, while briefing the media on the giant strides of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in the anti-corruption fight.
    Mohammed said during the same period, 326 contractors, who abandoned projects across the six geo-political zones, were forced by the Commission to return to site, to complete projects worth N32.183 billion.
    He said that the ICPC’s Assets Tracing, Recovery and Management (ATRM) project also led to the recovery of cash totalling N34.346 billion and US$1.62 million between 2019 and 2021.
    The minister said the Commission’s System Study and Review of personnel and capital votes of MDAs resulted in savings of N261 billion to the government during the same period.
    He disclosed that the ICPC had also secured 66 convictions from the 243 cases it filed in court, during the same three-year period.
    Mohammed said that the ICPC had played a pivotal role in bringing about structural changes in the operations of the government.
    As part of this, the anti-graft body had helped in improving the MDAs’ budget utilization, ensuring better value for money, improved project completion, service delivery and higher level of anti-corruption awareness.
  • Minister decries $35,000 Business Registration for Nigerians in Egypt

    Minister decries $35,000 Business Registration for Nigerians in Egypt

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed has decried the 35,000 U.S. dollars (about N19.2 million) deposit being requested by Egyptian Authority from foreigners including Nigerians to operate a business enterprise in that country.

    Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture described the condition as unacceptable during a meeting with the Nigerian community in Cairo.

    Newsmen reports that the meeting was on the sideline of a bilateral discussion with Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on how Nigeria can access funding to support its growing creative industry.

    Newsmen reports that Mohammed had led some private sector stakeholders involved in Digital Switch Over (DSO) to Afreximbank to assist them on how they can source funds to complete the wholly private sector financially driven project.

    Speaking at the meeting organised by the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt, Malam Nura Rimi, the minister said such a condition negates the unity that bound African countries together.

    He, therefore, promised to take the matter up with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema and other relevant bodies upon his return to Nigeria.

    The minister also decries the high number of Nigerian children out of school in Egypt owing to the language barrier and non-availability of registered Nigerian schools in Cairo.

    The Nigerian community had told the minister that the official language for teaching in Egypt is Arabic and the few private schools being run by the British and America in that country were exorbitant.

    They said no fewer than 7,000 Nigerian children in Egypt were out of school and therefore appealed for the construction of a Nigerian school in Cairo.

    They also told the minister that because many of them could not afford the mandatory 35,000 dollars deposit, their businesses had been labelled illegal while they were subjected to regular harassment and arrest by Egyptian security officials.

    Meanwhile, the minister has appealed to the Nigerian community in Egypt to disregard most of the negative news about Nigeria, especially on social media.

    According to him, most of the news being received abroad about Nigeria are fake news, the country is at peace and the people are living harmoniously.

    “There is no country without its challenges, we are facing our own just like Egypt did some. Years back and they are out of it now.

    “In Nigeria, we have the challenge of banditry, Boko Haram, and militants but that does not mean that Nigeria is at war.

    “Nigeria in the last six years has been making tremendous developmental progress in infrastructure development, agriculture, aviation and other fields of endeavour.

    “Unfortunately, the noise of the mischief-makers have drowned the laudable success of the administration

    “I want to assure every one of you here that whatever problem we have in Nigeria has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity,” he said.

    The minister stressed that in spite of the security and economic challenges that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was facing, it recorded tremendous achievements in many areas.

    He listed some of the giant strides of the administration in roads, bridges, rail infrastructure as well as in agriculture, particularly self-sufficiency in rice.

    Newsmen reports that some of the people who responded to the minister’s speech expressed happiness particularly on the rail project and the second Niger bridge which the minister said had reached 78 per cent completion.

    Newsmen reports that the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Paulen Talen also made a presentation at the event.

  • Nigeria, Namibia to renew cooperation on culture, tourism – Lai Mohammed

    Nigeria, Namibia to renew cooperation on culture, tourism – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Namibia will renew bilateral agreement on culture and tourism cooperation.

    The Minister made this known on Thursday in Abuja when Mr Humphrey Geiseb, the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS paid him a courtesy visit.

    Mohammed noted that bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Namibia which started under the platform of the 1st Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission session, held in 1992 had suffered setback.

    “The agreements signed during that meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the ties between the two nations, covered culture, tourism, information, education, sports and social development, among others.

    “Because the agreement on tourism cooperation between both countries suffered from lack of follow-up, a separate MOU on tourism cooperation was decided upon during the 3rd session of the Joint Commission in 2008, and signed six years later, in 2014.

    “Unfortunately, the MOU, which had a lifespan of five years, has expired and, until then, nothing was done by our two countries,’’ he said.

    The minister said efforts were being made to renew the MoU for another five years.

    He assured that both countries would act to implement the MoU to exploit the world class tourist attractions they were endowed with.

    Mohammed recalled that in 2006, the Namibia Government, in line with the signed MoU on Cooperation in the area of Wildlife with the Government of Bauchi State – donated a total of 279 Wildlife animals to Bauchi State.

    The animals, according to the minister comprised of 10 Giraffes, 53 Burchell’s Zebras, 14 Elands, 23 Blue Wildebeests, 21 Red Hartebeests, 24 Oryx, 26 Kudus, 52 Springboks and 56 Common Impalas.

    He said the animals placed at the Sumu Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State had flourished and multiplied.

    The minister who expressed gratitude to the Government and people of Namibia for the gesture underscored the need for African countries to look inward for cooperation.

    Earlier, the envoy thanked the government and people of Nigeria for the prominent role they played and support given to Namibia towards its independence in 1990.

    In addition to culture and tourism cooperation and exchange, Geiseb requested the assistance of Nigeria in the development of Namibia film industry and promoting his country as location for film production.

    He recalled that a Namibian actress, Ms Hazel Hinda, recently won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the African Movie Academy Awards in Lagos.

    “Nollywood is regarded as the second largest film industry globally, and Namibia would like to work with Nigeria to bring about greater cooperation in the film industry,’’ he said

    The envoy also disclosed that the High Commission of Namibia was planning to visit the Sumu Wildlife Sanctuary where the wildlife animals donated by his country to Nigeria are domiciled.