Monday, August 20, 2018
Video - Nigeria remains defiant as FIFA ban looms
Monday is deadline day for Nigeria to sort out the running of its Football Federation. Otherwise, the country shall be banned by FIFA. Soccer's governing body has taken issue with how much the state has allegedly interfered in the running of the Nigerian Football Federation. Amaju Pinnick, who is recognized by FIFA, and his team were kicked out of the NFF and a rival faction, led by Chris Giwa has taken control. Giwa is under a five-year ban by FIFA for breaches of the NFF statutes and the FIFA code of ethics handed in February last year. But he appears to have the backing of the Nigerian government.
Video - 19 killed, hundreds displaced in latest militant attack in Borno State
At least 19 people have been killed and hundreds displaced in an Islamist militant attack on a village in northeast Nigeria. A survivor, Abatcha Umar, says the militants attacked the village of Mailari in the Guzamala region of Borno state at around 2am on Sunday. Survivors have fled to a camp for displaced people in nearby Monguno. The Islamist militants had been spotted around the village three days before the attack. This strike is the latest blow to Nigeria's efforts to defeat insurgencies by the Islamist Boko Haram group and Islamic State in West Africa. Locals say they had warned Nigerian troops stationed in the nearby town of Gudumbali, but no action was taken.
700 Nigerians attempting illegal migration drown in Mediterranean sea
A group, on the platform of Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria, MEPN, has raised the alarm that over 700 Nigerians died in the Mediterranean Sea while migrating illegally in the last six months.
The Director MEPN, Femi Awoniyi, who made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja, weekend, said the figure is low, compared to those who died while trying to cross the Sahara Desert.
The Director MEPN, Femi Awoniyi, who made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja, weekend, said the figure is low, compared to those who died while trying to cross the Sahara Desert.
While disclosing that Nigerians constitute the highest number of illegal migrants from Africa, he lamented that Nigerians have the highest rate of rejection among sub-Sahara asylum applicants in the European Union, EU.
According to him, MEPN was poised to raising awareness on the risks and dangers of irregular migration, and dispelling the misconception that they were better job opportunities outside the shores of Nigeria. According to him, “this year alone, more than 1,500 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, many of them Nigerians.
“This is not even counting those who have died travelling through the Sahara Desert, or in the transit countries. “Everybody knows that more than half of Saharan migrants in Africa are Nigerians. We cannot count the number of people who die in the Sahara Desert.
Experts say more people die in the Sahara Desert than the Mediterranean. “For those who are lucky to reach Europe, a difficult struggle to obtain legal residency begins. More than 30,000 Nigerians are currently awaiting deportation in Germany alone. “Their asylum claims have been rejected since Nigeria is not considered by the European Union as a country where there is political persecution.”
Cattle thieves carrying daily killings and kidnappings in North East Nigeria
Besides Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria and the pastoralist crisis across the central region's lush vegetation belt, a lesser-known conflict is brewing in the northwest, and casualties are rising.
Cattle thieves are carrying out daily killings and kidnappings in Zamfara state.
Hundreds have died this year alone.
In early August, 22-year-old Zuleiya Kura braved a two-day trek in the bush with her four children - including 40-day-old twins - to escape the violence.
The young family fled their village of Kanya to Zurmi town, both in Zamfara state, after cattle rustlers on motorcycles stormed her hometown with AK47s.
Her husband, the family's breadwinner, is missing. He had stayed behind with other men to defend Kanya and no one knows if they were killed or managed to escape.
"We all deserted the town after we heard that the bandits have come," says Kura, from the safety of a government-owned Arabic school housing more than 6,000 displaced people from across the state - all of whom were impacted by the same violence. "They were chanting Allahu Akbar."
Zamfara state is home to 4.1 million people and more than 90 percent are Muslim. It was the first Nigerian state to adopt Islamic law, in 2000.
Cattle rustling, which has long afflicted northern Nigeria, has assumed a dangerous dimension in recent years, say residents and analysts.
The many forests in the area, especially the twin forests of Mashema in Zamfara's north bordering nearby Niger Republic and Birnin Gwari to the south leading to the neighbouring, equally insecure state of Kaduna, have served as bases for criminals who stockpile sophisticated weapons.
According to an estimate from Amnesty International, at least 371 people have been killed in Zamfara state alone since January.
In July this year, young people incensed by the frequent killings burned down a police station in the town of Zurmi after policemen refused to release three suspected bandits to them for vigilante justice.
"The situation in Zamfara is nothing new and has been building for years since the state adopted [Islamic] law as a placebo to respond to economic challenges," explains Cheta Nwanze, head of research at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence.
"Zamfara is one of Nigeria's poorest states, and there is circumstantial evidence that some of the perpetrators of violence may have been part of the enforcement brigade of that law almost two decades ago. Having said that, the seeming escalation is indicative of the wider issue in Nigeria where there is less money to go round and a larger population struggling for dwindling resources."
Nigeria's law enforcement agencies are understaffed and with its army stretched thin by other conflicts, the cattle-rustler crisis has continued unabated mostly in Zamfara but also Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and, recently, Sokoto states.
'Our equivalent of black-on-black crime'
The crisis has largely gone under the radar as both media and the government focus on rumblings elsewhere in northern Nigeria.
Some analysts also believe the conflict is considered less pressing because it is an example of "Muslim-on-Muslim" violence.
"In Nigeria, we like our binary fixtures - Muslim versus Christian, Igbo versus Hausa, Fulani versus Yoruba," said Nwanze, the researcher. "Most of us can't process anything outside of those binaries, and since Zamfara doesn't fit any of those binaries, and is our equivalent of black-on-black crime, it is largely ignored. However, Zamfara is our laboratory for conflict resolution. How we resolve it, if we can resolve it, will determine whether we can resolve future conflicts."
In June, apparently frustrated by the situation, Zamfara governor Abdulazeez Yari told reporters that he was powerless in his role as chief security officer of the state.
"We have been facing serious security challenges over the years, but in spite of being governor and Chief Security Officer of the state, I cannot direct security officers on what to do nor sanction them when they err," he said.
Yari, who has been criticised for weak leadership and living outside his state on a regular basis, has no control over the internal security infrastructure because, in accordance with Nigeria's constitution, law enforcement apparatus is controlled wholly by the federal government.
Dosara, the government spokesperson, says in 2016, the state government convened a series of reconciliatory meetings with two main suspected leaders of the attacks, Dogo Gide and Buharin Daji. Both are Fulani.
"We initiated a disarmament and reconciliation process which succeeded in recovering over 3,000 different types of arms comprising machine guns, AK47s, locally made pistols, revolvers and other ammunition … and they took payments. Just about four months ago, they [the weapons] were destroyed before international organisations."
Not long after the suspected leaders surrendered their weapons and were paid off an undeclared sum, Daji broke the brief ceasefire.
Nicknamed General Buharin to mimic the title of Muhammadu Buhari, the retired general and Nigeria's president, Dajin went rogue.
One of the communities he attacked and stole cows from was a small village in the Dansadau area of the state, the hometown of Gide's wife.
