Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, ‘accidental’ civil servant, vocal politician and former governor of Kaduna State, has carried out his threat to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The defector is not an ideologue, and his defection was not based on ideological consideration. He is rich, but his wealth cannot match the quantum of human and material resources available to his former party. He left a big party for a smaller and struggling platform with limited prospects.

His departure from the ruling party was not beyond expectation. He had complained about some policies of the party on the pages of newspapers. “APC has left me,” he declared a month ago, hinting about his next move.” Apart from arrogating an exclusive numerical voting power and strength to the North during elections, he also tried to pose as the leader of an impending northern onslaught, warning that in two years time, the North will not vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term.

But, other nothern leading lights from the region disagreed, saying that he only expressed a personal opinion. APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje rejected El-Rufai’s allegation that the North was neglected, describing it as a figment of imagination. He said the president, through his inclusive policies, have given northerners a sense of belonging.

Having been left in the cold during the inauguration of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President  Tinubu, the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister has not adjusted to life outside power.

As a founding member of APC, the turn of events is worrisome to some of his supporters, who are not likely to jump ship like him. El-Rufai had blamed his exclusion, more from the government, but less from the party, to the alleged plot hatched by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, his Fulani kinsman from Adamawa State, who arguably became more influential than him after the 2023 polls.

When it was evident that he had lost the nomination for a ministerial slot in the administration,  he was worried. His ego was deflated. He attracted public sympathy. The feeling was that after he had said that he was not interested in serving as a minister, he was persuaded to accept nomination by the party leader and he actually showed up for screening at the Senate. Many thought the Power portfolio was for him.

However, 24 days is a long time in politics. The table turned against him on the slippery political field. Sources said El-Rufai was consequently asked to nominate another person for the slot. Yet, in his diminishing camp of supporters in Kaduna and other places, the missed opportunity was a big blow and a sort of dashed hope for cronies who had wished to make an in-road into the administration.

Mixed reactions have trailed his defection to the SDP, a party that came fourth in the last presidential election. It could not be ascertained whether he discussed his move with his former leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and colleagues in the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Analysts have pointed out that he left APC to galvanise the opposition and align interest with previous political foes who are united by the motive to work against President Tinubu in 2027.

El-Rufai has been described as a clever and controversial actor, whose political life had reflected a focus and resolve to succeed as an exponent of conditional loyalty and symbol of ethnic bullying.

To the SDP, El-Rufai is a big catch. He is a household name in political circles associated with some past political battles. But his new party is not a formidable platform, although it has two senators who borrowed it during the 2023 polls.

 SDP presidential candidate in the last general election, Adebayo Adewole, who once castigated him as a symbol of ethnic and religious bigotry in a plural country thirsty for unity in diversity, acknowledged his strengths and weaknesses. He said El-Rufai would need to work on those weaknesses.

Adewole, a lawyer and businessman, described the former governor as a competent and hardworking public servant, whose skills, experience and energy are needed for effective governance. He said the defection has met the expectation of the SDP, whose strategy is to woo popular politicians into the fold as it prepares to tackle Tinubu in the next election. To him, El-Rufai is an asset to the opposition.

Some politicians and commentators do not share these views. Sheu Sani, a human rights activist and a senator from Kaduna in the first term of El-Rufai as governor, described the defection as a good radiance to a bad rubbish. He described the venerable defector as a civilian dictator, who is guilty of his allegations against the APC.

Sani said El-Rufai has no respect for internal democracy, recalling that when he was governor, the party chairman, secretary, elected local government chairmen and most of the elected public officials were handpicked by him.

“I left APC because of him. If he returns to the APC, I will leave again,” he added.

Sani predicted that El-Rufai will become a divisive factor in his new abode because of his domineering nature.

Kaduna APC welcomed the defection with a sense of relief. Its Secretary, Yahaya Pate, said: “We are unperturbed by former governor Nasir El-Rufai’s defection to another party. Our focus in Kaduna is on how to deliver the state to both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani come 2027.”

A political scientist, Prof. Jideofor Adibe of Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa, said El-Rufai has achieved a motive, adding that his goal is relevance, which he believes SDP can guarantee. But he pointed out that many percieved him as a polarising force in the polity.

Critics also doubted if his defection would have much negative impact on the APC, which is waxing strong. He condemned transactional ambition. The Professor contented that instead of solo efforts, mergers are better.

To many observers, El-Rufai is a complex personality; in a breath very principled, and in another dimension politically unstable. He is an arrogant, clever and an aggressive operator, blessed with persuasive talents and organisational ability crucial for mobilisation under a virile leadership.

Eminent scholar, the late Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe,  who sighted El-Rufai at a function in Lagos, said he suspected that the first class graduate of Quantity Surveying from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was one of his troublesome students on rampange when he was ‘stoned’ as vice chancellor with pure water. He insisted that El-Rufai was at the forefront. The claim could not be ascertained. At the event, El-Rufai just smiled.

Outside school, El-Rufai has not been dumb. In public life, he has really excelled.

El-Rufai first tasted power when former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar appointed him as as an economic advisor in 1998.

