The Abuja ‘Road to Schuman Forum,’ jointly organized by the EU Delegation in Abuja and Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Advisor, was held in the Nigerian capital on Wednesday, 15^th May 2024 as part of efforts for the strengthening of regional partnerships.

Held under the title: Reducing vulnerabilities through partnerships, the Forum attended by diplomats accredited to Nigeria and ECOWAS, EU and ECOWAS Commission officials and independent experts, is a precursor conversation to the main ‘Schuman Forum on Security and Defence’ scheduled for 28-29 May 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.

The Abuja meeting was sub-themed: Conflict dynamics in West Africa; ECOWAS as a regional peace-building actor and stability provider; and strengthening regional partnerships.

In their opening remarks, Mr. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Ambassador Samuela Isopi, the Head of the EU Delegation in Nigeria, the Nigerian  Minister of Defence, Hon Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, represented by Permanent Secretary, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, and Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security underscored the primacy of the EU-ECOWAS-Nigeria partnership in cross-cutting development issues, especially, in fighting the root causes of insecurity, counter-terrorism, violent extremism and drawbacks to economic prosperity in West Africa.

Maj-Gen Adamu Laka, of the NCTC, made a presentation on Nigeria’s peace and security situation, while Mr Ruben Alba Aguilera, of EU Delegation, spoke on the EU-Nigeria Security Partnership.

The presentation by Dr Pawoumothom Cyriaque Agnekethom, Director, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, ECOWAS Commission, was on ECOWAS security policies, while Mr Charles Andrew Stuart, Chief Advisor on Security for Africa, European Affairs Service, spoke on EU partnership with ECOWAS on peace and security.

The participants noted that despite progress in the area of peace, security, and defence, Nigeria still faces security threats of various forms, in different geographical areas.

EU officials reiterated the organization’s willingness to engage with Nigeria, to address the threats, through a coordinated approach.

Ms Miriam Uben Adah, of the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, moderated the discussion on Effective partnerships in changing security dynamics, with the panellists discussing the challenges posed by terrorism and extremism, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and new emerging hybrid threats.

They also reflected on the reassessment of security policies and defence strategies and priorities for more effective partnerships. The panellists were Mr Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi - Director of Internal Security, ONSA, Commodore VB Gbaranwi, Deputy Director of Defence Affairs, ONSA, Mr Zakari Mijiyawa, Special Adviser to the NSA on Strategic Communications, a Representative of the Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Juan Sell Sanz, Spain and Commodore Usman Mainasara Bugaje, Deputy Director Strategy, Naval HQ,

Others were Mr Jean Francois Hasperue, from the Embassy of France, Mr Hervé Auffret, Head of Advisory Field Support, Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, and Ambassador Fatima Bala, from the Nigerian Working Group on Peace-building and Governance.

Mr Kabir Adamu, of the Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, moderated the panel discussion on Rethinking regional security engagement, which featured panellists Dr Cyriaque Agnekethom, Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of External Security (ONSA), Ambassador Pieter Leenknegt, from Belgium, Ambassador Kalilou Traoré, from Cote d’Ivoire, Dr Paul Andrew Gwaza, from the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, and this writer.

The panel discussion centred on the unprecedented challenges faced by ECOWAS and the EU and the need to redefine the security architecture in the region.

It was noted that as key regional players, the EU and ECOWAS have a common interest in working together to overcome common challenges in the peace, security and defence areas and the need to redesign their security policies. The discussion also touched on the current Sahel situation, the erosion of democracy, and the epidemic of military coups in the region with four ECOWAS member States now under military dictatorships. Three of the four countries have served ECOWAS notice of withdrawal.

In their interventions, the participants agreed on the need to restore unity, cohesion and solidarity in ECOWAS and the reinvigoration of the mutually beneficial partnership cooperation between ECOWAS and the EU. They also stressed the need for a pro-African approach and ownership of the partnership programmes and projects such that the citizens will be positively impacted.

The outcome of the Abuja Forum will feed into the agenda of the ‘Schuman Forum on Security and Defence’ coming up end of this month in Brussels.

Ejime is an Author, Global Affairs Analyst, and Consultant on Peace & Security and Governance Communications

The 2023 Spokesperson of Labour Party presidential campaign council, Yunusa Tanko has shared his thoughts on the reason his principal, Peter Obi ate with Northerners during the Ramadan celebration.

Recall that Obi joined Muslims at the Central Mosque in Maraba-Nyanya in Abuja to participate in breaking the Ramadan fast.

