Tag: Lai Mohammed

What we agreed with Twitter to operate in Nigeria – FG

The Federal Government says the agreements it reached with Twitter to resume operations in the country were not meant to censor the microblogging site and other social media platforms in general.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated this on Saturday, added that the agreement, to be extended to other social media platforms operating in the country, would ensure that only wholesome content were published by the platforms.

The Minister was speaking on “Radio Link’’, a phone-in programme of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

He reiterated the resolve of the government to regulate the social media in a manner that would not stifle the freedom of speech and expression, as well as strangulate the media.

“We are going to regulate the social media not because we want to stifle the media or we want to violate the right of expression.

“We want to ensure that only wholesome contents were available on the social media.

“Recently we were all shocked when an 18-year old boy, accused of killing his 21-year old girlfriend for money rituals, confessed that he leant the diabolical act on social media.

“The teenager, in collaboration with his friends, cut off the head of the victim and were burning it in a pot when they were apprehended.

“The government has the responsibility to ensure that social media platforms were responsible and the contents they displayed were not harmful to young people, as well as the unity of the country,’’ he said.

On the other agreements reached with Twitter, which the minister said would be applicable to other online platforms, the micro blogging site had agreed to open its Nigeria office within the first quarter of the 2022.

He said Twitter agreed to appoint a designated country representative within one month of lifting its suspension, while its global policy team will also be available to engage directly with the government

The minister said Twitter agreed to meet all regulatory demands, including the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Nigeria Communication Commission laws and rules and the National Broadcasting Commission Code.

“Twitter also agreed to comply with all payable taxes, as they were operating under Nigerian laws and this they agreed to do within one week of restoring their operations.

“Twitter agreed to immediately work with the federal government in the area of code of conduct, that were in line with global best practices

Twitter agreed to immediately enrol Nigerians in its Law Enforcement portals and Partners Support Portal”.

“The law enforcement portal will provide dedicated channels for the Nigerian law enforcement agencies to escalate reports on contents that violate the code of conduct or national laws.

“Similarly, the partner support portal provides a direct channel for government to engage Twitter staff to manage prohibited contents,” he said.

He reiterated that relevant laws and the broadcasting code would be amended to ensure that the agreement reached with Twitter would be applicable to other social media platforms.

February 20, 2022
Canada protest: FG accuses Twitter of double standards

The Federal Government has accused the Canadian government and Twitter of double standards in the way they classify violent protesters in Nigeria and in Western clime.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the accusation at a media briefing on Sunday in his hometown, Oro, in Kwara state.

The minister was reacting to the unfolding events in Canada, where truckers were protesting over COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions.

Mohammed said Canada and Twitter which had called the hoodlums who destroyed public and private property in Nigeria during the EndSARS as “peaceful protesters” turned around to tag similar protesters in their own countries as insurrectionists and terrorists.
“The Canadian protesters, who have blockaded roads and resorted to inconveniencing others, have been branded as terrorists or insurrectionists and subjected to a number of clampdown by government and private organisations.
“The crowdfunding company GoFundMe has shut down the campaign to raise funds for the truckers, after they raised more than 10 million U.S. dollars.

“Twitter has suspended the truckers account while the Ontario government has frozen access to millions of dollars donated through online fundraising platform GiveSendGo to the protesters.

“”Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, has also declared a state of emergency in the city in response, saying the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety.

Recall, gentlemen, that during the EndSars protest, which culminated in the blockade of public roads and massive destruction of government and private property, Canada was one of the countries that spoke out in support of the protesters.

“Recall also that Twitter actively supported the EndSars protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise funds for the protests.

“These are the same entities that are now rushing to distance themselves from the protesters in Canada and even denying them the use of their platforms,” he said.

The minister recalled that similar scenario
played out during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U. S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. where those involved were either still being investigated or had been charged to court.

Mohammed, therefore, called on Nigerians to be circumspect of the glaring double standard and should be ready at all time to protect their country from destruction.

He said Nigerians must put their country first at all times and should not allow anyone to destroy their country under the guise of protest or unbridled freedoms.
“This realisation explains why every country goes the extra mile to protect and preserve itself.
“We have always said that you must have a country before you can even enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by your country’s constitution.

“If there is no Nigeria, no one will be talking of freedom of expression or freedom of association and the likes,” he said.
The minister noted that the Federal Government’s position should not be misunderstood to be gloating over the unfortunate development in Canada
He said they were only calling attention to the double standard involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent were being perceived in Nigeria and in the West.

The minister reiterated the position that the government never regretted the action it took against Twitter and the outcome of the subsequent negotiation with the micro blogging site.
“In this area, I can confidently say we are far ahead of most countries in the world, who have now realised that social media must be regulated in the interest of their own people”.

Mohammed said the successful negotiation with Twitter on measures to ensure a responsible use of the platform had placed Nigeria as a global trail blazer in efforts to prevent harmful content from social media platforms.
He reassured that the conditions and measures agreed upon for lifting the ban on Twitter would also be applied to other social media platforms operating in the country.

February 13, 2022
Alao-Akala demonstrated politics is local – Lai Mohammed

The life of former late Oyo state Governor, Otumba Christopher Alao-Akala demonstrated that “politics is local and as politician you can hardly get recognition if you are not celebrated at home”.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture made the remark on Saturday in Ogbomosho when he paid condolence visit to the family members of Alao-Akala who passed on Jan. 12 at the age of 71.

“He had become a recurring decimal of the political equation of his local environment since 1997 when he was the Chairman of Oyo North Local Government.

“One thing that I found a bit exciting and interesting about him is his personality to determine to a long extent, where the people of his local government will follow politically.

“I was amused to hear that in 1998 he emerged as a candidate of the ADP, not even AD or PDP in these same local government and he was always the man of the people.

“His life teaches us that at the end of the day all politics is local and you can hardly ever get recognition outside if you are not celebrated at home,” he said.

Mohammed said Akala used the opportunity of his strong local politics to attain the position of Governor of his state and gained recognition nationally and at the political party level.

He described the deceased as a humble, generous and easily accessible person who made impact and difference anywhere he found himself.

“I am here in my capacity both as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and as a personal friend and family friend of the late departed patriarch.

“It is no longer a secret that one of the wives of the late former governor, is a younger sister of my classmate.

“I remember with fond memory anytime I met the late governor, he will say ” my inlaw, should I prostrate? and I would respond that I am not worthy to receive such greetings from you sir.

“That was the kind of person he was even as governor and we will miss him dearly,” he said.

The minister prayed for peaceful repose of the soul of the late former governor and asked God to protect and preserve all those he left behind.

Hon. Olamijuwonlo, one of the children of the late patriarch, who responded on behalf of the family thanked the minister for the visit

Also on ground to receive the minister were the late patriarch wives, Florence and Oluwakemi and Hon. Olusegun Odebunmi representing Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency of Oyo state in the House of Representatives.

In the entourage of the minister were Mr Segun Adeyemi and Mr Williams Adeleye, both Special Assistants to the President attached to the Office of Minister of Information and Culture.

After his retirement in the Nigeria Police Force as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1995, Alao-Akala returned to his hometown of Ogbomoso to join politics.

He contested in 1998 for Chairmanship in Ogbomoso North Local Government, under the banner of All Peoples Party (APP) and he won the election.

In 2003, he was selected by the PDP, as a Deputy Governor to Senator Rashidi Ladoja in an election they won.

Alao-Akala became the Governor of Oyo State in January 2006, a position he occupied till May 2011.

February 12, 2022
Lai Mohammed slams N100bn suit against online medium

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed has dragged an online publication, Pointblank News, before an Abuja High court over alleged libel.

In a copy of the Writ of Summon obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, the minister is seeking the sum of N50 billion aggravated and exemplary damages for alleged libel from the defendants.

As contained in the court paper, the minister also asked the court to award another N50 billion general damages against the defendants for alleged libelous publications against him

The defendants to the suit are Mr Johnson Ude, publisher of the online media and Uduma Mba the Editor of the medium.

In the summon, the minister said the defendants exclusively published and widely circulated stories in their medium alleging his involvement in a purported N10 billion fraud scandal.

“The defendants made a publication described as ‘Exclusive Pointblanknews.com investigations’ and written under the very bold banner and title: ‘Lai Mohammed in N10 billion Fraud Scandal as ICPC swoops on NBC” which was published on Aug. 3, 2021.

“They published another one tagged as ‘Lai Mohammed, NBC head for showdown over N10 billion Fraud, Minister in Hot Deal with Interpol Most Wanted” publishes on Aug. 11, 2021″

The minister contended that the said publications by the defendants against him “is untrue, malicious, unfounded and wicked”

He added that the said publications were deliberately fabricated and concocted to ridicule and bring his person to disrepute.

Mohammed said he had never been found wanting in character and reputation in all the private and public organisations he had served.

He said the defendants concocted the false stories to paint him in very bad light, defame him and injure his character and reputation.

The minister added that since the publication, he had been inundated with calls and personal visits from well wishers, friends, admirers, political followers and his political adversaries.

Mohammed said because of the false and offensive publications, he had suffered mental distress and serious injury to his feelings.

He said, because he was shocked and aggrieved by the publications, he caused his solicitor, Kunle Jalejaye, SAN to write a letter dated Aug. 5, 2021 to the defendants to retract the libelous stories.

The plaintiff said following the failure of the defendants to retract the false publication, he approached the court to seek redress.

He therefore urged the court to award N50 billion aggravated and exemplary damages against the plaintiffs for libel contained in the publications

The minister also prayed the court to award another N50 billion general damages against the defendants for the false and libelous publication.

He also demanded a retraction of the publications and an apology to be published in three national newspapers (hard copy editions).

Mohammed also asked the court to order the two defendants to respectively write an undertaking to desist from further publication of the defamatory words against him.

NAN reports that the suit is yet to be assigned to a judge and no date has been fixed for mention.

February 6, 2022
See Buhari’s achievements in 2021
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has listed 100 achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.

Mohammed, in listing the achievements of Buhari in 2021, claimed that success is not measured by the number of challenges faced but by how they are tackled.

He stated that the Buhari-led administration has made “tremendous” progress in fighting insecurity and growing the economy.

Here’s the full statement:

TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, IN LAGOS ON THURSDAY, 30 DEC, 2021 TO SHOWCASE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION DURING THE OUTGOING YEAR 2021

Gentlemen, Good Morning, And Thanks For Honouring Our Invitation To This Press Conference Which, In Line With Our Tradition, We Have Called To Brief You On The Achievements Of The Buhari Administration In 2021. In View Of The Long List Of Achievements And Time Constraints, We Will Go Straight Into The Highlights And Then Provide You With A Fuller List.

2. Let Me Admit Straightaway That The Year Has Not Been Devoid Of Challenges. For The Outgoing Year In Particular, The Major Challenge Has Been That Of Insecurity. In Spite Of This And The Usual Economic
Challenges, Especially The Dwindling Resources Available To The Government, The Administration Has Availed Itself Creditably, As We Will Be Demonstrating Shortly.

3. As I Said In My Introductory Remarks, Our Biggest Challenge In The Outgoing Year Is In The Area Of Security. Despite The Enormity Of The Challenge, Our Military Has Continued To Live Up To Their Billing.
We Owe Them A Debt Of Gratitude For Their Patriotism And Sacrifice. We Just Can’t Appreciate Them Enough, As You Will Soon See When I Break Down Their Achievements In The Year Under Review.

