ADRON HOMES TACKLING NIGERIA’S LEADING CHALLENGE OF HOUSING DEFICIENCY, GIVES SUCCOUR TO TINUBU INITIATIVE
As the economy continues to bite harder, Nigeria with an estimated population of over 250 million people and about 30 per cent of the entire population still grappling with the need to get quality shelter and affordable houses, there is a burning need for proactive steps to stem the housing deficits if we are serious about making any serious development as a nation.
One key issue affecting housing delivery in Nigeria is that the level of housing shortage has not been adequately presented. This is a result of inadequate and inappropriate statistics and data by the managers of housing in Nigeria. However, there have been attempts to estimate the magnitude of the housing shortage.
The National Housing Policy specified in detail that to achieve the goal of providing 15 million housing units, although President Tinubu has approved the construction of 1000 houses in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Benue states as part of a broad plan by the federal government to address the conflict in the North out of 1.2 Million Housing Units needed to be built each year in the whole country, which is the number necessary to compensate for the housing shortage in the country.
Although the exact reasons for the housing shortage vary across the country, the main problem in Nigeria is the low income of residents. The incidence and growth of these problems seem to outpace the capacity of the government to take them on, requiring massive private investments.
Tackling the housing deficit frontally, A reliable private investor, GMD/CEO of Adron Homes and Properties, Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing who is working assiduously to fulfill the mandate of his organisation in providing affordable housing for millions of Nigerians.
According to promotional programmes announced by Adron Homes, “we are out to slash the prices of all our estates across the country by 50 percent to encourage Nigerians to own their homes regardless of income”.
The discount is in line with the company’s dedication to continuously give customers opportunities to be homeowners through discounts, royalty rewards and friendly payment plans.
“Customers can enjoy up to 40 per cent and 50 per cent happy hour discount on all estates in Ikorodu, Epe, Ede, Ibadan, kajola, Atan-Ota, Ibeju Lekki, Badagry, Ijebu Ode, Shimawa, Abeokuta, Osun, Abuja and Nasarawa.
It is no doubt that Adron is the foremost and widely spread real estate company in Nigeria and that’s why they are constantly rolling out different offers to allow every Nigerian own a house with ease without breaking their income expenditure budget.
Customers can also pay as low as N25,000 initial deposit and enjoy up to 36 months payment plan on all properties. This means you could make payment at your pace and within your budget because at Adron Homes, for every budget; there is a piece of land for you in all their estates.
Adron encourages Nigerians to begin their journey to becoming a property owner and smile at what their income will fetch them in their our estates
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If you’re a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It’s cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements
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change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa
If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Skilled Worker visa.
How Way and Life Concepts Limited is Setting the Standard in the Real Estate Industry
Way and Life Concepts Limited is one of the real estate company that has been leaving indelible mark in the industry for its more than one decade of existence. Founded by Abraham Adebayo Shodiya an indigene of Ogun State, Abeokuta to be precise, though he was born and grew up in Agege, Lagos where he had his primary school at Bishop Oluwolel Memorial Primary School, after which he proceeded to Keke High School Ifako Ijaiye housing Estate and later Fstc Yaba where graduated studying Building Technology Programs.
He thereafter, ventured into Real Estate business with training from Realty Point Limited school of estate in 2008 from where he established his own real estate company, Way and Life Concepts Limited popularity known as “Money in Bush”.
Adebayo, registered the company as a business name “Way and Life Properties Concepts” in 2007 and it was later changed to Way And Life Concepts Limited when he upgraded it to a limited liability company.
The success of the company is attributed to their philosophy which set them apart from their competitors, according to the CEO, the philosophy of the Way and Life Concepts Limited is “the best way to live a real life is for us to pave way for investors to partner with us while we take care of their portfolio as a real estate manager, we also need to be open to customers and to tell them the nitty grity of the venture and how we are going to go about making their dream come through” he explained.
Reacting to stories making the rounds that many real estates Companies collect money but do not allocate land to their subscribers, Adebayo said it is quite unfortunate that business owners are not transparent. In his words “There is the need to be open in every business. There are challenges and if they have challenges allocating to subscribers they should call for a gathering to address them on what has transpired and the solution and plan to make sure the mess is taken care of, but their not allocating lands to the people and becoming silent or run away is not the solution. Doing that is bringing setbacks to the real estate business.
“Before parting with your money with any real estate agent or developer make sure you do your search to know if the company is registered and is a member of a government registered association. Verifications need to be done when it comes to real estate investment.”He stated.
Talking about the Omo Onile syndrome, Adebayo spoke about the solution to the albatross to the job of real estate. He explained that with his more than a decade experience in the real estate industry, he has been able to not only mastered how to manage the Omo Onile wahala but has also learnt how to relate with Governments simply by recognizing them as a player in the industry.
In his words, “In Nigeria real estate, Omo Oniles are also players in the industry but we have to come into understanding with them and so far this has been helping as they don’t come to disturb our customers”.
Adebayo also explained that they have been able to attract new customers and maintain old ones giving people the opportunity to live the real life and being transparent with their customers and their prospective buyers by exposing the nitty-gritty of the business to them to gain their confidence and thereby improving the real estate portfolio of the investors.
On how they handle issues with governments, he expressed his appreciation to the governments of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo State for their cooperation and the wonderful relationship they’ve been able to establish, he said their is synergy with these governments as they have good relationship with the Way and Life Concepts Limited from their ministry of Lands to the house committee that oversees land issue in the States.
Way and Life Concepts Limited is currently having housing estate projects available for subscriptions in Shimawa Ogun State, Imota-Ikorodu, Atan-Ota, Ifo and Ibeju Lekki, with a plan to spread the company tentacles to Oyo and Osun State, Adebayo Shodiya explained.
