Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Frustrated Nigerians vow 'days of rage' as hardships mount

“We are protesting because we are hungry,” Nigerian activist Banwo Olagokun tells the BBC.


He is part of the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups that has called for 10 days of protest from this Thursday - despite pleas from the government to stand down.

“We are protesting because the inflation rate has made us to not be able to afford the simple things of life - food, water, clothes, medicals,” Mr Olagokun, 36, adds.

Nigeria is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation. Annual inflation is at 34.19% - its highest in almost three decades. Food prices have risen even faster - for example, in the commercial hub, Lagos, yams are almost four times more expensive than last year.

People often say that Nigerians are resilient and they adapt quickly to the changing circumstances.

In recent months some have opted for nearly rotten tomatoes, cheaper, lower-grade rice and fewer meals to get by. But it is not clear where the breaking point is.

The Take It Back Movement wants the government to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and to also offer free education at all levels.

“We are just demanding for the reversal of the things that are making things expensive,” Mr Olagokun says.

Some of Take It Back Movement's more radical demands include scrapping the country’s 1999 constitution, allowing Nigerians living abroad to vote in elections and releasing the Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu from prison.

The national co-ordinator of the movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, 31, says it has partly drawn inspiration from recent events in Kenya, where youth-initiated demonstrations forced President William Ruto to scrap a controversial tax-rise plan.

He says the demands of the Nigerians planning to demonstrate are realistic and could lead to similar change.

“If Kenyans were calling for the dissolution of [President William] Ruto’s cabinet, I’m sure people would have been saying, ‘Your goals are unrealistic’. But today they’ve dissolved the entire cabinet," Mr Sanyaolu says

"They’re only exercising democracy,” he adds.

The planned protests have commanded the Nigerian government’s attention.

In recent days cabinet ministers have held two emergency meetings to discuss how to respond.

President Bola Tinubu made an appeal through Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi, asking organisers to shelve the plan and urging them to be patient.

“The young people out there should allow the president more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them," he said.

Several state governors have also spoken out in an effort to deter people from taking to the streets, warning of violence.

Abia state Governor Alex Otti said young people should “think about the implications of pouring out onto the streets”, warning it might cause more harm than good.

Over the last week, government agencies have made various announcements that to many appear to be concessions to appease the public.

They include re-opening applications for young people to receive financial support to start or expand their businesses.

The state oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, put a call out for job applicants, leading to its website crashing.

Protest organisers say the government’s offers are not enough and have instead further fuelled their desire to rally for change.

“We have not put our boots on the ground and already the government is granting concessions and advertising jobs here and there,” Mr Sanyaolu says.

“If young people insist and put their boots on the ground, we’ll get more.”

Nigeria’s economic difficulties can be linked to three main things - firstly, a government policy that ended the pegging of the value of the currency, the naira, to the US dollar.

The move was designed to encourage foreign investment, but it caused the naira to plunge in value by around 70%, contributing to inflation.

Secondly, the removal of a subsidy on fuel was aimed at cutting government expenditure, but sent pump prices soaring with a ripple effect on other goods.

And thirdly, the economy has also felt the aftershocks of a security crisis, with rampant kidnappings and attacks across the country, affecting supply chains and driving up costs.

The state of the economy has, in the eyes of many, marred President Tinubu's first year in office.

However, the government has insisted the reforms were necessary to reduce public spending, something economist Muda Yusuf agrees with, but believes they were not carefully planned for.

“The policies were inevitable because the economy was almost at the brink at the time the current administration took over. Our debt level had increased significantly," he says.

"What I think the president could have done differently is to roll out these mitigating measures to cushion the outcome of the policies more quickly."

The “mitigating measures” the government put in place include distributing 40,000 tonnes of grains from the national reserve and giving temporary cash payments to the very poor.

The crisis has led to businesses suffering.

A caterer in Lagos, Abosede Ibikunle, says her regular customers are now opting to cook their own food for events.

“Everything is costly. Nothing is cheap. People are suffering, people are dying, this hardship is too much.”

There are some who fear that demonstrations could lead to a repeat of the West African nation’s last mass protest by young Nigerians four years ago.

What had started as unhappiness in 2020 about the the brutality the police's now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) become a conduit for young people to vent their anger.

The demonstrations, dubbed #EndSars after the protesters' rallying hashtag on Twitter (now X), ended abruptly after two weeks when members of the armed forces opened fire during a demonstration in Lagos.

President Tinubu’s daughter, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, has warned market traders in Dosunmu, Lagos, to prevent their children from protesting now, citing the violence that occurred at that time.

“Let’s tell ourselves, family, and children that there is nothing like protest in Lagos. It is a gimmick to destroy the country… look at how they burnt government properties. Can you see that they are fighting against us?”