FIGHT AGAINST INSECURITY
4. To Keep Our Country Safe, The Armed Forces Of Nigeria (AFN) Has Set Up Various Operations Across The Country. These Include The Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, Tagged Operation HADIN KAI Covering The
North East Region; The JTF SS, Tagged Operation DELTA SAFE Covering The South South Region; The JTF NW, Known As Operation HADARIN DAJI
Covering The North West Region; Operation SAFE HAVEN Covering Plateau, Parts Of Kaduna And
Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE Covering Benue, Nasarawa And Taraba States; JTF SW, Referred To As Operation AWATSE And Covering
Lagos And Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE Covering Abuja-Kaduna Highway And Operation WHIRL PUNCH Covering Parts Of Kaduna State.

5. Gentlemen, In The North East Zone Under Operation HADIN KAI, A Combination Of Kinetic And Non-Kinetic Operations, Coupled With A Review Of Strategies, Led To The Neutralization Of Over 1000
Terrorists, Rescue Of 2000 Civilians And The Surrender Of Over 22,000 Terrorists Including Their Families. Many Arms And Ammunition Were Also Recovered. This Is In Addition To Destruction Of Several IED/Bomb Making Factories Of The ISWAP/BHT. Under Operation HADARIN DAJI In The North West, The Conduct Of Offensive Clearance Operations, Raids And Air Operations Resulted In The Neutralization Of About 427 Bandits, Arrest Of 257 Bandits, Rescue Of 897 Civilians And Recovery Of 3,087 Livestock. Similarly, Operation WHIRL PUNCH Covering Parts Of Kaduna
Neutralized About 215 Bandits, Arrested 133 Bandits, Rescued 296 Civilians And Recovered 136 Livestock, While Operation THUNDER STRIKE Neutralized 36 Bandits, Arrested 74, Rescued 296 Civilians And
Recovered 136 Livestock. In The North Central, Raids And Clearance Operations Conducted By Operation SAFE HAVEN Neutralized 91 Criminal Elements, Arrested 155 Suspects, Rescued 159 Civilians And Recovered 3,259 Livestock. For Its Part, Operation WHIRL STROKE Neutralized 158 Criminals, Arrested 151 Suspects And Rescued 183 Civilians. Operation
DELTA SAFE In The South-South Destroyed About 1,520 Illegal Refineries, Confiscated 5,315 Storage Facilities And Impounded 617 Boats, Amongst Other Items. Additionally, About 74,297,425 Litres Of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 Litres Of Crude Oil And 88,350 Litres Of PMS Were Recovered. Furthermore, 174 Trucks And 13 Vessels Were Impounded While 755 Illegal Oil Bunkerers Were Arrested And 153 Assorted Weapons Recovered. In The South West, Patrols And Clearance Operations By Troops Of Operation AWATSE Led To The Arrest Of 46
Persons For Various Forms Of Criminalities While Several Vehicles, Jerricans, Motorcycles And Electricity Generators Used For Illegal Bunkering Were Seized..

6. The Effectiveness Of The Military Was Enhanced By The Leadership Provided By President Muhammadu Buhari And The Unwavering Commitment Of The Armed Forces And Its Leadership. The Procurement Of Modern
Platforms For The Armed Forces Has Also Gone A Long Way In Raising The Level Of Their Operational Readiness And Efficiency, In Addition To Boosting Their Capabilities. During The Period Under Review, The Nigerian Army Procured 160 MRAPS, 150 Trucks And 60 APCs To Improve Its Equipment Holding. Various Kits Were Equally Provided For Troops. This Is In Addition To The Provision Of Accommodation For Troops And The Recruitment Of Over 10,000 Personnel Into The Army. The Nigerian Navy (NN), For Its Part, Commissioned The FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, The Third Locally-Built Seaward Defense Boat, One Helicopter, 4 Inshore Patrol Boats And 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 Personnel Were Recruited Into The Navy During The Year. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Took Delivery Of 12 Super Tucanos And 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft And Other Platforms With Which It Has Conducted Several Air Interdictions, Provided Close Air Support To Ground Troops And Destroyed Several Illegal Structures And Equipment Belonging To Terrorists, Bandits And Other Criminal Elements.

7. The Armed Forces Of Nigeria Has Also Contributed Immensely To International Peace And Security Efforts With Its Robust Participation In The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission In Mali (MINUSMA) And The Regional Initiative, The ECOWAS Military Intervention In Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian Military’s Continued Participation In These Missions Has Ensured Their Viability And Sustenance Towards Achieving Their Military And Political Goals.
Overall, The Good News Is That The Military, In Spite Of Its Achievements, Is Not Resting On Its Oars. The Military Has Assured That It Is Also Poised, In Fulfillment Of Its Constitutional Duties, To Address The Myriad Of Evolving Contemporary Threats, Particularly As The 2023 Elections Draw Nearer.

8. Still On The Fight Against Insecurity, The Implementation Of The Community Policing Initiative Of The Current Administration Has Led To The Training Of 25,000 Constabularies In Several Police Colleges
Across The Country. The Successful Officers Who Were Trained On Basic Police Duties, Modern Intelligence Gathering Techniques, Rule Of Law, Etc. Were Deployed To Their Local Governments Of Origin To Aid In Intelligence Gathering And Improve Police Visibility In Their Communities. Also, In An Effort To Improve The Police/Citizens Ratio, 418 Cadet Officers Of Regular Course 3 Were Successfully Graduated In June 2021 And Deployed Into The Operational Asset Of The Nigeria
Police Force. Through The Police Trust Fund, 200 Buffalo Branded Vehicles, Bulletproof Vest, Protective Helmets, Drugs, And Medical Equipment As Well As Arms And Ammunition, Riot Control Equipment, And
Combat Equipment Were Procured For The Police Special Weapon And Tactical Squad (SWAT). The Ministry Of Police Affairs Has Also Entered Into A Contract Agreement For The Supply Of Police Anti Riot Equipment With Poly Technology Of China Through A Government-To-Government Arrangement At A Cost Of 44 Million U.S. Dollars. These Equipment Will
Go A Long Way In Boosting The Capacity Of The Police To Control Civil Unrest In The Most Efficient And Civil Manner.

ECONOMY
9. The Recovery Of The Economy Remained On A Steady Path Throughout The Year 2021. As You Are Aware, Gentlemen, Many Countries Around The
World Face Unprecedented Challenges, Starting From 2020, As A Result Of The COVID-19 Pandemic And Nigeria Is No Exception. The Nigerian Economy Was Hit By The Pandemic In Mid- 2020, And The Economic
Disruptions Led To A Recession. The Poor Performance Of The Economy During The COVID-19 Era Affected Output Growth, Trade, Household Welfare And Livelihood. However, This Led To A Quick Response By The Federal Government With The Rolling Out Of Effective Fiscal And
Monetary Policies As Well As Health-Related Policies Intended To Curb The Spread Of The Pandemic And Mitigate The Negative Impact Of The Pandemic On The Economy. This Has Yielded Considerable Results. For
Example, The Country’s Domestic Growth In The First Three Quarters Of 2021 Was Positive, Recording Real GDP Of 0.51 Percent In Q1, 5.01 Percent In Q2 And 4.03 Percent In Q3 2021, This Was An Improvement
From A Declining Performance In The First Three Quarters Of 2020 (Which Led To Economic Recession) Put At 1.87 Percent In Q1, -6.10 Percent In Q2 And -3.62 Percent In Q3 2020. Nevertheless, The Fourth Quarter 2020 Recorded A Slight Improvement Of 0.11 Percent, Ushering In Positive Growth Rates In The Three Quarters Of 2021. This Economic Performance In 2021 Shows A Steady Improvement In Growth Over The Last Three Quarters Of 2020, And This Can Be Attributed To Government Policies And Strategies Such As The Economic Sustainability Plan; The N500 Billion COVID 19 Crisis Intervention Fund Etc.

10. In The Oil Sector, Real Growth Shows Poorer Performance In 2021, Recording 2.21% (Year-On-Year) In Q1 2021, -12.65% In Q2 2021 And –10.73% In Q3 2021, From Stronger Growth Of 5.06% In Q1 2020, -6.63% In Q2 2020, And -13.89% In Q3 2020. However, Oil Production In Million Barrel Per Day Continued To Decline In 2021, From 2.07mbpd In Q1 2020,1.81mbpd In Q2 2020, 1.67mbpd In Q3 2020 To 1.72mbpd In Q1 2021, 1.61mbpd In Q2 2021 And 1.57mbpd In Q3 2021. Non-Oil Sector Indicated Better Performance Of 0.79% In Q1 2021, 6.74% In Q2 2021 And 5.44% In Q3 2021, Compared To 1.55% In Q1 2020, -6.05% In Q2 2020, And -2.51% In Q3 2020. In Foreign Trade, Nigeria Witnessed Dwindling Performance In 2020, Arising From Trade Restrictions On Accounts Of COVID-19 Pandemic. Disruptions Of Trading Activities Driven By The Pandemic
Further Weakened The Balance Of Trade Witnessed In Q4 2019 In The Subsequent Quarters. Consequently, Total Imports In The First Three Quarters Of 2021 Rose By 57.13%, From N13.97 In The Corresponding Quarters Of 2020 To N21.95 Trillion. Similarly, Total Exports Grew By
40.62%, Which Was N13.12 Trillion In The First Three Quarters Of 2021, Compared To N9.33trillion In The Corresponding Period, An Indication Of Improved Trading Activities Although With A Deficit Position. Over The Same Period Crude Oil Export Improved Considerably At N10.03 Trillion, Compared To N6.92 Trillion, Showing A Growth Rate Of 44.93%, While Non-Oil Exports Grew By 21.17% – From N1.19trillion To N1.44trillion Over The
Same Period. Inflation Rate Has Continued To Decline On A Year-On-Year Basis Since April 2021 When 18.12% Was Recorded. Looking At The Trend, A Declining Rate Was Recorded From 17.93% In May To 17.01% In August, 15.99% In October And 15.40% November 2021. It Is Projected That Proper Implementation Of The Proposed 2022 Project Of N17.13trillion, And Medium-Term Expenditure Framework & Fiscal Strategy Paper
2022-2024 Are Likely To Improve The Performance Of The Economy.. Also, Judicious Implementation Of The Petroleum Industry Act Will Likely Improve Oil Production/Sales Stability; Relatively High Oil Prices
Will Enhance Revenue Performance And Budget Implementation, While Strengthening Security Will Improve Output Growth Of The Economy.

OIL AND GAS SECTOR
1. Undoubtedly One Of The Greatest Achievements Of The Administration In 2021, And Indeed In The Past Several Decades, Was Recorded In The Oil And Gas Sector, A Sector Very Critical To The Nation’s Economic
  Well-Being. The Passage And Signing Into Law Of The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Is A Landmark Achievement. Many Have Described It As The
  Most Profound Event In The Nigerian Oil And Gas Space In The Last 20 Years. The PIA Is Envisaged To Foster Investment In The Industry And Delineate Responsibilities To The Various Institutions. Its Key Objectives Are:
  – To Establish A Commercialized National Oil Company (NNPC Ltd.)
  – To Entrench Accountability And Good Governance
  – To Promote The Exploration And Exploitation Of The Petroleum Resources In Nigeria For The Benefit Of All Nigerians As Well As Foster The Sustainable Development Of The Host Communities.
12. Overall, The PIA Serves To Ensure The Efficient And Effective Technical And Operational Regulation Of The Upstream, Midstream And Downstream Sectors Of The Oil Industry Through The Formation Of The Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission And The Nigerian Midstream And Downstream Regulatory Authority, Among Others.