He explained further that one of the easiest ways to acquire land and houses in pocket friendly style is how the company fashioned its installment payment system while giving out heavy discounts to outright payers, he exposed that the company works closely with the clients to come up with a financial plan that will be suitable to both parties.
“We sit down with our customers and make payment plans that will not be difficult for them and us, we also help them build at affordable prices from the foundation level to D.P.C, from D.P.C level to roofing level, from roofing level to external finishings, internal finishings e.t.c. We do this to help our customers in becoming homeowners in the alternative to the cumbersome process of bank loans.
He also said in the case of any investor who dies in course of investment, before the proper handing over of the property to the family who is the next of kin, in his words
“All of our investors have a filled form with us. In the form there is a column for next of kin, this does not mean the property (s)/investment (s) will automatically be transferred to the next of kin but we will get some other details of the investor through the next of kin after which we shall request for an administrative letter from the concern people of the investor. This letter is supposed to be processed from the court of investment/investor’s jurisdiction. This will help us to do a proper investment handover.” He explained.
In dealing with fraudulent people parading themselves as realtors, Adebayo Shodiya calls for due diligence, according to him “You cannot loose totally in real estate investment especially if you have visited the said property site before or during the period of investment.
We presently have private regulatory body and Association who will not cover any fraudulent Estate Company. To avoid the repeat of such, investors need to do their due diligence before parting with their money.”
Responding to issues with allocation, he explained that the company allocates in batches, he stated that “For any of our new projects, we allocate in batches of minimum of 50 to 100 allottees while any of our developing projects produces immediate allocation to individual buyers.
“We have had some cases where we had allocated to so many subscribers while they were still paying in installment, some paid half of the property price, some paid 80% and were allocated. We still plan to repeat such as we kick off our new projects in Simawa, Mowe, Atan-Ota and Ifo areas.” Adebayo revealed.
Our role is to set up every possible mean that will make real estate investment convenient for our prospective customers while the role of our customers and prospects is to be up to date in their payment structure as no business will thrive without exchange of money and consistent activities, Shodiya concluded.
We Need A Nationalist, Not Southern Or Northern President — Jandor
By Abiodun Alade
In this interview, Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Lagos State, speaks on his plans for the state as well as why Nigerians should elect a nationalist and not a regional president come February 25.
From what you have seen so far, do you believe we’re going to have a free and fair election?
Well, of course, with the preparation of INEC and expression of readiness by all the security formations, I believe that this time, Nigerians will make the choice of who will be the leader of the country. And I have no doubts that for the very first time, we will have an election that reflects the wishes of the people. We’re confident that barring any unforeseen situation, that INEC, if what has happened in off-cycle elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun is anything to go by, will get it right and our party is ready for the election.
There are calls by some politicians that INEC should jettison BVAS. And there have also been pockets of violence in some parts of the country as a result of naira scarcity, don’t you think this will affect the conduct of the polls?
Wherever the calls for cancellation of BVAS and the likes are coming from speak to the character of such a group of persons or organisation. If what we’re yearning for is an election that will be free, fair and credible; and we now have a technology to assist us in getting that right and you have some people calling for cancellation, it shows that these are the set of people that have been undermining democracy for a long while.
You also look at the issue of Naira redesign and the fact that we’re not going to have an election that will be monetized so to speak. And you see some set of people coming out to complain. It speaks volumes of who they are. And if you look at all of this sequence of happenings tilting to one side, the question you need to ask yourself is: “why the sudden love for Nigerian people?” ASUU was on strike for nine months, none of you came out to speak for ASUU and speak against the fact that our brothers and sisters were at home for nine months doing nothing.
But again, whatever it is that they feel they want to do or they’re trying to do, it will not change what is going to happen because the people of Nigeria now know where all of these are coming from. How come it is only one political party that is crying foul over this whole issue? How come it is just one presidential candidate as well as a set of governors of a particular political party that are crying foul? You can then understand that the pockets of violence that you’re talking about is from them.
People are wise enough to see all of these and they are not buying it. As far as we are concerned, we’re ready for the election.
Why should Nigerians vote for the presidential candidate of the PDP on February 25?
Because as we speak, nothing is working in our country. The economy is terrible, insecurities here and there, massive unemployment in this country. And we need someone with experience and preparedness to recover this country and get things done. If you look at his message, let me pick just one of his messages and you can see what that can do for the country.
He said when he comes to power, he is going to set aside $10 billion for youth and women empowerment. This will curb insecurity because the majority of the people involved in all of these things is because they have nothing to do. So, if we have that huge amount of money to empower our youths in making sure they have means of livelihood, it will resolve insecurity issues to a very large extent. And the issue of women empowerment will resolve the level of poverty that we have in the country. Now, let’s put that N10 billion aside. If he sells the moribund refineries that are not useful to anybody as we speak, at a rate of $10bn and the money is channelled into youth and women empowerment as he said; don’t forget the organised private sector or a consortium of companies that bought the refineries won’t just leave them like that. They would have another $5bn if not more set aside to invest into resuscitating the refineries. And in doing that, it will create jobs and you can imagine the number of employment opportunities it will generate as well as other benefits to the country. That alone will reduce unemployment, insecurity and poverty in the land. That is the man who’s got a plan and is always coming forward to provide solutions on how to revive the economy and recover Nigeria from those who have held it by the jugular.
There is agitation for a Southern presidency and some people are clamouring that Yorubas should support one of their own?
In the South West, we are very sophisticated. I’m sure you know we’re blessed at that. And we’ve looked at what we have in the country, the hardship that we have in the country, we’ve looked at it holistically, and we have been able to identify that it is a hardship that doesn’t even recognise your tribe. It doesn’t even know where you’re coming from.
