Ozonna Soludo: Is he living the hype or are we over-pushing his craft?

Ozonna Soludo: Is he living the hype or are we over-pushing his craft?

The name Ozonna Soludo was relatively unpopular till his Father, the former CBN Governor was sworn in as Anambra’s Governor. Undoubtedly, his recently found popularity has strong ties with his Dad’s latest achievement.

This is not an antagonistic critic of his person, but as far as music is concerned, the need for a critique on arts and crafts has always been a norm all over the world.

Ozonna Soludo is a good prospect for Nigeria’s music industry and my candid advice to him, is to listen to more Afrobeat songs and switch from the genre he claims he does – Pop.

Nigeria audience don’t listen to any other genre that it’s not Afrobeat , there are a lot of Nigerian artiste that started as POP, RNB and Hiphop but today are all doing afrobeat .

The EP by Ozonna is good for an Upcoming, the delivery was good but sub par by UK standard. Do note that the songs were released in the UK in 2015 to compete with the likes of Rita Ora, Adele Jorja Smith, Dua lupa , Ed sheeran and others , those are prolific song writers and singers.

The likes of Banky, Tiwa savage, Sheyi Shay, Davido, B-red started abroad and relocated to Nigeria to do Afrobeat and today are in the world map .

While the likes of Dave , Skepta, Ms banks , Tinie Tempah are doing great in the UK and dominating the hip hop market. Dave, fullname is David Orobosa Omoregie. He recently won the best British hip hop artist of the year in last Brit’s Award, his last album ‘ We are all in this’ can easily compete with any American rapper’s Album.

There’s nothing wrong in switching from POP and UK market to Afrobeat , the easiest way for Ozonna to penetrate the uk market again is through Afrobeat.

This is my “2 cent” take.

Onyedika Anambra

NCC Issues Final Letters of Licence Awards to 5G Spectrum Winners

NCC Issues Final Letters of Licence Awards to 5G Spectrum Winners

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed issuance of the final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications, winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction conducted by the Commission on Monday, December 13, 2021.

Management of the Commission led by its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta confirmed this to the Board of Commissioners at the Board’s Special Meeting, which took place on Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21, 2022, where the Board considered updates from Management on the status of the spectrum auction.

With the issuance of the final letters of awards of 5G spectrum and in line with the Auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the two licensees are now expected to accelerate deployment of 5G network that will usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy.

In line with the terms and conditions of the 5G license, the licensees are expected to commence roll out 5G services effective from August 24, 2022.

The 5G network, when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country. The  technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.

Following a transparent, diligent, fair and credible auction of 3.5GHz on December 13, 2021, the National Frequency Managenent Council (NFMC), chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had on February 22, 2022, officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment as well as Federal Government-approved National Policy on 5G to the Commission.

Subsequently, the Commission, on February 24, 2022, confirmed the full payment of $273.6 million each by the two spectrum winners, in addition to spectrum assignment fee paid by MTN, for the 5G spectrum licence.

The Commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

While the licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations, the NCC requires collective efforts and support of the private-sector and government toward transforming every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G, which will herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.

Again, NCC Boss, Danbatta, Receives Award on Impactful Leadership

Again, NCC Boss, Danbatta, Receives Award on Impactful Leadership



The trove of garlands for the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, swelled again as he received “Leadership Excellence and Economic Impact Award”.

This time, the honour came from the African Leadership Organisation (ALO), publishers of The African Leadership Magazine.

The conferment of the award occurred recently at the ALO’s annual Africa Legislative, Legal and Good Governance Conference which took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, where ALO rallied stakeholders to its conference focused on “Policy, Justice and Global Cooperation for Building Back Better”. The ALO organised the event in collaboration with the National Bar Association (NBA) of the United States of America.

Africa Leadership Organisation was unequivocal that Danbatta was deserving of the award because of his outstanding achievements as the Chief Telecom Regulator in Nigeria, especially over the past five years, during which the country’s telecom sector has shown spectacular landmarks. These concrete, measurable signposts, according to ALO include the successful auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band marked for the deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) networks, and the uncommon regulatory strides of his in continually creating a level-playing field for investors especially to reflate telecom-induced growth of the economy in the post-pandemic era.

