President Bola Tinubu's invitation to participate at the recent G20 summit in India marks a significant milestone for Nigeria, and an indication of possible admission into the group. It is crucial for Nigeria to view this move as the starting point towards becoming a full-fledged member of the group. In order to exert its position as the leading economy in Africa, Nigeria must seize this opportunity and regain its former glory in diplomacy and leadership on the continent.

Nigeria’s participation in the summit should open the doors for the country to become a full-fledged member of the group. It is important to explore the importance of Nigeria's membership in the G20 and how it can contribute and leverage upon it for the country's economic growth and diplomatic influence. Despite the temporary void in representation at ambassadorial posts, as a result of the recall of Nigeria's Ambassadors and High Commissioners, in all its missions all over the world, the country should still renew it efforts and employ all diplomatic shuttles and tactics to secure this vital membership of the G20

Whilst seeking membership of the group, and positioning the country as a foreign direct investment destination of choice, it is imperative that we pay serious attention to the domestic recovery of our economy, security, create an enabling environment for business and ease all the entry barriers for economic activities in the country.

Membership in the G20 will ensure economic growth and provide Nigeria with access to a platform that shapes global economic policies. As the leading economy in Africa, Nigeria has the potential to contribute significantly to discussions on trade, investment, and development. By actively participating in the G20, Nigeria can attract foreign direct investment, foster economic growth, and create job opportunities for its citizens. The G20 membership will also enhance Nigeria's credibility as a reliable and stable economy, attracting more international partnerships and collaborations. The number of Indian companies that have indicated interests in committing sizable investments In Nigeria on the heels of the president’s trip to India is quite encouraging.

Another example of the benefits that accrue to members of the group can be seen in South Africa's membership in the G20 which has allowed the country to strengthen its economic ties with other global powers, leading to increased trade and investment opportunities.

Membership in the G20 also confers upon members some level of diplomatic influence, and will restore Nigeria's former glory in economic diplomacy and leadership on the African continent. As a member, Nigeria will have a platform to voice its concerns and advocate for African interests on global issues such as climate change, security, dumping of substandard goods, and sustainable development. Nigeria's diplomatic influence within the G20 will extend beyond Africa, allowing the country to shape global policies and contribute to finding solutions to pressing global challenges.

As exemplified by Brazil's membership in the G20, which has elevated its diplomatic influence, enabling the country to play a significant role in global climate change negotiations and peacekeeping efforts.

Membership in the G20 holds the key to unlocking Nigeria's immense potential. By actively engaging with the world's most powerful and influential organization, Nigeria can learn from the experiences of other member countries, peer review, and implement best practices in various sectors. This knowledge exchange will contribute to the country's development and help address challenges such as corruption, insecurity, infrastructure development, poverty eradication, and assist in the attainment of the sustainable development goal. Nigeria's membership in the G20 will also enhance its global image and attract more opportunities for collaboration and partnerships.

Going by the example of China's membership in the G20 which has allowed the country to learn from other member countries' experiences and implement successful economic policies, leading to its rapid economic growth and development.

A United States federal Court has begun moves to hasten the request of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to subpoena Chicago State University (CSU) for President Bola Tinubu’s academic records.

Naija News understands that the court accelerated Atiku’s request after learning that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has only 14 days to appeal the judgment of the election petitions tribunal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria using the requested records.

Recall that the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had on Wednesday dismissed Atiku’s petition against the declaration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential polls.

Following the deadline, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago has moved up the date for in-person arguments of the lawyers of Abubakar, Tinubu, and CSU from September 15 to September 12, citing “exigent circumstances” of the request.

According to court documents seen by Peoples Gazette, Judge Jeffrey Gilbert said: “Upon further reflection, in light of the exigent circumstances presented by the Application [1] and to account for the possibility of any appeal of the Court’s ruling.

“This matter is set for hearing in-person on 9/12/23 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 1386.”

Gilbert urged lawyers on both sides of the matter to appear in court for the proceeding, with the docket indicating an imminent ruling during the week.

“If out-of-town counsel want to appear by telephone, they should contact the Court’s courtroom deputy. The Court’s preference, however, is for counsel who will be speaking at the hearing to appear in person,” he said.

To pre-empt any further delay, the Court asked CSU to file any objections (if any) it might have against the scope of the requested records not later than 5:00 p.m. on September 11. The school had been previously given a more extended period to file objections to the subpoenas’ broadness.

