By Chris Bishop



The laboratory in the front line of fight against the deadly COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria’s remote northern state of Kano has closed down because the disease has struck down a number of its workers.



Kano – the hometown of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote – has seen a spike in mystery deaths in recent as Nigeria battles the pandemic with scant resources. Former Nigerian aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode tweeted a claim that 150 people had died mysteriously in Kano recently; the official figures say Kano has only 59 cases of COVID-19, but the government health authorities say they will investigated the mystery death claim.



These concerns from Kano were raised with the World Health Organisation at its weekly webinar on Africa. Sani Aliyu, the coordinator for the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, said small teams were struggling, with little money, to test and track data.



“This week the laboratory in Kano was closed in an incident where one or two members acquired COVID-19. We had to disinfect the place and ensure that there are adequate controls for safety. It will take three or four days to reopen it,” says Aliyu &nbsp;



Whatever the outcome of the Kano investigation, officials in Nigeria are clear that the fight against COVID-19 is going to be a tough one.



Nigeria was the first African nation to report a case of COVID-19 and many in the country criticize the government for testing a mere 10,000 people out of a population of 200 million.”



“The truth is we have to work with what we have we did start from scratch the same as South Africa had. We have tested 5,000 people in the last week so we have increase the rate of testing incredibly. Once we have more equipment we will be able to do more tests across the country,” Chikwe Ihekweazu Director General for Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.



“People think of a dipstick test: Is it blue or red? But it is not, it is a very complicated level of extraction  and analysis that takes six to seven hours to complete. It is very complex I would rather go little bit slower and get it right than go at speed and make errors.”



WHO officials agree that more needs to be done to build up equipment and skills to fight the pandemic; when it broke out there were a mere 30 ventilators in Lagos – most at private hospitals – and 360 in the country. WHO officials said another 100 ventilators had been shipped into Nigeria over the last few weeks.



“Everything we do right now is, one, to help us solve the problem and, two, to make for a better tomorrow. We are building people, we are building institutions and we are building to last and we may not get a second chance to do this,” says Ihekweazu. Bold words, in the face of a brutal pandemic.

President Buhari to AfDB President Adesina: “I’ll stand by you”

Mystery deaths as Nigeria tries to hold back an avalanche of COVID-19

By: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/elliot-smith/">Elliot Smith</a>



 KEY POINTS



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) established the Africa Taskforce for Coronavirus (AFCOR) as early as February 5, before the continent had reported a single case.</li><li>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced the deployment of 10,000 field workers to conduct door-to-door screening and contact tracing.</li><li>The strength and speed of measures deployed by most African governments reflects concern about the potential damage the virus could inflict if allowed to proliferate in high-density urban areas.</li></ul>



As of Thursday morning, there were around 6,400 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the whole of Africa, and governments across the continent are implementing robust measures in an effort to get out ahead of the pandemic.



However, experts are calling for a more coordinated continental response in order to avoid a profoundly damaging outbreak of the kind sweeping through Europe and the U.S. in recent weeks.



In cooperation with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the WHO, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) established the Africa Taskforce for Coronavirus (AFCOR) as early as February 5, before the continent had reported a single case.



The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have this week called for debt relief for IDA (International Development Association) countries, including 39 African nations, in order to enable them to focus on ”ﬁghting the pandemic and its economic and social consequences.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">National responses</h2>



On Monday, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, announced 14-day lockdowns of the states of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun and has deployed a 15 billion naira ($38.5 million) relief package to help mobilize public services to prevent the spread in areas with poor living conditions. As of Thursday morning, there were 174 confirmed cases in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.



Ghana’s two most populous cities, Accra and Kumasi, also went into lockdown on Monday, while some form of restriction to movement or dusk-till-dawn curfew is in place in almost every country in the subcontinent. Ghana has confirmed 195 cases so far.



Just a day after recording its first three cases, Botswana announced a state of emergency and a lockdown of 28 days, starting at midnight on Thursday.



The small landlocked state of Lesotho, an enclave within South Africa, on Monday implemented a nationwide lockdown despite having zero reported cases so far. The only other states yet to confirm cases are South Sudan, Comoros, Malawi and Sao Tomé &amp; Principe, though experts have suggested that a lack of reporting capacity could be a factor here.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/106451925-1584626497734gettyimages-1207623109.jpeg?v=1584626617&amp;w=678&amp;h=381" alt="GP 200319: Commuters make their way into the Nairobi Train Station."/><figcaption> NAIROBI, KENYA &#8211; 2020/03/18: Commuters make their way into the Nairobi Train Station as a security personnel stands on guard while wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against COVID-19. Kenya has so far recorded seven case of Coronavirus.Dennis Sigwe/SOPA Images </figcaption></figure>



South Africa remains by far the hardest hit, reporting more than 1,300 cases. The country is already under a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/south-africa-deploys-police-and-army-for-3-week-coronavirus-lockdown.html">three-week nationwide lockdown</a>, but President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced the deployment of 10,000 field workers to conduct door-to-door screening and contact tracing.



However, Burundi and Sierra Leone both announced their first cases on Tuesday but have yet to deploy strict lockdown measures. Although restrictions are in place to control an inflow of people and cargo into Burundi, sporting events have continued unabated in the tiny Central African state. Meanwhile Tanzanian President John Magufuli has come under fire for refusing to shut down places of worship.



