Certificate for Sale: Nigeria toughens, bans 18 foreign schools
Eighteen foreign higher institutions operating in Nigeria are at the receiving end as an undercover journalist allegedly busts a Benin Republic university that sells certificates to bibbers.
The reporter told Nigerian TV channel that the certificate of a supposedly four-year course from Cole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT was delivered to him like a pizza in 6 weeks after he paid N600,000 -Six hundred Thousand Naira, an amount that is less than 600 USD.
Audu also revealed that he never left the country’s shores during the investigation and got the certificates at a very affordable price.
The reporter scaled all hurdles and used the same fake university certificate to enlist in the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, program.
Nigeria has suspended accreditation of certificates from universities in Benin Republic and Togo.
The eighteen satellite campuses in Nigeria of foreign universities banned are: Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana. or any of its other campuses Nigeria. Columbus University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria. Pebbles University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria. Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria. EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja Lagos Study Centre. Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria. University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria. African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria. Evangel University of America and Chudick Management Academic, Lagos. University of Applied Sciences and Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin or any of its other campuses in Nigeria. The International University, Missouri, USA, Kano and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria. Tiu International University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria. London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria. West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria. Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria. Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria. Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria. Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre.
The oil refinery in Lagos took nearly seven years to build
After seven years, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has completed the construction of his multi-billion dollar refinery in Lagos, Nigeria.
The delivery of a million barrels of crude oil to the huge new refinery in Nigeria marks a major milestone in the process towards the country being able to produce fuel itself. But there is no timeline yet for oil production to begin in the facility. For years, the oil-rich nation has not been able to refine the product. Importing refined oil has imposed some extra costs on the country.
It is not clear when the mammoth Dangote refinery will start working but once running, it will be a big step in reaching energy self-sufficiency.
The delivery of the first one million barrels of crude will be followed by five million more, which should then allow the plant to begin producing fuel.
When fully operational, the $19bn (£15bn) facility in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, is predicted to produce about 650,000 barrels per day.
It will begin by making diesel, aviation fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) before progressing to the production of petrol.
Africa’s richest man and president of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said on Friday that the “focus over the coming months is to ramp up the refinery to its full capacity. I look forward to the next significant milestone when we deliver the first batch of products to the Nigerian market.”
The company boasts it will be eventually able to provide for 100% of Nigeria’s requirements of all refined product and also have surplus for export.
The continent’s largest economy, and one of its largest oil producers, has faced challenges in the supply of fuel, including foreign currency shortages, which have contributed to the frequent bouts of scarcity in the country.The cost of fuel has also become a major political issue.
For years, the price had been subsidised – one of the few perks that many Nigerians had felt that they got from the state.
Although labour unions have pressured the government to reverse its decision and alleviate the plight of most Nigerians, President Tinubu has maintained that it was a move that had long-term benefits.
In November, the government said it had saved over $1.8bn between June and September this year through the removal of the subsidy which will be channelled into social development projects.
Several African governments are defending their decision to send large delegations to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai amid widespread criticism.
The UN’s attendance list revealed that Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda were among the countries that sent the biggest teams.
Nigeria sent 1,411 people, followed by Morocco with 823 and Kenya with 765.
Representatives of Nigeria and Kenya on Sunday said that many of the delegates on their lists were not publicly funded as they were representing the media, civil society organisations and private institutions.
Both countries also said that some of the listed delegates are participating remotely.
“As the biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy and one with a bigger stake in climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa,” a statement by an adviser of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu said.
Kenya’s State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed told privately-owned Citizen TV that the number was “exaggerated” as it represented those who had registered for the event – not those who attended.
He added that the national government had only cleared 51 essential delegates and the rest had been sponsored by other groups.
In a statement, the Tanzanian government said more than 90% of the delegations from the country were sponsored by the private sector.
African Development Bank President, Akinwunmi Adesina
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has revised its short to medium-term macroeconomic forecast for Africa, for 2023 and 2024 downwards to 3.4% and 3.8%, from 4.0% and 4.3%.
