Hotels in Lagos rank as second most expensive in the world

With its oligarchs and bling reputation, it is perhaps not surprising that Moscow has been found to have the planet's highest hotel prices, according to new research.

In a poll of 50 cities worldwide, room rates in the Russian capital were priced the highest of any destination for the eighth year running - topping the chart at an average of £258.11 - travel management company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) found.

And the cost of a place to lay your head in the city famed for its onion-domed churches and imperial treasures has increased by three per cent in local currency over the past twelve months.

Nigeria's populous city of Lagos was found to be the second most expensive location, with an average room rate of £217.05.

This was thanks to the 'high volume of inbound business travel connected with the oil industry', the research noted.

'Travellers to Lagos are also conscious of the city’s well-documented security issues and are more inclined to stay in five-star accommodation,' it said.

Although Geneva took third place, with rooms priced at an average of £215.92, the survey said that hotel prices across the Eurozone had 'either fallen or remained flat'.

Stewart Harvey, Group Commercial Director at HRG, said 'uncertainty' was 'driving room rates down across mainland Europe'.

Barcelona saw prices fall by 22 per cent (in Euros), while Madrid and Dublin also reported drops.

Mr Harvey noted that, according to the research, the Latin American region had seen the strongest growth in the first six months of the year.

There were room rate increases of 23 per cent in Sao Paulo and 15 per cent in Rio de Janeiro, where rooms were priced at an average £204.65 and £170.95 respectively.

In terms of price increases, Mexico City was found to have experienced the highest, with rates soaring 30 per cent in local currency as demand rocketed. The average cost of a room was £105.65.

The survey also found that prices of hotel rooms had increased in both Tokyo and Dubai as they recovered from last year's earthquake, tsunami and Arab Spring.

The twice yearly research looks at hotel room prices for key business destinations.

Daily Mail

Major fuel scarcity in Abuja, Nigeria

There seems to be no hope in sight to the fuel scarcity currently ravaging the Federal Capital, Abuja. In all the filling stations across the town, there are long queues of vehicles waiting to buy fuel which is not readily available.

This started during the past week and is telling hard on the citizenry. There are no vehicles on the road and as it has always been the custom when this problem comes up, there will be increase in transport fares.

No one seems to know the reason why it's only Abuja that is faced with this issue but some individuals like Gabriel Emmanuel and Femi Adegbite said it's because this is the center of the economy and it will spread to other states soon if this issue is not nipped in the bud early.

On a fact finding mission as to what could be responsible for this scarcity peculiar alone to Abuja at the moment, Mr Oyinlola, the NNPC Afrigate manager in Gwarinpa said the scarcity is due to NUPENG indefinite strike action.

He further explained that they had exhausted their fuel and were waiting for more fuel from the appropriate quarters. On probing further to ascertain whether the threats from the marketers to shut down the economy are coming to reality, he opined that he is not aware about that.

The people at the filling stations have refused to leave the petrol stations on the 1st avenue road in Gwarinpa. In fact, the road was blocked totally and the security agents from the Gwarinpa police station led by Mr A.A Godwin were on ground to forestall any breakdown of law and order as well as ensure free flow of traffic.

On meeting the taxi drivers present to get their views on the situation on ground, it was a loud cry of lamentation from most of them. A particular one who refused to mention his name recounted his experiences and challenges he has faced since the scarcity began.

According to him and others present, he bought 25litres of fuel for N8000 from the black market. He even said the filling station in Area 11 sold fuel to them at black market prices Nigerians are used to suffering but will still smile over the issue and that has been keeping us going.

Some of them were proved that assertion right. They were eating and drinking while waiting for fuel.Lady Maria Ejielo who had been at the filling station since 3 am(just as so many others), when asked her opinion on whether we are at a brink of revolution in the country, she prayed against it but urged His Excellency, Goodluck Jonathan to use his presidential powers and arrest the situation before it goes bad.

Leadership

Dangote Group to create more employment opportunities in Nigeria

Dangote Group has unveiled plans to establish agro- sacks manufacturing company at Ibese, Ogun state to complement Dangote Cement plant in the community as part of the company's efforts to create employment.

The company is also planning to establish a tomato paste company as well as palm oil refinery in the community. President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote disclosed these investment plans during a meeting with Ibese community host members of Yewa North Local Government Council of Baales.

Dangote, who was represented by the Group General Manager Project of Dangote Group, Mr. Joseph Alaba, assured that eligible indigenes of the host communities would be given attention for employment.

