Category: General News

  • Adeleke,  Mbah, Abdulrazaq, others win 2024/2025 Zik Leadership Awards

    Adeleke, Mbah, Abdulrazaq, others win 2024/2025 Zik Leadership Awards

    (Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State)

    (Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State)

    Flowerbud News/   Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah are among recipients of the 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Leadership Awards.

    Prof. Pat Utomi, Head, Selection Committee, announced this in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos on behalf the Advisory Board of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC).

    Utomi said that both Mbah and Adeleke won Year 2024/2025 Zlk Prize in Good Governance, while Mr Bolaji Balogun, Founder/CEO of the Chapel Hill Denham Group, won the Year 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Professional Leadership.

    For Entrepreneurial Leadership category, Dame Winifred Akpani, Chief Executive Officer , Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, was announced as  winner.

    Utomi said that the  2024/2025 Zik Prize in Humantarian Leadership was won by Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, wife of  Kwara governor.

    The head of the awards selection committee said that the Zik Prize was established in 1995 to honour the legacy of Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Arikiwe,

    According to him, Zik Prize celebrates exceptional leadership across Africa and its diaspora.

    “For three decades, this award has recognised individuals who embody the values of visionary governance, integrity, and societal impact championed by the Great Zik of Africa,” he said.

    He commended the board members for their unwavering commitment to fostering transformative leadership across the continent.

    According to him, Africa faces profound leadership challenges that have entrenched a cycle of underdevelopment, perpetuating debilitating consequences across the continent’s socio-economic and political landscapes.

    Utomi decried Africa’s weak institutions, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and underinvestment in health, education, and infrastructure exacerbate poverty and unemployment, which he said were trapping millions, especially youth, in cycles of despair.

    “The suppression of visionary leaders perpetuates conflicts, human rights abuses, and nonexistent social services, turning resource-rich nations into cases of dependency and mediocrity.

    “Without bold and practicable reforms, rigorous anti-corruption measures, and the elevation of selfless leaders who prioritise people-centered development, Africa risks remaining fragmented and stagnant, unable to harness its vast potential for collective progress.

    “Against this backdrop, PPRAC remains steadfast in its mission to identify and celebrate exemplary leaders who challenge the status quo and drive transformative change,” he said.

    On the feats that earned each of the winners the award, Utomi said that Balogun, who clinched the Zik Prize in Professional Leadership, had driven Nigeria’s economic transformation through expertise in investment banking and telecommunications.

    “Co-founding Econet Wireless Nigeria (now Airtel) in 2001, he secured a $285 million GSM license and orchestrated its $1.67 billion sale to Celtel in 2005, a landmark African deal.

    “Founding Chapel Hill Denham in 2005, he led it to win Euromoney’s “Best investment Bank in Nigeria” in 2023 and 2024, and facilitated the N26.81 billion Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund listing in 2023,” he said.

    According to him, as the Chairman of Unilever Nigeria, Endeavour Nigeria, and Co-Chair of the UN’s Private Sector Advisory Group for SDGs, Balogun champions gender equality, renewable energy, and youth empowerment, fostering inclusive growth.

    “His visionary leadership continues to catalyse Pan-African resilience,” he said.

    On good governance leadership award, Utomi said that the winners, Mbah and Adeleke remained outstanding in vision and performance.

    According to him, Mbah remains the dynamic architect of Enugu State’s renaissance, marked by his “Tomorrow is Here” mantra.

    He said that Mbah exemplified the ideals of visionary policies propeliing inclusive development and unity, transforming Enugu from a civil service enclave into a thriving centre of innovation and prosperity with a $30bn GDP target by 2031.

    “Mbah’s agricultural revolution has boosted harvests and contributed to a 600 per cent IGR surge.

    “Over 1,000 km of roads, water via gas-powered plants, and 260 remodeled primary healthcare centres cut mortality by 400 per cent.

    “Through the smart green schools and smart city platforms, he has earned the state the Renewed Hope Model Green State Award.

    “Mbah’s bipartisan ethos, lauded by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, cements his legacy as a model leader,” Utomi said.

    On Adeleke, Utomi said the Osun governor  “was  the ebullient architect of the state’s  revival, whose transparent, people-centric policies had ignited inclusive prosperity and democratic vitality”.

    Utomi said: “Guided by a five-point agenda focused on economic resurgence, social equity, and sustainability, he (Adeleke) has turned Osun from fiscal distress into a beacon of progress.

    “Since 2022, Adeleke has transformed Osun, slashing debt by 43 per cent, cumulatively boosting IGR growth by 600 per cent, and reducing infrastructure deficits by over 40 per cent.

    “His agricultural drive distributed inputs, revitalised farm settlements, and partnered with IITA, spurring harvests.

    “Potable water reaches 332 wards, 3,000 access free health insurance, and maternal mortality dropped. Educational interventions, SME’s empowerment and climate policies ranked Osun 6th nationally.”

    “Adeleke’s inclusive reforms in mining, digital economy, and workers’ welfare, drawing federal and NGO acclaim, fostering  trust, economic resilience, affirm his role as a beacon of Zik’s legacy,” Utomi said.

    On Entrepreneurial Leadership, Utomi said that Akpani, had harnessed erterprise to drive economic empowerment, integrity, and national resilience.

    According to him, from  a modest startup, Akpani has built a multi-million dollar oil and gas empire, operating over 70 mega filling stations nationwide.

    He said that Akpani had been holding upstream stakes, revolutionising Nigeria’s downstream sector with strategic acumen.

    Utomi said that as former chairman of DAPPMAN, she had helped shape policies strengthening indigenous firms.

    “Recognised as an African Female Economic Champion, she is a beacon of entrepreneurial fortitude.

    “Her enduring legacy, from humble origins to billion-dollar impact, proves visionary women can fuel Nigeria’s prosperity, embodying Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s vision for African progress.

    On the Humantarian Leadership award, Utomi described Abdulrazaq as a compassionate diplomat and humanitarian visionary leader.