In many cases, lockdowns are being enforced by armed police and military personnel, which has led to instances of police brutality. On Tuesday, a 13-year-old boy was reportedly shot and killed by Kenyan police in the Mathare area of Nairobi. Videos have circulated this week of abuses of civilians by the South African National Defence Force, and police in Uganda have been accused of using their new powers to target LGBTQ people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coordinated governance</h2>



The strength and speed of measures deployed by most African governments reflects concern about the potential damage the virus could inflict if allowed to proliferate in high-density urban areas.



While demography is on the side of the subcontinent, with a median age of less than 20 and only 3% of the population aged 65 and above, nearly 43.0% of Africa’s population live in densely-packed urban areas, including in mega cities such as Lagos, where resources are already scarce or overburdened, and social distancing is not as readily attainable.



WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned on Tuesday that the “developing world” will likely be hit hardest by the pandemic unless it can successfully contain the spread early on.



“At this critical moment in history, broad agreement on debt relief will be key to allowing nations with fragile health systems &amp; economies to channel their resources into saving lives,” Ghebreyesus, who is from Ethiopia, said in a tweet.



Sub-Saharan Africa undoubtedly learned from the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and subsequently formed the Africa CDC, while many nations established National Public Health Institutes. However, the region averaged around 2.1 physicians per 10,000 people between 2010 and 2018, the lowest in the world by some distance, according to WHO data aggregated by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF).



The MIF on Tuesday launched a report calling for coordinated governance, improved health structures and better data across the African subcontinent to mitigate this crisis.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/106465856-1585511566900gettyimages-1208498757.jpeg?v=1585511618&amp;w=678&amp;h=381" alt="Coronavirus Emergency In Nigeria"/><figcaption> Commuters wearing a protective face masks walk on the street of Lagos, as a preventive measure against the spread of the new corona virus, COVIC-19, in Lagos, on March 26, 2020.NurPhoto </figcaption></figure>



“Sound and coordinated governance is needed across the continent,” the organization, founded by Sudanese-British businessman Mo Ibrahim, said in the research paper.



“Any pandemic requires by nature a general coordination of efforts across national and regional borders, and with multilateral actors and partners, even more so in a globalized world.”



But the report also addressed what the MIF termed the “elephant in the room” of a lack of data coverage across the continent.



“The lack of statistical capacity thus represents a major obstacle to obtaining quality health data in Africa, consequently making the production of evidence-based policy and responses to health challenges more difficult,” it said.

A security man administers sanitiser to a visitor to a state hospital in Lagos, on February 28, 2020. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI | AFP via Getty Images

Lockdowns, curfews and doorstep testing: Africa’s crackdown on the coronavirus

ABUJA (Reuters) &#8211; The Nigerian president’s chief of staff has tested positive for coronavirus, a source with direct knowledge said. 



The illness of Abba Kyari, who is in his 70s, brings the disease into the immediate circle of 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari. 



Kyari has a history of medical complications, including diabetes, and is the gatekeeper to the president. Many who wish to deal with Buhari must go through Kyari, including Nigeria’s top politicians and businessmen. 



He traveled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings with Siemens AG. It is unclear if he self-isolated upon his return to Nigeria. 



A presidency spokesman did not comment on whether Buhari has been tested. The president himself has undisclosed medical ailments, and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017. 



(Reporting By Paul Carsten and Alexis Akwagyiram, writing by Libby George; Editing by Angus MacSwan)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21B1H5-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21B1H5-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.

Nigerian president’s top aide tests positive for coronavirus – source

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria confirmed its first fatality from coronavirus, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said in a tweet on Monday. 



The patient was a 67-year-old man who returned following a medical procedure in the United Kingdom with underlying medical conditions including multiple myeloma and diabetes and was undergoing chemotherapy, the NCDC said. 



(Reporting by Libby George; editing by Jason Neely)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21A1KJ-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21A1KJ-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.

Nigeria confirms first fatality from coronavirus -NCDC

ABUJA (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria is looking at reducing its budget by 1.5 trillion naira ($4.90 billion) as the global spread of the coronavirus takes a massive toll on Africa’s largest economy and one of the continent’s biggest oil producers, the finance minister said on Wednesday. 



Roughly 90% of the Nigerian government’s foreign exchange earnings come from sales of oil, prices of which have taken a beating amid lower Chinese demand and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. 



Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed last week said the 2020 budget would have to be cut. The spending plan, which was calculated assuming crude production of 2.18 million barrels a day at a price of $57 per barrel, was passed in December. 



“We are working on a worst-case scenario of an oil benchmark of $30 per barrel and a production of 2.1 million (barrels a day),” Ahmed told reporters at a briefing after a regular Cabinet meeting. 



International benchmark Brent crude on Wednesday reached a 16-year low of about $25 a barrel, dragged down by concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy, a collapse in oil demand and a supply glut. [O/R] 



Nigeria is still struggling to shake off a 2016 recession, which was caused by the oil price collapse of late 2014, with economic growth currently at around 2%. 



The West African country, which has deep trade ties with China, has also felt the impact of the coronavirus due to disrupted supply chains. 



($1 = 306.0000 naira) 



(Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Alexis Akwagyiram and Leslie Adler)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN2160YK-OZABS">https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN2160YK-OZABS</a> and is republished with its permission.