Gide, exasperated by Daji's refusal to return his booty, pretended to extend an olive branch to his former ally - and killed him.
A few weeks ago, the army shot dead Daji's teenage heir after a run-in between his gang and security officials.
Still, the kidnappings, killings and general instability are yet to end.
Buhari's belated response
Calls for communal policing have resurfaced as the government at state and federal levels deliberate on how to ease the crisis.
"It is both a case for communal policing since the locals know many of the perpetrators, and a cautionary tale about communal policing without proper training and funding. Eventually, these people will turn those weapons against the very people they are meant to protect," warns Nwanze.
In a belated response in July, President Buhari - who came to power in 2015 vowing to tackle insecurity - deployed a 1,000-man strong military contingent from the army and air force to embark on yet another military exercise, Operation Diran Mikiya (Hausa for Eagle Fighting).
"Buharin Daji is the main rustling and kidnapping guy in-country and he's supposedly a Nigerian," says Beegeagles, a popular anonymous military intelligence blogger.
"In northern Zamfara, there are far more menacing guys coming in from Niger [Republic] … most of whom go unchallenged, given the negligible security. Everything that spells cash - gold, cattle, kidnapping - feeds into the conflict."
Cattle thieves are carrying out daily killings and kidnappings in Zamfara state.
Hundreds have died this year alone.
In early August, 22-year-old Zuleiya Kura braved a two-day trek in the bush with her four children - including 40-day-old twins - to escape the violence.
The young family fled their village of Kanya to Zurmi town, both in Zamfara state, after cattle rustlers on motorcycles stormed her hometown with AK47s.
Her husband, the family's breadwinner, is missing. He had stayed behind with other men to defend Kanya and no one knows if they were killed or managed to escape.
"We all deserted the town after we heard that the bandits have come," says Kura, from the safety of a government-owned Arabic school housing more than 6,000 displaced people from across the state - all of whom were impacted by the same violence. "They were chanting Allahu Akbar."
Zamfara state is home to 4.1 million people and more than 90 percent are Muslim. It was the first Nigerian state to adopt Islamic law, in 2000.
Cattle rustling, which has long afflicted northern Nigeria, has assumed a dangerous dimension in recent years, say residents and analysts.
The many forests in the area, especially the twin forests of Mashema in Zamfara's north bordering nearby Niger Republic and Birnin Gwari to the south leading to the neighbouring, equally insecure state of Kaduna, have served as bases for criminals who stockpile sophisticated weapons.
According to an estimate from Amnesty International, at least 371 people have been killed in Zamfara state alone since January.
In July this year, young people incensed by the frequent killings burned down a police station in the town of Zurmi after policemen refused to release three suspected bandits to them for vigilante justice.
"The situation in Zamfara is nothing new and has been building for years since the state adopted [Islamic] law as a placebo to respond to economic challenges," explains Cheta Nwanze, head of research at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence.
"Zamfara is one of Nigeria's poorest states, and there is circumstantial evidence that some of the perpetrators of violence may have been part of the enforcement brigade of that law almost two decades ago. Having said that, the seeming escalation is indicative of the wider issue in Nigeria where there is less money to go round and a larger population struggling for dwindling resources."
Nigeria's law enforcement agencies are understaffed and with its army stretched thin by other conflicts, the cattle-rustler crisis has continued unabated mostly in Zamfara but also Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and, recently, Sokoto states.
Kidnappings and vigilantism
Two military exercises codenamed Operations Sharan Daji (Hausa for Sweep the Forest) and Harbin Kunama (Hausa for Scorpion Sting) set up in previous years, have proved unable to curb the attacks.
A dusk to dawn curfew, imposed again after being lifted in 2016, is not fully enforced either.
Encouraged by the failure to stem the violence, the perpetrators have also taken to indiscriminate kidnapping-for-ransom schemes across major highways, killing locals in communities after stealing their cows and abducting women and forcing them into sex slavery. There have also been a few cases of artisanal gold miners being robbed of their gold and then killed.
The attackers tend to arrive on Honda motorcycles, says Sokoto-based taxi driver Abdullahi Abubakar.
"They park across the road and look inside vehicles they stop for those with fine skin or well-dressed [people] that look like they have money. Then they kidnap you and ask you to call your people to pay millions. Recently, they took one expatriate engineer working on a project in [Zamfara] and kept him for 12 days, feeding him well until a ransom of N30 million ($83,100) was paid."
Young people in several affected communities have formed local vigilante groups, arming themselves with sticks, Dane guns and crude weapons available for self-defence in case of reprisal attacks by ethnic militia.
The bandits are mostly Fulani mercenaries attacking predominantly Hausa settlements, with some criminal elements among the ethnic militia also instigating their own attacks in similar patterns, says the state government.
"After our ban of Yan Banga (vigilante) and allowances stopped, some transformed into Yan Sakai (volunteer forces) to revenge on Fulani people and some of them became criminals," said Ibrahim Dosara, a government spokesperson. "When we discovered that they were now part of the problem, the government banned them again."
Two military exercises codenamed Operations Sharan Daji (Hausa for Sweep the Forest) and Harbin Kunama (Hausa for Scorpion Sting) set up in previous years, have proved unable to curb the attacks.
A dusk to dawn curfew, imposed again after being lifted in 2016, is not fully enforced either.
Encouraged by the failure to stem the violence, the perpetrators have also taken to indiscriminate kidnapping-for-ransom schemes across major highways, killing locals in communities after stealing their cows and abducting women and forcing them into sex slavery. There have also been a few cases of artisanal gold miners being robbed of their gold and then killed.
The attackers tend to arrive on Honda motorcycles, says Sokoto-based taxi driver Abdullahi Abubakar.
"They park across the road and look inside vehicles they stop for those with fine skin or well-dressed [people] that look like they have money. Then they kidnap you and ask you to call your people to pay millions. Recently, they took one expatriate engineer working on a project in [Zamfara] and kept him for 12 days, feeding him well until a ransom of N30 million ($83,100) was paid."
Young people in several affected communities have formed local vigilante groups, arming themselves with sticks, Dane guns and crude weapons available for self-defence in case of reprisal attacks by ethnic militia.
The bandits are mostly Fulani mercenaries attacking predominantly Hausa settlements, with some criminal elements among the ethnic militia also instigating their own attacks in similar patterns, says the state government.
"After our ban of Yan Banga (vigilante) and allowances stopped, some transformed into Yan Sakai (volunteer forces) to revenge on Fulani people and some of them became criminals," said Ibrahim Dosara, a government spokesperson. "When we discovered that they were now part of the problem, the government banned them again."
'Our equivalent of black-on-black crime'
The crisis has largely gone under the radar as both media and the government focus on rumblings elsewhere in northern Nigeria.
Some analysts also believe the conflict is considered less pressing because it is an example of "Muslim-on-Muslim" violence.