Presenting the award to Danbatta, the Chairman, ALO, Dr. Ken Giami, emphasised that in keeping with the ALO’s tradition of celebrating African excellence and achievement, it has continued to showcase the bright sides of the continent’s success stories by giving recognition to deserving individuals. Giami was emphatic that one of the individuals, whose efforts have been instrumental to the growth of the Nigerian economy is Prof. Danbatta.

“Danbatta’s visionary contribution to the society is making our communities better place for all and his contribution continues to shape Africa’s socio-economic growth and development. Danbatta has exemplified resilience, determination, and commitment in business and policy landscapes despite the diverse challenges on the continent. This is why we are recognising him today as an icon of leadership,” Giami said leaving no one in doubt on the significance of the Award.

Reiterating the objective of ALO, Giami asserted that, at the heart of ALO’s founding philosophy is the passion for the progress of the continent, all Africans and people of African descent. He stated that the Organisation’s philosophy explains its tireless showcasing of opportunities in Africa and African excellence to the global community.

Receiving the award on behalf of Danbatta, a Deputy Director at the Legal and Regulatory Services Department of NCC, Chizwa Whyte, appreciated ALO for the award and stated that the NCC considers it another encouraging milestone to do more in regulating the nation’s telecommunications sector. Whyte equally commended ALO for the recognition of the excellent leadership offered by the NCC Boss in taking the telecoms industry in Nigeria to a higher level of significance and relevance.

“This recognition is a clarion call to us to do more for the industry by ensuring good policies and regulatory initiatives are emplaced to ensure the Federal Government’s policy direction on digital economy is achieved,” Whyte said.

The African Leadership Organisation has committed the last 14 years to promoting good governance and impactful leadership on the Continent, and promoting African opportunities and African dignity globally.  The objective of ALO is being achieved through the promotion of Afrocentric and reputation-boosting contents, the facilitation of African trade and market entry solutions across communities and business networking platforms, as well as through public sector training and consulting

Cable Equiano: Pantami, Danbatta Pledge Enabling Policy Environment for Wider Connectivity

Cable Equiano: Pantami, Danbatta Pledge Enabling Policy Environment for Wider Connectivity

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), and the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, have promised to continue to drive policy initiatives that promote investment in infrastructure in the Nigerian telecom industry in order to deepen connectivity to enhance the nation’s growth and development.

The duo stated this on the sideline of the reception marking the landing of the Equiano undersea Cable System in Nigeria at the Open Access Data Centre at Lekki in Lagos. Pantami and Danbatta commended Google LLC, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), and other investors for bringing additional bandwidth capacity into the country to drive connectivity and growth.

While Pantami was represented at the event by NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, Danbatta was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, Ubale Maska. Other senior management staff of the Commission at the event included the NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, and the Controller, NCC’s Ibadan Zonal Office, Yomi Arowosafe.

The Minister said the Federal Government, through the Ministry, will continue to drive the implementation of existing digital economy-oriented policies already put in place by the current administration. Pantami also promised an enabling environment that encourages foreign and local investment in infrastructure project such as the way Google and its co-investors have done.

Also commenting, Danbatta said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy, and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement, are on the priority list of its regulatory interventions.

Danbatta expressed delight that Equiano has joined the list of other submarine cables at the shores of Nigeria, including SAT3 cable, MainOne cable, Glo1 cable, ACE cable WACS cable, Dolphin by Natcom, and MTN respectively.

The EVC assured stakeholders of  Commission’s commitment towards ensuring that the huge bandwidth capacity from these cables at shore in Lagos would be transmitted to different part of the country to drive robust and ubiquitous infrastructure. This is in keeping with the provisions of the digital economy policy being implemented by government in collaboration with all stakeholders.

The EVC expressed optimism that Google’s investment in the subsea cable, Equiano, will be significant in driving NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which aims at increasing broadband penetration to 70 per cent by 2025.

