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Tiwa Savage performs ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ at coronation concert

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Tiwa Savage performs ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ at coronation concert

NIGERIAN Afrobeat superstar, Tiwatope Savage, professionally known as Tiwa Savage, thrilled guests as she performed ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ from Beyoncé’s  ‘Lion King: The Gift’ album at a concert held to mark the coronation of new British monarch King Charles III.

The coronation which was held on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey was followed by a concert on Sunday, May 7 at the Windsor Castle.

Tiwa Savage stepped out gorgeously in a green dress as she gave an astonishing performance.

Tiwa Savage’s appearance at Windsor Castle
Tiwa Savage’s appearance at Windsor Castle

The Queen of Afrobeat and multiple award-wining singer and songwriter is the first and only Nigerian to perform at a foreign royal coronation/event.

Tiwa Savage Performing “Keys to the Kingdom” at the coronation concert
Tiwa Savage Performing “Keys to the Kingdom” at the coronation concert

The BBC-organised coronation event featured performances by Katty Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, Steve Winwood, among others.

Her performance sparked a lot of positive reactions from people in Nigeria and all over the world on different social media platforms.

Fan’s reactions to Tiwa’s performance
Fan’s reactions to Tiwa’s performance

Meanwhile, 23 years old, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has made it to the Guinness World Records with his hit song ‘Calm Down’.

Rema marks entry on the Guinness world records
Rema marks entry on the Guinness world records

The song made history as the first No. 1 on the Official Middle East and North Africa (MENA) chart (the world’s regional streaming chart).

Upon the launch of the MENA Chart by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry on November 29, 2022, Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ debuted at No. 1.

Nigerian artists are gaining international recognition after taking Afrobeats to a global level.

A look at number of Nigerian students studying abroad

Kehinde OGUNYALE
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A look at number of Nigerian students studying abroad

THE ongoing crises in Sudan have threatened Nigerian students studying in the north-eastern African country. Government officials put the number at 5,500.

The ICIR had reported that the first batch of 376 Nigerians fleeing the war-torn country arrived late Wednesday, May 3, in Abuja. However, this is not the first time Nigerian students would flee from a country due to conflict.

In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2022, over 12,000 students studying at different universities in Ukraine were stranded. The ICIR reported how the Nigerian government approved $8.5 million to evacuate these students.

The first batch arrived two days after this approval was made.

Despite these challenges, thousands of Nigerian students are migrating abroad to study with leading destinations in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. 

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database, in 2016, the total outbound international mobility of Nigerian students in tertiary institutions was 96,735. But between 2017 and 2020, the number dropped significantly to 85,960, 76,330, 69,106, and 71,753 for each year.

What are the numbers saying?

Data from UNESCO says that, as of 2020, there are 71,753 Nigerian students studying abroad. But, there are projections that this figure has increased to nearly100,000 at the end of 2020.

Another report by Campus France – a public institution promoting French higher education abroad and welcoming foreign students and researchers to France –  highlighted Nigeria as the leading country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with students studying in the diaspora. The report said that nearly 40 per cent of outbound Nigerian students hold scholarships, most of which are funded by oil revenues.

Last year, the Uk’s Higher Education Statistic Agency reported that the number of Nigerian students studying in the country rose by 64 per cent. This is from 13,020 in the 2019/2020 academic session to 21,305 by the 2020/2021 session.

In 2022, the UK issued visas to 65,929 Nigerian students to study abroad. This is more than 17,973 visas issued in 2019.

Also, 14,438 Nigerians were enrolled at various institutions in the USA for the 2021/2022 academic session, while Canada has about 13,745 students in its universities.

Other countries hosting Nigerian students are Malaysia, with 13,000 students, United Arab Emirates, with 1,755 students; and Hungary, with about 970 students.

In Africa, no fewer than 5,000 Nigerians are schooling in Ghana, according to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority in 2022.

Financial expenses

A report says that there are over 50,000 scholarships available for Nigerian students wanting to study abroad yearly.

Meanwhile, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s balance of payment statistics showed that between 2010 and 2020, $28.65 billion was spent on foreign education. 

The CBN further revealed that between 2015 and 2022, $3.5 billion has been spent on foreign education; about $1.38 billion was spent in the year’s first nine months of 2022.

Panic as plane-crash lands at Abuja airport

Mustapha USMAN
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Panic as plane-crash lands at Abuja airport

A MAX Air aircraft has reportedly crash-landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, after the tyre burst into flames.

The aircraft had arrived from Yola, Adamawa State when the incident happened on Sunday, May 7.

It was reported that the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service (ARFFS) operating at the airport quickly responded to extinguish the fire.

Confirming the incident, the former President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Mike Ogirima, who was on the flight, said the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport.

