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The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has said that the Nigerian Navy will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to enhance its operational activities.

Ogalla said this during the presentation of a paper by navy participants of National Defence College (NDC) Course 31, entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Ship Maintenance: Strategic Options for the Nigerian Navy by 2035”.

The CNS said that the use of AI was significantly transforming the maritime industry, adding that the Nigerian navy was embracing it to improve the availability of ships towards enhancing operational effectiveness. He added that ships were increasingly becoming sophisticated with advancements in technology and the incorporation of AI and other emerging technologies in their construction.

According to him, the Nigerian navy must continue to adopt and integrate these technologies in order to maintain a competitive edge during operations.

Nigerian Navy and technology

Ogalla said the paper was timely as it would invigorate the navy’s consciousness towards AI and other emerging technologies and their implication for operational effectiveness.

He commended the participants for their efforts in drafting a roadmap for transforming the Navy’s maintenance system into an AI-compliant system.

He similarly applauded their novel suggestion of the use of In-Transit-Hull cleaning that would save the navy a lot of foreign exchange from docking ships for hull cleaning.

Why AI?

In his remarks, the Commandant of NDC, Rear Adm. Olumuyiwa Olotu, said the choice of the 2023 topic was deliberate considering that AI was an emerging technology that could enhance the capabilities and efficiency of the navy in various aspects such as ships systems, weapons, networks and command and control, which makes the participants’ research work very germane.

He, therefore, asserted that the strategies proffered by the participants would enhance the navy’s capabilities and operations, in line with Nigeria’s security objectives.

The commandant added that the college would continue to support the navy in its efforts to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment.

[Nairametrics]

One of Nigeria’s topmost political economists, Prof. Pat Utomi, has disclosed that he is battling prostate cancer.

Utomi, on Friday, August 11, disclosed that he is down with the ailment, adding that it was detected in 2022.

Utomi revealed via Twitter on Friday:

“I am moved by this dawn of light to confront an epidemic under the carpet with great harm to men. Prostate cancer is bringing death and misery to many men.

“Had they been forewarned, the misery containment and even chances of cure could be much enhanced, like women have with breast cancer.

 

“I agreed with the Gambian Real Estate Entrepreneur Taf Njie while I battled the disease that we should do more to create awareness.

“Nearly 30 years ago, I went to Ibadan to speak and lend a hand to present Ondo First Lady Betty Akeredolu as she raised the breast cancer banner.

“I sometimes came from election campaigns to the Ikeja Centre near the Airport. The Doctors would try to smuggle me out from the back. The well known shielded?”

He said after the 2023 general elections, his family members and doctors in Europe and the US joined forces to ensure he was in their direct care.

“That’s how come it seemed I went quiet because they controlled my phones to reduce stress.

“The more I talked about it, the more I found many of my age in similar circumstances. It almost seems like an epidemic for Nigerian men over 60. Not talking makes them lose the benefit of early detection,” he stated.

[PoliticsNigeria]

France and Mali stopped giving visas to each other’s citizens, as tensions between the two former allies have grown, Le Monde reports.

According to the French daily, the French embassy in the capital of Mali, Bamako, stopped issuing new visas after Paris added Mali to its list of “red zone” nations where its residents are strongly discouraged from travelling. In a travel advisory update, the French foreign ministry said “In the current context of strong regional tensions, all travel to Mali is strongly not advised. French citizens in Mali are urged to show the greatest vigilance.”

In “reciprocity,” the junta in Mali responded by halting the issuance of new visas to French citizens at its embassy in Paris, according to the Malian foreign ministry.

According to the French online visa service provider Capago, the French embassy’s “reorganisation” of services as a result of the higher security classification has rendered it “unable to issue visas until further notice.”

“In a context of strong regional tensions, Mali has been classified as a red zone by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This modification leads to a reorganisation of the services of the French Embassy in Bamako, which will therefore no longer be able to issue visas until further notice. Therefore, we inform you that the visa centre and the Capago call centre are closed,” the statement reads.

