Simon Manley, the UK’s permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and United Nations (UN) in Geneva, says British investors in Nigeria have expressed worries over harmful business practices in the country.

The British government official welcomed Nigeria’s efforts “on challenging, but necessary, economic reforms”.

“In particular, we have been pleased to see the work done to improve the monetary policy environment and the removal of fuel subsidies,” Manley said.

“However, to be honest Permanent Secretary, we would like you to go even further and faster. For example, there are concerns around the impact of state-owned enterprises on the business environment.

“As the Secretariat noted in its report, as of 2022 around 40 state-owned enterprises were operating in key sectors like energy.

“These state-owned enterprises, to be honest, often employ market-distorting practices and benefit from unfair competition in our view.

“Other concerns that British businesses investing in Nigeria have raised include examples of harmful subsidies, forced technology transfer, discriminatory enforcement of competition policy, and complex regulatory barriers.

“And we have indeed picked up on some of those issues and concerns in our Advanced Written Questions.

“So we would encourage our Nigerian colleagues to address these harmful practices in order to boost investment, boost trade, improve its business environment and ultimately increase Nigerian prosperity.”

Manley said the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is already benefiting Nigeria’s economy and business environment.

For future growth, he said they are looking forward to Nigeria implementing the digital trade protocol of the AfCFTA.

“We congratulate Nigeria on commencing commercially meaningful trade under the Agreement by joining the Guided Trade Initiative on 16 July,” he said.

“We, in the UK, are proud to have supported the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office on reaching this milestone and we are currently supporting the implementation of the Digital Trade Protocol flowing from the Agreement, which is an ambitious and comprehensive framework designed to facilitate digital trade and unlock the potential of the digital economy right across the continent.

“According to the joint World Bank-WTO Policy Note last year on digital trade in Africa, if African countries were to improve their digital regulatory environment to that of the best on the continent, trade costs could fall by 17% in goods and 25% in business and professional services.

“So, we look forward to Nigeria implementing that Digital Trade Protocol to the benefit of its businesses, its consumers, and its future growth.”

As a co-chair of the informal working group on gender, Manley also lauded Nigeria’s commitment to empowering women economically.

“As a little practical example, I was delighted to hear the recent story of Madam Chinwe Izenwa. A 73-year-old female entrepreneur and CEO of LeLook, a bags and fashion accessories company, who was the first Nigerian, I understand, to use the AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative,” he said.

“She has even given herself the nickname 0001, as she holds the first Agreement certificate of origin.

“An excellent example of Nigeria’s action on women’s economic empowerment, delivering real-world benefits.”

Manley commended Nigeria’s proactive engagement in the WTO, describing the country as a friend to the multilateral system.

Acknowledging the leadership Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO director-general, he described her as the organisation’s most renowned Nigerian.

‘NIGERIA HAS BEEN A STRONG ALLY IN PLURI-LATERAL NEGOTIATIONS’

Manley also commended Adamu Abdulhamid, chair of the WTO trade policy committee, for his significant contributions.

He stated that the organisation would particularly acknowledge Nigeria’s efforts in dispute settlement, as the focal point for the African Group, and in fisheries.

“Nigeria has been a strong ally in pluri-lateral negotiations, whether on Services Domestic Regulation, Investment Facilitation for Development and e-commerce,” he said.

“While we may not always see eye to eye, Nigeria has, rightly, kept our feet to the fire in ensuring that those pluri-lateral outcomes are balanced for all Members.

“Thanks to Nigeria’s input, we can be confident that the agreements reached are a fair compromise of ambition, commercial value and inclusivity.

“We were glad to have reached a stabilised text on e-commerce this summer. We welcome your confirmation, Permanent Secretary, this morning that consultations are ongoing back in Nigeria and we hope to count you as one of the Agreement’s founding parties as we move swiftly forward towards legal incorporation.”

Manley encouraged Nigeria to continue its reform efforts, adding that “Only the things for which you have struggled will last”.

Wizkid, the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, has unveiled the tracklist for his upcoming album ‘Morayo’.

The highly anticipated project, scheduled for November 22, is a tribute to Jane Dolapo Balogun, Wizkid’s late mother, who passed away in August 2023.

