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Court Quashes Suit Against NIPC Over Use of IGR

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Yewande Sadiku NIPC spend IGR

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A suit filed against the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) by a member of its governing council, Mr Ali Sani, has been quashed by a federal high court sitting in Abuja.

The matter was struck out by the court on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 on the grounds that the plaintiff lacked locus/legal right to bring the suit because it was statute-barred.

Mr Sani had instituted the action on November 25, 2019, seeking to restrain NIPC, the Chairman of NIPC and the Executive Secretary of NIPC from appropriating and spending funds realised as internally generated revenue (IGR).

He also filed an ex parte application and interlocutory application for an injunction to restrain the commission from further spending its IGR for 2018, 2019 and 2020.

On December 17, 2019, Justice A. I. Chikere of the Federal High Court granted an interim order, restraining NIPC from appropriating and spending its IGR pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for injunction.

Following the grant of the interim order, NIPC was unable to fund most of its activities and meet a large percentage of its 3rd party contractual obligations.

But counsel to the defendants, Messrs Afe Babalola & Co, through the lead counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, filed a preliminary objection to the suit and a counter-affidavit against the motion for interlocutory injunction, arguing that the plaintiff had no legal right to file the suit as he was part of the governing council, which approved the expenditure of the IGR.

The defendants counsel also argued that the plaintiff cannot ask the court to restrain NIPC from exercising its statutory powers to spend funds duly approved for spending in accordance with extant laws.

The counsel asked the court to strike out the suit on the ground that it was statute-barred and that the plaintiff lacks the locus to file the suit.

In its ruling on the motion for injunction, the court held that the plaintiff had no legal right to file the suit as the court cannot grant a relief to restrain an executive body from exercising its statutory powers.

The court held further that in any case, the application was seeking to restrain the spending of an IGR that had already been duly spent in 2018 and 2019.

Whilst ruling on the preliminary objection filed by the defendants, the court struck out the name of the Chairman of NIPC, which is non-existent on the ground that the said name is a non-juristic person in law.

The court then struck out the substantive suit on the ground that it was statute-barred, having been filed more than a year after the accrual of the cause of action in line with the provisions of Section 2 (a) of the Public Officers Protection Act and as such, the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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British Council Hosts Going Global Africa Conference in Abuja

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Going Global Africa Conference

The British Council, a UK-based organization dedicated to fostering cultural relations and educational opportunities, hosted the Going Global Africa Conference 2024.

The event, which took place from November 26 to 28 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, was themed Building Sustainable and Relevant Tertiary Education Institutions and Systems in Africa.

It brought together policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and youth advocates to address critical issues in tertiary education across the continent.

At the opening session, which spotlighted youth aspirations and actionable strategies to bridge the gap between tertiary education and workforce demands, the Minister of Education, Mr Olatunji Alausa, unveiled the Nigerian Educational Sector Renewal initiative, a six-pillar agenda aimed at modernising the education system.

The session, titled The Future is Now: Realising the Vision of Africa’s Youth, was used by him to emphasised the importance of STEM and vocational training.

According to him, one of his takeaways from the opening plenary session is starting up student-led ventures, a good initiative the government would take on.

Throughout the three-day event, critical sessions explored the role of partnerships and innovation in strengthening tertiary education.

Another session titled Maximising Impact through Tertiary Education Partnerships, chaired by Prof. Sir Steve Smith, examined frameworks for sustainable education partnerships.

Also, at another session, Transitioning to the World of Work, led by Femi Taiwo, Founding Partner of F.I.T. Africa, delved into career-readiness strategies and the systems required to prepare graduates for industry demands.

Contributors such as Prof. Colin Riordan from the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Ms. Nadia Waggie from the University of Cape Town enriched these discussions with their expertise.

The conference also included a variety of focused sessions and panels, such as Learning Labs on technology integration, employability, and international research partnerships. Discussions highlighted access to education for marginalized groups, including women and persons with disabilities, with sessions such as Disability Inclusion in Tertiary Education led by Prof. Tracy Bhamra and featuring disability rights advocates.

Business Post reports that the conference coincided with the British Council’s 80th anniversary in Nigeria, celebrating decades of impactful partnerships in education.

“Hosting this conference in Sub-Saharan Africa underscores our commitment to fostering sustainable partnerships and innovation in education,” the Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the British Council, Lucy Pearson, remarked.

The event concluded with a renewed commitment to bridging the skills gap in Africa’s tertiary education.

The Acting Country Director for the council, Chilufya Besa, said, “By bringing together industry stakeholders, we have made significant progress in aligning education with workforce needs.”

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Thailand Gifts Nigeria 32-Tonne Rice Shipment to Tackle Food Crisis

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prices of rice in December

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has received a 32-tonne shipment of rice from Thailand as part of foreign relief to tackle escalating hunger and food insecurity.

The shipment, the first of its kind in a decade, has arrived in Lagos, according to DUCAT, the logistics company that facilitated its delivery.

The rice from Thailand was exported following Nigeria’s decision to implement a tariff moratorium on wheat, corn, rice, and other food crops last year, DUCAT revealed.

Although the duty waiver was introduced, purchases have largely been cautious, driven by concerns about its potentially harmful impact on local producers.

“Nigeria has been working hard to find solutions to broaden and strengthen its food supply accessibility,” DUCAT Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adrian Beciri said in a statement.

Several months ago, Nigeria unveiled a set of measures to combat soaring food inflation, which is rising at its fastest rate in three decades.

According to the last inflation update, food inflation reached 39.93 per cent year-on-year in November from 39.16 per cent the previous month in October 2024, caused by price rises for staples such as rice, maize, bread, potatoes and cooking oil.

Inflation quickened sharply in the second half of 2023 after President Bola Tinubu devalued the Naira and cut petrol and electricity subsidies to try to lift economic growth and shore up public finances.

Inflation has still not let up as it remained at 34 per cent as of November.

Many of the policies have failed to materialise including a 180-day window to allow duty-free imports of wheat, corn, and other critical food crops— a move promised would crash food prices.

A survey of market prices by Business Post indicates that food prices remained elevated during the last Christmas period.

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JUST IN: Lagos Assembly Lawmakers Impeach Obasa as Speaker

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obasa lagos speaker

By Dipo Olowookere

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, has been impeached by members of the legislative arm of government.

Mr Obasa was removed from office on Monday after a motion for this was moved by one of the lawmakers.

The Assembly has now elected Ms Mojisola Meranda, a member representing Apapa I Constituency, as the new Speaker.

This action is coming amid allegations of fraud against Mr Obasa, who is from the Agege constituency.

It has been speculated that Mr Obasa got into political trouble because of his alleged interest in the governorship position in 2027.

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