Mali’s foreign ministry said that it had learned of the reclassification “with surprise” in a statement posted to social media.

Relations between France and Mali deteriorated following the military’s takeover of Bamako in 2020 and the removal of elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita reportedly due to his failures to quell a brutal insurgency.

In a phased pullout that finished in 2022, France started to withdraw its anti-militant troops as the conflict grew worse and the junta enlisted the help of Russian paramilitaries.

Mali’s junta then imposed a ban on the operations of NGOs funded or supported by France, including aid organisations, as tensions between Paris and Bamako grew. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the country’s interim prime minister, defended the action in a statement on social media, claiming it was in retaliation for France’s recent suspension of development assistance for Mali.

 

Meanwhile, an uptick in regional tensions brought on by a coup on July 26 in Niger, a crucial French ally, has coincided with the bilateral dispute.

 

French visa issuance has also been banned in Burkina Faso, another former Sahelian ally that had two coups in 2022, according to the Capago website.

In January 2013, after sending troops to combat militants in the nation’s north, France was hailed as a hero in Mali. Nine years later, the insurgency has gotten worse and many Malians are cheering France’s departure.

[Premium Times]

Rhissa Ag Boula, a former rebel leader and politician in Niger, launched a movement called the Council of Resistance for the Republic (CRR) on Wednesday to oppose the junta that took power in the country after the July 26 coup. The new movement aims to restore former President Mohamed Bazoum to power. 

CRR marks the first coordinated internal effort to resist the junta’s takeover of Niger. Boula declared that, in addition to their own efforts, CRR will support international actions aimed at restoring Bazoum and his administration to power. This comes as West African heads of states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that they are considering all options, including the use of force, to restore Bazoum to power. ECOWAS previously on July 30 imposed sanctions on junta leaders and demanded Bazoum be reinstated within a week. Since that time period has now lapsed, the international community is watching for ECOWAS to announce further action.

This past week, reports on Bazoum’s living conditions in detention sparked additional international attention on the junta. Bazoum’s party, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, told Reuters that the former president and his family were detained under “cruel” and “inhumane” conditions with “no running water, no electricity and no access to fresh goods or doctors,” in violation of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern on Monday and added his support to ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts.

On July 26, military members of Bazoum’s personal guard overthrew the government in a coup. Since then, Army General Abdourahamane Tiani has declared himself President of Niger’s new military government. The country’s newly installed ruling council, called the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland, formed out of Bazoum’s presidential guard.

The coup has received widespread international condemnation, with world leaders calling for the return of Bazoum. UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel—the region where Niger is located—Leonardo Santos Simão is also remaining in nearby Abuja, Nigeria to continue good offices support to negotiate a return of power to Bazoum’s administration.

[www.jurist.org]

Technically astute. Fleet-footed. Strong. Rapid. These are just some words that describe England star Lauren James as a soccer player. In England’s 4-2 penalty win over Nigeria in the round-of-16, the starlet displayed her more petulant side though.

Frustrated by how Nigeria had played better than her and her teammates, and were holding them to a nil-all stalemate, which eventually required penalties, James inexplicably lost the plot.

The 21-year stomped on already floored Nigerian defender Michelle Alozie after the pair had tussled for the ball with just a handful of minutes left until extra time.

Initially, she was fortunate enough to be shown a cautionary yellow. However, a video assistant referee (VAR) review saw the decision overturned and the exciting forward was red carded instead. Her teammates were able to stave off the Nigerians — winning via penalties — in spite of their one-player deficit.

 
Michelle Alozie is fouled by by England's Lauren James

Nigeria’s defender Michelle Alozie reacts after being fouled by England’s Lauren James. (Photo: Patrick Hamilton / AFP)

The apologetic starlet has since been handed a two-game ban by Fifa. Her dismissal carried an automatic one-match ban. However, world soccer’s governing body felt that punishment was not enough and added one more game to her suspension.

