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Nigeria Ranks Lower Than Rwanda In Innovation-Sanusi

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Former Central Bank (CBN) Governor and immediate past Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Friday said the Nigerian economy is about to collapse totally as he warned that oil which he described in parable as the goose laying the ‘golden egg’ for the country is about to die.

Sanusi who spoke at the closing of the Kaduna Investment Summit, tagged KadInvest 6.0 said aside the fact that Nigeria is having difficulties in oil production, the product is now being rejected in the global market, as there is no longer a future in carbon.

The former CBN governor who pointed out that the future lies in knowledge based economy, which is the theme of the summit, however lamented that Nigeria is behind many African countries in innovation index and ranking 114th globally.

He lamented that while Ghana with a smaller economy invests more in education, Nigeria spends only seven percent of its budget in that direction, saying that, only eight of every 100 Nigerians who start primary school, complete university education.

According to him, “globally, work is being redefined. 30 to 40 per cent of workers in developed economies will need to significantly upgrade their skills by 2030. And what are the major drivers of this redefinition? ICT and remote working, which we have seen even here with COVID. There is increased automation and artificial intelligence. Very soon, robots will take over work in most countries and those who would have jobs are those who operate the robots or manufacture the robots or service the robots.

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“And you have decarbonisation. For us in Nigeria, the enclave economy that we have, the so-called goose that lays the golden egg is about to die. There will be no eggs. The future is not in the carbons.

“A few months ago, Germany was able to produce enough renewable energy for the entire country’s needs. Today, we are having difficulties selling Nigerian oil. So, not only are we having problems to produce, even when we produce, the market is not there.

“So, this is forcing a change, and for us as a country that depends on oil, things need to change.

“Nigeria is ranked 114th in the global innovation index. We are lower than other African countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal. We are in fact ranked 14th in sub-Saharan Africa. I think we should have this reality check and know where we are as a country. Let’s stop calling ourselves the giant of Africa, because we are the giant with clay feet.

“Countries like Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal are ahead of us. I am not even talking about South Africa. Our expenditure on education is only seven per cent of the budget. We are spending less on education than Ghana; I am not talking about as per percentage of the budget; in absolute terms, even though the Ghanaian economy is much smaller than the Nigerian economy, even though the Ghanaian government revenue is less than Nigeria’s revenue, Ghana is spending more on education than Nigeria.

“And we are surprised that industries are moving to Ghana. We are surprised that the Ghanaian president has become the leading President in Africa? We are not investing in education and human capital.

“We have a 68 per cent missing job requirement and the major areas being IT, communication and decision making. And the completion rate between entry into primary one and completing university is eight per cent, meaning that out of every 100 pupils who go into primary school, only eight come out of university. And out of those eight, nine percent, which is one of the eight, will get a job.

“So, this is the reality in addition to what is happening globally. Now, digitization to level the playing field is required if we are deliberate and we shift from consumption to value creation. But, part of our problem is that even when we have the solution at our feet, we do not take it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government said it will be introducing ICT skills in vocational institute and also in primary and secondary schools across the state.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai in an interview at the summit said his administration believes that the future of jobs in the world today will be digital. “So everyone needs digital skills and we intend to provide that and we have an agreement with IHS to cover Kaduna with 3g and 4g network so that everyone will have access to the internet,” he said

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Court Restrains Anti-Corruption Commission, Others from interfering in MAAUN’s Affairs

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A Kano High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) and four other parties from interfering in the internal and external affairs of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (AAUN), Kano.

Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji of the High court of Kano Judicial Division issued the order, while ruling on a motion of ex parte filed by the management of the university.

The respondents in the suit are the Kano State Government, PCACC, Kano State House of Assembly and the state’s Attorney-General and concerned parents of the institution.

Justice Ma’aji in the court order dated December 11, 2025, restrained the respondents or any other person acting on their behalf from inviting officials of the institution or interfering in the administrative and academic activities of the intuition, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

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The court also directed all the parties to maintain status quo in relation to the matter between the applicant and the first respondent, pending the determination of the originating summons.

