The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dared his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to suspend him declaring he has not seen who is capable of suspending him.

The former Rivers State Governor stated this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, a day after the All Progressives Congress, APC, under which he’s a minister named him as a member of the party’s governorship campaign council for Bayelsa State.

The APC however said it would produce another list declaring the composition of the council as announced by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, as not authentic, in a statement by its spokesman, Felix Morka.

The spokesman of the party told THE WHISTLER on Wednesday that another list would be announced Thursday.

The PDP had earlier named Wike as a member of its Bayelsa State Campaign Council.

Some members of the party told THE WHISTLER on Thursday that Wike deserved suspension or expulsion for anti-party activities but blamed the acting National Chairman of the party for the poor direction the party was headed.

But speaking against the demand for his suspension, Wike said, “The person who will suspend me is when I couldn’t produce a governor, three senators, Assembly members. I have not seen that person. Nobody will do it”

He however made it clear that, “I am not working for APC. I am working for Tinubu who has trust in me to help him deliver the renewed hope agenda.”

No fewer than 84 loyalists of the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, have been expelled from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State for anti-party activities.

They were expelled for accepting political appointments by Governor Ademola Adeleke, including as Commissioners and members of the Osun State and Local Government Caretaker Committees.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the party may also take disciplinary action against Aregbesola who disclosed in an interview on Tuesday that he deliberately worked against APC’s bid in the state’s 2022 governorship election.

The current Osun State Commissioner for Political Affairs and Inter-Governmental Relations, Biyi Odunlade and Rasaq Salinsile who was appointed by Governor Adeleke as Chairman, Osun Teaching Service Commission, were among those that were expelled from the party.

The Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, announced the party members’ expulsion in a news release.

“Following complaints of anti-party activities, the State Executive Committee of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) constituted a Disciplinary Committee to investigate the allegations against some members.

“This disciplinary measure came in response to the allegations of misconduct and actions that embarrassed and brought the party to disrepute. The Disciplinary Committee undertook a thorough and impartial review of the allegations and the findings were carefully deliberated upon by the State Executive Committee.

“After a comprehensive assessment of the evidence and consideration of the committee’s recommendations, the State Executive Committee has taken the difficult yet necessary step of expelling the members.

“Among the expelled are: Akibu Olaiya – Iwo LG, Yekeen Ajoke Nafisat – Iwo LG, Wakeel Mutaleeb Adekunle – Iwo East LCDA, Olufunke Akano – Iwo East LCDA, Olatunji Idowu Ajoke- Iwo West LCDA, Ajala Abayomi – Ayedire LG, Adegboyega Semiu Adeniyi – Ayedire LG, Sabitu Rofiat Omolayo – Ayedire South LCDA, Oladeji Ismail – Ayedire South LCDA, Tajudeen Akanbi – Olaoluwa LG, Oyediran Quasim – Olaoluwa LG, Ajetunmobi Moshood – Olaoluwa South LCDA, Akintoye Opeyemi – Irewole LG, Akerele Sunday – Irewole LG, Pastor Peter Olaawo – Irewole LCDA, Orisatola Surajudeen A. – Irewole LCDA, Shariat O. Olaniyi – Ayedaade LG, Akeem Olodude – Ayedaade LG, Raji Sikiru – Ayedaade South LCDA, Isaac Adeyemi Aderinoye – Ayedaade South LCDA, Oyedeji Tawab O. – Osogbo LG, Aderemi Tajudeen – Osogbo LG, Kamoru Afusat Bolanle – Osogbo South LCDA, Ibrahim Mumini Tunde – Osogbo South LCDA, Olayinka Musiliu Shina – Osogbo West LCDA, Adewumi Ademola Taofeeq – Osogbo West LCDA, Ajala Oladiran – Olorunda LG, Abiola Omotosho – Olorunda LG, Ganiyu Aliu O. – Olorunda North LCDA, Lawal Olalekan – Olorunda North LCDA and Ganiyu Adebayo A. – Olorunda Area Council