His successor, President Olusegun Obasanjo later appointed El-Rufai as the inaugural director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Secretary of the National Council of Privatisation where he spearheaded the privatisation of  government owned corporations under the supervision of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In July 2003, he was appointed the FCT Minister. He insisted on the implementation of the original masterplan. With the establishment of the Abuja Geographic Information System, the federal capital became the first municipality in Nigeria with a computerised land register and information system.

After El-Rufai’s appointment was approved by the Senate, he alleged that former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu and Senator Jonathan Zwingina asked for $414,000 bribe before his nomination as a minister was approved. Both senators denied the accusation.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee accused him of paying exorbitant salaries to staff without proper approval. El-Rufai retorted: “Silence is the best answer to a fool.” The Senate was enraged. Obasanjo apologised on his behalf. When it was rejected, he had to go to the Senate to tender a personal apology.

As FCT Minister, El-Rufai demolished 945 buildings and settlements in a bid to sanitise the territory. The residence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)National Chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali, in Asokoro, built over a water trunk line, was not spared.

At the twilight of the administration  El-Rufai presided over a ministerial/administrative panel which indicted his former boss, Atiku.

In 2008, he travelled abroad. When he came back, he enlisted in the CPC, serving as its secretary. When CPC fused with other parties to form APC, he became a legacy member. In 2015, he became governor, defeating former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of the PDP. He was reelected in 2019.

As governor, he embarked on the reforms of the civil service, reduced the number of ministries and departments, implemented free education at primary and secondary school levels, and blocked financial leakages. His decision to confuct test for teachers sparked a row between him and the teachers’ union.

El-Rufai rendered a vital service to APC and Nigeria when the committee he chaired recommended the restructuring of the polity. The report was dumped into the dustbin.

As governor, he often stormed Lagos to fire salvos at the APC National Leader, who he accused of domineering influence. He decried what he described as monopolisation of power and lack of internal democracy. Party loyalists and other Lagosians ignored the partisan incitement.

Those who decribed him as a Fulani irredentist loathed his statement in defence of tribal interest, when he warned soldiers in the line of duty to know their limitations.

“We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan payable one day no matter how long it takes,” he tweeted.

His remarks on religion were also labelled by christian bodies as a “divisive, bigoted, hateful and completely unstatesmanlike declaration of Islamic political supremacism in Kaduna State and Nigeria.”

Around 2017, El-Rufai, accompanied by Rotimi Amaechi, former Transportation minister, held a parley with reporters at Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, to collate facts on Buhari’s popularity in the Southwest. To their surprise, they found out that the key and gate to the Southwest remained Asiwaju Tinubu. In fact, a reporter retorted: “Why are you coming to us to ask questions about the strength of Buhari in the Southwest,or whether the people of the zone will vote for him in 2019? In 2014/15, you people went to Bourdillion to see Asiwaju. Why are you coming to us instead of going to meet your National Leader?” Amaechi kicked at the comment. But, El-Rufai was jotting down the observations. During the Tinubu birthday that followed in 2018, Buhari stormed Lagos, proclaiming Tinubu as master strategist.

There was no evidence to suggest that El-Rufai was rooting for Tinubu ahead of the presidential primary. But, when certain elements in the party claimed that Buhari had anointed Senator Ahmed Lawan, El-Rufai led some governors to the former president to affirm support for zoning.

A predecessor-successor crisis broke out in Kaduna, shortly after El-Rufai left office. Today, he and his sucessor do not see eye to eye.

What difference can he now make in SDP, having left APC, his natural habitat, which he would be attacking as the polity warms up for 2027?

SDP is a small party, and it is wrong to describe the current SDP as the  incarnate of the Moshood Abiola’s SDP of the Third Republic.

The party has limited tentacles, being majorly a borrowed platform, like the Labour Party (LP), and place of temporary refuge for aggrieved chieftains from the APC and PDP. In the National Assembly and across the states, SDP is a minority of minorities.

What is El-Rufai’s future ambition? President or Vice president?

Actress Mary Njoku has raised concerns about the benefits of joining Nollywood guilds and associations, questioning their impact on members.

In a post on her Instagram story, Njoku revealed that she struggled to provide a clear answer when an up-and-coming filmmaker asked about the advantages of guild membership.

She urged the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and other Nollywood associations to clarify and present evidence of the tangible benefits they offer to their members.

She wrote: “A budding filmmaker asked me ‘what are the benefits of being part of Nollywood guilds and associations?’ and I am struggling to give a clear answer. Can someone help outline the benefits with supporting evidence?”

According to the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), there are 22 approved Nollywood guilds and associations, including the AGN and Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN). 

[TheNation]

Controversy has trailed the purchase of N5BN vehicles for 40 lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly, deepening the feud between Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and erstwhile Speaker Mojisola Meranda.

The PUNCH learnt that Meranda purportedly led the purchase of about 39 vehicles for the lawmakers during the period Obasa was removed as Speaker.

However, it was further gathered that Obasa had in December 2024 approved N7bn for the same purpose with plans in motion before he was ousted on January 13, 2025, by about 35 of the 40 lawmakers at the House over allegations of highhandedness, and financial misappropriation among others.

