President Buhari’s Message On National Children’s Day, May 27, 2018

Today affords me another opportunity to re-affirm our Administration’s commitment to the protection of children, a day to reflect on our roles and responsibilities as Parents and Leaders towards our children, and also assessing how far we have fared in this regard.

As you may recall, one of the cardinal objectives of this Administration is the provision of quality education to our children as a fundamental foundation of economic and social development. In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that this Administration has recorded measurable success in the home grown school feeding programme as it has continued to expand.

Our children are our future, and the initiatives that come from them give confidence that our country has a bright future.

I am always inspired and encouraged when I remember encounters I had with three of our young ones. When I was on medical vacation in 2017, three year old Maya Jammal recorded a prayer for my recovery, which went viral online.

Also, 10 year old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi wrote a personal letter to me, describing herself as my “biggest fan”.

Nicole Benson, then 12 years old, had contributed the sum of Five Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira and Eighty-Five kobo (N5,700.85) to my campaign in 2015. The money was all saved up from her lunch and pocket allowance. There are millions of such children nationwide.

I am very impressed by what our children have been able to do, and what the future holds for them. That is one reason why we are committed to the school feeding programme, to prepare a future generation of physically and intellectually robust children. At the last count, over 8.2 million children in 24 states of the Federation are being given free meals daily. This happens in 45,000 schools round the country.

I therefore call on all stakeholders to support this programme to ensure that all the 36 States of the Federation and FCT are covered. This will promote substantially higher enrolment levels in our schools.

Since its inception in May, 2015, this Administration has also focused attention on addressing issues of child protection, participation and survival. In 2015, the campaign to end violence against children was launched which was commemorated in 2016. In November 2016, the Campaign to End Child Marriage was also launched to ensure that as many children as possible are able to fully enjoy their childhood and be protected from all the challenges associated with this phenomenon. These campaigns have been reinforced with sensitization campaigns in some States of the Federation.

The theme for this year’s celebration “Creating Safe Spaces for Children: Our Collective Responsibility” is an opportunity to promote the safety and security of our children. As a responsible Government, we are committed to ensuring that children are protected from violence and exploitation against them, and, that their environments are safe enough for them to pursue their educational attainments, discover their full potentials to grow into responsible citizens.

This Administration has made giant strides in the protection of the Rights of the Nigerian Child and as a result of such efforts, Nigeria has been declared a Pathfinding Country on Ending Violence Against Children. This I believe is a collective achievement and I urge us to continue to build on the present momentum to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In our efforts to protect our children from abuse, exploitation and trafficking as well as provide safe, non-violent inclusive and effective learning environment in our schools, this Administration has directed the management of all Federal Government Colleges and advised all state owned schools across the Country to provide adequate measures of safety and security of their students. I again call on all schools management committees at all levels of public and private institutions to take adequate security measures and put in place mechanisms for safety of children.

May I therefore call on the Families, Security Agencies, Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Civil Society Organizations, Human Rights Activists, and the Society at large to rise up and take urgent and decisive actions to stem the unacceptable rising cases of violence against our children. We must ensure safety of our children in homes, schools, markets, worship centres, on the streets and everywhere at all times.

Furthermore let me use this medium to appeal to parents not to relent in their efforts to send their wards to school, especially the girl child as her education reduces infant and maternal mortality and prevents early and child marriages. It also increases literacy and reduces poverty. The saying that to educate a woman is to educate the nation is very apt in this regard.

Finally, while I appreciate the security agencies for their efforts so far, I urge them to redouble their efforts in protecting children from danger and violence in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Child Rights Acts, 2003.

Once again, happy Children’s Day.

Press Release: Doing Things Differently is What we Need to Move the Nation Forward – VP Osinbajo

For Nigeria to succeed and move forward, Nigerians must learn to imbibe the principles of creativity, innovation and hard work, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today when he attended the Sunday service at the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Abuja, with renowned US preacher, Bishop T.D. Jakes as guest minister.

He further noted that character and integrity are also pillars for nation building.

The Vice President said, “The reality is that true success is line by line, precept by precept, building block upon building block, hard work, innovation, character; that is the measure of true success.

“The scripture says that God made us in his own image; that creativity that He commanded us to perform in every way is what will change our nation. Our creativity, our innovation, our hard work, and it was a command. So if we obey God, if we are creative, if we are innovative, if we are hard working, our nation will change.”

“There are many countries with huge resources like ours, and there are many countries with no resources whatsoever. But their creativity is the added value that makes a difference. So, it doesn’t matter whether you have resources or not. It doesn’t matter where you started from or how low, it is the value that you add by your creativity, by your hard work, by your innovation, by obeying God. Doing things differently is what we need to move the nation forward.”

