National News

Protest: Nigeria Warns Foreign Diplomats Against Interference

Published

6 months ago

August 7, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Protest: Nigeria Warns Foreign Diplomats Against Interference

By: Michael Mike

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar has warned that Nigerian government would not tolerate any form of foreign interference in the ongoing protest in the country.

The Minister said the government will deal with any entity within the country found to have directly or indirectly supported the protest.

He however assured Nigerians and the world at large that President Bola Tinubu understands the pains and frustration driving the protest and is doing everything to address them.

He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understands the pain and frustration that drive the protests and has assured that his government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of Nigerians. He has appealed particularly to the youths and advised them not to let violence and destruction tear the country apart. While admitting that there have been many dashed hopes in the past, he affirmed that Nigeria is in a new era of Renewed Hope as the government is working hard, and that the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel, and enjoy.

“Consequently, the President has directed that the security operatives should continue to maintain peace, law, and order in the country in line with the necessary conventions on human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory, as the safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount.

“Members of the diplomatic corps, I have provided you with a lot of detail, and some of the facts and figures that reflect where we are and what we, as a responsible, elected government, are trying to do. But this is about more than the numbers. The President led the campaign against military dictatorship in the 1990s and believes in a democracy, in Nigeria’s democracy that freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and the right to dissent are fundamental.

“But Nigeria is a country under the rule of law. No one can tolerate the thuggish behaviour of fringe elements and those who stand behind them.

“While the government continues to work hard through the various reform programs and measures to address the challenges facing Nigeria and Nigerians, it is pertinent to remind us that no nation tolerates foreign interference in its domestic affairs and that of its citizens. Nigeria is not an exception.

“The government would take appropriate action against any foreign entity residing in Nigeria that is found to have directly or indirectly supported the protesters by whatever means or seeks to interfere in the internal affairs of the country.

“Nigeria cherishes and continues to value the cordial relationships that happily subsist between her and your individual countries and organizations and will not do anything to undermine or take for granted such relationships. Indeed, more than any time before now, we solicit your understanding and collaboration in the ongoing efforts of the Federal government in addressing the economic challenges confronting the country, to achieve a better life for every Nigerian at home and abroad.”

Also addressing the Diplomatic corps, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris said the government respects the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, which are cornerstones of all democratic societies, but stressed that what began as a peaceful protest in some States and the Federal Capital Territory, was soon hijacked by elements who infiltrated the protest and orchestrated violent activities that destroyed lives and properties.

He said: “There were reports of arson, vandalism, looting, and clashes with law enforcement agents in several cities. Tragically, these incidents led to the loss of innocent lives and significant damage to properties.

“In response to these unforeseen events, the Federal Government acted swiftly to restore peace and order. It is important to emphasize that the security forces were instructed to exercise maximum restraint and adhere to international standards in managing civil protests.

“They have indeed put in a lot of work to ensure the safety of all law-abiding Nigerians, and to maintain order, in the last week. But they have also been decisive in their response to criminality, and it is important to separate these from their commendable approach to legitimate protests,” he said.

He assured the Diplomatic Community that it was not the primary focus of the administration to impose hardship on Nigerians but to correct poor policies and dysfunctional choices of the past.

He said President Tinubu is determined to implement reforms that would drive sustainable growth and improve the quality of life for all citizens, stressing that the current challenges are only temporary.

“It is important to kick off on this note: that President Tinubu did not come to office to cause hardship or make life difficult for Nigerians. He has come to office with bold solutions to historical problems; with the determination to correct many of the poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have held us back as a nation for decades.

“The President assumed office during one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods in its history, where the country was spending 97% of all its revenue on debt service; coupled with widespread poverty, rising unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, and insecurity. Faced with these daunting realities, the administration took decisive action and implemented long-overdue reforms to save the economy from collapse,” he said.