The slightly lower figures reflect the persistent long-term effects of COVID-19, geopolitical tensions and conflicts, climate shocks, a global economic slowdown, and limited fiscal space for African governments to adequately respond to shocks and sustain post-pandemic economic recovery gains.
The updated data were published on Thursday, 29 November in the 2023 Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO) update, a follow-up to the Bank Group’s 2023 Africa Economic Outlook (https://apo-opa.co/3N6vYsH) released in May.
While inflationary pressures are receding globally, they are persistent in Africa and continue to weigh heavily on the continent’s short-to-medium-term economic performance, according to the update. Africa’s inflation is now projected to average 18.5% and 17.1% in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Bank Group’s Chief Economist and Vice President, Prof. Kevin Urama said: “The challenging global economic environment and multiple shocks continue to shape Africa’s macroeconomic performance. The entrenched inflationary pressures threaten to reverse all the macroeconomic gains made since the easing of pandemic risks while the continued depreciation of domestic currencies in many countries has exacerbated debt service costs.”
“In the face of regional and global shocks, the Bank remains resolute in supporting African countries to better navigate these challenges and put economic growth back on track,” he added.
In the short term, the MEO update urges countries to continue to implement restrictive monetary policies to contain inflation. This should be supported by fiscal policies that promote economic diversification and remove supply-side constraints.
Over the medium- to long-term, it calls on governments to scale up efficient investment in human capital and physical infrastructure to boost productivity, regain momentum in economic growth, and create opportunities for more inclusive and sustainable development.
The revised inflation rates represent an acceleration of 3.4 and 7.6 percentage points, respectively, from the earlier projection. Ongoing inflationary pressure has largely been fuelled by supply shocks in agriculture, stronger imported inflation due to weaker local currencies, relatively high commodity prices, and the persistence of fiscal dominance in several African countries.
The elevation of cost-of-living pressures has eroded Africans’ purchasing power, stoking the risk of further increases in the incidence of poverty.
Among the update’s findings: slow global economic growth is impacting demand for Africa’s exports, a trend that is projected to persist for much longer than previously anticipated.
It also stressed that the projected economic slowdown in advanced economies and lacklustre growth in China relative to historical trends have weighed down global growth.
“This has placed additional strain on African countries, especially those dependent on the Chinese market for commodity exports. Stronger policy support in China could bolster global economic recovery and trigger positive spillovers to African countries for which China remains a major trading partner. These factors can help moderate adverse risks to the economic outlook,” the report notes.
On the downside, the 2023 MEO update observes that climate shocks coupled with deepening geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the prolongation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to deeper disruptions in global trade and foreign investment flows. This can trigger another round of prolonged tightening of global financial conditions that could further exert depreciation pressure on domestic currencies, increase debt-service costs, and exacerbate the increase in debt service costs and compound the continent’s funding squeeze.
Staying afloat amid local and global shocks
The MEO update notes that coordinated monetary and fiscal policies underpinned by a reduction in fiscal dominance will be essential to rebuild buffers against the shocks.
Targeted and sequenced investments to address supply constraints, including addressing structural weaknesses, would help reverse the downturn in the momentum of economic recovery and put African economies on a higher and more sustainable growth trajectory.
To sustainably reduce inflationary pressures, the report urged African countries to remove the obstacles preventing domestic supply from responding to higher international commodity prices and to boost labour productivity through targeted infrastructure and human capital investment.
Tackling impediments to increased domestic resource mobilisation will help address the current funding squeeze.
Launched in January 2023, Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report complements the African Development Bank’s annual African Economic Outlook report, which focuses on key emerging policy issues relevant to the continent’s development. The MEO is published in the first and fourth quarters of each year; the update comes ahead of the 2024 edition of the MEO, which highlights the evolution of macroeconomic conditions in the face of multiple and unprecedented shocks.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Emeka Anuforo Communication and External Relations Department media@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 34 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
A British-Nigerian man has confessed in a US court to defrauding and stealing more than $6m (£4.7m) over seven years.
Idris Dayo Mustapha, 33, was part of a hacking ring that infiltrated email and brokerage accounts of US firms between 2011 and 2018, causing losses worth $6m (£4.7m), officials said.
A dual national of the UK and Nigeria, Mustapha was extradited from the UK in August, two years after his arrest.