    He said that the wife of the Kwara governor was  recognised for her lifelong dedication to empowering the marginalised through health advocacy, gender equality, and poverty alleviation.

    Utomi said that the formal presentation ceremony of the 2024/2025 Zik Prize Awards will hold on Nov. 16 at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

    Utomi listed past recipients of the Zik Prize to include notable leaders like President Jerry Rawlings (of Ghana) President Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Dr Salim Ahmed Salim (of Tanzania) and President Sam Nujoma (Namibia),

    Others, according to him, include Former  President Nelson Mandela (South Africa), President Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Former President John Kufuor (Ghana), President Former Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Dr Pius Okigbo, and late  Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    He also listed Prof. Benedict Oramah, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and Chief  Subomi Balogun as past winners

    NAN

  • Oyo Govt denies imposing tax on burial, wedding ceremonies

    Oyo Govt denies imposing tax on burial, wedding ceremonies

    Flowerbud News/ Oyo State Government has refuted viral online post suggesting it has concluded plans to impose tax on some social activities, such as burial, naming and wedding ceremonies.
    A statement on Thursday in Ibadan by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade urged members of the public to discountenance the viral post.
    Oyelade said the post was a calculation of the opposition to malign the state government.
    According to him, any official statement of such will have the ‘revenue code’ for payment of any tax or levy and must statutorily have the signature of the Chairman of the State Internal Revenue Board.
    “None of these conditions have been fulfilled in the viral post.
    “Equally important is the address, which must read OYO STATE INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICE , which was clearly absent in the mischievous post,”he said.
    The commissioner reiterated that as the next elections draw nearer, various tactics would be adopted by politicians to mar the enviable achievements of Seyi Makinde’s administration in the last seven years.
    He also cautioned bloggers and other news outlets against spreading unverified information, urging them to always confirm their stories before publication.
    NAN
  • POLICY STATEMENT O30 BY THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND POLICY INITIATIVE (IMPI), ON:

    POLICY STATEMENT O30 BY THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND POLICY INITIATIVE (IMPI), ON:

    POLICY STATEMENT O30 BY THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND POLICY INITIATIVE (IMPI), ON:

    Finally, Nigeria’s Poor Get a Makeover: A Critical Analysis of Tinubu’s application of the law of requisite varieties in the reduction of poverty in Nigeria

    BACKGROUND

    The only economic reform programme undertaken by a Nigerian Government that the World Bank endorsed, as it recently did to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Economic Agenda, was the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) initiated during General Ibrahim Babangida’s military presidency (World Bank, 1984).

    In a 1988 report, two years after the commencement of SAP, the World Bank described it as a comprehensive economic reform effort that had successfully implemented a market-determined exchange rate, eliminated trade restrictions, and improved the business and agricultural environments.

    Despite this flowery description of the state of the Nigerian economy that year, the poverty rate increased within two years of its implementation to 47.8 per cent from 44 per cent in 1986. This meant that around 52 million people, out of an estimated 110 million population for that year, were living in poverty, an increase from the 38.4 million in 1986.

    The 1988 World Bank report strikes a note of déjà vu when compared to the state of the Nigerian economy in the aftermath of the implementation of the Renewed Hope Economic Agenda.  In the latest edition of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) Report,  the World Bank acknowledged the positive outcomes of the federal administration’s macroeconomic reforms but notes that an estimated 139 million Nigerians may fall into poverty in 2025.

    This warning by the Bank has elicited two broad reactions from Nigerians: the first is from the community of very loud political opportunists who have exploited the estimated population of the poor to deride the reform agenda.

    The other response has been more sanguine. This is the class to which we unapologetically belong.

    To put the World Bank’s warning in context, we track back to the same Babangida SAP era when the 47.8 per cent increase in poverty rate had declined to 42.7 per cent by 1992.

    This is despite the defect that characterised the implementation of SAP back then. Regrettably, the succeeding government of late General Sani Abacha capitulated to public pressure to jettison SAP in 1993. By 1995, the poverty rate had risen again to 65.6 percent.

    Tracking Historical Poverty Prevalence in Nigeria:

    Empirically speaking, poverty prevalence has become somewhat integral to the Nigerian national economic space since the discovery and commercial exploitation of oil and gas in the country.

    This is evidenced in the huge number of the very poor in the population, which underlines the fact that poverty reduction efforts have defied policy deployments of all types over the years.

    The data are even more appalling when taken against the awkward scenario in which, despite increased growth in the economy as reflected in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more Nigerians fall into the poverty bracket. This is a peculiar antithesis to the generally held principle of trickle-down beneficial economic impact on the population when GDP grows.

    Below is a summation of the damning historical data of the very poor in the midst of the growing GDP rate:

    In 1980, out of a population of 64.6 million, 28.1 percent were below the poverty line, which translates to 18.1 million people when the GDP was estimated at $64.20 billion. In 1985, the population had grown to 75.4 million, and the  GDP increased to $73.75billion, yet the percentage of the poor jumped from 28.1 per cent  to 46.3 per cent, translating to 34.9 million Nigerians.

    In 1990, the population increased to 86.6 million while the GDP nosedived to $54.04 billion as a result of a slide in global oil prices. The population of the poor also increased to about 39 million people. It rose to 59.3 million in 1995, out of a population of 98.9 million. More than 60 percent of Nigerians remained poor despite the GDP growing to $140.92 billion that year.

    The number of the poor increased  further in 1999 to 72.3 million, or 72 percent of the 109.3 million Nigerians. This was at a time when the country was witnessing economic decline as a result of its usually unplanned oil and gas boom and bust economic cycle. The GDP size that year declined to $59.15 billion. This was the nature of the national economy under the Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar 1999 – 2007 presidency.

    In 2002, with the population increasing to 116.4million and the size of the economy expanding to $95 billion, the number of the poor rose to 86.0 million, about 88 per cent of the population, an indication that the Nigerian economic milieu was dominantly poverty-stricken despite increased GDP valuation.