He stated that the airplane crash-landed in Abuja, and emergency officials were already present to extinguish the fire, adding that the passengers were safely disembarked on the runway.

The incident caused panic among the passengers, who went into a prayer session to seek divine intervention.

“We thank God. We are still on the runway and pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall.

“We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God.”

Another official of the airline who spoke to Daily Trust on the incident, said the passengers and crew members are safe after disembarking from the airline.

He stressed that the airline would officially inform the appropriate authorities to carry out an investigation into the incident.

NCDC calls for sustained testing after WHO’s latest declaration on COVID-19

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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NCDC calls for sustained testing after WHO’s latest declaration on COVID-19

THE NIGERIA Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has urged Nigerians to continue COVID-19 tests even after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the disease is no longer a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Ifedayo Adetifa, on Sunday, May 7, the Centre said it will continue to encourage the integration of COVID-19 testing and treatment with other infectious diseases as part of clinical care for pandemic flu preparedness.

COVID-19 investigation could also be done alongside tests for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and in high-risk populations, the Centre said.

The ICIR reports that WHO declared COVID-19 as no longer a public health emergency of international concern on Friday, May 5, when its Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, endorsed the recommendation of the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee that called for the declaration. 

On Friday, April 5, The ICIR reported how the agency raised the global COVID-19 deaths to 20 million, up from nearly seven million logged by multiple credible data platforms, including the WHO.

Ghebreyesus attributed the sharp rise to low estimates presented by countries to the WHO.

COVID-19 cases are currently about 700 million, according to Worldometer, one of the platforms collating global data on the disease.

Nigeria has 266,675 confirmed cases of the disease and has lost 3,155. 

In its Sunday statement, NCDC explained that Nigeria had already de-escalated its COVID-19 response since 2022 in response to local epidemiology, which focuses on encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and recommended discretionary use of face masks and other public health safety measures according to personal risk assessments. 

It noted that the decision had been complemented by efforts to leverage the pandemic response to improve national health security through health system strengthening, improving public health emergency management training, laboratory and infrastructural upgrades, and strategic focus on improving emergency preparedness and planning at state and local government levels.

“The declaration that COVID-19 is no longer PHEIC is to enable countries’ transition from acute emergency response to managing COVID-19 as part of integrated healthcare delivery for all infectious diseases. 

“The threat of the virus remains within countries and globally and particularly for high-risk groups. As transmission continues within communities, the risk of new variants emerging and resulting in surges in case numbers and even deaths remains.”

Working with partners, the NCDC said it was piloting pan-respiratory virus surveillance, aligned with the WHO’s recently declared preparedness and resilience for emerging threats (PRET) initiative. 

“As part of our genomic surveillance, we will introduce wastewater/environmental surveillance to track not just SARS-CoV-2 but antimicrobial resistance, Mpox, and typhoid (salmonella). Finally, we continue to work on consolidating COVID-19 pandemic laboratory investments into a cohesive tiered national network of public health laboratories as prescribed in the NCDC Act (2018). 

“With the continued emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, our frequent and often concurrent disease outbreaks, and public health investments made during the pandemic to ensure health security in the country will need to be sustained.” 

FCT Police raid kidnappers hideouts, rescue 58 hostages

Bankole ABE
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FCT Police raid kidnappers hideouts, rescue 58 hostages

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says it rescued 58 hostages at Udulu Forest, in the Gegu area of Kogi State, and other kidnappers hideouts in communities bordering the FCT.

The Police did not declare the number of hostages rescued at each kidnappers hideout visited but said a total of 58 hostages were rescued from the operation.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Command, Josephine Adeh, on Sunday, May 7.

Adeh said the police engaged the kidnappers in gun duels before rescuing the victims.

“The bandits were overpowered and escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries leaving behind their victims.

“The rescue is part of efforts by the Command leadership in a sustained joint operation with other security agencies and vigilantes and hunters from the various local communities to combat violent crimes in the FCT, rescue victims and bring perpetrators to book,” Adeh stated.

Some of the rescued hostages. Photo credit: FCT Police
Some of the rescued hostages. Photo credit: FCT Police

She added that the new FCT commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, has vowed that, while effort is being sustained to prevent any further threats to the safety and security of residents, the Command would also not relent in ensuring the rescue of any resident held hostage by criminals, and as well bring the perpetrators to book.

The CP called for the cooperation of residents, especially in being security conscious and giving credible information to the Police.

Meanwhile, the Police said one Tama Jonathan, unfortunately, sustained injury during the rescue operation and died on the spot.

His remains have subsequently been released to his family for burial. The other 58 rescued victims are being stabilised in the hospital and would be reunited with their families,” the statement added.

