Kogi Central Senator Natasha H. Akpoti Uduaghan has said hijacking Nigeria’s electoral processes threatens the country’s democratic foundations.

In a statement yesterday, Senator Akpoti Uduaghan condemned the rampant corruption and manipulation plaguing the electoral system.

“Our electoral system has been marred by corruption and manipulation. This undermines democracy, leaving us feeling disenfranchised and disillusioned,” she said.

The senator also highlighted Nigerians’ harsh economic conditions, expressing grave concern about inflation, stagnant wages, and skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.

“We are struggling to make ends meet as inflation and stagnant wages erode our purchasing power.

The prices of basic necessities have skyrocketed, making it difficult for average Nigerians to afford basic needs,” Akpoti Uduaghan added.

Amidst growing protests across the country, the senator acknowledged the unrest as a valid response to the deepening economic crisis, describing the protests as a necessary call for change.

“As we grapple with economic hardship, protests have become a powerful tool to express frustration.

” Our voices are growing louder, demanding attention from those in power. The protests are a cry for help, a call to action, and a demand for change,” she said.

She called for a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and fairness as the nation moves forward.

“We are seeking a new Nigeria built on the principles of justice, equality, and fairness. As we celebrate our 64th anniversary, we stand at a crossroads. The choice is clear: we must evolve,” she said.

[Leadership]

A Nigerian Born Pilot, Capt. Mohammed Madugu, was in the cockpit on Tuesday for Emirates as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier touched down in Nigeria after over two years of exiting the route.

The airline used to operate to Lagos and Abuja until September 30, 2022 when it suspended operations citing inability to repatriate trapped funds amounting to over $80m at the time.

The UAE also slammed a visa ban on Nigerians which effectively stalled Nigerian-UAE flights as Air Peace and other carriers stopped operating to UAE from Nigeria.

The resolution of the dispute between Nigeria and the UAE was prioritized by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and driven by the driven by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.

Daily Trust reports that after the federal cleared the foreign airlines’ trapped funds of about $900m and held series of meetings with the Emirates, the UAE carrier announced in May of its plan to resume flights operation to Nigeria on October 1 which coincided with the national day of Nigeria.

At about 3:32 pm local time, the Boeing 737-300er touched down at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lago,s signaling the return of Emirates to Nigeria.

And what appeared to be a symbolic gesture, a Nigerian in person of Capt. Mohammed Madugu was in the cockpit alongside other crew members.

Madugu gleefully posted a video of his landing at the MMIA on Tuesday with the caption on his X page (formerly Twitter): “A great plane spotter got my landing into lagos today. Landed off an RNAV approach today as the ILS was on test. Watching this video you’ll realize the amount of work the Emirates training department does on their pilots. Alhamdulillah.”

He had earlier announced on his X that it was an honour for him to operate the inaugural return flight to Lagos.

“A very special day for me today, I have the honor of operating our inaugural return flight to Lagos, Nigeria ?? @LOSairport . Today I’ll be flying both the Emirates and Nigerian flag very high ?? ?? ! Thank you, Emirates A flight time of slightly over 8hours today. #EkoOniBaje,” he wrote.

Incidentally Capt. Madugu had granted an interview with Daily Trust sometimes in 2016 when he was working with Azman Airline. He was then the youngest Captain in the Nigerian airline industry.

Born on September 21, 1996, Madugu is an indigene of Kano and son of Alhaji Sani Madugu.

During an encounter with Daily Trust in 2016, he had said his passion for flying started at six or seven when he had the opportunity of looking at an aircraft cockpit.

“It all started a very long time ago. When I was between six and seven years, we were flying to Kano for Sallah, as we usually do every Sallah. We got to Kano and my father took me to the cockpit of the aircraft. I think he knew the pilot or something and I was amazed seeing the cockpit, that is all I can remember. But that day, going into the cockpit really blew my mind.

“As I was there, I took a look at everything, I imagined how one could learn everything, all the buttons so on. After that encounter, maybe once in a year, I had the opportunity to look at the cockpit again and again. From that time my love for planes started growing. I could see planes take off everyday, even here in FESTAC then, and that encouraged me to go into the aviation industry. As I grew older, it just occurred to me that it is the perfect lifestyle for me,” he said.