That means England’s top goal scorer at the tournament to date — with three goals from four games – will miss their crucial quarterfinal contest versus Colombia on Saturday, 12 August. She will also miss a potential semifinal and is only slated to be back for the final. If her country makes it that far.  

In spite of Fifa’s heavy punishment, Alozie shared that she holds no ill feelings towards James for the moment of madness.

“We are playing on the world’s stage. This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments… All respect for Lauren James,” shared Alozie.

The attacker’s absence will be a huge knock to England’s hopes of repeating what they managed at the 2022 European Championship — where they marched all the way to gold, winning the competition for the first time in history.

A year later, in New Zealand and Australia, Sarina Wiegman’s charges are in pursuit of a maiden World Cup gold medal. The best they have managed before was bronze in 2015.

With traditional powerhouses such as the USA and Germany out of the reckoning, the English are in with a great chance to simultaneously hold the titles of European and world champions.     

Against a tricky and tenacious Columbia, the Europeans will definitely miss James. When she is not petulantly stampeding on opponents she is a genuine threat for the World Cup hopefuls.

So influential has she been so far that of the eight goals that her country has managed Down Under, she has been directly involved in six. Her three goals are complemented by three assists — the joint-most as it stands.

With the likes of Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone, as well as Manchester City forward Chloe Kelly waiting on the wings, the champions of Europe are not bereft of quality. Nevertheless, none can match James for her creative output.    

“That’s the decision that’s made. Of course, that’s not up to me. It’s two games, that’s a fact for us and we respect that punishment. We take it from here and just hope we get through,” said England coach Wiegman.

Lauren James and Lingwei Yao

Lauren James (centre) of England and Lingwei Yao (left) of China in action during the Women’s World Cup 2023 group D match in Adelaide, Australia on 1 August, 2023. (Photo: EPA-EFE/Matt Turner)

Rising star

Though she has caught people’s attention, for mostly the right reasons at the ongoing World Cup, the 21-year-old has been making waves for years now.

The Londoner, of Grenadian and Dominican descent through her father, and English descent through her mother, is capable of sashaying beyond markers with ease.

She began her career with Chelsea, alongside her older brother and Chelsea captain Reece James. She then departed for a stint with neighbours Arsenal. She was just 16 years old when she debuted for the Gunners in 2017.  

She would leave London to be part of Manchester United’s first women’s team a year later. She spent three years with the Red Devils before she completed a full turn-around and she found herself back at Chelsea once more in 2021.

Since returning, she has firmly established herself as one of Chelsea’s most important players. She helped them win back-to-back league and FA Cup titles in 2022 and 2023. 

At the World Cup, she maintained that form and confidence. Evidenced by her scintillating curled goal as England beat Denmark 1-0 in the group stage.

As her stock continues to rise, she says she wants to carve her own legacy in the game. Speaking before the World Cup began, James said she doesn’t want to be known as just Reece’s sister.

“I want to carve out [my own name] and be known as ‘this is Lauren James.’’’

The incident with Alozie may have dimmed her World Cup shine somewhat. However, if her teammates can carry on hoisting the torch until the final, it will be the perfect platform for her redemption. DM

[dailymaverick]

There is no doubt that the Northern region, especially the people of Fulani ethnic stock share filial, cultural and religious affiliations with the Republic of Niger.

The attempt by some religious and political leaders from the North to make the current political impasse in Republic of Niger a President Tinubu and Nigeria vs Niger affair is a very wrong narrative. Nigeria is not starting a war with Niger. Nigeria as a member of ECOWAS is under obligation to stand by ECOWAS Resolutions on any member state and this is not the first time this will happen. ECOWAS passed similar Resolutions in Gambia not too long ago. That resolution in Gambia made it possible for President Adama Barrow to assume power in 2017.

It must be said again that this is not a Nigeria/Tinubu vs Republic of Niger matter. Like President Alassane Quattara of Ivory Coast said, this is purely an ECOWAS affairs and a subject of regional interest to the whole of West Africa.