 

 

Recession fears as NASS approves N23.7trn extra-budgetary spend for Buhari

Harrison EDEH
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Recession fears as NASS approves N23.7trn extra-budgetary spend for Buhari

NIGERIA is feared to be technically headed to recession as both the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives sanctioned an approval of N23.7 trillion lent through ways and means (unregulated borrowing) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Federal government.

The ways-and-means provision allows the government to borrow from the apex bank if it needs short-term or emergency finance to fund delayed government cash receipts of fiscal deficits.

The Federal government has promised to repay the debt, which stood at N23.7 trillion in December 2022, with securities like treasury bills and bonds issuance.

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But the government failed in its repayment assurance and economic watchers fear the wider implications of rising inflation and possible recession.

Senate Leader, Ibrahim Gobir, who spoke on the Senate approval on May 3, listed beneficiaries of the loan to include the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading, Azura Power West Africa, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, and Acugas Limited.

Knowledgeable economic watchers said this approval without a detailed breakdown of what the money was spent on had the capability to push Nigeria into recession.

To the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere, the National Assembly flouted its oversight function as mandated by the Act establishing it by not insisting on the details of what the approved funds were spent on.

“If the National Assembly members had insisted on the breakdown, and had done a cost-benefit analysis of the approval, they would have discovered probably that some of the funds were misappropriated. They flouted the law that empowered them for oversight,” Onyekpere said.

The National Assembly is mandated by the Constitution to act as an agent of accountability through its oversight mechanisms.

A development economist, Kelvin Emmanuel told The ICIR that the Federal government must repay the loan, albeit at a lower interest, and by implication, every Nigerian would be repaying it “since the Federal government is everyone in Nigeria, because it is their taxes and royalties.”

Emmanuel said, “Nine per cent on a 40-year Government bond means the bond yield curve is inverting, a sign that the country might be heading to a technical recession.

“When this is gazetted, the total debt stock rises to N69.04 trillion, and takes debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to -34.5 per cent and debt service-to-budget ratio to -39 per cent.

The chief executive of CFG Advisory,  Adetilewa Adebajo, advised the Federal government to adopt options within the Debt Management Office (DMO) Act to refinance N23.7 trillion of Nigeria’s total debts, instead of securitising it.

Adebajo proposed a resolution trust, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) backed by legislation within the current DMO Act and framework, for refinancing of the nation’s burgeoning debts, as against securitising the ways and means debt financing on the CBN balance sheet.

He suggested that the Federal government should, as a matter of urgency, stop financing the country’s debts through ways and means, which he described as “illegal.”

The World Bank had in its latest report on Macro Poverty Outlook for Nigeria released in April 2023 said the country spent 96.3 per cent of its 2022 revenue on servicing its debts.

The report noted that Nigeria’s fiscal position deteriorated in 2022, leaving the cost of petrol subsidy to increase from 0.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent of the GDP.

“This has kept the public debt stock at over 38 per cent of GDP and pushed the debt service to revenue ratio from 83.2 per cent in 2021 to 96.3 per cent in 2022,” it read.

219,000 pregnancies threatened by Sudan crisis — UNFPA

Ehime ALEX
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219,000 pregnancies threatened by Sudan crisis — UNFPA

THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says an estimated 219,000 women are currently pregnant in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, and are not receiving essential health services, a situation that could prove life threatening for them.

UNFPA, a UN agency that works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide, disclosed this in a publication on Sunday, May 7.

The agency said it is stepping up support, with midwives playing a key role, in helping to provide safe deliveries for the 219,000 pregnant women as 24,000 are expected to give birth in the coming weeks amid growing violence in the country.

“Access to midwives is the single most important factor in stopping preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

“Some 24,000 women are expected to give birth in the coming weeks, in the throes of chaos and bloodshed, making it extremely hazardous for them to seek essential antenatal care, safe delivery services, or postnatal support.”

The UN agency for reproductive health said it condemned the attack on a hospital in Khartoum. “Health facilities and hospitals should be safe havens in times of crisis.”

UNFPA regional director Laila Baker maintained that pregnant women in the capital city are facing perilous conditions.

“We are acutely concerned,” she said. “There is no way we can monitor them, there is no access to safe delivery services, no way to ensure even meagre communication.”

She added that women can go into premature delivery, and complications can arise from panic that “the circumstances are so tenuous”.

The crisis in Sudan had trapped citizens of many countries including Nigerians since over two weeks of brutal fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) turned Khartoum, the epicentre of the violence, into a warzone and thrown the country into turmoil.

The ICIR had followed the incident with reports, the latest being that the Federal Government has successfully evacuated Nigerians who indicated interest to leave Sudan.