Hours after the election tribunal had struck out his petition, Atiku asked the U.S. Court to expedite the issuance of the CSU subpoena as he intended to use the records sought to file an appeal with Nigeria’s Supreme Court within 21 days.

But the plaintiff’s U.S. lawyers, led by Angela Liu, appeared not to have been aware of a recent update to the Supreme Court filing deadline for election-related appeals. The court has only 60 days to hear and deliver a verdict in line with the amended electoral regulations.

Barr Bala Ngilari, former Governor of Adamawa State, claims he will faint if he sees and owns N1 billion.

This was said by the ex-governor in response to the corruption case that made him the first victim of a court ruling since the return of democracy in 1999.

Ngilari, who governed the North Eastern state for a brief period between October 2014 and May 2015, was convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison after leaving office.

The former governor made the remarks while appearing as a guest on Trust TV’s Daily Politics program.

When asked if he had “like N1bn of your own?” he replied, “If I see N1bn now, I will faint.”

In fact, the good thing is that the greatest difficulty for a person who tries to be honest and righteous is that you gather so many enemies. Till tomorrow, I say it boldly without fear or favour, if you take the proceedings of the courts that arraigned me on a five-count charge, there is not one count of the five that said I took one naira or diverted one naira, not one, he said.

He further said that after losing the governorship seat, he wanted to contest as a senator in the following election year, but could not because the delegates in his party were asking for N1m each.

In fact, I tried to contest for the Senate too under APC. I went round, toured and two, three days to the primary election, I called and reached out to the delegates through my director general and my coordinators.”

The delegates told me, ‘Look, sir, when it comes to the right person to go for this thing, you are the right person, but honestly we will be sincere and honest with you we cannot accept N100,000 which you want to offer us.’

To help. My idea was that I could offer N100,000 for probably 200 people. That would come to about N20 million, so that they could go and start something at home.

I mean N100,000 at that time was something. (But) they said, ‘No, sir, we will not collect your N100,000 because there are people who are willing to give us one N1 million each.

Luis Rubiales, the embattled President of the Spanish Football Federation, has resigned after widespread criticism for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.

Hermoso, 33, stated that the kiss after Spain defeated England in Sydney was not consensual.

On Tuesday, she filed a legal complaint.

“I cannot continue my work,” Rubiales said on Sunday’s television show ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ as he announced his resignation.

He has also resigned as vice president of the Union of European Football Associations executive committee.

“I can’t return to the position after being suspended by FIFA and the other proceedings against me,” Rubiales said in a statement. “Insisting on waiting and holding out will not benefit the federation or Spanish football.”

He added that leading the RFEF for more than five years was an honour and did not want the situation to affect Spanish soccer. “I make this decision after assuring myself that my departure will contribute to the stability that will allow Europe and Africa to continue toward that dream of 2030, to allow us to bring the world’s largest event to us,” he said.

He addressed the controversy, saying, “I will do anything in my power to ensure that truth wins” for his family and others who have “suffered this unmeasured persecution, along with falsehoods.”

He finished by thanking the soccer federation and everyone involved in the game with a “strong hug.”

Rubiales’ resignation is the logical conclusion to a lengthy saga that has overshadowed Spain’s historic first women’s World Cup victory. Rubiales grabbed Hermoso, kissed her cheeks, and then kissed her lips after Spain defeated England 1-0 during the medals ceremony.

Later, Hermoso and her teammates could be heard discussing the kiss and expressing their displeasure in an Instagram Live video. Hermoso herself stated, “Hey, but I didn’t like that.”

Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) has told President Bola Tinubu’s administration that Nigerians want change.

Abdulsalami made the remarks on Sunday, when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, paid him and another former head of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, courtesy visits.

Suleiman Haruna, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Information and National Orientation, made the announcement.

According to the Minister, visits to elders are part of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The minister stated that the fatherly role they have played for this country over the years will be remembered.

He also informed them of the President’s determination to return Nigeria to its former glory.

Abdulsalami congratulated President Tinubu’s administration and the minister on their 100-day anniversary.

The information portfolio is a tough job, having to market the image of the government at a difficult time. The government faced a very difficult situation and inherited many challenges with the economy, fuel subsidies, and security.”

Nigerians, as a people, want changes to happen quickly. So, my message to them is they should join hands with the government to overcome these challenges, the former Head of State said.

