Nigeria’s principal opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced its intention to engage the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to encourage his return to the party that played a pivotal role in his political ascent.

In a recent interview with the BBC, PDP acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, addressed the former Kano State Governor’s recent remarks declaring the PDP as “dead” and incapable of achieving future success.

Damagun underscored the PDP’s openness to welcoming back all former members, including Senator Kwankwaso.

He expressed that Kwankwaso’s comments were somewhat unfair, as the NNPP chieftain had previously secured political victories while affiliated with the PDP.

The acting chairman further asserted that the PDP has maintained its strength over 26 years, continuing to operate under the same name and boasting a presence of governors and senators from all regions of Nigeria.

He contended that even if four other parties were to merge, they would still fall short of the PDP’s formidable strength.

“People are entitled to their opinions, but I want to remind him of the past. When they left the PDP in 2015, if the party didn’t die back then, during a time they thought they had weakened it, I don’t see why anyone would claim it is dead now.

“Let’s not forget that the PDP remains the only party capable of winning elections if you exclude the ruling APC,” Damagun said.

In response to Kwankwaso’s assertions regarding his marginalization within the PDP, which led him to reject any intentions of collaborating with the party for the 2027 elections, Damagun acknowledged that several of Kwankwaso’s concerns were indeed legitimate.

He elaborated that during Kwankwaso’s initial attempts to depart from the PDP, he, as the party’s deputy national chairman for the North at the time, made considerable efforts to address the issues but ultimately could not achieve a resolution.

“That said, there is no party better than the PDP for Kwankwaso. The party nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We still hope he will return to work with us to rebuild our party and confront this oppressive government,” Damagun added.

The PDP chairman stated that God willing, the party will soon reach out to Kwankwaso despite knowing he was angry, adding that his aspirations might not be achievable in his current party.

“The PDP has always been a party that welcomes back any of its members who left in anger. Whenever they return, we give them opportunities just like everyone else,” Damagun concluded.

Renowned music executive and CEO of Kennis Music, Kenny Ogungbe, has dismissed rumours that he was responsible for the breakup of the iconic music group, Plantashun Boiz.

Speculations have circulated that the group disbanded after Kennis Music signed 2Face, one of its members.

However, speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast, Ogungbe, popularly known as Baba Keke, clarified that the group had already split before 2Face approached him.

Ogungbe said, “People have been saying l’m the one responsible for the breakup of Plantashun Boiz.

“That’s not true. 2face came to me himself after the group had broken up that he wanted to sign with Kennis music and Eedris Abdulkareem told me to sign him which I did.”

Plantashun Boiz, made up of 2Face, Blackface, and Faze, disbanded in 2004 after releasing their second album, ‘Sold Out.’

The trio briefly reunited in 2007 for their third and final album, ‘Plan B,’ before going their separate ways again.

Meanwhile, famous dancehall singer and ex-member of the defunct Plantashun Boiz, Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, better known as Blackface, had blamed former bandmate, 2Face Idibia, for the agelong rift between them.

Naija News reported that Blackface, during an interview on the latest episode of ‘The Honest Bunch Podcast’, said he and Faze are on good terms, but 2Face’s inferiority complex is responsible for their rift.

He noted it was time to bury the hatchet, stressing he had forgiven 2Face for all he had done to him knowingly and unknowingly.

Blackface also pleaded with the ‘African Queen’ crooner to forgive him for whatever he has done to him.

He said, “I and Faze are cool. Maybe 2face has inferiority complex towards me.

“It is time to bury the hatchet. I forgive 2face for everything he has done to me, knowingly and unknowingly. He should also make space to forgive me for anything I have done.”

The year is almost over. The year 2024 is ending. In different parts of the world the countdown has begun, with elaborate fireworks heralding the beginning of a New Year 2025. The year 2024 was eventful. And we could all mostly look back and wonder how it passed so quickly.  It was a year of winners and losers, as is the case with every year and as it would be with the years to come, reminding us all of the inexorable march of fate and time. We live. We die. We grow. We wither. We fall ill. We heal.  Man is at the mercy of nature and the environment, his own exertions and his imagination. But whatever is anyone’s individual fortune, life goes on all the same, hanging on to the thread of optimism. Humanity is sustained by the resolve that man, having positioned himself as the master of the universe, can always learn, do better and surpass his own expectations.  

