AFOLABI

AFOLABI

Spotify, a global music streaming platform, has announced Nigerian music sensations, Ayra Starr and Tems, as the most streamed Nigerian artists globally.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa, announced this in Lagos on Wednesday.

 

Okumu said that the top 30 artists who had gained the biggest global numbers were revealed in Spotify’s music global impact list for 2024.

 

She said that Rauw Alexandro and Ayra Starr’s Santa came top of the list, and Ayra Starr’s Comma emerged second while Tem’s Love Me Jeje, came third.

According to her, Luciano and Omah Lay’s Another Vibe came fourth; Savage and Burna Boy’s Metro Booming Just Like Me clinched the fifth most streamed while Tyla and Tems’s No.1 came sixth.

“Spotify has unveiled its global Impact List in Nigeria, recognising the top 30 tracks from Nigeria with the biggest global impact on Spotify over the first half of 2024.

“The list recognises Nigerian tracks that have had the most listens from outside Nigeria in the first half of 2024, and were released between January 1 and June 30.

“Usher and Pheelz’s Ruin is the seventh Nigerian most streamed across the globe, Reis B and Tempoe’s Pretty Girl came eighth and TitoM, Yuppe, Burna Boy and S.N.E’s Tshwala Bam, clinched the ninth position.

“Ayra Starr and Giveon’s Last Heartbreak Song is the tenth, Victony’s Everything came 11th, Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr’s Hype emerged 12th most streamed while Tems and J.Cole’s Free Fall, came 13th.

“Nigerian music, especially Afrobeats, has captivated global audiences with its infectious rhythms, compelling storytelling, and innovative sound fusions.

 

“Its ability to transcend cultural and geographical boundaries is truly remarkable. At Spotify, we are thrilled to witness and support the continued evolution of this vibrant scene,” she said.

Okumu noted that female artistes, particularly Ayra Starr and Tems, were leading the charge with top-ranking hits following their recent album releases.

She said that the list also underscored the prevalence of international collaborations, with eight of the top ten tracks featuring partnerships with global superstars.

According to her, these collaborations range from Pheelz with Usher to Burna Boy with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, which demonstrates the cross-cultural appeal and growing global impact of Nigerian music.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other top Nigerian artistes include 14th– Usher, Burna Boy – Coming Home; 15th— Ayra Starr, Seyi Vibez – Bad Vibes, among others.

Actor Saidi Balogun has voiced his support for Toyin Abraham, stressing that celebrities have the same rights to protect their mental well-being as anyone else.

He highlighted the hypocrisy of criticizing celebrities for actions like involving the police in defamation cases, which non-celebrities frequently do.

Balogun argued that celebrities should have the same freedom to express themselves and safeguard their mental space as everyone else.

He wrote on Instagram, “You use police to arrest your neighbours for the most minor reasons; e reach celebrity turn, you say it’s bullying. Stop the emotional blackmail. Celebrities are humans, just like you. You are free to say what you like, right? Let celebrities be free to take whatever actions they want to protect their mental space. Freedom should not be selective. God bless.”

His post comes amid the controversy surrounding Toyin Abraham’s petition to the police against a social media user who defamed her, which was misreported as an arrest.

Reggae dancehall singer Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, popularly known as Patoranking, shared an inspiring story of his journey from poverty to stardom, urging youth to leverage their talents to uplift their communities and Africa as a whole.

Speaking at the launch of the Timbuktoo Fintech Hub in Lagos, where he was unveiled as the UNDP Goodwill Africa Ambassador for Youth Innovation, Enterprise, and the SDGs, Patoranking recalled his humble beginnings in the Ebute Metta urban slum in Lagos.

He spoke of hawking on the streets with his father to make ends meet, yet remaining focused on his goals despite the challenges.


The Afrobeat artist, who has collaborated with musicians from Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and beyond, highlighted the importance of harnessing talents to drive positive change.


He said: “I hawked on the streets of Lagos with my father. Many years ago, I used to sell on this street [Kings Way road]. It used to be a very hot spot for trading. Many years later, everything that I pictured I wanted to become, the man I wanted to become is who I am now. So when I was driving down to this place it was a little bit of a teary moment for me because I saw myself [on this road].


“That is why I have songs with artists from Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and so on. I accept to be the UNDP Goodwill Africa Ambassador for Youth Innovation, Enterprise, and the SDGs. Today, I am not just an artist, I am a voice for many African youths who desire to make Africa work for themselves and their communities.”

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, 10th July, presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

According to details of the meeting shared on X by presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, the council meeting took off with the swearing-in of eight new permanent secretaries. Thereafter, council members congratulated President Tinubu on his re-election as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States for another one-year term.

 

The meeting, among other things, deliberated on the Procurement Act, Samoa Agreement, separation of universities from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform, the establishment of a University of Technology in Abuja as well as the new Ministry of Livestock Development.

Here are the takeaways:

PROCUREMENT ACT

The council deliberated on the need to align project costs with the budget heads and avoid augmentation after the awards of contracts. Council learnt that the augmented contracts are those inherited by the Tinubu Administration, with most of them awarded more than 10-15 years ago.

The Council decided that the Attorney-General of the Federation should review the Procurement Act in operation since 2007 to bring it in line with contemporary demands.

Henceforth, ministries were urged to reconcile project costs with budget provisions and where extra funding is needed, get the clearance of the Minister of Budget and Minister of Finance. The two ministers will now serve as a clearing house for capital projects, requiring extra-budgetary spending.

SAMOA AGREEMENT

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Minister of Information and National Orientation reported to the council about the misinformation being disseminated by a Nigerian newspaper against the EU-ACP agreement to sow disaffection against the Tinubu Administration.

The Minister of Budget reiterated that there is no issue of LGBTQ in the international agreement signed by the Nigerian government. He and the Attorney General also reported that the agreement does not contain any clause that conflicts with our laws and the Constitution, citing the position of the Nigerian Bar Association. Minister of Information reported on the complaint filed against the newspaper with the Ombudsman of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria.

ASUU AND IPPIS

The council asked the Secretary of the Government of the Federation to expedite the implementation of the council decision made months ago, separating the universities from the IPPIS platform.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ABUJA

The Council ratified the anticipatory approval given on 28 May 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to establish the university in the Federal Capital. The university is the first of the network of Pan African Institutes of Science and Technology dedicated to teaching African scientists and technologists.

MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT

Council decided that the Ministry be excised from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and developed along the lines suggested by the Presidential Livestock Development Committee, now headed by Professor Attahiru Jega.

Although many contract memos were stepped down, the FEC approved some others. Among them were:

1. Facility Maintenance Service submitted by EFCC, in favour of Julius Berger at a cost of N392 Million. The contract sum was less than the N533m approved in 2018 for the yearly maintenance of the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja.

2. Procurement of 2000 tractors, 4000 disc ploughs, 1000 disc ridges, 1200 tractor trailers and assorted spare parts. The items to be supplied are for the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP) to strengthen national food security. Aftrade DMCC, which has done a similar job in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Togo, will supply all the equipment and will also set up a plant to assemble the machinery, in the second stage of the contract.

3. Contract for the engineering audit of upstream measurement equipment and facilities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Upstream Sector in favour of Messrs. PE Energy Limited. Completion will be 180 days.

4. Contract for the procurement of pre-field development studies for advanced declaration solution Technology in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Upstream Sector, in favour of Messrs. P-Lyne Energy Limited. Completion will also be in 180 days.

5. Two Contracts for the supply of SUVs and other operational vehicles to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. The contracts are in favour of Elizade Nigeria Limited, Lanre Shittu Motors and Vinicius Global Link Ltd.

6. Contract for the procurement of low and high-voltage substation connectors in favour of Messrs. Maglous Enterprises Limited. The connectors are for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, the council adjourned till Monday 15 July.

The Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has asserted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not aware of events happening outside the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.

According to him, the Nigerian leader has been trapped and confined by specific groups.

 

Lawmaker representing Borno South senatorial district made this remark during a press conference on Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

Ndume expressed his frustration that President Tinubu’s administration has not taken significant steps to address the ongoing security issues plaguing the nation.

He stated that the public’s dissatisfaction stems from the government’s inability to effectively address the issues of poverty, insecurity, and hunger, among others, which have severely impacted the nation.

Ndume said: “Mr President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us won’t go through the backdoor to engage him.

“Now they have stopped him from talking, and he doesn’t have public affairs managers, except his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements. Nigerians are getting very angry.

“The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity and it needs to do something urgently. We don’t have a food reserve. There is an unavailability of food. The food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to the security crisis, it will be severe.

“The President should wake up; it seems he isn’t in the picture of what is happening because he has been caged off. He has been fenced off by plutocrats. He should open his doors and meet those who will tell him the truth.

“Unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried not only for the President himself but myself.”

Regarding the crisis involving farmers and herders, Ndume mentioned that those involved have not shown genuine commitment to tackling the problem, pointing out that efforts have consistently been influenced by ethnic feelings.

During a conversation with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, Ndume highlighted the federal government’s struggle to deal with these problems as a significant obstacle, further stating that certain ministers find it difficult to have discussions with President Tinubu about the issue.

He had said: “The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the President, not to mention members of the National Assembly, who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies.”

The Federal Government has declared that the ongoing food crisis will subside in the next one hundred and eighty days.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari, announced this via his social media platform on Wednesday, July 10.

 

This announcement comes at a time when Nigerians are expressing frustration over the hardship and hunger in the country.

Kyari, however, has outlined the strategies that will be put in place during this period to address the issue.

He said: “Our administration has unveiled a series of strategic measures aimed at addressing the high food prices currently affecting our nation. These measures will be implemented over the next 180 days.”

His publication reads: “150-Day Duty-Free Import Window for Food Commodities:

“Suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities through land and sea borders. These commodities include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas.

“Imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP). We understand concerns about the quality of these imports, especially regarding their genetic composition. The government assures that all standards will be maintained to ensure the safety and quality of food items for consumption.

“The Federal Government will import 250,000 metric tons of wheat and 250,000 metric tons of maize. These semi-processed commodities will be supplied to small-scale processors and millers across the country.

“Engagement with relevant stakeholders to set a GMP and purchase surplus food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve.”

It added: “Ramp-Up of Production for the 2024/2025 Farming Cycle:

“Continued support to smallholder farmers during the ongoing wet season farming through existing government initiatives; Strengthening and accelerating dry season farming nationwide;

“Embarking on aggressive agricultural mechanization to reduce drudgery, lower production costs, and boost productivity.

Collaborating with sub-national entities to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation; Working closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to rehabilitate and maintain irrigation facilities under river basin authorities across the federation.

“Developing strategic engagement for youth and women for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops such as tomatoes and pepper to increase production volume, stabilize prices, and address food shortages; Fast-tracking ongoing engagements with the Nigerian Military to rapidly cultivate arable lands under the Defence Farms Scheme and encouraging other para-military establishments to utilize available arable lands for cultivation.

“Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee; This committee was inaugurated on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, to develop and implement policies prioritizing livestock development in alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan, and a ministry of Livestock Development has been created.

  • Enhancement of Nutrition Security
  • Promoting the production of fortified food commodities.
  • Supporting the scale-up of the Home Garden Initiative by the Office of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Kyari also explained that “Over the next 14 days, in close collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), we will convene with respective agencies to finalize the implementation frameworks. We will ensure that information is publicly available to facilitate the participation of all relevant stakeholders across the country.”

According to him, the success of these measures hinges on the cooperation and collaboration of all relevant MDAs and stakeholders.

“As our nation confronts this critical food security challenge, I reiterate President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to achieving food security and ensuring that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry.

“My team and I will work swiftly and diligently to actualize these crucial policies, ensuring food security for everyone in the immediate term while continuing our strategies for long-term interventions to address underlying causes and ensure sustainable and resilient food systems in Nigeria,” the Minister added.

The National Assembly have commenced moves to make significant changes to the Nigerian constitution.

One of such changes is the creation of new states in some parts of the country.

 

Seven new states have been proposed at the National Assembly, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Below are the list of proposed states:

Oke-Ogun State

The proposed Oke-Ogun state will be carved out of the present Oyo state. It comprises 12 local government areas, which are: Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, and Iseyin.

The bill for the creation of the Oke-Ogun, Ijebu and Ife-Ijesha states was sponsored by Honourable Oluwole Oke, a lawmaker representing the people of Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun state.

Etiti State 

The new state is in the southeast region.

The bill was proposed on Tuesday, July 2. The House held the first reading of the bill seeking to establish the new state, which was sponsored by five lawmakers: Miriam Onuoha, Chinwe Nnabuife, Amobi Ogah, Anayo Onwuegbu, and Kama Nkemkama.

According to the bill, the proposed Etiti state will be carved out of the five southeast states, namely Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Abia, and Imo.

Ijebu state

Like, Oke-Ogun state, Ijebu state was also sponsored by Honourable Oke in the lower chamber.

Ijebu state, as proposed, will be carved out of the present Ogun state.

It comprises nine local government areas: Ijebu East, Ijebu North-East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, Sagamu, and some parts of the Ogun state capital, Abeokuta (partially).

The proposed Ijebu state is situated in southwestern Nigeria, bordering Lagos State to the west and Ondo state to the east. The region is known for its rich cultural heritage, historical significance, and economic importance.

Ife-Ijesha

Another state the Osun lawmaker proposed is Ife-Ijesha, which would be carved out of the present Osun state.

The proposed state comprises nine local government areas: Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Ilesa East, and Ilesa West.

Adada state

The bill for the creation of Adada State passed its first reading on July 2. It was sponsored by Senator Okey Ezea.

The state is to be created from the existing Enugu North senatorial district.

The proposed Adada state would comprise six local government areas: Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Udenu, Nsukka, Igga, and Uzo-Uwani. Nsukka, a major urban centre in Enugu state, would serve as the new state’s capital.

Orlu State

The proposed state is in the southeast region. Orlu will have 28 local government areas.

Anioma State 

The state is also in the southeast region.

Anioma will have nine local government areas.


Super Falcons of Nigeria midfielder, Jennifer Echegini, has completed her move to the French D1 Arkema side, Paris Saint-Germain women’s club.

Jennifer Echegini started her football development at SCE Nijmegen, a club in her country of birth, the Netherlands.

The 23-year-old midfielder went on to play for Charlton Athletic, Millwall Lionesses, and Arsenal youth club.

Between 2019 and 2023, Echegini played college football in the United States at Mississippi State Bulldogs, and at Florida State Seminoles.

Italian Serie A women’s club, Juventus, gave the midfielder her first professional contract in 2024.

Months later, Juve decided to sell her to Paris Saint Germain women’s club for an undisclosed fee after scoring 10 goals in 16 games for the Italian side.

After completing her move to the French club, Jennifer Echegini said: “I am experiencing a great moment in my career today. Signing for Paris Saint-Germain is a huge source of pride. I am very proud to join a club that is recognized around the world for its ambition and excellence.

“I can’t wait to get started and I can’t wait to give the best of myself to try to win, with my teammates and for the supporters, as many trophies as possible.”

Note that Jennifer Echegini is part of coach Randy Waldrum’s Super Falcons Olympics squad. The Falcons are currently preparing for the tournament in Sevilla, Spain.

Nigeria’s external reserves increased to $35.05 billion on July 8 — the highest since May 30, 2023.

According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the foreign reserves rose by $280 million from $34.77 billion on July 5.

TheCable Index observed that the country’s foreign reserves recorded steady increases in July — reaching the highest so far in the year.

The foreign reserves rose from $34.34 billion to $34.43 billion, 34.55 billion, and $34.66 billion from July 1 to 4, respectively.

The latest data is also the first time Nigeria’s external reserves would reach such levels since May 30, 2023 (at $35.09 billion) — a day after the present administration took office.

Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, the federal government, through the CBN, has introduced several policies to improve the foreign exchange (FX) market and strengthen the naira.

One of the latest interventions is the apex bank’s directive to banks to transfer all excess foreign currency notes to its Lagos or Abuja branches.

 

“In order to deepen the foreign exchange market, boost liquidity and attain convergence in the exchange rates of the parallel and official markets, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved that DMBs may deposit their excess foreign currency notes with Lagos and Abuja branches of the Bank,” CBN had said.

“The approval is a response to the increasing demand by DMBs to deposit their forex cash with CBN for onward credit to their off-shore accounts with the correspondent banks.”

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of CBN, on June 25, said the apex bank is “relatively pleased” with the progress it has made in stabilising the naira.

Meanwhile, despite the positive movement in foreign reserves, the naira weakened at the close of Wednesday, trading at N1,561 against the dollar in the official window.

 

The Kaduna house of assembly has responded to comments by ex-commissioners in the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor, defending their principal concerning the alleged financial mispropriation during his regime.

The Kaduna assembly asked the former commissioners to save their energy to respond to questions from anti-graft agencies on the alleged corruption during their administration.

BACKGROUND

On March 30, Uba Sani, the incumbent governor of Kaduna, said his administration inherited a debt of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the el-Rufai administration.

He said the huge debt burden is eating deep into the state’s share of the monthly federation allocation.

Subsequently, the Kaduna assembly recommended that el-Rufai be probed over alleged N423 billion misappropriation.

The assembly made the recommendation after receiving the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to probe the administration of the former governor.

 

However, el-Rufai denied the allegations and took legal action against the state house of assembly.

In a statement on Tuesday, eight former commissioners under the el-Rufai administration described the probe as an “attempt to inflict maximum reputational damage on certain selected members of the Kaduna State Executive Council, Class of 2015–2023.”.

The former cabinet members said the committee’s report “oozes malice and patent unfairness” toward the administration of the former governor.

ONLY ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES CAN DISAPPROVE OUR FINDINGS’

 

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Henry Magaji, deputy speaker of the house, the Kaduna assembly said the former commissioners refused to address the “systematic and coordinated cornering of the resources of Kaduna State through phoney contracts and outright looting”.

Magaji said anti-corruption agencies have been called upon to invite those indicted in the report.

“The press conference was just a rehash of the vituperations and innuendoes heaped on us by the former political appointees in their first press briefing,” the statement reads.

“There was nothing new that should warrant our response. They failed to address the main issue, which is the systematic and coordinated cornering of the resources of Kaduna State through phoney contracts and outright looting.

 

“The state house of assembly, in line with its constitutional mandate and in response to public demand, carried out a thorough probe into the humongous debts incurred by the immediate past administration without commensurate projects.

“We dug deep and unearthed the monumental heist carried out in Kaduna State in the guise of project execution.

 

“It is the anti-corruption agencies that can either validate or disprove our findings, not individuals who spent their days in public office cornering the common patrimony of the people of Kaduna state and mortgaging the future of its children and grandchildren.

“Our findings revealed a litany of poorly executed projects, abandoned projects, and projects that exist only in the imagination of executive scammers.”

 

The Kaduna assembly said the lawmakers have performed their duties to the people, adding that the indicted persons should answer questions on the allegations against them.