After the service, VP Osinbajo presented a Legacy Bible with local Nigerian languages’ version to Bishop Jakes.

Also, this evening, the Vice President attended the Pentecost Day Service/Rally of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Abuja Chapter, which held at Family Worship Centre, Wuye, in Abuja.

At the event, Prof. Osinbajo called on Nigerians to become agents of transformation and change in their environment, while urging them to pray for their leaders.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
20th May, 2018

Press Release: Nigeria’s Support For Sierra Leone Continues – VP Osinbajo

*Describes inauguration of new President as “celebration of democracy”

“It is a great celebration of democracy; the transition has been a peaceful one from one civilian president to another. Again, it signals hope for the people of Sierra Leone. President Maada Bio is a consummate technocrat.

“Sierra Leone and Nigeria have a long history. Most recently, if you recall, Nigerian troops gave their lives here in Sierra Leone defending the territorial integrity of Sierra Leone, the people and the country. President Bio repeated this in my conversation with him, and said how grateful he was. We have maintained a very good relationship, I believe that relationship will continue.” – Vice President

REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT A MEDIA CHAT WITH JOURNALISTS AFTER THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO OF SIERRA LEONE IN FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, ON SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018.

Q: The significance of the inauguration of Sierra Leone’s President.

Vice President: First, I think it is a great celebration of democracy, the transition has been a peaceful one from one civilian president to another. Again, it signals hope for the people of Sierra Leone. President Maada Bio is a consummate technocrat. He was the one, if you remember, who handed power to a democratic government as a military leader. He has also proven over time to be someone who has thought over the problems of the country, and listening to him today and having met with him for close to an hour, I think there is great opportunity and hope for the people of Sierra Leone and I think that he is going to do a great job.

Q: On President Maada Bio’s promise to work with other African leaders.

Vice President: One thing is for certain, Sierra Leone and Nigeria have a long history. Most recently, if you recall, Nigerian troops gave their lives here in Sierra Leone defending the territorial integrity of Sierra Leone, the people and the country. President Bio repeated this in my conversation with him, and said how grateful he was. We have maintained a very good relationship, I believe that relationship will continue, he is keen to ensure it continues and we are able to move it into the economic sphere. Very many private sector investors are interested in coming to Sierra Leone. The Nigerian government has a good economic relationship with Sierra Leone. So I think the future is bright for both countries, and the future cooperation is particularly good.

Q: President Muhammadu Buhari’s message to the people and new President of Sierra Leone.

Vice President: The first is congratulations! President Buhari is very excited about the developments in Sierra Leone. He asked me to convey his very best wishes to the new President and government and also to pledge our continued cooperation and collaboration with the government and people of Sierra Leone.

Q: On the issues surrounding the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Vice President: In politics, as you know, there will always be tensions. But the party is strong and the leadership and membership of the party are committed to ensuring that the party remains strong and continues to offer the hope and promise it has always offered and given to the people. I think a lot of the issues will be resolved as we go along. This is the normal order of things; there will be some disagreements, there will be those who may feel that they need certain preferences or certain things which may not have been done earlier on. I don’t think there is any major problem.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
13th May, 2018

Press Release: Beware Of Fake Statements Ascribed To President Buhari

The public is hereby alerted to a new dimension in the orchestrated plot to diminish the stature of President Muhammadu Buhari before millions of Nigerians who love and adore their President.

First, it was a pernicious twisting and misinterpretation of the words of the President by mischievous elements, perhaps they can earn him opprobrium and infamy. When they see that the gambit is not achieving the desired results, they have now gone into utter fabrication of apocryphal statements, which they purvey through the social media.

An example is a fictive portion of the February 2015 lecture by the then Candidate Buhari at Chatham House, London. This is what is circulating now on social media:

“What is the difference between me and those who elected us to represent them, absolutely nothing. Why should Nigerian President not fly with other Nigerian public? Why do I need to embark on a foreign trip as a President with a huge crowd with public funds? Why do I need to go for a medical trip abroad if we cannot make our hospital (sic) functional? Why do we need to send our children to school abroad if we cannot developed (sic) our university (sic) to compete with the foreign ones?”

Fortunately, the Chatham House lecture of 2015 is in the public domain. The full text was published by many Nigerian newspapers, and is still available in their libraries and various websites. The concoction by haters and agents of disunity is not part of the text of the lecture at all.

The morbid minds that created the falsehood simply want to de-market and demean the President, having seen that defeating him in a free and fair electoral contest is a tall order. Therefore, they desire to instigate the electorate against him by creating statements that never existed, and attributing such to him.