The Junior Madugu attended Corona School in Apapa, Lagos, Laurel International School at FESTAC Town, Lagos and the Nigerian Turkish International College before going abroad for pilot training.

[DailyTrust]

The National Examinations Council, NECO, has said candidates would pay a N50,000 fee to reprint their certificates.

Disclosing this in Minna, Niger State, the Registrar of NECO, Dantani Wushishi, said the fee is subject to periodic review.

In a statement he signed, Wushishi said: “The N50,000 fee for certificate reprints is subject to periodic review.”

NECO said requests for reprints “will only be accepted within one year of the original certificate issuance”.

“After this period, the council will no longer entertain such requests,” he added.

The Council also set a one-month deadline for candidates to submit requests for the correction of results.

[DailyPost]

“The world is witnessing and benefiting from the can-do spirit of the Nigerian people, our massive intellectual capacity, and our enterprise and industry in all vocations, from arts to science, technology to infrastructure. The dreams that our founding fathers envisaged are still a work in progress. Every day, we put our hands on the plough, determined to do a better job of it.” – President Tinubu in his 64th independence anniversary speech yesterday, October 1, 2024.

I listened to the 22-minutes’ national broadcast of President Bola Tinubu yesterday. While it had some soundbites and generally updated the citizenry on the state of play about our country, it fell short of the expectations of many compatriots. Before I address the missing gaps, here are some of the highlights of the president’s second independence day speech since inauguration on May 29, 2023.

On the security front, the president said his administration is winning the war on terror and banditry. He said the target is to eliminate all the threats of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and the scourge of all forms of violent extremism. Within one year, he claimed his government has eliminated Boko Haram and bandit commanders faster than ever. As of the last count, over 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders have been eliminated by our gallant troops in the Northeast, Northwest, and some other parts of the country.  While this feat is commendable, it is important to deal with the push factor which is making more Nigerians to take to crimes and criminality as means of survival. Unless this is addressed, the ground will continue to be fertile for sustainable recruitments of new felons and bandits.

The president said as a way of responding to recent natural disasters, at the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, a Disaster Relief Fund was approved to mobilise private and public sector funds to help the country respond faster to emergencies.   Furthermore, he has ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country to avert future disasters. On the economic front, the president said reforms have attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion since he came to power.

He said the FEC approved the Economic Stabilisation Bills, which will now be transmitted to the National Assembly. These transformative bills will make our business environment more friendly, stimulate investment and reduce the tax burden on businesses and workers once they are passed into law.  The need for genuine ease of doing business cannot be overemphasized.

Tinubu said his administration is resolute in its determination to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of local governments. On this count, we have seen a raft of local government elections being held across states where local governments are hitherto being administered by caretaker committees. However, the quality of these elections leaves much to be desired as the ruling parties in the states where the polls are conducted end up winning all the available councillorship and chairmanship seats. These elections are more or less shambolic as opposition political parties are muscled out of the contest or State Independent Electoral Commissions conducting the elections simply announce preferred candidates of the governor.

On food production and security, the president lauded Governors of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the Southwest Governors that have embraced his agricultural production programme and urged other states to join the FG in investing in mechanised farming. He said the FG is playing its part by supplying fertilizer and making tractors and other farm equipment available. “Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved establishing a local assembly plant for 2000 John Deere tractors, combine harvesters, disc riders, bottom ploughs and other farm equipment. The plant has a completion time of six months.”

The president did not say how much of the 10 million hectares of land he promised to cultivate in his August 4, 2024 speech has been cultivated and how much quantum of increase have been recorded in food production. He also should know that despite his directive since August 4 that tariffs and other import duties should be removed on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, drugs, and other pharmaceutical and medical supplies for the next 6 months, to help drive down the prices; costs of food, drugs and medical products remain astronomic.