“We are hopeful that Equiano, together with earlier undersea cables in the country, will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with NCC-licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos). This will help to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring that affordable Internet services are available to boost Commission’s onbgoing broadband policy initiatives”. Danbatta stated and thereby helped to reiterate the objective linkages of policies and plans in the telecom ecosystem, and the national economic strategies.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also witnessed the unveiling of the Google submarine cable, underscored its centrality to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to boost job creation and contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over the next three years.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WIOCC, Chris Wood, also described the landing of the submarine cables as a major investment in the Nigerian digital economy.

The new cable system is named after a Nigerian hero, Olaudah Equiano, who survived enslavement in the 18th century and went on to become a famous writer and anti-slavery activist. Besides, the triumph over challenges, which Equiano’s life symbolised, the landing of the cable in Nigeria is expected to underscore Nigeria’s leadership as a regional hub for connectivity, and thus, set to attract cloud operators, content providers, content distribution networks and their associated ecosystems.

Russia, USA, NATO and the New Reality of Ukraine

Russia, USA, NATO and the New Reality of Ukraine

Since the commencement of the Russo-Ukranian war, I have followed closely the Western reactions, propaganda, sanctions, clampdowns and the rest and came away with the realism that the West actually is a paper Tiger.

It can fiercely bark but cannot bite when the flares come down into a crescendo. I can also see that the Western mojo acquired strength when matters or rows are between the sphere and such weakling or small nations as Mexico, Nicaragua, Maylasia, Burma, Iran and others who cannot in reality tone up their muscles for a real square up or combat.

I have been watching with despair as Ukraine is being eaten up, surely and steadily by the Russian forces. The much hackneyed Western NATO umbrella is missing, infact, shut and rolled up. Ukraine has made appeals for aids, humanitarian and military, with not much success beyond platitudes on the media. I call media aids. Western megaphones as CNN, BBC, Canal France, Al Jazeera and others are SERIALLY inspite of boredom inundating us with analysis, insights, Russian War Crimes diaries, Russian economic meltdown, horrendous structural teardown of the Ukranian nation and other likes without any strand of physical assistances rolling in from the West. Oh yes, there have been repeated shouts of arms assistances but these appear largely as prospects and promises with no massive physical supply lines. In 1973, American C-130 planes were touching down on Tel Aviv every 10 minutes. That was aid. Massive aid.

Russia has credutably placed a no-fly zone entirely over Ukraine to which the US, Britain, France or Germany could dare not ignore. I feel so troubled as Russia is getting away, with no apologies, with this humongous braggadocio of invasion, despoilation, degradation and runaway War Crimes without credible challenge or calls..

Arguments are rolling on how the Western restraint is meant to preserve humanity from extinction. Russia it is believed, could without any second guess press her nuclear buttons for a world fry many times over. I do not buy this story. Eliminating the entire world including Russia is not a hero’s option. Putin in his daredevilry will not play the card. Somewhere in the Psalms there came a query, “…will the dead praise thee? Would they declare thy truth from deep in the graves…? Putin would not mount his Hero’s Parade from deep in the smithereens of the nuclear Holocaust. A world billowing with smokes and clouds of nuclear burnout, wild fires, crumbled megapolis, laden seas of dead mammals and humans cascading onto the beaches of dead rotten beings on the continental shorelines. Neither Putin nor Biden and the rest would hold a Victory parade. It could take another 5 million years for the Earth to cure itself and cause a new genre of life to emerge. Like Atlantis, there would be no record of the civilisation that has just passed. Maybe caves or such megastructures that refused to melt and crumble away.

I am again worried as to why every hullabaloo was festooned on the Ukraine, prodding her to attempt a dental surgery on the Russian bear without any tinge of Anaesthesia. War and Spy movies look so good on the screens. Not in physical reality. Even on stage and casting, actors feel the strains, the heat and the exertions. It is never a Love in Tokyo. Only the pay attached to the make-believes tries to soothe and balm the twists, stretches and extremeties.

While I soak up the watery propaganda in form of Breaking news from the Western megaphones, my heart goes out to the multitude of the Ukranians drinking the gall and vinegar from the cups of the new Stalin in the Kremlin. The world has never been served so much bile from an inconvertible Nebuchadnezzar. It appears that there is nothing we can do about this.