 

ECOWAS, AU, and UN Protocols are against unconstitutional takeover of government in any country. Democracy is receding in West Africa with Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea under military usurpation. Peace, security, political and economic stability of West Africa will remain a pipe dream when soldiers can take power at will. And what is happening in Niger is not about a fight for good governance.

Like venerable journalist, Dan Agbese wrote in his Guardian Newspaper backpage column, “most of the nine countries in the Sahel region are not just poor; they are wretched. Military rule has not changed their economic and social circumstances and the attraction for it ought to have waned below remembrance. The sentiment that Military rule is a magic wand has repeatedly proved itself a sickening fiction. The Nigeriens need no one to tell them that khaki uniform carries no magic in political, economic and social management and development.”

If Military rule offers any silver bullet in social and economic transformation, we should have seen the magic in Mali and Burkina Faso in the last 3 years.

President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire says he considers those behind the coup in Niger as terrorists.

He said the standby force to be deployed to Niger, agreed on Thursday, was a collective effort of the West African regional bloc, adding that the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to end the military rule in Niger is not Nigeria’s fight alone.

Ouattara spoke on the sidelines of an extraordinary summit by the ECOWAS in Abuja.

According to the Ivorian president, all the heads of state in the regional bloc thought they had exhausted all dialogue efforts with the Niger coupists.

“ECOWAS cannot accept this. This is not a matter of Nigeria against Niger. Not at all,” he said.

“The decision that we have made  — and I hope that it will be implemented immediately — is a decision of ECOWAS.”

“I personally consider this as a terrorist act and we cannot let this continue. We have to act.”

The Ivorian leader said his country’s decision aligned with the ECOWAS, adding that the coup leaders should be in barracks, not in government.

 

 

 

“The decision of Cote d’Ivoire, which has been endorsed by all of the Heads of State and that we have been able to tell these putschists, is that their place is in the barracks,” he added.

[DailyTrust]

  • ECOWAS has activated a standby force for potential military intervention in Niger.
  • Force is a "last resort", it says, but not off the table.
  • Niger's new military rulers have taken a defiant attitude towards ECOWAS demands that the government.

 The West African bloc ECOWAS on Thursday ordered the activation of a standby force for possible use against the junta that took power in Niger in July, saying it wanted a peaceful restoration of democracy but all options including force were on the table.

The threat of an invasion, though not specific, will keep tensions high in and around Niger, a uranium producer that until the coup was an important ally of the West in the fight against Islamist insurgents devastating the Sahel region. The junta, which seized power on 26 July, had defied a 6 August deadline to stand down set by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), instead closing Niger's airspace and vowing to defend the country against any foreign attack.

After a summit of its heads of state in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the bloc pledged to enforce sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes on those preventing the return to power of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

 

"No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort," said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS chair.

"I hope that through our collective effort we can bring about a peaceful resolution as a roadmap to restoring stability and democracy in Niger," he said. "All is not lost yet." An official statement was read out which included a resolution asking the bloc's defence chiefs to "activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements immediately".

Another resolution spoke of ordering "the deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger", immediately followed by another that spoke of restoring such order "through peaceful means". Security analysts said a regional force could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiations.

The bloc has planned to create a standby force of thousands of troops for years but was held back by funding delays and insufficient troop commitments, said Ikemesit Effiong, a researcher at SBM Intelligence in Nigeria.

 

After a string of coups since 2020 and growing militant activity, regional leaders said in December that they were determined to create such a force. It was not immediately clear how far along they were in assembling it.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told the U.N. Security Council last month that they were considering two options: a brigade of 5,000 troops at an annual cost of $2.3 billion or the deployment of troops on demand at an annual cost of $360 million.

Thursday's statement did not spell out how the force would be funded, which countries would participate or how many troops and what hardware they could contribute.

"There's probably still a lot that has not been agreed to, such as timeline and red lines and what to do in contingency situations if things continue to go sour," said Aneliese Bernard, director of consultancy Strategic Stabilization Advisors.