"In Nigeria, we like our binary fixtures - Muslim versus Christian, Igbo versus Hausa, Fulani versus Yoruba," said Nwanze, the researcher. "Most of us can't process anything outside of those binaries, and since Zamfara doesn't fit any of those binaries, and is our equivalent of black-on-black crime, it is largely ignored. However, Zamfara is our laboratory for conflict resolution. How we resolve it, if we can resolve it, will determine whether we can resolve future conflicts."
In June, apparently frustrated by the situation, Zamfara governor Abdulazeez Yari told reporters that he was powerless in his role as chief security officer of the state.
"We have been facing serious security challenges over the years, but in spite of being governor and Chief Security Officer of the state, I cannot direct security officers on what to do nor sanction them when they err," he said.
Yari, who has been criticised for weak leadership and living outside his state on a regular basis, has no control over the internal security infrastructure because, in accordance with Nigeria's constitution, law enforcement apparatus is controlled wholly by the federal government.
Dosara, the government spokesperson, says in 2016, the state government convened a series of reconciliatory meetings with two main suspected leaders of the attacks, Dogo Gide and Buharin Daji. Both are Fulani.
"We initiated a disarmament and reconciliation process which succeeded in recovering over 3,000 different types of arms comprising machine guns, AK47s, locally made pistols, revolvers and other ammunition … and they took payments. Just about four months ago, they [the weapons] were destroyed before international organisations."
Not long after the suspected leaders surrendered their weapons and were paid off an undeclared sum, Daji broke the brief ceasefire.
Nicknamed General Buharin to mimic the title of Muhammadu Buhari, the retired general and Nigeria's president, Dajin went rogue.
One of the communities he attacked and stole cows from was a small village in the Dansadau area of the state, the hometown of Gide's wife.
Gide, exasperated by Daji's refusal to return his booty, pretended to extend an olive branch to his former ally - and killed him.
A few weeks ago, the army shot dead Daji's teenage heir after a run-in between his gang and security officials.
Still, the kidnappings, killings and general instability are yet to end.
Buhari's belated response
Calls for communal policing have resurfaced as the government at state and federal levels deliberate on how to ease the crisis.
"It is both a case for communal policing since the locals know many of the perpetrators, and a cautionary tale about communal policing without proper training and funding. Eventually, these people will turn those weapons against the very people they are meant to protect," warns Nwanze.
In a belated response in July, President Buhari - who came to power in 2015 vowing to tackle insecurity - deployed a 1,000-man strong military contingent from the army and air force to embark on yet another military exercise, Operation Diran Mikiya (Hausa for Eagle Fighting).
"Buharin Daji is the main rustling and kidnapping guy in-country and he's supposedly a Nigerian," says Beegeagles, a popular anonymous military intelligence blogger.
"In northern Zamfara, there are far more menacing guys coming in from Niger [Republic] … most of whom go unchallenged, given the negligible security. Everything that spells cash - gold, cattle, kidnapping - feeds into the conflict."
Friday, August 17, 2018
Video - Nigerian painter with innate sensibility for capturing the human spirit
Solomon Omogboye is a contemporary impressionist painter from Lagos. He's a prolific artist and has taught art in secondary schools in Lagos. His paintings are a reflection of his thoughts and inspiration. Omogboye is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Video - Nigerians call out government on stalled projects via Twitter
A group of ordinary Nigerians is tracking the government's performance by monitoring public projects funded by taxpayers' money and providing feedback to the people. Tracka, which primarily operates on Twitter, encourages citizens to share photographs and videos of incomplete projects.
Video - Nigeria to recapitalize Federal Mortgage Bank to spur sector
In Nigeria, the government plans to recapitalize the Federal Mortgage Bank with 1.4 billion dollars as commercial bank lending to property developers shrinks. Total bank lending rate for real estate development in the west African country contracted by 11 percent between 2015-2017-spreading fear of a worsening housing deficit.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Video - Nigerian government launches campaign to eliminate viral hepatitis
Nigeria has pledged to eliminate hepatitis by 2021. The West African nation is among 11 countries that carry 50-percent of the global burden of viral hepatitis -- yet access to testing and treatment remains low. Hepatitis affects the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer, which is usually fatal.
Video - Victor Moses shocks fans with sudden exit announcement
Nigerian football fans are in shock at the retirement of one of their star players, Victor Moses. The 27-year-old Chelsea winger has released a statement to confirm his departure from the Nigerian national team.
Victor Moses of Nigeria retires from international football at 27
The Chelsea winger played 37 times for his country, scoring 12 times since making his debut in 2012.
He had previously represented England up to Under-21 level, while coming through the ranks at Crystal palace.
"I have experienced some of the best moments of my life wearing the Super Eagles shirt and have memories with me that will last a lifetime," he said.
"However, I feel that now is the right time to step away in order to be able to focus fully on my club career and young family, as well as to allow the next generation the opportunity to step up and to flourish.
"Thank you for the memories and good luck to the team for the future."
Moses won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 2013, and represented the nation at two World Cups, in 2014 and 2018.
Nigeria were knocked out at the group stage in Russia this summer, having beaten Iceland but suffered defeats by Croatia and Argentina.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Video - Nigeria Coffee Art
To Nigeria now, where we meet an artist who's found a new purpose for coffee. Ekene Ngige is an avid coffee drinker, and has been using it in staining techniques in his art too.
Monthly uber passengers in Nigeria reaches 267,000
Transportation network company, Uber Nigeria, currently has 9,000 active driver-partners and no fewer than 267,000 monthly riders, an official has said. Francesca Uriri, the company’s Head of Communications in West Africa, made the disclosure in an interview in Lagos on Wednesday.
Uriri said that the drivers and riders were based in Abuja and Lagos, where Uber currently focused. She claimed that the growing number of the riders was due to safety and services provided by the company. “Uber works together with regulators to ensure the safety of its platform and that of those who use it,’’ Uriri said.
The official also said that Uber maintained a high level of privacy. “Uber has taken steps to protect its sensitive external data repositories. “In Nigeria Uber is currently available in Lagos and Abuja and is focused on enabling driver-partners by providing business and economic opportunities.
“The steadily growing number of Uber driver-partners in Nigeria is a testament to the appeal of the Uber business model. “That is because it creates real opportunities for local entrepreneurs to create and enjoy flexibility and enhance earning potential,’’ she said.
According to Uriri, each city in Nigeria is unique and offers unique opportunities. “We have found Nigeria to be defined by agility, creativity and adaptability; we are committed to growth, and excited about the potential. “ When Uber commenced operations in Lagos four years ago, it (Lagos) was the fourth city in sub-Saharan Africa,’’ she said. She said that Uber was already present in over 140 cities in 40 countries before then.
“ Today, Uber is available in 13 cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is available globally in over 600 cities in over 75 countries spanning six continents,’’ she said. Uriri said that Uber was constantly looking for ways to help driver-partners to get more value through many partnerships. “In Nigeria, we have partnered with companies such as FirstBank and Germaine Autos to ease the barriers of car ownership for driver-partners and to provide valuable car maintenance and servicing plans.’’