Nigeria eyes $4.9 bln budget cut amid coronavirus

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Annual inflation in Nigeria rose for the sixth straight month to a near two-year high, the statistics office said on Tuesday, as the impact of the country’s closed borders continued to be felt. 



Inflation stood at 12.20% in February, compared with 12.13% in the previous month. It is the highest inflation rate since April 2018, when it stood at 12.48%. 



A separate food price index showed inflation at 14.90% in February, compared with 14.85% in January. 



“This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, fish, meat, vegetables, and oils and fats,” the National Bureau of Statistics said in its report. 



Nigeria closed parts of its borders in August to fight smuggling of rice and other goods. Economists say the move has driven inflation as local food producers have struggled to meet demand for food in the country of around 200 million people, Africa’s most populous. 



The central bank monetary policy committee will meet next week to set its benchmark interest rate. It had said it expected to keep monetary policy tight in 2020 to combat inflation and support the currency amidst slow growth of around 2%. 



But Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, has been hit hard by low oil prices and the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on China, with which it has close trade ties. 



(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram and Bangalore Newsroom; Editing by Catherine Evans)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN21418M-OZABS">https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN21418M-OZABS</a> and is republished with its permission.

Nigerian annual inflation edges up to 12.20% in February

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chikwe-ihekweazu-188468">Chikwe Ihekweazu</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/ucl-1885">UCL</a>

The number of reported cases and deaths of coronavirus <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-outbreak-whos-decision-to-not-declare-a-global-public-health-emergency-explained-130441">is doubling every couple of days</a>, and patients have now been reported from many Asian countries, as well as the Middle East, Europe, Australia and the US. The Conversation Africa asked Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu for a run down on what preparations have been put in place in Nigeria in the event of cases being detected in the country.

What measures need to be put in place to contain the virus?

The novel coronavirus is ‘new’ and we’re learning more about it nearly every day. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has established a ‘coronavirus preparedness group’ that includes representatives from Port Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. It meets daily to review the situation globally, assess the risk of spread and improve on Nigeria’s level of preparedness based on new findings and insights. 

<hr>

 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-latest-coronavirus-tells-us-about-emerging-new-infections-130623">What the latest coronavirus tells us about emerging new infections</a>
 
 

<hr>


At the points of entry, screening has been heightened, particularly for passengers coming from China. This includes temperature checks, specific questions on known symptoms of the novel coronavirus and travel history. 

We have also provided a public health advisory to Nigerians on what to do if they suspect that there is a case of coronavirus as well as how to protect themselves.

Over the last three years, we have focused on strengthening our emergency coordination, surveillance, public health laboratory and risk communications capacities. We continue to build on this to ensure that we are better prepared in the event of an outbreak. 

What systems, already in place to deal with Ebola, will come in handy? What more needs to be done?

One of the key lessons from our response to the Ebola outbreak was the need to build systems in ‘peace time’ that can be used during outbreaks. Over the last three years, we have strengthened capacity at our National Reference Laboratory to provide molecular diagnosis for all epidemic prone diseases and highly infectious pathogens such as the Ebola virus. 

For coronavirus, the capacity to test depends on laboratory equipment, primers specific for pathogens and technical expertise. At the moment, we are receiving advice from the WHO on gaining access to the primers to be used for this ‘new’ virus. Our National Reference Laboratory is the system in place for diagnosis of pathogens such as the coronavirus. 

We have also supported 22 states to establish emergency operations centres. These serve as coordination platforms and are networked to our national incident coordination centre. Each state is better prepared to coordinate within and across their borders in the event of an outbreak. 

We also used lessons from the Ebola outbreak to strengthen our risk communications capacity. We recognise the critical importance of ensuring members of the public are equipped with the right information. In the last week, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has issued a public health advisory to Nigerians informing them of our preparedness and how to stay protected from coronavirus. 

In December 2019, we completed the training of rapid response teams in all states in Nigeria. All 36 states have a team ready to be deployed in the event of an outbreak. 

Overall, we continue to build strong systems that will enable the prevention, early detection and prompt response to infectious disease outbreaks. 

The Ebola outbreak prompted the governments of many African countries to invest in the establishment of National Public Health Institutes. In these countries including Nigeria, the capacity for outbreak response is better streamlined with a clear coordination platform. 

Large scale outbreaks require a high level of technical expertise, financial resources and other systems to quickly control. These institutes ensure that countries do not have to wait till there is another Ebola outbreak, before identifying resources for response. 

The Ebola outbreak taught us a lot of lessons, including the urgent need for overall health system strengthening. This has improved in many countries, but with a lot of room for improvement.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130704/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chikwe-ihekweazu-188468">Chikwe Ihekweazu</a>, Senior Honorary Lecturer on Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/ucl-1885">UCL</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/steps-nigeria-is-taking-to-prepare-for-cases-of-coronavirus-130704">original article</a>.

Here are the steps Nigeria is taking to prepare for more cases of coronavirus

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law a new bill that seeks to boost government revenue through a rise in the value-added tax rate while at the same time supporting small businesses in Africa’s biggest economy. 



Nigeria has been trying to boost tax income as part of efforts to diversify its economy to reduce dependence on sales of crude oil.



But raising more money from taxes has proved difficult in a country where most small businesses are not registered. The government has repeatedly said it wants to boost non-oil revenue since oil sales make up 90% of foreign-exchange receipts.



Under the finance bill signed into law on Monday, VAT rates will rise from 5% to 7.5%, which is still one of the lowest rates in the world.