“Afolabi Olaniyi Olatunde – Olorunda Area Council, Serifat Olayiwola – Ifelodun LG, Olawale Morufu Adebukola – Ifelodun LG, Ajibade Olatunji Ganiyu – Ifelodun North LCDA, Oladunjoye Rasheed Taye – Ifelodun North LCDA, Wale Agboola – Ifelodun Area Council, Sulaiman Akeem – Ifelodun Area Council, Odetayo Olubunmi – Odo Otin LG, Agboola Dayo Remilekun – Odo Otin LG, David Ajiboso – Odo Otin North LCDA, Ajala Richard Folashade – Odo Otin North LCDA, Ogunkanmi Adekunle – Odo Otin South LCDA, Adepoju Kabiru – Odo Otin South LCDA, Fadunmola Fatai A. – Boluwaduro LG, Aina Olusola – Boluwaduro LG, Oyekanmi Hajarat Adenike – Boluwaduro East LCDA, Adewumi O. Olufemi – Boluwaduro East LCDA, Teniola Alaba – Ilesa East LG, Muraina Fatai Olusegun – Ilesa East LG, Alaka Bode Olakunle – Ilesa North East LCDA, Ojediran Folasade Kehinde – Ilesa North East LCDA, Raji Azeez – Ilesa West LG, Afolayan Kafayat – Ilesa West LG, Kabir Ademola Hameed – Ilesa West Central LCDA and Kazeem Kafayat – Ilesa West Central LCDA

Also, “Agunlejika Adejuyigbe – Atakumosa West LG, Ogundele Sesan Opeyemi – Atakumosa West LG, Omidiji Olaolu – Atakumosa West LCDA, Adejare Israel – Atakumosa West LCDA, Oni Abiodun – Ife Central LG, Ismail Busayo Alabelewe – Ife Central LG, Chief Titus Awofesobi – Ife Central West LCDA, Alhaji Akeem Oyeleye – Ife Central West LCDA, Alhaji Omisakin Bisi – Ife East LG, Ogunrinola Sayo – Ife East LG, Oyewole Rafiu – Ife Ooye LCDA, Adefioye Adegboyega – Ife Ooye LCDA, Sangolade Olawale – Ife East Area Office, Adekunle Toyin Asabi – Ife East Area Office, Adeyeye Yinusa O. – Oriade LG, Mathew Olamuyiwa Samuel – Oriade LG, Samson Fakinyede Oladipo – Oriade South LCDA, Oyediran Mikail – Oriade South LCDA, Lamidi Oyeyemi – Obokun LG, Dare Adarayaki- Obokun LG, Oluseyi Oyinloye – Obokun LCDA, Ogundele Ogunsanmi – Obokun LCDA, Ismail Elewedi – Ejigbo Central LCDA, Yekeen Adewale – Oyebisi Ejigbo South LCDA, Muraina Atanda Adeleke – Ejigbo South LCDA, Alhaja Temilade Olokungboye Halid – Osogbo West LCDA, Comrade Biyi Odunlade – Ife Central LGA and Hon. Rasak Salinsile – Iwo LGA.”

He enjoined members of the party to remain focused on the party’s goals and continue working together to serve the interests of the State.

Governor Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party defeated the then incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola, who ran on the platform of the APC.

Oyetola failed both at the tribunal and Supreme Court to have Adeleke’s victory overturned.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has affirmed the N50 million damages that was awarded against Senator Elisha Abbo for assaulting a lady, Ms. Osimibibra Warmate, in a sex toy shop in Abuja.

A High Court of Federal Capital Territory had ordered the lawmaker who represented Adamawa North, to pay damages over the incident that occurred in 2019.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, Senator Abbo approached the appellate court to set aside the judgement.

However, the appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Jamilu Tukur, dismissed the appeal.

The panel said it found no reason to dislodge the verdict the high court delivered on September 29, 2020, following a fundamental right enforcement suit that was lodged by Ms. Warmate.

The appellate court held that trial Justice Samira Bature was right in upholding Ms. Warmate’s case and awarding damages against the lawmaker.

It dismissed the Appellant’s argument that the suit that led to the damages that was awarded against him, was not properly commenced.

While also dismissing Senator Abbo’s contention that he was denied fair hearing, the appellate court faulted his argument that Ms. Warmate’s claim that he slapped her, pulled her hair and dragged her out of the sex toy shop, was only a case of simple assault and not rights violation.