On this presidential election, you need to look at each candidate based on their merits, integrity, character, track record, and see which one of them can actually take us out of the issues confronting us as a country. It is not about where you are coming from.
So, when people are shouting about a Southern president, I don’t want it and I don’t want a Northern president either. What I want is a Nigerian president. Let’s have a president that is a nationalist, and this is what Atiku Abubakar represents. He has tentacles spread across the country; he is one man that has roots everywhere, and he has the experience. This election is not your regular election (like what we’ve been having in the past). This will be the first popularity test of APC in the Southwest, especially in Lagos State.
How do you respond to the position of the ruling APC that you have not held any elective position in the past and so don’t have experience to lead a sophisticated state like Lagos?
It all depends on their definition of experience and the job at hand. What has their own experience given us in Lagos? The experience that has not been able to curb Lagos traffic for 24 years or the experience that has 4.2 million Lagosians living in extreme poverty under four years. Experience that has 1.8 million Lagosians unemployed as against what it used to be in 2019 or experience that has over 2 million of our children out of school? The experience that gave us collapsed buildings every now and then because the regulatory agency has no clue of what to do. Experience that has gotten our state ravaged with flood every time it rains. So, they are missing the point because they don’t understand the concept of experience.
What we’re bringing to the table that they don’t have is that we have experience on how best to run an economy unlike them. For close to two decades, I have been an employer of labour in this economy, contributing a whole lot in this economy. I’ve had cause to look for funds, turn it around, and make profit not to stay afloat but pay salaries and more. Same with my running mate, unlike the man there now, he has been a salary earner all his life and that is why he does not have what it takes to run an economy.
Your thinking, as a business owner, who has gone to a financial house to source for funds, invest it in business to be able to pay back the loan, pay salaries and make profit will be completely different from a man who waits every 30 days to get salary. So, it is the business-like experience that we are bringing to the table. So, they are inexperienced in this case because they have not had cause to employ five persons.
What will you do if elected as governor of Lagos State?
We’re first going to birth a government that people can call their own. We’re going to have a governor that people can beat their chest and say ‘we put this man there’.
It is about time we make Lagos a wealthy state indeed, not just on paper. What we hear today is that Lagos makes N51bn monthly but you can’t see it reflecting in our daily living. We are changing that by giving Lagos a breath of fresh air, where they can see the fortune of their state. Is it not troubling that with such monthly IGR, there are no iconic projects in Lagos?
We would look at issues that are currently giving us bad names and fix them. It is unacceptable that we have about 2 million out-of-school children. I don’t need to build new schools before I proffer solution to that. We will engage the private school owners – about 5,000 registered private schools in the state, and I will inform them that I have about 2 million children that I need to spread across your schools in exchange for tax holiday or incentives as the case may be. By doing so, I would have put some of my children in those schools. And I would also engage churches and mosques that have spaces they don’t use during school hours to let the government use them to put some of the children there. If I do this within three months of coming into office, we would have reduced the number of out-of-school children drastically. And I would do this pending when I can embark on aggressive infrastructural renewal across the local government areas.
Is Lagos PDP still one? Chief Olabode George has not been part of your campaign?
I have a rigorous campaign strategy of visiting every ward in the state. Our leader is close to 80. I can’t possibly be dragging such an old man to every ward. But we don’t have any problem, he is our leader and he is supporting us in everything we are doing.
If Tinubu Wins There will be Great Hopes For Heart Surgery Patients – Dr. Ariyo Idowu, Perfusionist
Perfusion is a rare and delicate Cardiovascular profession that has to do with handling and operating equipment that assists surgeons during an open-heart surgery or any other medical procedure in which it is necessary to artificially support or temporarily replace a patient’s circulatory or respiratory function.
It is a system where the experts use the equipment to temporarily put the heart to sleep (hibernate) and revives it after the surgery to safe the patient the frightening experience of pain during opening up of the heart or the lungs. It is a medical process to safe life which were in the past only available in the advance country.
However, it is interesting to learn that, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), trained the first expert and pioneered the career of open heart surgery in the country when he was the governor of Lagos State.
Although, Idowu admitted that the heart operations used to take place in Enugu and Ibadan in the 1970s, the exercise stopped more than 20 years before Tinubu revived it in Lagos, expressing the conviction that, if he wins on February 25, Nigerians should expect revival of the medical exercise in a very larger scale across the country.
Dr. Ariyo Idowu, made the disclosure Tuesday during a scheduled Zoom meeting organized by the members of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee Media Directorate, Lagos, headed by the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan.
Idowu discussed Asiwaju Tinubu’s intervention in the health sector when he was the state governor when young health professionals, including himself, were trained. The scheduled zoom meetings were some of the avenues created by the Kehide Bamigbetan led media Directorate to unveil Tinubu to the public to realise reasons he (Tinubu) should be voted for as the next president on the Saturday 25 election.
According to the Perfusionist, Tinubu, as a visionary administrator who searches for young talented materials to build for nation building spotted the potential in Ariyo Idowu when he was just 26 years old and sent him abroad to train as an expert in perfusion. After the training, Tinubu as governor then now established a medical centre where free heart surgeries were carried out.
While fielding questions from his zoom guests, Dr. Idowu confirmed that, at least 20 of such surgical operations were carried out during Tinubu’s tenure as the executive governor of Lagos State adding that minimum cost of an operation then was N5 million meaning Tinubu expended a whooping sum of N100million on the 20 patients.
Speaking further, Dr Idowu reasoned that, with Tinubu as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the country would climb up the ladder of global medical rating while the youth would have field day as opportunity for their development and empowerment would be the priority of the new president going by his pedigree and antecedent.
What Tinubu did as just as governor of a state in the health sector just like in any other sectors would be replicated on a larger scale to the best interest of all Nigerians, asserting that, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best bet for the country at this point in time for rapid development and positive utilization of the raw energy deposited in the body of the youth by God for nation building.