Meranda, who was then made the Speaker by the lawmakers, presided over a boiling House for 49 days until March 3 when she tendered her resignation following the intervention of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress.

Obasa was reelected as Speaker and Meranda returned to her initial position of Deputy Speaker.

However, the crisis does not seem to go away as Meranda and the Assembly still face legal battles from Obasa in the state High Court as the Speaker challenges the basis for his removal.

His contention in court is still ongoing despite the political intervention of party stakeholders who resolved the leadership crisis.

Amid the legal battle is also the contention between the duo over the purchase of the vehicles with money withdrawn from the Assembly’s account while Obasa was away.

Sources privy to the development said Obasa is contending the purchase of the vehicles without his authorisation, as the Speaker had his plan of purchasing the vehicles from Dubai from his bidder of interest.

“He had approved the money before his removal. But Meranda proceeded with buying them, a move that infuriated Obasa,” an aide to Obasa, who asked not to be named for not being authorised to comment yet, said on Tuesday.

“In December, Obasa approved the purchase of those vehicles. But for him, the vehicles were to be bought from Dubai but when Meranda took over, she made it an open bidding. They weren’t bought in Dubai anymore. That is just the difference. So it’s not as if they stole money as it’s been propagated,” another source in the Assembly told The PUNCH on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.

“The purchase or execution was only done (under Meranda). Obasa already approved it. There is a difference between between approval and execution,” the source added.

When contacted on Tuesday, Meranda’s spokesperson, Victor Ganzallo, said an official statement would be issued.

“We will put out an official statement,” he said.

The PUNCH is yet to obtain the statement as of press time.

However, a source close to Meranda who noted that he had not got official authorisation to speak, stated that the first female Speaker only saved N2bn by purchasing 32 units of 2025 Toyota Prado SUV and seven units of Toyota Landcruiser 2025 at the sum of N5b, rather than the N7bn budgeted by Obasa.

“Let it be known that Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda never made any withdrawal from the account of LAHA; rather, she only made a downward review of an existing procurement approval by Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. In doing that, she saved the assembly the sum of N2 billion,” he stated.

He said Obasa had done an approval for the purchase of 35 units of Toyota Fortuner SUV and 10 units of Toyota Prado from Dubai at N7bn.

“As a matter of fact, he made the approval on December 23, 2024. Upon his removal, Rt.Hon. Mojisola Meranda reviewed the approval and called for a bidding locally and approved the sum of N5b for 32 units of 2025 Toyota Prado SUV and seven units of Toyota Landcruiser 2025 at the sum of N5b, saving N2b for the House.

“Unlike Obasa who had planned to import the vehicles from Dubai, all the cars were locally supplied. It is imperative to note that no money was withdrawn by Rt.Hon. Meranda, she only reviewed an existing approval.

“Interestingly, Hon. Meranda spent far less money to acquire better quality cars and didn’t even approve a single one for the office of the Speaker that she occupied,” he added.

Meanwhile, Obasa’s lawyer, Chief Fashanu Afolabi (SAN), has spoken on why Obasa is still in a legal battle against Meranda and the Assembly despite his client’s reelection as Speaker.

He said the allegations Obasa by the lawmakers were heavy and needed to be trashed.

“Because there are some issues that are still pending within the context of notice of allegation. The case of allegation contains reasons for the impeachment which include highhandedness, fraudulent malpractices and the rest and we feel that those issues must be trashed out,” he told The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja had on Monday adjourned the hearing of a suit filed by Obasa to March 17, 2025.

The court had previously scheduled the hearing for March 10, 2025, but at Monday’s proceedings, counsel for the House of Assembly, Femi Falana (SAN), informed the court that Obasa’s legal team, led by Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), had served further affidavits on the same day.

[Punch]

Competence should be agnostic.

This was the thought that occurred to me as I read a piece referencing the recent appointment of 16 directors by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in what has been described as a rigorous, thorough and well-organised “two-phase appointment process.”

And in considering the furore that has erupted in the wake of the conclusion of the recruitment exercise with commentators from a section of the country alleging ethnic bias, I recalled a story I was told at a party years ago in Atlanta.

An old southern lady was rushed to the ER by ambulance. She presented with abdominal pain. Tests showed that she had a ruptured appendix and she was rushed to the theatre for an emergency appendectomy.

But when a black surgeon came in to operate on her she screamed. “I ain’t letting that N!gg@r touch me!”

It was her daughter who had come with her in the ambulance who gave her a hot slap which, as we say in Nigeria, reset her brain.

When I heard that story I remember saying to my American host, “Dana, in Africa we don’t slap our parents”

Dana’s answer was a simple, “Toni Kan, you are missing the point.”

The Nigerian economy is like that old southern lady; it is in dire straits and while the financial and fiscal authorities are working hard to get it on an even keel people are focusing on the tribes of the surgeons assembled to perform life-saving surgery.

A month ago the attack was against three women. Luckily, in that instant, all three women hailed from various parts of the country so tribal bias was not invoked as it is being done now.