We are, however, glad that millions of Nigerians, young and old, are smart enough to see through the machinations. The dubious people will not succeed, as President Buhari’s reputation has been built over time, and sustained for decades. That is why he is widely acclaimed for integrity, transparency, honour, and accountability, both home and abroad. Negative minds can never erode or corrode this.

Bitter emotions stunt the soul and defile the mind. Those behind it will find out, eventually, that they are the ones swallowing poison, and expecting another person to die. They will realize the folly of their actions, to their own grief.

Decent Nigerians are urged to be wary of the fare they consume hook, line and sinker, particularly on social media. President Buhari is actuated by nothing else than love for motherland. He is poised to build a country which all Nigerians can proudly call their own. Noxious minds can still have a change of heart.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity)
May 9, 2018.

VP Osinbajo’s Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 OGP Week in Abuja

It really is a special pleasure to be here with you, as we commence the Open Government Partnership Week in Nigeria. Our government came into office on the back of a three-pronged agenda, one ensuring security, two rebuilding the economy, and third, vigorously prosecuting the fight against corruption.

This last issue, corruption, has been an existential issue for Nigeria, threatening the very fundament of our existence. It has ensured that, for too long, the resources meant for the majority, have been cornered by a greedy minority.

This issue of corruption underlines every aspect of our national life, from our security situation to the state of our economy. It was the reason why, in spite of record oil revenues between 2011 and 2013/14, we saw no savings, and very little investment in infrastructure and jobs, and, in spite of the billions of dollars reportedly invested in security, the Boko Haram insurgency and other cases of insecurity did not abate.

Our government has adopted a two-step approach to dealing with this scourge of systemic corruption. The first is to stop grand corruption and the accompanying impunity. The second step and the more enduring one, is what this week is about, creating a self- sustaining system that assures transparency and accountability.

We have, since we assumed office three years ago, made remarkable progress in pushing the frontiers of transparency and accountability in the Federal Government. One of the first things that the President did when we took office was to establish the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), to coordinate our reform efforts in this regard.

We inherited a Treasury Single Account (TSA) system that existed mainly as an idea, without any committed implementation. Since the Presidential Order by President Buhari in August 2015, we have made remarkable progress in expanding the reach of the TSA, so that today, we are almost at 100 percent compliance.

The London Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 was an important milestone for us, in our anti-Corruption efforts, because it helped crystallize various national commitments into an effective multinational anti-corruption coalition.

It was at that conference that Nigeria committed to joining the OGP, and we fulfilled this commitment in July 2017 when we became the 70th country to join the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international multi-stakeholder initiative, focused on improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation. Following this, President Buhari constituted the OGP National Steering Committee (NSC), with the Federal Ministry of Justice as the Coordinating Ministry.

The OGP Nigeria has since developed its first National Action Plan (NAP) of fourteen commitments with focus on four thematic areas of Fiscal Transparency, Anti-Corruption, Access to Information and Citizens’ Engagement.

One of the remarkable things about the OGP is that it was designed to function as a partnership between the governments and the private sector. Without this coalition-building, I doubt that much progress would be achievable. Regardless of whether the goal is improving infrastructure or fighting corruption, it is clear, as it has always been, that governments cannot do it alone.

The skills, experience, resources and technology that the private sector brings to the table, are often invaluable and in many instances represent the difference between success and failure. We ought to equally acknowledge that there is a limit to what civil society by itself can accomplish by itself, without building bridges with the public sector that is very often the target of its work. What our experience with OGP in Nigeria has proven, is that it is possible to build a coalition of like-minded reformers drawn from government and non-state actors.

In addition to joining the OGP, and developing a National Action Plan in 2016, the Federal Government also established a Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), housed in the Federal Ministry of Finance, to clean up the Federal payroll and pensions systems, across all our Ministries, Departments and Agencies. PICA’s work in this regard has helped the Federal Government save more than N200 Billion by eliminating ghost workers. Like the TSA, we are also aggressively expanding the rollout of the Government Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), to ensure that the loopholes that enable payroll fraud are permanently blocked. PICA also oversees the Whistleblowing Programme we launched in December 2016. That Programme had seen recoveries of N7.8 billion, $378 million and 27,800 pounds sterling, as at March 2018.

Nigeria’s experience has shown that technology and innovations, as well as social media platforms, are changing the ways in which citizens engage with government, and empowering citizens and non-state actors to take a more active role in holding government to account. On our part, the Buhari administration is also actively leveraging technology in a way no previous government in Nigeria has, to underpin the President’s commitment to accountable governance. Indeed, much of the focus of the OGP is on the ways in which technology can help scale up the impact and reach of public sector anti-corruption and transparency initiatives.