Uriri listed mapping and traffic congestion as some of Uber’s challenges in Nigeria but said that the company was working hard daily to overcome challenges to ensure seamless experience. Uber is a technology platform.
The Uber app connects driver-partners and riders. Driver-partners use their own vehicles to pick up riders and drive them to their destinations and are paid for each completed trip. Uber was founded in March 2009 in San Francisco, California.
Related stories: Uber is recording exponential grown in Lagos, Nigeria
Nigerian government hands out cash to battle extreme poverty
The Nigerian government has just launched a collateral-free loan scheme which will see two million petty traders receive $28 repayable in six months.
It’s the latest social intervention program under Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari. The government also offers free meals in public primary schools and plans to distribute $300 million in looted funds recovered from Swiss authorities to its poorest people. Around 300,000 households in 19 of Nigeria’s 36 states are expected to receive $14 per month.
There’s one simple reason Nigeria is doubling down on cash transfers to its poorest people: 86.9 million Nigerians—nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population—live in extreme poverty.
So, does handing out cash to poor people actually work?
Yes, according to data.
A 2016 study by Overseas Development Institute (ODI) showed links between cash transfers and an improvement in school attendance, use of health services and dietary diversity in households that receive them. As Quartz has reported, when given to women, cash transfers have a positive impact on reducing domestic and sexual violence in poor households as well as reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Research has also dispelled the notion that poor people could abuse cash transfers with non-essential purchases. Several countries are wise to the potential of cash transfers as a development policy. Around a billion people currently receive cash transfers across 130 countries, according to the World Bank (pdf) with most of the transfers coming from governments.
But there’s a catch.
Studies also show that while giving money to poor people outright can have a positive impact on reducing poverty, the effects don’t last after the cash transfers stop. For many recipients, the cash transfers are essentially a means to better living on a day-to-day basis rather than a permanent transformative fix. The short-lived effects clearly give governments a hint: cash transfers are not substitutes for good governance or delivering a better life to citizens in the long-term.
Ephemeral effects aside, local nuance means cash transfers in Nigeria will unlikely be straightforward business. For starters, Africa’s largest economy notoriously lacks national records through which it will properly identify its poorest people. More so, with the poorest people likely unbanked, it’s unclear how the cash will reach them in a manner that’s transparent. In a country where corruption is rampant, that’s a red flag.
And then there’s the question of timing. With general elections due early next year, some will regard the interventions as a play for votes. There is already ample reason to be cynical. Recent state level elections have been marred by brazen vote-buying by agents of major political parties.
Cheta Nwanze, researcher with SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based intelligence consulting firm, says the loan scheme “will likely end up as a largesse which will not make a dent” and for which “return rates will be very poor.” Recent history backs up some of that sentiment. After launching a $126 million loan scheme for farmers in 2015, the government has struggled to recover the loans. As of December 2017, less than 50 of the 5,540 rice and wheat farmers who received loans had repaid them.
It’s the latest social intervention program under Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari. The government also offers free meals in public primary schools and plans to distribute $300 million in looted funds recovered from Swiss authorities to its poorest people. Around 300,000 households in 19 of Nigeria’s 36 states are expected to receive $14 per month.
There’s one simple reason Nigeria is doubling down on cash transfers to its poorest people: 86.9 million Nigerians—nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population—live in extreme poverty.
So, does handing out cash to poor people actually work?
Yes, according to data.
A 2016 study by Overseas Development Institute (ODI) showed links between cash transfers and an improvement in school attendance, use of health services and dietary diversity in households that receive them. As Quartz has reported, when given to women, cash transfers have a positive impact on reducing domestic and sexual violence in poor households as well as reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Research has also dispelled the notion that poor people could abuse cash transfers with non-essential purchases. Several countries are wise to the potential of cash transfers as a development policy. Around a billion people currently receive cash transfers across 130 countries, according to the World Bank (pdf) with most of the transfers coming from governments.
But there’s a catch.
Studies also show that while giving money to poor people outright can have a positive impact on reducing poverty, the effects don’t last after the cash transfers stop. For many recipients, the cash transfers are essentially a means to better living on a day-to-day basis rather than a permanent transformative fix. The short-lived effects clearly give governments a hint: cash transfers are not substitutes for good governance or delivering a better life to citizens in the long-term.
Ephemeral effects aside, local nuance means cash transfers in Nigeria will unlikely be straightforward business. For starters, Africa’s largest economy notoriously lacks national records through which it will properly identify its poorest people. More so, with the poorest people likely unbanked, it’s unclear how the cash will reach them in a manner that’s transparent. In a country where corruption is rampant, that’s a red flag.
And then there’s the question of timing. With general elections due early next year, some will regard the interventions as a play for votes. There is already ample reason to be cynical. Recent state level elections have been marred by brazen vote-buying by agents of major political parties.
Cheta Nwanze, researcher with SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based intelligence consulting firm, says the loan scheme “will likely end up as a largesse which will not make a dent” and for which “return rates will be very poor.” Recent history backs up some of that sentiment. After launching a $126 million loan scheme for farmers in 2015, the government has struggled to recover the loans. As of December 2017, less than 50 of the 5,540 rice and wheat farmers who received loans had repaid them.
Single women struggle to rent homes in Nigeria
Many landlords in Nigeria suspect single women of being prostitutes, making it difficult for them to rent apartments.
A successful career woman, Olufunmilola Ogungbile, 30, never thought that she would be sleeping on a friend's couch after five months of apartment-hunting in Abeokuta city in south-western Nigeria.
She had moved from Lagos after securing a good job with the Ogun state government as a project administrator. Despite being financially independent, she struggled to find an apartment in middle and upmarket areas because she was single.
"The first question the landlord would ask me is if I'm married?" Ms Ogungbile said, "I'd say 'No', and they'd follow with, 'Why not'?"
She was often left puzzled.
"What does my marital status have to do with me getting a place to live in?"
'Men have more money'
Ms Oyinda believes landlords assume most young single women are like this.
"The three landlords I met all refused to show me their apartments. They would tell me, 'Don't bother.'"
Out of frustration she stopped scouting on her own. On the fourth attempt, she went with her partner, to whom she is now married, and was taken seriously. The couple eventually settled for a four-bedroom flat in the high-end area of Lekki.
Coleman Nwafor, a landlord and property owner, said he does not discriminate, but most of his tenants and buyers are men because they have more money.
"Most single ladies are under the responsibility of their parents or a lover. You can never tell what will happen after the first year. And every landlord wants a tenant who will pay without stress and renew their contract once it expires," he told the BBC.
"Most single ladies are not working. There are more jobs for men than women in Nigeria. That is just the way it is."
'Landlords try to police women'
Yinka Oladiran, 25, who moved from New York to Lagos in May 2016 to pursue a career as a TV presenter, said she lived independently in the US and wanted to maintain her freedom in Nigeria.
She also wanted to reduce a three-hour commute to work from her father's home, but she could not rent an apartment without her father giving his consent to landlords.
"There were landlords who said they did not want to rent to me until they had spoken to my father to make sure that he was OK with it, even though I was paying with my own money," Ms Oladiran told the BBC.