“Tinubu is a visionary leader who knows the plights of the citizenry and ready to help. He has had the mind set to uplift humanity from the onset. The most important thing in governance is to be prepared to serve humanity selflessly like Tinubu. He is ready for the task ahead. And after reviving the free heart surgery through the Ministry of Health under Dr. Leke Pitan, his commissioner for Health after comatose for 20 years, the programme has continued since then nonstop,” Idowu submitted with great appreciation to his mentor, Tinubu.
“Kindly permit me to thank Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving me the rare opportunity to acquire this unique knowledge that has put me where I am today as a globally recognised professional on the medical line. And I am sure the youth stand a similar chance if they vote for him en masse on February 25 to become president. With Tinubu as president, the sky would be too low to be their limit,” Idowu rounded off.
BBC: Tinubu got it right on territories reclaimed by Buhari – Buratai
Former Chief of Army Staff and Nigerian ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai talked about the security situation in the country, he also lend his expert insight to the statement of the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his recent BBC interview…
What is your take on the current military’s tactics in decimating banditry and terrorism in the country?
I’ll say, let them maintain it and keep up the aggressive assaults. Additionally, collaboration and synergy with other sister agencies is crucial. They must avoid being distracted and keep their attention on their task.
How would you describe the fight against terrorism in the country since you left office as the COAS?
Well, you must understand that the military is not a one man show; even when I was in service, I worked with a team, and I am happy to say that many of them are still in service. The current COAS served under me as Theater Commander of OP LAFIYA DOLE now OP HADIN KAI. By and large, I will say that they are doing well. Whatever little success we were able to achieve during my tenure, we did it together; it was a collective effort.
The 2023 general election is just by the corner; what advice do you have for the military to ensure a hit-free poll as far as security is concerned?
They must stick to their constitutional role and remain apolitical. I understand that the military may be called in to assist the civil police at some point, but only when things are about to get out of hand. I think the electorate must not succumb to fear or intimidation; they should come out and exercise their civic duty. At the same time, all of us must be vigilant; if you see something suspicious, try to say something to the right authorities.
According to PRNigeria the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu created an impression that the Buhari-led administration had inherited seventeen local governments and about four states which were under the control of foreign Jihadists in 2015. What is your take on this?
The conclusion and verdict of PRNigeria is false, wrong, and inaccurate. I was the first COAS to serve under President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and even before my appointment as COAS, I was the Force Commander, MNJTF, so I should have correct information and the situation of things in the North-East and Borno State, which is my state of origin. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu got it right. As of July 2015, the following LGAs were under Boko Haram in Borno State: Dikwa, Marte, Gamboru Ngala, Kala Balge, Guzamala, Damasak, and in Yobe State, we have Gulani and Gujba. The terrorists also partially occupied Kukawa,Gajiram, Kaga , Mafa, Bama, Gubio, Chibok, Gwoza, Damboa, and Nganzai. The wrong impression created by PR Nigeria should be corrected. I understand that they were misinformed, but this is the correct information.
What is your reaction on the report by PRNigeria that foreign technical experts, including mercenaries, assisted greatly in the recovery of the occupied territories in North-East?
If it does in fact occur, it did not occur during the time that I was in charge.
You actively supported one of the candidates in the presidential primaries of the ruling party. And you are on the side of your party’s presidential candidate in this election. Yet, you have always insisted, “I am not a politician.” How do you explain this position?
Our lives are in phases and chapters. When I said, “I am not a politician,” that was the truth and nothing but the truth. I was not a member of any political party then. I was a soldier who was under oath to protect and defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. But as you know very well, that phase of my life is now gone. There is a time to join the Army and serve as a soldier, and there is a time to leave the Army and return to civilian life. I am a democrat; that’s why, when I was in the Army, I tried to keep soldiers out of politics and allow the people to choose their leaders as they wanted. We also protected this democracy. So now that I am a civilian, I think it won’t be out of place if I heed the call of destiny and enter politics. That doesn’t mean I will run for political office. My plan is to form a government with some Nigerians who I believe have good intentions for the country. I initially supported Rotimi Amaechi because I believed in him, but we lost the primaries. However, since the party is supreme and God has willed that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be the flagbearer of the APC, it is expected that I should support him to win the elections. This is what I am doing. And this is not a new thing in Nigeria or the US. Generals Shehu Yar’adua, Obasanjo, and Ibrahim Babangida, as well as Aliyu Gusau, David Jemibiwon, Abdurahman Danbazau, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, all played politics after their service in the military. There is no doubt; stakeholders and imminent Nigerians thought that I could add value and so invited me to join them to move the country forward. One thing I want to tell Nigerians is that I will surely add value. There is no doubt about that.
Your name isn’t going to fade away anytime soon from the Nigerian Army, both in terms of exploits and enduring legacies. How do you feel about your stewardship?
Honestly, it humbles me. We wanted to achieve much more than we have, but, you know, things don’t always work out as planned. But it’s nice to hear soldiers and officers talk positively about us. We did what we thought was best for the army and the wellbeing of Nigeria. As COAS, I worked virtually around the clock daily. Sometimes I just sleep for a few hours.
What do you see as the place of regional cooperation in addressing the security challenges in Nigeria?
Regional cooperation is strategic in addressing security challenges because our borders are porous and our people are interconnected. Some people in south-western Nigeria have blood relatives in the Benin Republic. Those in the North East have relatives in Chad, Cameroon, and the Niger Republic, as well as in Sokoto and other places. So it is easy for criminals to move into Nigeria from these neighboring countries. What affects our neighbors can easily affect us. Not just us, but the entire ECOWAS membership. When the Boko Haram insurgency started, some people thought it was a Nigerian problem alone, but it has now spread to Burkina Faso and Mali. So, regional cooperation is needed to tackle the issue of small arms proliferation, help with intelligence gathering, and conduct COIN operations. For example, the MNJTF is helping to deal with Boko Haram and ISWAP in a good way.