He said the establishment of the these new companies in line with his desire to invest more in manufacturing concerns that complement his existing companies, so that the teeming unemployed youths would be gainfully engaged.

According to him, the construction of the lines three and four of the Ibese plant which will take the annual production to from the present six million to 12 million has started in earnest.

Dangote urged the community leaders to give maximum cooperation to the firm just as it has done in the past.

He explained that he was of the firm believe that production is what could lift the nation's economy from the woods and not importation.

He noted that the employment could only be generated through manufacturing and that all hands must be on deck to create jobs through manufacturing.

Dangote thanked his host communities for the tremendous support the company had gotten from them saying he was happy that the communities understood that it was only in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that any meaningful development could take place.

"We have been enjoying peaceful, harmonious and conducive working environment since the time we started the construction works at Ibese here up till now that production has started. We appreciate the the efforts of our Baales and we pray for lasting cordial and mutually beneficial relationship," he said.

Dangote added that the support had motivated Dangote Cement to invest more in the execution of some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

He said to the delight of the Community leaders that the contract for the construction of a 25kilometre cement concrete road from the Ibese plant to Itori had been awarded while the ever busy Ibese and Ilaro road is being redesigned for rehabilitation.

This Day

Related story: Africa's riches man billionaire Aliko Dangote re-instated as head of Nigeria's stock exchange

Video - The young and the jobless in Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan orders overhaul of sports sector in Nigeria

Expressing dismay over the poor outing of the Nigerian Olympic team in the just concluded London Olympic Games, President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that the entire gamut of the sporting sector of the country should be re-organised.

Despite the release of N 2.2 billion two months before the London Olympics the 55-man Nigerian contingent with a coterie of officials returned home without any medal, while irregular medal clinchers like Tunisia, Uganda, Algeria and even Gabon and Botswana, returned home with some medals of varying colours.

This is the third time that Nigeria will record such an abysmal performance at the Games. The first was at the 1980 Moscow Games and the second was at 1988 Seoul Olympics.

President Jonathan, Wednesday, advocated for a national retreat at which the apex government, state governments and the private sector will discuss how to reinvigorate the country's sporting sector in order to make it robust and productive.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku told State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the president has indicated that some key sports administrators will be affected by the changes being proposed but he did not give names of those that will be affected.

The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, who traditionally ought to have been present, was conspicuously absent at the briefing.

Sources in the know revealed that some prominent administrators, particularly the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Chief Patrick Ekeji, may lose his plum job.

President Jonathan, the information minister said, was irked by the performance of the athletes and said that the industry should be rekindled to meet future challenges through proper planning, provision of adequate funds and the setting of standards that could be met in all future games.

"President Goodluck Jonathan ordered for a total and comprehensive re-organization of the sporting sector, following the disappointing performances of Nigerian contingent to the London 2012 Olympics.

"The President accordingly directed for a national retreat which will involved state governments as well as the private sector to re-order priorities in the Nigerian sporting sector.

"He said what took place in London must be the beginning of a new momentum to place Nigerian sports at a level that will enable this country return to the glory it is known for in the areas of sports.

"President Jonathan believes for us to change the present scenario, we need to specialize, we need to plan and we need to fund sports in a way that this country will continue to make impact in the sporting sector.

"He believes that the next Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil must enable Nigeria sets specific targets and realize them in order to promote our sports development.

"He also called for a new direction in sports management as well as funding and planning. He believes that what this nation needs at the moment is to take a sober look at what has happened and indeed change the scenario by working hard on all that we need to do to return the sporting sector to his glory.

"Mr. President emphasis the need for early planning, better administration of sports as well as funding which he believes can no longer be left to the government alone but must involve the private sector to generate sufficient resources to return our sports to it's glory.

"So in the next couple of weeks you are going to see action in this area as we prepare to work and ensure that Nigeria in subsequent events, in continental and global takes it proper place within the continent and globally in sporting competitions."

Related story: No medals for Nigeria at London 2012 Olympics

Former President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida says Nigeria is more corrupt today

Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has dismissed insinuations that his regime institutionalised corruption and declared that the scourge is more rampant today than in his time.

The general, who is 71 today, was speaking to reporters at an interactive session on the eve of his birthday in his Hilltop residence in Minna yesterday.

"Some people said I institutionalised corruption but I remember I removed a governor for stealing N300,000, but now you cannot remove them even for stealing N3 billion," the general remarked, noting that those still accusing him of alleged corruption 22 years after he left office were neither realistic nor fair to him.