"My opinion didn't matter. The landlords try to police women," she added.
After searching independently for more than six months, she finally got an apartment in April 2017.
However, she said she felt constantly undermined by security staff, especially when she came home late from work, as they often asked her who she was visiting.
"For that to even happen over and over again was very insulting," Ms Oladiran said.
As for Ms Ogungbile, her five-month hunt ended last week when she finally moved into a studio flat.
She said she secured it through a letting agency which focused on her income rather than her gender or marital status.
The 30-year-old, who is now excited about painting her new home in her favourite colours - purple and lilac - believes she fought back against discrimination in her own little way.
"Part of fighting the stigma was me refusing to bring a spouse or a partner because that was part of the criteria before they would hand me the keys," she said.
A successful career woman, Olufunmilola Ogungbile, 30, never thought that she would be sleeping on a friend's couch after five months of apartment-hunting in Abeokuta city in south-western Nigeria.
She had moved from Lagos after securing a good job with the Ogun state government as a project administrator. Despite being financially independent, she struggled to find an apartment in middle and upmarket areas because she was single.
"The first question the landlord would ask me is if I'm married?" Ms Ogungbile said, "I'd say 'No', and they'd follow with, 'Why not'?"
She was often left puzzled.
"What does my marital status have to do with me getting a place to live in?"
'We want decent people'
Ms Ogungbile said the discrimination was widespread.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the landlords I met did not want to rent to me because I am a single woman," she told the BBC.
"Most landlords and agents would tell me, 'Can you bring your boyfriend or your husband?' In these kinds of apartments, we don't like boys coming in. We just want decent people."
Ms Ogungbile believes the hurdles she faced are down to cultural expectations - marriage is a benchmark used to measure decency.
"In this part of the world, if you are not married then you are a prostitute," she added.
Sylvia Oyinda - a product manager in the retail sector in Lagos, Nigeria's throbbing metropolis - agrees that the stigma makes it difficult for single women to rent in Nigeria.
Ms Oyinda, 31, was engaged when she started looking for an apartment. Landlords refused to meet her without her fiancé.
"There is a saying 'small girl, big god' that describes young single women who rent alone or squat with other females.
"The saying refers to single women who have sponsors, typically older men, who pay their rent," she said.
Ms Ogungbile said the discrimination was widespread.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the landlords I met did not want to rent to me because I am a single woman," she told the BBC.
"Most landlords and agents would tell me, 'Can you bring your boyfriend or your husband?' In these kinds of apartments, we don't like boys coming in. We just want decent people."
Ms Ogungbile believes the hurdles she faced are down to cultural expectations - marriage is a benchmark used to measure decency.
"In this part of the world, if you are not married then you are a prostitute," she added.
Sylvia Oyinda - a product manager in the retail sector in Lagos, Nigeria's throbbing metropolis - agrees that the stigma makes it difficult for single women to rent in Nigeria.
Ms Oyinda, 31, was engaged when she started looking for an apartment. Landlords refused to meet her without her fiancé.
"There is a saying 'small girl, big god' that describes young single women who rent alone or squat with other females.
"The saying refers to single women who have sponsors, typically older men, who pay their rent," she said.
'Men have more money'
Ms Oyinda believes landlords assume most young single women are like this.
"The three landlords I met all refused to show me their apartments. They would tell me, 'Don't bother.'"
Out of frustration she stopped scouting on her own. On the fourth attempt, she went with her partner, to whom she is now married, and was taken seriously. The couple eventually settled for a four-bedroom flat in the high-end area of Lekki.
Coleman Nwafor, a landlord and property owner, said he does not discriminate, but most of his tenants and buyers are men because they have more money.
"Most single ladies are under the responsibility of their parents or a lover. You can never tell what will happen after the first year. And every landlord wants a tenant who will pay without stress and renew their contract once it expires," he told the BBC.
"Most single ladies are not working. There are more jobs for men than women in Nigeria. That is just the way it is."
'Landlords try to police women'
Yinka Oladiran, 25, who moved from New York to Lagos in May 2016 to pursue a career as a TV presenter, said she lived independently in the US and wanted to maintain her freedom in Nigeria.
She also wanted to reduce a three-hour commute to work from her father's home, but she could not rent an apartment without her father giving his consent to landlords.
"There were landlords who said they did not want to rent to me until they had spoken to my father to make sure that he was OK with it, even though I was paying with my own money," Ms Oladiran told the BBC.
"My opinion didn't matter. The landlords try to police women," she added.
After searching independently for more than six months, she finally got an apartment in April 2017.
However, she said she felt constantly undermined by security staff, especially when she came home late from work, as they often asked her who she was visiting.
"For that to even happen over and over again was very insulting," Ms Oladiran said.
As for Ms Ogungbile, her five-month hunt ended last week when she finally moved into a studio flat.
She said she secured it through a letting agency which focused on her income rather than her gender or marital status.
The 30-year-old, who is now excited about painting her new home in her favourite colours - purple and lilac - believes she fought back against discrimination in her own little way.
"Part of fighting the stigma was me refusing to bring a spouse or a partner because that was part of the criteria before they would hand me the keys," she said.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Video - Nigerian government seeks to address petrol theft
As it stands today, Nigeria does not know how much refined petrol it consumes. Government agencies have bandied different figures ranging from 30 M to 70 M liters per day but the country's Bureau of Statistics says the figures are best guesstimates. The net effect is that the country pays subsidies on refined petrol consumption it cannot really account for. The government is now moving to address the age long problem.
FIFA gives Nigeria ultimatum or face ban
Fifa has issued ultimatums to Nigeria and Ghana that they both face bans from global football for "undue influence" in the affairs of their governing bodies.
Nigeria's ban could begin with immediate effect if the Nigeria Football Federation "offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under president Amaju Pinnick."
The issues in Nigeria come after a recent court case recognised Chris Giwa, who is currently serving five-year ban by Fifa, as the NFF president.
Giwa has been protesting the result of elections held in September 2014 that saw Pinnick installed as NFF president.
The NFF are due to hold polls on 20 September as Pinnick's four-year term is coming to an end.
The statement from Fifa added that any ban would not affect Nigeria's ongoing participation at the Women's Under-20 World Cup in France.
The Super Falconets are due to play Spain in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
A Ghana high court petition, brought by the attorney general to have the football association liquidated, must be withdrawn by the 27 August or a ban will be imposed.
The case came in the wake of widespread corruption allegations.
Football's world governing body says this "constitutes an undue influence in the affairs of the GFA in contravention of Fifa statutes."
The letter signed by Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura added that "if the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn by Monday 27 August 2018 at 1100GMT the GFA will be suspended with immediate effect."
The petition came in the wake of a film by controversial Ghanaian journalist Anas Aremayaw Anas that showed African match officials and former GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi accepting cash gifts.
A global ban would put Ghana's 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Kenya on 8 September in doubt, Nigeria are due to travel to face Seychelles the same weekend.
Since the release of the film the Confederation of African Football has issued bans to many of the match officials shown on camera.