Responding to questions from the media, the minister noted that elder statesmen have always been known to preach peace and unity.

President Tinubu is always talking about using our diversity for prosperity, and that is the message the elder statesmen also echoed here.

Nigeria is a very diverse country, and we should use that diversity positively for the progress and development of our dear nation, he said.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Robert Clarke has submitted that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi will likely come back empty-handed from the Supreme Court in their attempt to upturn the tribunal’s ruling on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking on Sunday, the senior lawyer observed that the unanimous tribunal judgment which affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu is as fixed as anything.

According to him, the tribunal’s judgment was detailed and thorough and the Supreme Court had already ruled on almost all the issues raised by the petitioners.

Naija News recalls the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), had on Wednesday, September 6, unanimously dismissed the suits by Obi and Atiku and affirmed the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, in the February 25, 2023, presidential poll.

However, both Obi and Atiku in separate reactions rejected the verdict of the tribunal and vowed to challenge it at the Supreme Court.

But speaking on the move, Clarke during his appearance on Channels TV was of the opinion that the matter does not need to go to the apex court.

He said: “From my experience from the bar, I believe that the unanimous judgment of the tribunal is unassailable. It is as fixed as you can fix anything.”

“I assure you if there’s an appeal, I doubt whether anything can come out of the appeal.

“I doubt if the Supreme Court can upturn the judgment of the tribunal.

“I make this submission because almost all the issues raised before the tribunal had been adjudicated upon by the apex court.”

He said all the matters based on law had already been by the Supreme Court and therefore, there was no need for appeal.

The lawyer added that in Atiku’s case, point of facts were canvassed and according to the law, when you canvass points of facts, you must provide the particulars upon which you want the court to make a pronouncement.

Clarke noted that the tribunal dismissed Atiku’s case because his lawyers didn’t provide any material of facts before it.

“Atiku failed to raise issues on point of law. How could he get a judgement in his favour” he queried.

On the petition by Peter Obi and LP, Clarke pointed out that almost all issues raised by them including the status of Abuja had been ruled upon by the Supreme Court in previous times, hence the Appeal Court is not expected to go against a Supreme Court ruling.

In his words, “Almost all the four items that the Labour Party asked for were decisions that had been and heard upheld by the apex court.

“So, what are you asking the tribunal to do? To sit on an appeal against the judgment of the Supreme Court?

Ogun State Government has confirmed the demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode, owned by Olufunke Daniel, stressing that the building “is an illegal structure without an approved plan.”

Recall that the Ogun State Government had demolished the five-storey DATKEM plaza in Ijebu-Ode, owned by Mrs. Funke, wife of former Governor and current Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel.

A source described the incident to Daily Trust as an act of vandalism allegedly carried out by some political thugs.

“This is more of a case of vandalisation by thugs with a police cover,” the source said.

In a statement earlier on Sunday, the Project Manager and developer, Engr Olusegun Lawal, described it as a demolition by government officials.

He also confirmed that the government issued a three-day notice of demolition.

Lawal said “not enough parking space, inadequate muster point, and inadequate airspace” were the reasons adduced by the government.

The Developer, however, insisted that “There are no single structural defects on the building, and all relevant and necessary government approvals have been obtained.”

Confirming the demolition in a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Olayiwola Abiodun said the structure is illegal as it contravened the state’s physical planning laws.

Abiodun said the structure violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects, adding that several efforts made by the state government to halt further development on site were ignored by the developers.

He said government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to avail the state of the structural equilibrium of the building, a request that was ignored.

The Permanent Secretary recalled the various incidents of building disasters across the country, adding that the Ogun State Government will not fold its arms and allow such occurrence.

According to him, what the government did in partially pulling down the defective building was to be proactive.

While challenging the structure owners to produce evidence of government approval in their possession, he said for a commercial building of that status, there must be parking space to accommodate vehicular traffic within and outside the facility for workers and visitors.

Abiodun said that the building lacked stage certification, usually issued at every stage of construction.

He said owners were served the necessary notices, including abatement, contravention, stop work, and demolition, between May and October 2022, which were ignored.

According to the statement, DATKEM Enterprises Limited submitted an application for an office building located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode, in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.

He said: “The proposal was for five (5) floors with airspace of 3 metres at the right, 5m at the left, 5metres at the rear, and a setback of 32.5516 metres to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan road, Ijebu-Ode.