Speaking on the incident during an interview on Arise TV, Tanko asserted that Obi is aware that he needs the north in the upcoming election and needs to make necessary alliance.

He explained that Obi is getting closer to the people so they would know who he is and he also would learn more about them.

He said, “You say we want to move away from politics of spaghetti and all of that but some critics will say that Peter Obi during Ramadan and even now was eating with Almajiris; and some of the boreholes we saw during the last election Obi had stronghold in the South and now he needs to make in-road in the North, so how much of this is politics and how much is governance because it’s easy to reduce this to governance but at the end of the day, Peter Obi knows he needs the North and he has to make the necessary alliances there, so how much of this is about governance?

“Getting closer to the people is not about politics. What I mean by getting closer to the people, is getting to know them and they also know him. It’s a different ball game entirely. When there was need for him to support them, he did support them. It’s the reason for the borehole, going to the Almajiri schools and all of that. Let me say this, just imagine, had it been that His Excellency didn’t do this or didn’t move from point A to point B, what will the people say? Now he is doing it and people are still talking. 

“He is doing it practically and even supporting practically. Is it when there is election that you expect him to go round? This is the best time to do it independently that even before the election, you will tell them, this is who I am. This is somebody who has been doing this humanitarian support even in Haiti, outside of this country. He has been doing it, it’s not his first time. People didn’t know that, he only brought it out to the public domain.”

[NaijaNews]

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Wednesday that it has granted 14 new International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) Approval-in-Principle (AIP) in new effort to to double foreign-currency remittance inflows through formal channels.

The initiative will help increase the sustained supply of foreign exchange in the official market by promoting greater competition and innovation amongst IMTOs to lower the cost of remittance transactions and boost financial inclusion.

CBN’s thinking is really that increasing formal remittance flows which is one of the major sources of foreign exchange, accounting for over 6% of GDP would help ease the historical volatility in Nigeria’s exchange rate caused by external factors, such as fluctuations in foreign investment and oil export proceeds.

“This will spur liquidity in Nigeria’s Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), augmenting price discovery to enable a market-driven fair value for the naira,” said Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, while announcing the new plan in a statement.

Olayemi Cardoso, CBN Governor had recently disclosed the apex bank’s target to double remittance flows into Nigeria within a year, which he firmly believed was possible.

“We are wasting no time driving progress to remove any bottlenecks hindering flows through formal channels permanently. We have a determined pathway and a sequenced approach to tackling all challenges ahead, working hand in hand with key stakeholders in the remittance industry,” he had stated.

IMTOs in Nigeria, are companies or organizations which the CBN has authorized to facilitate the transfer of foreign currency funds from individuals or entities residing abroad to recipients back in Nigeria.

In 2023, the CBN increased the number of IMTOs from 47 to 62.

The increase in the number of IMTOs is one of the primary actions initiated by the CBN’s remittance task force, overseen by Governor Cardoso as a collaborative unit which pulls together specialists to work closely with the private sector and market operators to facilitate the ease of doing business in the remittance ecosystem in Nigeria.

The task force was established as a direct result of an executive learning session with IMTOs during the 2024 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings held in Washington DC, United States of America, in April.

The task force will meet regularly to implement strategy and monitor the impact of its measures on remittance inflows.

[BusinessDay]

The local equities market yesterday closed on a negative note as selloffs on Nigerian Exchange Group Plc and 29 others dragged the capitalisation lower by N74 billion.

The All Share Index (ASI) declined by 130.56 points, representing a decline of 0.13 per cent to close at 97,343.42 points. Accordingly, market capitalisation shed by N74 billion to close at N55.058 trillion.

The downturn was impacted by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Nigerian Exchange Group, PZ Cussons Nigeria, UAC of Nigeria (UACN), Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA).

As measured by market breadth, market sentiment was negative, as 30 stocks lost relative to 13 gainers. Custodian Investment recorded the highest price gain of 9.63 per cent to close at N10.25, per share. International Energy Insurance followed with a gain of 9.29 per cent to close at N1.53, while Sovereign Trust Insurance rose by 7.89 per cent to close at 41 kobo, per share.

NPF Micro Finance Bank went up by 7.10 per cent to close at N1.96, while Champion Breweries appreciated by 6.11 per cent to close at N3.30, per share.

