The alarm raised by the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria that the astronomical increase in the cost of food in Nigeria is becoming worrisome and that the country is fast degenerating into a land plagued with hunger is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday.
The Punch reports that the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria has said that the astronomical increase in the cost of food in Nigeria is becoming worrisome and that the country is fast degenerating into a land plagued with hunger.
The APBN is the umbrella body of practising professionals in Nigeria. It is made up of lawyers, accountants, architects, bankers as well as other professionals drawn from 32 different disciplines.
The professionals, who stated this at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, said the last few years had seen inflation in Nigeria increase from single digit to 20.52 per cent currently.
The APBN lamented the erosion in the real value of the naira and the skyrocketing prices.
It said the effect on Nigerians was that the masses waste struggling to afford basic needs, which now had serious effects on the socio-economic situation in Nigeria.
Addressing the gathering, the APBN President, Akin Oyegbola, said that last year saw an unprecedented number of young professional Nigerians migrate abroad to seek greener pastures.
According to him, this was clearly connected to the socio-economic situation in Nigeria and their inability to envision a desirable future in Nigeria.
Oyegbola said, “The real value of the naira is fast eroding and prices are skyrocketing.”
The effect on Nigerians is that the masses are struggling to afford basic needs and this has a very serious effect on the socio-economic situation in Nigeria.
The newspaper says that the National Association of Nigerian Students has said its members will block the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and Kaduna-Abuja Expressway on Wednesday (today) as part of its protest against the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The PUNCH had reported that students, on Monday, blocked the access roads to both the local and international terminals of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, leaving air passengers and others stranded.
Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, the chairman, NANS National Task Force, ‘EndASUUstrike,’ Olumide Ojo, said students did not protest at the Apapa Port as earlier scheduled for Tuesday to allow them strategise and plan for an impactful protest on Wednesday.
Ojo said, “We decided to use today (Tuesday) to appraise our protest on Monday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. By tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, we will be grounding the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja and Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
“We will also be at Iwo Road, Ibadan where we will hold a press conference. It will be a simultaneous action. On Thursday, our colleagues in the South-South and South East will mobilise for a showdown too.”
The Coordinator of the South West Zone D of NANS, Adegboye Olatunji, also confirmed the Wednesday plan, saying “Yes, there will be protests at the Abuja Airport on Wednesday.”
Also speaking, the National President, NANS, Usman Barambu, said Nigerian students had overstayed at home, saying the government should open the universities so that students could go back to school.
The Guardian reports that the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has said Nigeria is committed to achieving 30 gigawatts of electricity by 2030 from multiple sources, of which, at least, 30 per cent contribution would come from renewable energy.
He disclosed this yesterday at the ninth Nigeria Energy Exhibition and Conference in Lagos.
Aliyu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Temitope Fashedemi, added that the country was also poised to attain a net zero commission by 2060 through the recently-launched transition plan.
He said energy is conventionally one of the most important infrastructure requirements for human existence and modern living besides being one of the most important components of economic development.
According to him, energy remains essential for human existence, and socio-economic development, as access to energy, especially electricity, enhances the standard of living of the citizenry, hence it is factored in the measurement of the human development index.
The minister said the unique event provides participants with opportunities to engage with private and public sector players and also “allows us to share knowledge with international energy experts, with a view to developing solutions and even forging partnerships that seek to tackle the various issues and challenges that are preventing us from achieving our desired goals in the energy sector.”
He noted this is not surprising, adding that capital energy utilisation of electricity is indicative of any nation’s level of development.
Aliyu continued: “We are all aware that Nigeria’s economic development aspiration demands a higher energy capacity than what we have available presently. Our current unmet energy needs are huge and they are bound to increase due to urbanisation and population expansion. This makes it clear that access to energy is critical in advancing our country’s development agenda.”
The newspaper says that the Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has promised to facilitate seamless transit cargo movements from Nigeria’s dry ports to the Republic of Chad.
Adalikwu disclosed this in ND’jamena, the Chadian capital, during his working visit to the Chadian Minister of Transportation, Fatima Goukouni Weddeye.
He expressed readiness to support the country’s Ministry of Transportation and the Shippers’ Council for the facilitation of transit transport of Chad destined cargoes.
He also promised to make arrangements for officials of the Chad government to visit the proximate dry ports in northern Nigeria as a way of preparing grounds for the promotion of Intra African trade in line with the focus of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA).
The MOWCA SG reassured that all 25 member countries of the organisation, including landlocked states, will enjoy technical support to uncover and harness the economic benefits of a thriving blue economy.
Weddeye, who commended Adalikwu for championing a reawakening in MOWCA, described him as a dynamic leader, who has shown transformational traits within a short period.
She said the Chadian Ministry of Transportation and the country’s shippers council will deepen collaboration with MOWCA and requested Adalikwu to enable the visit of the technical staff of the Ministry to the dry ports established in the northern part of Nigeria.
The minister also described the upcoming Regional Maritime Development Bank as a laudable initiative of MOWCA, adding that it will fill the gap in sustainable funding of transport activities that are the backbone of foreign trade.
The minister said upon the study of the bank’s charter by the ministry’s technical team, an informed decision would be taken on the country’s endorsement of the bank.
On capacity building, Weddeye was pleased to know the existence of training institutions under the auspices of MOWCA, and requested to have more details on the curriculum for prospective students from Chad to benefit from.
GIK/APA