I’ve spoken previously about our work expanding the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). A National Open Contracting Platform (NOCOPO), developed by the Bureau for Public Procurement, has become operational and is currently being piloted in a number of government institutions.

Similarly, the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) launched its Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Contracts Disclosure Portal in September 2017, to ensure the timely disclosure of contract information from project initiation through to implementation.

The Budget Office of the Federation, in line with global best practice and Open Budget Survey Index, also developed the citizens ‘I-Monitor’ Portal which enables citizens across the country to access budget information in real time and to monitor projects while encouraging proactive feedback to the government. An Open Contracting Working Group made up of civil society organizations and government institutions, are working together to enhance citizens’ access to, and understanding of procurement information.

Civil Society Organisations are also taking the lead in interesting ways. Take the example of BudgIT, a civil society partner that works on transparency in budgeting and tracking of government expenditure, using technology and graphic design. BudgIT has also developed Tracka.ng, a tool that enables citizens to share updates on budget implementation in their communities.

The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has led the way in the development of ‘BUDESHI’, a technology platform that will assist non-state actors to monitor ongoing procurements.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the important areas of progress is the ongoing effort to establish a public register of beneficial owners. It is our hope that this will help bring to an end, the era of anonymous company ownership which aids capital flight, illicit financial flows and tax evasion. The Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is working closely with the Government of the United Kingdom and the Open Ownership – a global project, whose aim is to build an Open Global Beneficial Ownership Register – to develop Open Ownership Data Standards to achieve this goal.

Since we joined the OGP, access to public information premised on the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act enacted in 2011, has improved significantly. I am told that at least 106 government institutions now have designated FOI Desk Officers, to ensure speedy responses to information requests in compliance with the (FOI) Act and the commitments we have made under the Nigeria OGP National Action Plan.

We have set up a Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR), and developed procedures and guidance to ensure that all recovered funds are paid into a single Central Bank Asset Recovery account, for improved transparency and ease of management.

The Federal Government’s agreement with the Swiss Government on the return of looted funds traced to former Head of State General Sani Abacha, led to the remittance of US$322 million in December 2017. This historic agreement also includes CSO monitoring of the utilization of the returned asset. I must acknowledge the role played by The Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in the negotiation of this agreement and leading of other CSOs in monitoring the utilization of the fund.

Since 2017, our annual national budgets have included a line item on revenue generated from asset recoveries. All funds forfeited to the Federal Government are being included in our yearly budget proposals, for appropriation by the National Assembly. We have also committed to investing these recovered funds on Infrastructure projects and our National Social Investment Programme. In addition, we have submitted a Bill to the National Assembly for the purpose of enacting a more comprehensive legislation on proceeds of crime.

The successes recorded from the implementation of the OGP framework, have contributed in no small measure to the improvement in the perception of Nigeria’s business environment by investors, businesses, and the international community.

Through the work of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), who are also members of the OGP National Steering Committee, Nigeria moved 24 places up on the World Bank’s 2017 Doing Business Index. The reforms, many of them heavily dependent on technology, have seen business registration time, reduced to under 48 hours, simplified processes for paying taxes and obtaining Nigerian visas, and improved access not just to credit by businesses, but also to credit information by potential lenders. The reforms have also led to the passage of landmark reform legislation like the Secured Transactions in Moveable Assets Act of 2017 and Trading Reporting Act 2017.

As we make progress at the federal level, we are also working with the States, through the subnational engagement framework, under the OGP National Action Plan, to improve transparency, accountability and citizen participation at other levels of governance. I am delighted to note that Kaduna State has not only developed its OGP State Action Plan, which was approved by the State Executive Council early this year, it has also become one of the first pilot states adopted from Nigeria by the OGP International.

I am equally delighted, that our efforts in fighting corruption and deepening good governance are being recognized and applauded globally. I have been told by the OGP Secretariat, that Nigeria was this year, elected into the global steering committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP). And then there was the designation, in 2017, of President Buhari as the African Union’s 2018 ‘Anti-corruption Champion’. This is yet another testament to the hard work and political will that this administration has demonstrated in the fight against corruption, even in the face of great resistance.

There is no doubt that governments which seek to earn and sustain the trust of citizens, must learn to maintain high standards of transparency. The role of the OGP, in pushing for and achieving these high standards is evident, and wholly deserving of commendation.

Let me, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, extend our sincere gratitude, to all those who have made today possible, particularly the OGP Steering Committee, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is also the co-chair and the non-state co-chair of the OGP National Steering Committee, members of the OGP National Steering Committee made up of non-state actors, government institutions and the OGP Secretariat.