2024 was the year of elections - held at national, general and local levels in more than 100 countries of the world with far-reaching implications for politics and cultural relations at various levels. Elections were held in some of the most populous countries including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Bangladesh and the United States, with a total of about four billion eligible voters, about half of the world’s population, and up to 1.7 billion actually turning out to cast their ballots in all the continents. This clearly confirms the continuing strength of the democratic ideal, or the popularity of democracy, but observed patterns differed from one part of the world to the other. For example, most incumbent parties lost their popular standing even if they retained power as in France, South Korea, India, or to start close to home, South Africa, where the ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost the majority status it had maintained since the end of apartheid rule in 1994 due in part to growing disenchantment with the ANC and deep-seated divisions within the party which saw former President Jacob Zuma being a decisive factor, with his breakaway MK party. 

Other notable elections in Africa included that of Tunisia in October which brought President Kais Saied back to power with a low voter turn-out of 29%, the lowest since the Revolution. In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame won a fourth term in office in a curious reminder of how African leaders try to sit tight in office beyond constitutional term limits. He manipulated the Rwandan Constitution to remain in power. In Algeria, in September, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was re-elected with 94.7 percent of the vote.  Earlier in April, Togo held its parliamentary elections. The ruling Union for the Republic, won 108 of the 113 seats to tighten President Faure Gnassingbe’s hold on power. The situation was the same in Chad in May with President Mahamat Idriss Deby as winner. In Mozambique, in October, the FRELIMO party which had ruled the country since 1975, also held on to power declaring 47-year-old Daniel Chapo as President. The country subsequently degenerated into chaos and protests. The main opposition leader, Eduardo Mondlane fled into exile and has sworn to get himself into power on inauguration day on January 15, although it remains unclear how he intends to achieve that. The elections in Mozambique were believed to have been rigged and manipulated. There was more positive news, however, from Senegal, Botswana, Namibia, and Ghana. In Senegal in March, Bassirou Diomaye Faye won 54% of the Presidential votes just 10 days after he was released from prison. Senegal’s story was a demonstration of the power of the people.  

In Namibia’s general election, Dec 3, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, incumbent Vice President, and member of the ruling SWAPO party, was declared winner, making her Namibia’s first female President, thus adding to the number of women in Africa who have served as President: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Joyce Hilda Banda (Malawi) and Sahle-Woek Zewde (Ethiopia). In Ghana, President John Dramani Mahama defeated the ruling party’s candidate, incumbent Vice President Mahamud Bawumia, who in a manner reminiscent of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s gesture in 2015, conceded defeat even before the results were announced by the country’s electoral commission.  Senegal and Ghana are arguably two of the most stable democracies in Africa.  But whatever successes may have been recorded with democracy in Africa in the year 2024 was sadly abbreviated by the spectre of democratic retreat and the return of military rule in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan and Guinea. This has disrupted the political order in West Africa.  ECOWAS, the regional economic bloc has also been diminished with the declared exit of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, now forming an Alliance of Sahel States (AES).  In July 2024, the military junta in Burkina Faso further extended their stay in power by another five years. As ECOWAS prepares for its 50^thanniversary in 2025, it remains a divided body, and the region, an emerging landscape for proxy conflicts between major powers: Russia, France, China and the United States. 