Those who can do something are aloof, hands akimbo preaching on “harsher sanctions” whose preceeding one have proven innocuous, puerile and a timid stroll. As Ukraine crumbles and even obliterating before our eyes, let us take one lesson home.

Western assurances and protection treaties are fluidy, jaundiced and imperilled. They are not worth the papers on which they are written. Germany has found lately. You can read her body language as she walks the tight rope and balancing her soul and nationality, conscious of the outcome of 1945.

The soul of NATO has long left the body. The requiem is being sung.

Innocent Nwankwo

Enugu; A Secret Love Affair.

Enugu; A Secret Love Affair.

Enugu is Nigeria’s greenest city. Well…may be not. Yet, I don’t know any other Nigerian city with a large park in its center, heaving with green trees, not flower gardens. Or one with long streets lined with trees blooming in the soft rays of the morning sun. Enugu is different! Enugu is the I Eastern Nigeria capital the way Ibadan is western Nigeria capital and kano that of northern Nigeria

Perhaps, only few things compare to the joy of watching the sun rise slowly over Enugu’s quaint little hills. And if one is patient enough, it is possible to see the outline of the city’s famous hills in the distance, brooding over rows of roofs in a bewitching overcast in harmattan. Of course everybody knows that Enugu and her hills are like the tortoise and her iron coat. You can’t envision one without the other.

When the first wandering Europeans arrived in Enugu in 1903 they were essentially scavenging for minerals. They believed that the crouching hills of Ngwo must be keeping a heavy secret. They found the secret beneath the hills in 1909. Coal. And so began the modern story of Enugu… the aspirational city of the Igbo; the mirror image of Igbo quest in city aesthetics and urban lifestyle.

Christmas is different in Enugu. It creeps slowly into the atmosphere in early December with heightened festivities and a sense of freedom and happiness that is not easy to explain. Suddenly, the social circuits blink awake with colorful weddings, reunions, end-of-year parties, musical concerts, art exhibitions, award ceremonies, comedy shows and a shopping frenzy across the city. The feeling intensifies when Christmas carols begin to filter out of overhead speakers in malls and car steroes. Excitement hangs in the air. Like the harmattan haze, you can feel it but you can’t touch it. There’s a swirl of anticipation; a sense of expectancy.

Enugu finally shivers in the cold clasp of the Yuletide season, a few days to Christmas. Traffic is heavy on all roads. You could feel the pulse of the city in the drinking gardens, lounges, night clubs and a thousand other watering holes. At Extreme, a popular hangout in upper class Independence Layout, the mood is infectious. Youngsters down assorted cocktails as they munch on spicey recipes. Cubana stirs awake at midnight with shimering lights beckoning revelers to her warm bosom. Skimpy clad ladies line up the once serene Igbo Eze Street with deceptive smiles that promise cheap thrills behind closed doors. Cars crouch on either side of the roads, stretching as far as the eyes can see. It’s about to go down. 042, as residents call it, is on the swing.

It’s hard to imagine Christmas in Enugu without folks from the diaspora. You can easily detect them from their fake American accents and slightly arrogant air. The joke is often on returnees from China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam and other little Asian countries who speak in fake American accents. Returnees from the UK, Germany and Italy usually look too serious for everyone’s comfort. They are known to be tight-fisted and often at odds with themselves, wearing stern looks to put beggarly relatives at bay. Someone said they were usually weighed down by a mountain of unpaid bills and had to hide behind unsmiling faces to dodge financial obligations. The American and Canadian returnees are not any better although their expansive ways chime in with the mood of the season. Some of them come with light entertainment, regaling their besotted relatives and friends with outlandish tales about life in America. Sometimes they pull off some showboating; dropping a few dollar notes into expectant arms. But even with the soaring exchange rates, the naira value of those notes reduces them to a mere a token. Still, they are the preferred. Everybody loves the dollar.