In the tracklist, released on Monday, the singer features artistes like Asake, Brent Faiyaz, Jazmine Sullivan, Anaïs, and Tiakola.

The album comprises 16 tracks including, ‘Troubled Mind’, ‘Karamo’, ‘Kese (Dance)’, ‘Bad Girl’, ‘Time’, ‘Piece of My Heart’, ‘Break Me Down’, ‘Bend’, and ‘A Million Blessings’.

Others are ‘Après Minuit’, ‘Bad for You’, ‘Soji’, ‘Don’t Care’, ‘Slow’, ‘Lose’, and ‘Pray’.

Earlier this year, Wizkid made it clear that ‘Morayo’ is not an Afrobeats project and urged fans of the genre to avoid downloading it.

Born Ayodeji Balogun, Wizkid gained prominence in 2011 when he released his debut album ‘Superstar’.

He has released four additional albums including, ‘Ayo’ in 2014, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, and ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022.

The singer has also received numerous recognitions, including a Grammy Award in 2021 for his collaboration with Beyoncé on the hit song ‘Brown Skin Girl’.

In October, ‘Made in Lagos’ was recognised as the most-streamed Nigerian album on Apple Music

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has tackled the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, over his declaration that the ruling party aims to achieve political homogeneity of the South-West by further displacing the Peoples Democratic Party from Oyo and Osun states.

Naija News reports that after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the APC candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of Saturday governorship election in Ondo State, Ganduje had boasted that the party’s next target is the South-West geopolitical zone.

The national chairman stated that the party would do everything possible to clinch the states.

Ganduje had said, “Our next target now is the South-West geopolitical zone, and you know we are good at hitting the target, and this is Osun State and Oyo State. We will do all that is possible to bring them into the fold so that we have political homogeneity in the South-West geopolitical zone.”

However, the Oyo governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in a conversation with Punch, said the government and the Oyo PDP would not surrender the state to the APC.

Olanrewaju said the Oyo governor aligned with a statement by the acting Publicity Secretary of the Oyo PDP, Micheal Ogunsina, who condemned Ganduje over the takeover plot.

Ogunsina, in his statement, said it was unfathomable for the APC to believe that the people of Oyo State would abandon the “oasis of peace, ease and good governance under the Makinde government for “devastation, pain, sorrow, and tears.”

“Rather than talk about state capture, the Oyo PDP said it would have expected the APC-led Federal Government to preoccupy itself with how to ease the burden imposed on Nigerians through their alleged wrong policies.

“It is a shame that instead of easing people’s burden, what preoccupies the mind of the APC and its leadership are the capture of states and the abduction of people’s destinies. Where then is the difference between what the APC does and what forest bandits do?

“Our people are tired of a party and people that are progressive only in name. Ganduje and his cohorts who want to extend the pains of APC to Oyo State should stop plotting against God and the people. We reject the curse from Ganduje and his APC; our God, who hates the wicked, rejects them too.

“Our state has been an oasis of peace, ease and good governance in the midst of the ruins wreaked by the APC across the country. We do not intend to surrender our freedom to predators. And we will not.

“Perhaps we should let the APC people know that no sensible person in Oyo State wants to be inflicted with greater pains than what the people bear now from APC’s misrule.

“A ruling party with a conscience would, by now, be working very hard to repair the damage it has done to the economy of our country and the finances of the people. But, because APC cannot give what it does not have, it is not concerned at all about the people’s plight. Its politics is solely about grabbing power, capturing states and snatching people’s joy,” the Oyo PDP said.

Fela Durotoye, a Nigerian public speaker, says he worked in the administration of President Bola Tinubu for just six months without receiving a salary.

In October 2023, Tinubu appointed Durotoye as senior special assistant on national values and social justice.

Following Tinubu’s appointment of Daniel Bwala as special adviser on public communications and media, on Friday, some Nigerians on social media criticised the president for appointing a plethora of media aides without considering the cost of governance.

In a 13-man list that went viral on social media, Durotoye was named as one of the media aides to the president.

In an opinion piece published on Monday, Durotoye said his appointment as aide to the president ended in March 2024.

He added that throughout the six months of his appointment as the president’s aide, he didn’t receive any salary, allowance, or upkeep as a government official.

