The Nigerian economy is not creating jobs and other opportunities for the young citizens mainly due to human factors that can be surmounted through the right approaches. This is contained in a report ‘Employment creation potential of industries without smokestacks (IWOSS): A Nigeria case study’, released Thursday in Abuja by the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) and the Brookings Institution. The report which examines the potential for IWOSS, particularly financial and business services, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and formal trade covered year 2000 to 2020, also shows that the mining sector is worse in lack of job creation. Presenting the report, a researcher at the CSAE, Mma Ekeruche, said the research shows that the economy is not creating jobs for the young people, when this should not have been the case.   According to her, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa and more especially Nigeria with jobs declining from 51 million to 31 million, with women and youth mostly affected. “From 2000 to 2020, jobs have declined in Nigeria. The worst hit is mining, which fell from 29 percent to 10 percent in 2020. Employment growth in financial and business services increased by 24 percent and employed a large number of people. “Mining can’t absorb large numbers of people and it is on the decrease. The sectors that contributed are the financial and the business sector which is also resilient to shocks. Agro processing, financial and business, ICT, Tourism, formal trade and transportation increase in the share of employment and hold the keys to future jobs,” she said. She added that highly skills and the female population will be the most needed in the future jobs and that 41m jobs will be created for male, while 16m jobs will be created for females if the needed infrastructures are created and policies implemented. Ekeruche mentioned some of the challenges that will affect the future jobs to include poor infrastructure, lack of access to finance, corruption, skills gaps, and land policies. Speaking during the unveiling of the report, the Advisory Partner and Chief Economist, PwC, Nigeria, Dr Andrew Nevin, said music, entertainment, fashion, and cyber security will play a serious role in the IWOSS and that such businesses have a good value chain. Also, a lecturer with University of Nigeria Nsuka, Prof Emmanuel Nwosu said African countries have not been able to have a substantial value for their export that’s why the export is low.

  Tragedy struck yesterday at Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa where the lifeless body of a National Diploma (ND) 2 Mass Communication student was found dead in her room with matchet cuts and her eyes plucked out. The student, simply identified as Dasola was among those writing the ongoing first-semester examination in the school. As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding her murder are still not known. Vanguard gathered that late Dasola’s friend, her coursemate, who did not see her around to sit for the examination on Thursday, went to her house, around the Ile Idibo area and found her door locked from outside suggesting that no one was inside the room. It was learnt that some of her neighbours who were her mates were perceiving a terrible odour and decided to look around and while peeping through her window, they found her body lying lifeless. They reportedly raised an alarm which attracted attention from those around. It was gathered that the school’s management had been alerted and hurriedly suspended the ongoing examination for a day as a sign of respect for the deceased’s soul. However, the Eruwa Police Division has been informed and arranged for the evacuation of the corpse from the room to be deposited at the General Hospital, Eruwa, while police commenced an investigation to fish out her killers.

  Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, has announced a state of emergency on Passport issues in the country. Comptroller in charge of Media and Publicity, Tony Akuneme disclosed this in a statement issued Friday in Abuja. According to the statement, Mrs Adepoju made the declaration during her working visit to Lagos. She emphasized the urgent need to address challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining Passports and declared a comprehensive plan of action to tackle these issues effectively. Part of the statement reads; “The Ag. CGI’s visit to Lagos encompassed significant events that underscored the gravity of the Passport crisis. “She inaugurated a state-of-the-art Visa on Arrival Lounge at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, demonstrating her commitment to improving the overall travel experience for visitors entering Nigeria. Following this, she paid an unscheduled visit to the Alausa Passport office to assess the situation firsthand. “In her address, Ag. CGI Adepoju emphasized the necessity to dismantle all man-made bottlenecks that impede the Passport application process. She further stressed that the NIS top management is fully committed to addressing institutional and technology-based drawbacks to ensure a more efficient and streamlined service delivery. “Recognizing the importance of collaboration and community engagement, the Ag. CGI embarked on a grassroots sensitization initiative targeting traditional rulers. She commenced this effort with a visit to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, seeking the cooperation of traditional rulers in raising awareness about the menace of human trafficking and initiating joint efforts to combat this grave issue. “The state of emergency declaration on Passport issues signifies the renewed commitment of NIS to resolving the challenges faced by Nigerians seeking to obtain passports. It represents a call to action for all stakeholders to prioritize efficiency, transparency, and excellence in service delivery. “Ag. CGI Adepoju had earlier directed all Passport Control Officers, relevant units and personnel within the NIS including our Missions abroad, to work tirelessly towards eliminating all hindrances preventing Nigerians from accessing Passports promptly. The NIS is leveraging technology and instituting robust administrative measures to enhance the Passport application and issuance process. “The Ag. CGI urges all Nigerians to remain patient and cooperate with the NIS as it takes decisive steps to address the Passport crisis. She assures the public that efforts are being made to ensure that every eligible Nigerian who requires a Passport can obtain one in a timely manner”, the statement added.