Speaking after the ruling, MAAUN’s counsel Zahraddeen M. Bello, said that the court’s decision reaffirmed the rule of law and the need for due process, saying the university will continue to operate within the confines of law, while the case is pending.

However, the court granted leave to the applicant to serve court processes on the fifth respondent at its office located at No. 224 Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Kano.

The matter was adjourned to December 29, 2025 and the order was given under the hand and seal of the presiding judge and was duly endorsed by the Principal Registrar of the court.

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Jigawa Trains Local Government Chairmen on 2025 Tax Reform Act

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The Jigawa Joint Task Committee has commenced a two-day capacity-building training for local government chairmen and policymakers. The two-day capacity program focused on the new Nigeria Tax Reform Act (NTA) 2025, which is scheduled to take effect nationwide on January 1, 2026.

The training gathered a contingent of state and local revenue stakeholders, including all 27 local government chairmen of Jigawa State, led by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), revenue officers, and key policy and tax experts.

The core objective of the session was multifaceted: to enhance understanding of the NTA 2025 and its specific implications for local government administration, strengthen collaboration between state and local tiers for revenue harmonization and joint administration, and improve the technical capacity of local government leaders in deploying modern revenue processes and digital systems.

During the event, the Executive Chairman of the Jigawa Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), Dr. Nasir Sabo Idris, commended the state government’s leadership for its commitment to fiscal autonomy.

“I wish to acknowledge the immense support of His Excellency, Governor Malam Umar Namadi, FCA,” Dr. Idris said.

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According to Dr. Idris, Jigawa Governor’s commitment to revenue generation has been unwavering, ensuring a consistent improvement in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Dr. Idris pointed out that the upcoming launch of JigiTax, a wholly digital platform designed to streamline and modernize revenue collection across Jigawa State, is underway.

He said the move is seen as a direct response to strengthening transparency and blocking revenue leakages.

On his part, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Local Government, Ibrahim Graba Hannun-Giwa, whose address was delivered by the Director of Research, Malam Samaila Yusuf, said:

“The Ministry of Local Government is doing all it takes to continue supporting the visionary policies of Governor Namadi and driving policies that will shore up the revenue base of our local governments,” Malam Yusuf stated, emphasizing a unified approach to fiscal strength.

The dividends of the collaborative efforts were highlighted by the ALGON Chairman, who also serves as the Chairman of Dutse Local Government.

Speaking to newsmen, he asserted that the state’s disciplined approach had fundamentally altered the financial landscape at the grassroots level.

“With the commitment shown by Governor Namadi and the diligent efforts of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee, no local government in Jigawa now seeks intervention,” the ALGON Chairman declared.

He said, “Revenue loopholes are being systematically blocked, and improved compliance by different stakeholders, including markets and motor parks remitting their taxes, has significantly boosted our revenue drive.”

He further confirmed that the local governments had already undertaken a series of awareness trainings for all relevant stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition to the NTA 2025.

Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi said the in a paper presentation titled “State and Local Government in the Law,” by a legal practitioner. The paper specifically called for the legislative institutionalization of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee by the State House of Assembly. This institutional backing, the practitioner argued, would solidify the collaborative framework for revenue harmonization and ensure its longevity beyond the current administration.

 

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Former President Obasanjo Endorses Turaki’s Faction of PDP

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo hosted the national working committee (NWC) of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

The PDP faction visited the former president on Saturday, and Kabiru Turaki led the delegation.

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Those among the delegation are: Muazu Aliyu, former Niger governor; Jonah Jang, former governor of Plateau; Adolphus Wabara, former senate president, and many more.

Interacting with the delegation, Obasanjo commended the faction’s effort, adding that its members should “soldier on”.

The former president also urged the faction to remain steadfast in instilling discipline in the party, adding that:

“anybody who wants to belong to a political party must adhere strictly to its rules and regulations”.

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