NAIJAFEED

Friday, June 14, 2024

President Tinubu jokes about fall during ceremony

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has made light of his fall during Wednesday’s Democracy Day ceremony, saying it was his Yoruba culture on display.

Mr Tinubu slipped and fell over at an official event to mark 25 years of democracy in the country.

The president, 72, fell as he climbed the steps on a vehicle which was supposed to take him around Eagle Square in the capital, Abuja.

He had to be helped to get back to his feet.

Later in the evening, while giving a speech at the banquet dinner organised as part of the day's events, the former Lagos state governor noted he was all over social media after falling.

“Early this morning, I had a swagger and it's on the social media. They're confused whether I was doing buga or doing babanriga [referring to two popular dance moves in Nigeria]," the president said.

"But it's a day to celebrate democracy while doing dobale [yoruba term for bowing to greet elders] for the day. I'm a traditional Yoruba boy, I did my dobale."

One of his aides described it as a "mild misstep" and said the president had been able to continue with the rest of the day's programme.

"He immediately went on with the ceremonial rounds. No issues,” wrote presidential aide Dada Olusegun on X.

Mr Tinubu’s closest challenger during last year’s election, Atiku Abubakar, expressed his sympathy.

“I sincerely sympathise with President Bola Tinubu over this unfortunate incident as he was set to review the parade on Democracy Day. I do hope that all is well with him,” he wrote on X.

Popular politician and activist Shehu Sani said it was no big deal, and that the incident showed the president was no different to anyone else.

“Not Just President Tinubu, anyone alive can trip and fall; it happened to President Biden and Fidel Castro. Presidents are human beings and mortals.”

X user Arinze Odira said the fall was "scary to watch".

Another Nigerian, Charles Awuzie, posted on Facebook that he got emotional after seeing the clip.

“Whether it is President Biden or President Tinubu, I usually feel hurt when a human gets hurt in the place of service. I wish the president well.”

While most Nigerians have expressed their sympathy and best wishes, for some it has reignited questions about his health, which were raised by his opponents during the campaign for last year's tightly contested election.

By Mansur Abubakar, BBC

Nigeria Gets $2.25 Billion Boost From World Bank

The World Bank approved $2.25 billion in funding to support Nigeria’s economic reform efforts, helping to boost the supply of hard currency on the local foreign-exchange market.

The fresh funds will support Africa’s largest oil producer’s efforts to stabilize the economy and assist the poor and most economically at risk, the Washington-based lender said in a statement on Thursday. It will also help the country raise non-oil revenues and safeguard oil revenues to promote fiscal sustainability and deliver quality public services, it said.

Nigeria has battled years of acute foreign-exchange shortages arising from low crude production and a lack of economic diversification. Since coming to office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu has worked to address the scarcity with a series of reforms aimed at attracting foreign investors and boosting economic growth. They include the central bank clearing a $7 billion backlog of unmet foreign-exchange obligations to industries and foreigners, allowing the naira to trade more freely, increasing interest rates steeply and sharply adjusting gasoline prices to phase out a costly fuel subsidy.

“Nigeria’s concerted efforts to implement far-reaching macro-fiscal reforms place it on a new path which can stabilize its economy and lift its people out of poverty,” said Ousmane Diagana, the World Bank vice president for Western and Central Africa. “This financing package reinforces the World Bank’s strong partnership with Nigeria, and our support towards reinvigorating its economy and fast-tracking poverty reduction, which can serve as a beacon for Africa.”

Monique Vanek, Bloomberg

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Video - Nigeria to invest $3.5 billion in the textile sector

Latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that textiles contributed a negative 1.75 percent to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2024, making it one of the under-performing industries in Nigeria. The government is counting on 3.5 billion dollars in investment secured late last month to turn things around.

CGTN

Women abused in Nigerian military cells after fleeing Boko Haram

Dozens of women and young girls have been unlawfully detained and abused in Nigerian military detention facilities after escaping captivity by Boko Haram extremists in the country’s northeast, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday.

Some of the women were detained with their children for years because of their real or perceived association with the extremists, the report said. It cited 126 interviews, mostly with survivors, over the 14 years since the Islamic extremists launched their insurgency.

The report echoes past human rights concerns about the Nigerian military, which in the past has been accused of extrajudicial killings and illegal arrests in one of the world’s longest conflicts.

However, the report noted that prolonged and unlawful detentions have been less widespread in recent years.

Nigeria's army dismissed the report as “unsubstantiated” and reiterated that it has continued to improve on its human rights record and holds personnel to account.

The conflict has spilt over borders killed at least 35,000 people and displaced over 2 million. Women and young girls are often forcefully married or sexually abused in captivity.

But the conditions some women found themselves in after fleeing captivity were so “horrible” that some chose to return to Boko Haram, Niki Frederiek, crisis researcher with Amnesty International, said of the detention camps located in military facilities in Borno state.

At least 31 survivors interviewed said they were held illegally in the facilities, the report said, suggesting the practice had been more widespread.

“Some said soldiers insulted them, calling them ‘Boko Haram wives’ and accusing them of being responsible for killings. Several described beatings or abysmal conditions in detention, which amount to torture or other ill-treatment,” the report said.

“The Nigerian authorities must support these girls and young women as they fully reintegrate into society,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa.

Africa News

President Tinubu says economic reforms will continue despite hardships

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said on Wednesday economic reforms would continue despite increasing hardships that have fuelled public anger, and promised to send an executive bill to parliament soon to set a new minimum wage.

Tinubu, who came to power a year ago, removed a decades-old petrol subsidy that kept prices artificially low and devalued the currency, sending inflation soaring to 33.69% in April, its highest level in nearly three decades and eroding incomes.

In a television broadcast to mark Democracy Day, Tinubu acknowledged hardships caused by the reforms, which also include higher interest rates and the partial removal of electricity subsidies, but he said this would create a stronger foundation for future growth.

"Our economy has been in desperate need of reform for decades. It has been unbalanced because it was built on the flawed foundation of over-reliance on revenues from the exploitation of oil," Tinubu said.
"As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you."

Nigeria is grappling with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades and labour unions last week suspended a strike called to pressure the government to agree a new monthly minimum wage.

The government has offered to double the minimum wage to 62,000 naira ($41.89) a month against labour demands of 250,000 naira, and Tinubu said his government had negotiated in good faith. The last minimum wage was set in 2019.

"We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less," Tinubu said.

He did not say whether the bill would contain the government minimum wage proposal or a new figure.
Labour union leaders have said they would wait to hear back from Tinubu before deciding on next steps.

By Felix Onuah, Reuters