In other parts of the world, from India to France, India, Japan and Britain, voters voted for change with concerns about leadership and the economy as major issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, the BJP, may have survived in India, but not with a majority. Modi’s party had to form a coalition government. Elections led to riots in Georgia. In South Korea, former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s frustration with the domineering presence of an opposition coalition in parliament led him to impose a martial law. The people rebelled.  In Japan, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party also lost its majority status in parliament. In Britain in July, the British voted out the Conservatives, and gave the centre-left Labour Party a landslide victory. In France, Austria, Romania, the European Parliament and elsewhere we also saw the rise of either far-right or far-left tendencies lending the politics of 2024 a toga of anti-immigration sentiments and nationalism if not isolationism. In France, the government collapsed at a point. In Germany, the Chancellor, Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote. But perhaps the most impactful election in the world in 2024, was that of the United States which brought President Donald Trump back to power. Trump survived two assassination attempts, and went on to win a landslide victory. He and the Republicans regained power. President Joe Biden had to step down for Vice President Kamala Harris who put up a valiant and courageous fight, but not enough to dislodge Trump’s nationalistic, America First rhetoric. Given America’s status as a superior power in the world, Trump’s Presidency would be a major determinant of global politics in 2025. Trump has promised to impose trade tariffs and sanctions on not just China, Mexico and Canada, but literally the whole world. He wants to take back the Panama Canal. He wants to buy Greenland. Democracy survived and thrived in 2024, but the global outlook was bumpy.

Nigeria marked the 25^th anniversary of its return to democratic rule. The people’s reflection was one of mixed blessings. There may have been gains in terms of the democratic process, but Nigeria’s democracy has also produced sharp divisions within the polity, and the old fault lines of nepotism, religion and ethnicity are far from disappearing. In the Gubernatorial elections held in Edo State and Ondo state, the country’s challenges with its leadership recruitment process were writ large. In Edo state, the incumbent ruling party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost despite having a more accomplished candidate in the person of Asue Ighodalo. Analysts of the Edo state election alleged that the PDP lost to the all-conquering Federal Might of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in power at the centre. In Ondo State, by the same token, it could not have been imagined that the APC would lose power to the PDP. Notably, incumbent political parties won overwhelmingly in all the states where local government elections were conducted in 2024. Twenty-five years after the return to democratic rule, Nigerian politicians remain set in their ways, with little evidence that anyone has learnt any lessons. This has prompted demands from civil society groups that indeed ahead of the 2027 elections, Nigeria’s electoral framework, a permanent work in progress, would have to be further amended.  For a long time to come, the character of Nigerian politics would remain umbilically linked to the character of the people themselves. Not even the traditional institutions are spared, as seen in the interplay of law, community and politics in the city of Kano with the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Sarkin Kano. The city became divided, with two brothers laying claim to the same throne. 

But beyond power play, perhaps the major concern in Nigeria in 2024 was the general insecurity in the country: physical, economic, and geographical. The government was wont to claim that the spate of kidnappings, banditry and random violence had reduced under its watch, but 2024 was perhaps the year that the pangs of hunger hit the average Nigerian most. The dynamic in the Nigerian economy resulted in high interest rates, unemployment, no money in the banks and the people’s pockets, with more people sliding into poverty.  More than 31 million people, by official estimates, suffered from acute food insecurity.  The figure was probably much higher as the Nigerian economy, inflation at over 34% by November, became a palliatives-economy. Many died while struggling for free food, with the year ending with the death of about 115 persons who lost their lives in Ibadan, Okija and Abuja in food stampedes. The gap between the poor and the rich couldn’t have been wider. Nonetheless, one major winning story of 2024 was the coming on stream of the much-anticipated Dangote Refinery. The Refinery is billed to produce 650, 000 barrels of fuel per day helping to address the problem of energy security, and foreign exchange savings in the country. But the Nigerian middle class had shrunk so much further, that the pump price of fuel, at over N1,000 per litre, was one of the sources of agony for Nigerians in 2024. 