The bill, passed by parliament last year together with the record 2020 budget of 10.59 trillion naira ($34.6 billion), aims to help lift Nigeria’s economy from low growth following a recession four years ago.



Under the new law, the government will introduce a graduated tax scale for small businesses, with firms that generate less than 25 million naira ($70,000) in annual turnover exempt from corporate tax.



Tax experts say the finance bill will seek to tax companies with digital activities that have significant presence in Nigeria and generate profits.



The government hopes the new bill will help to reform its domestic tax laws and provide incentives for investments in infrastructure and the capital markets while supporting small businesses.



Nigerian Stock Exchange chief Oscar Onyema said on Monday he expects the new bill and 2020 budget implementation to have a positive impact on corporate earnings and consumer spending.



So far, stocks are up 9.6% in the first seven days of trading in 2020, thanks to higher oil prices and gains in Nigeria’s second-biggest listed firm, MTN Nigeria.



($1 = 305.95 naira)



 



Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Matthew Lewis

Nigeria seeks to boost revenue, support small firms with new finance law, what you need to  know…

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; MTN Nigeria shares rose 10% on Monday to their highest in two weeks after the country’s attorney general withdrew a $2 billion tax demand against the South African telecoms firm.



The company and attorney general both said on Friday that Nigeria’s attorney general had withdrawn the tax case.



Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Jan Harvey

MTN Nigeria shares up 10% after government withdraws $2 billion tax case

<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Saudi oil output edges lower</li><li>Nigeria cuts supply but still exceeds quota</li><li>Angolan output posts biggest rise after maintenance</li><li>Output by country, compliance:</li></ul>



By Alex Lawler



LONDON, Jan 6 (Reuters) &#8211; OPEC oil output fell in December as Nigeria and Iraq adhered more closely to pledged reductions and top exporter Saudi Arabia made further cuts ahead of a new production-limiting accord, a Reuters survey found.



On average, the 14-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 29.50 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, according to the survey. That is down 50,000 bpd from November&#8217;s revised figure.



Crude prices have rallied to above $70 a barrel in 2020, extending a 23% gain in 2019, supported by ongoing OPEC-led curbs and increased Middle East tensions after the killing of a top Iranian general. This has increased concern of conflict that could further cut supply.



&#8220;Looking ahead, geopolitical risks will remain front and centre of investor concerns,&#8221; said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM.



&#8220;A tense waiting game has begun to see if the fallout will lead to a disruption in regional oil supplies.&#8221;



OPEC, Russia and other allies, known as OPEC+, had an agreement to reduce supply by 1.2 million bpd in 2019. OPEC&#8217;s share of the cut was about 800,000 bpd, to be made by 11 members, with exemptions for Iran, Libya and Venezuela.



At meetings in December, OPEC+ agreed to make an additional cut of 500,000 bpd as of Jan. 1, 2020.



The 11 OPEC members bound by the agreement easily exceeded the pledged cuts, thanks in large part to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies cutting more than called for to support the market.



The December survey suggests Nigeria and Iraq, both laggards in making cuts in 2019, achieved some progress. Compliance rose to 158% in December, the survey found, from 153% in November.



NIGERIAN DROP



OPEC&#8217;s largest production drop of 80,000 bpd was in Nigeria, which exported less crude according to ship-tracking data and loading schedules.



Much of this decline came from reduced shipments of Bonga crude, which traders say has been undergoing maintenance.



OPEC&#8217;s two top producers, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, each reduced output by 50,000 bpd. This puts Saudi supply more than 500,000 bpd below its 2019 target. Iraq&#8217;s compliance, at 59%, is far lower than Saudi Arabia&#8217;s but is up from 23% in November.



The United Arab Emirates made a further voluntary curb in December, while Kuwaiti output was steady.



Among countries pumping more, the largest increase was in Angola, which boosted exports after maintenance affecting the Girassol crude stream had curbed supplies.



Venezuela, which is contending with U.S. sanctions imposed on state oil firm PDVSA and a long-term decline in output, managed a small boost to supply with exports increasing in December.



Production from the other two exempt producers Libya and Iran edged lower.



The Reuters survey aims to track supply to the market and is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Refinitiv Eikon flows data and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants.



(Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by David Evans)

OPEC oil output slips in December as Nigeria, Iraq comply more

LAGOS, Nov 30 (Reuters) &#8211; The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $210 million loan to help Nigeria upgrade its dilapidated electricity transmission and distribution network.



The loan to Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will support construction of 330KV double circuit quad transmission lines and sub-stations across the country, the bank said in a statement late on Friday.



The AfDB funded project will run across seven states and will improve the capacity of power grid where it is most constrained.



Nigeria privatised most of its power sector in 2013 but retained control of its monopoly grid, operated by TCN. Most of the country&#8217;s power generation is from thermal power stations that use gas.



The creaking power grid has often been blamed for hobbling growth in west Africa&#8217;s largest economy.



AfDB&#8217;s acting vice president for Power &amp; Energy, Wale Shonibare said implementing the project would increase evacuation from the south towards the north, where power supply is limited.



The project would also improve power export and regional power system integration to the West African Power pool, especially through Niger and Benin interconnections, he said.



The country&#8217;s power output stands at around 4,000 MW, the Nigeria Electricity System Operator has said. Total power generation capacity is about 7,000 MW but the transmission network cannot cope if plants operate at full tilt.