On the other hand, FTN Cocoa Processors and PZ Cussons Nigeria led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent each to close at N1.44 and N20.25 respectively, while Sterling Financial Holdings Company followed with a decline of 9.89 per cent to close at N4.01, per share.

The Initiates Plc (TIP) depreciated by 9.78 per cent to close at N2.03 and UACN declined by 9.76 per cent to close at N13.40, per share.

The total volume traded declined by 16.0 per cent to 355.554 million units, valued at N7.143 billion, and exchanged in 7,333 deals. Transactions in the shares of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) topped the activity chart with 71.872 million shares valued at N3.038 billion. Custodian Investment followed with 65.466 million shares worth N785.263 million, while Access Holdings traded 24.167 million shares valued at N416.727 million.

Tantalizers traded 21.305 million shares valued at N22.414 million, while Prestige Assurance sold 17.536 million shares worth N8.955 million.

[Leadership]

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar, and the vice president, Senator Kashim Shetima, have warned pilgrims departing Kebbi State via the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi, bound for Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj, to adhere strictly to guidelines provided by the Saudi authorities.

Addressing the first batch of pilgrims as they embarked on their journey to the holy land, the Sultan emphasised that this marked Kebbi’s inaugural flight for the Hajj operation, underscoring the importance for pilgrims to remain focused on their Hajj obligations while in Mecca.

A total of 423 pilgrims hailing from two local government areas, Jega and Arewa, departed the state at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport for the holy land on the inaugural flight.

“I urge you all to maintain focus, steer clear of any banned items during your time in the holy land, and represent Kebbi and Nigeria admirably,” the Sultan said.

Likewise, the vice president highlighted the spiritual significance of Hajj as an opportunity for believers to seek forgiveness for their sins.

He assured pilgrims that the presidency was fully aware of the prohibitions set in place by Saudi authorities for the safety of pilgrims and urged strict adherence to them.

Governor Nasir Idris expressed satisfaction that his administration had fulfilled all requirements to meet the standards set by NAHCON for the Hajj operation.

He particularly lauded the commencement of the first airlift of pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi State.

Kano commences vaccination for prospective pilgrims

The Kano State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has started the medical screening and vaccination process for prospective pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj.

Alhaji Laminu Danbappa, the director general of the board, revealed this development to Daily Trust on Tuesday.

Danbappa, while supervising the process at Sheikh Muhammad Jidda General Hospital and the Hajj Camp clinic, explained that the screening aims to assess the health status of each pilgrim, aligning with the requirements for international travel and directives from the Saudi Arabian government.

Don’t compromise pilgrims’ welfare, Makinde tells officials

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has urged the state’s Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board not to compromise the welfare of the 1070 pilgrims from Oyo while in Saudi Arabia.

He stated this yesterday during a ceremony for the state’s first batch of intending pilgrims who are scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Makinde also encouraged the pilgrims to represent the state well as ambassadors in the holy land.

S/Arabia launches guides in Hausa, 15 other languages

In another development, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched comprehensive guides in 16 languages, including Hausa, aimed at assisting pilgrims from around the world during the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage.

The guides provide easy-to-follow information covering all stages of the Hajj rituals, supporting the ministry’s efforts for the 2024 Hajj season.

“The guides address common questions from pilgrims in over 16 widely spoken languages, including Arabic, English, French, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Hausa, Amharic, Persian, Spanish, Turkish, Russian, Sinhalese, Uzbek and Malaysian,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

[DailyTrust]

Senator Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has said that he would not support death penalties for corrupt politicians who steal in millions or billions but for those who steal in trillions.

Ndume pointed out that corruption within Nigerian politics was primarily influenced by individuals.

He suggested that it may not necessitate severe consequences.

The senator acknowledged that politicians engaged in corruption but also distributed resources to the public.

He said, “If you compare us, politicians, to all the corruption, it is very small. Our corruption is people-driven,” he told Channels Television.

“If you steal it, you will go and share it with the people. If you don’t, you are not coming back for four years. There is no reason for stealing.

“I have been to the National Assembly, I can’t say because we are on TV now and not telling the truth.

“If the death penalty is supposed to be included in corruption, I will support it but you don’t go and kill someone that stole one million or one billion, no. But someone who steals one trillion of government money should be killed.”