The Minister said for decades, the costly, wasteful and unsustainable fuel subsidy regime had denied Nigeria the opportunity to invest in critical infrastructure, social service, and the welfare of its citizens hence the President took a very painful decision to abolish the fuel subsidy and redirect the funds towards critical sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security, which directly impact citizens’ well-being and the development of the country.

He said the President was not under any illusion that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the harmonization of foreign exchange rates would not come with some transitional pains – situation that informed the decision of the Federal Government to design comprehensive intervention programmes to cushion the transitional pains.

“We have been very determined about ensuring that these interventions are fully implemented, and bring the intended relief to Nigerians,” he stated.

Idris, while informing the Diplomatic Community that the worst is over, said the Federal Government has launched an investigation into the violence that occurred during the protest in order to identify and bring to justice all those responsible.

“We are committed to preventing the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future,” he said.

Protest: Nigeria Warns Foreign Diplomats Against Interference

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National News

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

Published

5 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

By: Michael Mike

The federal government has received a commitment from a Chinese firm, China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The commitment was given to the Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) Joseph Tegbe who is presently leading a team to China to market Nigeria and its opportunities for investment.

A press statement on Monday read that Tegbe held strategic sessions with renowned Economist and former World Bank Director Prof Justin Lin Yifu, who pledged support for the NCSP office in areas of policy implementation, reforms, and attraction of Chinese investments.

The Director General delegation was also hosted by China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), whose President Li Zhenyi, expressed his company’s commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth through construction and industrialization specifically their strong desire to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with other Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The Director-General acknowledged CNCEC’s technical capabilities and their previous accomplishments; and also reiterated the bold and audacious support of President Bola Tinubu on the major developmental projects across Nigeria as national priority to fast track the nation’s industrialization.

Tegbe’s visit to China was as part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) projects coordination, and investment drive, and he has continued to have strategic engagement with key Chinese stakeholders to deepen the bilateral cooperation. The visit aimed to review priority FOCAC projects, explore innovative funding options, and attract major Chinese investments into Nigeria.

In Beijing, the Director-General met with representatives from China EXIM Bank and China Development Bank to discuss accelerated delivery of priority projects. The delegation also visited the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Headquarters, where they toured a 2.5 million eggs-per-day production poultry farm, a visit to the firm aimed at assessing the feasibility of replicating similar projects in Nigeria using innovative funding models, such as the part contractor-financed, BOT, among others as recently adopted in other China financed projects.

During the visit, the delegation moved to Xinjiang where they visited TBEA, the number 1 electricity corporation in China and leading power transmission enterprise. They discussed status of their project and explored investment options and opportunities in mini and microgrid solutions to enhance Nigeria’s power sector.

The delegation’s next stop was at Shanghai where they made a courtesy call to the Nigeria Consulate in Shanghai, engaging in productive discussions about trade and investment opportunities in the region. These conversations focused on facilitating growth in key areas and exploring ways to enhance cooperation between the Consulate’s trade mission and the Director-General’s office.

The delegation thereafter visited the impressive Yangshan Deep-Water Port, also known as Shanghai Port. This massive port is currently the largest in the world, was constructed by China Harbor Engineering company, who also constructed the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria. The port
boasts an incredible capacity of 51 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). During their visit, the delegation had the opportunity to cross the remarkable 35-kilometre bridge, specifically designed for the evacuation of men and materials from the port. This bridge is a testament to China’s impressive engineering capabilities.

According to the statement, before leaving China, the delegation is expected to engage key players in Chinese economy in Shenzhen, and Guangzhou to facilitate and fast-track FOCAC project implementation through familiarization and feedback sessions with the relevant participating companies.

The statement added that “the ongoing visit is part of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation between the two nations, an initiative that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria’s economic growth and development, particularly in areas such as infrastructurb development, technology transfer, and job creation.

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

National News

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

Published

7 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

** Says Africa Has Indeed Woken Up

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said serious investors can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s growing investment climate to tap from the limitless opportunities in the country and the African continent.