There is the story of your long connection to President Buhari, beginning with his deployment as Military Governor of North East State. Can you help us recall this and its culmination during your time as Force Commander of MNJTF and COAS?
Yes, President Buhari and I have come a long way because destiny connected us in 1975, when he was the military governor of Borno State and I was a Form One student at Teacher’s College Maiduguri. He used to come to the school in the evenings to watch us play football. When I was running off the pitch to get the ball after hitting the ball so hard that it knocked down one of our classmates, the then-Colonel Buhari said to me, “You this boy! The army is what suits you best.
One thing led to another, and I was transferred to Teacher’s College Potiskum, while then-Col Buhari left Borno to serve as Petroleum Minister in the government of General Olusegun Obasanjo. I finished Teacher’s College, taught in a primary school at Buratai, and then joined the NDA in 1981. I got commissioned in December 1983 and heard that Major General Buhari was now the new Head of State. I proceeded to Elele in Rivers State, and that was it until sometime in 2015, when he visited Ndjamena as the newly democratically elected President of Nigeria. At that time, I was the Force Commander, MNJTF. When he returned to Nigeria and wanted to appoint his service chiefs, he appointed me as the 20th COAS. So he has been my leader and mentor in the past, now, and always.
What advice is best for the young officers and soldiers on the frontlines of service to the nation?
I have written and published a book known as Thoughts and Principles on Leadership. I am recommending it to all military officers to read. But that notwithstanding, my candid advice to young officers and soldiers is to remember the seven core Army values: their unit, the Army, God, and country. They must remain patriotic and keep on developing their skills and improving their competence.
Video: Tinubu’s Standout Tactics in Lagos + How He will better Nigeria
He needs no introduction, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man whose achievements speaks loud, but for those who are not in the know below is a few reel to show how he did it in Lagos and how he will positively impact Nigerians as president.
FirstBank: A triumphant Return to the Nigerian Banking Frontline
The story of Corporate Nigeria in 2022, cannot be complete without a chapter on the incredible performance of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which saw the hitherto encumbered bank now returning to the top of the ladder of the Nigerian banking industry, amid a harvest of international laurels, writes Festus Akanbi
By December this year, Nigerian quoted companies will begin to upload their full year 2022 results in compliance with the dictates of the principle of disclosures to regulators, investors and customers as enshrined in the act of Corporate Governance.
While the waiting game for the release of the more detailed full-year results continues, analysts said that bookmakers can only assess the current level of profitability, efficiency and recovery of these companies based on their half-year reports which began to hit the various media platforms from July this year.
For FirstBank, a subsidiary of the behemoth FBN Holdings Plc, the 2022 operation year has been characterised by a superlative performance which analysts believed signposts the confirmation of the bank’s return to the frontline of the Nigerian banking industry following its 2021 equally stellar performance.
From its half-year 2022 reports, which show a remarkable turnaround, and the ability of the management of the bank not only to resolve old corporate governance issues but to also return the bank to the path of profitability, it has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that FirstBank has freed itself from old encumbrances and it is back to its old trajectory of breaking boundaries and being a pacesetter in the Nigerian banking industry.
For instance, analysts who believed that FirstBank’s current excellent performance is a reaffirmation of the new era of a return to greater and better times ahead are quick to point to the bank’s half-year 2022 results which proved the solidity of the financial institution and confirmed that it is back in form as a formidable industry leader.
Reinforcing Quantum Profitability Leap Agenda
For instance, in its half-year 2022 scorecard, FirstBank recorded a 22.6 per cent year-on-year growth in gross earnings to N338.5 billion while net interest income was up 49.3 per cent year-on-year to N152.9 billion respectively.”
The bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Adesola Adeduntan who gave this figure disclosed that “Amidst a challenging operating and dynamic regulatory environment in the half year 2022, the commercial banking group remained focused on executing key initiatives to position the group for improved profitability in the full year 2022. Our half-year results further reinforced our drive towards our ‘Quantum Profitability Leap’ agenda.”
Adeduntan said, “On the back of the impressive growth recorded in our top line, our profit before tax recorded a strong growth of 40.0 per cent year on year to N60.0 billion, whilst profit after tax also grew by 42.3 per cent year on year to N53.3 billion as the bank continues to reap the dividends of the successful restructuring of our balance sheet and revamping of our risk management architecture.”
“We continue to record progress in driving down our non-performing loan ratio which now stands at 5.4 per cent at the end of H1 and we are on target to bring it within the regulatory limit of 5 percent by end of full-year 2022.”
Awards and Recognitions: FirstBank’s Leading the Pack
In terms of recognition, there is no doubt that the ongoing transformation in FirstBank is globally recognised when one considers the harvests of awards and recognitions that are already pouring in for the bank.
Analysts said the awards and recognitions, which include those from the Fitch Ratings and The Banker awards and Euromoney rankings are testimonials of FirstBank’s consistent performance.
Fitch Rerating
Analysts maintained that the current Fitch rerating of FirstBank aligns with ratings of other global agencies (such as S&P: B- with a stable outlook; Moodys: B2 with stable outlook) – a confirmation of what industry peers already acknowledge – back to leading the pack.
On September 16, 2022, Fitch Ratings announced the upgrade of FBN Holdings Plc’s (FBNH) and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd’s (FBN) Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, and according to the rating agency, the Outlooks are Stable. Fitch has also upgraded their Viability Ratings (VR) to ‘b’ from ‘b-‘.