In this case, with ethnic bias being alleged in the emergence of the 16 newly appointed directors, one is constrained to ask; when will it end, these irksome microscopic examinations of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s hiring practices.

It should be simple to understand that when it comes to picking the best to do a critical and intensive job we must look past tribe, religion and creed. Yes, there is the principle of federal character – which we are quick to invoke when things don’t go our way – but some national assignments demand the consideration of a different approach; one whose focus on competence, qualification, experience and merit should trump any other consideration.

How did we get here?

The CBN advertised, internally, for eligible deputy directors to apply for vacant director positions. Applications were received and vetted. The first round of interviews was conducted by human Resources and Director Generals before the next round which now had the CBN governor, Yemi Cardoso involved. The process was overseen from beginning to end by world renowned consultancy firm, PriceWaterHouseCoopers in order to ensure not just transparency but alignment with global best practice.

At the end of the exercise 16 new directors were appointed on March 3, 2025 and they include: Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf (Payment System Supervision Department), Dr. Adenike Olubunmi Ojumu (Medical Services Department), Dr. Aisha Isa-Olatinwo (Consumer Protection Department), Mrs. Rita Ijeoma Sike (Financial Policy and Regulation Department), Mrs. Monsurat Vincent (Strategy Management and Innovation Department), and Mrs. Omoyemen Avbasowamen Jide-Samuel from the Information Technology Department), Mr. Hamisu Abdullahi (Banking Services Department), Dr. Usman Moses Okpanachi (Statistics); Dr. Oboh Victor Ugbem (Monetary Policy); and Mr. Farouk Mujtaba Muhammad, (Reserve Management.), Mr. Olubukola Akinniyi Akinwumi (Banking Supervision), Hassan Ibrahim Umar (Development and Finance Institutions)

The rest are Dr. Adetona Sikiru Adedeji, ( Currency Operation and Branch), Mr. Mohammed-Jamiu Olayemi Solaja, (Other Financial Institutions Supervision), Mr. Musa Nakorji (Trade and Exchange Department) and Mr. Kayode Olarewaju Makinde ( Procurement and Support Services).

The appointment of the 16 new directors with a 35% female representation brings to 27 the total number of substantive directors at the apex bank. At the conclusion of the exercise only the Corporate Communications department had an acting director.

The delay many not be unconnected with the merging of the newly created Investor Relations Department with the Corporate Communications Department in what a source described as “part of the Bank’s strategic efforts to enhance stakeholder engagement, optimize resources, and ensure a more coordinated approach to communication.”

The new directors have been described as “best-in-class” and “distinguished individuals who have demonstrated exceptional expertise, leadership, and commitment” to lead the Bank into the future.

While the process that led to the emergence of these new directors went smoothly, the reception has been anything but. Scathing commentaries in the papers and blogosphere have alleged an ethnic slant in the appointments while also purporting that deputy directors from a particular part of Nigeria were shortchanged.

Phrases like “regional favoritism”, glaring marginalistion”, “regional sentiments” have been bandied around to justify the supposed “unprecedented imbalance” and what one of the commentators described as “serious concerns about fairness, inclusivity and the credibility of the apex bank.”

But the fact to take away from all this especially as the CBN’s policies are beginning to impact the economy positively is a simple one; when it comes to dealing with the financial health of our nation, we must rise above atavistic parochialism.

A man laid out on the operating table does not worry about the race or religion or tribe of his surgeon. His major concern is whether the surgeon is capable, competent and experienced.

We must teach ourselves to take the same approach when it comes to working on the financial health of the nation by looking for the best hands within the system to lead the CBN into a new era.

That is what I think the bank has done and as staffers attest the exercise produced the right, experienced and qualified candidates but as Dana, my American friend told me many years ago, tribal irredentists “are missing the point” as usual.

Kan is a PR expert, financial analyst and biographer.

The mobile industry will post nearly $11 trillion in economic value by 2030 or 8.4 percent of GDP. Last year, 2024, mobile technology and services generated 5.8 percent of global GDP, which is equivalent to $6.5 trillion of economic value. This was part of the highlights of the annual Mobile Economy Report 2025 launched by the GSMA at the Mobile World Congress (MWC25) which was held in Barcelona last week.

Much of this will be driven by countries around the world increasingly benefiting from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services and digital technologies, including 5G, IOT and AI, the report informed.

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA sketched the scope of the industry when he said, “Our industry connects nearly six billion people, and powers economies worldwide. And, at MWC, over 50 percent of attendees come from outside the Mobile ecosystem, a clear signal that industries recognise the vast opportunities our networks create. This week will shine a light on those opportunities – from 5G to AI and many more – and their role in helping us to unlock new markets, drive innovation and shape the future of the mobile digital economy.”

No doubt the market is huge and there is so much money to be made from the industry and ancillary sectors by those who are bold and creative enough to invest their energy, resources and expertise in the components parts of the industry. Those who gathered in Barcelona last week would be interested in how much comes to their organisation, their sector and. above all, their country.