The court, aside from upholding the N50m damages, equally awarded another N500, 000 in favour of Ms. Warmate, even as it resolved all five issues that were raised in the appeal, against the Appellant.

In its lead judgement that was delivered Danlami Senchi, the appellate court held that Senator Abbo’s appeal marked: CA/ABJ/945/2020, was bereft of any merit.

“The decision of the trial court in the award of N50m against the Appellant and in favour of the Respondent was proper,” Justice Senchi held, adding that going by the quality of evidence that was presented by Ms Warmate, including a medical report and video recordings of the incident, the decision of the trial court could not be tampered with.

“The conduct of the Appellant is sufficiently outrageous to merit the punishment as the facts of the case disclosed flagrant disobedience of the law, especially that the Appellant is an elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the court held.

The Gabon military junta has announced the head of the Republican Guards, Colonel Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as the new leader of the country after ending the 55-year rule of the Bongo family.

On Wednesday, August 30, the military announced that it had taken over power from Ali Bongo Ondimba, citing a degraded social atmosphere that, according to them, can lead to chaos in the future.

They also said the August 26 presidential election in the country was fraudulently conducted.

The country’s electoral commission had announced at midnight on Tuesday that incumbent, Ali Bongo, won 64.27% votes with the opposition candidate Ondo Ossa scoring 30%.

According to a report by Cameroon News Agency, Col. Nguema’s position as the leader of the Republican Guards was to protect the president.

The coup on Wednesday shows that the Gabonese military has had enough of the irregularities going on in the country.

In April 2020, Colonel Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema took over the head of the Republican Guard, an elite Army corps responsible for protecting the head of state, replacing General Grégoire Kouna, a cousin of Ali Bongo Ondimba.

Gambia has been ruled by the same family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960.

Bongo, 64, took over when his father Omar died in 2009 after nearly 42 years in power.

Bongo senior, who took office in 1967, had the reputation of a kleptocrat — one of the richest men in the world, with a fortune derived from Gabon’s oil wealth.

The event in Gabon comes a month after members of the Presidential Guards staged a coup against the then President of Niger Republic in West Africa, Mohammed Bazoum, and placed him under House arrest since then.

Ali Bongo Ondimba is also being placed under house arrest at The Residence, the official home of the Gabonese President, while his wife and son were being held in unknown locations.

The joint task force of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) has arrested MV Ofuoma, an oil vessel, and 10 crew members conveying “illegally refined petroleum products” in Rivers state.

John Siyanbade, the component commander of the task force, said MV Ofuoma was arrested on August 15 at Abuloma jetty in Port Harcourt by the Nigerian Navy ship, Pathfinder.

Speaking at the site on behalf of Olusegun Ferreira, a rear admiral, Siyanbade said the vessel was used as a storage facility for illegally refined petroleum products.

“The vessel was receiving product suspected to be illegally refined AGO from a dugout wooden boat alongside it,” he said.

“As it was intercepted by OPDS, about 20,000 litres of the product have already been transferred from the dugout boat to the vessel. Currently, we have about 35,000 litres still remaining on board.

“The operation was conducted by troops of the JTF Operation Delta Safe Headquarters.”

Siyanbade said the 10 suspects intercepted comprise both the crew on board the vessel and those on the boat.

“The suspects have given credible information about where they source the product from; operation is ongoing to deactivate the illegal refining site in the area, and the operation will be for some time,” the commander said.

He added that the task force would not relent in its efforts to eradicate crude oil theft and other forms of illegality in the region.

Siyanbade advised individuals involved to seek legitimate means of livelihood before they are apprehended.

The Ogun State Government in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA, has put necessary measures in place at ensuring effective health care delivery is available for the people of Intoji village, Orile-itesi community in Odeda Local Government Area of the state.

The facility which is fully funded by the NPHCDA will bring succour to the residents of the village and its environs, as all necessary equipment and machineries needed have been put in place.

Commissioner Designate, Ministry of Health, Dr. Tomi Coker revealed this during the commissioning of the newly built facility, saying that the government had put in place basic health care provision to run the facility.

Coker, in a statement made available to newsmen by Mrs. Fatimah Alatishe, Press Officer, PHCDB, further stated that health insurance will be provided for the venerable who would be registered at the center, saying that the facility will run 24hr services as government has provided nurses and resident doctor to attend to patients to ensure quality health care is provided.