It explained that the upgrade of the Long-Term IDRs follows that of the VRs, reflecting that corporate governance irregularities publicly raised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in April 2021, including two longstanding related-party exposures, have largely been addressed and therefore risks to capitalisation have receded, helped by strong internal capital generation since the irregularities were raised.
Governance Issues Laid to Rest
Following its monitoring of the Bank’s corporate Banking endeavours within the last year, the rating agency gave FirstBank a clean bill of health saying the bank’s governance irregularities have been addressed and according to the management of the bank, “the two related-party exposures highlighted by the CBN, which included equity and credit exposures to two companies of whom FBNH’s previous chairman was also chairman, have largely been disposed of and repaid. Fitch understands from management that FBNH and FBN have not been subject to penalties about irregularities raised by the CBN in April 2021 and no further irregularities have been raised.”
It also attests to the solidity of the bank, affirming that FBN is the third-largest bank in Nigeria, representing 11% of domestic banking-system assets at the end of 2021.
Another reason for the high rating is the fact that the bank’s improved asset quality since FirstBank’s impaired loans (Stage 3 loans under IFRS 9) ratio has declined significantly.
FirstBank also boasts of a Stable Funding Profile. For instance, FBN’s customer deposit base (76% of total funding at end-1H22) comprises a high share of retail deposits (64% at end-2021) and current and savings accounts (81% at end-1H22), supporting funding stability and a low-cost of funding. Depositor concentration is fairly low. Liquidity coverage is comfortable in local and foreign currencies.
Bankers Magazine: FirstBank Best Performing in Nigeria
It is also not a coincidence that FirstBank was rated first among its peers in Nigeria by Bankers Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times.
The Top 100 African Bank Rankings 2022 recently released by The Bankershows FirstBank leading the Nigerian table in four areas, the highest achieved by any Nigerian bank; only FirstBank leads in four areas. The rankings, based on the end of year 31 December 2021 audited financials of all banks in the Top 100, reveal FirstBank’s ranking as number one in Nigeria in terms of Overall Performance, Profitability, Efficiency and Return on Risk.
The magazine, which explained that its Top 100 African Banks ranking for 2022 demonstrates a broad return to stability by African banks after a torrid year for the continent’s largest lenders placed FirstBank among other banks in Nigeria because it happened to be the only bank that led in four areas.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited leads its peers in fifth place overall, displacing Guaranty Trust Bank, now in seventh place. Access Bank ranks in the eighth position, with Zenith Bank in 10th place.
Euromoney Rankings: FirstBank, Market Leader
In addition, in 2022, Euromoney Market Leaders, an independent global assessment of the leading financial service providers conducted by Euromoney Institutional Investor Plc crowned FirstBank as a market leader. The bank was rated as a tier one bank in the areas of corporate and social responsibility (CSR).
Not only that, but FirstBank also emerged as a market leader among the tier-one banks in the area of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
In the area of corporate banking and digital solution, FirstBank was highly regarded while it was crowned as a notable player in SME Banking for the period under review.
FirstBank was named “Best Bank Brand in Nigeria” for six years in a row – 2011 to 2016 – by The Banker magazine of the Financial Times Group; it was awarded “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” in the EMEA Finance African Banking Awards 2014; it has clinched the “Best Bank in Nigeria” award by Global Finance Magazine 15 times and the “Best Private Bank in Nigeria” by World Finance Magazine seven times. Some other recent awards received by the Bank are “Best Banking Brand Nigeria, 2019” by Global Brands Magazine; “Best Mobile Banking App – Nigeria, 2019” by Global Business Outlook and “Best Financial Inclusion Program – Nigeria, 2019 by International Investor.
In the words of FirstBank’s CEO, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, ‘what all these current ratings and recognitions demonstrate is that FirstBank is strongly back on course! Knowing this is only the beginning of a new era of return to the trailblazing position and that better times lie ahead we encourage our customers and other stakeholders to keep believing and keep standing by us.’
Banking on Robust Customer Service Network
Through the last 128 years of its operations, FirstBank has played a leading role in utilising its robust customer service network and digital banking architecture to support its customers – cutting across diverse cultures, tribes and races beyond the shores of Nigeria – in meeting their individual and business needs.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited operates as a parent company, with the subsidiaries FBNBank in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Senegal; FBN Bank UK Limited in the United Kingdom with a branch in Paris; First Bank Representative Office in Beijing to capture trade-related business between geographies. FirstBank also operates First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s foremost pension custodian. The teeming customers of the First Bank Group are serviced from a network of over 700 business locations across Africa.
African Researchers hold Symposium on Africa’s Development
A group of African researchers under the name Alafarika for Study and Consultancy had recently on August 26 and 27, 2022 organized a virtual symposium titled “Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in Africa”, which researchers in African affairs from Morocco, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Egypt, and the Central African Republic participated to come up with model for African Development. The participants commended the initiative for giving great importance to knowledge, its creation and dissemination, and considering it an initial and basic building block for developing and progressing in Africa.
The two-day session which dealt with a series of issues related to influencing African policy and politics with knowledge, the process of knowledge management for development; the role of the media in creating knowledge societies; and the challenges facing academic publishing and its potential solutions. The symposium also touched on the relationship between philosophy and human development in the African context and how revolutions and movements demanding change can be directed based on the knowledge that provides answers to the state-building and development that the continent needs in the twenty-first century and the digital age, in addition to the potential of investigative and data journalism to contribute to Africa’s prosperity.
