General
House of Reps Endorses Okonjo-Iweala for WTO Job
By Adedapo Adesanya
**Urges Egypt, Kenya to Drop Candidates
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution, giving their support to former Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as she aims for the post of Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) next month.
The motion to back the former finance minister and one-time Managing Director of the World Bank was moved by the Minority Leader of the House, Mr Ndudi Godwin Elumelu (People’s Democratic Party – Delta State).
In his motion titled In Support for Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), he stated that it was only right for Mrs Okonjo-Iweala to get the legislature’s backing after she had been formally nominated by the Federal Republic of Nigeria to “vie for the position of the Director-General of the WTO for the period of 2021 – 2025 and if successful will be the first female and first African to have occupied the office”.
He said, “President Buhari having put into consideration her outstanding academic and professional background, as well as, her long years of managerial experience at the top echelons of multilateral institutions, her reputation as a fearless reformer and excellent negotiator graciously endorsed her as the nation’s candidate for the WTO job”.
According to him, “With the COVID-19 pandemic at hand and many countries faced with difficult choices and critical moments, the WTO has a vital role to play in hunting for trade solutions and building trust amongst member states.
“Hence the need for a capable hand that can make the WTO fit to thrive in the 21st century, there is no gainsay that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-lweala has the requisite capacity and experience to handle the challenges of WTO at this critical moment”.
He said it was, “The perfect time for Africa to assume leadership at the WTO and all concerned stakeholders, must unanimously commit to achieving this”.
He then expressed concerns that apart from Mrs Okonjo-lweala, Africa has two other candidates from Egypt and Kenya also in the race for the plum job.
He said that with three candidates from Africa, the continent’s votes will be split, a move he said can cripple the prospect of a United African front for the WTO position.
He called on the House to urgently reach out to the governments of Egypt and Kenya on the need to rally round a single candidate for the continent in the person of Mrs Okonjo-lweala.
He recalled that, “In the past, Nigeria has staunchly supported the candidatures of other Africans to the leadership position at multilaterals, including the candidacy of late Boutros Boutros Ghali, an Egyptian national, to become the Secretary-General of the United Nations,” adding that, “A good turn deserves another and we must now unite the African continent and ensure cooperation amongst our countries to put the continent first”.
According to him, “Having a Nigerian as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, will further enhance the image of the country amongst the comity of Nations, hence the need to massively support this bid”.
The motion found support from the Speaker of the lower chamber, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, as the House resolved to unanimously endorse the candidature of Mrs Okonjo-Iweala for the position.
They commended the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’s Authority of heads of states and governments for their strong endorsement and urge the President to further rally other African leaders to support her bid as the Director-General of WTO.
The lower legislative arm of government also urged the pan African parliament to follow suit, as it also urged the federal government to discuss with the governments of Egypt and Kenya to step down their candidates in the spirit of African oneness and reciprocity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, from office.
The Senate Committee on Finance, while passing a resolution in Abuja on Thursday, accused Mr Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of failing to honour the Senate’s invitations to account for the finances of his agency.
“He refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee.
“We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“Each time we invite him, he gives us excuses,” the Chairman of the committee, Mr Sani Musa, said as the committee passed the resolution.
CAC was part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held two weeks ago, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The PAC chairman, Mr Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly should not continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms, saying this will create fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency across federal institutions and conform with extant financial regulations and the oversight powers of the parliament.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” he said.
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