Feature/OPED
Anambra Governorship Poll 2021: Ruminating over Soludo’s Candidacy
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the nation’s electoral umpire, recently, in furtherance of its powers conferred on it by the Constitution, the Electoral Act and all other powers enabling it in that regard, fixed November 6, 2021, as the date for the conduct of the Anambra governorship poll.
Unlike other communication from public offices which are ‘self-undermining and often always reputed for encouraging complacency, there are some interesting instincts and reactions in Anambra State about the latest release by INEC.
Out of many, two are considered significant to the present discourse.
First, as a complex state with complex political problems, the INEC update has again resonated how issues such as; godfatherism, power rotation, the agitation for the breakaway state of Biafra and intra-party disagreements will determine the governorship election in the state.
Secondly, it has elicited over 30 political gladiators from the three major political parties in the state jostling for the governorship position. These political parties are All Progressive Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic (PDP) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Interestingly also, a superficial look at the list reveals that they appear qualified for the number one job by virtue of constitutional provisions enshrined in the nation’s 1999 constitution(as amended).
But there is an inherent challenge.
When the list is further subjected to scrutiny or faced with embarrassing facts, it, in absolute terms, becomes obvious that while some are truly contenders who are ready to deploy what they have learned abroad to make informed public policies and reforms in the state if given the opportunity, others come into view more as pretenders that are neither capped, nor laced with the authentic leadership prowess needed to govern a state like Anambra.
These contenders looking at their track records and pedigrees are not leadership-focused but out to promote political discord in the state in ways that will undermine its development or better still keep the state on its knees.
This particular group (pretenders) belongs to the class that in the past viewed public offices as an opportunity for private gain as against an avenue for the public good. The time-honoured principle of the greater good for greater numbers does not exist in their leadership lexicon.
Before providing answers to how Ndi-Anambra can make the 2021 governorship election rewarding, there is a need to again, give a background to why the state has become a political flashpoint and currently needs a shift in political/leadership philosophy, vision and paradigm.
For the past two decades, when democracy re-emerged on the political surface called Nigeria, a fierce war has been raging between political and social forces in the state over the control of the state’s treasury and other political apparatus.
As a direct consequence, a long dark shadow was cast on the state and the people starved of developmental strides. Save for the leadership sagacity in the strategic economic reforms of Mr Peter Obi, remarkable former Anambra State governor, the state had no good record of survival.
While the piece has laid the groundwork that set the stage for the atrocities in the state, there is also how the defective provisions in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution contribute to the state’s political malfeasances.
Beginning with the local government mal-administration, the 1999 Constitution currently being operated empowers state governors to appoint chairpersons of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC), the electoral umpires mandated to conduct local government elections in the 36 states of the federation.
As the situation stands, says a report, there is some ambiguity as to whether the state governors can dissolve local councils before elections are conducted at the expiration of their tenure, but often, state governors capitalise on this ambiguity to dissolve local councils at the end of their tenure and appoint caretaker committees. Often, these committees are staffed with cronies and party sympathizers’.
Anambra State is a vivid example of a state where caretaker committees took charge of local council affairs for about 10 years under four successive governors; Chris Ngige, Peter Obi, Andy Uba and Virginia Etiaba and again Peter Obi, who towards the end of his administration, organised election on January 11, 2014.
Those elected have vacated their positions since 2016. As of the time of filing this report, no local council elections have been held in the state since the dissolution under Governor Willy Obiano’s led administration.
As an incentive to end this vicious circle of political/leadership poverty and other ingrained socioeconomic situations in the state, given their globally recognizable enterprising and entrepreneurial bents with a strong bias to trade and commerce, this is what this piece proposes, there is an urgent need for Ndi-Anambra to challenge the human spirit and through the process, demand the best.
Like faith which is said to be a belief in things not seen, it will, in the opinion of this piece, be most rewarding if the state supports the likes of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, former governor and chairman of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Soludo was named CBN governor on May 29, 2004, and also a member of the British Department for International Development’s International Advisory Group.
Aside from the awareness that as a dynamic leader, Soludo tends to be exceptionally good in painting a clear vision that inspires and motivates the populace, the reason for this decision is predicated on new global awareness that presently views leadership not from a unitary perspective but as a development-focused.
Looking at commentary, Soludo, a self-contained and quietly influential governorship aspirant on the platform of APGA in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election, can at the most fundamental levels, bring a radical improvement and achieve sustainable development in a way that both protects the rights and opportunities of coming generations without presenting himself as all-knowing, more generous, more nationalistic, selfless, more honest or kind, more intelligent, good looking or well-briefed than other stakeholders.