The president glibly said his energy transition programme is on course and that he is expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The question is, how many of the 3,000 CNG busses he promised since last year July 31 has been delivered?  When are we likely going to start seeing these busses plying our roads? What about the lingering turn around maintenance of the Port Harcourt refinery? When will it start production? What about the pricing of PMS with Dangote refinery? Will there ever be price stability of our petroleum products?

The president said recognising that we cannot design a future that belongs to Nigerian youths without making them its architects he is organising a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people. “The 30-day Confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives.”

This is commendable provided it will not go the way of 2014 national conference organised by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in which over N12bn was purportedly spent to convoke a national dialogue with the outcome jettisoned. I sincerely hope this is not another jamboree. The president spoke about other youth-centric programmes such as the 3 million Technical Talents programme of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone.  He also spoke about Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which provides cheap loans to our students to pursue their tertiary educational dreams.  No mention of the amount already disbursed or number of beneficiary thus far. There is a planned launch of the Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme which is conceived as a comprehensive suite of interventions at job creation by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is aimed at facilitating the creation of 2.5 million jobs, directly and indirectly, on an annual incremental basis.

The critical missing gaps in the president’s speech include lack of information on the number of people who have been gainfully employed by his government in its 16 months’ administration. No mention was made of number of people who have been lifted out of poverty. How many people have benefitted from its presidential initiatives on support to nano, small and medium enterprises remain unknown? No mention was made about anti-corruption initiatives; blockade of revenue leakages including stoppage of oil theft. The resident was also silent on reduction in the cost of governance and the proposed cabinet reshuffle. Lastly, the president kept mum on when Nigerian will hold the postponed National Population and Housing Census.

Nigerian singer Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, sparked social media buzz after he told a female fan that he is married with children.

The incident occurred during the Grammy-winning artist’s ladies-only party in London on Tuesday.

A video from the event which went viral on Wednesday, showed Wizkid surrounded by a crowd of his female fans with one woman, in particular, appearing to get unusually close to the singer.

In the video, Wizkid paused from performing to politely tell the fan not to get too close, reminding her that he is a married man with kids.

He said, “Baby I’m a married man, don’t come close to me, I’m married, my kids are at home.”

This, however, generated a buss on social media platforms as some felt his action was a snub.

Reacting to Wizkid’s statement, an X user, YourFavBaker, tweeting as #iam_thowbie on Wednesday, stated that his statement sounded like a snub.

#iam_thowbie wrote, “Why does this lowkey feel like a sub.”

Another user, DUKE OF UNILAG, tweeting as dukeofunilag wrote, “Dis guy na w***y. He sub person finish con go enjoy himself.”

A user on X.com, NuggetMan, tweeting as #nuggetman1_ said Wizkid said that out of envy, noting that he wished he was married just like his colleague, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.

#Nuggetman1_ wrote, “He’s just wishing he’s married like Davido.”

Another user, #laredo said the artiste wished to become a skit maker.

#lare_do1 stated, “Wizkid wan switch to skit making. Nasboi don enter music.”

Meanwhile somer users hailed the musican fort his action, describing it as being principled.

Another tweep, #aone.ayo1 wrote, “He’s a man of principles .”

A user, #Majorsiz stated, “Man don marry Jada lowkey .”

Another user, #cletus_annie_oge also restated Wizkid’s statement.

#Cletus_annie_oge wrote, “My married man

[ baby don’t go close to him pls.”

[Punch]

AS the country marks its 64th independence anniversary today, I revisited some of the articles I wrote over the last 15 years to commemorate our years of independence. I began to wonder whether there is really any point writing anything new.

In fact, if you bring any article written about the Nigerian condition five or ten years ago and edit the dates and the gladiators, it would still seem to be relevant. This raises a fundamental question of whether our writings really make any difference:  Is there really anyone out there who is in a position to change things, who bothers to read these articles? And if such people exist, do they care? 

The dominant impression the power wielders at all levels of governance give, is that it is their “turn”, and since most seem not even to believe in the country, shorn of all pretences, they are telling their critics, or those proffering unsolicited advice, to “go hug a transformer”, or “go to court” if they do not like their style of governance or their explanations for why things are the way they are.