  The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council on Friday maintained the secularity of the country, saying no religion is superior to the other. While affirming that Nigeria is a multi-religious state under God, the organisation called on religious leaders to resist political manipulation of religion that could lead to anarchy. NIREC made the submissions in a joint statement by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar. The NIREC co-chairmen said they were disturbed by the ugly trend occasioned by the hate speeches before and after the 2023 elections. The statement said, “Weaponizing religion for selfish, political gains is capable of causing religious conflict in Nigeria. NIREC therefore condemns, in strongest terms, the statements that give the impression that one religion is superior to the other. NIREC affirms that Nigeria is a multi-religious state under God. “NIREC condemns statements that give the impression of religious dominance and superiority in the country. We wish however that every Nigerian could be a true Christian or a true Muslim as that would promote the religious values that could transform the nation. Given that most politicians in Nigeria practice one religion or the other, the Christian and Muslim politicians should proclaim the fear and love of God by caring for the common good and welfare of the citizens. “NIREC calls on religious leaders to resist political manipulation of religion that could lead to anarchy. We condemn the antics of politicians whose main goal is to achieve their political interest by whatever means possible including using religion as a cover. NIREC calls on our political leaders to use their platforms to sue for peace, unity and harmony while also refraining from making statements or comments that are capable of aggravating the already heated polity in the nation. “NIREC calls upon all politicians to play politics with the fear of God, dignity, honour and decorum by eschewing the politics of division and sectionalism. NIREC appeals to the general public to note that the elections are over and various cases are in court challenging the outcome and must therefore give the judiciary the opportunity to do its work. “Nigerians must continue to be patriotic, law- abiding and peace-loving and must oppose all acts of machinations and manipulations by leaders who are using religion to tear the nation apart. Let us pray for a nation that will continue to promote justice and peaceful co-existence. The task of building a prosperous Nigeria is the task of every citizen. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!”