[dailyPost]

These are difficult times globally. There is the ongoing brutality of the Russo-Ukrainian war leading to the death and displacement of millions of people who probably do not care where the borders between the two sisterly countries are drawn. The people there and their ancestors have lived in that place from time immemorial. The attempt by President Vladimir Putin to recreate a new Russian empire after the collapse of the USSR has led to his intervention not only in Ukraine but also in Moldova and in the Caucasus dismembering Georgia leading to the emergence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The genocidal conflict in the Sudan between the armed forces of the country (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the irregular forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeddti), the man who was also the leader of the Janjaweed terrorist group responsible for killing millions of black Sudanese previously, has been going on for years and has led to the murder of millions of hapless Africans. The country has been destroyed and nobody seems to care that much. Not the Arabs, not the Africans and not the rest of the world except the puerile effusions from the United Nations’ Secretary General. War has been going on in the so-called Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the western communications and other companies particularly the EV carmakers are busy mining minerals needed for their new innovations and batteries and paying starvation wages for the poor Africans including children digging with their hands for rare minerals.

All across the Sahel region of Africa, wars and insurgencies against rulers working for western interests have been going on for decades while military rulers come and go and the lives of Africans are deemed expendable. There is raging insurgency war against the brutal military regime in Burma (Myanmar) which has led to millions of ethnic Rohingya expelled and millions of rebels killed in the country.

In the Middle East, Yemenis are divided between the Houthis and the previously recognized legitimate government. Iraq has not recovered from American destruction of the country following the war to remove Saddam Hussein and its aftermath and a land of ancient civilisation has been handed over to sectarian chaotic leadership.  Syria under what is left of it under Bashar al Assad has been reduced to a shadow of its old self and the second largest city Aleppo has been bombed into Stone Age  and a glorious Arab civilisation has been brought down to a level of clannishness where a sense of nationalism is totally lost at least for now.

Pakistan and Afghanistan do not know peace and Lebanon is virtually partitioned into two between the Christian and conservative Arab regime on one hand and militant and armed Shi’ite Hisbollah- the so-called “party of God”. It is necessary to highlight these conflicts in order not to give an impression that all other parts of the world is peaceful except Gaza where the self-inflicted conflict with Israel has been going for the past seven months with apparent Israeli determination to wipe out the Palestinians as a “final solution “to the Palestinian question. It is ironic that this kind of extermination of a people was faced by the ancestors of the Israeli people some 75 years ago.

The breach of Israeli security by the Gaza Hamas rebels on October 7, 2023 during which about 1400 people were killed and kidnapped precipitated the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Everyone has said Israel is justified in fighting back and Israel has done this almost immediately after the surprise attack. Almost all the major powers backed Israel initially and those like Russia and China demurred, only to support on ideological basis, the Palestinians as a people fighting against colonial oppression. Even their support was tepid. 

The Americans led by President Joe Biden virtually moved key American ministries like Defence and Foreign Affairs and the CIA to Israel to facilitate easy delivery of weapons to Israel and full deployment of American diplomacy at the service of Israel. The G7 was mobilised to support Israel and NATO’s intelligence was put at service of Israel. Even countries in Africa and Latin America at the prodding of the United States toed the American line. The Arab countries especially the big ones like Egypt and Saudi Arabia lay prostrate at Israeli feet at the behest of the United States. India and Pakistan perhaps reluctantly supported Israel. With this massive support for Israel, the Jewish state feels it could not do any wrong. It unleashed its own and cutting edge and American weapons on the Gaza Strip and sometimes the Western Palestinian territory on the Western bank of the river Jordan. By the second month of the war on Gaza, about 20 thousand Palestinians had been wiped off the face of the earth through artillery fire and aerial bombing using American weapons. By the fifth month, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered. As of today, who is counting? A figure of 36, 000 souls have been lost.

The Israeli government of Bilyalminu Netanyahu says he wants to kill all the Hamas militants but even America says more than three quarters of those killed are children, women and the elderly. The Democratic Party in America especially its left wing is in open rebellion against President Joe Biden and the universities in America are also in uproar against American involvement with Israel in committing open murders in the glare of the whole world. President Joe Biden is definitely embarrassed and his constant hypocritical pleas with Netanyahu to spare the civilian population of Palestine have been ignored. He is now threatening to cut off the Israeli government from some type of weapons that may be used in Gaza. This is laughed off by the IDF which says it has all the weapons it needs to prosecute the war to the bitter end.