Dr. Coker, while advising residents to make good use of the facility for proper care and management of their health, said "my plea is that people should come and make use of the facility, as the more we utilize it, the more resources will be drawn to the center, the vision of the governor is to bring quality and affordable health care to the doorstep of the people, so we are aligning with that".

In her welcome address, the Chairman, Odeda Local Government, Hon. Funmilayo Adeyemo, appreciated the State Government and the NPHCDA for the project, saying it would ease the health care access of the residents in the village, imploring the residents to make judicious use of the facility.

In their goodwill messages, the member representing Odeda State constituency at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Daisi Elemide, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, State coordinator, NPHCDA, Dr Victoria Adebiyi, and the Olu of Orile-itesi, Oba Adeniyi Emulu commended the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for the re-appointment of the commissioner designate, and his efforts on delivering quality health care services, by bringing affordable and adequate healthcare to their doorstep.

 They appreciated Dr. Tomi Coker for facilitating the project to the community, saying that she has demonstrated a good indigeneship  of Odeda Local Government, urging the people to reciprocate the gesture by making good use of the facility by protecting and patronizing the PHC.

Responding on behalf of the community, Mr Adebayo Wasiu expressed their gratitude to the National Primary Health Care Agency, the state government and the commissioner designate for giving them such a massive facility to take care of their health needs, promising to put it to good use and protect it adequately.

Controversies have continued to trail Nigeria’s 4.1 per cent unemployment figure amid economic hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and the foreign exchange crisis.

DAILY POST recalls that the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday last week disclosed in its recent Nigeria Labour Force Survey that the country’s unemployment rate is 5.6 per cent for Q4 2022 and 4.1 per cent Q1 2023 using the revised International Labour Organization methodology.

The recent figure is coming after two years of being without unemployment figures. The last time the National Bureau of Statistics released labour data was in 2020, when it stood at 33.3 per cent.

In perspective, the 4.1 per cent unemployment rate means that only four of every 100 Nigerians are unemployed.

For some Nigerians, the figure ignited a utopic feeling because the 4.1 unemployment rate seems not to match reality.

Assessing NBS’ 4.1% unemployment rate

The announcement of a 4.1 per cent unemployment rate in Q1 2023 has been greeted with mixed reactions Nationwide.

The figure sharply contrasted with the last official data of 33.3 per cent for Q4 2020, disclosed in March 2021.

NBS explained that it arrived at the figure by adopting new International Labour Organization guidelines.

Accordingly, the report noted employed persons grew from 73.6 per cent in Q4 2022 to 76.7 per cent in Q1 2023.

Meanwhile, the figure stated that Nigerians in paid employment dropped from 13.4 in Q4 2022 to 11.8 per cent in Q1 2023. Also, informal employment dropped from 93.5 per cent in Q4 2022 to 92.6 per cent in Q1 2023.

The NBS stressed that the difference between the old and new Methodology constitutes the term’ unemployment’. While the old Methodology says any population working below 20 hours or did not work but searching and available in the reference week, the new format sees unemployment as not being in employment, actively searching and available (did nothing for pay or profit).

However, many Nigerians, like the Director of the Institute of Capital Market Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof Uche Uwaleke, said the new Methodology does not reflect Nigeria’s economic realities.

Uwaleke’s perspective resonates heavily with the proportion of Nigerians living below the poverty line.

A similar argument was advanced by the Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere.

According to him, the unemployment reported rate is incongruent with the economic challenges a significant percentage of the population faces.

Also, Muda Yusuf, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Public Enterprises, said the NBS needs to review the Methodology adopted for the report.

“It is difficult to accept the recently released unemployment report by the NBS.

“The Methodology needs to be reviewed to reflect our realities. 4.1 per cent unemployment rate in this part of the world is as good as full employment. Empirical evidence abounds of many young people, especially the educated ones, who practically have nothing to do.”

The Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2022, released by NBS in November last year, showed that 133 million Nigerians are poor out of an estimated population of over 223 million.

Experts contend that the economic misery caused by the rising inflation, which stood at 24.08 per cent in July, the fuel subsidy removal hardship and the foreign exchange crisis, leaves much to be desired from the 4.1 per cent unemployment rate.