Distinguished participants, as we deliberate this week on the progress made by the OGP Nigeria, develop new ideas for future work to expand civic engagements, I encourage you to come up with policy recommendations that can radically help in further opening up Government at all levels in Nigeria.

We look forward to receiving the final report and recommendations at the end of this week. I thank you for your kind attention.

Just before I sit, I have the very distinguished pleasure of presenting the OGP Nigeria National Action Plan, 2017 – 2019. Thank you very much.

Released by:

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
7th May, 2018

Press Release: Birnin Gwari Killings – President Buhari Approves New Security Measures

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a new Battalion of the Nigerian Army, as well as a new Police Area Command, in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, as part of measures to scale up the security response to the banditry affecting the area.

The President strongly condemns the latest massacre of innocent Nigerians in the area. According to him, “I am deeply outraged by this unwarranted, unprovoked and reckless destruction of lives by bandits who belong to the lowest level of civilization. I feel the pains and devastation of the families of the victims, and this administration will do everything possible to ensure we defeat these enemies of humanity.”

The new Army Battalion and the Police Area Command are the latest in a series of law enforcement measures to ensure more effective protection of lives and property, in and around Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara and Nasarawa States.

Last week the Nigerian Air Force took delivery of two new helicopter gunships, for deployment to parts of the country affected by banditry. A Quick Response Wing has also been established by the Nigerian Air Force in Taraba State, while a Joint Military Intervention Force is fully on ground in Benue.

President Buhari assures that security remains a priority for his government and his administration will not tolerate the persistent killing of innocent people in order to set Nigerians against one another.

According to the President, “these persistent killings are not spontaneous; there are subterranean forces with a sinister agenda to instigate war in the country for selfish purposes.”

He notes that, “Although unconventional war is particularly complicated, our security forces are making rigorous efforts to better understand these enemies with a view to decisively checkmating their evil attacks.”

President Buhari extends his condolences to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Kaduna State over this unfortunate tragedy, assuring that his government will never abandon them to their fate.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity)
May 7, 2018.

Takeaways From The Auspicious Meeting Between Presidents Muhammadu Buhari And Donald Trump

This note is written by one who is mindful of the fact that there are Nigerians, I mean the opponents of this administration, who have prayed and prayed very hard that our President in the course of his historic visit to the White House on Monday, April 30, 2018, would stumble badly or come back with nothing.

President Buhari, to the disappointment of this group, delivered a calm, brilliant performance. He refused to be provoked and did not get angry at the taunting. He instead turned his attention to the task at hand and at the end, came home satisfied that he got everything he wanted from the US administration. The Rose Garden worked out very much for him as a routine engagement, certainly not like the make-or-break meeting as some wanted it to be.

It is also important that records be set straight to counter the mischief of opponents, some of whom have started rendering false narratives of a meeting to which they were neither invited nor in any way aware of its details.

The meeting of the two leaders happened in three phases.

First, the one-on-one in which only the two of them were present. Then they had a working lunch, each leader accompanied by ten top officials. President Buhari had with him the Governors of Ogun and Plateau; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Industry, Trade and Investment; the Chairpersons of Senate and House of Representatives committees on international relations; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA; the Chief of Defence Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States.

The US President had more-or-less the same representation, except that the Secretary of State who just got cleared for the job by the Senate hadn’t assumed so he was represented by the Deputy Secretary of State.

President Trump also brought with him the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which I must emphasize, is significant to Nigeria given the fact that the U.S. remains the largest contributor to the on-going effort to reconstruct the Northeast and resettle its millions of displaced persons.

The third engagement involving the two leaders was the joint press conference by the leaders, aired live by some major TV networks across the world.

What did the meetings achieve?

First of all, it is important to state that from the very beginning, the two leaders got on very well with one another. They also shared a common respect for each other.

Some key remarks made by President Trump on our president sum this up:

He said President Buhari “is a rare leader”; he said “I respect him a lot” and said our leader had “succeeded in cutting down corruption”. He called President Buhari a “valued partner” and a “strong democrat.”

The two parties had agreed before the meeting that discussions will be on three key issues namely Security/Counter Terrorism, Trade, and Development of Democracy in Nigeria.

On security, the Nigerian delegation was pleased from the onset that the Trump administration had agreed to the major sale of military equipment to Nigeria. Team Nigeria was equally pleased about the much-increased role of the US in assisting the efforts to defeat terrorism in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region in general.

The President expressed appreciation for these and requested additional support to counter insurgency.

