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It’s a Lie: Nigeria Is Not Africa’s Wealthiest but One of Its Poorest — Donald Duke

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3 weeks ago

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The presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has described as “a lie” the notion that Nigeria is the wealthiest country in Africa.

The former Governor of Cross River State said Nigeria is, rather, one of the poorest countries on the continent and should not be regarded as Africa’s largest economy based solely on its overall GDP.

In an interview with selected journalists in Lagos, Duke said Nigeria is a poor country when its per capita income is taken into consideration.

According to him, even countries that Nigeria considers smaller have higher per capita incomes, adding that the country is “living a lie.”

“It is embarrassing that a country that was considered one of the wealthiest in Africa still thinks today that it is the largest economy in Africa. That is not true.

“We are living a lie. It is a nice sound bite, though, to say that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa. No. Nigeria is just one of the poorest when you take per capita income into consideration, and that is what you should measure, not just growth.

“If all we were producing in Nigeria was kulikuli, as we have been advised to do, we would still be a large economy in terms of GDP. But individually, what is our capital base? It is very poor.

“Most of these countries that we laugh at have a higher income per capita than we do.

“So, it all comes down to productivity. The idle mind is the playground of the devil. That was true yesterday, it is true today, and it will be true tomorrow,” Duke said.

On security, Duke said he does not like the phrase “Islamic terrorists” because he does not believe the terrorists are driven by Islam.

He noted that the security challenges facing Nigeria, particularly in the northern part of the country, were aggravated by the collapse of Libya, which led to an influx of arms through Nigeria’s land borders.

He, therefore, suggested that Nigeria needs short-, medium- and long-term approaches to address the rising insecurity holding the country back.

“Right now, you have got to deal with the security problems as they exist today — kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and all that.

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“But even beyond that, those things are consequences of other things. They are consequences of a very poor economy and, of course, the failure to properly manage our borders.

“With the collapse of Libya, a lot of arms have been moving south. We call them Islamic terrorists. I don’t like that phrase because I don’t think they are driven by Islam.

“The Islam I know is different. They just use that connotation to describe them. Rather, I think these are destructive elements. You can see that when they go into communities, they collect taxes and do other things. It is all geared towards collecting or building a resource base for themselves.”

For the medium- and long-term approaches, Duke suggested that the Nigerian government should focus on making citizens more productive.

He noted that as long as people are not productive, they will find their own means of survival.

He advised the government to focus on local production to improve productivity and to deploy modern technology in securing the country’s borders.

On reviving the economy of Northern Nigeria, the PRP presidential hopeful said that, if elected President, he would ensure that mining activities in the region are properly structured.

According to him, the structure should promote inclusive participation in the mining industry, ensuring that local and state governments become stakeholders in the sector.

“The rush to produce oil is not synonymous with wealth. You must have commercial quantities and all that. I sometimes think it is overplayed. The oil in the Chad Basin is not available in such commercial quantities. I think the real wealth of the North, beyond agriculture, is in the mineral deposits there.

“There must be a structured way of mining. Today, it is artisanal, and the broader community, the border communities, society and the nation itself do not adequately benefit from those resources.

“Take, for instance, the gold in Zamfara. It probably has — I don’t know — perhaps as much gold as all of Ghana does. Ghana was once called the Gold Coast, so that tells you how much gold there could be in Zamfara. But mining has also attracted banditry because Nigeria is largely an unpoliced state.

“So, I would make each state an economic entity. I think it would encourage states and their governments to focus on the minerals they have.

“If I were in charge, alongside the states, we would carry out an evaluation. I know some of this has already been done. We would evaluate what is available in each state and go further to determine the proven reserves.

“So, for instance, if you are looking for columbite or any other mineral and you know columbite exists in a particular place, let us go further and determine the proven reserves of columbite, lithium or whatever mineral we want to develop.

“Once you have developed it to that level, you make it more attractive for investors to come in. This should be a joint venture between the state and federal governments because the revenues from those resources will be shared by both levels of government.

“But nobody is going to invest if there is no security. We saw what happened in the South, in the Niger Delta region, when security broke down, which was also a function of increasing poverty in those areas.

“The investors there — the oil companies and international companies — moved out, and they now prefer producing oil from the deep sea, which is considered safer,” he said.

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KANSIEC Chairman Advises Fruits Sellers Association to Modernize Business

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7 hours ago

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September 12, 2026

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The Fruits Sellers Association, Kano State Chapter, has been advised to develop a strategic plan within a specific timeframe to modernize its business operations.

The Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC, Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi, gave the advice during a courtesy visit by members of the association to his office.

Professor Malumfashi stated that the fruit business anywhere in the world serves customers from all backgrounds, both rich and poor, due to the importance of fruits in food consumption.

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He maintained that the association should seek recognition across the three tiers of government in order to benefit from government policies and programmes.

