General
SERAP Urges Withdrawal of Bill Seeking to Jail Nigerians Who Don’t Vote
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the withdrawal of a bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.
The organisation urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately withdraw the bill, which it tagged oppressive.
SERAP urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”
The group also urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.
In the letter dated 29 March 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
According to the organisation, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”
The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”
“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”
“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”
“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”
“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The trio of Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana has fulfilled their capital commitments toward establishing the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) in what is seen as a significant development for Africa’s energy sector.
The AEB aims to finance oil and gas projects across the continent, addressing funding challenges posed by traditional Western financial institutions’ reluctance to support fossil fuel initiatives due to environmental concerns.
Recall that the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) requires that to operate the financial institution, members must get 44 per cent of the capital base of $5 billion.
Each of the 18 members of the group is required to provide at least $83 million and beyond Nigeria, Angola and Ghana, five additional member states – Algeria, Benin, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast – have pledged to make their payments, aligning with the bank’s goal to commence operations in the first half of 2025.
The AEB aims to finance oil and gas projects across the continent, addressing funding challenges posed by traditional Western financial institutions’ reluctance to support fossil fuel initiatives due to environmental concerns.
At the Congo Energy and Investment Forum last week, the Secretary General of APPO, Mr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said the move to kick-off the bank, which is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, is progressing.
AEB is a strategic response to Africa’s need for dedicated financial institutions that understand the continent’s unique energy landscape.
By providing tailored financing solutions, the bank is poised to accelerate energy project development, enhance energy security and drive economic growth.
As more countries contribute their capital shares, the bank is expected to play a pivotal role in unlocking investment, bridging financing gaps and ensuring sustainable energy expansion across Africa.
Nigeria remains sub-Saharan Africa’s largest oil producer, offering significant opportunities in the oil and gas sector, including a 2025 bid round.
The implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act has introduced regulatory reforms to enhance transparency and attract investment, driving major projects forward.
Recent final investment decisions (FIDs) include TotalEnergies’ $550 million Ubeta Gas Field Development and Shell’s $5 billion Bonga North Project, yet additional financing is crucial to advancing Nigeria’s gas agenda and unlocking its full potential in the energy transition.
Angola, on its part, is actively diversifying its energy portfolio while advancing major deepwater developments, including TotalEnergies’ $6 billion Kaminho Deepwater Project, Eni’s Agogo Integrated West Hub and a limited public tender, with a long-term goal of increasing production to 2 million barrels per day.
Ghana is strengthening its position as a leading oil and gas player with new commitments from Eni and Tullow Oil. In March, Eni and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation signed an agreement to enhance offshore exploration, optimize existing assets and advance untapped reserves.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Jim Ovia, has been congratulated on his admission to the Freedom of the City of London.
The retired banker was congratulated by President Bola Tinubu in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
President Tinubu described the honour as a fitting recognition of Mr Ovia’s exceptional contributions to business, innovation, and technology, as well as for his role in shaping Nigeria’s financial landscape and strengthening economic ties between Africa and the rest of the world.
“This honour is a testament to your unwavering commitment to excellence, your pioneering role in the growth of the financial services sector in Nigeria, and your visionary leadership that continues to inspire generations.
“As an accomplished entrepreneur and advocate of innovation-driven development, your recognition in the City of London affirms the global relevance of Nigerian excellence and enterprise,” Mr Tinubu stated, commending the Zenith Bank chairman for being a distinguished ambassador of the nation’s private sector and wished him continued success in his endeavours.
Admission to the Freedom of the City of London is an honour bestowed on individuals either for their service to the city or for their achievements.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government is setting up a material recovery facility at Badagry to boost waste management.
The chief executive of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said this initiative was part of efforts to reduce waste pollution and promote a circular economy.
According to him, LAWMA will close the Olusosun dumpsite at Ojota and other dumpsites to pave the way for the establishment of the facility and other waste-to-energy plants in the metropolis, noting that the construction of the material recovery facility will take about 15 months.
“When we close the dumpsites, we will divert the waste to a material recovery facility at Badagry. We will extract all the biogas to generate electricity and cover the waste.
“In the case of Olusosun, we are looking at working with industrial facilities at the back of the dumpsite, which can use the gas to power their generators,” he said.
Mr Gbadegesin said the state government was partnering with some investors to establish the waste-to-energy plants in strategic places.
“We are planning a biogas facility, we completed the feasibility study last year in partnership with the Swedish Government.
“Sweden has achieved zero waste because it takes up its sewage and organic waste and uses them to produce biomethane in large quantities.
“If they can do it, we can. We are planning to replicate the Swedish model here.
“Out of the 13,000 tonnes of waste generated daily in Lagos State, 6,500 tonnes are organic, which should not be going to landfills.
“We should be able to use the organic waste to produce compost for greenery and agriculture and also to produce biomethane,” he informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Lagos.
Mr Gbadegesin said the feasibility study for the biogas facility was done by LAWMA in partnership with the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), adding, “It will be bringing in 2,000 compressed natural gas-powered buses. Once the biogas plant is completed, they will be using it.”
He noted that LAWMA was in partnership with a Dutch company to generate electricity through waste.
“We want to set it up at Epe. We have closed the landfill at Epe to set up the waste-to-energy plant. This will be set up in partnership with a private investor, a Dutch company, Harvest Waste.”
Mr Gbadegesin said that the Dutch company would support the setting up of the plant to the tune of 100 million euros.
According to the managing director, the plant would take about 2,500 tonnes of waste daily and produce 60 to 80 megawatts of electricity.
“From the development, we are moving to another level. It gives us hope that if we put our minds to development, we can be the best,” he said.
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