  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Policy Advisory Council has recommended the declaration of a state of emergency on revenue generation in the country. The council also proposed the merger of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigerian Customs Service, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency into the Nigerian Revenue Service in order to enable an efficient collection of all direct and indirect taxes, as well as levies on behalf of the Federal Government. According to submissions made by the National Economy Sub-Committee, the policy will be aided by the passage of an Emergency Economic Reform Bill which will grant the President special powers to drive the economic reform agenda and support the delivery of sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The council further outlined the removal of fuel subsidy, sale or concession of select government assets, transition to a transparent and unified foreign exchange rate system, deepening tax collection and optimization of operating expenditure to reduce cost, as targets to be pursued by the President towards the achievement of some milestones within the first 100 days in office. Members of the Policy Advisory Council are Senator Tokunbo Abiru (chair), Dr Yemi Cardoso, Sumaila Zubairu and Dr Doris Anite. A copy of the report submitted by the panel was obtained by our correspondent on Friday. The report read in part, “Passage of an Emergency Economic Reform Bill to grant the President special powers to drive the economic reform agenda to declare a state of emergency in revenue generation and national security. “Transform FIRS, Customs, NIMASA, etc into the Nigerian Revenue Service to collect all direct and indirect taxes and levies on behalf of the Federal Government. “Reform the Central Bank of Nigeria, implement civil service reform/ Oronsaye Report. “Make interim leadership appointments (to be ratified later by the National Assembly) and make temporary increases in fiscal circuit-breakers, e.g.debt limits, later ratified by the National Assembly.” The council’s report, which focuses on fiscal and monetary policies, industry, trade and capital market reforms, emphasised that changes in the Central Bank of Nigeria and temporary increases in fiscal circuit breakers such as debt limits would help achieve N1trn Gross Domestic Product growth and over 50 million jobs for citizens in eight years. The 90-page document further proposed that reforms in the CBN will help achieve about $50bn-$60bn in external reserves, with a monthly inflow of at least $6bn-$8bn from export earnings and other forms of capital inflow, to support the policy at an exchange rate of N500-N600/$. On fiscal policies to be implemented, the council advised on the need to achieve a domestic refining capacity of two million barrels per day, while creating economic opportunity for the host communities. They also proposed one-off Personal Income Tax reliefs for low-income earners for up to one year as non-cash palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. The advisory read, “Ramp up production capacity to four million barrels from offshore and onshore assets within four years and grow crude oil revenue and savings into ECA and NSIA. “Formalise illegal refineries and encourage modular refineries to create economic opportunity for the host communities. “Aggressively grow domestic refining capacity to 2 million barrels per day in the next 8 years, including modular refineries. Other fiscal recommendations proposed include, “a policy directive that ensures proceeds from the sale of assets to settle existing FGN debt obligations. “List shares of strategic and profitable NNPC subsidiaries. Privatise, concession or sell down FGN’s stake in corporate assets to partners and other investors (possibly with a buyback option) to generate liquidity in the short to medium terms (focus on sub-optimal assets e.g., NNPCL refineries). “Leverage blockchain to create and provide access to a Government land registry and regionalise and concession the power transmission grid.” Furthermore, the advisory council proposed the extension of old naira circulation till December 2024 in order to resolve the cash shortage situation, if required. It also advised a five per cent monthly gradual removal of the old notes and replacement with new notes through the deposit money banks. They said, “Extend the December 31st, 2023 deadline to December 31st, 2024 (if required), and bring in new notes through the deposit money banks by 5% monthly and take out the old notes through the deposit money banks by the same 5 per cent to solve cash shortage.” The policy added, “ To transform Nigeria to become Africa’s most efficient trading nation, decongest the area up to 4km around the ports and designate them for cargo, roads and railway, enforce the Presidential directive on 48hr clearance of goods at seaports in line with Executive Order 001, redefine the performance measures of key agencies of government to emphasise trade facilitation and set up a whistle-blowing mechanism that enables and empowers transporters to report and escalate issues with the various authorities while transporting food and other critical items.”

  President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting former Niger Delta agitator, Asari Dokubo, at the State House. Abuja. Dokubo arrived at the Aso Rock Villa around 11:00 am after which he went into a closed door session with the President. Three weeks ago, Dokubo had organised Niger Delta youths to attend the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja. A staunch supporter of Tinubu, he had on Thursday asked Nigerians to hold him accountable if the president’s administration fails. While speaking on the impact of the fuel subsidy discontinuance, he argued that former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari failed to do what Tinubu has done in the past weeks of his administration. He said: “If Ahmed Bola Tinubu fails, hold me responsible. I am unapologetic. “I have known him since 1992 and I know what he stands for, and can stand in the gap between him and the people and say this. “This is a step my brother Goodluck failed to take when he had the opportunity. The same step Buhari could not take and Tinubu took it from his first day at the office.”