Nigeria&#8217;s privatized power sector typically does not use meters to provide invoices, bill collections are low and energy tariffs have remained fixed for three years.



The effect, say industry experts, is that electricity distribution companies recover so little revenue from customers that they pay less than a third of what they owe to generating companies &#8211; leaving the sector with ballooning debts. (Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha Editing by Christina Fincher)

AfDB approves $210 million loan for this West African nation’s power transmission project

By Patience
Koku, Nigerian farmer, owner of Replenish Farms and member of the Global Farmer
Network



When food
systems are supplied by rain-fed agriculture, changes in rainfall can throw not
only farming, but also food security, into complete disarray.



This is
what farmers are experiencing in Nigeria, where the rains come much later now
and stop earlier than they once did. Whilst some areas of the country deal with
unseasonably wet periods, other areas contend with prolonged and more frequent
droughts.



These
changes have put unprecedented pressures on Nigerian farmers, with many of them
finding it difficult to cope. 



Thankfully,
Nigerian farmers can learn lessons from food producers elsewhere, who have also
coped with changing conditions, and one proven solution is the adoption of
“no-till” farming.



No-till
farming is the practice of growing crops without disturbing the soil through
tillage, which allows the soil to breathe, naturally maintaining its moisture
and reducing &#8211; or even eliminating – the risk of soil erosion.



What is
needed now is nothing short of a no-till revolution, a new period of Nigerian
farming that will build resilience for farmers across the country, helping them
contend with new climate pressures. 



But to
scale up the practice of no-till in Nigeria, we must overcome three fundamental
barriers.



Firstly,
many farmers are reluctant to adopt new practices that could help maintain soil
health, even in the face of extreme droughts. 



Nigerian
farmers, like those anywhere, tend to be very cautious when changing what they
do on their farm, which are already beset with risk. 



These
practices, known as agroecology, are essentially <a href="http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/415959/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming practices designed to make
the most of nature’s resources</a>
whilst limiting the negative effects in return, but have yet to make a stamp in
the country.



Yet, we
have evidence from New Zealand, Argentina and many other countries of the
benefits of these approaches. Our colleagues in New Zealand, for example, have
shared stories about the impact no-till farming has had for them, including the
ability to <a href="https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/6230-new-zealanders-benefit-from-no-till?v=preview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant seeds
within days of a harvest</a>
or <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&amp;objectid=12143141" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminating
soil erosion entirely.</a>



These types
of stories have the power to convince farmers of the need to work much more
closely with natural processes, since farmers more likely to adopt a new
practice once they can be sure it will work. 



Secondly,
even if farmers were willing to take on new practices, many are missing the
necessary funding and finance needed to help put these new techniques into
practice. 



At
Replenish Farms in Nigeria, I am working to solve this by encouraging farmers
to share resources. Crop farmers are giving their harvest residue to
pastoralists, for example, in exchange for manure that can be used to naturally
fertilize crops. 



This means
less pressure to use mineral fertilizers, lower costs and more support towards
increasing the organic matter in soil, which provides optimum conditions for
plant growth. 



Lastly,
when it comes to farming with minimal disturbance of the soil, specialised
planting machinery in Nigeria is often expensive or not suited to our soils. 



My company,
1Hectare1Family, is addressing this by working in collaboration with a number
of partners to find cheaper, more efficient tools. 



<a href="http://www.crossslot.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cross-Slot</a>, a New Zealand-based company, is one of these
partners. They make the right equipment for efficient no-till farming in New
Zealand and are advising us on how to achieve this in Nigeria. 



We are also
attempting to forge a collaboration with the Registrar of the National Soil
Science Institute, in the hope that we can provide smallholder farmers with
both the right training and equipment to be able to convert their practices to
no-till.



In the
first year of adopting no-till at Replenish Farms, just one per cent of
production used it. In the following season, that was quickly scaled up to
around 10 per cent. 



Next
season, we will be expanding it to more than 50 per cent &#8211; evidence of just how
successful no-till has been. 



But my farm
is not unique. The potential of Nigerian farming is huge when we embrace the
lessons of elsewhere and adapt them to help us meet our needs.

Op-Ed: Three challenges to overcome for more sustainable farming in Nigeria

By Cobus De Hart – Chief Economist West and North Africa, NKC African Economics



After trending lower for three consecutive months, headline inflation increased by a larger-than-anticipated margin in September. 



The
consumer price index (CPI) rose by 11.2% y-o-y last month compared to an 11.0%
y-o-y rise in August. While fairly broad-based, upward pressure stemmed
primarily from the food price channel, with the reading on the sub-index up by
30 bps to 13.5% in September. So-called core inflation (all items less farm
produce) also trended higher, rising from 8.7% to 8.9%.



Nigeria
decided to shut its border with Benin in late August, reportedly to clamp down
on smuggling. According to Reuters, this strategy has now been elevated to a
whole new level. 



On
October 15, the news agency quoted Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the
Nigeria Customs Service, as stating: “All goods for now are banned from being
exported or imported through our land borders and that is to ensure we have
total control over what comes in.” 



Reporters
at the news conference in Abuja understood Mr Ali’s comments in the context of
stating that legal trade across land borders will also be stopped, at least
temporarily or until authorities come up with a plan on “how best the goods can
be handled when we eventually get to the point where this operation will relax
for the influx of goods”. 