Defence spokesman Maj Gen Edward Buba has warned that the country’s military will intervene to prevent any violence at the protests, while police chief Kayode Egbetokun blamed "self-appointed crusaders and influencers" as being behind them.

Organisers have called the warnings of violence a smokescreen for a potential crackdown by the government, saying it will not put them off.

“I’m not a prophet, as I like to say, but one thing I can assure is Nigerians are resolute and we will protest,” Mr Sanyaolu declares.

“The protesters have nothing to lose but their chains,” he adds, referencing Karl Marx.

He then cited a hymn: “A man who is down, is not to be afraid of falling. We are down already, so we have lost our fear.”

By Simi Jolaoso, BBC

Related stories: Demonstrators in Nigeria gather days early for anti-government protests

US, UK, Canada issue travel warnings over protests

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Lawmakers in Nigeria try to resolve rift between authorities and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote

Nigerian legislators on Monday began an investigation into the alleged importation of contaminated fuel into the country, part of efforts to resolve issues causing a rift between an oil refinery owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and the industry regulator.

A legislative committee tasked with carrying out the probe is also looking into allegations of the “indiscriminate issuance of licenses and the alleged unavailability of international standard laboratories” blamed for such contaminated products, its chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said in the capital of Abuja.

The committee called on parties in Nigeria’s petroleum sector to “deescalate tensions” that have been deepened in recent weeks by accusations from the regulator that Dangote was seeking a monopoly in the market and that his refinery’s products are of a low standard.

Nigeria’s junior petroleum minister Heineken Lokpobiri, meanwhile, met with Dangote and officials from the country’s petroleum sector in what he called a “collaborative effort” to address the issues facing the refinery.

“All parties involved demonstrated a strong commitment to proactive problem-solving,” the minister said after the meeting in a post on social media platform X.

The 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery in the economic hub of Lagos is the biggest in Africa and was touted by authorities as a game-changer that would end the oil-rich country’s dependence on imported petrol.

However, the $19 billion facility has been off to a slow start despite opening more than a year ago. It has had to source crude oil from other countries after failing to secure supplies in Nigeria, whose capacity as one of Africa’s biggest oil producers has been impeded by oil theft and chronic corruption.

A senior executive of the refinery has also accused international oil companies in Nigeria of plotting the refinery’s failure. “It is either they are deliberately asking for a ridiculous premium or they simply state that crude is not available,” Devakumar Edwin, a vice-president of Dangote Industries, said of the companies.

The Dangote refinery’s challenges compounded last week when the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said its product quality, along with those of other local refineries, was “more inferior” compared to that of imported products.

“Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop the importation of all petroleum products … and that is not good for the market because of monopoly,” said Farouk Ahmed, chief executive of the regulatory agency.

Dangote denied both claims and invited lawmakers to inspect the plant where its product was tested. He said he did not receive any incentive from the Nigerian government regarding the refinery. He has also said he was calling off plans to invest in Nigeria’s steel industry.

It is not clear what is the origin of the rift between Nigerian authorities and Dangote, whose companies also dominate markets such as cement and flour. The dispute began after last year's presidential election that was won by President Bola Tinubu who replaced Muhammadu Buhari, a known ally of Dangote, who had completed his tenure as president.

Analysts say such a dispute could send the wrong signal at a time when the country is seeking to ramp up foreign investments and stabilize its ailing economy.

Such allegations about low-quality products from the refinery seem “odd” especially when presented without evidence and in the absence of complaints from consumers, Nigerian economist Bismarck Rewane said, reechoing concerns the claims are only a sign of more deep-rooted issues.

By Chinedu Asadu, AP

Spending on jet fuel importation in Nigeria falls 87% to N31bn

Nigeria’s spending on kerosene type jet fuel importation fell quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) by 87 percent to N31 billion in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1’24) from N239.18 billion in Q4’23.

Meanwhile, according to a report on ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics’ by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for Q1’24, also indicated that the product was among the top traded in West Africa during the period.

Jet A-1 is a kerosene-type fuel compatible with most jet aircraft, both civil and military, helicopter turbine engines, turboprops and compression-ignition piston engines.

Recall that in March 2024, a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, AVM. Edward Gabkwet, noted that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, decried the high costs of fuel prices as well as the introduction of surcharges, while pleading with the National Assembly to permit the Air Force to import Jet A-1 fuel to sustain ongoing air operations.

According to Abubakar, the cost of Jet A-1 was about N1,200 per litre as against the N360 per litre the service budgeted for adding that this issue was affecting the effectiveness of the NAF.

This comes at the backdrop of a shipment of jet fuel to Europe by Dangote Refinery, with stakeholders expecting that in-country distribution would have addressed the issue of high cost of the product in Nigeria.

The inaugural shipment, loaded onto the “Doric Breeze” vessel, departed from the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos on May 27th and is currently en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data.