This indication emerged recently during an interactive session with journalists in Awka, the Anambra headquarters. Where Soludo among other things noted that what drives his ambition is to build a prosperous homeland, which will create a disincentive for its citizens going elsewhere to look for opportunities.
Soludo said he would like to live in Anambra State for the rest of his life and would like his children who “are living in exile to return to Nigeria and live in an Anambra State that will be liveable.”
Though Soludo was silent on what presently makes Anambra not liveable or how he plans to change the narrative, that notwithstanding, the truth is that there is something fundamentally wrong with the state.
With the exception of Mr Peter Obi, successive administrations in the state have defined leadership too narrowly. Therefore, to change the system and bring far-reaching reforms, it will need the intervention of a development minded individual like Soludo.
He sees leadership as the ability to build an economy and a society with an all-encompassing improvement, ‘a process that builds on itself and involves both individuals and social change. And requires growth and structural change, with some measures of distributive equity, modernization in social and cultural attitudes, a degree of political transformation and stability, an improvement in health and education so that population growth stabilizes, and an increase in urban living and employment.’
Yes! Ndi Anambra needs to take Soludo because they have the obligation to guarantee the future of their children and state. And more importantly, because their individual salvation to a large extent depends on their collective salvation.
Jerome-Mario Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via [email protected]/08032725374.
Nigeria’s financial services industry stands at a decisive crossroads as technology leaders prepare for the January 1, 2027, data residency deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The regulatory mandate requiring all payment transaction records, customer personally identifiable information (PII), and account ledgers to reside within domestic data centres is forcing a structural re-evaluation of banking IT architectures. For executive teams across the country, navigating this transition without interrupting daily banking operations is becoming the ultimate test of leadership.
For years, the industry’s reliance on foreign hyperscale providers delivered quick elasticity and global tools. However, transferring entire production stacks – encompassing real-time transaction processing, API gateways, and fraud scoring engines – back to local infrastructure requires significant engineering effort. With the country handling billions of electronic transactions annually, CIOs are seeking to preserve system uptime while severing deep operational dependencies on foreign data centres.
Experts have opined that the core challenge confronting financial technology teams is the lack of empirical, vendor-neutral benchmarks for domestic cloud platforms. Evaluating whether local data centres can sustain mission-critical financial traffic requires rigorous stress testing rather than relying on theoretical SLAs. The risk of potential downtime during a live migration makes vendor vetting the most crucial phase of the compliance roadmap.
To mitigate these operational risks, infrastructure partners like MTN are mobilising domestic capacity and technical insights tailored for the financial sector. By offering sovereign cloud solutions and collaborative engineering frameworks, MTN is helping CIOs and startups navigate the migration path with minimal disruption. Their localised infrastructure serves as an operational bridge, providing the uptime and data sovereignty assurances that both institutions and regulators require.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer for MTN Nigeria, put it succinctly when she explained the upside of hosting data locally: “Hosting locally means lower latency, faster response times, and compliance with Nigeria’s data regulations. More importantly, it gives Nigerian businesses control, keeping sensitive financial, health, and government data within national borders.”
As the January 2027 benchmark approaches, the metric for success will depend on technical execution and operational discipline across companies.
By Osasikemwen Ighile
For many Nigerian families, the summer holiday is a season of fun, relaxation, and spending quality time together. But with the kids at home, more outings, higher electricity consumption, and extra entertainment costs, it’s also a period when expenses can quietly pile up.
The good news? You don’t have to choose between making memories and managing your finances. With a few smart habits, you can enjoy the holidays while keeping your savings goals on track.
Here are five practical ways to save smarter this summer.
1. Ditch Cash and Spend Smarter
Ever noticed how cash disappears faster than you expected? Whether it’s buying snacks for the kids, paying for transport, or making quick market runs, spending cash can make it difficult to track where your money goes.
Using a debit card can make it easier to track transactions and monitor spending. FairMoney customers can use their debit card for eligible transactions, subject to applicable terms and conditions. You can make payments conveniently at stores, shop online, and easily monitor your transactions. Instead of carrying cash everywhere, you get a clearer picture of your expenses and can avoid unnecessary impulse purchases.
Small changes like this can make a big difference over the course of the holiday.
2. The Kids Are Home—Stay Ahead of Your Utility Bills
School holidays often mean one thing: the TV is almost always on. From cartoons in the morning to football matches in the evening, your cable subscription becomes more important than ever. Add fans, air conditioners, gaming consoles, and other appliances, and it’s easy to see why electricity bills tend to increase during this period.
Rather than waiting until services are disconnected, planning and paying bills on time help households avoid unnecessary late-payment or reconnection charges. FairMoney customers can pay eligible bills and services through the platform, subject to applicable terms and service availability. You can conveniently pay for Cable TV subscriptions, Electricity bills, Internet subscriptions, Airtime and data for the entire family.