While
not explicitly mentioned, certain points are reportedly equipped with special
scanners where goods will still be allowed to cross the border. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dk9s2z6zfj98v.cloudfront.net/publications/42265/OE_CHART_1_16-10-2019-0945263608.png?Expires=1602755126&amp;Signature=oQKd67pr5nc1xApprpSwY17EFYyqsVSlGAXy018tvepceHnknBsrC0Zu2jChWzHO6W10fyHtIcWxJFkweiah--Zxxwnx5JkUq1uwak043z1c4h~mZUabgxYG0AOVjRowsvKCViWsGBVzStYmC~nHAfA-EJb1-tNjePVPlsiNOk460odBOIVsH-x4T9QwxZkgHe1FXnbGN1JlGkdtrI45cWmBfR0YZfmBfzb~mk-cu5uyNCh7f0YrdxqzTDrusyjK7GAlUh-yAqpv4IXEv-iZS53lG8WYgTFWOb6E86D~wypz0Rn8sbOPKdvL1DqVJAiLLtMnstQ2ljeKwDD02RNLMg__&amp;Key-Pair-Id=APKAJVGCNMR6FQV6VYIA" alt=""/></figure>



The
closure of the land borders will have a significant impact on both the monetary
and real sides of the economy. The latest inflation print, with upward price
pressures fairly broad-based but still disproportionally stemming from higher
food prices, may already be an indication of the effect of the partial border
closures announced in August. 



Again,
as has been the case with Nigeria on numerous occasions over recent years, the
appropriateness of the latest policy is highly debatable. 



One
can certainly see the merit of the case being made in favour of formalising
trade and ensuring the necessary rules and costs are abided by; however,
outright banning of all land-based trade seems extreme. 



The
real issue arguably reflects the ineffectiveness of border controls more than
the incentive for people to smuggle goods, with the latter partially stemming
from the domestic opportunity arising as a result of market inefficiencies and
a lack of capacity and competitiveness.



Regardless,
the land-border closure will now add significant upward pressure on inflation
in the coming months as food items in particular will be in shorter supply.
Exporters of certain goods will also be affected. The extent of the impact will
partly depend on the duration of the land-border closure and whether traders
can find alternative routes. 



Smugglers will likely be more capable of finding these alternatives, with the real burden then falling on the law-abiding poor.

Op-Ed: Nigeria’s disinflation trend ends, as does land-based trade

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc on Friday launched a pilot test of a boat service in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos to attract commuters seeking to avoid the megacity’s notoriously congested roads.



The United Nations predicts that Nigeria’s population will more than double to 400 million by 2050, which would make it the third most populous country in the world after China and India.



The combination of population growth and congestion has made Nigeria, and more broadly West Africa, attractive to foreign transport companies.



Uber’s chief business officer told Reuters in June the company planned to launch the service to carry travellers in the Lagos megacity of around 20 million people that is built on a lagoon.



The waterway service, UberBOAT, is operated in partnership with local boat operator Texas Connection Ferries and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), said the ride-hailing firm.



“This initiative is aimed at providing commuters with an easy and affordable way to get in and out of the city’s business districts,” Uber said in a statement.



The pilot phase will operate on weekdays from 0700 GMT to 1600 GMT on a fixed route between two locations in the city.



Passengers will be charged a flat fare of 500 naira ($1.39) per trip, compared with about 300 naira by minibus for a similar journey in the commercial hub of the West African country where most people live on less than $2 a day.



At a press conference on Friday, Uber officials said there would be four trips a day, carrying up to 35 people on a boat, during the two-week pilot.



Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos state, said the Uber boat service, and the use of waterways in general, were part of a raft of initiatives aimed at easing congestion that include a programme of road repairs.



“We want ferries that carry 60 to 80 people,” he said, referring to his hopes for the future use of waterways, on Thursday at a forum with businesses.



Uber’s boat initiative follows a number of motorcycle ride-hailing firms that have targeted West Africa as an area for expansion in the last few months.



Technology giant Google also launched a new feature in July that allows Nigerians to hear travel advice in a local voice on Google Maps. Another feature allows users in Lagos to seek directions from “informal transit” services, such as private minibuses.



Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram and Nneka Chile; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Uber launches boat service in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, what you need to know

By Victor Oladokun, Director Communication and External Relations, African Development Bank.



This
week, Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad, celebrate 59 years of political
Independence. It&#8217;s been a long chequered road with many ups and downs. Of
dreams come-true and of visions unrealized. While there is still much to do and
many mountains to climb, I just thought to scribble down a few thoughts about
what it is we love to love about this absolutely amazing country.



1.
Tenacity, a can-do spirit, and the Nigerian hustle at every level.



2.
Hardwork and a youthful entrepreneurial spirit.



3.
Diversity: 200 million people living together though tribe and tongue differ
significantly.



4.
Faith, Hope, Dreams &#8230; inspite of challenges



5.
Resilient Nigerian women



6.
Family and social gatherings for every occasion



7.
Happiness, humor, and the ability to laugh even when we are crying on the
inside. AY, Kenny Black, Bovi, Akpororo, SeyiLaw, Helen Paul, and&nbsp; Chigul.