The cargo, containing 45,000 metric tons of jet fuel, was awarded to BP as part of a 120,000-metric-ton tender offered by the refinery. Spanish refiner Cepsa also secured a portion of the tender.

By Elizabeth Adegbesan, Vanguard

Nigeria allows state oil firm sales in local currency to mega refinery

Nigeria's government gave approval on Monday for state oil company NNPC Ltd to sell crude in the naira currency to the mega Dangote refinery effective immediately to help ease foreign exchange pressure.

The $20 billion Dangote refinery, Nigeria's main oil refinery and billed to be the largest in Africa at full throttle, started production in January but has struggled to secure enough crude to meet its 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity.

Dangote previously had to buy oil on the international market, but it filed a complaint saying oil majors were blocking its access to locally produced crude by selling it above market price or claiming it was unavailable, forcing the refinery to rely on expensive imports.

The cabinet gave the nod for NNPC Ltd to start selling crude to Dangote and other local refineries immediately in naira to ease pressure on foreign exchange, Zacch Adedeji, a cabinet member who is chairman of Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), told reporters.

The refineries will also be able to sell refined fuels to local marketers in naira, he said.

"By this decision, the pressure on foreign exchange rates today will be reduced," Adedeji said.

He explained that the previous scenario exerted a burden of $660 million in demand on foreign exchange per month, amounting to $7.92 billion annually. The new arrangement is projected to reduce this amount to around $50 million per month, or $600 million annually, leading to annual savings of $7.32 billion, Adedeji said.

Africa's most populous country has suffered chronic dollar shortages that have forced authorities to devalue the naira twice within the past year.

Analysts say the decision to approve the crude sales in naira could reduce the need for the refineries to seek new loans from foreign lenders and help lower transportation costs.

"It is essentially a policy choice between substantial naira transactions versus Nigeria's need for foreign currency," said Ayodele Oni, energy lawyer and partner at Bloomfield, a Lagos-based law firm.

Local fuel marketers had been worried they would be unable to pay for supplies from the Dangote refinery when it starts pumping gasoline next month if priced in dollars.

Earlier this month, Nigeria's oil regulator struck a deal with producers to allow sales of crude oil to domestic refiners at market prices as it sought to end a supply dispute that had strained relations with the oil majors. 

By Felix Onuah, Reuters

Nigeria beat Australia in Women's Basket Ball at 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

 Nigeria’s coaches and players soaked in the moment, taking in the cheers from the crowd as they stood at center court.


The team had just pulled off a surprising victory against Australia in the Olympic opener for both teams. It was the first win in the Olympics in 20 years for the African nation.

It happened a few days after the team made the 2 1/2-hour trek from Lille to Paris for the opening ceremony only to be denied access to the country’s boat by its own federation because there wasn’t enough room, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the Nigeria delegation has not publicly commented.

“It feels so good. It’s been a tough couple of days,” said Amy Okonkwo, who scored 13 points in the win. “We’ve stuck together and this is what it’s about. Like, you overcome adversity and you fight until the finish and you come out with the win.”

The players didn’t want to get into the specifics of what happened Friday night.

“I just want to leave the past in the past. I can’t do anything about it,” Okonkwo said. “But what we can do is focus on what we can do on the court and execute our game plan and continue to just take everything in stride and take it one day at a time.”

It has been a difficult few years for Nigeria since the team reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup. The country was winless at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and then internal strife between the basketball federation and the government caused the team to miss playing in the World Cup in 2022.

“Sometimes you fight with your brother, your sister, and the next day you make up and you’re friends again,” said Ezinne Kalu, who had 19 points against Australia. “So that’s all we’ve been doing these past few years. Just fighting and just trying to stay together as a team. And today, prove that we can continue to be great.”

Kalu added that the team has gone through so much off the court, but people haven’t been paying attention.

“Nobody cares what we go through off the court,” the guard said. “They just see what we do on the court.”

It was the country’s first win in the Olympics since 2004, when Nigeria beat South Korea 68-64 in the 11th-place game. That’s the only other win by an African team in women’s basketball at the Olympics. The continent is now 2-36.

“We can do anything we put our minds to,” Nigeria coach Rena Wakama said. “I think nobody believed that we could do it, except for the 20 people in my locker room.”

Assistant coach Aisha Mohammed has been a part of both wins now; she was a player on the 2004 team. She saw a lot of similarities between the two victories.

“That game is kind of like this one,” she said. “You know the fight from the beginning, you know, at the end, we didn’t give up. We kept fighting and fighting.”

The difference was that win over South Korea was at the end of the Olympics, and this one is just the beginning. The Nigerians have a lofty goal of trying to reach the quarterfinals — something no African country has ever done.

It’s been a great start to the Olympics for Africa. The South Sudan men’s basketball team won its opener in the country’s first-ever Olympic game.

By Doug Feinberg, AP