That is the question every sane person should ask and, without doubt, it won’t be a question for Nigeria but a matter of humility to admit that our country at this time really needs a heavy dose of fund injection from that mind-blowing projection. But we don’t have to wave a magic wand to attract it but a lot of hard work based on the gaps that are noticeable in the research details. So, what is going to be Nigeria’s share of this money?

Let’s take a look at the report. 5G enjoyed a lot of attention at the Mobile World Congress. The report also focussed attention on 5G as it periscopes trends that will affect the industry well into the future, and also marks it out as the technology that will dominate, being able to inspire other technologies to instigate growth. According to the report, 58 percent of the world’s population were using mobile internet at the end of 2024, representing 4.7 billion users – a number expected to rise to 5.5 billion users (65%) by 2030.

It also says that 5G connections worldwide surpassed two billion at the end of 2024 and will account for over half (57%) of total mobile connections in 2030, overtaking 4G adoption by 2028.

Here is another interesting observation which interpretation may translate to wealth for the industry and even nations. “With 2G and 3G networks accounting for less than 20 percent of mobile connectivity worldwide, legacy networks are being phased out in many regions. By the end of November 2024, a total of 152 networks had been shut down and another 131 networks were planned to be shut down by 2030. Asia Pacific and Europe lead the way, accounting for around 70 percent of networks sunsets to date. Network sunsets enable more efficient spectrum use while also reducing energy consumption,” the report stated.

But while legacy technologies are facing deserved sunset in the developed world, they remain very strong in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. For instance, 2G still controls 41.63 percent of network buildout in Nigeria while 3G has .8.60 per cent, and 4G, 47.23 percent. 5G has less than 3 percent.

The GSMA sees the world moving into the future with 5G, observing that Sub-Saharan Africa will contribute to strong Mobile connectivity growth before 2030. Between 2024 and 2030, operators will spend a whopping $1.5 trillion on their mobile networks. Nigerian operators will do part of this spending to expand services and aggressively pursue 5G deployment.

“This trend will not be uniform across all markets; in emerging 5G markets, CapEx will continue to accelerate over the forecast period on 5G network rollout. Overall, 92 percent of operators’ CapEx between 2023 and 2030 will be spent on 5G network deployment,” the report stated.

There are three 5G operators in Nigeria with a fourth license waiting to be issued at the right price. Rollout efforts of the three operators – MTN, Mafab and Airtel, could only yield less than 3 percent coverage. But the GSMA report gives Sub-Saharan Africa an interesting 2024 Technology mix which presents the following picture: 2G – 11 percent; 3G – 49 percent; 4G – 38 percent; and 5G – 3 percent.

However, by 2030, the picture will be progressively different: 2G – 2 percent; 3G – 28 percent; 4G – 52 percent; and 5G – 17 percent. It is not just a different picture but an entirely different game in terms of network deployment, service rollout and other industry support services that will be provided. Within the period, 2024 to 2030, smartphones will grow from 54 percent to 81 percent.

This is why the report notes that despite increasing mobile saturation in developed regions, there remains room for growth in many large, underpenetrated markets in developing regions. For example, India and Sub-Saharan Africa will account for around half of new mobile subscribers globally over 2022 to 2030.

Although the GSMA annual Mobile Economy Report 2025 paints Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, as a developing market for the mobile industry, a little analysis shows that countries in the region can make so much money only if they can achieve the projections that look very humble. For instance, 17 percent of the 5G market in Sub-Saharan Africa is pegged at 247 million lines.

It means that the regulator must create the right ecosystem to encourage operators’ activities that can directly and indirectly affect the market to create needed returns to both industry and the public, which includes the government.

For instance, in 2024, the mobile sector made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector with around $600 billion raised through taxes on the sector. The industry also directly created 24 million jobs while supporting another 16 million, bringing it to a total of 40 million. It is the responsibility of the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to ensure that Nigerian operators are spruced up to enable them. contribute their share of these global projections.

Through proper regulation and other interventions, there is much benefit that can accrue to the nation from the mobile industry. The report also harped on creative regulatory processes. My humble suggestion is for the regulator to encourage operators to offer good services, make more money and be able to support the government through tax remittances and other channels. The regulator must work hard to give Nigeria a decent share of that $30 trillion by 2030.

“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. So many problems come up without accurate data.” – President Bola Tinubu on February 24, 2025.

How many are we in Nigeria? Sincerely, there is no reliable data to back up claims that Nigeria has a population of 220 million. It has all been unreliable estimates. According to the National Population Commission, a census was first conducted in the area known today as Nigeria in the year 1866 by the British colonial government within the Colony of Lagos. There were also decennial censuses conducted only for the Lagos Colony in the years 1871, 1881 and 1901, respectively. 10 years later, in the year 1911, the census exercise covered the Southern Protectorate, including Lagos and the Northern Protectorate. Thereafter, there had been a census in 1921, 1931, 1951/53, 1962, 1963, 1973, 1991 and 2006.

The importance of the national population and housing census cannot be overemphasised or underestimated. NPC listed 13 benefits of having this exercise at regular intervals. It says that accurate census data are critical for developing accurate assessments of economic well-being for the nation as a whole and helping the government in proper economic planning. Data from the census will help the government identify the special population, e.g. people living with disabilities and how the government can be of help to them. Census data also helps the government in designing programmes that aim to identify areas eligible for housing conditions, assistance and rehabilitation.

