Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Presidential candidate Abubakar launches 'Get working again' campaign

Nigeria's main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has vowed to get the country "working again" by reviving its economy as he launched his 2019 presidential elections campaign.

In a Facebook Live address on Monday, the former vice president promised to create millions of jobs to tackle rising inequality and insecurity in Africa's top oil-producing country.

"The sad fact today, as you know, is that too many of our people are not working and are living in poverty and insecurity," Abubakar said.

"Almost all indices on socioeconomic and political development have plummeted, throwing over 70 percent of Nigerians into unprecedented poverty," the 71-year-old added.

"The most important question in this election is: are you better off than you were four years ago, are you richer or poorer? That is why our primary focus is to get Nigeria working again."

Abubakar's comments came a day after the official start of campaigning for the elections, which are scheduled to be held on February 16, 2019.

Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to step up the fight against corruption as he bids for a second term.

"Corruption is an existential threat to Nigeria. Despite the gains we made in closing the gaps, we know that there is still much ground to cover to stop the systemic corruption," Buhari said on Sunday in the capital, Abuja.

"We are committed to deepening the work we started this first term," added Buhari, who in 2015 became the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president.

Record candidates

Nigeria's election commission has cleared a record 79 candidates in the race for the nation's top job, including Buhari, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress party.

Abubakar, seen as his closest rival, is from the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Another prominent challenger is Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister and World Bank vice president, who is hoping to end the "duopoly" of the two leaders.

Ezekwesili, the cofounder of a group that raises awareness about the nearly 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram armed group, was nominated for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.

Sluggish economy

Unveiling his plan to ramp up growth in his policy document, Abubakar targeted a gross domestic product of $900bn by 2025 - more than double the current amount - and vowed to lift "at least 50 million people out of extreme poverty".

"It only takes a man with a vision and a mission to properly articulate a document that touches on every critical areas to fix Nigeria," Jackson Ude, member of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), told Al Jazeera.

But Kayode Ogundamisi, a Buhari supporter, dismissed Abubakar's policy document as "flowery".

"The Atiku document did not disappoint those of us who have always told Nigerians that the former vice president does not have anything different to offer," Ogundamisi told Al Jazeera.

For its part, the PDP has denounced Buhari's presidency as a failure, highlighting his inability to fix the nation's economy and tackle insecurity.

Last year, Nigeria emerged from its first recession in 25 years, but growth remains sluggish and inflation has remained high. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, has more than doubled since 2015.

Uche Ezechukwu, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the economy will play a crucial role in the upcoming polls.

"The most germane issue is the capacity of any candidate to ameliorate the economic situation," he said.

Security issues

Buhari, 75, a former military general, came to power in 2015 pledging to end Boko Haram attacks - but has struggled to fulfil the promise.

The armed group might have been pushed out of the Nigerian territories it held but continues to ambush security forces, launch attacks and stage kidnappings.

Despite the government insisting that Boko Haram is near defeat, northern Nigeria is still beleaguered by heavy fighting.

More than 20,000 people have been killed since the group's campaign to establish a breakaway Islamic state in northeast Nigeria began in 2009, while over two million others have been to flee their homes.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the transparency of the impending vote following allegations of irregularities, rigging and vote-buying in recent local elections.

Buhari has repeatedly said the vote will be "free and fair" but civil society groups and opposition parties have accused the country's electoral body of bias.

"Most Nigerians distrust the capacity of the government to deliver a free and fair election," Ezechukwu, the analyst, said.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Video - South Africa 1-1 Nigeria - Highlights




Nigeria beaten by South Africa in Women's Nations Cup

South Africa surprised holders Nigeria with a 1-0 victory in the first game of Group B at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Nigeria, who have won eight out of the ten editions of the championship, were beaten by an impressive individual strike from Thembi Kgatlana five minutes from time in Cape Coast.

Desire Oparanozie had come close for the defending champions in the first half who suffered only their second defeat to Banyana Banyana in more than two decades.

Nigeria's head coach, Thomas Dennerby told the Confederation of African Football's official tournament website that he was "very disappointed" and that "it would have been fair if the game had ended in a draw."

Dennerby's South Africa counterpart, Desiree Ellis, described Kgatlana's goal as "a moment of brilliance" and said "the victory is not only for us but for the people back home."

In the day's second Group B match, Zambia were emphatic 5-0 winners over former champions Equatorial Guinea.

Grance Banda and Ireen Lungu had put Shepolopolo 2-0 up before half-time, with Mary Mwakapila and two goals from Rachael Kundanaji giving Zambia a big victory.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Video - Nigeria seeks extradition of former Oil Minister



Nigeria's Anti-graft agency, the EFCC says it is starting a process to extradite former Petroleum minister Diezani Alison Madueke from the UK. Madueke is accused of money laundering and stealing huge sums of petroleum money while in office.

2019 Forbes Under 30 list includes eight Nigerians

Eight Nigerians have been listed, among other global influencers, in the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Forbes 30 under 30 is a set of lists issued annually by Forbes magazine and some of its regional editions to recognise business and industry figures.

This year, the list featured 300 trailblazers from 20 industries with average age of 26.8.

Over 55 per cent of them are founders or co-founders.

Also, 19 per cent of them include immigrants from 57 countries, and 38 of them identify as first generation Americans.

Nigerians who made the list include Taofeek Abijako, Kayode Ojo, Obi Omile Jr, Adegoke Olubusi, Tito Ovia, Dimeji Sofowora, Olaoluwa Osuntokun and Emmanuel Acho.

Taofeek Abijako is a 20-year-old designer who started his men's streetwear brand when he was a high school teenager.

Kayode Ojo is a 28-year-old photographer who has had solo shows in Paris, Berlin, New York and Dallas.

Communication expert, Obi Omile Jr. is the co-founder of the Cut, a technology platform that allows users and barbers to schedule and manage appointments.

Meanwhile, Adegoke Olubusi, 25, Tito Ovia, 25, and Dimeji Sofowora, 26 are founders of Helium Health a platform used by 5,000 doctors, with data from 500,000 patients across West Africa.

Olaoluwa Osuntokun, 25, is the co-founder of Lighting Labs which has raised $2.5 million to turn bitcoin into a more viable form of payment by making smaller transactions more cost-effective.

Also, Emmanuel Acho, 28, serves as the youngest national football analyst for ESPN and runs a charity that has built a hospital in Nigeria.

NAN reports that the list also features Ghanaian, Shadrack Frimpong, who founded Cocoa360, a 'farm-for-impact' model that uses revenues from community cocoa farms to fund educational and healthcare services.

International musicians Post Malone, 23, 21 Savage, 26, photographer Tyler Mitchell, 23 who photographed Beyonce for her Vogue September 2018 cover, and actor Storm Reid, 15 made the list.

NAN also reports that the 2019 class have raised over one billion dollars in funding and work an average of 67 hours per week.

Seventy-seven per cent of honorees consider being under the age of 30 an advantage in their career, 89 per cent are optimistic about the U.S. economy for startups,

Thirty-one per cent decided what they wanted to do for a career during university, 22 per cent decided as a child, and 10 per cent are still deciding.