13. Also Worthy Of Note Is The Transformation Of The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The Nation’s National Oil Entity Has Witnessed Many Changes And Transformation Through The Decades. From Its Take-Off On 1st April 1977 As A Merger Of The
Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) And The Federal Ministry Of Petroleum And Energy
Resources, The NNPC – Now Re-Christened NNPC Limited – Has Been Undergoing The Kind Of Transformation Designed To Re-Invent The Entity
For Greater Efficiency And Value Creation. Yet, The Changes And The Unprecedented Deluge Of Reformations In 2021 Eclipse Previous Attempts
To Restructure The Oil Company. The Tempo Created With The Passage And Eventual Presidential Assent Of The PIA Was Sustained With The Quick Activation Of Part V Of The New Law Which Requires The Incorporation Of A Commercial And Profit-Focused National Oil Company (NOC) Within Six (6) Months Of The Passage Into Law. Thus, The NNPC Management – On Behalf Of The Federal Government – Incorporated The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited Under The Companies And Allied Matters Act. Under The New Arrangement, NNPC Ltd Will, On Behalf Of The Federation, Take Over Assets, Interests And Liabilities Of The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

14. Another Major Achievement In The Sector Is The Posting Of A N287 Billion Profit, After Tax, By The NNPC. It Was The First Time In 44 Years That The Corporation Has Recorded Such Profit, Which The NNPC Attributed To Aggressive Cost Cutting Measures, Cost Savings Through Renegotiation Of Contracts By Up To 30%, Improved Efficiency Through Business Automation, Emphasis On Commercially-Focused Investment And
Non-Interference In The Management Of The Corporation’s Affairs, Among Other Factors. The Construction/Rehabilitation Of 21 Roads Under The
Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Development And Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme Is Also A Major Achievement. Recall,
Gentlemen, That The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approved N621.2 Billion For The NNPC To
Take Over The Reconstruction Of 21 Federal Roads Across The Six Geopolitical Zones Of The Country. The Construction And Rehabilitation Of The Selected Roads Are Meant As Strategic Intervention Under The
Federal Government Road Infrastructure And Refreshment Tax Credit Scheme.

INFRASTRUCTURE – WORKS AND HOUSING
15. Without Question, An Area In Which The Present Administration Has Distinguished Itself Is In The Provision Of Key Infrastructures, Which Is Important To The Growth And Development Of Any Economy. In Its
Efforts To Provide Basic Infrastructure, Especially Roads And Housing, The Federal Ministry Of Works And Housing Carried Out The Following Projects In 2021.

(I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I And II (26.27km) In
Enugu And Ebonyi States
(II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM),
(Shuwarin-Azare) In Jigawa And Bauchi States
(III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum)
106.34km In Bauchi And Yobe States
(IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I And II (24km) In Benue And Cross River States
(V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km)

16. Also, Various Highway And Bridge Projects At Various Stages Of Completion Are Ongoing Across The Six-Geopolitical Zones Of The Country. The Bridges Include The Much-Talked-About 2nd Niger Bridge,
Which Is Currently At 78% Completion And Is Expected To Be Ready By November 2022. Ongoing Work On The Bridge Consists Of The Construction Of A 1.59km Long Bridge And 10.3km Length Of Approach Roads. The Total
Length Of The Main Work Is 11.90km. The Bridge And Approach Roads Are 2×3 Lane Expressways. Other
Ancillary Works Include The Construction Of Two Secondary Bridges At Oko Amakun (21.70m) And Atani Road (21.70m). Also To Be Constructed Is A New Cloverleaf Interchange At Onitsha-Owerri Road. Several Culverts And Drainage Structures Will Also Be Constructed. There Is Also The 360-Meter Bridge At Ikom In Cross River State, Which Was Completed In
2021 And Awaiting Commissioning; The 400-Meter Border Bridge Between Nigeria And Cameroon At Mfum And Ekok, Which Was Also Completed In 2021 And Is Now Awaiting Commissioning.

17. In Order To Ensure That The Private Sector Participates In And Contributes To The Implementation Of Federal Government Programmes, The Federal Ministry Of Works And Housing Is Developing A Highway
Development And Management Initiative (HDMI), A Framework For The Private Sector Participation In Road Development. HDMI Was Created By The Ministry To Manage And Develop The Federal Road Network, With The Aim Of Attracting Sustainable Investment And Funding In The Development Of Road Infrastructure And Maximizing The Use Of Assets Along The Right Of Way.

The Rationale Behind The Private Sector Engagement Under The HDMI Is To Provide An Alternative Avenue Of
Financing Road Construction, Management And Maintenance. Out Of The Total Length Of The Federal Road Network Of About 35,000km, The First Phase Of The Proposed Project Will Cover A Total Length Of About
1,963.24km. Most Of The Ongoing Projects Of The Ministry, Especially The Highways Development And Management Initiative (HDMI), Are Already Attracting Massive Infrastructural Investment. It Is Envisaged That
Over A Trillion-Naira Direct Investment Will Be Mobilized In The First Phase Of The HDMI.

18. It Is Imperative To State That The Policies, Programmes And Projects Of The Federal Ministry Of Works And Housing Have Contributed
To Stabilizing The Macro-Economic Situation Of The Country, Particularly In Job Creation. The Activities Of The Ministry Have Further Contributed To The Growth Of Other Sectors Of The Economy Such As The Mining Sector Through The Supply Of Aggregates, Laterite, Limestone And Other Building Materials; Cement Manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation) And Steel Production To Support Construction Needs; The Fact That Property Values Are Reportedly Appreciating By 30%-40% As A
Result Of Road Transport Infrastructure And The Growing Demand For Petroleum Products Like Diesel, Petrol, Lubricants And Tyres As A Result Of Construction Activities And The Need To Operate Machines.

INFRASTRUCTURE – AVIATION
19. Key Achievements Recorded In The Aviation Sector Include The Construction And Installation Of Boeing 737 Full Motion Flight Simulator At The Nigerian College Of Aviation Technology (NCAT) In Zaria, A Development That Will Save Nigeria Millions Of Dollars Spent
In The Retraining Of Pilots In Other Countries; The Installation Of Fully-Automated Aircraft Firefighter Training Simulator Also At NCAT, The First Of Its Kind In Africa; Re-Fleeting Of Trainer Aircraft In NCAT With Six Aircraft So Far; Installation Of Novel Cat III ILS/DME
At Lagos And Abuja Airports, Instruments That Will Allow Flights To Land At Low Visibility; Procurement Of Two Mobile Control Towers In Lagos And Abuja And The Designation Of Four International Airports In Abuja, Kano, Lagos And Port Harcourt As Special Economic Zones, Aimed At Encouraging Business/Investment. Investors In Aviation, Under This Project, Are To
Have Pioneer Industry Status So As To Have Tax Breaks.

INFRASTRUCTURE – TRANSPORTATION
1. Definitely The Most Outstanding Achievement In The Transportation Sector In 2021 Is The Flag-Off Of The Commercial Operation Of The Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail Line In June 2021 By President Muhammadu Buhari. The Trains Are Currently Conveying Goods And
  Services And Reducing Traffic And Human Pressure On Infrastructural Facilities On The Lagos-Ibadan Highway. Then There Was The Ground-Breaking Ceremony For The Rehabilitation And Reconstruction Of Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway Project And The Bonny Deep Sea And Railway Industrial Park. The 2,044-Km Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail Line Cuts Across Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa And Borno. President Buhari Also
  Performed The Ground-Breaking Ceremony Of The Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge Rail Line Modernization Project In July 2021. The Project Is A Continuation Of The Lagos-Kano Rail Plan. It Is The Third Segment, With Lagos-Ibadan As Well As Ibadan-Kano As The 1st And 2nd Segments, Respectively. Then, The MOU For The Construction Of The US$1.959 Billion Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Line Was Signed With The Portugues
  Firm Mota-Engil Group. This Is Part Of On-Going Federal Government’s Initiative To Provide Inter-Modal Means Of Transportation Across The Country As Well As Enhance Trade Between Nigeria And Some African Countries. President Buhari Subsequently Performed The Ground Breaking Of The Project, Which Traverses The Major Commercial Centre Of Kano And Passes Through Other Economic Hubs Of The Country, Including Kazaure, Daura, Katsina And Up To The Border Town Of Jibiya And The City Of Maradi In Niger Republic. On Completion, The Project Would Promote Import And Export Of Goods From The Niger Republic And Other Countries In The Sub-Region Through Nigerian Ports. The Country Would
  Earn Revenue Through Expansion Of Trade And Commerce, While The People Of Niger Republic Will Benefit From The Ease Of Transportation Logistics At An Affordable Cost In Their Import And Export Business.
  The Federal Ministry Of Transportation Also Launched The Integrated National Security And Waterways Protection Infrastructure (Also Known As Deep Blue Asset). This Is Aimed At Managing, Controlling And
  Protecting Nigerian Waterways Towards The Advancement Of Coastal Prosperity, As The Gulf Of Guinea In Recent Times Has Become A Hotbed
  For Piracy.
INFRASTRUCTURE – WATER RESOURCES
21. Some 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes Were Constructed In The North-East, IDP Camps And Some Federal Institutions And Establishments By The Federal Ministry Of Water Resources In The Year Under Review.
In Addition To The Completion Of 12 Dams, The Ministry Also Embarked On The Implementation Of The Partnership For Expanded Water Sanitation
And Hygiene (PEWASH) Programmes With The Construction Of 926 Rural Water Supply Schemes In 12 States Of Imo, Katsina, Jigawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna And Gombe States.

Also, The Clean Nigeria Campaign Has Yielded The Following Results In The Last 12 Months, With 71 LGAs Now Open Defecation Free. In The Area Of Irrigation, 96,000 Hectares Of Irrigation Have Been Developed As Of 2021. In Line With The Plan To Lift 100 Million Nigerians Out Of Poverty In The Next Ten Years, The Ministry Has Ensured That Both Direct And Indirect Jobs Are Created In The Implementation Of Its Programmes/Projects. A Total Of 57,261 Direct Jobs And 11,588 Indirect Jobs Have Been Created Through The Various Dam, Irrigation And Water Supply Projects Completed Within The Reporting Period.

NATIONAL SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES (NSIP)
22. The Federal Government Has Continued To Implement The National Social Investment Programmes. On The Directive Of Mr. President, The
N-Power Has Been Expanded From 500,000 To 1 Million Beneficiaries. The Government Enterprise And Empowerment Programme (GEEP) Has Been
Restructured To GEEP 2.0. The Revamped GEEP 2.0 Was Officially Launched On 24 August 2021 And Has Successfully Registered Over 600,000 Potential Beneficiaries In All The 774 LGAs Nationwide Through
Collaborative Partnership With The National Orientation Agency. The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) Is Also Growing Strong. As You Know, The Programme Is Designed As An Incentive To
Boost School Enrolment And Improve Nutrition Of Primary School Pupils While Sustaining The Impact Of Agricultural And Women Entrepreneurs In Communities To Produce And Provide A Quality Meal Daily To Pupils At
The Basic Education Level. The NHGSFP Aims To Provide Free School Meals To 25 Million Children In The Country By 2030. Currently, The Programme Is Providing Meals To Nearly 10,000,000 School Children Nationwide. The Programme Has Further Empowered Over 100,000 Cooks And Over 100,000 Small Holder Farmers In The Local Areas Where The Schools Are Located, While Creating Employment Opportunities Across Sectors
Such As Transportation And Manufacturing. The Programme Is Being Extended To Children In Non-Conventional Educational Settings So That They May Access Its Benefits. The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), Which Has The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) As Its Flagship Intervention, Is Designed To Provide Targeted Financial Transfers To Poor And Vulnerable Households Under An Expanded National Social Safety Nets System. Those Enrolled In The Programme Benefit From Monthly Grants Of N5,000 To Smoothen Consumption, Stimulate Demand And Ensure Survival Directly In The Household. Since Inception, A Total Of 1,676,799 Eligible Households Across The Country Are Benefiting From Monthly N5,000 Grant, As Of March 2021. This Is In Addition To The 1 Million Urban Poor Who Are Benefitting From The Conditional Cash
Transfers, Under The Directive Of Mr. President To Further Expand The Programme Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SECTOR
23. The Digital Economy Sector Was Highly Instrumental In Lifting The Nigerian Economy Out Of Recession. According To The Q4 2020 Report On
Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Released By The National Bureau Of Statistics (NBS), The Information And Communications Technology (ICT) Sector Recorded The Highest Growth Rate Of All The Sectors Of
The Nigerian Economy. The Breakdown Of The Different Sectors Shows That The 14.7% Growth Rate Of The ICT Sector Was Greater Than The Combined 14.21% Growth Of The 2nd To 7th Fastest Growing Sectors In 2020. The Telecommunications Sector Alone Recorded A Growth Rate Of 15.90%, Representing Its Highest Growth Rate In The Last 10 Years. In The NBS Report For The Q1 2021, The ICT Sector Maintained Its Position As The Fastest Growing Sector Of The Economy. This Therefore Indicates That The Digital Economy Sector Has Proven To Be Vital For The Diversification Of The Nigerian Economy.