Nyantakyi resigned from his posts as GFA president and from the posts he held with Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (Caf). He denies any wrongdoing.
Fifa, suspended Nyantakyi for 90 days on 8 June but he has now left his role on the Fifa Council.
Caf has also announced that it will hold a vote at an Extraordinary Congress on "30 September 2018 in Egypt to fill the Caf 1st Vice-President function and the vacancy on the Fifa Council."
Monday, August 13, 2018
Video - Nigeria displaced return to ruin homes, fear violence
Thousands of people displaced by the armed group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria are returning home despite reports of new attacks. More than 30,000 left the relative safety of camps in Maiduguri to start rebuilding their lives. Although not all want to take the risk.
Video - Nigerians seek to end treacherous illegal immigration route from Libya to Europe
Nigeria is reported to have the highest number of illegal Migrants in Libya -- who are seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. Most of them are young people hoping to get a better life in Europe. Although many of those who have been repatriated tell of harrowing experiences, there are still a number of Nigerians who are ready to take the risky journey. CGTN's Deji Badmus has been speaking to a returnee who is now one of those trying to put an end to the trend of irregular migration in Nigeria.
Video - Players from across the globe participate in table tennis tournament in Nigeria
The international Table Tennis Federation Challenge Nigeria Open is under way in Lagos. 170 players from 26 countries are taking part in the tournament.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Video - Femi Kuti reflects on a life in music and activism
Femi Kuti has long been one of the leading lights of Afrobeat. Over the course of a 40-year career he has melded jazz and funk to hypnotic effect while paying loving tribute to Fela Kuti, his pioneering father. The eldest son of Fela and grandchild of Nigerian women's rights activist Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Femi started playing in his father’s band at the age of 15.
In 1986 he struck out on his own with his band Positive Force and within three years released his first album 'No Cause For Alarm'. It was just the start of a wide-ranging journey that has seen Femi collaborate with artists including Common, Mos Def and Jane’s Addiction, while garnering four Grammy Award nominations along the way.
Yet, activism is just as important to Femi as his music - despite an ever-busy touring schedule he remains a pro-active ambassador for Amnesty International. Now, Femi is touring his tenth album, the recently-released 'One People One World'.
For his first album in more than five years he returned to the studio with Positive Force to record a set of songs that expands his musical palette more than ever before. Activism is still central to Femi's songwriting but elements of reggae, soul, and calypso now sit comfortably alongside his trademark Afrobeat arrangements.
Video - Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo fires head of secret police
Nigeria's security forces are facing a major shake up. The country's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has fired the head of Nigeria's secret police known as the Department of State Services. He was fired after agents of the DSS blockaded parliament, preventing lawmakers from entering.
Video - Nigerian-born artist dazzles South Africa with his unique style
Let's now head to South Africa -- Where a Nigerian-born artist is causing ripples. Olatunji Sanusi is a creative who spends his days crafting and developing a collage technique -- or process painting with paper. Sanusi uses pieces of colored paper that from a distance, gives an illussion of gestural strokes.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Video - Startup aims to tackle Nigeria's electricity problem
Having lived in other continents for years without electricity interruption, one Nigerian, Femi Adeyemo decided to return home to help, in his own small way, find a solution to the country’s notorious electricity challenge. In 2014, in collaboration with a friend, he founded Arnergy, a startup that deploys the use of solar technology to generate electricity. Today, solar technology is catching on very fast in Nigeria and Femi’s Arnergy is at the thick of things.
Video - Nigerian police block lawmakers, officials from parliament
Nigerian security officers backed by unidentified uniformed men have blocked legislators, journalists and other government officials from accessing parliament. This comes amid a fallout in the ruling party - as members of parliament and other senior party officials decamp to the opposition. Senate president, Bukola Saraki, is among those who have defected. President Muhamnmadu Buhari is planning to seek a second term in the February 2019 elections.
Intelligence chief in Nigeria sacked over parliamentary blockade
Nigeria's acting president Yemi Osinbajo has fired the head of the country's intelligence agency, according to Osinbajo's aide, after masked security men prevented lawmakers and staff from entering the country's parliament earlier in the day.
The incident sparked widespread anger in what one Senator described as a "siege" on the country's democracy.
Video of the incident shows Nigeria's lawmakers in angry confrontation with the masked men who blocked all gates leading to the parliament, denying senators and journalists access.
Local media reported that the men were operatives of the State security service headed by Security chief Lawal Musa Daura, who has now been fired.
Several of the lawmakers, mostly from the opposition party, posted images and videos of the blockade, which happened early Tuesday morning.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce claimed legislators from the opposition were locked out of their offices in the parliament, while those from the ruling party had earlier gained access into the building.
"APC (All Progressives Congress) senators are now in the chambers strategizing. They want a change of power, and they are desperate for leadership. They are now using law enforcement agencies for their bidding, but we are documenting all those involved in this illegal activity, " Murray-Bruce told CNN.
President Buhari is currently out of the country on a 10-day working vacation in the United Kingdom, and his Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is ruling the country in his absence.
The security officials were acting without Osinbajo's authority as his spokesman, Laolu Akande, earlier told CNN he did not know why the lawmakers were prevented from entering the building.
"This administration is fully committed to the principle of separation of powers and will not do anything against those principles or against the constitution," Akande told CNN.
Akande later released a statement saying that Osinbajo described the unauthorized takeover as a "gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order."
According to him, the unlawful act was done without the knowledge of the Presidency and was "condemnable and completely unacceptable."
However, opposition party legislators claim the incident was motivated by a desire to impeach the Senate President Bukola Saraki who recently defected from the ruling APC party to join the main opposition, People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Saraki, Nigeria's third-most senior politician, left President Muhammadu Buhari's party after weeks of speculation over his loyalty.
His announcement followed mass defection of top politicians from APC to PDP in recent weeks.
President Buhari is seeking reelection early next year but has been beset by problems with rising insecurity in the country as well as a lack of confidence in his leadership which has led to a large number of defections from his ruling party.
The incident sparked widespread anger in what one Senator described as a "siege" on the country's democracy.
Video of the incident shows Nigeria's lawmakers in angry confrontation with the masked men who blocked all gates leading to the parliament, denying senators and journalists access.
Local media reported that the men were operatives of the State security service headed by Security chief Lawal Musa Daura, who has now been fired.
Several of the lawmakers, mostly from the opposition party, posted images and videos of the blockade, which happened early Tuesday morning.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce claimed legislators from the opposition were locked out of their offices in the parliament, while those from the ruling party had earlier gained access into the building.
"APC (All Progressives Congress) senators are now in the chambers strategizing. They want a change of power, and they are desperate for leadership. They are now using law enforcement agencies for their bidding, but we are documenting all those involved in this illegal activity, " Murray-Bruce told CNN.
President Buhari is currently out of the country on a 10-day working vacation in the United Kingdom, and his Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is ruling the country in his absence.
The security officials were acting without Osinbajo's authority as his spokesman, Laolu Akande, earlier told CNN he did not know why the lawmakers were prevented from entering the building.