On the specific issue of the sale of the 12 Super Tucano A-29 warplanes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism, President Buhari told his American counterpart that we are pleased with this, but want delivery to be fast-tracked, given the security situation in the country.

Expectedly, President Trump said yes to this, and, additionally promised the sale of helicopters and about just everything President Buhari wanted.

Still on President Buhari’s meeting with Trump, it is important to explain the context of the remarks by President Trump where he was quoted as saying the U.S is concerned about the murder or killing, as he put it, of Christians. At the press conference, President Trump towards the end of his remarks, at the briefing, mentioned the protection of ‘‘innocent civilians of all faiths, including Muslims and Christians’’, which reporters left out.

In his remarks, the US President neither chided nor talked down on President Buhari. Saying that “we will do something about that,” is a clear expression of willingness to support Nigeria to bring to an end the unwanted killings. This is contrary to the press reporting which jumped on the issue, conveying a wrong impression that President Trump was only concerned about the lives of Christians. He mentioned Muslim lives as well.

Equally wrong was the hasty condemnation of the U.S. President by some Muslim groups in the country without the benefit of a full view and understanding of what was said and the context in which it was said.

The President also conveyed the country’s appreciation for the U.S. support for the humanitarian situation in the Northeast, with a contribution of 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions, the highest by anyone, through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations.

But the scope of work to be done is larger than anyone had envisaged and Nigeria wanted the US to do more. President Trump didn’t say no, only that he wanted more access to the Nigerian market for their agricultural goods.

“For a country which we assist with USD 1 billion dollars every year, you must do more to open the market to us,” Trump said. These are matters to be debated and resolved.

This leads us to the next important issue- Trade. Pointedly, President Trump did not mince words when he said: ‘‘President Buhari has also taken several steps to fight corruption and improve the Nigerian business climate. And most of all to me — and again — is ripping down those trade barriers. These measures will make it easier for Nigeria and the United States companies to invest. And we will be investing substantially in Nigeria if they can create that level playing field that we have to very much ask for, and maybe demand.’’

In acknowledging the efforts of President Buhari and the significance of the Nigerian economy on the continent of Africa, President Trump promised to grow trade and commercial ties between the two countries to create wealth and jobs for the benefit of their citizens.

Talks were also held between the Nigerian delegation and American Chief Executive Officers, who came from across various industries especially agriculture, digital economy and increasing value additions to locally produced raw materials.

Some of the broad level discussions on the business side included the planned coming of a John Deer tractor assembly plant to produce 10,000 tractors, which will certainly create thousands of jobs in Nigeria. Also on the table were several investment proposals across the food value chain including the production of chemicals for crop protection; a large-scale seed production company in Nigeria; a food ingredients company that will, among others set up an oilseed crushing plant with a capacity for about 50 million tons and a business engagement with local partners for the facilitation of international merchandising of local farm produce, serving as a firm assurance of buyer at the time of harvest.

There are plans by the Dangote Group and others for new partnerships to bring research and high yielding crop varieties that have seen increases elsewhere from two to six tons of maize and two to seven tons of rice per acreage as achieved in Brazil and other countries.

Other new businesses proposed at the meetings included the setting up of consumer products by big giants like Proctor and Gamble, a refinery in Ogun, Burger King food chain and a plant for the production of Heinz tomato products, in all cases, walking back to integrate local producers of raw materials.

With the blessing of the two leaders, assets recovery is also getting a major boost. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami was directed to sit down with Jeff Sessions, his US counterpart to have a roadmap for the recovery of USD 500 million of Nigerian stolen assets hidden in the US. They will also finalize on the return of USD 1 million of the Diepreye Alamieyeseigha loot.

Immediately after the bilateral engagement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of Justice, Malami, met with their U.S. counterparts. In the months ahead, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, will also meet with his U.S. counterpart, Wilbur Ross.

If the trip to the White House is to be judged according to its set objectives, there is nowhere it came short as some saucy opponents have said. President Buhari got everything we wanted from President Donald Trump.

When he was asked if Nigeria had succeeded in getting American to buy more of our oil, President Buhari said he did not. We have others buying our oil. Must we sell to a particular buyer?

This government will smartly work with the current American government, knowing that American interests are not always ours, as a strategic partner on security, anti-corruption economic growth and job creation.

By Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity
May 3, 2018

VP Osinbajo’s Address at the 2018 May Day Celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja

Let me begin by wishing all of us gathered here, mainly our two federations of Trade Unions – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), a happy celebration of May Day in solidarity with organized labour the world over. I salute and pay tribute to all Nigerian workers and working families. It is on your hard work, innovation, resilience and patriotism that our nation is building the structures for true greatness.