    In 2003, however, with the GDP increasing to $104.74 billion, the number of poor marginally reduced to 80 million in a population of 137.2 million.

    By 2007, nonetheless, the nation’s GDP valuation exponentially increased to $278.26billion, but with little improvement in the population of the very poor, which got stuck at 80.6 million.

    The data of the Nigerian poor was worse in 2010 under the Presidency of Dr Goodluck Jonathan. With a $367billion GDP valuation and a population of 160 million, about 100million people were recorded to be living under the then $1.9 international poverty benchmark.

    This number was further exacerbated in 2011 with more than 112 million people in a population of 162.45 million, trapped in poverty, despite the GDP valuation increasing to $414.47billion at a real growth rate of 7.36 per cent.

    Perhaps, more incredulous was the data for 2015, when the GDP soared to $493 billion. After the country earned huge crude oil revenue from an average global Brent crude oil price of $100 per barrel and an average production of 2.2 million barrels per day, poverty level went northwards.

    In a population of 181.25 million, 125 million Nigerians were living in poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In this particular year, the capriciousness of the federal administration became evident, with the GDP growth rate falling from an average of 6-7 per cent in 2009 to 2.79 per cent.

    Year Population /GDP
    Population of the Poor:

    1990 – 86.6M > $54.04 > 39M

    1995 – 98.9M > $140.92 > 59.3M

    1999 – 109.3M > $59.15 > 72.3M

    2002 – 116.4M > $95B > 86M

    2003 – 137.2M > $104.74 > 80M

    2007- 153.3M > $278.26 > 80.6M

    2010- 160M > $367B > 100M

    2011 – 162.45M > $414.47 > 112M

    2015 – 181.25M > $493.03 > 125M

    2018 -196M > $404.60 > 89M

    We consider the management of the nation’s resources between the years 1999 and 2015 as imprudent, to say the least. It was a period characterised by waste and policy misalignment, ultimately resulting in the near-crash of the economy with its first recession in 25 years in 2016, with the economy contracting by 1.6 per cent despite a GDP value of $404.6 billion.

    Yet, we must submit that it was to the credit of the late President Muhammadu Buhari administration that the number of the very poor reduced to 89 million from the 125 million recorded in 2015. And a further decline to 79 million poor people in a population of 196 million, a 30.9 per cent poverty rate in 2018.

    Poverty – The Story of Nigeria’s Self-Inflicted Economic Malady

    Poverty did not just happen in the Nigerian economic sphere; it was consequent upon a deliberately concocted mix of inappropriate policies deployed by a ruling elite that had no idea of how to manage the huge revenue earned from crude oil exports to impact growth and development.

    As some other oil-exporting countries have found out, a dramatic increase in revenues from a product such as oil, when not managed prudently, produces what has come to be called the “Dutch disease.” This phenomenon has adverse repercussions in other sectors of the economy. The disease is most pernicious when the revenue increase that starts the problem reverses itself. The immobility of resource flows compounds the problem.

    It begins with the increase in revenues, which causes an appreciation of the real effective exchange rate as seen in the early 1980s. This changes the relative profitability of tradable vs. non-tradable goods (Non-tradable goods are those that are not traded internationally. They include items such as services where the demander and producer must be in the same location) (Jenkins, Kuo and Harberger, 2011) while tradable goods are physical products exchanged across borders (Lark, 2023).

    If oil revenues fall, as they did dramatically in Nigeria between 1980 and 1986, the economy is left with a highly capital-intensive production structure that can not pay for the new, higher level of imports.
    For Nigeria, the exchange rate appreciated fivefold, and the relative profitability of domestically produced and resourced goods fell. The country became a net importer of agricultural commodities, particularly food, after having been a major exporter of crops such as cocoa, palm oil, kernels, and rubber, and largely self-sufficient in food.

    Added to the “Dutch disease” was what came to be called the “Nigerian disease,” where so much labour was sucked out of the rural sector into non-tradable production by temporarily higher nominal wages in the urban sector, thus, agriculture was further constrained by the absence of sufficient male workers.

    Excessive mechanisation of agriculture by better-off farmers, due to subsidies and under-pricing of capital goods, further displaced labour in rural areas. The Misallocation of resources in agriculture also included the construction, but not completion, of huge irrigation dams, which drew capital into agriculture but produced few production benefits.

    Although the authorities attempted to compensate for the distorted domestic terms of trade through fertiliser and interest rate subsidies, these actions led to further inefficiencies in resource allocation, which tended to benefit large, better-off farmers but not small farmers who became poorer.

    Overall, the government’s investments were largely unprofitable, and few were in labour-intensive production, thereby creating relatively little employment.

    In fact, real wages in Nigeria, after rising sharply between 1972 and 1975, declined on average from 1976 to 1994, especially in urban areas and in the industrial sector, as the increase in the labour force exceeded demand.

    Thus, while the high oil revenues were potentially very positive, their management proved very destructive in terms of the negative impact these policies had on domestic production other than oil, and their limited impact on the generation of domestic employment and domestic income.

    Following the collapse of oil prices in 1982 and the rise in real interest rates, Nigeria experienced rising inflation, strict rationing of foreign exchange, and the possibility of debt rescheduling. This coincided with the rise of parallel markets so that an illegal, floating-rate parallel market coexisted with an official, fixed-rate market. This marked the irreversible unravelling of a once-upon-a-time prosperous economy.

    Despite the government’s large expenditures on the social sectors during the oil boom years, it failed to put in place policies to ensure sustainability, or an adequate safety net to protect the most vulnerable groups, whose poverty worsened even during the recovery years of 1985 to 1992.