The data from the census helps in the allocation of funding for numerous educational programmes, such as vocational and adult education and provides data that can help estimate or even forecast the number of schools required, out-of-school children, percentage of literacy in the country, quality of the educational curriculum, et cetera. Census helps generate data that will help business forecasting. That is, identifying areas where businesses can thrive using the population size as an advantage. The resultant profit from this will enhance improvement in the amount of tax that will be generated by the government. Accurate census information helps the government plan disaster recovery and contingency initiatives. The census also provides information on the healthcare needs of the population.

Census data can help formulate, evaluate, change, and propose policies and programmes that help farmers. A population census can provide data that can help the government to be aware of the ratio of security officers to be proportionate to the nation’s population, which can help in improving the security of lives and properties in the country.  Census data also assists in the determination of the standard of living of the people. The number of people in a country is used to formulate policies for development.

A population census gives the government an idea of the different demographics in different parts of the country, which will in turn aid the government in the adequate provision of social amenities like water, electricity, roads, and hospitals, which are beneficial to the citizens of the country. Lastly, the census will provide reliable and evidence-based data for the implementation of the revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development and the realisation of the SDGs.

It is very heartwarming that President Bola Tinubu has shown renewed interest in conducting a fresh national population and housing census for Nigeria after 19 years. Recall that the last one was held in November 2006. It is also gratifying that the President wants the national population and housing census with biometric and digital components. Tinubu, at the February 24, 2025, meeting with officials of the National Population Commission at the Statehouse, said he would set up a committee to align the census budget to the government’s present financial realities. He said the National Identity Management Commission must be part of the review. The President told the delegation that biometric capturing should be central to the process, with multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said the census data would be central to future planning and resource distribution. He was quoted as saying, “Mr President, we have been having ecosystem meetings to link the identity agencies, even the geo-spatial chaired by the ministry, because of our mandate as the supervising ministry of the National Bureau of Statistics. So, the NPC, NBS, NIMC, Ministry of Digital Economy, passport, social register, voter register, and even telecoms data have been meeting with the National Space Research and Development Agency to see how much is available to the government regarding data and how much optimisation can take place.”

At the February meeting, the NPC Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, said 760,000 tablets had been acquired and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria, promising that the commission would engage with development partners to seek support whenever President Tinubu proclaimed the new census date. It was reliably learnt that the development partners bore 40 per cent of the costs of the last census exercise. With the mopping up of funds and foreign aid freeze by different countries, it is doubtful if Nigeria can rely much on international development assistance for its national census exercise.

It will be recalled that the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had planned to hold the national population and housing census in 2023, but the wrong timing did not allow it to sail through. Historically, it is dangerous to hold a census close to an election year. Not only are the two—election and census—capital intensive, but political interference will most likely not make the census credible. This is why the Tinubu administration must strive to have the census in 2025 because next year will be suffused with preparations for the 2027 general elections.

When the census was to be held in 2023, the cost was estimated at N400bn. However, information in the news media over the weekend shows that the National Population Commission has submitted a bill of N942bn for the 2025 exercise. Now, a lot of people are shouting that it is a padded budget. However, I do not think so. As the saying goes, the best time to buy anything in economics is yesterday. With the devaluation of the naira and the floating of the currency, prices of commodities now cost three or four times their cost in 2023. That is why it is popularly said that “delay is dangerous”. If Nigeria fails to have the census this year, we may have to be looking for trillions by the next time we want to have it done.

The Yorubas say, “A sweet soup costs a lot of money to prepare.” To have a digitised census will cost a fortune more because many of the hardware and software equipment are not manufactured locally and have to be imported using foreign exchange. If the Federal Government can award N15tn Lagos-Calabar Super Highway, we can also source for whatever financial resources will be needed for a long overdue national population and housing census. The funding for the census could come from the federation account since it is a national exercise; states and LGAs should share the cost of the exercise. The critical factor should not just be the cost but how to have credible, reliable, usable, and acceptable exercise.  I do not need to remind readers that previous exercises have been enmeshed in controversies and litigations. I fully endorse all cost-cutting measures the Federal Government may want to take, including using youth corps members as enumerators. However, the standard should not be compromised so that the outcome can be fully endorsed by all sections of the country.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo ,  Afenifere leader  who died, aged 96 ,and  last of the original Awoists,  was a  vivacious,  joyous soul.   He was a zestful political warrior who embraced political combat  with gusto.  In his usual ebullience, he embraced death and  even  humorously  cast the news headline for  the media on his imminent  passage :   “ Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, the controversial man, is gone”.  He had added :  ‘’He last spoke with his daughter’’.  It was his last video chat.  For a man who preached fairness, equity and love of country for a united Nigeria,  it was symbolic that   he took his  last bow on February 14, 2025, Valentine Day ,  a day  humanity celebrate love.    