Depending on who you are, their estimation of the followership you command and your ethnic, party or religious affiliations, you could also be accused of “bad belle” because you or the candidate you supported lost the last election. You will sure be on the radar of the EFCC or other security agencies who will one day invite you for questioning on suspicions of ‘terrorism financing’.

The combination of all these seem to have pushed most Nigerian into a state of ennui – bored and tired of everything.  They appear tired of their leaders and distrustful of those angling to replace them. They scoff at suggestions for making things right and tell you that our problem is not the absence of good laws, but implementing them. I suspect that many of those joining the ‘japa’ syndrome(including people who are doing reasonably well here), do so not necessarily because they feel they will have a better life where they are emigrating to, but because they want to escape from it all for the sake of their sanity and humanity. Nigeria is fast approximating the Hobbesian ‘state of nature’ in which life is short, nasty and brutish. Hope – that critical ingredient that gives meaning to life- seems to be evaporating quickly for most Nigerians.

The above brings back the question of what really is the problem with Nigeria? And what is the way out. Since I have posed these questions severally during each of our independence anniversaries the past 15 years or so, I will, on this occasion revisit my views on the trouble with Nigeria, and the way out, using my article on the country’s 63rd anniversary as the baseline:

The idea that there is nothing else to celebrate other than our managing to be together for these past 63 years, is to take pessimism too far. Certainly, we have made some progress on all fronts – from the revolution in telecoms to a Nigerian firm (Dangote) achieving the status of a multinational corporation, to the emergence of an indigenous motor manufacturing company (Innoson Motors), to the country having a Nobel Laureate in Literature and to the global mainstreaming of the accomplishments of our entertainment artists in music and films. On nationhood, the rate of inter-ethnic marriages and friendships has continued to grow.

I now believe that though there are several Nigerians and corporations that have distinguished themselves – in businesses, entertainment and sports –  these do not automatically translate to national achievements because, as the saying goes, the whole is always greater than the sum of its constituent parts, not the other way around. I may therefore have been too hard on those who argued that there was nothing to celebrate about during our anniversary last year.

Nigeria is like a national football club made up of highly talented players but who cannot translate their individual skills into an effective goal-scoring national team.  Even the progress we have made in inter-ethnic marriages which I highlighted as one of our bright spots during the 63rd anniversary, has now come under strain. Since the 2023 elections, in some parts of the South-West, being married to an Igbo, is now promoted by some as a disqualification for public office.  The impact of this ‘new normal’ on building inter-ethnic bonds through marriages is yet to fully crystallise through the system.

In fact, the idea that the separate nationalities that were agglomerated into one entity in 1914 could have done better if they had continued on their individual paths to development is purely academic. The truth, however, is that if these nationalities were as powerful and successful as we often make them to be, they would not have been easily conquered and pacified by a few White men, as was the case in most pre-colonial entities that fused to become Nigeria. Besides, that a nation has a homogeneity of culture and language is no guarantee that it will build a successful nation-state, as the case of Somalia illustrates.

I still believe strongly in my position on this. I also believe this is probably one of the reasons most Nigerians from different ethnic and religious affiliation are still hoping that the country will work. There is a big distrust of leaders at various levels of governance, there is scepticism that opposition leaders will make any difference if given the opportunity, and there is a lack of confidence that the system dynamics in the country will allow such opposition leaders to come to power in the first place – even if people vote overwhelmingly for them. There are also doubts about the leaders of the various separatist movements – a wariness that they have the capacity to achieve their avowed goal of separation, suspicions that they might be using their agitations for fame and lucre, and lack of conviction that even if they manage to succeed in their agitations, life under their governance will be better than what currently prevails. 

In fact, the whole notion that “if we go our separate ways” some parts of the country would become El dorado while others would become desolate lands, have been demystified under the Buhari and Tinubu presidencies. Until he became President in 2015, Buhari’s supporters passionately promoted him as an ascetic and incorruptible man who had the magic wand, or whose ‘body language’ alone would solve all of the country’s problems. However, by the time he exhausted his eight years in office, almost all indicators of human development in the country – including some progress made in nation-building, have nosedived south.

