General
Experts Task Africa to Look Inwards to Tackle Governance Issues
By Dipo Olowookere
African leaders have been challenged to look for homegrown solutions and learn from their own experience in order to achieve structural transformation on the continent.
This, according to high-level speakers from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is key to unlocking Africa’s potential and advancing its prosperity.
Speaking at the 12th African Economic Conference (AEC) held on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr Hailemariam Desalegn, advocated for strong democratic states with zero tolerance for corruption and mechanisms for wealth-sharing.
“Conferences such as this are important in order to learn from experience and adapt practices to each country’s socio-economic conditions. There are no specific policy templates that work everywhere,” he stressed.
Executive Secretary of ECA, Vera Songwe, called on leaders, economists and policy-makers to “look beyond the standard indicators of good governance.
“There is a growing consensus that African countries require a more conducive governance environment for them to be able to pursue better public policies and ultimately to achieve better outcomes, including structural transformation and inclusive development,” she said.
Célestin Monga, Vice-President, Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, at the African Development Bank, called for greater focus on addressing the economic loss caused by institutional inefficiencies and incompetence.
Monga stressed how corruption endangers economic growth, but pointed to the hidden loss due to lack of strong institutions, noting how difficult it is to address this when people are hungry.
“A lot of governance work has not been very helpful to Africa as it is often seen as a precondition,” Monga continued. “We cannot expect a country with US $300 GDP per capita to have the same governance system as a country with $78,000. You cannot compare Burundi to Switzerland.”
This is why the AfDB is rethinking governance in Africa, Monga said, stressing that good governance is also about learning.
Experts agree that notwithstanding overall improvement in governance especially in human development and political participation, the African region’s performance still lags behind other regions and hampers the successful reorientation of its economic activities.
“Maintaining growth of 5% should be seen as a favourable development. There have been setbacks, but Africa is gradually getting governance right,” said Lamin M. Manneh, Director of the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa, on behalf of Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.
Co-organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under the theme “Governance for structural transformation”, this year’s conference focuses on the achievement of structural transformation in Africa with an emphasis on developmental governance.
About 500 researchers, policy-makers and development practitioners attended Day 1 of the conference.
The AEC provides an opportunity for participants to assess the impact of current economic and political governance strategies on economic transformation, poverty, inequality and human development in Africa.
Delivering the keynote address, Richard Joseph, Professor at Northwestern University, underscored why bold policy interventions must emanate from Africa.
“In Africa, this is the time for relative autonomy in dealing with policy issues,” he said.
The AEC offers in-depth presentations of policy-oriented research by both established academics and emerging researchers from the continent and beyond, who debate and recommend policy options on how governance in Africa can better support the continent’s structural transformation.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A hotline number, 0800 123 5264, for Nigerians to report any MRS Oil Nigeria Plc filling stations selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, above the approved pump price of N739 per litre, has been released by Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The private refiner said the number was now active nationwide, enabling consumers to promptly report violations and help maintain fair pricing across over 2,000 MRS stations.
This measure follows the refinery’s recent commencement of nationwide PMS sales at N739 per litre—a strategic intervention aimed at stabilising fuel prices and easing the financial burden on Nigerians during the festive season.
“We encourage Nigerians to avoid purchasing PMS at inflated prices when locally refined fuel is available at N739 per litre.
“Report any MRS station selling above this price by calling our hotline. Together, we can ensure that the benefits of this price reduction reach every consumer,” the company stated in a statement.
The organisation stressed its mission to deliver affordable, high-quality fuel while safeguarding national economic interests, reaffirming its commitment to steady supply, backed by a guaranteed daily output of 50 million litres, and warned against attempts to create artificial scarcity or manipulate supply.
Regulatory authorities have been urged to remain vigilant and take decisive action against unpatriotic practices.
By refining locally at scale, Dangote Refinery is reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports, conserving foreign exchange, stabilising the Naira, and strengthening energy security. This initiative represents a significant milestone in the country’s journey toward sustainable energy solutions and economic recovery.
The refinery also issued a stern warning against attempts by unscrupulous operators to create artificial scarcity in response to the price reduction, calling on government agencies to act decisively.
“Any attempt to create artificial scarcity or manipulate supply to frustrate recent price reductions is unpatriotic and unacceptable. We urge regulatory authorities to remain vigilant and take firm action against such practices, especially during this critical festive period,” the statement added.
Consumers were advised to resist purchasing fuel at inflated prices when cheaper, high-quality alternatives are readily available.
By Bon Peters
The Airport Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Omagwa Rivers State has praised the Customs Area Controller for Customs Area 1 Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku.
At the end-of-the-year party attended by stakeholders, including the leader of the association’s chapter, Mr Charles Onyema, said the customs officer has done well in stakeholder engagement and trade facilitation.
At the event held last Friday, he said his association has been enjoying a very cordial relationship with other organisation in the ecosystem.
“You can see what is happening today, everybody is working together and our operations here are seamless,” he noted.
He stated that apart from creating a very robust business environment for his members and other stakeholders to operate, he has taken a decision to build and commission a befitting ANLCA Secretariat which would be completed soon and be commissioned by the ANLCA national president, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji.
The ANLCA chapter chief said since “Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku assumed office at Customs Area 1, Port Harcourt Command, it has been a different ball game, facilitating trade and increasing Revenue generation.”
“I remember I told her she was a mother during her maiden visit to the airport.
“You know when you have a woman in charge of an affair, food will not lack, compassion will not lack and motherly love will not lack.
“She is very wonderful in stakeholder engagement, revenue generation and trade facilitation,” Mr Onyema enthused.
Projecting into the future, Mr. Onyema said the year 2026 would be better for his members, adding that he has advised them on financial discipline which he said would help them during the trying period.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has declared Thursday, December 25, and Friday, December 26, 2025, as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day respectively.
The government also declared Thursday, January 1, 2026, for the New Year celebration.
The declaration was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to the statement, the Minister urged Nigerians to reflect on the values of love, peace, humility and sacrifice associated with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Mr Tunji-Ojo also called on citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity, to use the festive season to pray for peace, improved security and national progress.
He further advised Nigerians to remain law-abiding and security-conscious during the celebrations, while wishing them a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Business Post reports that on these public holidays – the foreign exchange market, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), as well as the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange will not open to trade.
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