Talking about creating knowledge societies and influencing African politics, the speakers revealed that consultancy institutions are one of the means of influencing knowledge creation processes if these institutions are rooted in local issues and are experts in initiatives that touch the needs of the population and citizens. The speakers stressed that civilizations and advanced societies throughout history have depended on knowledge and actors in disseminating human sciences. Despite the lack of interest of some current African governments in knowledge, its means and tools for its dissemination, the history of Africa, its civilizations and kingdoms in different regions confirmed that Africa has rich experience in this regard. What is required today is to study these historical achievements and support the creativity of young people that may limit the brain drain in many African countries, in addition to attaching the utmost importance to educational institutions and their outputs.
They stressed that knowledge management is a necessary process for development because it relates to many sensitive areas and is an essential means of successful management and that it elevates knowledge to the forefront of any government or political system’s success by emphasizing the knowledge capabilities of individuals, universities, and research institutions that facilitate access to knowledge, participation in it, distribution, preservation, and retrieval.
Talking about the impact of globalization and the rapid technological change in human societies, the speakers make knowledge the basis of domination and influence. Stating that all indicators show the strength of tomorrow’s world will be determined by the interest in human capital and the exploitation of the energies and capabilities of the continent’s population in sustainable human development. In terms of knowledge management and development, they are of the belief that there is a need to move from theories to real-life applications to meet the challenges of the continent and the rapid transformations in all fields without neglecting data technologies, which collect and categorize information to enable users of knowledge systems and services to access them when necessary. Pointing that all of these can be achieved through interviews and dialogues with experts and actors in national development policies, humanities, and modern methods that reflect positively on African societies and enable African countries to compete globally.
African Media Institutions are tasked with the process of creating knowledge society at a time when global media ignore the role of Africans in crystallizing global knowledge and the information explosion, without overlooking the fact that digital media plays some of the roles of traditional media, influencing different African societies and stages. Media roles are however agreed not be limited to the use of various means to highlight developments and experiences in African countries, their civilizations and history or to publicize their tourism sectors. Taking the information revolution and technological innovations the continent’s youth seize today in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and other African countries to develop the financial, agricultural, and health sectors into consideration, the relationship between the media and the dissemination of knowledge shows a relationship of mutual influence that can be observed in concepts related to human values, the crucible of communication and understanding.
Another means of developing and changing society is the process of scientific research and academic publishing. It was also agreed that one of the tools through which sustainable development can be achieved thereby addressing the challenges facing academic publishing in Africa and the weak governmental attention to the results of research projects and recommendations of conferences and research sessions that may contribute to promoting development.
While one of the crisis facing academic publishing in Africa is lack of publishing and distribution centres for works, academic books, and scientific journals within Africa, without forgetting that education curricula and teaching methods in several African countries are rooted in the colonial era and ideas that strengthen Western scientific institutions while weakening African scientific institutions that are already short of the necessary infrastructural resources.
Speakers in the “Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in Africa” symposium also pointed out that African philosophy can help us understand the problems facing the creation of knowledge and enhance the patterns of knowledge production that the continent needs. Furthermore, studying African history and philosophy may determine the African position towards modern science and contemporary issues, especially since knowledge based on African philosophical foundations may transform African societies into freer societies and can provide answers to the most important factors contributing to political, social, and economic inequality.
The COVID-19 crisis has shown the repercussions of the lack of independent and effective scientific research, sufficient scientific and technological resources, and the lack of manufacturing capabilities in the global south in general and Africa in particular. As a result, most African health care systems relied on the so-called “goodwill” of the global north and foreign vaccines.
The symposium also highlights that recent protests and political transformations in Africa indicated that most movements calling for change were not based on knowledge foundations that meet the state-building processes Africa needs in the twenty-first century. This is despite the fact that between 2005 and 2014, 40 out of 54 countries on the African continent witnessed widespread protests and uprisings in their various forms at the local and national levels. The knowledge equation lies in the repeated mistakes of these movements and that some of these uprisings often exacerbate the situation in the countries where they occur. Knowledge gaps can also be seen in the ideologies and parties that refuse to bring about the continent’s desired social and political changes.
In conclusion, the participants praised the role of investigative and data journalism in promoting African prosperity based on knowledge, as data and statistical information should contribute to achieving good governance and revealing corporate and institutional corruption and social injustice, in addition to presenting powerful and influential stories and revealing the truth. Thus, data is a mirror to confirm or deny a particular phenomenon or issue and a means of exploring its direction and foreseeing its future trend.
CBA FOUNDATION TAKES INTERVENTION AMONG UNDERPRIVILEGED WIDOWS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WITH THEIR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INITIATIVE
If indications from two separate but related events that were held few months ago are anything to go by, then one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups may be on the verge of experiencing better times. The events, hosted in two separate states/regions and split by a 20-day interval, held at a time when self-splurging by many young Nigerians was at octane levels, and saw young men and women behind an NGO that caters to the welfare of underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children, passionately putting the widows’ needs above their wants.
The NGO, CBA Foundation, its dedicated and passionate staff, some supporters and donors came out in their numbers on two dedicated days to give widows in selected communities in Lagos and Anambra a treat. The Lagos outreach benefitted, in a unique way, widows in six communities in Ibeju-Lekki, namely: Badore, Iberekodo, Museyo, Magbon Alade, Okunola Ilado and Magbon Iga.
CBA Foundation seized the opportunity of the outreach to launch a new initiative it tagged Social Enterprise Initiative. The Initiative, which is aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of all efforts to protect and promote the welfare of widows as well as their children, is to cater to the financial, mental and physical health needs of beneficiaries. The Initiative is designed to provide comprehensive support, including health interventions, skill acquisition, business set-up, food and drinks, clothes and shoes.It also includes general support for all affected widows.
The Founder/CEO of CBA Foundation, Mrs Chinwe Bode-Akinwande explained the reason for the Foundation’s shift to the new Initiative: “We have been doing outreaches and it has been non-stop, but the essence of this Social Enterprise Initiative is for the widows to have something that will sustain them even for a longer period, something that will give them hope, knowing that they have a sustainable source of livelihood and activities that remind them that they need to keep going.”
