News
AT 2ND CHRONICLE ROUNDTABLE:
AT 2ND CHRONICLE ROUNDTABLE:
- President Tinubu Taking Wise, Statesmanly Decisions – Assures VP Shettima
- Lists subsidy removal, other policies as options taken to save Nigeria
- Says nation’s economy will witness positive changes after the sacrifices
By: Our Reporter
Again, Vice President Kashim Shettima has implored Nigerians to be patient with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he steers the ship of state through the economic turbulence and storm he met on ground on assumption of office.
“Soon, Nigeria’s economy will experience significant growth once we’ve overcome these sacrifices. Positive changes will soon be evident across all economic indicators – inflation, per capita income, GDP numbers, poverty reduction, food security, and all aspects close to the hearts of our people,” he declared.
Senator Shettima made the appeal on Thursday during the 2nd Chronicle Roundtable organized by 21st Century Media Services, publishers of 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE, as part of its public service enlightenment series, at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja.
The Vice President who was the Guest Speaker at the roundtable explained some key policy decisions taken by the Tinubu administration as well as its Economic and Social Agenda, including the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, which he described as the ‘biggest elephant in the room’ before President Tinubu took charge.
Appealing for patience and time to address the serious challenges he said they met on ground, especially the nation’s ailing economy which was already tottering towards an eclipse, Shettima said, “We look forward to the positive impact on the economy that will be brought by some of our new initiatives in the oil and gas sector, creative arts sector, the newly rejigged steel and solid minerals sectors, our housing sector, the blue economy, and the digital sectors, to mention but a few.
“There is no doubt that there’s a time to plant and a time to reap. In between those times, we appeal for patience and seek collective sacrifice from all, especially from us. We wish there were a way to treat this ailment without surgery”.
While delivering his speech titled, “Because These Shortcuts Are Not The Right Ways,” the VP noted that though the decision to remove fuel subsidy was quite tough considering its negative impact on the lives of the citizens, it became an inevitable option when it was discovered that the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari did not make provision for it in the 2023 budget.
He explained: “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, chose the option that would save the life of the nation, instead of one that would merely prolong its imminent and predicted economic death. Before we took charge, the biggest elephant in the room was the question of fuel subsidy removal.
“We understood why our predecessor made the decision to remove it and refused to budget for it in their final fiscal year. The year before we took office, Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio had grown to 111.8%. The anticipated debt crisis may sound like fancy economic jargon to the man on the street, but you and I are in a better position to understand how such miscalculations have played out in other countries. It’s an economic death sentence.
“In plain terms, our debt servicing was such that if you earned, say, N100,000, the entirety of the money wasn’t only paid to your debtor; you were forced to borrow an additional N11,800 to pay the debtor. How do you intend to survive this, and how many more loans before you become a pariah?
“We are not even discussing the nation’s budget deficits, diversions of resources from critical sectors of the economy, and corruption masterminded in the subsidy regime.”
Acknowledging that government is a continuum, the VP said whoever had “succeeded the previous government would have either chosen to steer the ship through the storm as President Tinubu is doing or jumped ship and let the country implode.”
He observed that those who contested the presidency with President Tinubu did not feel morally justified to question the decision to remove fuel subsidy because it was part of the solutions they also tabled before Nigerians.
“This was because, whether in handling the subsidy matter or the forex crisis, they had also promised the solutions we had adopted. Those who attempted to eat their words were instantly proven wrong by data, history, and their antecedents—those emotionless reality checkers,” he pointed out.
Senator Shettima regretted that for long Nigeria had endured economic sabotage, leading to the resolve by Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Yemi Cardoso, and the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, “to take matters into their hands to neutralise the overpowering influence of currency manipulators who had conspired to frustrate our reforms.
“Today, I stand proud to say that their interventions have translated into desired results, and Naira’s pushback against all odds is an inspiring journey that doesn’t have to be learned in Buenos Aires, as some would want us to do,” he added.
Earlier in his opening remarks, chairman of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and former Finance Minister, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, praised the content of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, describing it as one of the most detailed and carefully crafted policy document in the history of the country.