The National Digital Economy Policy For A Digital Nigeria Reflects The Focus Of The Federal
Government With Respect To Nigeria’s Digital Economy, Which Was Hinged On 8 Strategic Pillars. And As Part Of The Efforts Aimed At Implementing The Policy, Some Of The Projects Implemented Nationwide Include:
- ICT Innovation Hubs
- Digital Skills For Entrepreneurs And Innovators
- Community IT Training Centers
- Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC)
- School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, And Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), To Mention But A Few. Over 300 Of These Centers Have Been Established All Over The Country.
24. During The Period Under Review, The Ministry Of Communications And Digital Economy – In Order To Ensure Increased Capacity Download Speed By Up To 20 Times And Decrease Latency – Conducted A Transparent
Bidding Process For The Provision Of The 5G Network Service. Mafab Communications Ltd And MTN Nigeria Plc Emerged The Winners Of The 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) Spectrum Auction.

CONCLUSION
25. Gentlemen, As You Can See, This Administration, In Spite Of Daunting Challenges, Made Tremendous Progress In 2021 In Fighting Insecurity, Growing The Economy, Reforming The Oil Sector To Spur More
Investments, Emplacing World Class Infrastructure, Providing Social Safety Net For The Poor And Most Vulnerable In The Society And Also Taking Advantage Of The Huge Opportunities Offered By The Information
And Communications Technology Sector. What We Have Done Here Is To Highlight The Major Achievements, Hence This Is By No Means Exhaustive. That’s Why We Are Also Giving You A List Of 100 Achievements Of The Buhari Administration In 2021, Success Is Not
Measured By The Number Of Challenges You Face, But By How You Tackle The Challenges. This Is What The Administration Has Demonstrated By Tackling Insecurity Headlong While Also Growing And Diversifying The
Economy. We Want To Most Sincerely Thank All Nigerians For Their Support And Perseverance. We Want To Reassure The Nation That President Muhammadu Buhari Is Determined To Leave A Legacy Of A Safe,
Secure And Prosperous Nation. We Urge Nigerians Not To Relent In Supporting Our Security Forces, Who Continue To Make Sacrifices To Keep Our Country Safe.

Finally, We Thank You, Gentlemen Of The Press,
For Always Honouring Our Invitation. Best Wishes For A Better Year For All In 2022.

LIST OF 100 BUHARI ADMINISTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021
1. The Armed Forces Of Nigeria (AFN) Sets Up Various Operations Across
  The Country To Enhance Security. These Include The Joint Task Force
  (JTF) North East, Tagged Operation HADIN KAI Covering The North East
  Region; The JTF SS, Tagged Operation DELTA SAFE Covering The South
  South Region; The JTF NW, Known As Operation HADARIN DAJI Covering The
  North West Region; Operation SAFE HAVEN Covering Plateau, Parts Of
  Kaduna And Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE Covering Benue,
  Nasarawa And Taraba States; JTF SW, Referred To As Operation AWATSE
  And Covering Lagos And Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE Covering
  Abuja-Kaduna Highway And Operation WHIRL PUNCH Covering Parts Of
  Kaduna State.
2. Under Operation HADIN KAI, A Combination Of Kinetic And Non-Kinetic
  Operations, Coupled With A Review Of Strategies, Led To The
  Neutralization Of Over 1000 Terrorists, Rescue Of 2000 Civilians And
  The Surrender Of Over 22,000 Terrorists Including Their Families.
  Several Arms And Ammunition Were Also Recovered. This Is In Addition
  To Destruction Of Several IED/Bomb Making Factories Of The ISWAP/BHT.
  Under Operation HADARIN DAJI In The North West, The Conduct Of
  Offensive Clearance Operations, Raids And Air Operations Resulted In
  The Neutralization Of About 427 Bandits, Arrest Of 257 Bandits, Rescue
  Of 897 Civilians And Recovery Of 3,087 Livestock. Similarly, Operation
  WHIRL PUNCH Covering Parts Of Kaduna Neutralized About 215 Bandits,
  Arrested 133 Bandits, Rescued 296 Civilians And Recovered 136
  Livestock, While Operation THUNDER STRIKE Neutralized 36 Bandits,
  Arrested 74, Rescued 296 Civilians And Recovered 136 Livestock. In The
  North Central, Raids And Clearance Operations Conducted By Operation
  SAFE HAVEN Neutralized 91 Criminal Elements, Arrested 155 Suspects,
  Rescued 159 Civilians And Recovered 3,259 Livestock. For Its Part,
  Operation WHIRL STROKE Neutralized 158 Criminals, Arrested 151
  Suspects And Rescued 183 Civilians. Operation DELTA SAFE In The
  South-South Destroyed About 1,520 Illegal Refineries, Confiscated
  5,315 Storage Facilities And Impounded 617 Cotonou Boats, Amongst
  Other Items. Additionally, About 74,297,425 Litres Of Dual Purpose
  Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 Litres Of Crude Oil And 88,350 Litres Of
  PMS Were Recovered. Furthermore, 174 Trucks And 13 Vessels Were
  Impounded While 755 Illegal Oil Bunkerers Were Arrested And 153
  Assorted Weapons Recovered. In The South West, Patrols And Clearance
  Operations By Troops Of Operation AWATSE Led To The Arrest Of 46
  Persons For Various Forms Of Criminalities While Several Vehicles,
  Jerricans, Motorcycles And Electricity Generators Used For Illegal
  Bunkering Were Seized..
3. The AFN Also Acquired A Number Of Platforms During The Reporting
  Period To Raise The Level Of Their Operational Readiness And
  Efficiency, In Addition To Boosting Their Capacities. During The
  Period Under Review, The Nigerian Army Procured 160 MRAPS, 150 Trucks
  And 60 APCs To Improve Its Equipment Holding. Various Kits Were
  Equally Provided For Troops. This Is In Addition To The Provision Of
  Accommodation For Troops And The Recruitment Of Over 10,000 Personnel
  Into The Army. The Nigerian Navy (NN), For Its Part, Commissioned The
  FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, The Third
  Locally-Built Seaward Defense Boat, One Helicopter, 4 Inshore Patrol
  Boats And 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 Personnel Were
  Recruited Into The Navy During The Year. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF)
  Took Delivery Of 12 Super Tucanos And 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft
  And Other Platforms With Which It Has Conducted Several Air
  Interdictions, Provided Close Air Support To Ground Troops And
  Destroyed Several Illegal Structures And Equipment Belonging To
  Terrorists, Bandits And Other Criminal Elements.
4. The AFN Has Also Contributed Immensely To International Peace And
  Security Efforts With Its Robust Participation In The United Nations
  Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission In Mali (MINUSMA)
  And The Regional Initiative, The ECOWAS Military Intervention In
  Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian Military’s Continued Participation In
  These Missions Has Ensured Their Viability And Sustenance Towards
  Achieving Their Military And Political Goals.
5 Passage Of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

6. Incorporation Of NNPC Limited Under CAMA.

7 Entrenchment Of Transparency, Accountability And Performance
Excellence (TAPE) In NNPC.

8 Final Investment Decision On $3.6bn Methanol Plant In Bayelsa. The
Plant, An Integrated Methanol And Gas Project In Odioma, Brass Island,
Bayelsa State, Which Is Scheduled To Come Into Operation In 2024, Is
Expected To Produce 10,000tons Of Methanol Daily.

9 US$260m Funding Agreement For ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited
(AGPC). The Project Will Deliver 300 Million Standard Cubic Feet Of
Gas Per Day And 1,200 Megawatts Of Electricity To The Domestic Market.

10 Launch Of Nigerian Upstream Cost Optimization Programme (NUCOP) To
Drive Down The Cost Of Crude Oil Production In The Country So As To Remain Competitive In The Global Market.

11 Award Of $1.5 Billion Contract For Rehabilitation Of Port Harcourt
Refinery To Tecnimont SPA Of Italy.

12 Commercialization Of OML 143 Gas13 Execution Of OML 118 (Bonga)
Agreements Between NNPC & Partners.

13 Shareholder Agreement For Brass Petroleum Product Terminal (BPPT).
When Completed, The BPPT Will Help Close The Infrastructure Gap In The
Distribution Of Petroleum Products Which Will Consequently Stabilize
Petroleum Product Price In The Riverine Communities Of The Niger
Delta.

14 Contract Signed To Build Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.

15 NNPC Posts N287 Billion Profit, The First Time It Will Record Such
Profit In 44 Years.

16 Construction/Rehabilitation Of 21 Roads Under FG’s Road
Infrastructure Development And Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit
Scheme.

17 Sustained Supply Of Petroleum Products.

18 Projects Carried Out By The Federal Ministry Of Works And Housing In 2021
(I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I And II (26.27km) In
Enugu And Ebonyi States
(II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM
(Shuwarin-Azare) In Jigawa And Bauchi States
(III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum)
106.34km In Bauchi And Yobe States
(IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I And II
(24km) In Benue And Cross River States
(V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km)
(VI) The 360-Meter Bridge At Ikom In Cross River Stater –
Completed And Awaiting Commissioning.
(VII) The 400-Meter Border Bridge Between Nigeria And
Cameroon – Completed And Awaiting Commissioning.
(VIII) The 2nd Niger Bridge Is 78% Completed, Expected To Be
Ready In November 2022:
(IX) Launch Of The Highway Development And Management
Initiative (HDMI), A Framework For Private Sector Participation In
Road Development.
(X) The Policies, Programmes And Projects Of The Ministry
Have Contributed To Stabilizing The Macro-Economic Situation Of The
Country, Particularly In Job Creation. The Activities Of The Ministry
Have Further Contributed To The Growth Of Other Sectors Of The Economy
Such As: –
I. Mining Sector Through The Supply Of Aggregates,
Laterite, Limestone And Other Building Materials;
Ii. Cement Manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation); Steel
Production To Support Construction Needs;
Iii. Property Values Are Reportedly Appreciating By 30%-40%
As A Result Of Road Transport Infrastructure;
Iv. Demand For Petroleum Products Like Diesel, Petrol,
Lubricants And Tyres Has Increased As A Result Of Construction
Activities And The Need To Operate Machines.

19 Designation Of Four International Airports In Abuja, Kano, Lagos
And Port Harcourt As Special Economic Zones, Aimed At Encouraging
Business/Investment.

20 Construction And Installation Of Boeing 737 Full Motion Flight
Simulator At NCAT. By That, Nigeria Will Be Saving Millions Of Dollars
Spent In The Retraining Of Pilots In Other Countries.