“Like many other issues in the public discourse, social commentary often has the tendency to overgeneralise; and broad assumptions may sometimes lead to errors of misconceptions, misstatements and misinformation,” Durotoye said.

“One of such errors is in a recent case study that went viral on social media regarding the current media team of the president, where my name was listed as one of the president’s media aides. Unfortunately, this statement needs to be updated to accurately reflect the current media team of the president.

“For clarity, I served briefly in the role of Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Values and Social Justice (SSA-NVSJ) for a tenure of six months, from October 2023 to March 2024.

“When I was invited to serve in this administration, I expressed, as a condition for accepting the call, my desire to NOT receive a salary from the government, as I considered this to be my service to my nation.

“When I finally accepted the role in October 2023, it was on the condition that I would not receive any salary or allowances. During my six-month tenure, I did not accept any government funds for my service, expenses, or upkeep.

“I rented my apartment and took my personal car to Abuja. My utility cost, fuel cost and upkeep were all borne by me and I never requested a reimbursement from the government for any expenses I incurred. Everything I contributed—time, effort, and resources—was paid for by me and my family.”

A special offences court in Ikeja has convicted Fatuyi Phillips, a former chairman of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), over N43.5 million fraud.

Mojisola Dada, the presiding judge, sentenced Phillips to 21 years in jail.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 5, 2022, arraigned Philips alongside his firm, Oceanview Oil and Gas Limited.

The NOGASA chairman had pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N43,502,000.

The EFCC called five witnesses and tendered several documentary evidence, while the defendants called three witnesses.

According to a statement by the EFCC, Dada, while delivering the judgment, held that the prosecution proved its case against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge sentenced Phillips to 14 years imprisonment on count one and seven years on count two, without an option of a fine.

The sentences are to be served concurrently.

Also, the judge ordered the second defendant, Oceanview Oil and Gas Limited, to pay a fine of N500,000 in respect of count one and another N250,000 in respect of count two within 30 days or be wound up.

“The court further ordered the convicts to make restitution in the sum of $90,202 or the prevailing naira equivalent to the nominal complainants,” the statement reads.

“Phillips’ journey to the correctional centre began when he collected the sum of N43, 502,000.00 from Elochukwu Okoye and Elebana Unique Ventures Nigeria Limited on behalf of WAPCIL Nigeria Limited with a false promise of selling its dollar equivalent ($98,870.00) to them.

“He neither returned the naira nor dollar equivalent to the petitioners.”

Ademola Lookman has been listed among the final five nominees for the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.

The African football governing body announced the top echelon of candidates for the coveted award in a tweet on Monday.

Only Lookman is the Nigerian named among the five finalists. William Troost-Ekong did not make the final cut despite being named in the initial 10-player list.

Other footballers in the top five are Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Ronwen Williams and Serhou Guirassy.

Lookman had an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. The winger scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions last season for Atalanta, which retained its status as one of the best in Serie A.

He scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

The 27-year-old ranked 14th best player in the world at the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or ceremony — the only African to make the top 30.

Lookman has been tipped to be the next award winner, following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.

In the other award categories, Stanley Nwabali was nominated for the goalkeeper of the year prize, while Nigeria will vie for the national team of the year category alongside Ivory Coast, Morocco, South Africa, and six others.

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the judiciary should address the issue of senior lawyers receiving “obscene legal fees” from political officeholders.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 6th annual criminal law review conference, Olukoyede said how the lawyers collect such fees “conflicts with existing statutes”.

“If a lawyer would not care about the source from which a sitting governor or any other public servant pays him millions of naira to defend him in the electoral tribunal, the lawyer must necessarily be mindful of the fact that the only proper way to collect such humongous amounts is through the financial system,” NAN quoted the EFCC chairman to have said.

“Aside from violating money laundering regulations, hauling millions of naira of professional fees from public office holders in liquid cash as senior lawyers do is only aimed at tax evasion.

“It is needless to stress that the best act of mentoring from leaders of the bar to the younger generation of lawyers is by living out the ethical demands of the profession.”

The EFCC chairman also alleged that lawyers are aiding illicit financial flows into offshore accounts.