Continuing, she reveals when the idea for the new initiative began: “When the lockdown came during the peak of covid 19, we realised that there was a need again to have something sustainable for these women. With the Social Enterprise Initiative, we identify the skills they need to possess, and what they are passionate about, we also empower them with the necessary training and then set them up with all they need for the business. At the end of the day, they won’t have to wait daily for the CBA Foundation to give them food or clothing.”
Mrs Bode-Akinwande noted that the Initiative had been informed by a rigorous analysis of the data in their database, gathered over the years on widows whom they have reached out to and the support they have been receiving from both individual and corporate donors. She said that they had dimensioned all the critical issues from widows with critical needs, where the Foundation needed to begin its interventions, to widows who needed to be set up in business and to several widows’ children who needed to be reinstated back in school.
She also remarked that plans were underway at the Foundation to take the skills acquisition training further, beginning with adire-making (tie and dye). She announced that the Foundation would have a line of products that would be its adire pattern, displaying its unique signature. When sold, the net proceeds would be ploughed back into the Foundation as a constant stream of income.
The idea, the Foundation’s CEO stressed, would inspire the widows who show a keen interest in adire-making as they would be involved and exposed to its value chain which is essential to optimising their execution after their training. So, the adire-making training followed with tutorials on the step-by-step processes involved in it, materials needed and how to identify them, necessary safety precautions, various tie and dye techniques, packaging and distribution and how to make a living from adire-making.
For widows with impaired vision at the event, they were able to have free consultations with an ophthalmologist, get free eye tests and free reading glasses, courtesy of a partnership between FirstBank and Vision Spring. What followed when beneficiaries had the free reading glasses fitted and could see clearly were scenes similar to ones where people had experienced supernatural miracles. The ecstatic joy was palpable.
Take 59-year-old Hassanat Oyewunmi, for example. Tears of joy rolled freely from her eyes as she remarked that her farsightedness challenge had been addressed. She confessed excitedly that she felt “better, much better now with the glasses, and I can even see everyone clearly. It is good to know that we are not forgotten.”
Olabode Sadiat, 62, could not contain her joy as she wore her glasses and pointed in the distance, while indicating that she could see everything in her line of sight. She had suffered from a blurry vision that made reading her Bible difficult. “Nothing is more painful than not being able to read your Bible,” she had noted following the medical intervention.
The widows also received food, drinks, clothing and other materials that were distributed during the outreach. They were also given a final charge by Mrs Bode-Akinwande in which she reminded them that they were not alone and could always count on the support of the CBA Foundation.
In all, 165 widows across the six communities of Ibeju-Lekki benefitted when the Lagos outreach was held. The Anambra outreach, on the other hand, benefitted 75 widows from four communities in the Nnewi area of the state.
Food items and financial empowerment constituted the bulk of the support CBA Foundation gave the Anambra widows to celebrate the festive season. The Anambra initiative has enjoyed tremendous support from a donor who has been consistent over the past four years. The Founder of the Foundation expressed gratitude to the donor while remarking that the outreach is a source of enablement for the underprivileged widows and their children.
She continues: “We give hope to the hopeless. We are driven to support underprivileged widows to have a positive outlook on life despite the problems they experience by losing their loved one, mostly the breadwinner of the family.”
Both Lagos and Anambra outreaches were in some sense CBA Foundation’s way of giving underprivileged widows a “December to Remember” treat annually. Of course, that treat would at best be modest compared to how people who were not in any known vulnerable categories took care of themselves and themselves alone. Even with the best of intentions, CBA Foundation could only work with donations received from donors and supporters at a time of the year when most (young) people were dedicating more resources to the self-splurging that December has come to represent.
While it may not be in one’s place to dictate to others how they should spend the money they have worked so hard to make, one cannot help but try to point them to ways they could better dispense their hard-earned cash that would be in their enlightened self-interest. Or what sense is there in spending on oneself so lavishly and ostentatiously as though spending was going to go out of fashion at any moment only to provoke the have-nots to make one the target of their misdirected anger in a society that is largely dysfunctional?
A similar question should be addressed to the government and public officials: What sense is there in expending huge public resources on projects that have no direct bearing on the welfare of vulnerable groups when it only widens the gap between the haves (including public officials) and have-nots and exacerbates the conditions that heighten security concerns among the haves? At what point will the government, public officials and the privileged class start acting in their enlightened self-interest by committing genuine efforts to narrow the gap between those who have and those who can only wish?
It is high time public officials and the privileged began building strong coalitions and partnerships with groups and organisations that have been working to protect and support as well as advocate for the vulnerable for years now. They must begin to key into and support the organisations’ laudable initiatives that show great potential in helping to narrow the frightening gap.
CBA Foundation’s Social Enterprise Initiative represents one of such laudable initiatives. It is a well-thought-out initiative capable of transforming the existing arrangement for care and support of vulnerable groups such as underprivileged widows and their children and taking their welfare to the next level. The Government, individuals as well as corporate organisations must join hands with the Foundation if the Initiative is to have any chance of success.
Through its avowed commitment to “touching lives, giving hope…” not in mere words and empty promises but genuine and visible action on the ground (see ample examples captured on its website: www.cbafoundation.org), CBA Foundation has already demonstrated its readiness to do more with additional support. It has shown that it is living true to its #CareIsAction DNA and can thus be trusted with more support. The Social Enterprise Initiative, therefore, will be delighted to have interested partners (individuals and corporate bodies) to send an email to: cbafoundationng@gmail.com to partner with the Foundation in the drive to take the welfare of underprivileged widows to the next level where its long-term sustainability is guaranteed.