It may be said all things considered, whatever agony or deprivation Nigerians may have gone through in 2024, this was nothing compared to the threat to global peace on the international scene. With the October 7, 2023 escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Hamas in Gaza, that part of the world has known no peace. Its people are victims of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the last decade. Over 40, 000 persons have lost their lives.  Throughout 2024, the world watched as Israel continued with its campaign of total annihilation, and by the end of the year, the conflict had engulfed the entire region. Israel has had to fight on many fronts: the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and even Iran, raising fears of the possibility of World War III. The much-anticipated world war did not happen, but the Middle East remains a zone of horror. The fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on December 8, merely added fuel to the crisis. Israel has been on the offensive as it seeks to take advantage of the uncertainty in Syria to establish itself as the dominant power in the region. Israel has reduced Hezbollah, more or less eliminated Hamas and virtually taken control of parts of Syria. Thus, effectively in 2024, Israel managed to shut down Iran’s Axis of Resistance. The Russian-Ukraine war continues, and in all the theatres of war, the victims are the people. Global peace is disrupted, the impact of the disruptions is felt thousands of miles away. Global peace hangs on a balance; the world tetters on the brink. It was also the year that the economic cooperation group -BRICS admitted four new members including Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, as part of the move by the group to create an alternative global payment system, and to change the existing global order.  NATO admitted a new member, Sweden in March 2024, bringing its membership number to 32. 

For happier stories in 2024, we probably should look in other directions, sports for example. France hosted the Paris Olympics, and delivered to global delight one of the most memorable Olympics in modern times. The Nigerian contingent did not win medals at the main Olympics, due to the usual stories of mismanagement and sloppiness, forgetting to register Favour Ofili for the 100 metres race and one of our athletes – cyclist Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye- having to borrow a bicycle from the German team, but the D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team reached the quarter finals, the first African basketball team to do so at the Olympics. The team’s coach Rena Wakama was named the best female basketball coach at the games. Nigeria’s main moments at the Olympics were later recorded in the Paralympics with the stunning performance of the Nigerian contingent winning a total of seven medals. Folashade Oluwafemiayo won gold medals in para-power lifting, while Eniola Bolaji, 18 years old, became the first African to win a medal in para-badminton.  It was also the year of Elizabeth Osoba, Nigeria;’s first female boxing world champion. Nor would anyone forget in a hurry the heroism of Ademola Lookman and his phenomenal achievements. He was crowned the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year. In May, he scored a hat trick to win the UEFA Europa League for Atalanta beating Bayer Leverkusen. He was shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or, finishing 14^th on the final list. Internationally, it was also the year of Max Verstappen who secured his fourth consecutive title in Formula One Grand Prix. It was also the year of Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles. He retired in November, one of the greats who played tennis in the modern era.  Other standout sporting champions of 2024 include Rodri (Ballon d’Or), Aitana Bonmati, (Ballon d’Or), Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Junior (FIFA Men’s Player of the Year), Keely Hodgkinson, Barbra Banda, and Carlo Ancelotti. 

For many Nigerians, it was by all means an exciting year in entertainment. Nigerian artistes: Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake, Ayra Starr, Tems, Rema and others at every turn placed Nigeria’s name on the global map. In filmmaking, Femi Adebayo, with two movies, Jagun Jagun and Seven Doors stretched the scope of possibilities and creativity in Nollywood. David Oriakhi was brilliant with the film, The Weekend. Funke Akindele ended the year on a good note with her exciting film, Everybody Loves Jenifa, a strong reminder of the enormous value and potential of Nigeria’s creative sector. In Lagos, Bolanle Austen-Peters Terra Kulture, remained the go-to venue for cultural revival. All said, people may have experienced vastly different fortunes in the year 2024, but for surviving the year, we are all winners.  What a year! What a relief! Here is to a new year of hope and better promise…

Nigerian disc jockey DJ Kulet has publicly announced the end of her 8-month marriage to Ohis Emmanuel.

In a Facebook post, she cited several serious allegations as the reasons for their separation.

These allegations include a video confession by Emmanuel, in which he admitted to molesting a 20-year-old cousin and her friend.

DJ Kulet stated that she had initially forgiven Emmanuel for his infidelity but later discovered evidence of more severe offenses.

According to DJ Kulet, Emmanuel’s behavior has shown a pattern of targeting minors, and he continues to engage in infidelity with multiple women.

She also alleged that Emmanuel sexually abused a 13-year-old minor for six months.