21 Installation Of Fully Automated Aircraft Firefighter Training
Simulator At NCAT, First Of Its Kind In Africa.

22 Re-Fleeting Of Trainer Aircraft At NCAT. Six Have Since Arrived.

23 Installation Of Novel Cat III ILS/DME At Lagos And Abuja Airports.
The Instruments Allow The Flight To Land At Low Visibility.

24 Procurement Of Two Mobile Control Towers In Lagos And Abuja Airports.

25 The Ministry Of Aviation Received Provisional Approval For The
Establishment Of Aerospace University In Abuja.

26 Abuja Airport Received An Award From Airport Council International
For Being The Best By Size And Region In Africa.

27 The Ministry Of Aviation, In Its Effort To Resuscitate Airstrips In
The Country, Commissioned The Construction Work Of Wachakal Airstrip
In Yobe State.

28 The Federal Government, Through The Ministry, Has Disbursed N5
Billion Palliative To The Aviation Industry In A Bid To Cushion The Effects Of COVID-19 On Their Operations.

29 Flag-Off Of The Commercial Operation Of Lagos-Ibadan Rail Line In June 2021.
30 Launching Of The Integrated National Security And Waterways Protection Infrastructure (Also Known As Deep Blue Asset).

31 MOU With Mota-Engil Group For The Construction Of US$1.959 Billion
Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway Lines.

32 Ground-Breaking Ceremony For The Rehabilitation And Reconstruction
Of The 2,044-Km Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway
Project And Bonny Deep Sea And Railway Industrial Park.

33 Ground-Breaking Ceremony Of The Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge
Rail-Line Modernization Project.

34 Construction Of 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes In The North-East,
IDP Camps And Some Federal Institutions And Establishments.

35 Full Implementation Of The Partnership For Expanded Water
Sanitation And Hygiene (PEWASH) Programmes With The Construction Of
926 Rural Water Supply Schemes In 12 States Of Imo, Katsina, Jigawa,Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna And Gombe States.

36 Secured World Bank Loan For The Sustainable Urban And Rural Water
Sanitation And Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme In The Sum Of $700 Million
To Be Disbursed To Eligible States.

37 The Clean Nigeria Campaign Has Yielded The Following Results In The
Last 12 Months:
(I) 71 LGAs Are Now Open Defecation Free. All States Of The Federation
Except One Have Now Flagged Off The Clean Nigeria Campaign.
(II) Collaboration With National Orientation Agency (NOA) Resulted In
The Training Of Community Mobilization Officers In All 774 LGAs.
Sensitization Is On-Going At ‘Grassroots’ Level.
(III) To Combat The COVID-19 Pandemic, The Ministry Developed And
Implemented The National WASH Response To COVID-19 Projects Which
Include The Rehabilitation Of 185 Water Supply Projects (5 Per State
And FCT), Construction Of 185 Solar Powered Water Supply Projects (5
Per State And FCT), Construction Of 370 Public Sanitation Facilities
(10 Per State And FCT), Support To State Water Agencies For Their
Operation To Ensure Uninterrupted Water Supply, Procurement Of 370
Contactless Hand Washing Facilities With Soap And Sanitizers (10per
State And FCT) And Engagement Of 77,400 Youth Volunteers For Hand
Washing And Open Defecation Campaigns.

38 Twelve Dams Were Completed In A Bid To Maximize Full Utilization Of Dam Infrastructure.

39 Under Irrigation, So Far 96,000 Hectares Of Irrigation Were Developed In 2021.

40 The River Basin Development Authorities Are Being Revitalized To
Deliver Their Mandate.

41 Creation Of A Total Of 57,261 Direct Jobs And 11,588 Indirect Jobs
Through The Various Dam, Irrigation And Water Supply Projects Completed Within The Reporting Period.

42 The Commissioning Of A Pilot Cottage Poultry Processing Facility At Dei Dei Livestock Market In Abuja.

43 Flag-Off Of The 4-Km Ung Wabai- Un Doka Day Secondary School Asphaltic Road In Makarfi Local Government Area Of Kaduna State.

44 Commissioning Of A Communication Center And Administrative Block Of
The Agricultural Research Council Of Nigeria In Abuja.

45 Rollout Of The Distribution Of Free Agricultural Inputs To 7,500 Women Farmers In FCT And The North Central States.

46 Flag-Off Of Training Of 1,000 Extension Agents, Comprising 30 From Each State And FCT.

47 Distribution Of Free Agricultural Inputs To Smallholders Farmers In
Maiduguri, Borno State To Mitigate The Effect Of COVID-19 Pandemic.

48 Distribution Of Free Agricultural Inputs To Physically-Challenged Farmers In Maiduguri, Borno State, To Mitigate The Effect Of COVID 19 Pandemic.

49 Commissioning Of Yam Storage Facility In Nasarawa State With A Storage Capacity Of 45-50 Metric Tons.

50 Streamlining Of The Guidelines For The Grant Of Expatriate Quota Positions And Related Instruments.

51 Review Of The Various Expatriate Quota Fees, Thus Generating Additional Revenue For The Federal Government.

52 Improved On-Line Tracking Of Applications, Thereby Boosting Nigeria Foreign Direct Investment.

53 On-Line Linkage On ECitibiz Platform With Other MDAs Like NCDMB,
NIS, CAC, FIRS And Other Government Agencies To Verify Documents And
Enhance The Integrity Of On-Line Processing Of Expatriate Quota Services In Line With The Executive Order 1 (EQ1) For The Ease Of Doing Business In Nigeria.

54 Creation Of Enforcement, Investigation And Inspection Unit In The Ministry Of Interior To Boost The Fight Against Corruption.

55 Presidential Approval Of Legal Notices Which Allow Local Governments To Conduct Statutory Marriages Sequel To Compliance With Regulations By The Ministry, In Line With The Marriage Act Of 1958 As Amended.

56 Approval Of The National Action Plan To End Statelessness In Nigeria, As Required By The UN.

57 Launch Of The New Visa Policy Reclassifying The Visa Categories From 6 To 79.

58 Visa On Arrival To Holders Of Passports Of African Countries.

59 Construction Of A World-Class Technology Building To Manage All Nigeria Immigration Service ICT Enhanced Systems, Installation Of Migration

60 Information And Data Analysis System (MIDAS) Installed In All Airports In The Country, As Well As The Construction And Commissioning Of Immigration State Commands In Kaduna, Enugu, Sokoto.

61 Introduction Of The Passport Issuance Reform, Which Ensured The
Clearing Of A Backlog Of 96,083 Passports Applications Between January
And September, 2021.

62 Also, 42,768 Standard And Visa On Arrival (VOA) Were Issued Within
This Period.

63 Creation Of Citizen Integrity Unit At The Nigerian Security And Civil Defence Corps As Well As Training Of Squad To Protect Schools And The Deployment Of Over 1,500 Personnel As Agro-Rangers To Protect Farmers In Yobe And Adamawa States In Order To Promote Food Security In The Country.

64 Construction Of 3,000-Capacity Custodian Centers In The Three Geopolitical Zones As Well As The Re-Opening And Rehabilitation Of 32 Correctional Centers Shut Down Due To Insurgency.

65 The Nigeria Correctional Service Command Complex Was Recently
Commissioned In Osogbo, Osun State.
66 Crude Oil Export Improved Considerably At N10.03 Trillion, Compared To N6.92 Trillion, Showing A Growth Rate Of 44.93%.

67 Twenty-Eight Newly-Procured Fire Engines Were Deployed Across The Country To Boost Emergency Response.

68 Training Of 25,000 Constabularies In Several Police Colleges Across The Country Under The Implementation Of The Community Policing Initiative.

69 Four Hundred And Eighteen Cadet Officers Of Regular Course 3 Were
Successfully Graduated In June 2021 And Deployed Into The Operational
Asset Of The Nigeria Police Force.

70 Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) Was Inaugurated As A Permanent Structure That Will Help To Effectively Nip In The Bud Civil Unrest And Serve As An Opportunity For Nigerians To Channel Their Grievances On The Misconduct Of Police Personnel.

71 Establishment Of The West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS).
WAPIS Connects Member Countries In A Platform For Shared Intelligence
Utilization, Mutual Cooperation, And Exchange Of Expertise.

72 Federal Executive Council Approval For The Police Specialized
Services Automation Project (Po-SSAP). It Is Envisaged That In The
Medium- And Long-Term Period, The Project Will Deliver Economic
Benefits And Improved Efficiencies As Follows:
A. Special Protection Services For The Oil And Gas And
Telecommunication Sectors.
B. Special Protection And Guards’ Services For The Banking And
Financial Services Sector.
C. Special Protection And Guards’ Services For Hospitality, Real
Estate, And Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Sectors.
D. Special Protection To Politically-Exposed Persons (PEPs), High Net
Worth Individuals, And Large Corporations.

73 The Police Trust Fund Procured 200 Buffalo Branded Vehicles,
Bulletproof Vest, Protective Helmets, Drugs, And Medical Equipment As
Well As Arms And Ammunition, Riot Control Equipment, And Combat
Equipment For The Police Special Weapon And Tactical Squad (SWAT).

74 The Ministry Of Police Affairs Entered Into A Contract Agreement
For The Supply Of Police Anti-Riot Equipment With Poly Technology Of
China Through A Government-To-Government Arrangement At A Cost Of 44
Million U.S Dollars.
75 The Ministry Of Finance, Budget And National Planning Generated
N1.53 Trillion From Value Added Tax (VAT). Some N496.4 Billion Was
Generated From VAT In The First Three Months Of 2021, The Highest In
Nine Years.

76 The Ministry Of Finance, Budget And National Planning Has Maintained The January-December Budget Cycle With The Support Of Members Of The National Assembly.

77 Perfected The Implementation Of E-Customs Limited. This Is A
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) With The Sole Objective Of Implementing
The 20-Year Concession For The Presidential Initiatives On Customs Modernization (E-Customs Project).

78 Implementation Of The Economic Sustainable Plan (ESP) Approved By
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Last Year.

79 The Economy’s Exit From Recession, An Indication That The Federal
Government’s Fiscal Policies And Diversification Of The Economy Effort
Is Yielding Results.

80 Development And Launch Of The Federal Government’s Medium-Term And Long-Term National Development Plan, Known As ”Nigeria Agenda 50”, For The
Next Generation.

81 The Partnership Of The Ministry And International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) To Support Nigerian Farmers And Vulnerable Small-Scale Farmers In The Seven Northern States Was Boosted With N342m.

82 Gradual Repayment Of National Debts – Both Domestic And External.

83 Through The Economic And Recovery Policies Put In Place By The
Ministry Of Finance, Budget And National Planning, The Economy Has
Gradually Recovered From The Negative Effects Of The COVID -19 Global
Pandemic.

84 Cashless Economy Is Recording Further Boost As The Value Of
Electronic Payment Transactions Rose Year-On-Year (YoY) By N9.7
Trillion Or 80% To N21.9 Trillion In 2020, From N12.2 Trillion In
2019.

85 During The Period Under Review, The Consolidated Revenue Fund And
Forex Trade Doubled As A Result Of The Economic And Recovery Policies
Put In Place By The Ministry.

86 During The Period Under Review, Both The GDP Growth Was Sustained,
Pressure On Balance Of Payments Abated While The Ministry Continued To
Ensure That Forex Shortage Resulting In Pressure On The Naira Was Brought To Manageable Level.