The former military president who also stated "I managed poverty but some people managed affluence" said he will continue to respect the late human rights lawyer and advocate Chief Gani Fawehinmi because he did all his criticism as a legal luminary "and you always learnt one thing from him."

Commenting on the prevailing security challenges, including the potential threat by the Boko Haram, IBB said it is a passing phase, insisting that the development will not disintegrate the country.

He added that people should be sincere and accept that President Goodluck Jonathan needed support of every Nigerian.

When asked whether he was hopeful that the nation will remain the same in the face of the Boko Haram and other challenges, Babangida said "Positive! Yes, you know why? When I was growing up I was involved in so many things in this country which border on the stability of this country.

From 1963 to 1993, when I left office, I was involved in many things. We also saw many things like Tiv riot and civil war. It went on like that because we are a 'developing' country, so it went through and is still going through. I participated in virtually every operation from 1964 till I left office. I am sensible enough to know that we have to go through this."

The former military president said what is happening in Nigeria is a passing phase in the history of every developing nation, saying that it is instructive to note that all the leaders of developing nations are always aware of the challenges.

He also stated that it was his belief that unlike his own generation, the younger generations have more things that will make them bond together easily and he could see the younger generation achieving unity at least 50 years.

"I don't think that we are likely going again into civil war despite all that is happening. I am not sure that your generation may like to go through what we went through," IBB remarked adding that hope for keeping Nigeria one lays in the hands of the common man and not the elite and media who he claimed were unnecessarily sensational about issues that could easily be resolved through dialogue.

The former military president said the common man has never been involved in the "if you cannot get it you find a reason to spoil it" syndrome.

He explained that his coming together with his "Boss" former president Olusegun Obasanjo was the best they could do at the moment because "when me and my Boss Obasanjo issued a joint statement we proffered our solution, it is laziness for somebody to sit down and ask what did we do. Fine, we were there when it started but we should not be deprived of the right to make a contribution, what President Jonathan needs is support and that is what we are giving him".

He said what he shared in common with former President Obasanjo was a passion for a united Nigeria. "I can tell you that if there is somebody committed to the unity of Nigeria that person is my Boss OBJ".

IBB therefore said: "I plead with all of us to live with one another in peace, that is the only way we can move forward. The country has a lot of potential, what we need to do is to try to live in peace with one another, we can channel this virtue of ours towards achieving a great country."

On his feud with Edwin Clark he said "Chief Edwin Clark is my friend. I have known him for over 30 years, there is mutual respect between us, he will not deny me as his friend. The media might have heightened it."

On the state police debate, IBB supported the idea of state police that will operate within the confines of a given law saying that in the 50s and 60s there was state police but "they said it was used to molest political opponents".

He said he wondered why the fear of state police continues to persist, saying "left to me the purpose of government is security, the fears that governors will use the state police is unfounded".

Commenting on why he left the late General Sani Abacha behind in 1993 when he was stepping aside, Babangida said that he left him behind to strengthen the interim government and not for any ulterior motive, saying that what happened after that was another story entirely.

Northern governors salute him at 71

Meanwhile, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has paid tribute to former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who turns 71 today, saying his life is a testimony to the power of good leadership and purposeful living.

The chairman of the forum and Niger State Governor Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, described Babangida as the symbol of statesmanship, patriotism, vision and courage which are some of the excellent leadership virtues that have guided him through his years of active public service life.

The NSGF stated this in a statement signed by Governor Aliyu's Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo. According to the forum, the former military leader has excelled in his chosen profession and went on to preside over Africa's most influential country during which period he showed rare vision, courage and exemplary leadership.

The governors noted that IBB had consistently remained on the path of promoting national unity, integration and development with his influential networks cutting across the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond.

The forum said the history of Nigeria will always be incomplete without paying tribute to IBB's contributions and achievements to the socio-economic and political development of our country.

The governors listed the achievements of the former leader to include the realisation of the vision of Abuja as the Federal Capital City by providing the most vital infrastructure and moving the seat of power from Lagos in 1991.

The Forum also made reference to the privatisation of the broadcast industry, the licensing of private universities and airlines and the liberalization of the banking industry, including the establishment of community banks (now microfinance institutions) as ranking among IBB's notable legacies.

The governors then prayed God to grant Babangida excellent health, courage and many more years of selfless service to Nigeria and humanity.

Leadership