    A critical examination of the growth rate of Nigeria’s GDP shows that there has been an appreciable upward trend, particularly in the present democratic political dispensation. For instance, according to CBN (2013), the annual growth rate of GDP in 2006 stood at 6.0 per cent, and this rose to 6.50 per cent in 2007. This trend declined in 2008 to 6.0 per cent and later jumped to 7.90 per cent in 2010. This development suffered a setback in 2011 and 2012 but made a reverse in 2013 and 2014, during which the growth rate of the economy stood at 6.90 per cent and 6.90 per cent respectively.

    Following the GDP rebasing by the President Jonathan administration in 2014, the annual growth rate later rose to 7.44 per cent (National Bureau of Statistics 2014). Looking at this appreciable economic growth in Nigeria during the year under review, one would have expected the rate of poverty in Nigeria to be at its minimum level but not so.

    Nigeria had emerged as a perennial jurisdiction of disproportional percentage of the poor and vulnerability relative to the larger population, with implications for a constrained economic-carrying capacity.

    This is because poverty dampens economic growth by creating a vicious circle, whereby high poverty levels lead to lower aggregate growth. In turn, low growth results in high levels of poverty (Osinowo, Sanusi, and Tolorunju, 2019).

    Will the estimated 139 million Nigerians falling into Poverty in Consequence of Tinubu’s Reform be a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

    Tinubu’s prudent management style and attainment of macroeconomic stability, impactful macroeconomic policies influence and contribution to the attainment of rapid, sustainable economic growth aimed at poverty reduction in a variety of ways.

    1. By pursuing sound economic policies, policymakers send clear signals to the private sector. The extent to which policymakers can establish a track record of policy implementation will influence private sector confidence, which will, in turn, impact investment, economic growth, and poverty outcomes.

    2. Prudent macroeconomic policies can result in low and stable inflation. Inflation hurts the poor by lowering growth and by redistributing real incomes and wealth to the detriment of those in society least able to defend their economic interests. High inflation can also introduce high volatility in relative prices and make investment a risky decision.
    Nigeria’s annual inflation rate, which eased for the sixth month to 18.02 per cent in September 2025, marks the softest inflation reading since May 2022, mainly supported by foreign exchange stability and the harvest season. It sufficiently allays investors’ fear of negative real returns on their investment and provides the equivalent of an economic bulwark to the erosion of the monetary value of the earnings and revenue of average or low-cadre economic agents.

    In many particular ways, inflation plays a significant role in the World Bank’s template of increased estimates of poverty in a jurisdiction. In a period of persistent increase in prices, the correlation is that more people within that jurisdiction are expected to slide or fall into poverty because of the erosion of purchasing power and the inability of an increasing percentage of the people to afford basic economic sustenance items, especially food and energy.

    Thus, the high inflation environment that prevailed in Nigeria, peaking at 34.8 percent in December 2024, was a major input to the estimated 139 million Nigerians falling into poverty by the World Bank.
    Things have, however, changed over the last six months. From the high inflationary environment, the economy has transmuted to a vastly improved one. Now, we can safely assert that more Nigerians have been cycled out of poverty, which is consequent to the ongoing disinflation in the economic space.

    With a new set of data available to us, we can further improve on our Consumer Price Index (CPI) projection to submit that the inflation rate will decline to 14 percent by December 2025. This is a shift from the 17 percent we projected in our last Policy Statement. We continue to observe a strong determination by the federal administration to ensure a low-cost economic environment, even as it grapples with labour disputes on multiple fronts.

    Also associated with that projection was the possible reduction of the all-important Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which, in our last Policy Statement, we projected to be reduced by a total of 200 basis points to 25.50 per cent. We still expect that the Monetary Policy authorities, the Central Bank of Nigeria, will, at its next meeting, have compelling reasons to, at the least, reduce the MPR by another 150 basis points.

    In addition, by keeping domestic and external debt at levels that can be serviced sustainably without unduly squeezing non-debt expenditure, policymakers can also ensure that adequate domestic resources are available to finance essential social programmes.

    This finds correlation in the projected reduction of the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio from 49.2 per cent in 2024 to 39.8 per cent in 2025, the first such projected decline in more than a decade; and the debt service-to-revenue ratio dropping significantly to levels not seen in many years, as contained in the same World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update report,

    ‘From Policy to People: Bringing the Reform Gains Home.’

    Besides, inappropriate exchange rate policies distort the composition of growth by influencing the price of tradable versus non-tradable goods. Household survey data for a number of countries indicate that the poor tend to consume higher amounts of non-tradable goods while generating relatively more of their income from tradable goods (Sahn, Dorosh, and Younger, 1997).

    Hence, in addition to distorting trade and inhibiting growth, an overly appreciated exchange rate can impair the relative incomes and purchasing power of the poor.  The distortion associated with multiple foreign exchange windows has now been effectively corrected with a trail of appreciation of the Naira over the past seven months. Foreign exchange rates are now below the N1,500 mark as envisioned by the federal administration in its Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) for the 2025 budget.

    By building and maintaining an adequate level of net international reserves, a country can weather a temporary shock without having to reduce essential pro-poor spending. External shocks can be particularly detrimental to the poor because they can lower real wages, increase unemployment, reduce non-labour income, and limit private and net government transfers.

    In this way, the accretion to Nigeria’s foreign reserves shows a standing of up to $43 billion as of 11 October 2025.  Although we have reviewed how scenarios of economic growth have not impacted poverty reduction in Nigeria, yet, in most cases where inclusive growth occurs, poverty falls.

    Furthermore, since similar growth rates have different impacts on poverty reduction, we may conclude that growth is good for the poor, but it is not enough (an essential but not sufficient condition for poverty alleviation). In this instant case, we have observed the increasing momentum being recorded in the Nigerian economy with the GDP growing by 4.23 percent in the second quarter of 2025, a significant acceleration from the 3.13 percent growth in the first quarter.

    In this consideration, we reinforce the GDP projection we earlier made in our Policy Statement No. 28 that the GDP growth rate will increase by 5 percent by the end of 2025.