  Sitting on top of a yellow jerry can of fuel, Jeannine waits for customers on a sidewalk in Benin’s economic capital Cotonou, but business is slow. The motorbikes and cars she normally supplies are no longer stopping to stock up on her cheap gasoline, which is smuggled in from neighbouring Nigeria. Since Nigeria’s new president Bola Ahmed Tinubu abruptly ended his country’s long-standing subsidy on petrol two weeks ago, prices of black market fuel over the border in Benin have also doubled.”Since this morning, barely five people have stopped,” said Jeanine. “Everyone prefers to go to the petrol station now.”Two weeks ago, a litre of “Kpayo,” the smuggled gasoline sold on the side of Beninese roads, doubled from 350 to 700 CFA francs (0.5 to 1 euro). That is now higher than the petrol in service stations at the market price of around 650 CFA a litre.In Nigeria, fuel prices have also tripled since Tinubu ended the subsidies, with food, transport and power prices feeling the knock-on effect. Ending the subsidy was the first measure taken by Tinubu, who sees the subsidies as unsustainable financial waste costing the state billions of dollars a year, and allowing massive smuggling of subsidised gasoline to neighbouring countries. “Why should we (…) feed the smugglers and be the Santa Claus of neighbouring countries,” Tinubu said last week, justifying the decision, which has been unpopular in Nigeria. For decades, Nigeria’s low-cost gasoline has been transported illegally by road to its neighbours, primarily Benin, where it is resold on the black market by a multitude of informal sellers. “You know, this fuel helps feed thousands of people in Benin,” said Jeannine, a 48-year-old widow with five children, who says she does not have savings “to start a new business.” The scale of the trafficking is such that the price of taxi fares has almost doubled in Cotonou. In Cameroon, another neighbour of Nigeria, several motorcycle taxi unions have gone on strike in protest. ‘Pray to God’ Victorien Assogba Kossi, wearing a yellow shirt like all the zemidjans (motorbike taxis) of Cotonou, wonders “what is wrong with Nigeria…?” “Is it because the border is closed?” asks the driver who has never heard of Nigerian subsidies. “We’re going to pray to God that it goes down,” said the 46-year-old man, who says he was forced to cut corn rations for his children when business slowed. A few kilometres away, Nicolas Evedjere is happy enough. The gas station manager has never sold as much as in recent days. “We had to close this morning, because we had nothing left to sell, our clients have multiplied by ten,” he said smiling while adding he is sad “to see brothers suffer.” “We’re going to pray to God that it goes down,” said the 46-year-old man, who says he was forced to cut corn rations for his children when business slowed. A few kilometres away, Nicolas Evedjere is happy enough. The gas station manager has never sold as much as in recent days. “We had to close this morning, because we had nothing left to sell, our clients have multiplied by ten,” he said smiling while adding he is sad “to see brothers suffer.”   Suppliers had not anticipated such an explosion in demand, he said. In front of gas stations that still have fuel to sell, long queues are now visible at peak times. This is good news for the Beninese State, which hopes to increase its tax revenue, as informal sellers do not pay tax. “In recent years, the Beninese government has encouraged the development of service stations in the country to reduce the importance of contraband gasoline on the market,” Beninese government spokesman Wilfried Houngbedji told AFP. “If we hadn’t done this, we would currently be facing serious shortages,” he said. Border closure The subsidy episode has once again illustrated Benin’s steep dependence on its Nigerian neighbour, a West African giant with 215 million inhabitants, the continent’s largest economy and one of Africa’s top oil producers. Nigeria’s border with Benin was closed off overnight in 2019 by former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a shutdown which lasted 18 months and asphyxiated the Beninese economy. Whether coincidence or not, Beninese President Patrice Talon recently dismissed his foreign affairs minister, replacing him with Shegun Bakari, a Beninese entrepreneur who is of the same Yoruba ethnicity as Tinubu, and who observers say is “close” to his inner circle. At the Benin border post of Seme-Krake, on the Atlantic coast, the usual hustle of currency traders, sellers, transporters and small traders involved in gasoline trafficking may have slowed, but another activity persists. Rice imports are officially banned in Nigeria, which is trying to encourage local production. But on the Nigerian side, past the customs checkpoints, a multitude of cars, their trunks filled with bags of rice arriving from the port of Cotonou in Benin, are unloaded in plain sight and passed into new vehicles for transport into Nigeria. AFP