Figure not in tune with Nigeria’s reality – Experts

Speaking with DAILY POST, a popular economist and the former President and Chairman of the Council of Chartered Institute of Bankers, Prof Segun Ajibola said the new Methodology used by NBS is irrelevant to Nigeria.

According to him, combating poverty is critical to employment.

He said the NBS playing around with figures of the unemployment rate will not solve the problem of poverty in Nigeria.

“Economists look at unemployment in different ways, about eight different types, but usually when the subject matter comes up, most people think of open unemployment, those who are not engaged at all.

“Unless the figure is attached to a specific aspect of unemployment, the figure will be misleading. At times, you have complications in discussing unemployment.

“But generally, unemployment has some attachment to poverty. It is believed you are employed if you are fully engaged and earning a living wage. So, if you are fully engaged and still do not earn a living wage, you will still suffer from poverty.

“The new Methodology by ILO is not relevant to us in this part of the world. What is important to us is for labour to be fully skilled to earn a living wage.

“If you look at our environment, can you say out of 100 Nigerians, only four are unemployed? Playing around with figures will not solve the problem of poverty”, he stated.

Also, Idakolo Gbolade, Chief Executive Officer of SD & D Capital Management, said the technique used by NBS to arrive at the 4.1 unemployment rate in Q1 2023 is likened to living in a fool’s paradise.

He noted that the figure is not in tune with reality.

Gbolade said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to ensure that various policies towards reviving Nigeria’s economy are properly implemented.

“The new technique NBS uses is like living in a fool’s paradise. This is not in tune with reality when statistics clearly show the poverty rate is about 70 per cent. The poverty rate is directly proportional to unemployment, so the statistics used to arrive at the Q1 2023 unemployment figure are unrealistic.

“The 4.1 per cent unemployment rate is a good place for Nigeria; however, a lot needs to be done in key sectors of our economy like agriculture, energy, manufacturing and SMEs to create an enabling environment for employment opportunities for our teeming youth.

“The Bola Tinubu government needs to ensure that various policies announced in the agricultural sector, manufacturing and SMEs are properly implemented to lift our economy”, he stated.

In contrast, an accounting and financial development Don at Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof Godwin Oyedokun, said there is no need to disbelieve the unemployment figure.

“If we can believe the inflation data, we just believe this because they use the same system. The real unemployment in Nigeria is not as we often define it.

“You are employed as long as you are engaged by making a profit or wage. The fuel subsidy removal did not lead to unemployment but shrunk the purchasing power of Nigeria.

“The euphoria of fuel subsidy removal may not be as claimed because many Nigerians continue their economic activities. People will rather adjust their consumption patterns. Unemployment and poverty differ, but one can lead to the other,” he said.

[DailyPost]

The coup in Gabon is fueling a modest increase in the prices of crude oil due to seemingly threats to exports from the country which produces about 200,000 barrels a day (bpd) of crude oil, making it the second-smallest OPEC producer.

Earlier on August 30, a cohort of senior military officers declared that they had assumed control following the announcement by the state election body that President Ali Bongo, had secured a third term. Note that Bongo’s Father had ruled as president before him for 42 years.

According to a report by Wall Street Journal, since Gabon’s coup announcement, global crude oil prices have seen a modest increase due to seeming threats to exports from the country.

“The coup and the threat of disruptions to Gabon’s oil exports are supporting oil prices, but only modestly as the nation is a minor OPEC oil producer, DNB Markets analyst Helge Andre Martinsen says. Brent crude oil is up 0.3 per cent at $85.19 a barrel.

“The nation’s output stands at a modest 190,000 barrels a day, but it has been the only African OPEC member to hit its production quotas. So far, there has been no sign of disruption to Gabon’s oil output. Still, the coup serves as a reminder of the geopolitical risk in the oil market, Martinsen says.”

It is important to note that as of 12:50 PM (GMT+1) on Wednesday, August 30, Brent crude price was at $86 per barrel.

The Gabon coup is raising supply concerns alongside Hurricane Idalia in the United States, which has raised oil supply concerns as well.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Amena Bakr, OPEC’s chief correspondent posted on Twitter that so far, it appears that oil production from fields in Gabon is not affected by the military coup.