Instead of a political ‘messiah’, he became seen by the generality of Nigerians as the poster boy of incompetence and clannishness. His famed ‘body language’ appeared to have worked only on some of the public functionaries under him who competed to disproportionately site federal projects in his home town of Daura. This, however, did not save even his home state of Katsina from the fate several other states in the country suffered and still suffer– excruciating poverty and frightening insecurity. 

When Tinubu was campaigning for office, in contrast to Buhari, no one marketed him as ‘Mr. Integrity’.  Here his promoters, while not conceding the scandals and allegations linked to him, argued that since we have tried a man deified as a saint (Buhari) and it did not work, it might be time to try a man perceived differently.

He was promoted as a talent-spotter, creator of modern Lagos and ocean tamer, who, when he was the Governor of Lagos State, demonstrated his cosmopolitanism by having Nigerians from different ethnicities and religions in his cabinet. He was also marketed as an extremely wealthy man who knew the ways of the crooked and how to tame them.   However, less than two years in office, the Tinubu government is making Buhari look good on all fronts.  Welcome to the season of ennui.

Many candidates that sit for IELTS always feel very nervous while waiting to be ushered into the exam room. They mostly see it as an interview and, most of the time, fear that they will be judged by their appearance, thereby putting on their best outfit.
I’m here to tell you that IELTS speaking is not about your beautiful dress or how you smell; it’s about being your real self and communicating freely as much as you can.
You do not have all the time to impress an examiner with your looks but you can captivate the attention with your communication
However, you can increase your score by following these simple 10 IELTS Speaking tips and tricks. No 6 and 9 is a secret.

Make a good first impression 

The first contact you have with the examiner, either physically or visually is very important. Be confident, smile and feel relaxed even as you place your hands on the table where the examiner can see them. If you need to adjust the headset, do it with ease and confidence or call the invigilator to help. Don’t make the mistake of feeling too confident or proud.

Don’t learn answers by heart

Ensure you speak freely and do not use memorized answers. If you do, the examiner has been trained to detect that, and once it is detected, you already failed. You can learn words and collocations and use them. Flow in your speech. Always remember that the reason for this test is to test your ability to communicate effectively and not your assent.

Practise answering sample questions

It is only he who fails to plan that fails. These tips are to enable you to practice IELTS speaking questions before the exam date. Questions will likely come from sports, family, travels, etc. There is always a demo section of it on the internet. Practice with a friend or in front of your mirror as if you are facing an examiner and you will realise how easy it can be.

Ask the question again if you need to

This tip is best if you use it well, but many candidates use it as a means to buy more time. Don’t forget you have just limited time and nothing will be added. Ask the question again only if you didn’t get it well and not to buy more time. If used properly, you will not lose any points.                

Be emotional!

Your examiner is a human being like you, and he or she has emotions and feelings. Employ the use of emotion in your speech as if you are talking to a friend or a loved one. This creates a sense of connection between you and the examiner.

Extend your speech

Avoid short And uncommunicative replies like yes or no answers. Extend you’re speech till the invigilator interrupts with another question. If a question seems direct and close-ended, create another opening by talking about what you know. The best technique to use in this aspect is the give reason technique. Whatever answer you give, always give your reason for choosing the answer
Always ensure that you are fluent in your speech and don’t fake your assent. You will gain more marks when you speak freely with relatable vocabularies. Use simple grammar too, and don’t speak too fast. Be calm and make necessary pauses when necessary.

Be coherent

Remember that the test is basically to examine your level of communication; therefore, always use linking words and structures like however, and, nevertheless; all in all, it will enrich your speech.

Give yourself time to think

When the examiner asks you a question, and you are not sure how to answer the question, you can buy yourself a bit of time to think by using this tip. First of all, “That’s a tricky question…”, “I’ve never thought about that before…” or “That’s an interesting question…”. This way you’ll have some extra time to plan your answer.