He stressed the need for the Renewed Hope Agenda document to be reviewed and integrated into the medium and long-term development framework of the country, noting that policy consistency with a long-term vision to transform critical sectors of the economy, is the way to go.
Dr Usman also commended the administration’s establishment of a central coordination delivery unit to track the performance of programmes, policies and key interventions of the Federal Government, insisting that the monitoring of key performance indicators in the policy document was critical to the success of the government.
On his part, the CEO of 2nd Chronicle Newspaper, Malam Mahmud Jega had while welcoming guests to the event, said the need to critically analyse government policies and programmes was not just an expectation from the media but indeed borne out of the necessity to collectively contribute in shaping the nation’s development trajectory.
Also present at the event were the Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; Chairman of 21st Century Chronicle, Amb. Gbara Awanen; notable leaders in the media industry, Dr Ishaq Moddibo Kawu; Mallam Garba Shehu; Mr Segun Adeniyi, and Malam Mahmud Jega, among others.
AT 2ND CHRONICLE ROUNDTABLE:
French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat
By: Michael Mike
The French government wants Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the global community to mobilise resources, policies and collaboration to protect the oceans from the dangers of plastic waste.
The French Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria,
Jean-François Hasperue, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a plastic waste awareness programme at the French Institute.
Hasperue said the call for a united front to tackle the challenge became necessary because plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental crises facing the globe, with oceans bearing the brunt of the escalating threat.
The envoy explained that from floating debris to microplastics embedded in marine organisms, the evidence of damage on the oceans has been overwhelming.
He said: ‘’Our panellists were explaining that the microplastics that are eaten by fish in the lagoon of Lagos might be eaten by people in Asia because fish have been taken by foreign boats and sold everywhere in the world. So yes, it’s a global issue that we need to address. And there is one specific issue, of course, we decided to address within the UN conference in Nice, is the one of biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.
“Because it has been for too many years, a gap in which we have not been able to raise cooperation among countries to save these biggest parts of the oceans. And I expect that we will announce that we have reached the 60 signatories for ratification by the end of this week. So the BBNG will be able to be implemented starting the 1st of January 2026.”
According to Mr Hasperue, the French government is raising awareness in Nigeria particularly in Nigerian universities as part of global strategy to build capacity of students and also to rally support for empowering global local communities.
He said: “We are part of a global strategy of France, because of course we would like to act at different level. We act first globally, and that’s why we decided to welcome the UN Conference on Ocean, which is actually happening in Nice from the June 9th to the 13th this very week. And that’s why in the wake of this global conference, we wanted here in Nigeria and in Abuja to organise at our level a debate, but not only a debate here, but activities all over the month of June.
“And we had not less than 11 activities happening in six different states in Nigeria, first of all to raise awareness in Nigeria, but also to rally support for empowering global local communities.”
Hasperue underscored the importance of the UN Ocean Conference to addressing the dangers of plastic waste on oceans, noting that awareness creation remains very critical to ending the menace.
He added that: “We have to take into consideration that plastic, although it has been a solution at some point of history, that it has been now so massive, so huge, that it has become a problem. So now we have to better think how to better produce plastic, how to make sure that plastic is better recycled, and how we make sure that it will less affect all life all over the world.
They are part of a global strategy by France to not only act at the global level, but also at the level of the communities. So we have a double approach, top down, but also a bottom up, to make sure that we create the link between what we are doing on the global stage to raise awareness, but that it has a translation down to the local communities. In every country we are working with the governments and civil society organisations.”
The Deputy French Ambassor to Nigeria stressed that the French government is helping Nigerian universities with recycling plastic and micro plants as well as funding of projects in the universities.
He said: “We have a fund of 750,000, 100,000 euros now, which is about helping universities in recycling plastic. So within this project, we have two micro plants that will be given to Nile University and UNILAG to recycle plastic within the universities. We are also funding a project in five different universities.”
Similarly, Sebastien Bede, the Attaché for Scientific and Higher Education Cooperation at the French Embassy, pointed out that the French government has been cooperating with Nigerian partners to develop projects and implement solutions to plastic waste.