"This administration is fully committed to the principle of separation of powers and will not do anything against those principles or against the constitution," Akande told CNN.
Akande later released a statement saying that Osinbajo described the unauthorized takeover as a "gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order."
According to him, the unlawful act was done without the knowledge of the Presidency and was "condemnable and completely unacceptable."
However, opposition party legislators claim the incident was motivated by a desire to impeach the Senate President Bukola Saraki who recently defected from the ruling APC party to join the main opposition, People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Saraki, Nigeria's third-most senior politician, left President Muhammadu Buhari's party after weeks of speculation over his loyalty.
His announcement followed mass defection of top politicians from APC to PDP in recent weeks.
President Buhari is seeking reelection early next year but has been beset by problems with rising insecurity in the country as well as a lack of confidence in his leadership which has led to a large number of defections from his ruling party.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Video - At least eight killed in suicide attack on Borno State mosque
In Nigeria, at least eight people have been killed in a suicide attack at a mosque in Borno State. Boko Haram insurgents are believed to be responsible.
Video - Police raid Nigeria Football Federation headquarters
Nigeria's football leadership dispute has taken another new twist. Officials of the Department of State Service have stormed the NFF headquarters in Abuja and ejected the new president, Chris Giwa. Giwa took over leadership following an order by the sports minister, Solomon Dalung, in compliance with a verdict from the Supreme Court.
Video - 52 MPs quit President Buhari's ruling APC party ahead of 2019 poll in Nigeria
In Nigeria, 52 lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly have defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress. The move is a blow to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking a second term in next year's elections.
75 Nigerian football fans vanish in Russia after 2018 World Cup
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans vanished in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup .
The ministry’s spokesperson, Dr Tope Elias-Fatile, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight.
“As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night July 22,” he said.
He said that the ministry officials had to contribute to feed some of the stranded Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left with nothing.
He said that though they had the rights not to come back, it would be better for them to return because of the unfavourable weather in that country.
He said that the mission had done a lot to facilitate their coming back, but they did not appreciate it.
”Do you know that the officials at the mission had to sacrifice their earning by contributing money to feed the stranded fans?,” he said.
He said that if, however, they repented and decided to come back, the ministry was ever ready to assist them.
Fatile said that Federal Government was ever willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere in the world
The spokesperson said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, had also made some contacts with relevant agencies to commence investigation into suspected human trafficking in the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stranded football fans including a nursing mother in her mid-thirties arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at about 9.12 p.m. on July 20.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor their arrival, had said that the Federal Government was going to probe the case.
Onyeama said that the plan to probe the issue surrounding the incident was underway.
He said after a discussion with the Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah–Donli, it was clear that there were possible cases of human trafficking among the returnees.
“I have spoken to the D-G of NAPTIP and she had also indicated that they had sounded the alarm bells for these young children not to leave the country, that it had all the hallmarks of trafficking and irregular migration,” he said.
The minister insisted that some of them, among whom was a nursing mother, were quite too young to have travelled to Russia by themselves solely for the purpose of the World Cup tournament.
He added that an investigation would also be launched into an allegation that some travel agents cancelled the return tickets of the football fans without informing them, leaving them stranded in the European country.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Dr Tope Elias-Fatile, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight.
“As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night July 22,” he said.
He said that the ministry officials had to contribute to feed some of the stranded Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left with nothing.
He said that though they had the rights not to come back, it would be better for them to return because of the unfavourable weather in that country.
He said that the mission had done a lot to facilitate their coming back, but they did not appreciate it.
”Do you know that the officials at the mission had to sacrifice their earning by contributing money to feed the stranded fans?,” he said.
He said that if, however, they repented and decided to come back, the ministry was ever ready to assist them.
Fatile said that Federal Government was ever willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere in the world
The spokesperson said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, had also made some contacts with relevant agencies to commence investigation into suspected human trafficking in the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stranded football fans including a nursing mother in her mid-thirties arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at about 9.12 p.m. on July 20.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor their arrival, had said that the Federal Government was going to probe the case.
Onyeama said that the plan to probe the issue surrounding the incident was underway.
He said after a discussion with the Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah–Donli, it was clear that there were possible cases of human trafficking among the returnees.
“I have spoken to the D-G of NAPTIP and she had also indicated that they had sounded the alarm bells for these young children not to leave the country, that it had all the hallmarks of trafficking and irregular migration,” he said.
The minister insisted that some of them, among whom was a nursing mother, were quite too young to have travelled to Russia by themselves solely for the purpose of the World Cup tournament.
He added that an investigation would also be launched into an allegation that some travel agents cancelled the return tickets of the football fans without informing them, leaving them stranded in the European country.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Video - Nigeria makes progress towards reaching consensus on CFTA deal
Nigeria is moving closer to signing the pan-African free-trade deal. 44 other countries have already signed on. The agreement scraps barriers to intra-African trade. President Muhammadu Buhari says he's made significant progress in reaching consensus to sign the deal.
Video - At least 44 people dead, thousands stranded after heavy rains in Nigeria
At least 44 people are dead and scores still missing after severe flooding in Nigeria. Torrential rains have swept across northern parts of the country this week, leaving thousands of people homeless.
Video - Nigerian football league suspended after leadership row
Leadership wrangles in Nigeria's football managing body have taken another twist. The League Management Company has suspended all Premier League matches indefinitely.
Nigerians are burying cash in backyards due to stumble in mobile cash
Every few days, Tasiu Abdurrahman takes the money he makes from selling spices in Nigeria’s biggest northern city and buries it in his yard.
The 55-year-old closed his bank account eight years ago after growing disillusioned with standing in long lines for hours to deposit or withdraw cash. Abdurrahman is one of about 50 million of the unbanked in Nigeria, which despite having Africa’s largest mobile-phone market, is only just opening up to the technology to bring banking to its estimated 200 million people.
“My business partners need cash,” said Abdurrahman as he juggled two mobile phones at his ginger and tamarind stand, one of many dotting the streets in Kano. “If they all opened bank accounts, I would be happy to.”
Financial inclusion in Nigeria -- which vies with South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy -- has gone backward as the regulator blocked network operators from applying for mobile-money licenses that would allow cash transfers without the need for a bank account. Between 2014 and 2017, the percentage of banked adults dropped nearly 4 percentage points to 39 percent, while the sub-Saharan African average increased more than 8 percentage points to 43 percent.
The Central Bank of Nigeria this month announced it is not on track to reach its target of increasing financial inclusion to 80 percent by 2020. It is now reviewing the path it took in 2012 with a “refreshed strategy” and has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Nigerian Communications Commission to improve the penetration of financial services using mobile phones.
The 55-year-old closed his bank account eight years ago after growing disillusioned with standing in long lines for hours to deposit or withdraw cash. Abdurrahman is one of about 50 million of the unbanked in Nigeria, which despite having Africa’s largest mobile-phone market, is only just opening up to the technology to bring banking to its estimated 200 million people.