Be time conscious

The tutorial you attend won’t tell you that you have just 17 minutes to spend with the examiner.
Use every minute well and make it count. Don’t spend too much time trying to process the question or to impress the examiner. Answer it as simply as you can and stick to it until she asks you to stop or ask another question. Towards the end of the speaking test, you will be asked to talk extensively on a particular topic. Use the time well and flow naturally.

Did you make a mistake? Don’t panic!

The examiner notices when you make a mistake, and it is expected, but your ability to correct yourself is important. Ensure to apply brief pauses where needed, too. When you are with the examiner, don’t make too many mistakes.

[Vanguard]

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) got its fair share of the wave of federal appointments as Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, last Friday, announced the appointment of seven Executive Directors. The announcement led me down the path of nostalgia, a wishful past when NTA was the king of broadcasting and could do only the right things.

The appointees according to Onanuga’s statement include: Ayo Adewuyi, Executive Director, News (actually reappointed), Ibrahim Aliyu, Special Duties, Malam Muhamed Fatuhu Mustapha, Administration and Training, and Mrs Apinke Effiong (Finance).

Others are Mrs Tari Taylaur, Programme, Mr Sadique Musa Omeiza Engineering, and Mrs Oluwakemi Fashina, Marketing. Quite a couple of them came with interesting annotations. Effiong is described as an expert in financial marketing with treasury, management accounting and reporting skills; Taylaur as an audio/visual creator, producer and showrunner; and Fashina was hailed as an integrated marketing communications professional and chartered marketer.

My first observation here is that there seems to be some level of diversity or democratisation of the appointments as against the practice of the past where certain positions and offices at NTA were seemingly reserved for some people. The Executive Directors are expected to contribute their wealth of experience and support the Director General in the person of Mr Salihu Abdul Hamid Dembos in order to give NTA a new direction and some level of creative vitality. NTA needs some fillip at the moment and the writer is only praying that the new appointees are able to offer just that.

Established in April 1976 by Decree 24, which has since become an Act of Parliament, and charged with the responsibility for the provision of television broadcasting in Nigeria and other related matters thereto, NTA has seen some glorious days as the sole government station building facilities across the states of the federation.

Taking maximum advantage of its network strength and putting the abundant talents to great use, NTA promoted flagship programmes from different parts of the country – Masquerade from NTA, Enugu, Hotel de Jordan from NTA, Benin, Cockcrow at Dawn from NTA, Jos, Village Headmaster from Lagos, and much later Mirror in the Sun, Checkmate and Ripples, among others. It was a great time on television. You have to wait religiously for the network news for you to get the major news of the day or, if you work in a newspaper, you must monitor the network news for news break by 9pm.

Something happened in 1992 which NTA was too arrogant to spot. The broadcast sector was deregulated by Decree 38, now an Act of Parliament, National Broadcasting Act CAP N11, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, to give opportunity to private business promoters to test the perilous waters of broadcasting.

NTA held the development in scorn, even more the regulator, NBC, and those jostling to come into the sector. That marked the birth of Raypower and AIT, Channels Television, Silverbird Television and Rhythm FM, MITV, TVC and much later, Arise TV, in no particular order. The rest, they say, is history, a cliche I don’t particularly like because it gives proof of a people not ready to learn the lessons of history.

The burgeoning content creating sector, now Nollywood, discriminated against by the NTA, quickly shifted camps to the new broadcast operators and a new industry was born, very robust and rambunctious. The new broadcasters invested in new technologies and more modern broadcast practices. NTA was receding into the past and becoming a dodo. It failed to recognise competition when it came and now the government broadcast behemoth has been fighting ever since to cope with that competition. Allegiance has since shifted and so are the TV viewing eyes!

This material is not an elegy for NTA but a call to the new Executive Directors to take a dispassionate look at history and see how they can dig the station out of a self-created hole and begin to reposition it. It’s like waking the Titanic, but can they? It is the responsibility of the President to appoint but the onus rests upon the appointees to perform.

But for the NTA to witness a rebirth, it has to identify its place in history and strip itself of a debilitating arrogance. Is NTA a Public Broadcaster or a Government Broadcaster?

