General
2019: Itsekiris Back Emmanuel Uduaghan for Senate
By Dipo Olowookere
Immediate-past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has received yet another boost which will help reinforce his senatorial ambition as the tempo of political activities increases ahead of the 2019 general elections.
This time around, one of the three ethnic groups making up the Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State, the Itsekiris, have thrown its weight behind the former governor citing his pedigree and antecedents as reasons for their unwavering support.
Speaking recently on behalf of the ethnic group, the president of a political pressure group, Itsekiri Movement for Good Governance (IMGG), Mr Jolomi Oritsegbemi, said aside from Dr Uduaghan’s influence which will positively rob off on the development of the entire state, the Itsekiri had had the least representation at the National Assembly over the years.
According to him, “It is the turn of Itsekiri to produce a senator representing Delta South and Dr Uduaghan is the only Itsekiri man who will make us reap the dividends of democracy come 2019. He is a true son, a man of the people who believes in developments and impacting lives. Over time, he has proven this, even when he was the governor of the state for eight years. In fact, this is the kind of leader Nigerians need to move the nation forward.
“It is only the Itsekiri ethnic nationality that has not produced a senator to represent the district since 1999. In the interest of equity and fair play, this should be our turn without any arguments. It is time to prove that Itsekiri people are not made to deliberately play the second fiddle to the other tribes.”
He further reminded Deltans that an Itsekiri man was last in the senate 39 years ago. “Itsekiri also had two federal constituencies, where late Vincent Jemide and late Sunny Dabor represented them. The two federal constituencies were to be reduced to one when Chief Chamberlain Abeki from Patani LGA, was appointed as national commissioner into the then Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO,” revealed Mr Oritsegbemi.
From 1979 till the current dispensation, five senators have represented Delta South Senatorial District. Out of these five, two were from Isoko (Senator Stella Omu and Senator Francis Okpozo of blessed memory) and another two were from the Ijaw tribe (Chief E.K Clark and Senator James Manager, the incumbent). The first and only senator who was from the Itsekiri stock was Chief Franklin O. M Atake in 1979.
Interestingly, the incumbent senator, James Manager, an Ijaw man has been returned to the senate on four occasions consecutively. By the end of 2019, James Manager would have spent a total of 16 years in the Red Chambers and feelers from the district reveal that the people are tired of his representation.
All the ethnic groups feel that being a position for the three groups in the Delta South, either an Isoko or Itsekiri should be favoured for the post this time around.
From all indications, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan is highly positioned to grab the senate seat considering that he withdrew from the race in 2015 to ensure that peace reigned in the state and he has always maintained that peace was more important than electoral victories.
Dr Uduaghan’s developmental strides, while he was the governor of the state, speak volumes. Most of his legacies are still being enjoyed in the state presently.
In a related development, Pa Daniel Pessu, a former Delta State lawmaker who is 96 years old now, has declared his support for the former governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan senatorial bid.
Speaking on behalf of six of the 30 surviving former lawmakers in the state, Pa Daniel who represented Warri South constituency in the then Bendel State House of Assembly between 1979 and 1983 thanks Dr Uduaghan for taking care of them while he was governor of the state. He also prayed for his success at the polls in 2019.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), established in 2019 as part of a 16-year legacy of UK-funded infrastructure support to Nigeria, convened over 100 senior stakeholders on Tuesday, December 2, to review its progress and formally close out its current phase of operations.
The event brought together representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, development finance institutions, and the private sector to reflect on UKNIAF’s work across the power, infrastructure finance, and roads sectors. Discussions focused on institutional reforms, capacity development, and the sustainability of tools and processes introduced over the past six years.
Since inception, UKNIAF has delivered targeted technical assistance designed to embed evidence-based reforms, data-driven decision-making, and improved institutional performance. Its interventions have mobilised significant financing, strengthened regulatory and planning systems, and enhanced investor readiness across multiple infrastructure markets.
In the power sector, participants highlighted landmark achievements including the development of Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a least-cost and low-carbon pathway for expanding electricity supply. UKNIAF also supported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in building advanced real-time data capabilities for tariff monitoring, grid management, and outage tracking. The programme enabled pioneering states to establish their own electricity markets following constitutional reforms.
In infrastructure finance, UKNIAF was recognised for strengthening project preparation systems and enabling access to capital. Notable accomplishments include supporting the mobilisation of $75 million from the African Development Bank to the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme in two states, and accelerating mini-grid and solar deployment through improved technical standards at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
UKNIAF also designed a national project preparation facility, for which N21 billion was allocated in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to build a pipeline of bankable projects.
Speaking on this, Mr Frank Edozie, UKNIAF Team Lead, described the programme’s close-out as a “handover for sustained delivery,” emphasising that strengthened institutions now hold tools that make Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape more transparent, climate-smart, and investor-ready.
On his part, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, commended the programme, noting that its technical assistance and advisory services had helped lay the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive electricity supply industry.
Mrs Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Corporation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, praised the partnership, highlighting achievements ranging from state-level electricity market reforms to unlocking major financing and designing Nigeria’s Climate Change Fund.
Enugu State Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, underscored the lasting influence of the programme, stating that UKNIAF’s impact continues through the expertise and leadership transferred to national and sub-national institutions.
The close-out event reaffirmed stakeholders’ commitment to sustaining tools, reforms, and knowledge products developed under UKNIAF, while strengthening collaboration among public, private, and development actors in the infrastructure ecosystem.
Participants included federal and state agencies such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, NERC, REA, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, alongside development partners including the African Development Bank, World Bank, and IFC, as well as private sector and civil society stakeholders.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has been slashed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The Lagos-based oil facility brought down the ex-depot price of the petroleum product by 15.58 per cent or N129 per litre to N828 per litre.
Though the company had yet to release an official statement on this development, real-time market data on Petroleumprice.ng on Friday showed the new price.
Punch reports that data from the platform also showed fresh reductions across several private depots following the refinery’s latest review.
Sigmund Depot cut its ex-depot price by N4 to N824 per litre, Bulk Strategic dropped its price by N3, and TechnoOil slashed its by N15.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, has inaugurated a new board for the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) with a renewed push to expand agricultural lending through technology, innovation and deeper financial inclusion.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, Mr Cardoso said the scheme, established in 1977, remains a critical instrument for de-risking credit to farmers nationwide.
“The ACGSF has demonstrated enormous value in supporting Nigeria’s food system. With repayment rates consistently between 90 and 98 percent, it is clear that farmers can deliver when given access to credit,” he said.
The CBN Governor stressed the need for a more modernised approach to agricultural finance.
“We must scale up innovation, deepen inclusion and deploy technology to ensure that more farmers, especially women and youth, can benefit from this scheme,” Mr Cardoso stated, charging the new board to strengthen collaboration with financial institutions while ensuring real-time tracking and monitoring of loans to improve productivity and safeguard the fund’s integrity.
The newly inaugurated Board is chaired by Dr Olusegun Oshin, with members including Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Mr Frank Satumari Kudla, Ms Olusola Sowemimo, Ms Adetoun Abbi-Olaniyan and Mr Wondi Philip Ndanusa.
Mr Cardoso expressed confidence in the team’s ability to reposition agricultural credit delivery.
“This Board comes at a crucial time. We expect stronger oversight, improved efficiency and a renewed focus on rural livelihoods,” he said.
According to a statement from the apex bank, Deputy Governors, Directors and senior officials of the bank were present at the ceremony.
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