 

'Get them out'

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said he considered the detention of Bazoum "a terrorist act".

"We want democracy in our sub-region. We do not accept, we will not accept coups d'etat. These putschists must go. If they don't let Bazoum out to be able to exercise his mandate, I think we should move ahead and get them out," he said. ECOWAS sought to project an image of resolution and unity, but the bloc is split, with suspended member states Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by military governments, vowing to defend the Niger junta.

"There's still a lot of unknowns, but this (ECOWAS statement) is a significant next step and certainly an escalation of tensions, at least between the regional bloc and the junta bloc that seems to be forming right now, between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger specifically," said Bernard.

The United Nations and Western powers have backed ECOWAS efforts to persuade the coup leaders to relinquish power and free Bazoum, who is being detained in his residence, but so far they have given no sign they were willing to back down. Hours before the summit in Abuja, they named a slate of ministers in an apparent move to entrench their position and present themselves as a legitimate government

 

Western countries fear Niger could follow Mali's footsteps and seek help from Russia's Wagner Group, which the US has designated a transnational criminal organisation. Wagner's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the Niger coup and said his forces were available to restore order.

Despite being one of the world's poorest countries, landlocked Niger, which is more than twice the size of France, is the world's seventh-largest producer of uranium, a crucial material for nuclear power.

Until the coup, it was also an increasingly valuable ally for the West after Mali and others turned against former colonial power France in favour of closer ties with Russia. U.S., French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger as part of an international struggle against a long-running Islamist insurgency that spread across the Sahel from Mali displacing millions and causing a hunger crisis.

Following a pattern seen after the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso between 2020 and 2022, the junta in Niamey has engaged in vitriolic anti-French rhetoric, seeking to blame France for Niger's problems and accusing it of a range of violations of sovereignty, which Paris has denied.

[news24]

 

This year’s Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) summit will have a distinctive African flavour. Hosted by its only African member, the meeting has an African theme and will be attended by many African leaders as part of an outreach programme. It is expected to consider at least six African countries’ applications for membership.

The theme of the 22-24 August summit is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”. Sixty-seven leaders from the global south have been invited. Significantly, French president Emmanual Macron — who told Pretoria he would like to attend — hasn’t been invited. 

Interest in joining BRICS has surged. At a briefing this week, South Africa’s international relations Minister Naledi Pandor said while several more nations had shown interest, 23 had formally applied. These were Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, State of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Pandor said this indicated recognition of BRICS as a champion of the global south, and the benefits of membership. South Africa’s BRICS ‘sherpa’ Anil Sooklal believes one reason for seeking membership now is the growing polarisation impelled by Russia’s war on Ukraine and rising United States-China tensions. These create anxiety among smaller nations, and an impetus to seek “security in numbers”. 

Not all six African governments that formally applied have officially confirmed this. Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia have — but Nigeria, Senegal and Morocco’s positions are unclear. 

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Russia, Abdullahi Shehu, was recently quoted as saying accession talks hadn’t commenced, but he didn’t rule out future membership. However, Nigeria’s Guardian cites several experts as saying Nigeria isn’t ready for BRICS membership. They say it lacks economic sophistication — including having little to export to other BRICS countries besides oil. Also, the new reformist Bola Tinubu administration has much on its plate. 

Nigeria analyst and Chief Executive of Africa @ Work Dianna Games told ISS Today she was surprised to see Nigeria on the list, but added: “Tinubu is very proactive, so it’s possible he could be driving something like that, looking to spread influence because Nigeria has turned quite inwards under Buhari in foreign policy, and perhaps he is trying to regain lost ground in terms of influence”.

What each African country hopes to get from BRICS is diverse and somewhat unclear. Egypt would probably be among the first to join, especially as it’s already a member of BRICS’ New Development Bank. Cairo is particularly interested in BRICS’ plans to shift more trade from the US dollar into local currencies — and even perhaps to create its own currency.

Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune sees joining as helping to create a more equitable world order, which would help Algeria distance itself ‘from the attraction of the two poles.’ His foreign minister recently expressed hopes for deriving trade benefits. 

These views reveal common misconceptions about BRICS. The two poles Tebboune referred to — which are growing further apart due to the Ukraine war — are clearly the West on the one side and Russia and China on the other. So BRICS can hardly be called non-aligned.

And seeing BRICS as a useful trade booster misses the fact that it’s not a trade bloc at all. Pandor highlighted that BRICS countries have around 42% of the world’s population and 30% of its territory, 27% of global GDP and 20% of international trade. But only about 6% of the total trade of the five members is with each other

BRICS is nonetheless a useful economic club — most concretely through its New Development Bank, which has already loaned $5.4-billion to South Africa for five projects. But viewed geopolitically, BRICS is less of a non-aligned “champion of the global south” as Pandor put it this week, than an alternative to a Western-dominated world, as Tebboune says — or even, more pointedly, anti-Western. 

This is a prickly point. Pandor said South Africa didn’t “see BRICS as being pro-Russia or anti-Western … South Africa’s trading partners in the West are very, very important to South Africa’s economic progress”. Games also didn’t think Nigeria would join BRICS to tip the global power balance against the West, as it valued all its main trading partners equally. 

Priyal Singh, Institute for Security Studies Senior Researcher, says the motivation for BRICS membership differs even among current members. “India, for example, has consistently pointed to its pursuit of ‘strategic autonomy’ on the world stage; and a stronger (or enlarged) BRICS grouping aligns with this foreign policy objective. This is also a compelling narrative for Brazil and South Africa, with Pretoria leaning heavily into its pursuit of a more multipolar international order narrative.”

But as tensions rise over Ukraine and Taiwan, Russia and China increasingly appear to regard BRICS as an alliance against the West, and so presumably would some candidate members like Iran and Venezuela. 

Yet such an alliance has its own fault lines, most notably the tensions between China and India, especially over their Kashmir border dispute. Last week South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persuade him that it was worth attending the summit in person. 

And it’s not coincidental that Russia and China, BRICS’ two autocratic members, are apparently most enthusiastic about expanding membership while democratic India and Brazil are wary (with South Africa in the middle), a South African official said off the record. 

This seems to be why the five BRICS members’ foreign ministers are still struggling, days before the summit, to agree on membership criteria to submit to the heads of state. Defining the bloc’s identity and global role has also become a struggle. 

“I certainly would guard against any criteria for expansion that would lead us down a path where we contribute to increasing conflict in the global community or in any part of the world,” Pandor said. That is probably not how China and Russia see the issue. 

BRICS offers benefits to its members, including more choices in development financing, collaboration on issues such as health, and gradual independence from the dollar’s dominance. But anyone contemplating membership must be wary about the danger of going down precisely the path that Pandor warned against. DM

First published by ISS Today.

Friday, 11 August 2023 14:14

Petrol Price May Hit N750/litre – IPMAN

The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, may increase to about N750 per litre, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has hinted.

This is even as the association urged the government to initiate policies that would save the naira from further depreciation.

National spokesperson of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, gave the hint on Thursday, in Abuja.

Although he said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), being the major importer of petroleum products, has yet to change its ex-depot price from N587.7.

“There will be a 10 percent increase because the dollar was N750, now it is over N900. That is almost a 20% increase. If you apply this, you should be talking about N750/ litre.

“Currently, dollar rate at the parallel market, as of today, is N910, which also means that the landing cost of PMS will increase and also the domestic price of PMS will increase.

“People should understand that the government is no longer subsidizing and there is no local production in Nigeria. Had it been there is local production, it would have been able to cushion the effect of too many naira pursuing the dollar. It would have helped us and saved the naira.

“If the government does not do something drastically, before the end of this year, naira may be close to N1,100 per dollar and this will be a serious inflation for Nigeria,” he added.

[TheWill]