Attah Micahel Idakwo Ameh oboni II joins his Ancestor

Odogo m'ubu!

 

Odogo, a 15th century shrine at the Attah's palace has glided as the death has just been announced of the 27th Attah of Igala kingdom, HRM Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni II.

 

The late monarch joined his ancestors on Thursday the 27th of August 2020 at the age of 72 following a protracted ailment.

 

Until his death, he was the Chairman, Kogi State Council of Chiefs and the paramount ruler of the entire Igala kingdom.

 

Born in 1948 into the Oboni ruling family, young Michael enrolled at the Saint Boniface Primary School Idah and completed in 1960. He was admitted at Saint Augustine College Kabba in 1961 and graduated in 1967.

Finance facility to tackle climate change effects on Africa’s GDP

It is estimated that climate change is impacting negatively on Africa’s GDP by 2.8% every year (around $100 billion).

In order to tackle climate change challenges in Africa, financing solutions have to be developed not only through external financial flows but also through the development of specific and more appropriate instruments that fosters sustainable development.

As the continent commence the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) early next year, it is timely to unlock new funding arrangements to finance sustainable projects and sectors that build Africa’s long-term competitiveness and resilience. 

To this end, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank) have announced a new facility agreement for a €150 million financing programme. This will support Afreximbank in the implementation of its new climate finance strategy which will target green, low carbon, socially inclusive and more resilient investments across Africa

South Africa approves climate change adaptation strategy

 

Barbara Creecy, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa

The South African cabinet has approved the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) which supports the country's ability to meet its obligations in terms of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday.

"This strategy defines the country's vulnerabilities, plans to reduce those vulnerabilities and leverage opportunities, outlines the required resources for such action, whilst demonstrating progress on climate change adaptation," said Barbara Creecy, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.

Developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, the strategy aims to reduce the vulnerability of society, the economy and the environment to the effects of climate change, according to Creecy.

The NCCAS outlines a set of objectives, interventions and outcomes to enable the country to give expression to its commitment to the Paris Agreement, and gives effect to the National Development Plan's vision of creating a low-carbon, climate resilient economy and a just society.

The 2015 Paris Agreement elevates the importance of climate change adaptation through the establishment of a global goal on adaptation of enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change.

2023 Presidency: Ahmed Sani Yerima begins campaigns

Eight months after former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani indicated his intention to contest for the 2023 presidency, his campaign materials are out to push forward his ambition under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Reporters came across one of the branded campaign vehicles of the Yarima Bakura along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Yarima as he is popularly known with his traditional title was Governor between 1999 and 2007 and was the first in the country to introduce and implement the Sharia law in his home state of Zamfara. He was later elected Senator representing Zamfara West Senatorial District on three occasions in 2007, 2011 and 2015. 

He stepped down from the Senate in 2019 for then outgoing Governor Abdulaziz Yari but for the Supreme Court judgement.

The Senator who wants to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari also comes from the North-West geo-political zone. He first announced his intention to run for the 2023 presidency in January this year while on a condolence visit to the famous Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi who lost his wife in Bauchi State.

Buhari rues Military Putsch in Mali

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the coup in Mali which saw the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, is a setback for regional diplomacy in West Africa and called for a continental resolution to the crisis.

This was announced via a social media broadcast by the President on Thursday afternoon.

Rebel soldiers who had earlier arrested Mali’s President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita took over the government and assured citizens of fresh elections to resolve a spiraling political crisis in the fragile West African nation.

The soldiers forced Keita to resign on Tuesday and dissolved parliament hours after the President and the Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were detained at gunpoint.

President Buhari said that the events in Mali are “with grave consequences for the peace and security of West Africa”, and urged the “unconstitutional ‘authority” in the West African nation to act responsibly and ensure a constitutional restoration of order to achieve peace and stability.

“Nigeria strongly supports the efforts of ECOWAS Chairman, President Mahamadou Issoufou, for wider regional and continental consultations with ECOWAS, the AU and the UN, and the adoption of strong measures to bring speedy resolution to the situation,” President Buhari added.

President Buhari also said that a stable political climate in Mali is important for the total stability of the region and lobbies the efforts of AU, UN and ECOWAS to come to a joint solution “until sanity returns to Mali with the restoration of Civil Administration”.

 

Amokachi is President Buhari's Special Assistant on Sports

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed ex-Super Eagles star, Daniel Amokachi, his special assistant on sports.

Amokachi’s new appointment is coming about five months after he was initially named as Nigeria’s Football Ambassador by President Buhari.

A statement issued by the media office to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Thursday said the appointment of Amokachi has since taken effect.

The press release confirmed that a letter of appointment dated August 17 and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has since been handed to the former Everton and Besiktas forward.

“I am pleased to inform you that Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved your appointment as Special Assistant on Sports,” Mr Boss Mustapha was quoted as saying.

“Amokachi is expected to advise the President on all sports matters,” the statement said.

Amokachi began his career with Ranchers Bees Football Club of Kaduna, and played for Club Brugge of Belgium, Besiktas of Turkey, Everton of England and Colorado Rapids.