 I first made contact with  Mr. Ayo Adebanjo,  as he was then , the  ebony black handsome lawyer , as a village child  in  Okelamuren,  Ogbo  community, near Ijebu-Ode , Ogun State when he made a triumphant  homecoming on his return from England in 1961. .  The then  33- year old lawyer rode into the village in the same car with Chief ( Mrs.)  H.I.D. Awolowo.   It was a glorious day for us villagers.  We, the children,  crowded the slow moving car, as it waltzed its way to the village square, to get a glimpse of  this illustrious son  of the soil just returned from  ‘ilu Oyinbo’ ( the White man’s land) . In those days,  we village children used to wave at any aeroplane  passing over our  village asking  the passengers, in  Ijebu dialect, to  help us greet our relations in ‘Ilu Oyinbo’  !!!  A childhood blissful ignorance  !  We got heightened excitement when we found out  that the  lady who  rode in the car with him was  the wife of the legendary AWO !   Mythical Awo  !!  My maternal grandmother, Olori Adejoke  Adebambo, wife of  Ilamuren of Okelamuren,  Oba Julius Adebambo,  referred to  Ayo Adebanjo as   ‘omo Bada ‘  ( son of Bada )  a  Lagos-based , successful goldsmith.  Chief Ayo Adebanjo inherited his handsomeness and sartorial elegance from his father, who was always resplendently dressed , with  long  gold chain.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo  was committed to his local Ogbo  community, comprising 11 villages ( Ogbo mokanla ) . His country home , a compact, elegant  bungalow built on a landscaped expanse of land, in the centre of Ogbo community, straddles Isanya and Okelamuren villages.  He was the Asiwaju of Ibido-Ogbo, the Baba Oba of Okelamuren , Grand Patron of Okelamuren  Progressive Union ( OPU )  and leader of Ogbo  Christian community . For decades, he hosted  Ogbo community members in Lagos to annual new year party  at his Lagos residence on the second Sunday of every January. He paid his tithe and regularly packaged  money for the local clergy at Saint Phillips Anglican church, Isanya-Ogbo.  On one of my visits to the country home, I witnessed his doling out two envelopes of money to the assistant pastor of his home church.  After the pastor left, I had asked Baba why at age 95 he was  still giving out money.  He had smiled , pointing out that as church leader , there were some expectations of him, adding   that even his wife, also in her  90s, made similar donations.  What a devotion !    

As  is the tradition with Afenifere,  Chief Ayo  Adebanjo,  as Afenifere Leader,  hosted  the organization’s meetings at his Isanya-Ogbo  country home, usually under a canopy provided for the occasion, with entertainment sponsored by various groups. At such meetings,  where he presided , Chief Adebanjo stamped his authority , as the man in charge . Meeting must follow procedure as laid out in items in the agenda. If you got up to speak on item 6 while discussion  was on item 4, he shuts  you up , mid sentence.  Also, you don’t go back to an item that had been treated , he would dismiss you as  absent-minded,  inattentive and a time waster.  Some did not like the brusque manner,  but to him meetings must be ordered business.  

The point is, whoever got to interact with Chief Ayo  Adebanjo  saw  him as a Strong Man  !  Strong in intellectual  articulation and elocution, a strong robust physique,  strong vocally in his emphatic tone  and very, very  strong in his convictions.  With him , there is no ambivalence, no ambiguity  – he takes a reasoned  stand  and sticks with it – his last unequivocal stand  being  his endorsement of Peter Obi of Labour Party  for president in the 2023 presidential  election, based on justice and equity.   It turned out his last political battle.  With Bola Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Party ( APC ),   a large section of Yorubas went into ethnic mode to pillory the Afenifere leader  for supporting  an Igbo against a fellow  Yoruba.  Some members of  Afenifere left to form a splinter group that endorsed Tinubu for president.  Chief Ayo Adebanjo  was the target of  a bruising campaign of calumny to which  he  usually responded with   infectious , boisterous  aplomb in  stoutly  defending  the logic of  his  stand on equity among  Nigeria’s  tripod of North, West and East to the presidency.  When Peter  Obi , the one they said had no structure on ground,  scored the landmark, upset  victory of defeating, Tinubu,  the Lagos Landlord, in his Lagos domain, in the presidential election,  the opposition went for broke in the virulence of their attacks on Chief Adebanjo.  Nothing was spared in the demonization of the  old  political warhorse . One character, in a social media post that went viral,  even claimed Chief Ayo Adebanjo was half Igbo, that his mother was Igbo !!! Imagine the audacity of that blatant lie. Of course, Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s  mother was  Yoruba,  of Ijebu stock.  I had raised the issue with Baba at his Isanya-Ogbo country home, that we should counter this big lie.  But he had  told me , with a wry smile,  “ Bisi, leave them alone. It is not worth it “.  Days later, I had an appointment with a Professor  of Ophthalmology  in Lagos who repeated the lie of  Chief Adebanjo not  being a full blooded Yoruba because his mother was Igbo. I tried to correct the misinformation but she was not convinced, telling me why was it not refuted. But my greatest shock was on  Saturday, February 15, 2025, the day after the passing on of Chief Adebanjo, when at Ede, where I live, people gathered  at  the vendor’s place in Oke Gada while discussing the late  Afenifere leader’s last political stand  also said he supported his kinsman Obi because his mother was Igbo !!.  It then dawned on me gravity of the menace posed by  disseminators  of fake news and why it must be tackled  by the government with the urgency  and severity of sanctions it deserves.  If someone can brazenly  peddle such  a lie about  a national figure like Chief Ayo Adebanjo,  what can  they  not publish about us regular folks ?