America has completely lost all influence with the Arab and non-Arab world. Whatever it says in the future would be completely ignored by most countries. Its recent request for military facilities in Africa has been virtually ignored by every country including our own at least openly. America apart from Gaza and the Palestinians would end up as the main victims of the Israeli war on Gaza. The American renewed efforts to reconcile Israel with Saudi Arabia, if it had gotten Israeli support through its humane policies in Gaza, would have altered the course of history possibly for good in the Middle East. An Israeli – Saudi Arabian rapprochement would have facilitated Israeli opening not only to the Arabs but to the Islamic countries like Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

As things stand, Israel is going to make Biden lose the presidential election in November and earn Israel the hostility of the Democratic Party for years to come. The second coming of Donald J. Trump is too ghastly for many to imagine. The critical elements in global intelligentsia seem opposed to Israel probably because of the human tendency to support the underdog in this case the Palestinians, but more likely because of the ferocity of the inhumanity of Israeli attacks. The thinking is why beat up a Palestine that is down and prostrate? This is why countries like the Republics of South Africa and Ireland with their history of colonial resistance are in open arms against Israel and they are not alone; the vast majority of countries in the developing world in Asia, Africa and Latin America share the same feelings with countries openly opposed to Israel.

The vote against Israel in the United Nations General Assembly to admit Palestine to full membership of the UN is an illustration of the support for Palestine and opposition to the bullying and oppression of the Israeli government. This is really sad because since the 1948 creation of Israel despite its complex and controversial moral foundation, Israel had always been favoured by virtually the whole world. If only for Israel to go back to some semblance of acceptability, someone should help Israel to stop the war because it has made the point that the Jewish state would rather fight to the death than surrender to any form of attack designed to destroy it. This point needs not be made at expense of the Palestinians who now face a genocidal onslaught as Israel moves to finish them off in Rafa.

A Professor of educational management at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Yunus Fasasi, has said that both physical and mental development will prepare a child to cope with the rigours and challenges of life.

He, therefore, cautioned parents and guardians against rushing their wards into higher institutions.

He said: “parents and stakeholders should be sensitised on psycho-emotional and other consequences inherent in allowing double promotion for their wards.”

Prof. Fasasi added that an immature child would not be able to face exigencies of life.

 The professor spoke to our correspondent after delivering the 256th inaugural lecture of UNILORIN.

He urged strict adherence to the National Policy on Education on admission.

“The national policy on education has divided education into stages and accompanied same with ages, but parents are in a hurry. Parents have forgotten that there  are stages for the mental and physical development of a child. If a child is not well developed physically and mentally and he is rushed to the higher institution, he will misbehave in future.

“He may be brilliant- that is mental development but he may be not physically alright. When a child is both physically and mentally developed, he will be able to cope with all aspects of education initially and in future all aspects of life,” he said.

The lecture was entitled: “Holding education accountable for resources and results.”

Prof. Fasasi recommended adequate funding of the existing government and private educational institutions for them to actualise the nation’s educational objectives.

“Proliferation of educational institutions does not translate to national development.

The government’s establishment of new institutions and licensing the operation of private ones should be done with caution, as quality requirements for take-off and future expansion of the institutions must be guaranteed.

“Carrying capacity should be considered before determining the number of students to be admitted into an institution. Large-size schools and classrooms without corresponding facilities tend to complicate administrative and supervisory duties.

“There should be long-term policies like the 1955 Universal Primary Education (UPE) and 1999 Universal Basic Education (UBE) which would increase the population at the implementation stage and in future when the students get to a higher level of education,” he said.

[TheNation]

Nigerian Fuji singer, Adewale Ayuba, also known as Mr Johnson, has shared a moment when Duchess Meghan was spotted dancing to his chart-topping hit, “Koloba Koloba.”

Ayuba shared the video on his Instagram account on Monday with the caption, “Even HRH Meghan and Harry know how to Ta tan de ile, thank you for this moment. ”

In the video, Meghan was spotted rhythmically swaying her shoulders along to the music.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, landed in Nigeria last Friday as part of their promotion of the Invictus Games, the sporting event he founded for wounded military veterans.

Harry’s decision to visit Nigeria followed an invite by the military high command following the nation’s debut appearance at the 2023 Invictus Games, held in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry in 2014, is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel that offers support, recovery pathways, and rehabilitation for the personnel, post-injury.

Their itinerary included attending a school event focused on mental health and meeting with wounded soldiers during their trip.

On day three of the visit, Prince Harry and Meghan took part in a basketball event with the Giants of Africa Foundation in Lagos, an organisation that helps youths through engagement in the sport.

[Punch]