“The most traumatic discovery of the EFCC in recent years was the subjugation of national interest and wellbeing to personal interest by lawyers who aided briefcase foreign investors to fleece the nation in dubious transactions,” he added.

“The P&ID scam, the Mambilla power project, and Sunrise issues are cases in point.”

He said while the anti-graft agency had had cause to prosecute judicial officers and senior lawyers and earned conviction, his respect for the bench and senior members of the bar remained undiminished.

“However, based on the unique experiences of the EFCC in the prosecution of corruption cases, I am particularly interested in systemic reforms in our justice delivery system that capture the process for the discipline and regulation of judicial officers.

“The regulation and discipline of legal practitioners. Ethics, values, and standards of legal practice.

“These are essential to me because the job of the EFCC is ensuring that the corrupt does not find space in our national life. And when they do, to make them pay for their deeds.”

Daniel Bwala, special adviser on media and public communications to President Bola Tinubu, says he “can never be drawn into a position” where he “will rub shoulders” with Bayo Onanuga.

Bwala spoke on Monday while answering questions on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

Onanuga is the special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

Bwala said he would be happy to see Onanuga lead the presidential media team.

“Bayo Onanuga is an elder statesman. He’s a very brilliant journalist who has had his records. We are happy he’s leading us as a leader,” he said.

“I’m happy for him to lead. I haven’t been told, but I’m happy for him to lead. Because he’s an elder, I will respect him.

“And he has his own record. He has served Nigeria well. He has a proven record as a journalist.

“I can never be drawn into a position where I will rub shoulders with him. I doff my cap for him.

“My own is, if he says ‘go and carry that table,’ I will just do so; that’s my job. It’s not about title.”

Bwala also said he has taken over the role of Ajuri Ngelale, the former presidential spokesperson.

Ngelale, who was special adviser on media and publicity to the president, vacated the position in September.

The former media aide to the president had said he would be embarking on an “indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters” affecting his immediate, nuclear family.

Confusion had arisen after Onanuga took over as presidential spokesman following Ngelale’s departure.

Onanuga also moved to the office previously occupied by Ngelale at the presidential villa.

However, during the chat, Bwala announced himself as the presidential spokesperson, adding there has only been a change in office nomenclature.

“When Ajuri was there, the nomenclature was special adviser on media and publicity, and now that role is called special adviser on media and public communications (State House). Sunday Dare works from the office of the minister of information,” he added.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, has backed the call by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to carry out electoral reforms in the country.

Recall that Obasanjo, while speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum, Yale University, New Haven, United States of America, on Sunday, had demanded the removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, over his conduct of the 2023 election.

He canvassed for shorter tenures for the officials of the electoral body and a more rigorous vetting process to prevent the appointment of partisan individuals.

Obasanjo criticised President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office, asserting that corruption continues to rank among the most important problems affecting Nigerians.

Reacting, the Presidency claimed that Obasanjo assertion was hypocritical, adding that he was not an ideal leader while he was in power.

However, Osadolor, while speaking to Punch corroborated Obasanjo’s stance.

He insisted that an overhaul of the electoral system in the country was necessary.

Osadolor argued that Yakubu and other INEC officials ought to apologise to Nigerians for dashing their hopes at the polls.

He asked the anti-corruption agencies to investigate the commission’s staff for alleged mismanagement of resources.

According to hìm, Obasanjo’s comments are a reflection of the demands of Nigerians.

He urged the INEC boss to take Obasanjo’s admonition seriously.

He stated, “In a more honourable society, the INEC chairman would have humbly resigned on his own and apologised to Nigerians, whose trust, hopes, and expectations he dashed through his negligence and inexperience. When he was appointed, Nigerians had high expectations and truly believed he was a breath of fresh air.

“But now, after witnessing his administration’s handling of the affair within INEC, Nigerians are not only disappointed, but they also feel as though they’ve stepped back into the dark ages, where elections were sold to the highest bidder and were neither credible, free, nor fair.

“So, President Obasanjo is not saying anything new. He is simply reflecting the sentiments of Nigerians—well-meaning Nigerians—who understand that what INEC is doing now is a threat to our democracy and a recipe for anarchy if not addressed. I would advise the INEC Chairman to take this admonition seriously if he has any honour left in him.”