The  2023 elections which triggered the lie about Chief Adebanjo’s maternal nativity, also drew editorial attacks. Three days to the gubernatorial election, I had written a piece captioned ‘ The Igbo & the battle for Lagos’, published in many newspapers, including The Guardian and The Nigerian Tribune, both on March 16, 2023. In that write-up, I had , among others, stated  : “ Whipping up  Yoruba  ethnic sentiments  against the Igbo portrays the APC as a drowning  party seeking any straw to cling on. It  is a manifestation of the desperation of  Tinubu and the APC, apparently destabilized  by the Obidients’ phenomenon “.   Surprisingly, on the same day the write-up was published , the Tinubu media gladiators published  a counter in  The Nation newspaper, which did not publish the article itself.  Rather than responding to the points raised ,  the surrogate writer,  Ayodele Ola Daniels,  described the write-up as ‘’ malicious , malevolent analyses’’ . However, it was a manifestation of their obsession with  Chief Ayo Adebanjo that they  implied that  he sponsored the  write-up by noting that :  “ After all,  Olawunmi’s  kinsman , mentor  and sponsor, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, endorsed  Peter Obi  in the presidential election”.  Then the clincher : “Pa Adebanjo is  not known to have won any election anywhere in his  life ! ‘’. This is what had confounded  critics of Chief Ayo Adebanjo over  the  years , how in spite of his not having occupied  any  of those lofty , aphrodisiac ,  public offices like minister , senator or governor, he had, by strength of character,  attained prominent public visibility and earned respect for  his articulate position on issues, from restructuring to a united one Nigeria. He had only been pioneer organizing secretary of the Action Group in the 1950s.  One concedes that Tinubu’s  thunder in Abeokuta – the Emilokan battle cry – was seen by many  as tantamount to committing political hara-kiri, but in spite of the odds stacked against him, still  triumphantly  clinched  the presidency.   But  the question arises : after the victory, where is the beef ?  Back then in 2023, Daniels had assured us that ‘’ Tinubu’s presidency  will usher in a new , brighter , more prosperous , stable, secure  and United Nigeria’’  and  that ‘’ The Bisi Olawunmis of this world would have a long, inconsolable winter ahead.’’.  Well,  getting to two years on in the Tinubu Presidency,  prosperity and  security remain elusive  and millions of Nigerian Bisi Olawunmis, nationwide, are experiencing  inconsolable, harsh economic  winter !!  

Chief Ayo Adebanjo had opposed Tinubu’s presidential bid on  principle of equity and often said  it was not a declaration of war, which was why he visited Tinubu during the time he had   health challenges before the election.  This  gesture was lost on the Tinubu boys.  However, in spite of the  irreverent  Tinubu political gladiators, among the glowing tributes  to Chief Ayo Adebanjo,  I found the one  by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu  ( a.k.a. Emilokan ) quite gratifying for the humility  in publicly acknowledging the pivotal role of Chief  Ayo Adebanjo , as acting chairman of the Alliance for Democracy party , in getting him elected as Governor of Lagos state in 1999, a position that launched his political trajectory.  “ His ( Adebanjo )  unwavering  commitment to truth  and justice  extended to my journey as governorship candidate  in 1999.     Baba Adebanjo’s  steadfast support was instrumental in my election as Governor of Lagos State under the platform of the Alliance for Democracy’.  Tinubu had added :  ‘’Until his death, I shared a deep personal bond with  Baba Adebanjo; he was like a father figure’’ .  Those Tinubu laudatory words about Chief  Ayo Adebanjo ,  ‘’ unwavering commitment to justice ‘’ played out in 1999 in commendation  but  played out in 2023 in condemnation !!!    Chief  Ayo Adebanjo, a man of politics without bitterness,  died on Feb. 14  - Valentine Day - a day of showing amity, which hopefully,  may  create a pathway  to restoring  harmony  to Afenifere, the  umbrella Yoruba   body,   which he led with passion and dedication.  

Chief Ayo Adebanjo lived  a frank , unpretentious and fulfilling life.  He  harped on life’s transient nature  and  had always jokingly reminded  people of his imminent passage.  He used to say :  Ayo  Adebanjo ti se ti e , o ku siyin lowo ( Ayo  Adebanjo has done his beat, it is left for others to carry on).. He ran a good race and ended well. He left a legacy of political fidelity to justice,  equity  and a principled stand in furtherance of  Nigerian  brotherhood.    

Dr. Bisi Olawunmi,  Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Adeleke University, Ede, is a former Washington Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria and Fellow, Nigerian Guild of  Editors. PHONR  : 0803 364 7571    Email : olawunmibisi@yahoo.com.