I must also seize this opportunity to acknowledge the historical contributions of Nigerian working people and organized labour to the political, economic, social and cultural development of our nation. The Nigerian organized labour has always been at the forefront of the push for a better Nigeria, from the struggles for independence; right through to the clamour for the restoration of the democratic order, and, in the last 19 years, for the sustenance of the freedoms guaranteed by our democracy. I must also say that Nigerian organized labour has contributed actively towards helping Nigeria get out, in record time, of an economic recession arising from past economic mismanagement.

This administration has remained committed to improving the welfare of the Nigerian people. When we came into office at least 22 States were owing salaries, some for a whole year. If you recall in November 2015, the President said and I quote, “all my life I have always earned a salary, so I understand what it means when your salary is not paid or when it is not enough.”

Just last year, Mr. President speaking to governors visiting him, again went back to the issue of salaries, I don’t know how any of you can go to sleep at night knowing that your workers have not been paid. The President’s concern for workers is not theoretical or rhetorical, but one borne out of experience, and respect for the sweat of the working classes, This is why we evolved mechanisms to bail out all the 36 states of the Federation, to the tune of N1.91Trillion so far including Paris Club repayments, in recognition of the shortfalls in their finances arising in particular from the oil shocks of 2015/2016.

We have extended this support regardless of party affiliation, to enable the States settle the backlog of arrears and salaries and pensions of workers. At the inauguration of the National Economic Council in 2015, President Buhari publicly declared that our administration will support every State, because poverty is no respecter of ethnic group, religion or party affiliation.

While we do recognize that payment of salaries and pensions is essential, we are also conscious of the fact that the increasing cost of living and the recognition to ensure a fair and decent living wage, has rendered the Minimum Wage Instrument which is currently in force obsolete. Accordingly, President Buhari on November 27, 2017, inaugurated a Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee to renegotiate the National Minimum Wage for our workers.

As you are all aware, the subject of a National Minimum Wage for the Federation is within the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). This means it is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Government. Although, there are arguments regarding fixing minimum wage in a Federation such as ours, it is the responsibility of government to establish the necessary social protection for all Nigerian workers based on the ability of each tier of Government to pay.

The argument for a national minimum wage, therefore, cannot be faulted, because minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for putting in his or her labour and as such, should be anchored on the principles of social justice, equity, and fairness. We believe that those who can pay above the social protection floor are free to do so, as many have been doing in many States and sectors of the economy.

This administration has no intention of presiding over the dismantling of the gains of organized labour through the years, especially almost four decades ago. Our hope therefore, is that the Tripartite Committee comprising government, labour, and the private sector, will expedite its assignment to enable the Federal Government to present an Executive Bill on a new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly for passage into law, as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Federal Government and the State governments will continue to work together, to improve the conditions of workers across the country.

Great Nigerian workers, it will be belabouring the point, to say that a virile organized labour is a vital institution for our nation at every point in its development. In our political and democratic evolution, a virile labour is a sine qua non. In the interest of the men and women of our society, who need a voice to speak loudly against economic or social injustice, Labour must remain united.

Let me seize this opportunity once again, to reiterate this administration’s commitment to the unity of the Nigerian organized labour, to serve as a bulwark against divisive forces, internally and externally. Accordingly, I advise that the Nigerian labour movement must employ its leadership skills of conflict resolution and utilize all the internal mechanism to resolve conflicts, because factionalization is not an option and not the answer.

I must at this point, appreciate the Nigerian labour movement, for being a strong pillar of support for our anti-corruption agenda. The government recognizes the fact that, indeed, the first line real victims of corruption are the Nigerian workers and working families, along with the rural poor. They are the ones who suffer the most from the corruption of the political classes.

It is regrettable that despite the enormous revenues Nigeria earned from oil in recent past, we still have problems with payment of salaries and pensions of workers, largely due to mismanagement and corruption. I assure you that under our administration, we will ensure that we expend every kobo of public funds, towards securing the welfare of all Nigerians.

We have continued to demonstrate our commitment, to the welfare of Nigerians by ensuring, that we protect the socially excluded and socially vulnerable. For the first time in the history of our country, we are implementing a full social protection programme, through a youth employment scheme, N-Power, Micro-credit to small businesses, Conditional Cash Transfers to the poorest, and a Home Grown School Feeding programme. So far we have employed 200,000 graduates in our N-Power programme, and we are bracing up to do 300,000 more.