87 Expansion Of N-Power From 500,000 To 1 Million Beneficiaries.

88 Restructuring Of The Government Enterprise And Empowerment
Programme (GEEP) To GEEP 2.0. The Revamped GEEP 2.0 Was Officially
Launched On 24th August 2021 And Has Successfully Registered Over Six
Hundred Thousand Potential Beneficiaries In All The 774 LGAs
Nationwide

89 National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) Now
Providing Meals To Nearly 10,000,000 School Children Nationwide. The
Program Has Further Empowered Over 100,000 Cooks And Over 100,000
Small Holder Farmers In The Local Areas Where The Schools Are Located
While Creating Employment Opportunities Across Sectors Such As
Transportation And Manufacturing.

90 The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), Which Has As Its Flagship
The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Has Covered All The 36 States And FCT. A Total Of 1,676,799 Eligible Households Across The Country Are Enrolled Into The CCT Intervention And Benefiting From The Monthly N5,000 Grant. Due To The Pandemic Outbreak And The Directive Of Mr. President To Further Expand The National Social Register And The CCT,
The Ministry Designed The Rapid Response Register (RRR) Especially For COVID 19 Cash Transfer Targeting 1 Million Urban Poor.

91 The National Digital Economy Policy For A Digital Nigeria Reflects The Focus Of The Federal Government With Respect To Nigeria’s Digital Economy Which Was Hinged On 8 Strategic Pillars. As Part Of The Efforts Aimed At Implementing The Policy, Some Of The Projects Implemented Nationwide Include:
(I) ICT Innovation Hubs
(II) Digital Skills For Entrepreneurs And Innovators
(III) Community IT Training Centers
(IV) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC)
(V) School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, And Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), To Mention But A Few. Over 300 Of These Centers Have Been Established All Over The Country.

92 The Issues Of National Identification Number And That Of Unregistered/Improperly-Registered SIM Cards Have Been Addressed. This Has Led To:

(I) Significant Increase In The National Identification Number (NIN)
Enrolments And Enrolment Centers. The Current Number Of Monthly
Enrollments Has Increased Significantly From Less Than 50,000 To Over
2.6 Million Registrations (More Than 500% Increase).
(Ii) There Has Also Been A Remarkable Increase In The Number Of
Enrolment Centers Across The Country, With About 3,800 Centers Now
Available For Enrollments.

93 Increase In Broadband Penetration From About 33% In August 2019 To
About 45.07% In November 2020, An Increase Of About 10% In A Year.

94 Significant Drop In The Cost Of 1GB Of Broadband From N1,200 In
August 2019 To N487.18 In November 2020.

95 Selection Of Nigeria For The Chairmanship And Position Of The
Executive Secretary Of The West Africa Telecom Regulators Assembly
(WATRA) On The 10th Of March 2021.

96 Creation Of 2 Virtual Institutes And Training Of About 210,000
Nigerians, Many Of Whom Received Certifications.

97 Among The ICT Centers That Have Been Developed, Completed And
Commissioned Nationwide Are:
(I) Emergency Communication Centers;
(Ii) Digital Economy Centers;
(Iii) ICT Hubs;
(Iv) IT Innovation And Incubation Park;
(V) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers;
(Vi) School Knowledge Centers;
(Vii) E-Accessibility Centers;
(Viii) E-Accessibility; And
(Ix) ICT Community Centers Among Others.
In Each State Of The Federation, At Least Five Centers Have Been
Completed And Commissioned.

98 Successful Bidding Process To Select The Companies That Will
Provide 5G Network Service
1. The Recovery Of The Economy Remained On A Steady Path Throughout The Year 2021. For Example, The Country’s Domestic Growth In The First Three Quarters Of 2021 Was Positive, Recording Real GDP Of 0.51 Percent In Q1, 5.01 Percent In Q2 And 4.03 Percent In Q3 2021, This Was An Improvement From A Declining Performance In The First Three
  Quarters Of 2020 (Which Led To Economic Recession) Put At 1.87 Percent In Q1, -6.10 Percent In Q2 And -3.62 Percent In Q3 2020. This Economic Performance In 2021 Shows A Steady Improvement In Growth Over The Last Three Quarters Of 2020 Arising From Government Policies And Strategies Such As The Economic Sustainability Plan; N500 Billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund Etc.
  
  100. Inflation Rate Has Continued To Decline On A Year-On-Year Basis Since April 2021 When 18.12% Was Recorded. Looking At The Trend, A Declining Rate Was Recorded From 17.93% In May To 17.01% In August, 15.99% In October And 15.40%
December 31, 2021
Minister lists ‘tremendous’ achievements of Buhari in 2021 despite challenges
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has listed some of the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The Minister gave the list of achievements on Thursday during a press conference in Lagos.

Mohammed said despite challenges that came with 2021, the administration made “tremendous” progress in fighting insecurity and growing the economy.

The minister said, “For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has been that of insecurity. In spite of this and the usual economic challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the government, the Administration has availed itself creditably, as we will be demonstrating shortly.”

Find below the Minister’s full statement…

Gentlemen, good morning, and thanks for honouring our invitation to this press conference which, in line with our tradition, we have called to brief you on the achievements of the Buhari Administration in 2021.

In view of the long list of achievements and time constraints, we will go straight into the highlights and then provide you with a fuller list. Let me admit straightaway that the year has not been devoid of challenges. For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has been that of insecurity. In spite of this and the usual economic challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the government, the Administration has availed itself creditably, as we will be demonstrating shortly.
1. As I said in my introductory remarks, our biggest challenge in the outgoing year is in the area of security. Despite the enormity of the challenge, our military has continued to live up to their billing. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their patriotism and sacrifice. We just can’t appreciate them enough, as you will soon see when I break down their achievements in the year under review.
2. To keep our country safe, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has set up various operations across the country. These include the Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, tagged Operation HADIN KAI covering the North East region; the JTF SS, tagged Operation DELTA SAFE covering the South South region; the JTF NW, known as Operation HADARIN DAJI covering the North West region; Operation SAFE HAVEN covering Plateau, parts of Kaduna and Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE covering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States; JTF SW, referred to as Operation AWATSE and covering Lagos and Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE covering Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna State.
3. Gentlemen, in the North East Zone under Operation HADIN KAI, a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic operations, coupled with a review of strategies, led to the neutralization of over 1000 terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and the surrender of over 22,000 terrorists including their families. Many arms and ammunition were also recovered. This is in addition to destruction of several IED/bomb making factories of the ISWAP/BHT.
Under Operation HADARIN DAJI in the North West, the conduct of offensive clearance operations, raids and air operations resulted in the neutralization of about 427 bandits, arrest of 257 bandits, rescue of 897 civilians and recovery of 3,087 livestock. Similarly, Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna neutralized about 215 bandits, arrested 133 bandits, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136 livestock, while Operation THUNDER STRIKE neutralized 36 bandits, arrested 74, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136 livestock. In the North Central, raids and clearance operations conducted by Operation SAFE HAVEN neutralized 91 criminal elements, arrested 155 suspects, rescued 159 civilians and recovered 3,259 livestock.

For its part, Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralized 158 criminals, arrested 151 suspects and rescued 183 civilians. Operation DELTA SAFE in the South-South destroyed about 1,520 illegal refineries, confiscated 5,315 storage facilities and impounded 617 boats, amongst other items. Additionally, about 74,297,425 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 litres of crude oil and 88,350 litres of PMS were recovered. Furthermore, 174 trucks and 13 vessels were impounded while 755 illegal oil bunkerers were arrested and 153 assorted weapons recovered.

In the South West, patrols and clearance operations by troops of Operation AWATSE led to the arrest of 46 persons for various forms of criminalities while several vehicles, jerricans, motorcycles and electricity generators used for illegal bunkering were seized.
1. The effectiveness of the military was enhanced by the leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of the armed forces and its leadership. The procurement of modern platforms for the armed forces has also gone a long way in raising the level of their operational readiness and efficiency, in addition to boosting their capabilities. During the period under review, the Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks and 60 APCs to improve its equipment holding. Various kits were equally provided for troops. This is in addition to the provision of accommodation for troops and the recruitment of over 10,000 personnel into the Army. The Nigerian Navy (NN), for its part, commissioned the FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, the third locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one helicopter, 4 inshore patrol boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 personnel were recruited into the Navy during the year. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft and other platforms with which it has conducted several Air interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops and destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
2. The Armed Forces of Nigeria has also contributed immensely to International peace and security efforts with its robust participation in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the regional initiative, the ECOWAS Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian military’s continued participation in these Missions has ensured their viability and sustenance towards achieving their military and political goals.
Overall, the good news is that the military, in spite of its achievements, is not resting on its oars. The Military has assured that it is also poised, in fulfillment of its constitutional duties, to address the myriad of evolving contemporary threats, particularly as the 2023 elections draw nearer.
1. Still on the fight against insecurity, the implementation of the community policing initiative of the current administration has led to the training of 25,000 constabularies in several police colleges across the country. The successful officers who were trained on basic police duties, modern intelligence gathering techniques, rule of law, etc. were deployed to their Local Governments of Origin to aid in intelligence gathering and improve police visibility in their communities.
Also, to improve the police/citizens ratio, 418 Cadet officers of regular course 3 were successfully graduated in June 2021 and deployed into the operational asset of the Nigeria Police Force. Through the Police Trust Fund, 200 Buffalo branded vehicles, bulletproof vest, protective helmets, drugs, and medical equipment as well as arms and ammunition, riot control equipment, and combat equipment were procured for the Police Special Weapon and Tactical Squad (SWAT). The Ministry of Police Affairs has also entered into a contract agreement for the supply of police Anti Riot Equipment with Poly Technology of China through a Government-to-Government arrangement at a cost of 44 million U.S. Dollars. These equipment will go a long way in boosting the capacity of the police to control civil unrest in the most efficient and civil manner.
1. The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout the year 2021. As you are aware, gentlemen, many countries around the world face unprecedented challenges, starting from 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria is no exception. The Nigerian economy was hit by the pandemic in mid- 2020, and the economic disruptions led to a recession. The poor performance of the economy during the COVID-19 era affected output growth, trade, household welfare and livelihood.
However, this led to a quick response by the Federal Government with the rolling out of effective fiscal and monetary policies as well as health-related policies intended to curb the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy. This has yielded considerable results. For example, the country’s domestic growth in the first three quarters of 2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent in Q1, 5.01 percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, this was an improvement from a declining performance in the first three quarters of 2020 (which led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent in Q1, -6.10 percent in Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020.

Nevertheless, the fourth quarter 2020 recorded a slight improvement of 0.11 percent, ushering in positive growth rates in the three quarters of 2021. This economic performance in 2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last three quarters of 2020, and this can be attributed to government policies and strategies such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; the N500 billion COVID 19 Crisis Intervention Fund etc.
1. In the oil sector, real growth shows poorer performance in 2021, recording 2.21% (year-on-year) in Q1 2021, -12.65% in Q2 2021 and –10.73% in Q3 2021, from stronger growth of 5.06% in Q1 2020, -6.63% in Q2 2020, and -13.89% in Q3 2020. However, oil production in million barrel per day continued to decline in 2021, from 2.07mbpd in Q1 2020,1.81mbpd in Q2 2020, 1.67mbpd in Q3 2020 to 1.72mbpd in Q1 2021, 1.61mbpd in Q2 2021 and 1.57mbpd in Q3 2021. Non-oil sector indicated better performance of 0.79% in Q1 2021, 6.74% in Q2 2021 and 5.44% in Q3 2021, compared to 1.55% in Q1 2020, -6.05% in Q2 2020, and -2.51% in Q3 2020. In Foreign Trade, Nigeria witnessed dwindling performance in 2020, arising from trade restrictions on accounts of COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions of trading activities driven by the pandemic further weakened the balance of trade witnessed in Q4 2019 in the subsequent quarters. Consequently, total imports in the first three quarters of 2021 rose by 57.13%, from N13.97 in the corresponding quarters of 2020 to N21.95 trillion.
Similarly, total exports grew by 40.62%, which was N13.12 trillion in the first three quarters of 2021, compared to N9.33trillion in the corresponding period, an indication of improved trading activities although with a deficit position. Over the same period crude oil export improved considerably at N10.03 trillion, compared to N6.92 trillion, showing a growth rate of 44.93%, while Non-oil exports grew by 21.17% – from N1.19trillion to N1.44trillion over the same period.