Enugu shrivels into a shy metropolis on Christmas day. Many residents celebrate Christmas indoors, preferring the warmth of family to the razzmatazz outdoors. The city sheds much of its traffic; revealing elegant roads lined with houses whose roofs are covered in mist at dawn. Distances shrink into a few kilometers and family visits and reunions can be done with amazing ease. And if one is patient, one could even pullover to admire Enugu’s many impressive sculptures at close quarters. Halfway into the yuletide season, the city empties its crowd into several villages where wrinkled elders and loving relatives wait with wise words and welcoming smiles. Harmattan cold is felt more in the villages. And when it becomes very cold, elders warm themselves around log fires in the early morning. Igbo villages come alive at Christmas. Familes give their children out in marriage under the kind gaze of their ancestors. New houses are opened with fanfare and firece football matches light up playgrounds in the evening. In recent times, a colourful twist has been added to the Christmas pizzazz in Igboland. Delectable maidens file out for beauty pageants in the evening and in the nubile dance of the pageant, a man might pick his bride.

It is normal to wake up to slices of steamy okpa on an Enugu morning. The soft, yellow recipe has sustained many generations with a taste to die for and instant filling of every space in the stomach. In the evening, abacha, a delicious mix of cassava, ukpaka and vegetables with the allure of a carnival in a plate, comes handy. Folks believe that Abacha travels faster when washed down with cups of juicy palm wine. The conversation between palm wine and Abacha in a roomy stomach has never led to a shouting match, they say.

The city roars back to life on New Year’s eve. But it is a different kind of roar. The contrast is sharp. The ebullience of Christmas has given way to fanatical spirituality and fear. No one could tell what the New Year would bring. So, it’s best to approach the year through the open doors of religion and surrender all fears and anxities of the New Year to God. And this is why when firecrackers rent the air to welcome the New Year in Dubai, Sydney and Tokyo, shouts of “hallelujah” usually split midnight churches in Enugu and other Nigerian cities to hand the new year over to God.

Enugu. The ageless bride whose spell breaks the resistence of everyone that has found warmth in her soothing embrace!

By James Eze

UNICEF, WORLD BANK, AFDB, USAID AMONG ‘WORLD TOILET DAY’ PLANNING COMMITTEE

UNICEF, WORLD BANK, AFDB, USAID AMONG ‘WORLD TOILET DAY’ PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Planning Committee for the 2022 World Toilet Day was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Water Resources Engr Suleiman Adamu on Thursday 21st April 2022 in Abuja.

According to Engr Adamu the Committee which will be Chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and Co-Chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Environment also have International stakeholders and development partners like UNICEF, WHO( World health Organization), WaterAid, USAID, World Bank, AfDB (Africa Development Bank), NEWSAN
Dangote Foundation, BUA Limited,Nigerian Bottling Company, Reckitt Benckiser,Procter and Gamble and FEMinWASH as members respectively.

Other members of the planning committee announced by the Honourable Minister include
Federal Ministry of Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,Federal Ministry of Health,Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal Ministry of Education.

The Minister also announced as members of the planning committee, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning ,Federal Ministry of Youth Development,National Orientation Agency,Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Police Force,Federal Road Safety Corps and Department of State Security and Department of Water Quality Control and Sanitation Federal Ministry of Water Resources as (Secretariat).

The Terms of Reference for the Committee are to Identify and compile the list of invitees for the event, Identify and secure location, develop agenda for the event, ensure adequate media and publicity coverage, organize adequate security at event location, organize protocol list, and ensure engagement with State level actors for follow up actions at the State level among others.

The Committee was charged with the responsibility of planning and rolling out initiatives to ensure the successful hosting of the World Toilet Summit in Nigeria.

The Proposed Sub-Committees as announced by the Honourable Minister include, Security and Protocol, Publicity, Technical, Transportation, Accommodation
Entertainment, Event Management and Finance committees.

Engr Adamu expressed appreciation to the Committee members for thier willingness to serve and enjoined them to show commitment and work judiciously in delivering on their mandate.

Mrs Funmi Imuetinyan
DD (Press and Public Relations)

Rita Dominic: Marriage at 46, is it hope to spinsters?

Rita Dominic: Marriage at 46, is it hope to spinsters?

The marriage of Rita Dominic at 46 has undoubtedly resonated hope in you in their search for life partner.

But wait?

As a lady of 40 and above, what are you bringing to the table of relationship, nay marriage?

If you’re into academics; at 40s, you’re supposed to have a minimum academic qualification of Master’s and/or other professional certification.