DJ Kulet expressed her commitment to exposing people who pose a threat to others, particularly in light of her own experiences as a victim.

In the post, DJ Kulet stated:

“I, DJ KULET, am publicly disassociating myself from my ex-husband, Ohis Emmanuel (aka Benjamin), due to his egregious and reprehensible actions. Despite overwhelming evidence (including chats, photos, videos, and voice notes) of his infidelity, he has refused to change his ways.

“The final straw was the shocking discovery of his prolonged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old minor, which occurred under my roof for six months.

“In our short-lived marriage of less than 8 months, I have treated infections three times. As a VICTIM myself, I feel compelled to expose individuals like him to protect others”.

Nigerian musician Naira Marley has addressed the controversy surrounding his career following the tragic death of his former signee, Mohbad.

In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, Naira Marley spoke about being blacklisted by many in the Nigerian music industry and the public, especially after Mohbad’s passing in September 2023.

The Marlian Music boss, once known for having a massive fanbase, has faced significant backlash since Mohbad’s death, with many accusing him of involvement or negligence in the matter.

Despite the intense criticism, Naira Marley wrote on X;

“Only God can cancel me.”

The post quickly went viral, igniting a flurry of reactions from Nigerians across social media.

Some users expressed that Naira Marley’s music no longer resonates with them, with one user, Sir Freddy, claiming that “nobody is listening to Naira’s music anymore.”

Others, like Makana, argued that the singer’s time had passed, while Tobi Akinbo suggested that Mohbad had effectively “cancelled” Naira Marley even before his death.

 
Netizens Reactions…

kinglytie_ said: “Who else no remember this guy >>>>.”

the_real_watife said: “lol ? Who is this one again?”

Dapeterzstudios said: “Well he’s right only God can cancel a man.”

Lilreelex said; “Mugun who dey hear your music before.”

Tush__tush24 said: “U wey heaven and earth don cancel ?.”

patpat_ugwu said: “Who still dey remember this one just dey sale your drugz cos God don cancel you since.”

An_na_bella11 said: “In as much as I don’t support what he did, but this one he said here, he’s actually right, only God can cancel anybody.” Dunsynn: “We are also gods on earth, created in his image.

See below;

Francis Nwifuru says God used Dave Umahi, the minister of works, to make him the governor of Ebonyi state.

Nwifuru, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), won the governorship election in March 2023 to replace Umahi, the incumbent governor, at the time.

Speaking on Monday in Ebonyi during an empowerment programme organised by Nkemkanma Kama, a member representing the Ohaoazara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency, the governor said he is the “greatest beneficiary” of Umahi’s government.

Nwifuru, who described Umahi as a goal-getter, added that the minister was also influential in his election as the speaker of the state house of assembly for eight years.

“God would have used another person to make me governor, but Umahi was the only person available to be used,” Nwifuru said.

“At the time God searched for a person to use in making me governor, Umahi made himself available.

“I performed the duty honestly, and that is why I am proud to have him as a boss.

“Umahi as a governor excelled in ensuring peace, infrastructure, and human capital development among other sectors.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigerians should never lose hope about the prospect of the country despite the current economic hardship.

During an interview on Arise TV on Monday, Obasanjo said the country said he is an incurable optimist, who believes that Nigeria will get to “where God wants us to be”.

“We wish all Nigerians a happy and prosperous new year, and I will say to Nigerians, we’re going through hardship, but they should never lose hope,” the former president said.

“I’m an incurable optimist about Nigeria, and we have a great country.

 

“Where we are is not where God wants us to be, and I believe that sooner than later we will get to where God wants us to be.

“God wants Nigeria to be a land flowing with milk and honey, not a desert, a basket case, or a failed country.

“That we’re where we are is either by inadvertent or advertent actions of our leaders and followers to some extent, but God is God of great things for Nigeria. I believe God has great things for Nigeria in the immediate future.”

The former president noted that true leadership extends beyond the corridors of power, adding that it is the responsibility of political officeholders to use experiences and connections gained in office to advance humanity.