Inflation rate has continued to decline on a year-on-year basis since April 2021 when 18.12% was recorded. Looking at the trend, a declining rate was recorded from 17.93% in May to 17.01% in August, 15.99% in October and 15.40% November 2021. It is projected that proper implementation of the proposed 2022 project of N17.13trillion, and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework & Fiscal Strategy Paper 2022-2024 are likely to improve the performance of the economy.

Also, judicious implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act will likely improve oil production/sales stability; relatively high oil prices will enhance revenue performance and budget implementation, while strengthening security will improve output growth of the economy.
1. Undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the Administration in 2021, and indeed in the past several decades, was recorded in the oil and gas sector, a sector very critical to the nation’s economic well-being.
The passage and signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is a landmark achievement. Many have described it as the most profound event in the Nigerian oil and gas space in the last 20 years. The PIA is envisaged to foster investment in the industry and delineate responsibilities to the various institutions. Its key objectives are:- to establish a commercialized National Oil Company (NNPC Ltd.) – to entrench accountability and good governance�- to promote the exploration and exploitation of the petroleum resources in Nigeria for the benefit of all Nigerians as well as foster the sustainable development of the host communities.
1. Overall, the PIA serves to ensure the efficient and effective technical and operational regulation of the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry through the formation of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, among others.
2. Also worthy of note is the transformation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The nation’s national oil entity has witnessed many changes and transformation through the decades. From its take-off on 1st April 1977 as a merger of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy Resources, the NNPC – now re-christened NNPC Limited – has been undergoing the kind of transformation designed to re-invent the entity for greater efficiency and value creation. Yet, the changes and the unprecedented deluge of reformations in 2021 eclipse previous attempts to restructure the oil company.
The tempo created with the passage and eventual presidential assent of the PIA was sustained with the quick activation of Part V of the new law which requires the incorporation of a commercial and profit-focused National Oil Company (NOC) within six (6) months of the passage into law. Thus, the NNPC Management – on behalf of the Federal Government – incorporated the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited under the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Under the new arrangement, NNPC Ltd will, on behalf of the Federation, take over assets, interests and liabilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
1. Another major achievement in the sector is the posting of a N287 billion profit, after tax, by the NNPC. It was the first time in 44 years that the Corporation has recorded such profit, which the NNPC attributed to aggressive cost cutting measures, cost savings through renegotiation of contracts by up to 30%, improved efficiency through business automation, emphasis on commercially-focused investment and non-interference in the management of the corporation’s affairs, among other factors. The construction/rehabilitation of 21 Roads under the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme is also a major achievement.
Recall, gentlemen, that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N621.2 billion for the NNPC to take over the reconstruction of 21 federal roads across the six geopolitical zones of the country. The construction and rehabilitation of the selected roads are meant as strategic intervention under the Federal Government Road Infrastructure and Refreshment Tax Credit Scheme.
1. Without question, an area in which the present Administration has distinguished itself is in the provision of key infrastructures, which is important to the growth and development of any economy. In its efforts to provide basic infrastructure, especially roads and housing, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing carried out the following projects in 2021. (I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I and II (26.27km) in Enugu and Ebonyi States (II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM), (Shuwarin-Azare) in Jigawa and Bauchi States (III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum) 106.34km in Bauchi and Yobe States (IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I and II (24km) in Benue and Cross River States (V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km).
2. Also, various highway and bridge projects at various stages of completion are ongoing across the six-geopolitical zones of the country. The bridges include the much-talked-about 2nd Niger Bridge, which is currently at 78% completion and is expected to be ready by November 2022. Ongoing work on the bridge consists of the construction of a 1.59km long bridge and 10.3km length of approach roads. The total length of the Main Work is 11.90km. The bridge and approach roads are 2×3 lane expressways. Other ancillary works include the construction of two secondary bridges at Oko Amakun (21.70m) and Atani Road (21.70m). Also to be constructed is a new cloverleaf interchange at Onitsha-Owerri Road. Several culverts and drainage structures will also be constructed. There is also the 360-meter bridge at Ikom in Cross River State, which was completed in 2021 and awaiting commissioning; the 400-meter border bridge between Nigeria and Cameroon at Mfum and Ekok, which was also completed in 2021 and is now awaiting commissioning.
3. In order to ensure that the private sector participates in and contributes to the implementation of Federal Government Programmes, the Federal Ministry of works and Housing is developing a Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), a framework for the private sector participation in road development. HDMI was created by the Ministry to manage and develop the Federal Road network, with the aim of attracting sustainable investment and funding in the development of road infrastructure and maximizing the use of assets along the right of way.
The rationale behind the private sector engagement under the HDMI is to provide an alternative avenue of financing road construction, management and maintenance. Out of the total length of the Federal road network of about 35,000km, the first phase of the proposed project will cover a total length of about 1,963.24km. Most of the ongoing projects of the Ministry, especially the Highways Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), are already attracting massive infrastructural investment. It is envisaged that over a trillion-naira direct investment will be mobilized in the first phase of the HDMI.
1. It is imperative to state that the policies, programmes and projects of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing have contributed to stabilizing the macro-economic situation of the country, particularly in job creation. The activities of the Ministry have further contributed to the growth of other sectors of the economy such as the Mining sector through the supply of aggregates, laterite, limestone and other building materials; Cement manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation) and steel production to support construction needs; the fact that property values are reportedly appreciating by 30%-40% as a result of road transport infrastructure and the growing demand for petroleum products like diesel, petrol, lubricants and tyres as a result of construction activities and the need to operate machines.
2. Key achievements recorded in the Aviation sector include the construction and installation of Boeing 737 full motion flight Simulator at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, a development that will save Nigeria millions of dollars spent in the retraining of pilots in other countries; the installation of fully-automated Aircraft Firefighter Training Simulator also at NCAT, the first of its kind in Africa; Re-fleeting of Trainer Aircraft in NCAT with six aircraft so far; installation of novel Cat III ILS/DME at Lagos and Abuja airports, instruments that will allow flights to land at low visibility; Procurement of two mobile control towers in Lagos and Abuja and the designation of four International Airports in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones, aimed at encouraging business/investment. Investors in Aviation, under this project, are to have pioneer industry status so as to have tax breaks.
3. Definitely the most outstanding achievement in the transportation sector in 2021 is the flag-off of the commercial operation of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line in June 2021 by President Muhammadu Buhari. The trains are currently conveying goods and services and reducing traffic and human pressure on infrastructural facilities on the Lagos-Ibadan highway. Then there was the ground-breaking ceremony for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway project and the Bonny Deep Sea and Railway Industrial Park. The 2,044-km Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line cuts across Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Borno. President Buhari also performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano-Kaduna standard gauge rail line modernization project in July 2021.
The Project is a continuation of the Lagos-Kano rail plan. It is the third segment, with Lagos-Ibadan as well as Ibadan-Kano as the 1st and 2nd segments, respectively. Then, the MOU for the construction of the US$1.959 billion Kano-Maradi standard gauge line was signed with the Portugues firm Mota-Engil Group. This is part of on-going Federal Government’s initiative to provide inter-modal means of transportation across the country as well as enhance trade between Nigeria and some African countries. President Buhari subsequently performed the ground breaking of the project, which traverses the major commercial centre of Kano and passes through other economic hubs of the country, including Kazaure, Daura, Katsina and up to the border town of Jibiya and the city of Maradi in Niger Republic.

On completion, the project would promote import and export of goods from the Niger Republic and other countries in the sub-region through Nigerian ports. The country would earn revenue through expansion of trade and commerce, while the people of Niger Republic will benefit from the ease of transportation logistics at an affordable cost in their import and export business. The Federal Ministry of Transportation also launched the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (also known as Deep Blue Asset). This is aimed at managing, controlling and protecting Nigerian waterways towards the advancement of coastal prosperity, as the Gulf of Guinea in recent times has become a hotbed for piracy.
1. Some 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes were constructed in the North-East, IDP camps and some Federal Institutions and Establishments by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in the year under review. In addition to the completion of 12 dams, the Ministry also embarked on the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes with the construction of 926 rural water supply schemes in 12 States of Imo, Katsina, Jigawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna and Gombe States.
Also, the Clean Nigeria Campaign has yielded the following results in the last 12 months, with 71 LGAs now Open Defecation Free. In the area of irrigation, 96,000 hectares of irrigation have been developed as of 2021. In line with the plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years, the Ministry has ensured that both direct and indirect jobs are created in the implementation of its programmes/projects. A total of 57,261 direct jobs and 11,588 indirect jobs have been created through the various dam, irrigation and water supply projects completed within the reporting period.
1. The Federal Government has continued to implement the National Social Investment Programmes. On the directive of Mr. President, the N-Power has been expanded from 500,000 to 1 million beneficiaries. The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) has been restructured to GEEP 2.0. The revamped GEEP 2.0 was officially launched on 24 August 2021 and has successfully registered over 600,000 potential beneficiaries in all the 774 LGAs nationwide through collaborative partnership with the National Orientation Agency. The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) is also growing strong. As you know, the programme is designed as an incentive to boost school enrolment and improve nutrition of primary school pupils while sustaining the impact of agricultural and women entrepreneurs in communities to produce and provide a quality meal daily to pupils at the basic education level. The NHGSFP aims to provide free school meals to 25 million children in the country by 2030.
Currently, the programme is providing meals to nearly 10,000,000 school children nationwide. The programme has further empowered over 100,000 cooks and over 100,000 small holder farmers in the local areas where the schools are located, while creating employment opportunities across sectors such as transportation and manufacturing. The programme is being extended to children in non-conventional educational settings so that they may access its benefits. The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), which has the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) as its flagship intervention, is designed to provide targeted financial transfers to poor and vulnerable households under an expanded national social safety nets system. Those enrolled in the programme benefit from monthly grants of N5,000 to smoothen consumption, stimulate demand and ensure survival directly in the household. Since inception, a total of 1,676,799 eligible households across the country are benefiting from monthly N5,000 grant, as of March 2021. This is in addition to the 1 million Urban Poor who are benefitting from the Conditional Cash Transfers, under the directive of Mr. President to further expand the programme due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
1. The Digital Economy sector was highly instrumental in lifting the Nigerian economy out of recession. According to the Q4 2020 Report on�Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy. The breakdown of the different sectors shows that the 14.7% growth rate of the ICT sector was greater than the combined 14.21% growth of the 2nd to 7th fastest growing sectors in 2020. The telecommunications sector alone recorded a growth rate of 15.90%, representing its highest growth rate in the last 10 years. In the NBS report for the Q1 2021, the ICT sector maintained its position as the fastest growing sector of the economy. This therefore indicates that the Digital Economy sector has proven to be vital for the diversification of the Nigerian economy.
The National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria reflects the focus of the Federal Government with respect to Nigeria’s Digital Economy, which was hinged on 8 strategic pillars. And as part of the efforts aimed at implementing the Policy, some of the projects implemented nationwide include: – ICT Innovation Hubs- Digital Skills for Entrepreneurs and Innovators – Community IT Training Centers – Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC) – School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, and Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), to mention but a few. Over 300 of these centers have been established all over the Country.
1. During the period under review, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy – in order to ensure increased capacity download speed by up to 20 times and decrease latency – conducted a transparent bidding process for the provision of the 5G Network Service. Mafab Communications Ltd and MTN Nigeria Plc emerged the winners of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction.
2. Gentlemen, as you can see, this Administration, in spite of daunting challenges, made tremendous progress in 2021 in fighting insecurity, growing the economy, reforming the oil sector to spur more investments, emplacing world class infrastructure, providing social safety net for the poor and most vulnerable in the society and also taking advantage of the huge opportunities offered by the Information and Communications Technology Sector. What we have done here is to highlight the major achievements, hence this is by no means exhaustive. That’s why we are also giving you a list of 100 achievements of the Buhari Administration in 2021, Success is not measured by the number of challenges you face, but by how you tackle the challenges. This is what the Administration has demonstrated by tackling insecurity headlong while also growing and diversifying the economy. We want to most sincerely thank all Nigerians for their support and perseverance. We want to reassure the nation that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to leave a legacy of a safe, secure and prosperous nation. We urge Nigerians not to relent in supporting our security forces, who continue to make sacrifices to keep our country safe.
Finally, We thank you, gentlemen of the press for always honouring our invitation. Best wishes for a better year for all in 2022.
December 30, 2021
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed does not have COVID-19 – Aide

The Ministry of Information and Culture has debunked reports in the media that the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The ministry in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi debunked the story describing the media houses that published it as lapdogs.

Read full statement below:

The attention of the office of the Honourable Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has been drawn to a report making
the rounds that he has contracted the Covid-19 virus and that he is
now in isolation, where he is receiving treatment.

For the record, the Minister does not have Covid-19, hence he is
neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere.

That report, which was first published by an online newspaper and then
latched on to by some mainstream lapdog media, once again highlights
the uphill task we face in our campaign to stamp out fake news and
misinformation.

A journalism mantra says ‘when in doubt, leave it out’. Also embedded
in the code of ethics for journalists are the basic principles of
truthfulness and accuracy, among others. The report in question did
not meet those standards.

The Minister was at the Federal Executive Council meeting on
Wednesday, an extraordinary FEC meeting on Thursday and also witnessed
the swearing-in of the Minister of State for Works and Housing on
Friday. All these events took place at the Villa, where the
correspondents of many media organizations are deployed. In fact, the
Minister coordinated the post-FEC press briefing on Wednesday and
Thursday. Could he have done this from
the imaginary isolation centre where he was consigned by a mischievous reporter?

As a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, the
Minister has the added responsibility of leading by example, hence
would not have hesitated to publicly announce his Covid-19 status if
indeed he has contracted the virus. After all, he is not only fully
vaccinated, he has also taken the booster shot, a situation that
offers him different layers of protection even if he contracts the
virus. For those who contract the virus, they deserve our empathy and
prayers, not stigmatization.

The media does itself a great disservice by making ‘exclusive news’
out of beer parlor gist. Sooner or later, the truth will come out and
a fake-news-peddling-organization will have its credibility dented for
good.

In the best tradition of journalism, we expect the online newspaper
behind this fake news not only to retract the publication but also to
apologize to the Minister for causing him such embarrassment,
especially in a season of joy.

Segun Adeyemi
Special Assistant To The President (Media)
Office of the Minister of Information and Culture
Lagos
26 Dec. 2021

December 26, 2021
Omicron: Rescind travel ban on Nigeria now, FG tells UK Government

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has condemned the red listing of Nigeria by the UK government over the two cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Mr Mohammed described the decision as unjust and discriminatory.

The minister has, however, called on the UK government to rescind their decision immediately.

Also discussed at the summit is the way forward as regards an upscale of the current responses to the pandemic including ongoing mass vaccination, surveillance and screening at the various points of entry.

Lai Mohammed’s comments are the latest reactions to the red listing which has continued to stir debates in Nigeria and across the world.

Earlier, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, expressed disappointment over the United Kingdom government’s placement of Nigeria on its red list following the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

“We were not very happy when six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were placed on a red list and the WHO also advised against putting each other on the red list.

“From what we know about the COVID-19, there are many ways to manage it, and besides, not much is still known about the Omicron variant. We know, for example, that there have been no fatalities.

“There have also been no reports of very severe illness. Actually, the rationale for being so hasty in putting countries on the red list is not something that is very helpful.”

According to the minister, the move was ill-advised. He further noted that it would have multiple impacts on commerce, and disrupt activities during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

December 6, 2021
Lagos Attorney General backs Lai Mohammed, says #EndSARS panel report unreliable, full of contradictions

The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) has described the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality in the state as ‘unreliable and full of contradictions’.

Onigbanjo was head of the four-person white paper committee appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had last week dismissed the panel’s report as being riddled with ‘errors and inconsistencies’.

He spoke on Wednesday on a monitored programme on Arise Television. According to him, the panel’s findings on the shooting at the Lekki tollgate were contrary to the evidence provided.

He added that the panel’s report “created doubts and gaps” and “did not explain how they arrived at that conclusion, the names, who shot them and when they were shot”.

“The panel said they found the report of Professor Obafunwa who deducted autopsy on all the bodies picked up around Lagos during the protest, not just in Lekki; that they found his evidence credible and that there was no evidence to the contrary. Professor Obafunwa said that of all the bodies he conducted autopsies on, three came from Lekki and out of those, only one had gunshot injury. And the panel then said, ‘we believe you and accept your evidence because there is nothing to the contrary.’ It means what Professor Obafunwa said outweighs every other piece of evidence before the panel.

“Then the panel then goes on to say there were nine dead. If you look at that page where the deads from the Lekki tollgate were listed, they did not explain how they arrived at that conclusion, the names, who shot them and when they were shot. So that’s a contradiction because what Professor Obafunwa said is different from the conclusion they are now reaching. And there were so many others.

“They also said one Nathanial Solomon died at Lekki tollgate. It also turns out that Nathaniel Solomon was a witness before them and handed a petition in respect of his late brother.

“Those contradictions and many more made that particular finding unreliable. Because for a finding that somebody died at a scene to be acceptable, there must be no doubt. What the panel did create doubts; it created gaps in their story of nine deaths. And once there are doubts, the doubts are usually resolved in favour of the person you’re accusing to have murdered or killed those people — because of this, that particular finding was rejected.”

Onigbanjo then said the two reports from the panels will be release to the public soon to allow the people to make their own judgment from the findings.

“We are also going to release the two reports of the panel to the public to judge by themselves. So we are not just going to be a case of Lagos state government analysing this in itself and coming to its conclusions. We are going to make them available to everybody to read it,” he said.

December 1, 2021
#EndSARS report: Why Buhari should call Lai Mohammed to order now – Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to order now.

The popular lawyer and activist said this in a statement on Wednesday in reaction to the remarks of the minister on the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters.

Falana noted that President Buhari had told United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during a meeting recently that state governments would have to take steps on the reports of their panels before the Federal Government would act on the recommendations.

He stressed that by his action, Mohammed has overruled the President by rejecting the report of the panel in Lagos on behalf of the Federal Government.

The senior advocate also accused the minister of insulting the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by rejecting the report of the panel instituted by him under the Tribunal of Enquiry Law of the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, according to him, has been presented with a fait accompli by the minister despite that he is still studying the report.

Falana faulted Mohammed, saying the action of the minister undermined the rule of law and social justice in the land.

He, therefore, urged the Lagos State government to ignore the rejection of the report by the minister, stressing that the Federal Government’s name was not clothed with any power under the Tribunal of Enquiry Law.

Read the full statement by the lawyer below:

FG Is Not Competent To Reject The Report Of Okuwobi Judicial Commission Of Inquiry

On November 18, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari held a meeting in Abuja with Mr. Anthony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State. During the meeting, President Buhari said that the state governments in the country would have to take steps on the reports of their panels before the Federal Government acts on the recommendations.

In particular, the President said, “We at the federal have to wait for the steps taken by the states, and we have to allow the system to work. We can’t impose ideas on them. Federal Government has to wait for the reaction of the states.”

But in an utter display of executive rascality, Mr Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information has overruled the President by rejecting the report of the Lagos Panel on behalf of the Federal Government.

By not waiting “for the reaction of the states,” the Minister has overruled the President of the Republic. As if that was not enough, the Minister decided to insult the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu by rejecting the report of the Judicial Commission instituted by him under the Tribunal of Enquiry Law of Lagos State. Thus, the Governor who is currently studying the report has been presented with a fait accompli by the Minister. As far as Mr. Mohammed is concerned, the Governor must toe his line since the Lagos.

Mr. Mohammed has described the 309-page report of a Judicial tribunal as “fake news”. As a lawyer of many years standing, the Minister ought to have known that it is the height of arrogant contempt to describe the report of a Judicial Commission of Enquiry constituted under the Tribunal of Enquiry Law as “fake”.

It is regrettable to note that the Minister has failed to realise that the Lagos State Government is not an extension of the Federal Government but a sovereign entity under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Since the name of the Federal Government is not clothed with any power under the Tribunal of Enquiry Law, the purported rejection of the report by the Minister ought to be treated with disdain by the Lagos State Government.

In a press conference held on October 20, 2021, Mr. Mohammed had recalled that the National Economic Council had “directed State Governors to immediately forward copies of final reports of the panels to their Attorneys-General for prompt arraignment and prosecution of all indicted persons. Where incidents in the reports relate to matters of discipline, in addition to prosecution, NEC urged the Nigeria Police Force to take disciplinary action on the affected officers in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020.” Has Mr. Mohammed overruled the collective decision of the National Economic Council?

However, it is pertinent to point out that Mr. Mohammed’s comment on the report lacks originality as it is a mere regurgitation of the jaundiced views of a couple of aggrieved individuals. The two individuals have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to discredit the findings and recommendations of the body.

In a desperate attempt to mislead the Governor, both aggrieved persons have been campaigning for the total rejection of the report because of the so-called discrepancies and inconsistencies contained in the document. No doubt, these individuals are entitled to express their opinions on the report of the Commission. But the call for the rejection of the report is illegal in every material.

In December 2015, the Nigerian Army massacred hundreds of Shiites in Zaria and hurriedly buried their bodies in a mass grave at Mango in Kaduna State on the orders of the then Chief of Army Staff. Even though Mr. Mohammed said that the report of the genocidal attack was a hoax, the Justice Garba Judicial Commission of Enquiry instituted by the Kaduna State Government confirmed a casualty figure of 348 Shiites.

Six years thereafter, the authorities have ignored the recommendation of the Judicial Commission that the culprits be prosecuted. The Lagos Judicial Commission of Enquiry accepted the evidence of forensic experts to the effect that 99 dead bodies were dumped in the various mortuaries in Lagos State during the protests. Mr. Mohammed has described the massacre as “fake news”.

Finally, Mr. Mohammed’s callous comment on the cold murder of unarmed citizens at the Lekki Toll Gate is a sad reminder of his own experience under the same forces of brutalisation. On August 8, 2014, Mr. Mohammed, the then Publicity Secretary of the APC had left Lagos for Osogbo, Osun State in support of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s re-election bid.

Later that night, it was reported that he had been kidnapped by a team of hooded operatives of the State Security Service. I was aroused from my sleep by Governor Aregbesola who requested me to assist in searching for Mr. Mohammed. However, a couple of hours later, I was relieved when it was reported that he had regained his freedom.

But the PDP dismissed the kidnap story as a hoax emanating from the fecund imagination of Mr. Mohammed. Having completely crossed to the other side of the political divide, Mr. Mohammed conveniently regards news of the tragic massacre of unarmed citizens as fake.

Mr. Mohammed’s steps undermine the rule of law and social justice in the land. President Buhari should call him to order.

Femi Falana SAN

November 25, 2021