His crimes carry a jail term of up to 20 years.
He has not yet been sentenced.
Mustapha pleaded guilty plea at a court in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday to four charges: computer intrusion, securities fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.
Authorities say Mustapha and his ring hacked into the computer servers of financial institutions in the US to access confidential user data, such as users’ personal identifying information.
They then used the stolen information and passwords to wire funds and transfer securities from the accounts of their victims to accounts under their control.
They also used the hacked accounts to conduct stock trades without the knowledge of the account holder.
US authorities had been pursuing Mustapha for several years.
Nigeria’s Supreme Court, on Wednesday, ruled that old and new Naira notes will co-exist as legal tender until further notice.
In March 2023, the apex court had extended the deadline to phase out old Naira notes to December 31, 2023.
Also, on November 21, the federal government had filed an application before the Supreme Court seeking an extension for old Naira notes to remain in circulation.
Local news platforms report that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had also recently said old and new Naira currencies remained legal tender indefinitely.
United Nigeria Airline landed in Asaba instead of Abuja
A Nigerian airline has apologised for a “misunderstanding” after passengers were told they had arrived at their destination, Abuja, when they had in fact landed more than 450km (280 miles) away in another city, Asaba.
United Nigeria Airlines said the Sunday flight from the main city, Lagos, to the federal capital, Abuja, had temporarily been diverted to Asaba in Delta state, due to bad weather.
It said the wrong announcement was made to passengers when the plane landed in Asaba, creating confusion.
“Upon arrival, the cabin crew confidently announced that we’ve arrived in Abuja only for us to realise we landed in Asaba,” a traveller had said on X, adding that “apparently, our pilot was given wrong flight plan from Lagos”.
But the airline said the aircraft pilot was aware of the temporary diversion and was properly briefed.
“We sincerely apologise for the misunderstanding on our [flight]. We are currently taking steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said in a statement.
It said the flight had eventually landed safely in Abuja.
The first gas under the deal will be exported to Germany in 2026
Nigeria will supply more gas to Germany after the two countries signed a deal that will also include $500m (£399m) in renewable energy investments in the West African nation.
Nigeria’s presidency said the gas supply deal was signed at a business forum in Berlin between Riverside LNG project based in the Niger Delta and German company Johannes Schuetze Energy Import.
“The project will supply energy from Nigeria to Germany at 850,000 tonnes per annum, expanding to 1.2 million tonnes per annum,” said David Ige, a partner in the Nigerian project. The first gas under the deal will be exported to Germany in 2026.
The Union Bank of Nigeria and the DWS Group also signed a deal for the German firm to invest $500m in renewable energy projects in Nigeria.
Germany is also in talks with electronics giant Siemens to help Nigeria, which experiences frequent power blackouts, to improve electricity supply, according to German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged more investments in Nigeria’s critical minerals and energy sectors during talks with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in October.
President William Ruto (L) met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) at the G20 meeting in Berlin
President William Ruto has said that he is aiming to secure opportunities for Kenyans to find employment in Germany, amid a worsening unemployment crisis in his country.
He made the shortly before departing for Europe for a G20 meeting.
More than a dozen African leaders are heading to the German capital, Berlin, to seek economic opportunities, including labour export deals and increased investment in Africa’s economy.
“Germany’s chancellor was in Kenya about three to four months ago. I am travelling to Germany tonight because he promised us that we would secure 200,000 jobs. I must go follow up on those opportunities,” Mr Ruto said on Sunday.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose recent visits to Africa have included trips to Kenya and Nigeria, has shown interest in boosting investment on the continent, especially in the critical minerals and green energy sectors.
This conference, under the heading of G20 Compact with Africa, aims to strengthen economic ties between African and G20 countries.
Thirteen African countries are part of the programme – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia.
Leaders from other African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria are attending the event as guests.
Africa’s food and agribusiness will be worth an estimated US$1 trillion by 2030, African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) President Dr Akinwumi Adesina told participants of the World Food Prize Foundation’s Norman E. Borlaug Dialogue (https://apo-opa.info/45SJK8Q) in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday.