The Nigeria Broadcasting Code recognises three tiers of broadcasting, categorised as follows: Public Service Broadcasting (PSB), Private/Commercial Broadcasting and Community Broadcasting.

Those who are versed in this matter told this writer that the NTA is more of a government broadcaster because it is funded by the government which also makes strategic appointments as was done last week. From inception, the appointments have little to do with professionalism but more with political patronage subsidised by intolerable degree of subservience.

After all, appointments are made by the President through the recommendations of the Minister, who is also empowered by the NTA Act to give directives of general order to the NTA and officials must obey. It can be any order depending upon the mood of the Minister or even his wife!

Under this kind of practice, good journalism suffers, creativity and poetic licence are jeopardised, and accountability enjoys no relevance. No system suffers the aforementioned consequential defects and enjoys rectitude or experience needed growth. NTA enjoys no good standing between the two.

This writer is of the opinion that what the regulator would have recommended for NTA is to operate as a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB). The PSB, the Code states, is broadcasting that is funded and controlled by the public, free from political and commercial interference. The regulator would have wished for NTA to follow best global practices, like the BBC and VOA.

There are examples, which is why I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel in this part of the world. For instance, the BBC is primarily funded by licence fee and supplemented by incomes from its commercial subsidiaries. The station does not allow advertising because it is not a commercial operator. A standard TV licence currently stands at £169.50, and gives access to a number of TV channels, radio, blogs and other devices.

The monthly fee for 2021/22 was £13.25, and this is how it was spent: Television – £7.29, Radio – £2.09, Online – £1.27, BBC World Service – £1.30, Other Services and Production Costs – £.72, and Licence fee collection and Pension deficit cost – £0.58. It’s all about transparency and for every stakeholder to know that not a single pound sterling is accidented in the process.

The Voice of America (VOA), on the other hand, is funded by the US Agency of Global Media after approval by the Congress. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 48 languages and broadcasting is targeted primarily at non-American outside of the United States. By November 2022, VOA reached 326m weekly across all platforms. That is their policy. But the source of funds is sure and guaranteed and is used for the purpose budgeted for.

He also suggested that the status of NTA must be made clear. It cannot be a government broadcaster and be canvassing for commercials with commercial operators at the same time. Such practice makes the playing field uneven. The station must be refocused and has to be in full compliance with the regulatory provisions of the NBC.

What are the new Executive Directors bringing to the table? Is it just the same hackneyed story of “we are the biggest network in Africa?” Talk is cheap, my friend, and such belief cannot be evacuated from the platform of pipe-dreams.

I don’t know what feeds my belief that the new appointees can do well. But first they must redefine the status of NTA and try to professionalise its operations. The station must have to embrace robust journalism practices and be able to present balanced views to its audience. I do not know whether NTA tracks its viewership but I am pressed to suggest here that the station is watched only by their sponsors and people without alternatives. The new Executive Directors must do something. I am sure they will earn some garlands at some point.

Chimamanda Adichie, the award-winning author, is set to release a new novel.

The book, titled ‘Dream Count’ and published by Penguin Random House, is scheduled for release on March 4, 2025.

In a recent blog post, Penguin revealed the highly anticipated novel has been a decade in the making.

‘Dream Count’ is a reflection on love, desire, and the intricacies of womanhood, explored through the lives of four distinct women

The book also pulses with “emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power”.

The publisher said that ‘Dream Count’ solidifies Adichie’s status “as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape”.

‘Dream Count’ is Adichie’s first feature-length novel in 11 years.

The novelist’s last book was ‘Americanah’. It was published in 2013.

Asides being a novelist, Adichie is also a feminist. She is best known for her themes on politics, culture, race, and gender.

She has received global recognition and won numerous awards.

In 2019, Adichie became the first Nigerian to receive the United Nations Foundation’s Global Leadership Award.

She has also made the New African’s list of ‘100 Most Influential Africans’, New Yorker’s ’20 under 40′, and Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’.

In 2022, the novelist was honoured with a chieftaincy title in Abba, Anambra state.

[TheCable]