“My business partners need cash,” said Abdurrahman as he juggled two mobile phones at his ginger and tamarind stand, one of many dotting the streets in Kano. “If they all opened bank accounts, I would be happy to.”
Financial inclusion in Nigeria -- which vies with South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy -- has gone backward as the regulator blocked network operators from applying for mobile-money licenses that would allow cash transfers without the need for a bank account. Between 2014 and 2017, the percentage of banked adults dropped nearly 4 percentage points to 39 percent, while the sub-Saharan African average increased more than 8 percentage points to 43 percent.
The Central Bank of Nigeria this month announced it is not on track to reach its target of increasing financial inclusion to 80 percent by 2020. It is now reviewing the path it took in 2012 with a “refreshed strategy” and has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Nigerian Communications Commission to improve the penetration of financial services using mobile phones.
Baby Steps
Less than 6 percent of Nigerians use their handsets to transact using mobile money, compared with 73 percent of Kenyans, where more than two-thirds of adults have a bank account, according to the World Bank. That’s even though there are more than two phones for every bank account in the West African nation.
Less than 6 percent of Nigerians use their handsets to transact using mobile money, compared with 73 percent of Kenyans, where more than two-thirds of adults have a bank account, according to the World Bank. That’s even though there are more than two phones for every bank account in the West African nation.
Mobile First
Nigerians own twice as many mobile-phone lines as they do bank accounts
“We’re taking baby steps when we should be running,” Yomi Ibosiola, an associate director at Deloitte Nigeria’s data analytics practice, said in an interview in Lagos, the commercial hub.
Cellular phone operators would invest more if they were allowed to lead the way, said Emeka Oparah, a spokesman for Bharti Airtel Ltd.’s Nigerian unit, which has 40 million subscribers.
“Right now, we’re only providing a platform for some people to use, if it becomes our business, we will invest in it,” Oparah said. The government should adjust its policies “if it wants to move very quickly.”
Nigerians own twice as many mobile-phone lines as they do bank accounts
“We’re taking baby steps when we should be running,” Yomi Ibosiola, an associate director at Deloitte Nigeria’s data analytics practice, said in an interview in Lagos, the commercial hub.
Cellular phone operators would invest more if they were allowed to lead the way, said Emeka Oparah, a spokesman for Bharti Airtel Ltd.’s Nigerian unit, which has 40 million subscribers.
“Right now, we’re only providing a platform for some people to use, if it becomes our business, we will invest in it,” Oparah said. The government should adjust its policies “if it wants to move very quickly.”
Verification Details
Fidelity Bank Plc allows people to open an account using a mobile phone, said Chief Operations and Information Officer Gbolahan Joshua. It is also using agents to offer banking services, such as small payments and deposits, through informal branches, he said, adding the lender has 3.9 million customers.
“When you open an account on your mobile, you can receive money but you cannot make payments,” Joshua said. “You need a Bank Verification Number to make transactions on that account you opened on mobile. Since the targets for financial inclusion are people that don’t have BVN already, some infrastructure needs to be deployed, like mobile BVN.”
There are efforts being made to remove those obstacles. One includes issuing identity numbers to 70 million people by the end of next year and pulling together the government’s various identity verification systems into a centralized database, which will make it easier for people to plug into financial services.
Fidelity Bank Plc allows people to open an account using a mobile phone, said Chief Operations and Information Officer Gbolahan Joshua. It is also using agents to offer banking services, such as small payments and deposits, through informal branches, he said, adding the lender has 3.9 million customers.
“When you open an account on your mobile, you can receive money but you cannot make payments,” Joshua said. “You need a Bank Verification Number to make transactions on that account you opened on mobile. Since the targets for financial inclusion are people that don’t have BVN already, some infrastructure needs to be deployed, like mobile BVN.”
There are efforts being made to remove those obstacles. One includes issuing identity numbers to 70 million people by the end of next year and pulling together the government’s various identity verification systems into a centralized database, which will make it easier for people to plug into financial services.
India Inspiration
The central bank has said it’s taking inspiration from India, where a government-biometric database known as Aadhaar helped grow financial inclusion from 53 percent to 80 between 2014 and 2017, by cutting the cost for banks of identifying a customer.
Regulators in Nigeria also announced an initiative in March that will help to increase banking agents to 500,000 within two years, from 100,000, according to estimates by Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access, or EFInA, a research organization.
“One of the major issues for banks has been the cost of going to those unprofitable areas,” said Henry Chukwu, who focuses on broadening agent networks at EFInA.
Most of the biggest lenders are focused on business banking. Zenith Bank Plc, the country’s largest lender with the equivalent of $15.4 billion in assets, makes about 6 percent of its revenue from retail banking and about 58 percent from corporates.
The central bank has said it’s taking inspiration from India, where a government-biometric database known as Aadhaar helped grow financial inclusion from 53 percent to 80 between 2014 and 2017, by cutting the cost for banks of identifying a customer.
Regulators in Nigeria also announced an initiative in March that will help to increase banking agents to 500,000 within two years, from 100,000, according to estimates by Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access, or EFInA, a research organization.
“One of the major issues for banks has been the cost of going to those unprofitable areas,” said Henry Chukwu, who focuses on broadening agent networks at EFInA.
Most of the biggest lenders are focused on business banking. Zenith Bank Plc, the country’s largest lender with the equivalent of $15.4 billion in assets, makes about 6 percent of its revenue from retail banking and about 58 percent from corporates.
Push-Pull
There are not enough incentives for people to open bank accounts, especially among the poor, said Ameya Upadhyay, a principal in the investment team of Omidyar Network Fund Inc., which has invested in Pagatech, one of Nigeria’s first mobile-money providers, and another company that gives loans to small- and medium-sized businesses. About 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day, according to Vienna-based World Data Lab’s World Poverty Clock.
“You have to create a ‘pull’ to these accounts and that happens when those accounts are meaningful to people’s every day lives,” he said, such as increasing the number of merchants with pay points or offering more insurance, savings or lending products. “People don’t eat accounts.”
Abdurrahman, the Kano spice merchant, agrees and remains unconvinced about using his phone to transact.
“I may decide to go for mobile money if more of my suppliers have it,” he said. “But for now I am very comfortable keeping cash at the shop to pay for supplies and keeping the rest at home.”
There are not enough incentives for people to open bank accounts, especially among the poor, said Ameya Upadhyay, a principal in the investment team of Omidyar Network Fund Inc., which has invested in Pagatech, one of Nigeria’s first mobile-money providers, and another company that gives loans to small- and medium-sized businesses. About 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day, according to Vienna-based World Data Lab’s World Poverty Clock.
“You have to create a ‘pull’ to these accounts and that happens when those accounts are meaningful to people’s every day lives,” he said, such as increasing the number of merchants with pay points or offering more insurance, savings or lending products. “People don’t eat accounts.”
Abdurrahman, the Kano spice merchant, agrees and remains unconvinced about using his phone to transact.
“I may decide to go for mobile money if more of my suppliers have it,” he said. “But for now I am very comfortable keeping cash at the shop to pay for supplies and keeping the rest at home.”
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