8.
Lasgidi. A hotbed of innovation, creativity since &#8217;19-gbogboro.&#8217;



9.
Food: Suya, Designer Rice, pounded yam, Jollof Rice like none other, Moin Moin,
etc.



10.
Languages, especially pidgin English, which should soon be designated a
national and official language. If Prince Charly and Emmanuel Macron have tried
to impress us with their verbal dexterity, &#8216;wetin we dey wait for my people?&#8217;



11.
Art: Bruce Onabrakpeya, Ben Enwonwu, Yusuf Grillo, Aina Onabolu, Chinwe
Chukwuogo-Roy,&nbsp; and a younger generation of hyper realistic artists such
as 12 year-old Waris Kareem Olamilekan, Raji Bamidele, Chiamonwu Joy, and Arinze
Stanley.



12.
Music: Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Frank Edwards, Cobhams Asuquo, Mercy Chinwo,
Onos Ariyo, Sinach, Jeremiah Gyang, Flavour &amp; Semah, and Timmy Dakolo.



13.
#Nollywood: Excellent storylines, highly improved production values, and all of
sometimes too obvious&nbsp; imperfections. A creative landscape waiting for the
best of money, technology, and people to organize systems and structures into
the multibillion dollar enterprise it deserves to be.



14.
My favorite Ondo Town Peeps: #Omatola, #MoAbudu,



15.
Awoof: newspapers, airtime, wifi. Man must connect by force by force.



16.
Fashion and textiles. From Balogun to Barcelona, we are strutting our stuff.



17.
Hospitality and generosity. You don’t appreciate it until you travel to other
parts of this great continent. 



18.
Parliamentarians with incredibly bad grammar but super native intelligence.



19.
Sports and physical strength. Still a wasted asset waiting for the addition of
tremendous value. Long may the memories of visionary administrators such as
Isaac Akioye and Sam Ogbemudia live. Waiting for the birth of a new generation
of visionary leaders to turn rough stones into fine diamonds.



20.
The heart breaking Super Eagles. They have you rejoicing when you least expect,
and weeping when you never thought you would.



21.
Abundant natural resources including solid minerals of every kind waiting to be
tapped, utilised, and to transform Nigeria&#8217;s development 



22.
Positive cultural values and humungous tourist potential. A low hanging fruit,
which with infrastructure and security can create millions of much-needed jobs
across a vast value chain.



23.
The endemic, unmistakable, Nigerian energy and buzz that no one can put down.
Naija no dey carry last.



24.
The Nigerian paradox: You want to get out when you are in and you want to get
back in fast when you are out.



25.
Diaspora Nigerians.



Long
may Nigeria and the indefatigable Nigerian spirit live. Happy 59th Independence
Anniversary!

Op-Ed: Celebrating Nigeria: 25 things to love about the West African country

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria’s central bank plans to charge 12 banks a total of more than 400 billion naira ($1.3 billion) for failing to meet its minimum loan-to-deposit ratio requirement by a September deadline, three banking sources told Reuters on Thursday.



The central bank has been seeking to boost credit to businesses and consumers after a recent recession in Africa’s biggest economy, but lending has yet to pick up. With growth slow, banks prefer to park cash in risk-free government securities rather than lend to companies and consumers.



Nigeria’s economy is expected to pick up in 2019 with gross domestic product expanding close to 3%, up from 1.9% last year, according to the central bank.



In July, the central bank asked lenders to maintain a ratio of lending out at least 60% of deposits by September as part of measures aimed at getting credit flowing.



Bank chief executives plan to meet with the banking regulator in Abuja on Thursday to discuss the charges, the sources said.



The local units of Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank are among those affected, the sources said.



Other include top tier Nigerian lenders Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank and United Bank for Africa.



The central bank did not respond to a request for immediate comment. The banks declined to comment.



Lenders have done little to expand borrowing in Nigeria, blaming a weak economy after a 2014 oil price crash and a currency crisis that made loans go sour. Analysts fear growing credit quickly could weaken asset quality and capital buffers.



The central bank has said loans rose 5.3% in the three months to the end of September to 16.40 trillion naira, due the new minimum requirement and increased the lending ratio target in what it said was a move to sustain the momentum.



In the last few months, the regulator has also capped interest-bearing deposits at the central bank and barred banks from buying treasury bills for their own accounts at an open market auction, to boost lending.



($1 = 306.40 naira)



Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter

Here’s why Nigeria is planning to charge banks $1.3 billion

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oludara-akanmidu-495255">Oludara Akanmidu</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a>

Nigeria has received a legal hiding after a UK court awarded a private company a US$9.6 billion <a href="https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/insights/quantum-matters--record-usd6.6bn-award-against-nigeria/">judgment debt</a> against the West African nation. The ruling has generated significant attention in both domestic and international media. This is understandable given that the sum amounts to 20% of the country’s foreign <a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/9-6bn-judgment-fraudulent-target-on-our-foreign-reserve-fg/">reserves</a>. This means it poses a significant threat to its economy. 

The big question is: What went wrong? How did Nigeria end up in this costly situation? For the answer, we must look back to January 2010 and a gas supply contract that went horribly wrong.

<h2>The Background Story</h2>

On 11 January 2010 Process and Industrial Development (P&amp;ID), a company based in the British Virgin Islands, signed a contract with the Federal Government of Nigeria. This contract is called a gas supply and processing agreement. Nigeria’s government agreed that, over a 20-year period, it would supply natural gas (wet gas) to P&amp;ID’s production facility. 