VP Shettima spoke on Tuesday during a forum titled, “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets,” at the ongoing annual meeting of the 2025 World Economic Forum ( WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

At the session which was co-chaired by Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of World Economic Forum, and chaired by Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President, African Development Bank (AFDB) group, discussions focused on the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Roadmap for Africa.

He told the forum that the tales they hear about the country and the African continent as a whole are really not that of doom and gloom as being painted by doomsday proponents.

The Vice President noted that Nigeria is poised to invade the global business platform with modernisation and robust investments, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a seasoned chartered accountant, is working to make the nation an investment destination in Africa.

“For 20 years, I have been in the Nigerian banking industry. I was a general manager in Nigeria’s largest bank, Zenith Bank. I grew up in that ecosystem. The President himself is a seasoned chartered accountant. So, I believe that Nigeria is ready for business, Nigeria is ready to embrace the path of modernization with very robust investment,” he declared.

Acknowledging however that the nation may still have certain deficits, VP Shettima pointed out that Nigeria is looking up to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to address the challenges.

He stated: “We are having a huge deficit but we are looking forward to the AfCFTA and that involves investing in infrastructure for instance the coastal highway from Calabar to Lagos is the largest single investment in Africa. We are building corridors to the North.

“We have the West African gas pipeline. We are thinking ahead of time akin to the Belt and Road Initiative. We are partnering with 14 African countries to invest in gas infrastructure down to Morocco.”

Senator Shettima insisted that Africa is not all about tales of doom and gloom, maintaining that the continent has woken up from its slumber.

Likening Napoleon Bonaparte’s opinion about China to the case of Africa, the VP said, “So, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the stories you hear about Africa are not that of doom and gloom. From DRC to Somalia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire, Africa is waking up from its slumber.

“I remember what Napoleon Bonaparte said about China, he said “China is a sleeping giant but when she wakes up, she will rattle the world”. So, Africa has woken up and we will take our rightful place in the comity of nations because as I said earlier, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa. We are the youngest continent.”

Also drawing a leaf from the late Nigerian head of state, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, VP Shettima said Africa has come of age and can no longer be treated like an adolescent.

“I want to quote Murtala Mohammed – a Nigerian military leader at an extraordinary summit of the OAU, about 50 years ago. He said “Africa has come of age, it is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power, and it shall no longer take orders from any country, however powerful,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, in a show of African leadership collaboration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Shettima, on Tuesday joined South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, as special guest of honor at a high-level briefing, following his earlier participation in the Africa Investment Forum.

….VP Shettima, Botswana’s President Hold Talks

Meet WTO DG, Okonjo – Iweala

Similarly, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the President of Botswana, Duma Boko, on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting where areas of mutual interest between both countries were discussed.

The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, is part of Nigeria’s commitment to fostering stronger intra-African relations and economic cooperation.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging their countries’ strengths to promote mutual growth and development.

The Vice President, who congratulated President Duma Boko on his election victory, called for deeper partnerships and collaborations between African nations, saying it is time Africa united and presented a common front on interests regarding the continent.

During the meeting, Vice President Shettima welcomed the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, introducing her to the Botswana President.

The Vice President commended Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s exceptional achievements, describing her as one of Africa’s finest.

Other areas of interest discussed between the two leaders included trade, investment and strengthening of diplomatic ties.

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

National News

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

Published

2 days ago

January 20, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed dismay at the devastating tanker explosion that claimed several lives at Dikko Junction in Niger State.

He commiserated with families of the victims, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.

The Vice President extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger State.

The Vice President’s message follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s earlier directive for immediate medical assistance to survivors and the implementation of stricter safety protocols along major highways.

The incident, which occurred when a fuel-laden tanker en route from Kaduna to Gwagwalada overturned at Dikko Junction, has prompted the federal government to announce a comprehensive review of transportation safety measures.

The Preident has also tasked the National Orientation Agency with launching an immediate nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of approaching accident scenes involving fuel tankers.

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives