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Tag: Laolu Akande

  • We don’t know the convener of Osinbajo think thank group – VP aide, Laolu Akande

    We don’t know the convener of Osinbajo think thank group – VP aide, Laolu Akande

    Nigeria’s vice president and presidential aspirant Professor Yemi Osinbajo has asked Nigerians to ignore Olugbenga Olaoye who claims to be the convener of Osinbajo Think Thank.

    The lad used derogatory comments on Tinubu when interviewed on Arise Tv Wednesday morning when asked to give his opinion about 2023 presidential aspirants.

    Olugbenga while responding to questions about the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu had said Nigerians do not want another sick president who would be embarking on foreign medical trips.

    According to Olugbenga Nigeria needs a capable person like the Vice President who formally declared on Monday to run for the top political office in the 2023 elections.

    His words, “We cannot afford another sick President who will be travelling to London all the time as we currently have, we need someone who is mentally sound. The little time that Osinbajo spent leading FEC was different. Things were moving”

    The VP, while reacting to the comments through his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said Olugbenga does not represent the office of the VP and should not be taken seriously.

    Akande made the claims on his official Twitter page, where he claimed that he is not aware of the Osinbajo Think Tank group, insinuating that they are operating on their own.

    The tweet reads, “Indeed this gentleman does not represent the VP nor the Office. His views are completely & totally his own. This particular opinion he has expressed on TV is deplorable and in bad taste. I am not even aware of the so-called Osinbajo Think Tank he purports to represent. Pls IGNORE”

    Recall that the Vice President officially declared his intentions to run for the presidency of Nigeria on Monday.

  • Osinbajo to consolidate on Buhari’s gains – Aide, Laolu Akande

    Osinbajo to consolidate on Buhari’s gains – Aide, Laolu Akande

    Laolu Akande the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, has thrown more lights on Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential declaration interest on Monday’

    In a viral broadcast video, Osinbajo had said he would continue president Buhari’s administration.

    Speaking on a live TV in Abuja on Monday night, Akande said President Muhammadu Buhari (retd)’s regime made commendable strides in the areas of infrastructure, and ease of doing business and security.

    He asserted that Vice-President Osinbajo’s bid for the country’s top job is meant to consolidate the gains made in the past seven years.

    “The Buhari administration has achieved so much in terms of infrastructure development, ease of doing business and this is what Professor Yemi Osinbajo wants to continue,” he said.

     

    The Vice president had met with some members of the Progressives Governors Forum at his official residence at Aso Villa where he made his intentions known.

    Osinbajo at a dinner he hosted at the Presidential Villa for the breaking of Ramadan fast (Iftar), informed the APC governors of his plan to succeed Buhari at the Aso Villa come May 2023.

    Some of the governors present include: Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Babagana Zulum of Borno and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos among others.

     

  • Fuel in Nigeria now will last 32 days – Sylva

    Fuel in Nigeria now will last 32 days – Sylva

    At least, for 32 days, Nigerians do not need to worry about fuel, as 1.9 billion litres of petrol is now in stock.

    This was disclosed in Abuja, Wednesday, by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, while updating the Federal Executive Council in a session presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The Minister was accompanied to the FEC session by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Mele Kyari.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, told newsmen at the end of the session that NNPC had embarked on 24-hour loading of petrol to ameliorate the long queues at fuel stations.

    The minister informed the Council that there is enough stock – in reference to about 1.9 billion litres to last for 32 days.

    “There’s a 24-hour loading that is going on at all depots working with the Directorate of State Service and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria to ensure that the situation improves significantly,’’ he said.

    Akande said. Some reports have it that fuel queues have reduced in Abuja, Kaduna and some other cities in the last 48 hours, linked to the fact that a good number of fuel stations have started operating 24-hour services.

  • Electricity tariff hike won’t affect majority of Nigerians -Osinbajo’s spokesman

    Electricity tariff hike won’t affect majority of Nigerians -Osinbajo’s spokesman

    The spokesperson for the Vice-President, Laolu Akande, has said the recent hike in electricity tariff will not affect majority of Nigerians because the hike is targeted at only those who experience stable electricity for 12 hours and above.

     

    Akande made this known on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme on Wednesday.

     

    Akande was responding to a question on how the Federal Government’s ‘Economic Survival Fund’ would ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians in the face of electricity tariff hike and an increase in the pump price of petrol.

     

    The Presidential aide said, “Regarding the electricity tariff, the majority of Nigerians will not be paying more and I will like to say that again. Regarding the electricity tariff, the majority of Nigerians will not be paying more and that is essentially because if you are currently receiving anything below 12 hours of electricity a day, your tariff will not go up.

     

    “If you are being asked to pay more if you are in that category, you need to let us know, you need to go to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s platform on social media; go to Twitter, go to Facebook and report so that what the President said is enforced.”

     

    Asked if the electricity tariff hike would not affect the cost of production and ultimately goods, Akande said Nigerians must understand the protection they enjoy.