“The Zonal Town Planning Office observed during routine monitoring that the construction on site did not conform with the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspaces and setback.

“In addition, the building had been modified and enlarged with an additional storey building at the back, thereby becoming over-density.

“In view of the above, the following actions were taken: Contravention Notice with Serial No. 0106983 was served on 24th May 2022. Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 was served on 24th May 2022.

“Another Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 was served on 22nd July 2022 when the first notice was ignored.

“Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on 11th October 2022. Notice to seal with Serial No. 000815 was served on 4th October 2022.”

Gbenga Daniel had personally visited the scene to assess the damage to the building.

President Bola Tinubu will meet with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during a technical stopover in Abu Dhabi, UAE, after the President’s departure from New Delhi, India.

The meeting will serve as a follow-up discussion to address specific, salient issues within the bilateral relationship after conversations held during a recent visit by the UAE Ambassador to the President at the State House in Abuja.

The President is to address lingering bilateral issues while maximizing the opportunity of the stopover to equally advance his investment promotion objectives with high-level authorities in the public and private sectors of the United Arab Emirates.

Following a successful investment drive on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit, active participation in the G-20 Summit, and a productive stopover in the UAE, the President is expected to return to Abuja immediately following the bilateral engagement.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

In the hustle and bustle of off-camera activity in the siderooms of the G-20 Summit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was unwilling to stay away from the action.

The President met with the Heads of State of three nations which have been identified as key partners in his economic development diplomacy drive for local investment and wealth creation.

For the Leader of Africa's largest economy, a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Europe's largest economy, Germany, presented a unique opportunity to expand ties of prosperity for the people of Nigeria, but with a pragmatic approach toward ensuring the effective execution of agreements struck.

"It is not, for us, only a matter of designing the financial architecture for an expanded economic partnership. It is also about the practicality of aligning the perspectives of your large-scale manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and others, with the reality of the new incentives my government is putting in place for them to come and prosper across multiple value chains and sectors inside of our country," the President implored.

Apparently intrigued by the specific economic focus of the President's proposal, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, responded by acknowledging the mutually-beneficial nature of an escalation in the scale of economic ties with Africa's largest economy.

"Thank you for this important discussion, Mr. President. I can appreciate this opportunity to advance our economic relations. Your market is unique and our companies have history in Nigeria. We acknowledge the business friendly reforms you have put in place. I am happy to inform you of my desire to visit you in Nigeria in October, which will allow us to carry forward these initiatives," the German leader confided.

Following President Tinubu's acceptance of the German Chancellor's request to visit, the President proceeded to sit down with the Leader of Asia's fourth largest economy, South Korea, during which, South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, commended the President's regional leadership in upholding democratic tenets and norms.

"I wish to commend your strong leadership, following the peaceful transfer of power to you from your predecessor and we see a stable country in West Africa that is growing in stature," he said.

President Tinubu responded by swiftly steering the discussion toward his economic focus as he immediately advanced proposals for an enhanced South Korean presence in Nigeria's local manufacturing sector.

"We will leave nothing hanging. We will finalise what we agree to and we will execute. We will work point by point with you to secure rapidly implementable MoUs across sectors of partnership that will involve the active presence of your biggest firms, not just in terms of Nigerian consumption, but in local Nigerian production, from telecommunications to technology, and oil & gas," the Nigerian leader affirmed.

The South Korean President responded in agreement, noting specifically that Nigeria's education, technology and energy sectors are of utmost interest to South Korean investors and that he will mobilize his business community to take advantage of new Nigerian incentives for local industry.

Offering an invitation to visit Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu would conclude formal discussions at the G-20 with the Asian giant and host nation, which had invited Nigeria to the G-20 Summit, as he met with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

"There are many lessons our nation can learn from the rapid progress that India has made under your leadership. We see fantastic opportunity between our nations across sectors, such as agricultural development, but specifically, there is more we can do to advance ICT innovation and the emergence of Blue-Chip FinTech growth in Africa. Nigeria has the local players who can drive it from the front," the Nigerian leader confidently asserted.

The hosting Head of State responded in the affirmative to the economic partnership proposal, even as he expressed gratitude for the Nigerian leader's invitation to visit.

"Our teams must now stay close in touch to detail our priority areas of upscaled cooperation with respect to agriculture, defense industries capacity building, and even FinTech growth. I see your commitment. We believe there are immense prospects for Nigeria in the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and we will ensure that we come together and make progress on these fronts very rapidly," the Indian leader concluded.