    When this is coupled with the CBN’s composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the month of September 2025 which stood at 54.0 points, signalling sustained expansion in aggregate economic activity for the 10th consecutive month, with increased record of employment activities by the private sector which is a principal indicator of poverty reduction, we can project that a significant reduction in poverty rate would be recorded by year end 2025.

    When all these macroeconomic elements are aggregated, what is apparent is that the federal administration had, more than anything else, committed itself to serious prudential management that was lacking in the years between 1999 and 2015. We note that the federal administration has made an increase in GDP growth, disinflation, and unemployment key variables in its poverty reduction approaches

    The Law of Requisite Varieties and the Tinubu Administration’s Poverty-Reduction Initiatives:

    We note the historical efforts to reduce poverty by various administrations which include direct interventions like the Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI) 1986 – rural areas feeder roads, rural water supply and rural electrification. National Directorate of Employment (NDE) 1986 – unemployed youths training, finance and guidance, and Better Life Programme (BLP) 1987 – rural women self-help and rural development programmes, skill acquisition and health care.
    Others are: People’s Bank of Nigeria (PBN) 1989 – encouraging savings and credit facilities for the underprivileged in rural and urban areas. Community Banks (CB) 1990 – micro enterprises in urban areas, banking facilities. Family Support Programme (FSP) 1994 – Health care delivery, child welfare, and youth development for families in rural areas. Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) 1997 – credit facilities to support the establishment of cottage industries in rural areas (Oladeji and Abiola, 1998).

    There was also the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), which was the central pillar of the Obasanjo administration’s poverty eradication programme. Like other programmes before it, it reflected very little on pro-poor schemes, leading to poorly designed money-guzzling schemes like ‘Keke NAPEP’ which hardly contributed to reducing poverty in the long-term.

    The Muhammadu Buhari administration profiled a more detailed National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in 2016 to address poverty and socio-economic inequality. Institutionalised by law in May 2023, NSIP consisted of four core programmes: The N-Power, an initiative to provide job training, education, and stipends to unemployed young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35; Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), a micro-lending programme that provided interest- and collateral-free loans to entrepreneurs and small business owners. It had several sub-initiatives: TraderMoni, which provided small loans to petty traders and artisans. MarketMoni, aimed at market women and FarmerMoni which supported small-scale farmers and agricultural workers; Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme, a social safety net providing a monthly stipend to the most vulnerable and poorest households to help with basic needs and National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), an initiative aimed at improving school enrolment by providing free, nutritious meals to millions of primary school pupils. It also stimulated the local economy by sourcing ingredients from nearby farmers and engaging community cooks.

    In the context of multidimensional poverty, however, we note that certain common indices and factors are used to classify the different forms of poverty at a given time and place. Irrespective of the yardstick used to quantify poverty, it has been identified that it is caused by several factors and can only be reduced through a multi-pronged policy approach.

    It is in this context that we frame this poverty reduction review around the Law of Requisite Variety. This law explains why the amount of variety in a system must match the amount of variety in its environment to achieve control and stability. In other words, if an environment is changing faster than the managers’ ability to respond, the consequences will be chaotic. It is within this framework that we review the multiplicity of approaches that are being undertaken and deployed by Tinubu’s federal administration to reduce poverty.

    Growth by itself may not be long-lasting and sustainable. We can, however, attest to the implementation of a variegated poverty-reduction strategy that is pivoted on rapid but sustained economic growth and institutional pre-conditions which combine pro-growth and pro-poor policies that enable the poor to participate in opportunities, and also contribute to future growth by the Tinubu-led federal administration.

    The Tinubu Administration’s Bouquet of Social Interventions

    • Subsidised access to dialysis: One of the federal administration’s poverty reduction programmes is the approval of a subsidy to ease the burden of kidney dialysis for Nigerians by slashing the cost per session from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000. The subsidy is already being implemented in federal hospitals across the six geopolitical zones.

    • Agricultural loans and microfinance for farmers and small businesses: The federal government is to begin disbursing interest-free loans to smallholder farmers and micro-business owners across Nigeria before the end of 2025. The initiative is part of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) being implemented under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    The loans of up to ₦100,000 per beneficiary will be offered under FarmerMoni, a scheme designed to support small-scale farmers engaged in poultry, aquaculture, livestock rearing, and crop production.

    Beneficiaries will also enjoy a six-month grace period before repayment begins, allowing them to acquire critical inputs such as fertilisers, veterinary drugs, and farm tools. These are not grants but repayable loans designed to help Nigerians grow their businesses, join the formal financial system, and create jobs (Blessing, 2025).

    • Monthly Pension Increase: All retired federal employees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)  are to receive a N32,000 monthly pension increase. The sum will be paid to each of them from a N758 billion bond approved by President Bola Tinubu for clearing all outstanding pension liabilities.

    The President okayed the bond to ensure that the retirees also benefited from the National  Minimum Wage Amendment Act 2024 and Consequential Adjustments.  The N32,000 is the baseline every retiree in the education and health sectors, as well as security and the Armed Forces on the CPS will earn monthly, irrespective of his or her accumulated savings (Chiejina, 2025).

    • Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF): The federal government has launched an interest-free loan scheme to provide financial support and professional development for staff of tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The scheme is called the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). It is described as a strategic platform to empower both academic and non-academic staff (Alausa, 2025).

    • Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF): Nigeria’s federal government, through the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, has officially launched Phase 2 of the CEDF, featuring a brand-new user-friendly interface that simplifies access to funding. Youth-led and creative businesses across Nigeria from video gaming, film, music, animation, fashion, publishing, visual arts, culinary arts, and tourism, can now apply for grants, loans, and equity investments up to $100,000 to scale their operations, innovate, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

    It focused on mature creative projects seeking $100,000 or more, with project incubation and acceleration activities underway, and disbursements expected to start from January 2026. The first phase laid the groundwork for IP-backed financing, opportunity awareness, and capacity building across creative sectors such as film, digital arts, and cultural tourism.