Similarly, Assala Energy, which is wholly owned by Carlyle Group (CG.O), said its oil production in Gabon has been unaffected by the military coup in the country.

“We can confirm that all our personnel are safe, our operations continue as usual and our production is not affected,” a company spokesperson said.

The private equity fund’s non-U.S. energy arm first invested in Assala in 2017 when it acquired Shell’s (SHEL.L) ageing operations in Gabon for $628 million.

However, earlier this month, Carlyle agreed to sell Assala to French producer Maurel & Prom (MAUP.PA), which owns and operates oil and gas assets in Africa, Europe and Latin America, including three licences in Gabon, for $730 million.

[NationalDaily]

The United States Presidential Precinct has appointed Toyosi Ogunseye as its new president and chief executive officer (CEO).

Ogunseye, who is the second president and CEO of the organisation, takes over from Neal Piper, the founding director.

Jim Murray, the organisation’s founder and board chair, said Ogunseye’s appointment will guarantee a bright future for the Precinct.

“Toyosi’s experience combined with partnerships and resources that we have established over the past ten years will guarantee a bright future at the Precinct,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We began this search process by looking far and wide; little did we know that after six months of exhaustive outreach and networking, one of our own would be stepping in to lead.

“I am grateful for Toyosi’s longstanding commitment to the Precinct. We have much to look forward to.”

Commenting on her appointment, Ogunseye, who was a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow, said she is honoured to lead an organisation that opened its doors to her nine years ago.

“I’m honoured to have this opportunity to lead such an impactful organization 9 years after I first walked through its doors,” she said.

“I look forward to innovative collaborations with our staff, Board, program alumni, and community partners in Williamsburg and Charlottesville.

“Working together, we will expand and elevate tools and resources that have distinguished the Presidential Precinct as a transformative public diplomacy organisation.”

Ogunseye has two decades of leadership experience in journalism, most recently serving as a senior news editor for news and commissioning at the BBC.

Prior to joining BBC, Ogunseye was the first female editor in the 50-year history of Punch Newspaper.

Ogunseye, who recently concluded her term as vice-president of the World Editors Forum, is a board member of the World Association of News Publishers.

[TheCable]

Since the National Bureau of Statistics published figures that put the unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent, they have faced sweltering criticisms. Earlier in April, they announced they were changing the metrics used in calculating the unemployment rate in the country to align with the International Labour Organisation guidelines. Since last Thursday when they released a jobs report that revised the unemployment rate (previously calculated at 33.3 per cent as at Q4 2020) to 4.1 per cent for (Q4 2022 and Q1 2023), they have been criticised for asserting that the Nigerian unemployment figures are at par with some of the most developed countries/diverse economies. Without any evidence to substantiate such assertion, the NBS go explain the wizardry of their numbers taya!

That no one exactly celebrated the progress the NBS reports is understandable. A healthy amount of scepticism must greet a 4.1 per cent unemployment rate announcement. Anywhere in the world, figures are considered political. Contrary to received wisdom that numbers objectively assess reality, they can, in fact, mythify. In the hands of unscrupulous politicians, they bestow a patina of legitimacy upon lies.

For Nigeria where politicians solicit empiricists to use their scientific tools to produce a truth that will find no feet to stand on the grounds of reality, the former Statistician-General of the Federation, Yemi Kale, must have faced a lot of pressure when he headed the NBS and published figures that directly refuted the propaganda of the previous administration. And that is why any statistics emanating from the agency that can be deviously seized on by a non-performing government, will be scrutinised for traces of chicanery.

Now, despite the fuzziness of their statistics, I will give it to the NBS that they at least explained that what has changed is not the reality of Nigerian unemployment but simply the measuring rule. They stated that the lower unemployment figures are not based on government performance but mere standardisation of the definition of unemployment to conform to international standards. According to them, under the old mensuration system, they categorised ‘unemployed’ as anyone of working age who worked below 20 hours, or did not work, but searched and was available for work during the week of the survey. Under the new calculus, what counts as being “employed” is to work for pay/profit for just an hour within the week of the survey. They said the new marker aligns with “international best practices.”

Well, this is one of those instances where “international” and “best practices” are mutually exclusive because the NBS re-categorisation is problematic on several levels. As Kale said when interviewed on Arise’s Global Business Report on Monday, while he was at the NBS, the committee in charge of reviewing the minimum number of work hours thought such a counting measure does not make sense in Nigeria because the income generated within that time frame was not necessarily livable. On that score, I hundred per cent agree. Nigeria should not have adopted that rule because it merely distorts the truth of our local situation. In some other countries, doing the bare minimum at least qualifies you for social/welfare benefits, but what does it mean in Nigeria?

Conforming to international standards must not come at the expense of accurately discerning the truth of your situation. Figures should clarify reality, not occlude it. Facts are important, but they are also manipulable. Numbers can be twisted by the neck until they tell a story you need them to tell. One can arrive at a 100 per cent employment rate in Nigeria if we expand the definition of what constitutes “work” until it includes the time we spend volunteering in religious houses (in expectation of spiritual blessings), or even soliciting “urgent 2k” on social media. Virtually everyone will be classified as “occupied” even though that will not make what they do an occupation in the real sense of it.

That said, the other important point made by the NBS boss, Semiu Adeniran, but which was overshadowed by the controversial figures, is that Nigeria’s problem is not so much unemployment but of underemployment. He explained that the underemployment rate stood at 13.7 per cent in Q4 2022 and 12.2 per cent in Q1 2023 making it a much bigger issue. While we can take issues with the metrics used to calculate “unemployed,” his point is instructive and should not be lost in the melee of arguing whether the unemployment rate is 4 or 40 per cent.

In Nigeria, the opposite of “unemployment” might not be “employment” but underemployment. Our trouble is that people are working and doing so ungainfully. Where I vehemently depart from Adeniran is his definition of underemployment as a situation “whereby persons engaged in one activity or the other yet indicate interest and availability to take on more work, due to inadequacy of the jobs they are engaged in at the time.” Classifying underemployment in Nigeria that way is rather unhelpful. People already labouring under the yoke of a non-regenerative economy cannot transmute their under-employment to employment even if they worked 24/7. The reprieve they need will come from doing quality work, not simply more of the same.

Unemployment is underutilisation of skills, not an issue of mere work hours. In Nigeria, the problem of underemployment presents itself as an internal brain drain. We talk a lot about people’s leaving the country as depriving us of the best brains but there is an ongoing internal crisis as well. People trained in professional skills have had—to stave off the biting reality of unemployment—to take on jobs mismatched with their skill set. In many cases, they get trapped in those lowly jobs and ultimately fritter away the skills they acquired in the university or polytechnic.

There are millions of young Nigerians who also formally passed through an apprenticeship in one vocational training or the other but have been retarded because they cannot come up with the capital necessary to set up shop. Lots of them like that have had to abjure their training and take on Okada/Marwa riding, street hawking, or even running a gambling store. Some veered, hoping to save enough money to buy—in many cases—the imported machines they need to set themselves up, but the increasing foreign exchange recedes their plans right before their eyes. So many of them like that, frittering away the prime of their lives doing work that neither improves their skill set nor guarantees a future. Yet, under the new rule of the NBS, all those people will be classified as “employed.” In the real sense of the word, they are not.

Finally, one of the most interesting aspects of the NBS report is their response to criticism, especially the one that came from Kale. Their retort was far more telling of the intellectual disposition of the agency than all the figures Adeniran reeled out.

The PR boss, Wakili Ibrahim, undercut the integrity of the agency by making snide comments at Kale, an attitude that suggests that their whole revision of standards is a personal affront to the ex-boss they despise, not because Nigeria needs such clarity. Also, Ibrahim’s understanding of how “work” works was so limited that it put a question mark around their job report. In clarifying that the new calibration system factored in the changing nature of work, Ibrahim said, “Look at lecturers; a lecturer can go lecture for one or two hours, and they will pay him about N200,000 or N300, 000 in one or two hours. So, what is the basis of ignoring those ones?”

Well, as a lecturer, I can tell him—for free—that when we lecture for two hours, we spend up to 10 hours on preparation. That makes at least 12 hours of work. If the NBS does not have that basic clarity, why should we trust the figures they generate?