General
Dissecting John Emeka’s Manifesto for Anambra State
By Edwin Emeka
Like any other state in the sub-Saharan Africa, Anambra is a state that has its own strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. How these threats and weaknesses are harnessed and turned in to assets for the overall development and wellbeing of the state and its people should however be the ultimate concern and pre-occupation among aspirants who seeks to govern the state in governorship capacity.
While not leaving out its strengths and opportunities to nosedive into a terrible nightmare, aspirants for the Anambra seat of power in Awka should be candid and truthful enough to admit that while the state is among the best states in Nigeria, it has not by any means realized its full potentials.
And like we all know from our basic knowledge of Physics, potential energy is the energy that is at rest. This energy would remain in a state of permanent rest until an outside force is applied to it to set it in motion.
Precisely on the 27th of this month, Anambra State would be marking her 26 years of existence after it was created as a full independent state on August 27, 1991 by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
Twenty-six years in the life of any man should be full of many positives, but what is the reality confronting Anambrarians today? Your guess is as good as mine!
In spite of these challenges, Anambra has great sons and daughter who will truly make the state great again. One of such rare gem among the array of aspirants jostling to succeed the outgoing Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano is Prince John Okechukwu Emeka, a man the Anambra state electorates have pencilled down to be their next Governor.
Somebody recently called me to ask why I am supporting this young and assuasive Prince from Anambra North Senatorial District to become the Governor of the light of the nation, my response to him was very simple. His manifesto is the best among the aspirants and his long established political ideology is developmental orientated.
For Instance, his six-points agenda under the Sustainable Development Action Plan captured the most pressing needs confronting Anambrarians of all ages, class and ideology.
As a political journalist, I am not married to persons, but good ideologies. It is this strong ideology that bonds people together ideologically, politically, socially and otherwise. Therefore, reading his manifesto, which has gone viral online, is like reciting my political beliefs as a journalist and as political operative in front of my standing mirror.
Before, I move further on Prince Emeka’s campaign manifesto for the November 18 governorship race in Anambra state, I want to quote some paragraphs from few of his many enthralling and inspiring speeches.
On what should be the qualities that the incoming Governor of the state must possess, here is what Prince John Emeka has to say: ”I believe we need as Governor, someone…who will not deviate while grappling with challenges of office, a Governor who understands that government is a continuum, a good manager of scarce resources, a defender of our core social values, a Governor with a listening ear and in touch with the people.”
Reaffirming that his word is his word, here again is what the Anambra Prince has to say: ”Fellow citizens, we are made for this moment and we shall seize it together. I am in this race so that I will fight for the cause you and I believe in – good governance.
“Under my watch, no zone, no community and no one shall be left behind … If elected as Governor, my administration will drive growth and development via Sustainable Development Action Plan.”
These action plans are modelled after the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted by world leaders in September 2015 with home grown inputs and strategies by Prince Emeka.
The Sustainable Development Goal is a guide to the role government, private sectors, and nongovernmental organizations as well as other development agencies and partners should play in achieving the global development agenda.
Based on the peculiar nature and needs of Anambra State, Prince John Emeka painstakingly crafted his 6-point agenda for Anambra with local content. The 6-point agenda are; Security, Education, Environment, Agriculture, Trade and Industry and finally Infrastructure.
The first agenda which is Security is based on SDG11 whose goal is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
The second agenda which is Education is based on SDG4 whose goal is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The third agenda which is Environment is based on SDG6 whose goal is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
The fourth agenda which is Agriculture is SDG2 whose goal is to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
The fifth agenda which is Trade and Industry is based on SDG8 and SDG1 whose goals are to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and descent work for all as well as ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.
The sixth and the last agenda which is Infrastructure is based on SDG9 whose goal is to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
These United Nations backed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) which Prince John Emeka modeled his 6-point agenda after, were clearly crated and anchored on the Sustainable Development Action Plan for Anambra, where a touch of local content was given to it to suit the peculiarities of Anambra State and its people.
With these lofty ideas in mind, all that is required from Anambrarians both at the PDP Primary election and at the general elections are impressive electoral investments to solidify trust already invested in this young, talented and entrepreneurial minded Prince on August 19 and November 18 respectively.
These days would mark the beginning of the new vista of unending and equal opportunities for all persons in Anambra State.
Mr Edwin Emeka, a Public Affairs Analyst wrote from Abuja and can be reached on [email protected].
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A report released by Spotify has revealed that in 2024, Apostle Femi Lazarus was the most streamed podcast on its platform, closely followed by Motivation Daily by Motiversity.