The annual event in America’s agricultural heartland, revolved around this year’s theme of “harnessing change,” with delegates and panellists exploring innovative ideas to shore up innovation, adaptation, and diversification, and mechanisms for improving resilience, recovery from shocks, and sustainable systems to feed the world.
Several world leaders are actively bolstering food production and food security in Africa. This includes coming together for a landmark global Feed Africa summit in Dakar (the Dakar 2 Summit- https://apo-opa.info/3pcmbZA) last January.
The continent, which is home to 65% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land, ironically imports most of its food. African leaders are intent in ensuring that their countries are self-sufficient in food and become food exporters. There is a realisation that by 2050, the global population will reach nine billion, creating a pressing need for Africa to increase agricultural productivity to meet rising demands for food.
The African Development Bank, which is leading the charge to feed Africa, played an active part in the Borlaug Dialogue. At a session titled “From Dakar 2 to Des Moines” on Thursday, Adesina highlighted the achievements of the Dakar 2 summit, which the Bank organised in conjunction with the Senegalese government and the African Union.
Adesina explained how 34 African leaders endorsed country food and agriculture delivery compacts that produced action- and outcome-driven plans to ensure food security and unlock the continent’s full agricultural potential within five years. This is in line with the core of the Bank’s Feed Africa strategy, which it launched in 2016. Since then, he added, the strategy has supported more than 250 million people, who have benefitted from improved agriculture technologies.
According to Adesina, partners had committed over $70 billion to support the food compacts. The Bank is expected to provide $10 billion over the next five years.
The Bank head said Dakar 2 reflected the collective resolve of African leaders to ensure the continent feeds itself. One of the leaders, President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, who was at the Borlaug Dialogue, said: “As African leaders, we are all committed to self-sufficiency in food production. Today, Ethiopia, for the first time in its history, is self-sufficient in wheat production and is a wheat exporter to its neighbours.”
Zewde acknowledged that this groundbreaking achievement had been helped by the African Development Bank’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative. TAAT has distributed more than 100,000 tons of certified seeds of heat-tolerant wheat varieties, increasing Ethiopia’s wheat production by 1.6 million metric tons in 2023.
Further underlining the high level of African participation at the Borlaug Dialogue, Vice President Kashim Shettima of Nigeria spoke about the importance of leadership, which he said was essential to feed Africa and develop the continent. “A nation falls or rises dependent on the quality of its leadership,” he emphasised.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Nigeria’s Plateau State—speaking at a World Food Prize side event on transforming African agriculture through Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs)—also emphasised the essence of good leadership. “The time has come to deal with the elephant in the room, and that is corruption,” he said. He added: “We are serious about this, and we want investors to know that investing in Plateau State is a win-win.” Governor Mutfwang also stressed the importance of incentivising investors by reducing unnecessary administrative bottlenecks.
The African Development Bank has already committed US$853 million to public-sector initiated SAPZs and successfully mobilised financing of $661 million alongside its co-financing partners. Collectively, the partners are investing more than $1.5 billion to establish 25 agro-industrial zones and supporting ecosystems in 13 countries.
Adesina invited investors and other stakeholders to invest confidently in the African food and agribusiness sector. He said political will was strong and that results on the ground showed tremendous promise.
The African Development Bank is a regular contributor to the Borlaug Dialogue. Akinwumi Adesina who was the World Food Prize laureate in 2017, is recognised for his exceptional and innovative work in the African food system, including eliminating corruption in the fertiliser industry in Nigeria, leveraging resources for smallholder farmers, and increasing for crop and production efficiency, during his previous tenure as agriculture minister.
This year’s Borlaug laureate is Heidi Kuhn (https://apo-opa.info/3QCCNEC), recognised for her farmer-focused development model and work that revitalises farmlands, food security, livelihoods and resilience in conflicted affected regions around the world.
The African Development Bank’s initiatives to feed Africa drew strong commendation from Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President Emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation, and the Foundation’s President, Ambassador Terry Branstad.
To read the African Development Bank President’s speech at the Dakar 2 to Des Moines event, click here (https://apo-opa.info/3sbp7ae).
To read the full text of the African Development Bank President’s remarks at the SAPZ side event, click here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q9Jw7C).
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