The KANSIEC Chairman added that the present administration under the Executive Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, is transforming Kano into a modern metropolitan city with many parks. He said fruit sellers should secure designated spaces around the corners of flyovers across the city.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Fruits Sellers Association of Nigeria, Kano State Chapter, Alhaji Safiyanu Abdullahi, said they visited KANSIEC to seek guidance on how to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections within the association.

Bashir Habib Yahya
Media Aide to the KANSIEC Chairman
Date: 11/09/2026

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Breaking :Former PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur Is Dead

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10 hours ago

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September 12, 2026

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Former Chairman of the peoples Democratic party during Jonathan’s administration Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is dead .

A credible source in Yola the capital of Adamawa state informed Nigerian Tracker that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur passes on in Abuja.

The source said his body will later be conveyed to Yola the capital of Adamawa state for funeral at the palace of Lamidon Adamawa Alhaji Muhammad Barkindo .

 

Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Mahmud Tukur (CON) was a prominent Nigerian politician, businessman, administrator, and elder statesman who has had a towering impact on Nigeria’s socio-political and economic sectors for over six decades.

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He was widely recognized for his roles as the former Governor of the old Gongola State, the former Minister of Industries, and the former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Early Life and EducationDate of Birth: Born on 15 September 1935 in what is today Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Higher Education: He obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States.

Honorary Recognition: He was awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Honoris Causa) by Benue State University in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Traditional Titles: Reflecting his high regional and cultural status, he holds the distinguished traditional titles of Tafidan Adamawa and Wakilin Ganye in Adamawa State.

Career in Public Service & Governance
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA):
Served as General Manager/Chief Executive from 1975 to 1982, managing port congestion and modernizing seaports.

Governor of Old Gongola State: Elected during the Second Republic in 1982, serving a brief term before the December 1983 military coup.

Minister for Industries: Served under General Sani Abacha’s military administration from 1993 to 1995.

Business and Continental Leadership Founder of BHI Holdings (Daddo Group),

Tukur expanded his economic influence across Africa:

Africa Business Roundtable (ABR): Founder, past president, and Life Patron.

NEPAD Business Group: Elected Chairman in March 2002.

International Maritime Stature: First African Vice President of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH)

PDP National Chairmanship (2012–2014)Elected PDP National Chairman in March 2012.

 

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Nigeria’s Oil Output Hits 1.573m bpd as OPEC Production Rises–Report Says

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1 day ago

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September 11, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria’s crude oil production, excluding condensate, rose by 35,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.573 million bpd in August 2026, from 1.537 million bpd in July, according to the latest data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The increase, representing a 2.3 per cent month-on-month (MoM) growth, places Nigeria among OPEC members that recorded higher production during the month.

OPEC, in its latest monthly data based on direct communication from member countries, said Nigeria’s August output was its highest monthly production level in the data provided for 2026.

The August figure also exceeded Nigeria’s average production of 1.552 million bpd in the second quarter of 2026, indicating a gradual improvement in upstream output.

The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government and oil producers to boost production through improved security, fresh upstream investments, new projects and the rehabilitation of existing assets.

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Across OPEC, crude oil production increased by 346,000 bpd to 24.081 million bpd in August, from 23.735 million bpd in July.

Iraq recorded the largest increase among OPEC members, with output surging by 664,000 bpd to 3.378 million bpd. Kuwait followed with a 49,000-bpd increase to 1.894 million bpd, while the United Arab Emirates added 54,000 bpd to reach 3.835 million bpd.

Venezuela also increased production by 23,000 bpd to 1.145 million bpd.

However, some major producers recorded declines. Saudi Arabia’s output fell by 75,000 bpd to 7.276 million bpd, while Algeria and Libya declined by 8,000 bpd and 9,000 bpd to 999,000 bpd and 1.355 million bpd respectively.

Iran recorded the largest decline, with production dropping by 399,000 bpd to 2.086 million bpd.

Beyond OPEC, total production by the broader OPEC+ group, comprising OPEC members and participating non-OPEC producers under the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), rose by 297,000 bpd to 38.055 million bpd in August.

Within the non-OPEC DoC group, Kazakhstan increased production by 159,000 bpd to 1.807 million bpd, while Russia cut output by 160,000 bpd to 8.718 million bpd.

For Nigeria, the latest production increase could provide some relief to government revenue and foreign exchange earnings, given the continued importance of crude oil exports to the economy.

Nigeria has set a target of raising crude oil production towards three million bpd by 2030, making sustained increases essential to achieving the ambition.

However, the country still faces significant challenges, including ageing fields, infrastructure constraints, crude theft, funding difficulties and the need to attract new investment into the upstream sector.

The August performance therefore represents progress, but maintaining the upward trend will be crucial if Nigeria is to close the gap between current production and its ambitious 2030 target.

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