‘’So we have this project we call the French Embassy Fund to actually develop and implement solutions to tackle plastic pollution in Nigerian university campuses. And the idea is threefold. First, as previously the Deputy Ambassador said, to equip two universities here in Nigeria, UNILAG, Nile University in Abuja, with microplants to recycle plastic.
This comes with capacity building, with Plastic Odyssey, to train the staff and develop integrated solutions, which goes from collecting the plastic on the campus, sort it out, clean it, grind it, and then the final product. So we have the input and the output. So there’s been a collective reflection on what is the need here in Nigeria on the campuses.
About 17 Nigerian university students were awarded for their efforts in turning plastic waste to viable economic ventures.
French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat
BfNigeria Takes Steel Development Drive to China
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria has taken the drive to develop its steel industry to China as the Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Mr. Joseph Tegbe, and the Minister for Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu are currently on a high-level working visit to the Asian country to attract strategic development projects and deepening industrial cooperation with key Chinese partners.
The delegation held a strategic meeting with executives of Sino Steel, one of China’s largest and most influential steel conglomerates over the revitalization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, a key industrial asset considered critical to Nigeria’s manufacturing ambitions and job creation strategy. The talks centred around technical evaluations, operational modelling, and financing frameworks required to restore the facility to full productivity.
A statement on Wednesday from NCSP, said earlier Mr Tegbe had met with the leadership of Jingye Steel, one of China’s foremost private steel manufacturers with a global footprint, where they explored the possibility of establishing integrated steel mills in Nigeria, a critical step toward strengthening local capacity for steel production and supporting key sectors such as infrastructure, automotive manufacturing, and construction.
The Minister for Steel subsequently led Nigerian officials on a site visit to the production facilities of Jingye Steel, located in the Hebei province in China.
In Beijing, Tegbe held a productive meeting with SYS Company, a leading water engineering and environmental solutions firm specializing in wastewater recycling and renewable energy generation. Discussions focused on the potential deployment of SYS’s innovative technologies in Nigeria, particularly in converting wastewater into reusable resources and power. The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the development of a circular economy that supports energy diversification.
Earlier in the visit, the Director-General of NCSP held a follow-up meeting with executives of CSSC Haishen, advancing a prior understanding between the Chinese firm and CPL Ltd, a leading Nigerian medical and pharmaceutical equipment company. The meeting centered on securing competitive pricing for medical equipment, enhancing knowledge transfer and operational support, and identifying financing solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of the healthcare modernization initiative.
According to the statement, these strategic engagements underscore NCSP’s broader mission to build transformative partnerships that harness China’s technological expertise and Nigeria’s development priorities—delivering practical outcomes across health, industry, infrastructure, and environmental innovation.
BfNigeria Takes Steel Development Drive to China
Phone shop operator killed in armed robbery in Abuja
By: Zagazola Makama
A phone shop operator, Idris Yakubu, was on Tuesday stabbed to death during a robbery at his shop and residence in Dakibiyu Village, Abuja.
Zagazola Makama was reliably informed by sources that the incident occurred at about 3:30 a.m. when a group of unidentified assailants reportedly broke into his premises, stole several mobile phones, and fatally stabbed him on the left side of his back.
He was later rushed to the Gwarinpa General Hospital, where medical personnel confirmed him dead on arrival.
Sources close to the family said the assailants targeted valuable phones before attacking Yakubu, who was believed to have tried to resist the robbery.
Upon receipt of a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer of Jabi Division swiftly dispatched a patrol team to the scene.
A police sources said that the victim was found lying in a pool of blood and was rushed to Gwarinpa General Hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead on arrival.
The family of the deceased requested the release of the body for burial in accordance with Islamic rites, and the request was granted after due documentation.
The sources said investigation is ongoing to recover the stolen phones and track down the fleeing suspects.
Phone shop operator killed in armed robbery in Abuja
Ban GMO Foods in Nigeria Now, Groups Tells FG
French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat
BfNigeria Takes Steel Development Drive to China
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