  A man confessed to the killing of his wife who has been missing for two and a half months in western France and has led investigators to her body, police said on Friday. Karine Esquivillon, 54, a mother-of-five, disappeared on March 27 without a trace from her home in the Pays de la Loire region of western France.Her cell phone, missing a SIM card but enclosed with a photo of one of her daughters, was discovered two weeks later in a ditch by a car park by the commune’s mayor. While police appealed for witnesses to come forward, her husband Michel Pialle described Esquivillon as having “voluntarily” left, although some family members cast doubt on the claim. By the end of May, Pialle told AFP that his “anxiety was growing stronger with each passing day”. Pialle was taken into police custody Wednesday as a search of the family home was conducted, with the couple’s two vehicles seized by investigators. He eventually told investigators he had killed his wife accidentally while handling a gun, a source close to the investigation said, confirming reports made by the daily Le Parisien. Probe begins as OAU student dies of suspected suicide Police probe suspected suicide by female OAU student “Mr Pialle made the choice to explain himself,” said his lawyer Antoine Ory in a text message to AFP. Pialle admitted the facts and “indicated to investigators where to find her body,” public prosecutor Emmanuelle Lepissier told AFP in a text message. Her body was found in a forested area several kilometres from the couple’s home, according to Le Parisien. Pialle, 50, was expected to be brought before the La-Roche-sur-Yon court Friday morning, according to an AFP correspondent. AFP

  A preliminary report was on Thursday released on the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft operated by Max Air Limited, showing how a Nigerian aircraftman from the Air Force Hangar reported that an object appearing like a tyre fell off from the aircraft. No fewer than 144 passengers escaped unhurt when the aircraft with registration marks 5N-MBD lost its tyres between take-off at Yola Airport Adamawa State and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, on May 7, 2023. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in its preliminary report yesterday also asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to apply appropriate sanction to the airline for overwriting the cockpit voice record (CVR). In its 24-point findings on the incident released by the NSIB director general, Engr Akin Olateru, it was also confirmed that after losing the first tyre on take-off in Yola, the second tyre was also severely damaged by fire on landing in Abuja.   In its recommendations, NSIB said Max Air Limited Quality Assurance should ensure maintenance activities are supervised and monitored in accordance with the Maintenance Control Manual. It asked the NCAA to conduct regular safety management system (SMS) assessments to evaluate the capability of Max Air limited to effectively manage safety

  A former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has punctured reports that he is on the run over allegations of corruption. Following the suspension of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, over his conduct while in office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, there have been reports that Malami has left the country in a bid to evade arrest and investigation. Malami, who hails from Kebbi State, held sway as the chief law officer of the country throughout the eight years reign of President Muhammadu Buhari. When Bawa was named as the EFCC chair in 2021, Malami exclusively told this paper that he recommended him based on his competence. “I am happy that most of the comments made are not on his capacity, intelligence, competence and associated ability to deliver. His capacity to deliver was never questioned across the nation,” he said in March 2021. However, the suspension of Bawa on Wednesday has raised dust about the stewardship of Malami. A source at the EFCC told this newspaper that the anti-graft agency was interested to find out from Malami the alleged loss of over $2.4 billion in revenue from the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil export in 2015 including all crude oil exports and sales by Nigeria from 2014 till date. He said the former minister has been invited.   The source added that there are other issues the former attorney-general of the federation would respond to when he finally honours the invitation. But in an exclusive interview last night, Malami said, “I have not been invited by the EFCC or any other anti-corruption agency in Nigeria. I’m available in Nigeria and attending a wedding Fatiha slated for 2.30 at Sheikh Isiyaka Rabi’u Mosque, Kano, tomorrow (today). “I have no plan of leaving Nigeria and I will gladly honour any invitation extended to me by any agency of government. I’m a true Nigerian and I believe in the Nigerian project. “I will make myself available to Nigeria and its institutions on demand.” On his part, the former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, who was also reported to have been invited by the EFCC, has faulted the claim. In a phone interview, he said, “Well, maybe they invited me in their imagination, but what I do know is that I had gone to see the former chairman (Bawa) last week, and I have not received any invitation. If they want to invite me, I’m here.” When asked whether he went to see Bawa based on his invitation or personally, he said, “I did not get any invitation from the EFCC, Oga, that’s what I said to you. I have not been invited. If I’m invited, it is not any news or no news; I can go whenever I’m invited. “If they invite me today, I will appear. I was a public officer and I am accountable for my actions. Public officers are accountable for their actions. If I’m invited by the EFCC, I will go. I’ve not seen any invitation. I am in my house, and I’m based in Abuja, not Kaduna, and they are also here in Abuja.” There were reports that Sirika was summoned over how he handled Nigerian Air. The anti-graft agency had already questioned officials of the proposed national carrier over the recent launch of the airline in Abuja.