  • Four things Nigerians don’t know about VP Osinbajo – Laolu Akande

    Four things Nigerians don’t know about VP Osinbajo – Laolu Akande

    There are at least four unique attributes that stands out Vice President Yemi Osinbajo according to Mr. Laolu Akande, his Spokesperson in his tribute on his 63rd birthday today.

    “Those are : the grace of God that ordains and separates him and which causes him to be elevated and triumphant; the fear of God, relentless hardworking ethos and a tremendous understanding of strategy and timing.”

    Explaining further, Akande who said he had relocated from the US to serve the Buhari/Osinbajo administration in pursuit of its reform agenda, noted that so far he has also become a student of the rare constellation of qualities he has discovered about the Vice President.

    • Detailing each of the four attributes, Akande states that the grace of God is the “very foundation of Prof Yemi Osinbajo. It defines who he is, assures him of God’s readiness, willingness and ability to fight his battles and secures his destiny.”
    • Second is his fear of God, which moderates his attitude and produces the humility many know him for.
    • Third is his preparation, evinced by past and current hardworking ethos.
    • And lastly, his knowledge, strategy and timing, proof that indeed he knows what to do and how to get it done, often times.

    Concluding Akande said ” I have gladly been a student this past 5 years working closely for this very good man. And we are all thankful to God for preserving his life and for blessing him so much for God’s own glory.”

  • APC meeting in Delta complete with infectious enthusiasm, says Akande

    Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State was complete with infectious enthusiasm.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Akande also said the meeting in Warri, in which Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari, was “a widely attended event”.

    “VP Osinbajo now in Warri representing the President at an APC Delta State Stakeholders’ interactive forum, a widely attended event complete with an infectious enthusiasm,” Akande tweeted.

    President Buhari shelved the meeting citing “unforseen state duties suddenly arising” and drafted Osinbajo, who is billed to visit Akwa Ibom State for a scheduled Town Hall meeting today, to attend the stakeholders meeting in his stead.

    Details of the stakeholders meeting, which TheNewsGuru (TNG) will publish later, are still sketchy at the time of filing this report.

     

  • FG begins disbursement of N20bn to petty traders

    FG begins disbursement of N20bn to petty traders

    The federal government has announced take off of Trader Moni, a scheme that offers N20 billion collateral free loans to petty traders in the country.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, made this known in Abuja on Sunday.

    Akande said the scheme will offer N10,000 collateral free loans to petty traders in the first instance and much more after repayment.

    “We plan to reach 2 million such beneficiaries across the country between now and end of the year,” he said.

    He said the measure was a determined and significant bid to further enlarge its financial inclusion agenda for all Nigerians regardless of social class and economic status.

    According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, the scheme would grant a minimum of 30,000 loans in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “Altogether, the 2 million mark is expected to be attained on or before the end of this year, with petty traders in Lagos, Kano and Abia States set to be the first round of beneficiaries to draw the collateral free loans.

    “In addition to the 30,000 loans per State, States with larger populations like Lagos and Kano are expected to get more than 30,000 loans. Across the country, especially in the pilot states, about 500,000 potential beneficiaries have so far been enumerated.

    “In order to identify the beneficiaries, no less than 4,000 enumeration agents have been engaged by the Bank of Industry which is deploying the new scheme.

    “TraderMoni is designed to help petty traders expand their trade through the provision of collateral free loans of N10,000. The loans are repayable over a period of six months.

    “Under the scheme, beneficiaries can get access to a higher facility ranging from N15,000 to N50,000 when they repay N10,000 within the stipulated time period,” the statement read.

    The statement said the goal of government is to use the TraderMoni to take financial inclusion down to the grassroots, the bottom of the ladder, considering the contribution of petty traders to economic development.

    “The Federal Government is also aware of the fact that many of the petty traders don’t have what the commercial banks require to grant them loans.

    “This administration is keen to ensure that such traders at that level are able to build their businesses and grow.

    “TraderMoni was launched last Tuesday in five markets in Lagos State, with tens of thousands beneficiaries already.

    “The Lagos markets already reached are Mushin, Ikotun, Agege, Ketu, and Abule Egba markets.

    “The scheme will soon be taken to other states in the country, with Abia and Kano states next in line,” the statement further read.

     

  • Climate change challenges: Osinbajo tasks Nigerian techies

    The development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate technologies remain the best solution to climate change challenges, the Acting President , Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

    The Office of the Vice-President said Osinbajo made the statement on Friday at the inauguration of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) situated at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Lagos Business School.

    Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, made Osinbajo’s view known in a statement on Saturday.

    The Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre is a public-private partnership involving the Federal Government, the World Bank Group and the Pan-Atlantic University.

    The Centre provides holistic, country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate and clean energy technologies.

    Osinbajo said the task of advancing climate action was crucial, especially for Nigeria, in the view of the challenge of climate change and the need for the adoption of an innovative approach.

    “The pressure for livelihoods and food for a huge population will put tremendous pressure on natural resources and the implications for climate change will be dire indeed.

    “The creation of an enabling environment for climate-smart businesses to thrive is simply the only way to go,’’ he said.

    Osinbajo said he had visited several start-ups, technology hubs and innovation spaces around the country and seen innovativeness, creativity and drive of Nigerians.

