In the often polarizing world of politics, moments of civility and grace can seem like a relic of a bygone era. Yet, the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter offered a rare glimpse of what respectful political coexistence can look like. It was a moment where ideological adversaries and estranged allies set aside their differences to honor a man whose life epitomized public service and humility. Former President Donald Trump shook hands with his one-time vice president, Mike Pence, and exchanged a rare and serious dialogue with Barack Obama. These simple acts of civility are a masterclass in decorum that Nigerian politicians would do well to emulate.

In Nigeria, where the political landscape is often marred by acrimony, unrelenting rivalry, and an utter disregard for decorum, this moment offers a valuable lesson. It underscores that even in the face of deep disagreements, mutual respect can, and must, prevail. Nigerian politicians need to imbibe this lesson, particularly as the country continues to grapple with divisive political narratives and an economic crisis that demands unity of purpose among its leaders.

The handshake between Trump and Pence was no ordinary gesture. It was a moment laden with historical significance, as it marked the first public reconciliation, however tentative, between two men whose relationship had been severely fractured. Pence had refused Trump’s demands to overturn the 2020 election results, a decision that incited Trump’s supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021, endangering Pence’s life. Yet, both men put their differences aside, if only for a day, to pay their respects to Carter.

Even more striking was Trump’s engagement with Barack Obama, a president whose legacy he had spent much of his own presidency trying to dismantle. The image of the two men talking, Obama nodding seriously before breaking into a smile, served as a powerful reminder that politics need not always be a zero-sum game. It is possible to disagree vehemently without dehumanizing one another.

Contrast this with the Nigerian political arena, where such moments of grace are almost unheard of. The bitterness of electoral campaigns often lingers long after elections are over, poisoning relationships and perpetuating divisions. Political opponents are not just rivals but are often treated as enemies to be vanquished. Even within parties, internal disagreements frequently lead to public spats, defections, and long-standing grudges.

Nigerian politicians must recognize that statesmanship goes beyond winning elections or securing political appointments. It involves fostering unity, building bridges, and maintaining a standard of civility that sets a positive example for citizens. The handshake between Trump and Pence, as well as the dialogue between Trump and Obama, is a reminder that true leaders prioritize the collective good over personal grievances.

Nigeria’s recent political history is littered with missed opportunities for such statesmanship. The fallout between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, is a case in point. Their public feud, which began during their time in office, continues to reverberate in Nigerian politics today. Similarly, the longstanding animosity between President Bola Tinubu and his political ally-turned-rival, Akinwunmi Ambode, serves as another reminder of how personal vendettas often take precedence over governance.

If Trump, Pence, and Obama, men with significant ideological and personal differences, can demonstrate civility on such a public stage, what excuse do Nigerian politicians have? Their inability to rise above petty squabbles not only undermines governance but also erodes public trust in the political process.

The importance of civility in politics cannot be overstated. It fosters a culture of mutual respect that makes constructive dialogue possible. In a country as diverse as Nigeria, where ethnic, religious, and regional differences often intersect with political affiliations, such a culture is essential for national unity. Civility also sets the tone for how ordinary citizens engage with one another. When politicians treat each other with respect, it sends a powerful message to their supporters about the importance of peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, moments of civility can have a calming effect during periods of national crisis. Imagine the impact it would have if political leaders from opposing parties came together to jointly address Nigeria’s economic challenges or the ongoing security crisis. Such a gesture would not only inspire hope but also demonstrate that the country’s leaders are capable of putting national interest above personal ambition.

To achieve this level of statesmanship, Nigeria must address the underlying political culture that perpetuates animosity. This includes fostering a political environment where dissent is not seen as betrayal, and where losing an election does not mean exclusion from governance. Political parties also have a role to play in promoting internal democracy and resolving conflicts amicably.

The media, too, has a responsibility. Just as the American media highlighted the significance of the interactions at Carter’s funeral, Nigerian journalists must focus on promoting narratives that encourage civility rather than sensationalizing conflicts.

Nigerian politicians must rise to the occasion. The challenges facing the country, from a struggling economy to widespread insecurity, require leaders who can set aside their differences and work collaboratively. The rare moment of civility at Carter’s funeral serves as a blueprint for how this can be achieved.

As we approach another election cycle, it is imperative that Nigerian politicians reflect on the example set by Trump, Pence, and Obama. They must ask themselves whether their actions contribute to the unity or further division of the country. The handshake between Trump and Pence may have lasted only a few seconds, but its implications are timeless. It is a reminder that even the bitterest rivalries can be softened by a shared commitment to something greater than oneself.

Let this moment be a wake-up call for Nigeria’s political class. Civility is not a sign of weakness but a hallmark of true leadership. In the words of former President Jimmy Carter, whose life was being honored on that day, “We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” For Nigerian politicians, one of those unchanging principles should be respect for one another, regardless of differences.

“Two thirds of people in Scotland identify only as Scottish, not British, according to new findings from the census”

“1.8 million people identify as Welsh only (58% of the population) and 218,000 identify their national identity as Welsh-British (7% of the population”)

I was reintroduced to the controversy over the origins, wherewithal and proprietary rights of the name Yoruba, by the altercation between Professor Peter Ekeh and Dr Bala Usman in 2001.

The original introduction came from “Colonialism and the Two Publics of Africa: A Theoretical Statement” by Professor Peter Ekeh. It was published by the Journal of Comparative Studies in 1975

The first salvo was fired by Dr Bala Usman whose ‘imperial historiography’ started with this bombast: “The fact is that, the earliest record we have of the use of the very name “Yoruba” was in the Hausa language and it seems to have applied to the people of the Alafinate of Oyo”.

“This came from the writings of the seventeenth century Katsina scholar, Dan Masani (1595-1667), who wrote a book on Muslim scholars of the ‘Yarriba.’ But it was from a book of the Sarkin Musulmi Bello, written in the early nineteenth century, that the name became more widely used”.

“The Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the Reverend Samuel Johnson, and his brother Obadiah Johnson, among others, came, in the nineteenth century, to widely spread this Hausa name to the people who now bear it, in their writings”

‘Anybody who has read the scholarly writings that have come out of the University of Ibadan from the early 1950’s knows that there has never been and there is nothing like a Yoruba “Race”. There is no way ignorant people can lead. Unless something is done these nincompoops will continue to shout true federalism”

In response, Ekeh countered in (The Mischief of History: Bala Usman’s Unmaking of Nigerian History By Peter Ekeh, Urhobo Historical Society) 

“In the week of April 18th through 25th, 2001, the Nigerian internet community received an ample supply of Bala Usman’s essay titled “Misrepresentation of Nigeria” and “Ignorance, Knowledge and Democratic Politics in Nigeria”..

It is the text of his presentation at a symposium at Bayero University, Kano, on Tuesday, 17th April 2001..” It was a frontal attack on the notion that the Yoruba and Igbo had their own autonomous history, independent of Nigeria”.

“Bala Usman is telling us in his two essays that the Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, and Urhobo — his principal examples — had no histories until they were created by British imperialism”

“So what is Bala Usman’s proof that the name “Yoruba” is an “Hausa name”? It is so, to repeat, because, he says, “the earliest record [sic] we have of the use of the very name ‘Yoruba’ was in the Hausa language” — from the writings of a man born in 1595!

“But in fact the name Yoruba was used by a Timbucktu theologian, Ahmad Baba, who was already a distinguished scholar long before Dan Masani was born in 1595. Moreover, Ahmad Baba (1556-1627) wrote in Arabic, not in the Hausa language”.”

I like to upgrade Ekeh’s rebuttal with the disclosure that Usman actually exhibited ignorance in his agitation “that there has never been and there is nothing like a Yoruba race”. To think that he actually titled his missive “Ignorance, Knowledge and Democratic Politics in Nigeria”

He was, of course, writing to the answer of a predetermined conclusion conspicuously manifested in his “misrepresentation of Nigeria”. My former boss at the Guardian, Godwin Darah referred to him in his response as an ‘ideological point man of the Fulani oligarchy for decades’

Regardless of the plausibility of the myth of Oduduwa, the conception of this “Yoruba race” is not determined by biology…or the Oduduwa myth.

Long before Usman passed on, the conception of what constitutes a race has gone beyond biological determinism. ‘Many scholars now consider race to be a social construction.

This means that racial categories, such as “black,” “white,” or “Asian,” are not based on natural or inevitable human differences but are the result of social ideas, values, and practices’

The more the embarrassment for Usman given his affectation of structuralism and socialism while intermittently spewing fascist outbursts.

Of a similar Pan Muslim North ideological orientation, Professor Farooq Kperogi turned on Mrs Kemi Badenock, the leader of the Conservative Party in the UnitedKingdom, UK. “Well, since Ms. Badenoch hates northern Nigeria that much, she might also consider rejecting even the term Yoruba, as it originates from—of all places—northern Nigeria!”

Professor Moyo Okediji rightly made the point. “Why do they assume that if x is found in Yoruba language and it is also found in the Arabic language, x must be an Arabic word by default, but not a Yoruba?. His editor at the Saturday Tribune seconded Okediji in similarly argued article four years ago.

There is also the manipulation of the translation of what Ahmad Baba actually said.The reproduction of his original text (as translated by John Hunwick and Fatima Harrak for the Institute of African Studies Rabat), reads:

“Those who come to you from the following [sic] clans: the Mossi, the Gurma, the Busa, the Yorko, the Ku Tukul, the Yoruba, the Tanbugbu, the Bobo) are considered non-believers who still adhere to non-belief until now…. You are allowed to own all these”

In his book, titled “Partitioned Borgu: State, Society and Politics in a West African Border Region” to which Kperogi made copious reference Dr. Hussaini Abdu rationalised “It’s obvious that Ahmad Baba “Yoruba” as “Yariba” in his 1613 essay because Arabic, the language in which he wrote, does not have the vowel “o.”. The three dominant vowels in Arabic are “a,” “I,” and “u. 

So how, then, does Abdu account for the use of the vowel ‘o’ in the words “the Mossi, the Yorko, the Bobo, as they appeared alongside Yoruba in the original text? ie (“Those who come to you from the following [sic] clans: the Mossi, the Gurma, the Busa, the Yorko, the Ku Tukul, the Yoruba, the Tanbugbu, the Bobo”).

It is not that Kperogi was not aware of the crucial point made by Olagunju and Okediji …it is just that it does not serve the purpose of his neo Bala Usman scholarship. 

He thereafter embarked on a relentless heckling of the Yoruba in his Saturday Tribune column (“Kemi Badenoch’s Yoruba Identity Meets Inconvenient Truths”)

Surprisingly, there are some simple historical facts that one would not expect an average general reader to get confused about.

Kperogi wrote “I was shocked to read recently that even Ibadan, the administrative capital of Western Nigeria, was founded by a northern Nigerian of Borgu origins”. Oluyole, the founder of modern Ibadan, was the scion of Bashorun Yau Yamba, who was of Borgu ancestry”.

From 1820 when Ibadan was founded, the order in which they ascended the Ibadan throne was Baale Maye Okunade,1820-1826; followed by Baale Oluyendun Labosinde (1826 to 1830); Baale Lakanle (1830-1835) and Basorun Oluyole who reigned for 15 years (1835-1850).

From this chronology, how does anyone extrapolate that Oluyole was the founder of Ibadan, ancient or modern? 

Kperogi equally wrote “More than that, several towns and villages in Oyo were founded by Borgu people. For instance, Ogbomoso, a major Oyo town, was founded by a Baatonu (Bariba) prince. The title of the town’s monarch, “Soun,” is a corruption of “Suno,” the Baatonu word for king”.

First, from all available evidence, Soun Ogunlola was of Ibariba ancestry but I’m yet to come across any information that he was Ibariba prince. He was a hunter from a neighboring community to Oyo metropolis who helped get rid of a fiend, Elemosho, who had besieged Oyo.

“The Alaafin was so impressed by Ogunlola’s prowess that he, the Alaafin, requested Ogunlola to stay in the capital (Oyo-Ile) instead of returning to his settlement”.

“Ogunlola politely declined saying “Ejeki a ma se ohun” meaning “let me manage that place” (This is precisely what Soun connotes in Yoruba language).

“His majesty, the Alaafin, granted Ogunlola’s wish to return to his settlement”. Literally, Soun is Yoruba word for, keep minding the other place.

We have to wonder why a principal sovereign monarch, of the status of Alaafin, would have to look outside Yoruba cultural heritage, to pick a title for a subordinate monarch.

For that matter, were any eccentric Alaafin to contemplate any such self-abnegation, the title should be Sonu (which means king in Baatonu language, according to Kperogi) not Soun.

Two more contenders on this evergreen Yoruba nationality consciousness syndrome have come to my notice.

According to the Cambridge University Press “English ethnologist Richard F. Burton reports of a Yoruba account in 1861, noting that the name “Yoruba” derives from Ori Obba, i.e. -The Head King. It was applied ex-situ originally in reference to the Yoruba sociolinguistic group as a whole. Centuries later however, it evolved to be applied exclusively to the oyo subgroup when this subgroup rose to attain imperial status, particularly at its apogee (c.1650 – c.1750) until in the mid-1800s when this trend was reversed back to the original context.

If this account is true then it turns many previous accounts on their heads. It claims that Yoruba have identified themselves as such long before the Oyo empire appropriated the identity (or was appropriated to them). It is doubtful whether a man of this description was mindless or spinning a yarn.

The other says “the people who call themselves Yoruba today, said in Hausa what they usually say when they go to their own markets, to other merchants. Apparently as far back as the 16th century and right up to the 19th..when they get to the market places where they met the Hausa people, they inquired from them in their usual courteous manner, Ya meaning “How”, or Yi meaning “How about” and ribà, meaning “profit” (See the Dictionary of Hausa-English). Ya-ribà or Yi-ribà- How about profit? Hence they were known as the people that say Ya-ribà” (Posted in: Rhythms of Shekere). It will be interesting to know what Yariba theorists have to say on this.

Meanwhile, according to the same Cambridge University Press-”The word “Yoruba,” used to describe a group of people speaking a common language, was already in use in the interior of the Bight of Benin, probably before the sixteenth century”. I’m certain this will not be the last word of the syndrome.

•Approve 30% derivation, 20% based on population 

•Senate projects N100 trillion budget for 2026 fiscal year 

•North jittery because it’s ill-prepared, Natasha explains

•Northern groups decry politicisation of issue 

•ASUU insists move will destroy public varsities

After many weeks of controversy, governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, yesterday, agreed on modalities for sharing the Value Added Tax (VAT).

The governors, at the end of their meeting, endorsed the sharing of the VAT proceeds on the basis of 50 per cent equality, unchanged from what is currently in operation; 30 per cent derivation, from 20 per cent currently in operation and 60 per cent that was proposed by the Presidential Tax Reform Committee headed by Mr. Taiwo Oyedele.

The governors also agreed on 20 per cent sharing on population basis, from 30 per cent which is the current allocation before the tax reform proposal.

The tax reform deal came as Senate yesterday projected a N100 trillion aggregate expenditure for the 2026 fiscal year, and vowed to free funds it said were being held by some government organisations.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), made the disclosure during a Stakeholders Public Hearing and Interactive Session on the 2025 Appropriation Bill. The session had the theme, “The 2025 Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.”

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, said some stakeholders in the north were jittery about the tax reform bills because the region was ill-prepared for such fiscal legislation.

At the same time, some northern groups urged Nigerians, particularly northerners, to be wary of political actors using the current tax reform debate as platform to advance their ambitions ahead of the 2027 general election.

However, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reiterated its stance against the proposed Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, warning that it would spell doom for public universities in the country if implemented.

The communique of the governors’ meeting with members of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee in Abuja, held behind closed-doors, was signed by Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdul Rahman Abdul Razaq.

The communique stated, “The Forum endorsed a revised Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing formula to ensure equitable distribution of resources: 50 per cent based on equality, 30 per cent based on derivation, and 20 per cent based on population.

“The Forum reiterated its strong support for the comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s archaic tax laws. Members acknowledged the importance of modernising the tax system to enhance fiscal stability and align with global best practices.

“We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and presidential tax reform committee, convened on the 16th of January 2025 to deliberate on critical national issues, including the reform of Nigeria’s fiscal policies and tax system, arrived at more resolutions.

“Members agreed that there should be no increase in the VAT rate or reduction in Corporate Income Tax (CIT) at this time, to maintain economic stability.

“The Forum advocated for the continued exemption of essential goods and agricultural produce from VAT to safeguard the welfare of citizens and promote agricultural productivity.

“The meeting recommended that there should be no terminal clause for TETFUND, NASENI, and NITDA in the sharing of development levies in the bills

“The meeting supports the continuation of the legislative process at the National Assembly that will culminate in the eventual passage of the Tax Reform Bills.”

Yesterday’s meeting between the governors and members of the presidential committee marked a major breakthrough, as the northern states’ governors, emirs and chiefs had last year rejected the proposed tax amendment bills sent to the National Assembly by the federal government.

They said it was capable of jeopardising the wellbeing of the people in the region.

The northern leaders said they were not against any policy that would ensure the growth and development of the country, but called for equity and farness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes to ensure that no geopolitical zone was marginalised.

Their position was contained in a communique signed by Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State, after a joint meeting with the traditional council in Kaduna.

The communique read, “Forum notes with dismay the content of the recent Tax Reform Bill that was forwarded to the National Assembly.

“The contents blare against the interests of the north and other sub-nationals, especially the proposed amendment to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) to Derivation-based Model.

“This is because companies remit VAT using location of their headquarters and tax office and not where the services and goods are consumed.

“In view of the foregoing, the Forum unanimously rejects the proposed Tax Amendments and call on members of National Assembly to oppose any bill that can jeopardise the well-being of our people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Northern Governor’ Forum is not averse to any policies or programmes that will ensure the growth and development of the country.

“However, the Forum calls for equity and farness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes so as to ensure that no geopolitical zone is short-changed or marginalised.”

Senate Projects N100 Trillion Budget

The senate projected a N100 trillion aggregate expenditure for 2026, vowing to free funds held by some government organisations.

The National Assembly is currently considering the N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill submitted to a joint session of the two chambers of the federal legislature in December last year by President Bola Tinubu.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), revealed the figure during a Stakeholders Public Hearing and Interactive Session on the 2025 Appropriation Bill, with the theme, “The 2025 Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.”

The session had in attendance the governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, and heads of critical economic agencies of the federal government.

Adeola said the National Assembly was working to shore up the federal government’s revenue by freeing funds held by organisations, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

He said, “In the past, we borrowed money to stabilise the naira, so that the exchange rate can be somehow good and that we are not being threatened. To stabilise the naira, we were borrowing.

“CBN is doing a lot of things behind the scenes.

“When this administration came, it said there is no need for that. If you recall, we are operating a free economy. We must be seen to be operating that free economy and it throws everything to the table. No more subsidy, no more exchange rate difference, and no more electricity tariff.

“By so doing, what we are trying to do, this N49.7 trillion 2025 budget you are seeing, maybe by next year it will have doubled because by then, there is still a lot of our revenue that still need to be freed.”

Adeola said, “A lot of revenue has been held hostage by no other person than organisations, like the NNPC. The NNPCL still believes that there are still some elements of subsidy that are being treated as an operational expense in their documents that they still need to wipe out for more revenue to be freed and all other sundry items.

“By the time all this comes to pass, I can tell you maybe next time when we are gathered here, we will start having a budget of a minimum of about N100 trillion. So we are working round the clock, especially on this side of the divide, to ensure that we shore up our revenue.”

Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, urged his colleagues and other critical stakeholders to make the 2025 budget one that prioritised the welfare of Nigerians.

Akpabio said, “Together, we must ensure that this budget is not a mere ledger of revenue and expenditure, but a living document that prioritises the welfare of every Nigerian.

“This is not an ordinary assembly, and this is not an ordinary moment. For we are not gathered here merely as legislators, public servants, or citizens, but as custodians of Nigeria’s destiny, stewards of its promise, and architects of its future.

“Our beloved nation faces trials that would shake the resolve of lesser nations, but I am here to affirm, with unshakable conviction, that within every challenge lies the seed of opportunity. The task before us is formidable, but it is neither beyond our reach nor beneath our determination.”

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) said it had saved Nigeria N1.9 trillion from contract fraud over the years. Director-General of BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, stated this during the budget defence session with the Senate Committee on Public Procurement.

Adedokun said the agency set up June 14, 2007 remained a key stakeholder in the war against corruption in the country, especially as regards contract awards, inflation, and diversion.

He said, “The BPP has within the last 17 years been changing the landscape of public procurement in Nigeria by ensuring transparency, fairness and efficiency on contracts awards and execution.

“The BPP has been saving the country from loss of at least N40 billion annually to contract inflation, diversion of public funds, and poor service delivery. Records from our price intelligence unit indicate that total money prevented so far from being diverted to personal pockets from contracts award is N1.9 trillion.

“BPP has over the years been significantly contributing to increased revenue generation by the relevant agencies, like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Pension Commission (PENCOM), among others.”

Natasha: North Jittery Because It’s Ill-Prepared

Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has said some stakeholders in the north were Jittery over the tax reform bills because the region was ill-prepared for such fiscal legislation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, called for the revitalisation of northern Nigeria’s socio-economic and cultural heritage.

She urged northerners to embrace the vision of the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, who led the region to prosperity in the 1950s.

The senator, according to a statement by her media aide, Arogbonlo Israel, made the appeal while speaking at the Sardauna Memorial Day in Kaduna.

She highlighted the importance of education and cultural preservation to achieve the envisaged economic transformation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that in 1959, Nigeria’s groundnut export to the UK was valued at £27 million, equivalent of N3.6 trillion today, while current groundnut exports were only $3 million.

Akpoti-Uduaghan stated, “The only reason why the north is jittery about the Tax Reform Bills is because we are ill-prepared. If we were generating N3.6 trillion from one agricultural product, would we be bothered about the reforms?

“Hence, we must task our leaders with developmental mind-sets to stir up the entrepreneurial ecosystems so our lands and factories can be productive once again.

“Let’s act from a position of economic abundance for our region and country at large.”

She urged collaboration among northern leaders and civil society to achieve those goals.

According to her, “In 1959, Nigeria groundnut export to United Kingdom alone stood at £27 million, which has an equivalent purchasing power of N3.6 trillion today.

“The residue from the groundnut’s oil extraction was also exported to the UK as livestock feeds. Today, Nigeria’s groundnut exports sit at distant $3 million.

“The northern Nigeria’s cotton industry shaped the Liverpool cloth market in London, UK, between the 50s and 70s, while the Kaduna Textile Mill flourished, creating thousands of jobs.

“Today, the cotton industry in Nigeria is pretty much non-existent while this same industry generates $21 billion annually. That’s the thriving economy Sardauna helped create and left for us to improve upon.”

Northern Groups Decry Politicisation of Tax Reform

Some northern groups urged Nigerians, especially northerners, to be wary of political actors using the current tax reform debate as platform to advance their 2027 political ambitions.

They said certain political actors were deliberately manipulating public sentiment, disguising personal interests under the guise of regional or national concern, thereby, diverting focus on tax reforms to an agenda centred on the 2027 general election.

The groups, which comprised Nigeria First Project Initiative, Muryar Talaka Awareness Initiative, and Coalition of Northern Nigerian Students Forum, gave their position via a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day engagement with youth groups, students, and community-based organisations at Arewa House, Kaduna.

The engagement was on the theme, “Tax Reform Bills: Between the Facts and Politics.”

The communique was jointly signed by National Coordinator, Nigeria First Project Initiative, Comrade Hamza Saulawa; National Secretary, Muryar Talaka Awareness Initiative, Comrade Bishir Dauda; and Coordinator, Coalition of Northern Nigerian Students Forum, Sadi Garba Sadiq.

Participants emphasised the need for accountability, transparency, and visionary leadership, particularly from the northern states governors.

They stated, “Only transparent and committed governance can lift the region out of its current economic and social challenges.”

The participants said the reforms aimed to simplify the country’s tax structure, broaden the tax net to include more sectors, and encourage compliance while supporting economic growth.

They added that the benefits were crucial for long-term fiscal stability and sustainable development of the country.

The participants also called for caution and restraint in the ongoing debate over the tax reform bills, and advised the public to disregard divisive rhetoric propagated by agents of discord seeking to exploit the issue for political gain.

They encouraged northerners to actively participate in the upcoming public hearings on the tax bills, stressing that citizens should present their views constructively and engage lawmakers through established democratic channels, as advised by President Bola Tinubu.

The groups specifically called on the northern states to diversify their revenue sources to reduce dependence on federal allocations.

They said governors and leaders should prioritise agricultural development, leveraging the region’s potential in value chains, such as cotton and groundnuts, to boost productivity.

They also urged northern states to capitalise on federal government policies on solid minerals and livestock development to generate income, employment, and revenue.

They said the tax reform bills, if implemented effectively, could significantly enhance the country’s revenue base, reduce over-dependence on oil revenue, and ensure a more equitable tax system.

Participants, however, expressed regret that the discourse on the tax reform bills had been heavily politicised, regionalised, and ethnically charged.

ASUU: Tax Bills Will Ruin Public Universities

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reiterated its stand against the proposed Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, saying it would spell doom for public universities in the country if implemented.

Addressing a press conference in Jos, the Bauchi zone of ASUU, comprising six universities, and led by Zonal Coordinator, Professor Namo Timothy, expressed the union’s concerns about the bill.

Timothy said the bill sought to replace the Development Levy, a major source of funding for Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects, with the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The move, ASUU argued, would have far-reaching implications for the survival of TETFund and the Nigerian tertiary education system.

The union stated that TETFund had been instrumental in infrastructure development, postgraduate training, research, and capacity-building in public tertiary institutions since 1993.

It wondered why the federal government would want to do away with the fund.

Timothy stated, “ASUU Bauchi Zone,  made up Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Federal University, Kashere; Gombe State University, Gombe; Plateau State University, Bokkos; University of Jos, Jos; and Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi,  has observed with concern, the on-going public debate on the review of the tax system in the country under a proposed presidential bill tagged, Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024, which is currently before the National Assembly.

“The bill seeks to enact a new law and to abrogate the Education Tax. The bill, if passed into law, will replace the Development Levy, a major source of funding of TETFund projects, so that all the funds generated from the Education Tax will be ceded to the newly established Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

“This is dangerous and unpatriotic. Section 59 (3) of the proposed Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 stipulates that only 50 per ent of total collection from the Development Levy will be accessed by TETFund in 2025 and 2026 while the remaining part will be shared by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

“In 2027, 2028 and 2029, TETFund will receive 66.7 per cent of total collection, while in 2030 TETFund will receive zero allocation. The far-reaching implication of this toxic bill is that by 2030 all the funds generated from the Development Levy will be accessed solely by NELFUND.

“This portends danger for the survival of TETFund and, consequently, the Nigerian tertiary education system. It is noteworthy that TETFund has been the backbone of infrastructural development, postgraduate training, research and capacity-building in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria since 1993.”

The union leader called on the National Assembly to halt further debate on the bill and protect the sanctity of the TETFund Act 2011. He urged Nigerians to rise against anti-people policies of the Tinubu administration.

[Thisday]

On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the U.S., on January 19, 2017, I wrote an article I could easily write now. It was entitled “A Memory of America on Obama’s Last Day.” With minor edits, it’s worth repeating as Trump happens again as the 47th President of the U.S.

Only exceptionalism could have offered that opportunity. Only exceptionalism could produce a Barack Obama and, eight years later, bring forth a Donald Trump—one neoliberal and the other a neo-anything-is-possible.

The peculiar aspect of the U.S. is that everything is extraordinary. If any doubt remains, the election of Donald J. Trump, who takes office on Friday as the 45th President of the United States of America, resolves the matter.

Everything about Trump is unsettlingly peculiar. He has weakened his party, exploited voters’ most basic instincts, ignored the media, and mocked U.S. allies. Nonetheless, he has secured a victory that has made him even more powerful and audacious. Everyone else, including the party and the nation, seems weaker, more bewildered, and divided.

In Trump versus the rest of the world, Trump is the indescribable enigma. The rest are demystified and stranded.

As the new Trump world order emerges, exceptionalism – once a distinctly American concept – assumes a different significance. I grappled with that word when I first encountered it from my lecturer, Ayo Akinbobola, many years ago in school.

Exceptionalism. How do I explain it? It’s that special quality for which most people love America; the idea that you can become whatever you wish to be, whoever you are, regardless of your background; that through hard work, persistence, and innovation, you can attain grace from grass; that America is the only place on earth that confronts its diversity with courage, not shying away from its own worst demons; that America is a land of both genius and demagogue, each pursuing their path, but within a system that also strives to protect the weak and vulnerable while, some would add, paradoxically creating its own weak and vulnerable.

I learned from my US-trained teachers in school and saw from the cowboy movies I watched growing up that this made America unique.

My first American friends embodied the generosity of spirit I had always heard about. Melvin and Paula Baker, whom my family and I met during a holiday in Florida over ten years ago, have consistently treated us like family, offering themselves and everything they have at our disposal whenever we visit.

Melvin and Paula are white, but colour or creed has never been a concern—whether we or they are visiting. Occasionally, I’m amused to see them sweating over a meal of pepper soup, even when it contains the mildest spices.

America is exceptional not because it is perfect but because, despite its flaws, people like Melvin and Paula made it extraordinary.

Then 9/11 happened. Fear took hold, and exceptionalism faced its most significant test since Vietnam. The political elite and the military leaders started a catastrophic war in Iraq by dressing up fear and suspicion as facts.

That changed everything. Al-Queda, the Taliban, ISIL and other terror franchises around the world were born by the mother of all wars from which America and the world have not recovered.

I felt the change around this time seven years ago when I visited the U.S. before Christmas. A young Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had planted a bomb in his pants to bring down a commercial plane over Detroit. Coming at America’s vulnerable moment, there was a severe backlash from that incident.

During my visit in January 2010, many U.S. airports and border posts opened a black book for Nigerian travellers. The intrusive body searches at these airports and the cold, hostile stares at non-whites left me in no doubt that something was changing in America

But Barack Obama’s election was supposed to halt the tide; it was supposed to send a message that America had not wholly forsaken exceptionalism, that if a black guy with a funny Muslim-sounding name could become president in America, you could be what you want to be – no matter who you are – if you work at it.

That’s Obama’s story, which he calls “the audacity of hope.” How else could someone born to a Kenyan father and raised by an Indonesian stepfather become a senator and then the 44th president of the United States?

Yet, some say that it is precisely this exceptional quality that is the trouble with America. They say it is exceptionalism that produced an Obama who is not black enough to meet black expectations, not white enough to be accepted by whites, and not brown enough to attract the sympathy of those in between.

Evangelicals regard him as the anti-Christ for endorsing stem cell research and despise him for his late remarks on gay rights. Millions of Nigerians will also not forgive him for never once visiting the world’s most populous black nation during his eight years in office, opting instead to throw stones from Ghana, the country’s backyard.

It’s a deep bucket, but who can deny that America’s exceptionalism produced a miracle that Martin Luther King could only dream of?

Eight years ago today, America was on its knees, broken by a catastrophic terror war and greedy Wall Street.

Globalisation was also taking its toll and would become a significant factor in U.S. politics. To think that this was the moment when the country elected its first black president –when the lines of failure seemed to have fallen in the most unpleasant places – is hard to imagine now.

But it happened, and Obama made the most of his lemons. In several ways, he’s leaving America better than he found it: jobs growing, the country cured of its addiction to oil, its economy in better shape, and its youth unleashed and innovating.

Obama is leaving without the scars of scandals that marred many of his predecessors. The dignity of his office is intact.

Only exceptionalism could have provided that chance. Only exceptionalism could produce an Obama and eight years later produce a Trump – the one neo-liberal and the other neo-anything-is-possible.

In the days ahead, no one is exactly sure what to expect – not pollsters, pundits, or even members of Trump’s cabinet. But we’ll see, one tweet at a time, just what is left of what has made America exceptional.

Ishiekwene, Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP, is the author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It. 

•Office of SDGs, HCD Africa, others educate Epe women on financial literacy

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday restated its commitment to women's empowerment and financial inclusion in hard-to-reach communities for them to be independent and self-reliant.

The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih, spoke on Lagos State Government's commitment during an advocacy programme for over 100 women at Odomola in the Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the Epe area of Lagos State. 

Speaking at the event held at the Aimasiko Compound, Alasko Hospital Bus Stop in Odomola, Finnih advised women to ensure they are engaged in one business or the other, no matter how small, to be financially empowered, with a call on them to imbibe saving culture.

Dr. Finnih, represented by her Technical Assistant, Dr. Oluwunmi Akinlade, said the advocacy programme in partnership with Human Capital Development (HCD) Africa was to increase advocacy for women's financial inclusion in hard-to-reach communities as well as increase awareness of data's role in delivering better HCD outcomes.

She said it was important to educate women on financial literacy to empower them.

"Our advice to women is to make sure that they save. We want every woman to be able to fend for herself. We want women to be financially independent. We don't want them to depend solely on any man. We don't want to depend on other people, especially if we have children. We want to take care of our children and make sure that we have enough money to do whatever we want," she said. 

Also speaking, representatives of the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASSRA), Mr. Kayode Yusuf, and the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Saheed Adebayo, while educating the women in Epe on the importance of data for development, urged the women to ensure they are captured for the exercise.

Yusuf said LASSRA registration is very important for Lagos residents because it helps the State Government to plan on how to meet the community needs in terms of planning and provision of amenities, while Adebayo said NIN is important for every citizen of Nigeria.

Speaking during the event, some of the beneficiaries, especially those who were captured for NIN and LASSRA as well as those who opened bank accounts with some financial institutions on the ground, commended the Lagos State Government, HCD Africa, and other partners for coming to their communities for the advocacy programme which they noted has changed their orientation on financial inclusion and the importance of data.

Mrs. Oyinade Ilesanmi, Halimot Abiodun, and Alaba Oshin, among others who spoke to journalists during the event, said they learnt a lot of things on how to manage, invest, and spend their money. 

They also commended the organisers for providing an avenue for them to open accounts with some financial institutions and doing NIN and LASSRA registrations.

Commending the Lagos State Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Human Capital Development (HCD) Africa and other partners, the CDC Chairman of Eredo LCDA, Mr. Yakubu Akingbade, said the programme will have a positive effect on the women.

He said: "We appreciate the Lagos State Government, particularly the Office of SDGs and other partners for the advocacy programme. It is an empowering programme and I believe they will make good use of everything they learnt to improve their businesses. I want to urge the government to give them soft loans to empower them more in their businesses."

The advocacy programme tagged “Promoting Human Capital Development through Advocacy for women’s financial inclusion in hard-to-reach communities” is organised by the Office of SDGs in collaboration with HCD Africa, Pay Business (Opay), Cowrywise, Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA), and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The programme is aimed at equipping women in underserved areas across 12 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State with essential financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and access to vital financial services.

The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has expressed delight with the international recognition accorded to six Nigerians for distinguishing themselves in their careers.

Naija News reports six Diaspora Nigerians were named by President Joe Biden among the 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the United States.

The prestigious recognition, established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, is the highest honour bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers.

The Nigerian honorees include Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa; Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Yale School of Public Health, Yale University; and Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Others are Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University.

This year’s awardees, announced by President Joe Biden on January 14, 2025, are employed or funded by 14 participating United States government agencies.

Reacting to the achievement of the various Nigerians, President Tinubu, in a statement on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, congratulated the Nigerian scientists and engineers for making President Biden’s honours list.

President Tinubu in the statement, commended these trailblazing Nigerians for their remarkable achievements in science, technology and engineering.

The Nigerian leader noted that recognising these exceptional talents underscores Nigerians’ vast potential to excel both at home and on the global stage.

He also submitted that he looks forward to the honorees sharing their multidisciplinary expertise to benefit Nigeria’s development efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

[DailyTrust]

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has announced the appointment of Felicia Obozuwa as Executive Director, Corporate Services and Service Management, following approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Felicia brings nearly three decades of experience and a proven track record of excellence to her new position. Her expertise and leadership will be invaluable assets to FCMB as it continues to drive strategic growth and innovation.

Felicia is a seasoned banking professional with deep consumer, corporate, and commercial banking expertise. In her current role, she oversees the Bank’s Operations, Service Management, Human Resources, Training, Administration, Property Development, and Project Management.

She holds a law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and an MBA from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

Shehu Sani to Lamido: Look beyond politics on security issues

“We are thrilled to welcome Felicia to our Board. Her passion, expertise, and commitment to excellence make her an ideal fit for this position.”

[DailyTrust]

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the last Edo governorship election, Asue Ighodalo condemned what he called “deliberate acts of violence and harassment meant to make us take our eyes off the ball.”

He, however, expressed gratitude to the people of Edo State and reiterated his confidence in the judiciary as the tribunal proceedings over the disputed September 2024 governorship election intensified.

The guber candidate spoke to reporters outside the courthouse on Wednesday, where he addressed supporters’ concerns and condemned acts of intimidation aimed at disrupting the legal process.

DAILY POST reports that an armed man was seen in a viral video demanding justice from the tribunal.https://dailypost.ng/2025/01/15/edo-apc-pdp-bickers-over-shooting-at-election-petition-tribunal/

Addressing reporters, Ighodalo said, “We strongly believe that the judiciary will do the right thing, and we’re looking forward to the outcome of the tribunal.

“Our focus remains reclaiming our mandate and working positively for the good people of Edo State. We will take poverty out of our land, eliminate fear and intimidation, and unlock the great potential of this state.

“I want to thank the good people of Edo State for coming out in massive numbers to vote for us on September 21 and for keeping faith through the difficulties.

“They’ve stayed calm in the face of intimidation and harassment, living on the strong hope that our efforts to reclaim our mandate will be successful.”

On the series of alarming incidents that have marred the tribunal proceedings, including an attack by a masked gunman outside the courthouse, he noted that “These acts of violence and harassment are deliberate distractions meant to make us take our eyes off the ball.”

He further stated that “the incidents underscore the importance of staying focused.

“There are many distractions being thrown our way, but we will not be deterred.

“Our goal remains ensuring that we go through this tribunal process and hopefully emerge with the mandate the people of Edo State gave my deputy Osarodion Ogie and myself.”

It could be recalled that earlier on Tuesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, raided a popular Benin hotel where PDP witnesses were reportedly being kept, an incident that further raised tensions.

Party officials have accused the APC of deploying state resources to intimidate witnesses and derail the tribunal process.

The EFCC has released a statement confirming the raid but denying that it was politically motivated.

Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP’s Edo Caretaker Committee, condemned the incidents, linking them to a broader APC strategy of intimidation.

“The APC is deploying thugs disguised in PDP attire and using state agencies like the EFCC to disrupt our case at the tribunal. This level of desperation is unacceptable,” he claimed.

[DailyPost]

Peter Obi in his New Year message reminded Nigerians of the obvious:  the worsening political, economic and security situation of our country. Food insecurity that has become our new national norm; our nation and its fortunes are in clear reverse, while Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty.

To change the narrative, Obi wants President Tinubu to cut down what he considers as his “wasteful foreign trips; travel around Nigeria by road to observe the condition of most of our collapsed highways; visit our national hospital, make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions, visit various IDP camps and assure these Nigerians that they will soon return to their communities.

Finally, he wants the president to ensure “future elections are credible and truly reflect the will of the people”.

The president has already acknowledged some of these problems and the harsh effect of his economic policies. What he said was that to avoid mortgaging the future of our children the way PDP did by selling or sharing properties kept in their care for our children, we needed to make some sacrifices today.

In fact, the expectation of most Nigerians was that the president’s first act in office was going to be resettlement of those driven from their land to IDP camps back to their land. That is distributive justice.

Nigerians did not only expect the president to visit the hospitals, they had expected him to sponsor a bill stopping all political appointees and lawmakers from embarking on medical tourism. This is the only way to equip our teaching hospitals.

Obi is also allowed to make few exaggerations including his claim that Tinubu’s less than two years administration should be held responsible for the current figure of 100,000 Nigerians living in extreme poverty despite ARISE Television’s admission during the interview that the figure as at the time Buhari took over power 10 years ago (2015) stood at 70%. After all, government is a continuum.

Obi who claimed victory despite coming a distant third in the 2023 election and who is yet to congratulate the winner of the contest despite INEC’s verdict and the Supreme Court’s celebrated judgment also has the right to call on the president to guarantee the sanctity of the 2027 contest. 

I think what Felix Morka decries is Obi “crossing the line of truth and peddling false narratives, arrogant unwillingness to acknowledge obvious markers of progress, mobilizing outrage and stoking tension against the government’ which he thinks  are not exactly the most admirable hallmarks of leadership.”

He also frowns at the fact that Obi led a restless band of online mobs, who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.

Even here Obi has not crossed any red line. The beauty of democracy is that no one has the last say especially in a world where the media is a captive of the dominant ruling class and where no newspaper or news platform can be said to be truly free. We have seen selective coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza by CNN and presentation of alternative reality by the Fox News which aided Trump’s triumph in his re-election bid despite his election denials and sponsoring of an insurrection against his own government.

This is why I also think ARISE television cannot be accused of crossing any red line for  its decision to play the devil’s advocate following attempt by APC and its spokesman, to discredit Obi and  his message. It was obvious whose battle was being waged when Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was confronted during an interview on its THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, with a question such as –  “You have actually hit back with a volley of attacks, calling Peter Obi a prophet of doom. Some of you have said he is always embarking on voodoo economics that are not in line with current realities. Don’t you think that is a slingshot that has gone beyond normal politicking?

Morka’s: “No, he is the one throwing darts. Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip… Obi has crossed the line so many times. And, I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets. He should manage it” would have been sufficient answer for those not engaged in politics of mischief and subterfuge. But for ARISE reporters   “it is a threat to free speech”; for Obi  it is an indication of impending crackdown by an intolerant federal government  while for former VP Atiku Abubakar, “an alarming disdain for democratic principles.”

I sympathize with Morka who, as a result of “Peter Obi’s allegations has received  about 400 documented threats, about 200 of which are explicit death threats messages, individuals have detailed how they plan to harm me—threatening to shoot me, behead me, and carry out other gruesome acts”. But even in spite of the above, I still don’t think anyone has crossed the red line. Free speech is another name for democracy.  

The beauty of democracy is that it is not without its democratic ethos which for instance celebrates character. In this regard, the messenger is often the message. Probing the character of purveyors of messages is as important as free speech.

Unfortunately, the common denominator between Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar is opportunism. Atiku Abubakar has moved from PDP, through ACN to PDP, back to APC from where he went back to PDP where he first served as vice president in 1999. Upon his return, he waged war against those who kept the party together while he was shopping for presidential tickets from other parties. And tragically his breach of PDP’s constitution was to put the party in disarray in the run up to the 2023 election.

Peter Obi is tarred with the same brush.  He first rode on the back of Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s APGA party to power. After publicly declaring he would never abandon APGA, he jumped boat after his second term to join PDP. He rose rapidly and became Atiku’s running mate in the 2015 but following Atiku Abubakar’s breach of PDP constitution which would have allowed Obi to emerge as PDP candidate in the 2023 election, Obi decided to pull down the edifice on the heads of everyone.

Obi decided to play identity and religion politics by exploiting the sentiments of his Igbo people that had since 1999 supported PDP to victory. Close to 70% of his six million votes in the 2023 election came from Southeast and South-south populated by his Igbo brethren,

For Atiku and Obi’s infidelity and opportunism, Tinubu’s eight million votes would have been no match for PDP and Labour’s close to 14m votes.  Their loss was Tinubu’s gain.  Sadly despite being deficit in character, both men still pretend to be part of solution to Nigerian crisis of nation building.

Peter Obi, the Obidients’ best candidate to govern Nigeria, displayed no special skill as governor of Anambra, a state he left as a jungle. As a business man once described as ‘a container economist’ by President Tinubu, all he has told us publicly is that he was a wine importer. And for Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo’s testimonial on him was damning.

I think we must start to interrogate how we got to this sorry path while remembering with nostalgia, the role of Nigerian youths in the evolution of the Nigerian state. While the nation is today being haunted by a mob ready to fight and kill for a man who believes in nothing, we easily recollect how it was that 20 Nigerian law students who in 1920 first proposed the idea of a Nigerian federation patterned after Switzerland to the colonial masters.

While we today have in Lagos some youths who do not behave much differently from the Almajiris of the north, visiting violence and destruction on government and private properties, what we had in the forties in Lagos were youths who organized debates and strategized on how to get rid of the colonial masters.

It is on record that Chief Anthony Enahoro who went on to become one of the  best parliamentarians Nigeria has ever produced was an editor  of a national newspaper at 22, and that Bode Thomas, the deputy chairman of Action Group who died at 33, was the author of ‘regionalism’ despite his principals’ preference for federalism. Even military boys who did not have advantage of education but joined the military to be able to climb the social lather ended up ruling our country in their twenties and thirties.

In a move to strengthen bilateral relations and economic cooperation, United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has accepted an invitation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to visit Nigeria later this year.

According to a statement on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the invitation was extended during bilateral talks on Wednesday night at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025.

Tinubu, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday as a guest of the UAE President, actively participated in the forum, which focuses on global sustainable development and climate action. 

On Wednesday, he delivered Nigeria’s position on key issues, including climate change, water security, and energy transition, while commending the UAE for hosting a successful event.

During their discussions, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed gratitude for President Tinubu’s visit and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to enhancing economic ties with Nigeria. 

Both leaders explored avenues for increased investment in Nigeria, with the Nigerian leader highlighting the progress of his administration’s economic reforms.

“Our economic reforms are stabilizing and growing the economy. We have seen renewed confidence from foreign investors and international oil companies, who are announcing billion-dollar investments. Nigeria is open and ready for more partnerships with the UAE”, President Tinubu stated. 

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the UAE’s determination to strengthen cooperation across various sectors.

Accompanying President Tinubu were key Nigerian officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; and National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. 

The UAE delegation included Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; and  H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Other UAE officials at the meeting were:  Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and  Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria.

President Tinubu also took the opportunity to thank the UAE leader for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay.

[TheNation]