Podcasts are one of Africa’s favourite ways to tell stories. With almost 4 billion minutes of podcast audio played in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, the continent’s appetite for this content is loud and clear.
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya listened to the most shows this year, with South Africa contributing over 2 billion minutes. If you started playing podcasts on one device today, it would make for about 30 centuries of listening.
“The numbers don’t lie. Podcasting is here to stay because it lets creators take control of their narratives and tell these stories on their terms while bringing their community along for the journey,” the Sub-Saharan Africa Podcast Manager for Spotify, Ncebakazi Manzi, stated.
Motivational shows around issues like managing finances, relationships, personal goals and health remain popular across the three leading countries. Shows like “The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett”, “Motivation Daily by Motiversity” and “The Success Addicted Podcast” have attracted listeners who want to get their lives in order and learn from the stories of inspirational people.
Audiences in Nigeria and South Africa embrace shows about spirituality. “Christian Motivation” had one of the most shared episodes in South Africa while “Apostle Joshua Selman” maintained his popularity in Nigeria for another year. As the continent’s second-largest podcast market, Nigeria listened to 700 million minutes in 2024 and it created half of the new shows published in Sub-Saharan Africa this year.
Even though spirituality dominated Nigeria’s top charts, the continued popularity of shows like “I Said What I Said” and “The HonestBunch Podcast” tell us that listeners also want conversation-style shows. Listeners in Kenya and South Africa also showed an affinity toward these shows.
A good laugh with friends
The “ShxtsnGigs” podcast, an opinion show hosted by two best friends James and Fuhad, tapped into audiences’ hunger for conversational shows. The humorous podcast has made its way to the top charts in six of the top 10 podcast-playing African countries. In Kenya, The 97s Podcast has been inspired by this approach where funny and frank chats between hosts Trevor, Frank and Dante have led the podcast to take the number-one spot in the country for the first time.
Kenya’s broader listening data shows that relationships are a meaningful taking point. Seven of the 10 most shared episodes in the country discuss love, sex lives and dating. Julia Gaitho’s “So This Is Love” holds three out of the top five most shared podcast episodes in the country. Her interviews resonated because she draws lessons from her guest’s stories about lost lovers.
Some listeners just wanted to laugh through the pain. Ensemble shows like “Mic Cheque Podcast” and “The Sandwich Podcast” made Kenyans feel like they were hanging out with a close circle of friends. When difficult topics come up, moments of infectious laughter help lighten the mood.
Women creators like Murugi Munyi, Julia Gaitho, Sharon Machira and Lydia K.M. take this comedic approach to a new level on shows like “The Messy Inbetween” and ‘It’s Related, I Promise’. This genre contributed heavily to the country’s 400 million podcast minutes streamed in 2024.
Below are the most streamed and shared podcasts for the year;
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TOP STREAMED PODCASTS IN SOUTH AFRICA |
TOP STREAMED PODCASTS IN NIGERIA |
TOP STREAMED PODCASTS IN KENYA |
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2. Motivation Daily by Motiversity 3. Success Addicted Podcast with the voice of Earl Nightingale ; Napoleon Hill ; Jim Rohn and many more |
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TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN SOUTH AFRICA |
TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN KENYA |
TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN NIGERIA |
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By Dipo Olowookere
A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.
WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.
By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.
As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.
This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.
“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.
“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.
“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.
“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing a directive that gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) be halted.
In a statement on Wednesday, the authority also denied instructing wholesale gas suppliers to stop further supply of gas to companies due to failure in payment obligations.
The NMDPRA described reports stating that it has directed the stoppage of gas supply to GenCos over N2 trillion debt as “false and completely unfounded”.
“It has absolutely no bearing on the information shared at a recent stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos between the Authority, the OPTS, IPPG and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,” the NMDPRA said.
“The purpose of the engagement was to sensitise stakeholders on the requirements, opportunities and benefits associated with the implementation of the wholesale supply license as provided by sections 142 and 197 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“It was a follow-up to an earlier stakeholder engagement held at the NMDPRA corporate headquarters in Abuja on November 27, 2024.
“The Authority wishes to reassure all our stakeholders and indeed the general public that at no time was the false statement made at that event and anywhere else, and are advised to completely disregard the publication as every effort is being made to ensure that the supply and distribution of natural gas and petroleum products to end users is seamless and unabated as we head into the festive season and indeed all through the coming year 2025.”
Recall that Nigeria’s national grid experienced another collapse on Wednesday, the 11th time in 2024 as Gencos couldn’t generate enough power, compounding issues facing the Nigerian power sector.
This was the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shutdown in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
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