England Jails Rahamaniyya Oil's Boss over Breach of Court Orders

 

A Nigerian oil mogul and the Chief Executive Officer of Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Limited, Abdulrahman Bashir, has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment in England.

In February, Justice Butcher of England and Wales High Court ruled that Mr Bashir be imprisoned for breaching multiple orders of the court in a pending suit instituted by Sahara Energy Resources Ltd.

“The basis of the sentence was that Mr Bashir had committed continuing breaches of the order of Mr Justice Robin Knowles of 1 August 2019 and of the order of Mr Justice Bryan of 6 September 2019,” the judge said.

Those orders required Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Ltd, of which Mr Bashir is the CEO and controller, to comply with requests for the release of 6,400.69 metric tonnes gas oil to Sahara Energy Resource Ltd or its agent from Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Ltd, Jetty 6.436181, Ibafon, Kirikiri Waterfront, of Aero Maritime Street, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria (“the Terminal”).

Mr Bashir breached those orders by failing to allow, or procure Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Ltd or its servants or agents to allow, the release of the said gas oil from the Terminal,” court documents reveal.

The court also gave a binding indication that the sentence could be reduced to six months if Mr Bashir complies with the relevant order which had previously been breached.

Rahamaniyya was fined £ 500,000 while Adebowale Aderemi, its manager, was fined £ 10,000.

2020 Youth Day: Tony Elumelu urges Investment in Africa's Future through Entrepreneurship

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) joined the United Nations and other global organisations to mark the International Youth Day on August 12, 2020, with a line-up of pan-African speakers discussing the theme, “Investing in Africa’s Future: Youth Empowerment through Entrepreneurship”.  

 

The event emphasised the “Youth Engagement for Global Action” agenda and the role of African entrepreneurs in pushing for sustainable development. It also examined the critical role of the youth in igniting their potential, population, and influence to create mechanisms for sustainable development across the continent. 

  

Moderated by TEF CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, the event featured a line-up of pan-African entrepreneurs and speakers from the development sector.

 

Addressing the audience, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu drew attention to the plight of startup African entrepreneurs during the pandemic while highlighting the importance of SMEs, especially during this period. “The SMEs are the major contributors to African economies. We must not underestimate the level of disruption and uncertainty that young people all over the world have faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.”

 

Government cannot Control the Church - Nigerian Christians reject new CAMA

 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has rejected the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 that was recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

CAN describe the act as unacceptable, ungodly, reprehensible and an ill-wind that blows no one any good. 

The association called on the Federal government to stop the implementation of the law until the religious institutions are exempted from it. 

They urged Buhari to urgently return the law to the National Assembly for immediate amendment.

CAN in a statement by Special Assistant to CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, stated that the CAMA Act is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Post COVID Economic Growth: UBA Provides $200 Million for Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry

 

The United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), the leading pan-African financial services group, has acted as an Initial Mandated Lead Arranger with a consortium of Nigerian commercial and international banks in a $1.5 Billion Pre-Export Finance Facility for Eagle Export Funding Limited, to enable the forward sale of crude by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

UBA is providing $200 million (Naira equivalent) towards the crude oil sale, to support investment growth and liquidity requirements. 

The forward sale will provide much needed capital for investment in NNPC’s production capacity, which is of strategic importance to the Nigerian economy and the country’s leading source of foreign exchange earnings. 

UBA’s position as Mandated Lead Arranger recognises the Group’s strength in structuring and deploying financing to the oil and gas sector, and the depth and liquidity of the Group’s balance sheet.

TAAT Field school training inspires women farmers in Sudan

 

In South Darfur, Sudan, pearl millet is the most popular crop, and over 90 percent of farming households consider it to be one of their three major crops. This is followed by groundnuts and sorghum. The other remaining crops are considered to be less important, favoured by fewer than 10 percent of the farming households.

Millet and sorghum are the main staple food crops across Darfur region while groundnuts are normally considered a cash crop. Although pearl millet is the most widely grown crop, less than 20% percent of farming households use improved varieties.

In South Darfur, farming households obtain their seed from multiple sources including: the seed they had saved, local grain/seed markets, social networks, seed aid from the Government and other humanitarian and development partners, local seed banks and agro-input dealers.

Access to improved seed capable of boosting crop yield constitutes a major problem to farmers here. The challenge is made worse by the gaping lack of access at the community level. 

Dan Okeke is the new Group Executive Director of Heirs Holdings

 

Pan-African investment company, Heirs Holdings this week announced the appointment of Dan Okeke as Group Executive Director.  The appointment took effect from August 01, 2020.

Mr Okeke joins following a distinguished three-decade career at the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), where he most recently served as an Executive Director, responsible for leading consumer, commercial and public-sector businesses.  

At HH, he will be responsible for business coordination and growth across Heirs Holdings’ portfolio of pan-African investments in the power, financial services, oil and gas, hospitality, real estate, healthcare, and financial technology sectors.

Heirs Holdings is a family-owned investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa.  Our portfolio spans the power, oil and gas, financial services, hospitality, real estate, and healthcare sectors, operating in twenty-three countries worldwide.