    • Scrapping of Telecom Levy: As part of engendering a low-cost telecommunication access, the Federal Government of Nigeria has scrapped the 5 per cent excise duty on telecom services. The levy, which was initially suspended and now removed, is set to ease the pressure of voice and data service costs on over 170 million Nigerian subscribers.

    • Increasing the Reach of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme: The federal government has set a target of reaching 20 million children through the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme by 2026. It is described as both an educational investment and a national security strategy (Shaibu, 2025)

    • Five million New Beneficiaries of RHGEEP: The Federal Government is in the process of enrolling five million new beneficiaries under the third phase of its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, known as Renewed Hope GEEP (RHGEEP 3.0). The new phase, which was flagged off in Abuja, is designed to broaden financial inclusion and expand empowerment initiatives, particularly for women and youth, with a target of reaching five million Nigerians by 2027.

    • Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills: The federal government has announced plans to train more than 30,000 youths under the second cohort of the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative. The second phase of the project, which began on August 25, covered 36 skill areas. It is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education with funding from a World Bank-supported IDEAS project designed to strengthen Nigeria’s TVET system (Ikpefan, 2025).

    • Jobs for 20 million Nigerian Youths: The Federal Government has inaugurated a new national skills programme aimed at connecting 20 million young Nigerians to jobs, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by 2030.

    • Cash Transfer for 15 million Nigerians: The government has revived its temporary cash transfer programme. This initiative aims to provide financial relief to 15 million vulnerable Nigerians and their families, helping them manage the rising living costs.

    • Digital Access and Livelihood Initiative (DALI): The Digital Access and Livelihood Initiative (DALI) is a demand-driven national talent pipeline designed to link foundational and work-readiness training directly to guaranteed jobs or enterprise pathways. The platform unifies government, private sector leaders, development partners, and the boundless energy of the nation’s youth under a single banner.

    Conclusion

    We must, at this juncture, acknowledge the speed, consistency, and coordination of fiscal and monetary policies to attain macroeconomic stability by the Tinubu-led federal administration. This is not an everyday accomplishment for an economy that has historically depended on the positive but unpredictable movements of global crude oil prices to achieve any form of macroeconomic stability. All related publicly circulated data sets have validated the fact that the macroeconomic stability currently recorded was enabled as essentially a process of deliberate calibration of economic and financial policies.
    This implies the inclusivity inherent in the macroeconomic gains. By extension, we can submit that going forward, an expansion in economic activities will reflect on the positive economic standing of Nigeria’s poor. This holds a huge promise for millions of the poor and vulnerable who are currently and those who would be lifted out of poverty. This is in addition to the millions of poor that would be salvaged from a state of economic and financial paralysis as a result of the multiple social intervention programmes that continue to handhold and walk the economically vulnerable out of the labyrinth of poverty.

    Omoniyi M. Akinsiju, PhD
    Chairman,
    Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI)
    October, 2025

  • FRSC records zero death, reduced crashes in 9-month in Ugwu-Onyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Road

    FRSC records zero death, reduced crashes in 9-month in Ugwu-Onyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Road

    FRSC records zero death, reduced crashes in 9-month in Ugwu-Onyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Road

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says that it has succeeded in recording no deaths and drastically reduced crashes within nine-months in the Ugwu-Onyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Road.

    The Sector Commander of FRSC Enugu State Command, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, disclosed this during 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaigns held on Tuesday in Enugu.

    The theme of the Ember Months campaign is: “Take Responsibility for Your Safety, Stop Distracted Driving”.

    Agbakoba said that the feats of no death and reduced crashes were achieved through robust operational activities such as ensuring lane discipline, stopping driving against traffic and sanctioning route violations.

    He said, “Apart from Jan. 25, 2025 incident, where 23 people lost their lives during fuel-laden tanker rollover at Ugwu-Onyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Expressway; since then, we have not recorded any crash leading to death on that axis.

    “The diesel-laden-tanker fell on Sept. 25, 2025 night; which was immediately contained and attended by FRSC officers and men and the fire service , we did not record a single death.

    “The FRSC was able to safe-guard lives and property in that recent incident by quick traffic diversion to the Ngwo community road, popularly known as Snake Road Ngwo, and alerting the people in real-time through the media.

    “We are collaborating with the Enugu State Government and sister security agencies to have a task-force with a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at that axis to work 24-hour to further ensure safety on the Ugwu-Onyema axis.”

    The commander also revealed that the back-long of driver’s licenses had all been produced as the Corps had upgraded its equipment on drivers’ license production nationwide.

    “I will encourage our people to come and collect their driver’s licenses as all have been produced and we are ready to issue them, if any applicant approaches our office anytime,” he said.

    The sector commander also appreciated the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, for his support to the command and provision made to enhance the command’s operations and services to Nigerians especially those in distress.

    He lauded Gov. Peter Mbah for his personal commitment to the safety of lives on roads in Enugu State, while calling for closer collaboration and assistance on provision of patrol vehicles and ambulances for the Corp.

    On the Ember Months campaign, Agbakoba said that it remained a period of increased vehicular and human traffic on roads as well as some level of rush by some drivers to meet-up some expectations.

    “For the Ember Months, the FRSC would be watching out for the following violations: failure to adhere to road traffic rules and regulations; speed limit violations; and driving under influence of alcohol and drugs.

    “Seat belt violations, road rage, use of cell-phones while driving among other bad and dangerous road habits,” he said.

    According to him, in this Ember Months, we are deploying more FRSC personnel and Special Marshals on major highways and crash-prone road corridors.

    “Free-vehicle check exercise to improve vehicle road worthiness; conduct motor park rallies and motorcade carnivals to raise awareness on safety; and we organise town-hall meetings to strengthen collaborations with stakeholders,” he said.

    Speaking, the State Coordinator of FRSC Special Marshals, Mr Anthony Orji, pledged that the special marshals would be more dedicated to their duties and ready to be deployed to traffic built-up and crash-prone roads.