According to the UN report, more than 500 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, either within the country or across borders to neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Many of those fleeing have already been displaced multiple times due to political instability, hunger and climate crises, with untold numbers taking refuge in unsafe, crowded and unsanitary makeshift camps.

The health sector is collapsing as only one in four hospitals in Khartoum are fully operational, with most damaged and only partially functioning, leaving millions of people without access to critical care, UNFPA said.

Dozens of attacks on hospitals, healthcare staff and ambulances, alongside widespread looting of already scarce medical supplies, water, fuel and electricity, are pushing the health sector to the brink of collapse.

NDLEA seizes drugs after 30-minute gun battle in Lagos

Bankole ABE
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NDLEA seizes drugs after 30-minute gun battle in Lagos

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized 8,852 kilograms (8.8 tons) of Canadian Loud, an imported synthetic strain of cannabis, in the Lekki area of Lagos after a 30-minute gun battle with armed men escorting the consignment loaded in two long trucks.

The NDLEA, in a statement by its spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, May 7, said acting on credible intelligence, its operatives laid ambush for the traffickers along the Eleko beach road in Lekki at about 4:51 am on Thursday, May 4.

“Two long trucks conveying the illicit consignments were flagged down, but rather than stopping, the trucks escorted by armed men sped off, as a result of which there was an exchange of gunfire that lasted 30 minutes. After they were overpowered by the NDLEA operatives, the truck drivers and their armed escorts escaped into the bush, abandoning the trucks and the drug consignments.

“While one of the trucks painted red has 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kg, the second one with blue colour has 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kg, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852 kilograms,” the NDLEA said.

The agency added that operatives are already on the trail of an unnamed drug lord who shipped the illicit consignment into the country.

The statement further disclosed that on the same day, May 4, operatives also intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle driven by one Mukaila Idowu, conveying 88.3kg skunk at Otedola bridge, in the Ikeja area of Lagos.

Wnother suspect, Joseph Friday, was arrested on Saturday, May 6 at Iyana Ira, Lagos with 58.7kg cannabis sativa concealed inside his Toyota Camry car marked FST 587FH.

Mukaila Idowu arrested on Otedola Bridge, Lagos. Picture courtesy NDLEA
Mukaila Idowu arrested on Otedola Bridge, Lagos. Picture courtesy NDLEA

In Ogun State, operatives of the NDLEA, in the early hours of Wednesday, May 3, busted a mini factory where a suspect, Bakare Taofeek, was producing skucchies around Safari Onikolobo, in Abeokuta.

Exhibits recovered from him include: 4kg black currant drink (Sobo) mixed with cannabis; 255 litres of skucchies; 1,880 tablets of tramadol; 735 grams of cannabis; three deep freezers; 2 gas cylinders and two cooking pots, among others.

Army Hqtrs investigates video of soldiers brutalising cleaning company staff

Vincent Ufuoma
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Army Hqtrs investigates video of soldiers brutalising cleaning company staff

THE Nigerian Army says it is investigating a viral video which showed soldiers assaulting workers of a cleaning services company in Kaduna State.

The ICIR had reported that the incident took place at the 2 Seasons Resort and Conference Center, where the company was engaged to provide services.

A staff of the company, @ayopaintedit, who shared the video on Twitter in a series of tweets seen by The ICIR on Saturday, May 6, said the soldiers were called to the hotel by the managers after the cleaning company requested payment of outstanding fees.

Instead of resolving the matter amicably, he said the soldiers resorted to brutal force, assaulting the workers and seizing their phones.

He said the incident left some of the workers injured, with one suffering a broken head, and another almost losing his eyesight.

In another footage, he said one of the soldiers called later, threatening to deal further with staff of the cleaning company if the Twitter post they made on the incident was not pulled down.

The incident sparked outrage amongst Nigerians, who took to the social media to demand justice for the victims.

However, the Army spokesperson, Clement Nwachukwu, in a text message sent to The ICIR in the early hours of Sunday, May 7, said the Army is investigating the incident.

The Army spokesperson said the video footage is being studied, to establish its veracity.

While noting that appropriate discipline will be taken once the veracity of the incident is established, Nwachukwu added that the Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any form of human rights abuse and brutality.

“Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any form of human rights abuse and brutality. There are extant codes of conduct and rules of engagement to guide the conduct of our troops in operations and exercises. We are studying the video footage to establish its veracity,” he said.

“Investigation has already commenced into the incident. Once this is established, be assured that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”

He further noted that the Nigerian Army has Human Rights desks at the Army Headquarters and Divisions Headquarters where violations could be reported officially.

“Please note also that the Nigerian Army has Human Rights desks at the Army Headquarters and Divisions Headquarters where this kind of violations could be reported officially,” he added.

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention by the army in various parts of the country.

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