During the G-20 sideline meetings, President Tinubu also had substantive, informal exchanges of views with U.S. President Joe R. Biden; European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen; and World Bank President, Ajay Banga, amongst many others.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

There seems to be a transitioning. A metamorphosis from the quotidian loan-driven articulations to investment-tailored pursuits and commitments. Nigeria has over successive administrations hypostasised borrowing in its bucket of foreign economic interests. These borrowings have overtime put a cosmic strain on government revenue. Nigeria’s external debt stands at over N49.85 trillion, and with about 73 percent of its earnings used for debt servicing.

In June, the Debt Management Office (DMO) described Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio of 73.5 percent as ‘’unsustainable and a threat’’. The DMO said: “The country’s debt stock remains sustainable under these criteria, space has been reduced when compared to Nigeria’s self-imposed debt limit of 40 percent set in the medium-term debt management strategy (MTDS), 2020-2023. On the other hand, the debt service-to-revenue ratio at 73.5 percent in 2023 exceeds the recommended threshold of 50 percent due to low revenue, which means that there is a need to significantly increase government revenue. Under the alternative scenario, the total public debt-to-GDP ratio at 45.4 percent in 2023 exceeds Nigeria’s self-imposed debt limit of 40 percent. “

In May, KPMG warned that Nigeria might spend over 100 percent of its revenue on debt servicing. Clearly, a shift from this status quo has not only become necessary but also critical for the survival of the nation.

Nigeria has a revenue challenge, but with unchecked borrowing, this problem becomes compounded. So, the government has to come up with innovative measures of driving revenue as well as enchanting investment while weaning itself off prodigious borrowing.

In August, President Bola Tinubu said his administration was committed to breaking the cycle of overreliance on borrowing for public spending which results in the burden of debt servicing. The direness and exigency of the time demands this forward-thinking, innovation, and discipline. Borrowing has its edge, but when unmitigated and without financial discipline, it becomes an encumbrance to growth.  

Nigeria has played a good hand at the G20 summit in India. The country went fishing for investments, partnerships, -- and not for loans. This is a diametrical shift from the status quo. As it is today, it is much more prudent and decent to go fishing for opportunities for the country than to go borrowing.

According to correspondence from the presidency, Indian investors made financial pledges amounting to $14 billion during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Conference in New Delhi, India. These investors are said to include -- Indorama Petrochemical Limited which pledged a new investment of $8 billion in the expansion of its fertilizer production and petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State, and Jindal Steel and Power Limited, one of India's largest private steel producers, which committed to investing $3 billion in Nigeria, following discussions with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

Also, President of SkipperSeil Limited, Mr. Jitender Sachdeva was said to have announced that, following President Tinubu's personal intervention, he was investing $1.6 billion in the establishment of 20 100MW power generation plants across the states of northern Nigeria, amounting to 2,000MW of new power within the next four years.

Bharti Enterprises, a major first-generation corporation in India with interests in telecom, space communications, digital solutions, insurance, processed foods, real estate, and hospitality, was said to have expressed its commitment to invest an additional $700 million in Nigeria -- with work set to begin immediately.

The President was said to have approved finalisation on a new $1 billion agreement to bring the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to 40% self-sufficiency in local manufacturing and production of defence equipment in-country by 2027 through a comprehensive new partnership with the Managing Arm of the Military-Industrial Complex of the Indian Government.

A third MoU on Infrastructure Development was said to have been signed between the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria Limited (InfraCorp) and Invest India, the National Investment Promotion, and Facilitation Agency of India.

Going by the reports from India, it has been a fruitful outing for Nigeria -- if not the most rewarding from a single event. The leadership has shown capacity and facility for private capital attraction, and it is essential that this shift to innovativeness is sustained.

However, it is important that the business environment is made conducive for investors. It is one thing to attract private capital, and it is another to retain it. Nigeria is currently ranked 131 out of 190 economies on ease of doing business. The business environment, today, is not very friendly. From tremulous infrastructure, poor power supply, asphyxiating taxes, insecurity, bureaucracy, corruption, to an undisciplined civil service – all these contribute to making the business environment precarious.

Already, the government is beginning to address the constraints to business as regards taxes; I believe it will look into other factors.

To go fishing is a more intelligent approach than to go borrowing unchecked.