Paying bills on time can help reduce the risk of late payment consequences or applicable reconnection charges. Summer is filled with birthdays, outings, family visits, and spontaneous spending. While these moments are worth enjoying, your savings shouldn’t take a holiday.
3. Enjoy the Holidays—but Don’t Pause Your Savings
A simple strategy is to save first before spending. FairMoney customers can also use eligible savings products, such as FairSave and FairTarget, to set aside money towards specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements, even if it’s in small amounts. Already planning for the next school term? FairMoney customers can also use eligible savings products, such as FairSave and FairTarget, to set aside money towards specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements. Already planning for the next school term? Consider setting aside money regularly towards your school-fee goal. FairTarget can be used to help you organise savings around specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements. By starting early and saving consistently, you can better prepare for school-related expenses when the new term begins.
4. Plan Weekly Family Activities Instead of Daily Spending
The holidays don’t have to be expensive to be memorable. Instead of spending money every day on outings, cinemas, or restaurants, create a simple weekly activity plan. One weekend could be a family movie night at home. Another could be a picnic in a nearby park, a cooking competition, indoor games, or a visit to relatives.
Planning activities ahead helps you control spending while still giving everyone something to look forward to. Sometimes, the best memories cost very little.
5. Buy Household Essentials in Bulk
With everyone at home, groceries seem to disappear twice as fast. Instead of making frequent trips to the store, which often lead to impulse purchases, consider buying regularly used items in bulk.
Depending on the retailer and quantity purchased, some household essentials may offer better value when purchased in bulk.. You’ll spend less on transportation, reduce unplanned shopping, and avoid running out of important items.
Summer should be about creating happy memories not financial headaches. By spending more intentionally, paying your bills on time, planning ahead, and staying committed to your savings goals, you can enjoy everything the season has to offer without putting unnecessary pressure on your finances.
A few smart habits today can make the months ahead much easier. And that’s a win for every household.
Osasikemwen Ighile is the Brand Manager for FairMoney Microfinance Bank
Feature/OPED
Beyond the Screen: How Sports and Entertainment Keep Nigeria’s Economy Moving
When we talk about Nigeria’s economy, the conversation usually centres on oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing and technology. But there is another industry quietly creating jobs and driving economic activity: entertainment and sports. Most times, we only see the finished product. We watch the show, cheer during the match and move on to the […]
When we talk about Nigeria’s economy, the conversation usually centres on oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing and technology. But there is another industry quietly creating jobs and driving economic activity: entertainment and sports. Most times, we only see the finished product. We watch the show, cheer during the match and move on to the next thing. What we do not always see is the amount of work that happens before those moments reach our screens.
Take Big Brother Naija
When viewers tune in and see the housemates moving around the Big Brother house, it is easy to forget that the house itself is a product of many people’s work. From the interior designers and set builders who create the spaces to the electricians, carpenters, painters and technicians who bring them to life, an entire team works behind the scenes before the first episode even begins.
Once the cameras start rolling, the list gets even longer. Producers, directors, camera operators, sound engineers, editors, stylists, makeup artists, caterers, production assistants and security personnel all have a role to play. Then there is everything that happens outside the house. Publicists, photographers, videographers, digital teams, content creators and media platforms all contribute to keeping the conversation going. The housemates may be the faces audiences remember, but they are only one part of a much bigger entertainment ecosystem.
Sports have a similar impact
When the Super Falcons play a major game, the focus is naturally on the players and what happens on the pitch. But outside the stadium, the game can mean business for viewing centres, food vendors, restaurants and bars. Sports analysts and commentators have more to cover, content creators have something new to create around and businesses selling jerseys and football merchandise get an opportunity to make sales.
A major sporting event can turn an ordinary evening into a busy one for businesses that have little to do with what happens on the pitch. That is the part of sports and entertainment that is easy to overlook. The value is not only in the stars we see or the content we consume. It is also in the network of people whose skills and businesses keep these industries moving.
And this is where DStv and GOtv become an important part of the picture. They do more than give audiences access to the shows, matches and moments they care about. They connect the people producing this content with millions of viewers who keep the industry going.
Every time someone tunes in to Big Brother Naija, follows the Super Falcons or settles in for a major sporting event, they are engaging with an industry that supports producers, creatives, technicians, businesses and other professionals.
The impact of sports and entertainment, therefore, goes beyond what happens on the screen. By bringing some of the biggest entertainment and sporting moments to Nigerian audiences, DStv and GOtv help keep this ecosystem active, visible and working. Because sometimes, when we sit down to watch, we are not just consuming entertainment. We are also supporting an industry that provides jobs.