If you’re a business woman; at 40s, you are supposed to own not more than three flourishing shops.

If you’re working; at 40s, you are supposed to have been promoted up to senior manager or its equivalent.

Rita is a successful actress and business woman, whose name can’t be swept under the carpet in the entertainment industry.

If at 40s, you’re still slaying and looking for urgent 2k, with no car of your own, can’t possibly renew rent without hassles with landlord, with no sustainable means of livelihood; my sister your dream of marrying a responsible man is a mirage.

Men are more inclined to ladies of younger ages in relationship/marriage, and will likely go for older ladies if they have biological challenges or the lady is bringing humongous assets to the table.

You can’t be in 40s and still be a liability. Real men avoid such ladies. Beauty is not a value at 40s, rather your capacity.

© Peter Anosike.

CHAD BASIN: IT’S TIME TO REINVIGORATE AND STRENGTHEN REGIONAL COOPERATION – ENGR. ADAMU

CHAD BASIN: IT’S TIME TO REINVIGORATE AND STRENGTHEN REGIONAL COOPERATION – ENGR. ADAMU

The Honourable Minister of Water Resources and the Chairman, Council of Ministers, Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Engr. Suleiman Adamu FNSE, FAEng. has stated that the time to reinvigorate and strengthen regional cooperation among Countries in the Lake Chad Basin for sustained peace, stability, and prosperity is now.

Engr. Adamu made this known at the First Annual International Forum on the development of Lake Chad region with the theme “Lake Chad Basin: Climate Change, Security, Resilience and Development Recovery” held on Monday, 11th April 2022 in Abuja.

He stressed that multiple threats facing Lake Chad region’s common heritage such as climate change impacts, volatile insecurity, endemic poverty, health pandemics, are not country-specific but are transboundary in nature.

The Chariman, LCBC, stated that the theme of the Meeting was apt as it focused on the crucial issues facing the Lake Chad Basin Region and should serve as an opportunity for eminent scientists and researchers to reflect on the existing proposals for the revitalisation of the Lake Chad, which has been shrinking progressively for the past fifty years.

He explained that the event was a unique opportunity to facilitate science – policy dialogue as it brings together experts from the academics and research institutions in the Lake Chad Basin, to discuss and dialogue with practitioners from planners and civil society, who play key roles in addressing the complex challenges in the region.

According to him the Annual International Forum for the Development of the Lake Chad Region will lay the foundation for the continuous dialogue towards the revitalization of the Lake Chad and the development of the Basin

The Minister recalled that in a bid to address the challenges of Lake Chad, the Lake Chad Basin Commission prepared and adopted the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience of the Lake Chad Basin.

He stated that this Strategy which was adopted by all four Lake Chad Region member states in August 2018 has made it possible for LCBC to mobilise resources to support its member states to realise their short- and medium-term stabilization and development priorities, as well as ensure cooperation and synergy between projects and programmes of multiple stakeholders working in the region.

Speaking further, Engr. Adamu noted that regional cooperation and integration is about finding regional solutions to regional problems, synergizing and not duplicating actions, as well as making progress on access to education, livelihoods and services for vulnerable groups such as youth and women, peace and security and most importantly, member countries & their common future.

FG Eulogises Late Orlando Julius, Consoles Family

FG Eulogises Late Orlando Julius, Consoles Family

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has condoled with the family, friends and fans of the late highlife musician, Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode, popularly known as Orlando
Julius, saying his death robs the music industry of another trailblazing legend and the nation of another giant star.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday, the Minister described the late Orlando Julius as an all-rounder in his field, noting that he made his mark as a singer, song writer, saxophonist and performer.

”Despite a larger than life image, he remained a decent gentleman and a good family man. His passion for music was unparalleled, hence he excelled in his chosen field.

”By dint of hard work, he and others like him laid the foundation and helped to nurture Afrobeat to global prominence,” he said, adding:


”It was therefore most fitting that he lived long enough to witness the moment in which Nigerian music has taken the world by storm.”

Alhaji Mohammed urged the family of the late music legend to take solace in the good and remarkable life of their patriarch, and prayed for repose to the soul of the departed.