In return, P&amp;ID would process the wet gas by removing natural gas liquids and return approximately 85% of it to the government in the form of lean gas. This lean gas was to be returned at no cost to the Nigerian government. 

Based on this agreement, Nigeria was supposed to arrange for the supply of wet gas to P&amp;ID’s gas processing facility which it intended to build in the country’s Cross Rivers State. This required the government to construct pipelines and arrange facilities for transporting the wet gas. The government failed to do this for three years. 

P&amp;ID viewed this failure as a repudiation of the contract. In simpler terms, this means that the government renounced their obligation under the contract. Consequently, in March 2013, P&amp;ID began an <a href="https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/insights/quantum-matters--record-usd6.6bn-award-against-nigeria/">arbitration</a> action against the government before a London tribunal.

Clause 20 of the agreement, which both parties signed, provided that any disputes were to be resolved by arbitration with the seat of arbitration being London, England or any other place agreed by the parties. Nigeria tried to contest this, but its appeal to have the tribunal sit in Nigeria failed.

At the tribunal, P&amp;ID <a href="https://pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/36/194469/04516479471.pdf">claimed</a> that it had invested $40 million in the project even though it had not acquired the land or built any facilities for gas processing. It claimed damages of about US$6.6 billion dollars: the amount of the net income it would have earned over the 20-year period of the agreement. 

In response, the government argued that the damages claimed were not a fair and reasonable consequence of the government’s breach of the agreement. This is because P&amp;ID never commenced building the gas processing facility. It also argued that P&amp;ID should be awarded only three years’ worth of income as by that time, the company should have found some other profitable investment which would reduce its losses from the breach. 

Similarly, the government objected to the measure of estimated expenses and income stream which P&amp;ID used to calculate its damages claim. 

<h2>The tribunal’s decision</h2>

In July 2015 the tribunal decided that by failing to fulfil its obligations, the government had repudiated the agreement. P&amp;ID was therefore entitled to damages. 

In January 2017, the tribunal by a majority of 2 to 1 made a final award of US$6.597 billion together with interest at the rate of 7% starting from 20 March 2013 until payment is made. The 7% <a href="https://pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/36/194469/04516479471.pdf">interest</a> reflects what P&amp;ID would have paid to borrow the money or earned by investing the money in Nigeria. 

Following the tribunal’s award of damages, in March 2018, P&amp;ID brought an action before the Queen’s Bench Division of the English Commercial Court. It wanted permission to enforce the damages awarded by the tribunal. Despite delays by the Nigerian government, on 16 August 2019, the court made an order enforcing the tribunal’s final award which now stands at about $9.6 billion. 

In making this award, the court noted that the damages awarded were purely compensatory and not intended to punish the Nigerian government. The court also confirmed that there were no public policy grounds on which the award should not be enforced. This decision converts the arbitration award to a legal judgement. 

This case perhaps highlights issues with Nigeria’s ability to effectively manage its oil and gas resources as well as its facilities. Between January and June 2019 alone, it is reported that Nigeria <a href="https://guardian.ng/news/why-crude-oil-losses-persist-despite-huge-surveillance-contracts/">lost</a> 22 million barrels of crude oil.

These losses have been largely attributed to pipeline vandalism and aged pipelines. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation recently spent billions on oil pipelines maintenance. But other problems, such as <a href="http://saharareporters.com/2018/11/20/exclusive-protests-nnpc-awards-1848m-contract-without-following-due-process">corruption</a> and fraud in awarding security surveillance contracts for pipelines, persist.

<h2>Next steps</h2>

The $9.6 billion appears to be the largest amount of damages awarded against Nigeria to date. Evidence however suggests this is not the first time that Nigeria has failed to meet its contractual obligations. In 2016 it was reported that investors in Nigeria’s power sector <a href="https://qz.com/africa/591036/investors-are-threatening-to-pull-out-of-nigerias-fragile-privatized-power-sector/">threatened</a> to pull out due to the government’s failure to meet its contractual obligations.

This case also demonstrates an ongoing issue with the government’s attitude to critical infrastructural projects. The <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309943763_Politics_of_Hydroelectric_Power_Development_in_Nigeria_A_Case_Study_of_the_Mambilla_Hydroelectric_Power_Project">Mambilla</a> hydroelectric power project is a case in point. In spite of the huge potential offered by the project, it has been plagued by several controversies ranging from corruption and embezzlement of funds to the “irregular” awarding of contracts, and a general lack of political will. 

The Nigerian government is yet to pay the judgement debt. <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/fg-alleges-conspiracy-in-9-6bn-judgment-debt/">Allegations</a> of domestic and international conspiracy surrounding the agreement continue to abound. For now, the government has said that it intends to appeal the amount awarded.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122740/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oludara-akanmidu-495255">Oludara Akanmidu</a>, Lecturer in Law, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-nigeria-got-hit-with-a-9-6-billion-judgment-debt-in-london-122740">original article</a>.

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Op-Ed: Celebrating Nigeria: 25 things to love about the West African country

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Mystery deaths as Nigeria tries to hold back an avalanche of COVID-19

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Uber launches boat service in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, what you need to know

Op-Ed: Celebrating Nigeria: 25 things to love about the West African country

Here’s why Nigeria is planning to charge banks $1.3 billion

Explainer: A UK court hit Nigeria with a $9.6 billion judgment debt, how did the West African country end up in this costly situation?

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