“Whether you spend two years or 10 years in office, you acquire certain experiences and build relationships that can be tapped into for the good of the world,” he said.

Obasanjo, reflecting on global climate, decried a “deficit of leadership” across all sectors, particularly in politics, and urged current and former leaders to continue serving their countries and the world after leaving office.

“At the political level, it matters most because politics drives all other things, but at all levels, and I’m not also talking about incumbent leaders,” he said.

“Incumbent leaders matter more because they have the power and all that goes with the power, but those that also have had the opportunity and God has endowed, they should realise that the world we are living in, that we call a village, if anybody fails to play his part and his role in that village, that village will soon be spoiled, and that must be clear to all of us.”

‘TRUMP MUST NOT IGNORE AFRICA’

Obasanjo said US President-elect Donald Trump must accord Africans due respect and dignity as he is about to assume leadership of the White House.

In 2018, Trump was alleged to have said African countries, alongside Haiti and El Salvador, constituted ‘shitholes’ where “undesirable migrants” were coming into the US.

Trump has since denied describing any race as coming from “shithole countries,” adding that he has high regard for Nigerians.

Obasanjo said it is time to prove to Trump that what he called a “shithole” is not it, noting that America has an enlightened interest in Africa.

“Whether anybody likes it or not, the American people have decided that Trump will be their leader, and Trump, being the American people’s leader, will lead America for the next four years and will be the leader of the world,” he said.

“America is the greatest country in the world for now. It may change in a few years.

“Maybe China will take over and become the largest economy or surpass America in terms of technology or military power, but for today America is that country, and we cannot say we have nothing to do with Trump.

“We have to find a way of letting Trump know that what he calls a ‘shithole’ is not it, and we have to make him understand that.

“I believe that there will be policymakers around him that we can reach and talk to.

“America has an enlightened interest in Africa, and we must tell him, ‘This is your interest, and don’t ignore it. We’re ready to work with you; give us the respect and dignity that is due to us, respect our citizens who are in your country, and let us work together for a peaceful world.

“A world that is secured, stable, and where prosperity is shared, and security will be common for everybody’. I believe Trump will understand that.”

First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) has laid off about 100 senior staff members in a major organisational shakeup.

According to a report by Nairametrics on Monday, sources familiar with the matter said the bank’s top executives were asked to leave — as part of its corporate restructuring and repositioning plan for 2025 — following the confirmation of Olusegun Alebiosu as FBN’s managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) in June.

The sources told the publication that the exits appear to be part of a concerted effort by the board led by Femi Otedola, its chairman, to introduce fresh blood into several leadership positions in the bank. 

However, another source within the bank said some of the exits were voluntary, especially for senior executives who intend to explore other career prospects.

 

The publication said the shakeup also affected a prominent executive director whose tenure was not renewed over mutually agreed circumstances.

On December 9, Otedola asked Folake Ani-Mumuney to resign as the bank’s global head of marketing and corporate communications.

Ani-Mumuney’s resignation was demanded after Otedola learned that a whopping sum was spent on a send-off party for Adesola Adeduntan, the former MD of the bank who was reportedly forced to resign over alleged negligence in a N60 billion electronic fraud.

The federal ministry of works has allocated N2 billion for the purchase of vehicles for senior special assistants (SSAs).

President Bola Tinubu, on December 13, presented a record N49.7 trillion as the proposed budget for 2025 to a joint session of the upper and lower legislative chambers.

Tinubu said the proposal aligns with the renewed hope agenda and reflects the administration’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives, and repositioning the country for greater performance. 

In the appropriation bill, the vehicle expenses are included in the 2025 executive budget of the federal ministry of works.

According to the budget breakdown, the federal road maintenance agency was allocated N64.88 billion, which includes N4.92 billion for personnel costs, N33.47 billion for overheads, and N26.49 billion for capital projects.

The regional centre for training in aerospace survey was allocated N510.09 million, entirely for capital projects, with no funds set aside for personnel or overhead costs.

Overall, the ministry and its agencies were allocated N1.14 trillion, with the majority of the funds directed towards capital development.