    “Apart from working on crash-prone roads between 9th Mile and Ugwu-Onyema axis; we will also help in spreading the gospel of safety and ensure we work to achieve reduction in road crashes and bad road habits,” Orji assured.

  • TCN Maintenance: Mainpower Disco announces planned power outage in parts of Enugu

    TCN Maintenance: Mainpower Disco announces planned power outage in parts of Enugu

    TCN Maintenance: Mainpower Disco announces planned power outage in parts of Enugu

    The MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has announced a planned power outage for maintenance repairs that might span days in some parts of Enugu metropolis.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Head, Corporate Communications of MEDL, Mr Emeka Ezeh, in Enugu on Monday.

    Ezeh said that the exercise was part of the ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation and reinforcement projects by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at its New Haven Station.

    He said that planned power outage would commence in segmented format from Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 to Thursday, Oct. 31, 2025 between 9a.m. and 5p.m. daily; starting with:

    “Kingsway Line 1 on Oct. 22; Emene Industrial Line 1 on Oct. 23; Thinkers Corner Line on Oct. 24; and Trans Ekulu Line on Oct. 25.

    “Kingsway Line 2 and 9th Mile Line on Oct. 26; Emene Industrial Line 2 on Oct. 28; Ugwuogo Line on Oct. 29 and Ituku Ozalla Line on Oct. 31,” he said.

    The spokesman regretted that the development would affect the following 33KV feeders: Kingsway Line 1 and Line 2; Emene Industrial Line 1 and Line 2; Thinkers Corner Line; Trans-Ekulu Line; Ugwuogo Line; and Ituku Ozalla Line.

    “Consequently, our customers within Emene industrial, Abakpa, Trans-Ekuku, Nowas, Ugbodogwu, Thinkers Corner, Ugbo Nnebedum, Nkpologwu, 9th Mile, Shoprite, Golf Estate, Zoo Estate and Okpara Avenue will experience supply interruption during the period of this exercise.

    “Other areas including: Kingsway, Abakaliki Road, CBN Quarters, Railway Quarters, Artisan, Ngwo, Coal Camp, Ologo Quarters, Uwani, Asata, Golden Royale, Iva Valley, Centenary City, Ugwuaji, Amechi, Obeagu and surrounding communities will experience supply interruption as well during the period.

    “We regret any inconvenience this exercise will cause our esteemed customers and appeal for their understanding as the project is aimed at improving the service quality,” he said.

  • Enugu Govt. calls for holistic, collective action to tackle poverty head-on 

    Enugu Govt. calls for holistic, collective action to tackle poverty head-on 

    Enugu Govt. calls for holistic, collective action to tackle poverty head-on

    The Enugu State Government has called for holistic and collective action from citizens, communities, civil society organisations and international partners to tackle poverty head-on.
    The Enugu State Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedette Okoli, made the call on Friday in Enugu at an event to commemorate the 2025 World Poverty Day.
    She noted that no human, regardless of where they live or circumstances of their birth, should live in deprivation.
    Okoli, said that poverty is not only about lack of income, but access to education, healthcare, social protection and dignity, adding that government alone cannot eradicate poverty.
    She said that the theme of the event, “Leave No One Behind: A Collective Call to End Poverty”, required that the benefit of growth, development and opportunity reach every home, child and community.
    “When we support local livelihoods, when we mentor a youth, when we invest in rural enterprises, or when we design inclusive policies, we are taking concrete steps toward ending poverty.
    “Let us remember that compassion without action changes nothing; awareness without engagement delivers no result. Today, our call is for partnership, for every sector to act with urgency and purpose,” she said.
    The commissioner called for renewed commitment to build a future where no child goes to bed hungry, where men and women can live and work with dignities in every community with a fair chance to thrive.
    In a goodwill message, Ms Judith Leveille, Chief Field Services and Emergency, UNICEF Abuja, said that the organisation was partnering with the state government to fight the scourge of poverty.
    “At UNICEF, we believe that no child should grow up in poverty and that no family should have to struggle alone.
    “That is why we are committed to supporting families and governments in building inclusive systems that not only measure poverty but actively work to reduce it.
    “Tackling poverty demands more than increasing income, it calls for holistic support systems that protect, nurture and empower individuals and families.
    “It requires us to hear the voices of families, recognise their basic needs and build institutions rooted in trust, dignity and respect to help address this need,” the UNICEF official said.
    The State Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, attributed poverty to the increasing cases of gender-based violence in the country.
    Enih, who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs Nkechi Ewih, revealed that poverty was more pronounced in the rural communities and persons with disabilities.
    According to her, anything that would be done to end poverty in Enugu State and Nigeria at large is a welcome development.
    Mrs Joy-Blossom Eneh, Managing Director, Enugu State Operations Coordinating Unit of Social Registration, urged people to register and encourage others to register in the social register.
    Eneh revealed that registering in the social register would qualify them to benefit from the conditional cash transfer.
  • Integrate Digital Health, AI into Nursing Education, Clinical Practice – Alhassan

    Integrate Digital Health, AI into Nursing Education, Clinical Practice – Alhassan

    Integrate Digital Health, AI into Nursing Education, Clinical Practice – Alhassan

     

    By Adewale Owoade

     

    The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr. Ndagi Alhassan, has emphasised the need to integrate digital health, telemedicine, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into nursing education and clinical practice.

     

    Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Alhassan stressed that future nurses must be tech-savvy and proficient in leveraging data to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

     

    Alhassan said that the future nurse must be tech-savvy and proficient at leveraging data to achieve best patient outcomes.

     

    “There is need to invest more in postgraduate nursing education and research to produce local evidence for practice.

     

    “This will help train more Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse Practitioners to address key gaps in our healthcare system,” he said.

     

    He disclosed this at the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Nursing University of Ibadan

     

    He, however, challenged graduates and faculty to rise as bold advocates for health policy reform and to take up decisive leadership roles in hospitals, government, and academia.

