General
Don’t Extend Lockdown Without Better Palliative Measures—CNPP Warns FG, States
Federal and state governments in Nigeria have been asked to consider the consequences of extending lockdown of Lagos and Ogun States as well as Abuja without putting in place better palliative plans.
This warning came from a group known as the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) through a statement signed by its Secretary General, Mr Willy Ezugwu.
Last week, the 14-day lockdown in the three places commenced and reports showed that the compliance level was low. The action, cessation of movement, was taken in the first place to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
There have been speculations that the two-week lockdown may be extended due to the low compliance level, but CNPP said if proper palliative measures are not put in place, especially food and other basic necessities, there might be trouble.
In the statement, the group drew the attention of the federal government to the need to support local production of medical equipment and drugs to manage the Coronavirus pandemic rather than depending on the Chinese government for equipment and personal protective gears.
“When the federal government announced a 14-day lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States as part of measures aimed at containing the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, we were fully in support of the efforts.
“We supported the initiative by President Muhammadu Buhari after his broadcast to the nation because the government had a palliative plan for citizens during the period.
“However, the events of last few days have clearly shown that the government at both the federal and state levels were totally as unprepared to mitigate the pains of the lockdown as Nigerians themselves.
“Having closely monitored the distribution of palliative packages, including federal government’s conditional cash transfer, we are totally disappointed that the citizens have continued to endure pains and hardships, including severe hunger, in hope that the pandemic will be contained within the 14 days of lockdown.
“But we are shocked by insinuations from the federal and state governments of possible extension of the lockdown and we warn that any extension of the COVID-19 lockdown may meet a brick wall if the shoddy soothing of the pains of citizens occasioned by hunger was not addressed.
“We are afraid that from the fillers we are getting, the masses may resort to civil disobedience in event of extension of the lockdown, which may make enforcement of the order very difficult. As they say, a hungry man is an angry man.
“More are more Nigerians have exhausted their little provisions and food stuff and keeping them at home longer than 14 days in the manner many citizens have endured in the last one week will be extremely difficult, particularly with most members of the population depending on daily incomes to survive.
“We also urge the federal government to look inward for procurement of basic equipment and protective gears for medical personnel as we continue to confront the COVID-19 infection.
“We have, in the last one week, received the news of Nigerians producing the much needed face masks in Aba, Abia State and we strongly urge the federal and state governments to support such local manufacturing of disposables as other countries of the world also need same preventive kits.
“Nigeria is well endowed with capable medical personnel and the invitation of the Chinese to help us combat the coronavirus pandemic is more like passing a vote of no confidence on the Nigerian medical professionals, no matter how the government explain it.
“One lesson we must learn from the coronavirus disease experience is that it’s high time we heavily invested in our national and state healthcare system.
“We have seen that medical tourism has failed as nations have shut down their borders and airspace to control the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. We must now support local production of healthcare equipment as we urge the government to rejig Nigeria’s medical architecture,” the CNPP stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