    He said Nigerians were “constantly developing and deploying solutions in many sectors’’, including “agriculture, health, transport, security, climate action and many more locally relevant climate technologies’’.

    According to him, one of the key sectors where there is potential for high impact interventions by green technologies is the off-grid solar sector.

    Osinbajo said the Solar Home Project and Energising Economies Initiative were some of the private-sector-driven efforts targeted at providing off-grid power to homes, markets and economic clusters across the country.

    He said that so far, 13,000 shops at Sabon-Gari Market in Kano were currently being powered through high-capacity stand-alone solar systems.

    He said more were expected to come on stream soon at the Ariaria Market in Aba, Sura Market in Lagos, and other markets in Oyo, Edo and Ondo states.

    The acting president challenged the new climate Centre to develop and deploy technology and expertise required to deliver clean energy in areas prone to oil pollution and other related hazards.

    According to him, the innovation Centre must seek to develop the technology and expertise required to deal with the oil spill challenge in the Niger Delta region.

    He said the Federal Government was investing considerably in Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to help overcome challenges and risks brought about by the use of kerosene and firewood in homes.

    Osinbajo tasked the NCIC team to come up with innovation in smart cooking equipment that could utilise LPG in the most efficient manner.

    The acting president urged stakeholders in the off-grid power sector to take advantage of the Green bond issued by the Federal Government and the opportunities provided at the newly inaugurated climate Centre to fund their projects.

    “It provides a platform to attracting or unlocking venture financing and private equity funds for climate-smart businesses and Nigerians providing climate-smart solutions,’’ Osinbajo said.

     

  • Osinbajo leads technology roadshow to U.S.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is leading a public-private sector collaborative investment roadshow to the U.S., where he will be speaking to global industry leaders in information technology and entertainment.

    The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, on Sunday said the event would be at the Silicon Valley in San Francisco and Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

    According to Akande the events would hold between July 9 and July 11, 2018.

    He said Osinbajo would be joined on the investment roadshow by members of the recently inaugurated Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity, a sub-unit of the National Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.

    The aim, Akande stated would be to primarily showcase the improvement in Nigeria’s business environment to entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders in both cities of the U.S.

    Akande disclosed that Osinbajo would emphasize on a number of the Buhari administration’s policies such as the Ease of Doing Business reforms, which have improved the country’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index 2017.

    He recalled that in the ranking Nigeria climbed up 24 places and was placed on the list of 10 most reformed economies globally.

    Also, the report noted that Nigeria made significant progress across several indicators comprising starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity and property registration.

    Others are getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency.

    Akande stated that the Vice President would also visit the headquarters of some leading global technology companies adding that there would be sessions with investors, Fund Managers and large U.S. technology companies.

    Also the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), the Bank of Industry (BOI), and the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat would make presentations.

    The Vice Presidential spokesman said other aspects of Osinbajo’s trip would be to showcase the strides in the country’s technology, innovation and creative space by Nigerian technology start-ups and entertainment industry practitioners.

    Akande also said during the trip, some leading Nigerian start-ups would be making pitches about their ideas and products so as to promote investment by U.S. companies in Nigeria’s technology and creativity sector.

    “It would also focus on collaboration between Nigerian and US companies in the areas of technology and entertainment, including further cooperation between Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, and U.S. Hollywood in the areas of production, distribution and content protection.

    “”Another objective of the investment mission is to attract Africans in the Diaspora to mentor and support start-ups in Nigeria,’’ Akande said.

    He said Osinbajo was being accompanied on the trip by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okey Enelamah and the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu.

    Others are senior government officials from the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Ease of Doing Business Secretariat among others.

    Akande said that the Vice President, who left Nigeria on Saturday would return to the country on July 12.

     

  • Maritime University take-off fulfilment of Buhari’s promise – Presidency

    The Presidency has said commencement of academic activities at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State is part of fulfilment campaign promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, who made this known in a statement yesterday, said the Buhari’s administration is committed to develop the Niger Delta in line with its new vision for the region.

    The presidential aide said the Maritime University commenced lectures for the 2017/2018 academic year yesterday and that a total of 196 students have so far been accepted into the University to commence their academic programmes.

    TheNewsGuru reports the Maritime University was granted approval in January by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 2017/2018 academic session.

    According to Akande, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had also listed the University in its Central Admissions Processing System in January 24, 2018, while interviews for academic staff positions were conducted between 1st and 2nd of March, 2018.

    “The NUC had approved that academic activities commence in three faculties namely; Transport, Engineering and Environmental Management, with a combined total of 13 departments with various specializations – from Marine Engineering, Marine Economics to Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture,” he said.

    It would be recalled that President Buhari had approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the University from the N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion.

    “This sum was included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly in November 2017.

    “Similarly, an additional N1 billion was approved by the President to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the University in November 2017,” Akande said.

    Following the commencement of operations in 2017, the University had, in November 2017, invited job applications for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies.

    Also, the Delta State government had donated two 500KVA generators to the University.

    “Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with leaders of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in November 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities in 2017; and the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government,” Akande quoted.