     

    “ Your degree is not merely a credential, it is a call to lead, to innovate, and to transform healthcare delivery,” he said.

     

    Rep. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ido/Ibadan East Federal Constituency, represented by Hon. Niyi Yusuf, said that 60 years of nursing education at this university is no small feat.

     

    Oseni said that the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan, stands as a beacon of knowledge, compassion, and professionalism not only in Nigeria but across West Africa.

     

    “Since its inception, the faculty has produced generations of professional caregivers, educators, and health leaders whose work continues to save lives, promote wellness, and uplift communities.

     

    “This school has carried sacred heritage with dignity and purpose. For six decades, it has stood as a beacon of knowledge and moral strength nurturing men and women whose hands heal, whose minds enlighten, and whose hearts serve humanity with uncommon devotion.

     

    “ Truly, it is a legacy of skill and soul, of learning and love a light that continues to shine for generations to come,” he said.

    Acknowledging the challenges before nursing, Oseni said that among them is the mass exodus of our trained nurses to other countries in search of better working conditions, modern tools, and fair remuneration.

    “This brain drain not only weakens our healthcare system but also threatens the wellbeing of millions of Nigerians who depend on our caregivers.

     

    “It is a reality that demands urgent, innovative solution from improved welfare and professional recognition to the provision of modern facilities and continuous training.

     

    “The health of our people is the wealth of our nation, and no country can prosper when its healers are weary and its caregivers are leaving in droves,” he said.

     

    Oseni, however, reaffirms that the health and wellness of Nigerians remain one of my top priorities.

     

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade said that 60 years of excellence in nursing education is truly a testament to the dedication and hard work of the faculty, staff, and alumni.

     

    Owoade who was represented by his wife, Olori Abiwumi Owoade said that they all have contributed to the growth and development of this esteemed institution.

     

    “Your commitment to providing quality healthcare and shaping the future of nursing is commendable.

     

    “I am proud to note that Ibadan, the city of our beloved institution, has a rich history of academic excellence and cultural heritage.

     

    “ Ibadan is in so many ways historically and culturally connected to Oyo and that connection and bond will surely continue.

     

    “ University of Ibadan, in particular, has been a beacon of knowledge and innovation, and I am honored to be part of this celebration,” he said.

  • Sierra Leonean expert urges insurers to develop local climate data

    Sierra Leonean expert urges insurers to develop local climate data

    By Taiye Olayemi

    Mr Bockarie Kalokoh, former Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone, has urged insurance operators in West Africa to invest in local data systems and climate risk expertise to strengthen the region’s resilience against climate change.
    Kalokoh made the call while presenting a paper on “Global and Regional Climate Risk Outlook and Policy Context for the Insurance Sector” at the 2025 West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) Education Conference, on Tuesday in Lagos.
    He outlined key priorities for insurers to strengthen resilience and improve climate risk management across the subregion.
    Kalokoh advised insurers to invest in hyper-local data capabilities, as he emphasised that accurate pricing and risk modeling depended on reliable climate and meteorological information.
    He urged insurers to form partnerships with national meteorological agencies, technology firms, and research institutions to build granular data systems
    “We cannot price what we cannot
    measure. Partnerships with national meteorological services, technology companies, and research institutions are essential to develop the granular data infrastructure needed for robust climate risk modeling,” he said.
    Kalokoh also emphasised the need for collaborative risk mechanisms.
    He explained that the magnitude of climate risks such as floods and droughts exceeded the capacity of individual insurers.
    Kalokoh proposed the establishment of a regional pool for catastrophic risks, in line with models under the African Climate Risk Facility, to enable shared responsibility and stronger financial protection for climate-related losses.
    On innovation, he encouraged insurers to leverage mobile technology and digital platforms to expand access to climate insurance.
    Kalokoh cited the success of mobile-enabled insurance products in East Africa as a model worth replicating.
    He further urged stronger regulatory engagement within the region to ensure conducive policy frameworks and fair subsidy mechanisms that support climate-related insurance products.
    Kalokoh also underscored the importance of building climate risk expertise within insurance organisations, through the recruitment and training of specialists such as atmospheric scientists and data analysts.
    He disclosed that his team had developed a masterclass on “insurance-associated emissions” aligned with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF).
    According to him, the initiative will help West African insurers measure and disclose GHG emissions linked to their operations and value chains, while taking steps to decarbonise and reduce exposure to climate risks.
    “By forming partnerships with
    governments and non-governmental organisations, advising on regulations, and investing in hazard tools, the global insurance industry enhances adaptation and resilience.
    “Most importantly, it provides the vital
    risk transfer mechanisms without which many climate strategies cannot be successfully implemented,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

  • Airport Road Traders Given Ultimatum to Relocate

    Airport Road Traders Given Ultimatum to Relocate

    Airport Road Traders Given Ultimatum to Relocate

    By Adewale Owoade

    ‎The Oyo State Government has directed roadside traders and container shop owners along Airport Road, Old Ife Road, and Onipepeye in Ibadan to relocate their businesses within two weeks.

    The government gave the traders two weeks to put an end to roadside trading on the axis.

    ‎The ultimatum expires on Monday, October 27, 2025.

    ‎The government said having built markets and other closed environments in various parts of the city, it could no longer tolerate trading on roadside or placement of container shops on drainages.

    ‎It noted that roadside traders are exposed to serious dangers and avoidable environmental hazards, adding that as a responsible government, it has a duty to protect the citizens from all manner of danger.

    ‎The government also added that trading on walkways could lead to damaging public infrastructure, blocking drainage system and putting the state at the risk of flooding.

    It said that roadside trading would deprive the state of benefits of its investment in the promotion of tourism, stating that such sights turn off tourists.

    The government urged all affected people to comply with the directive, stressing that failure to do so would result in the enforcement of extant rules in the state which might lead to not just the confiscation of wares but also the prosecution of offenders.

    The government called for the cooperation of all and sundry to achieve sustainable development in the state.