Today, we are feeding over 7million children in 22 States, and we have employed 70,000 cooks. So far, we have given over 362,000 Microcredit loans, and our target is to give 1million of such loans especially to market women and artisans. We have also given cash transfers over 300,000 of the poorest Nigerians our Conditional Cash Transfers. Our target is to give this benefit to 1 million of the poorest.

The issue of course is that every country, of the size of Nigeria, especially a developing country, must have a social protection policy; we must have a safety net. The resources of the country must be used to protect those who either cannot work, or are vulnerable and poor in ways those who experience it can imagine. We take it as our duty, as a progressive government, to ensure that we protect the poor and vulnerable, and this is the main objective of the programmes that we have put in place.

These programmes have been targeted at the most vulnerable segments of our society, and are meant to ensure that we build a socially cohesive society, in which the resources of the country work for all. We will continue to apply public funds in such a way, that no section of the country or segment of the population, suffers social exclusion.

It is also the reason why we have prioritized agriculture in our economic planning. Our investment in the sector is paying off; importation of rice has dropped to just 2%. Millions of farmers, producing rice, sorghum, millet, tomatoes and other grains, are earning decent returns on their investments. We will soon be self-sufficient in both rice and tomato paste. We will soon be sufficient in our food as the President has said, “we must grow what we eat.” It is up to us, to ensure that we are self-sufficient in our food production and it is the duty of our government and we have considered it our historical task to ensure that we are able to provide food that is home grown and available to all Nigerians for cheap.

We have no choice but to improve our business environment, our business environment must enable medium and small scale businesses to work. To this end, we are committed to ensuring the reduction of interest rates so that businesses can have access to cheap credit. It is important to encourage young people in technology, innovation and the entertainment industry. We intend shortly, through the instrumentality of an advisory body, to mainstream the incentives available to the rest of industry to these new businesses.

Let me say also, as you are all quite aware, that insecurity has remained a big challenge for us all. But we are determined to face this challenge and secure the country more than ever before. To this end, Mr President and the Security Council have been engaging in rigorous stock taking, with a view to reengineering our security architecture to meet the challenges of the mindless killings in some parts of the country, including the threats of marauding herdsmen, cattle rustlers and bandits.

It is our duty to secure the rights of farmers, and all citizens, and to ensure that herders also can rear their cattle, especially as we have proposed in well-resourced ranches. But there are also criminals who want to stoke religious and ethnic crisis. Criminals who want to divide the country, using all manners of excuses including the recent attacks.

What is the explanation for anyone to go into a church to kill priests and worshippers? We recognize that while the protection of lives and property is a primary responsibility of government, it is also incumbent on us as citizens to share in this responsibility, as security is a collective responsibility. This country belongs to us all.
Our country is great because of the talents of our people, from every tribe, tongue, and religion. Our diversities are our strength. We must reject every attempt to divide us; our focus must be on developing our economy, providing opportunities in industry, manufacturing, technology for our young people. To borrow from Dike Chukwumerije, a young Nigerian poet – “we must build bridges not walls.”

We must continue to have faith in our great country. I thank you for your continued patience all workers of this nation, and your sacrifices towards moving the nation forward. Nigerian workers are by any estimation, the most patriotic segments of the population. You are amongst the most committed taxpayers, because your taxes are deducted at the source. Hence, nobody can deny you the right to interrogate government and how public funds are expended at all times. You remain amongst the few organizations that have risen above primordial sentiments and have gone across tribe and ethnicity and religion to come together to unite for a common purpose.

We believe that the worst is over for Nigeria. Accordingly, we will do everything within our powers to sustain the current economic recovery efforts. We will continue to reinforce our macroeconomic policies, to achieve sustainable economic stability and growth. We will also continue to ensure that growth comes along with more jobs and a fair and just distribution of the national wealth.

This administration has come this far, always counting on the continued support and goodwill of the Nigerian organized labour. I am confident that together we would achieve our objective, of building a united and prosperous nation.

Thank you all for your attention and may Almighty God bless us all and our great country, Nigeria.

​Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President, On Media and Publicity,
Office of the Vice President
1st May, 2018​

Press Release: Press Statement by President Buhari During His Visit To The United States on April 30th, 2018

Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen of the media.

It has been a pleasure and honour to visit Washington DC at the kind invitation of President Donald Trump.

Nigeria and the United States share a long history of close and cordial relations, which encompass political, economic, military, social and cultural cooperation. Our two countries maintain a strategic partnership for peace and security, conflict resolution as well as the global fight against terrorism.

We also share common features as secular federal states, practicing a similar democratic model of governance and committed to the universal values of fundamental human rights and freedoms, free enterprise, social justice and the rule of law.

President Trump and his team and myself and the Nigerian team discussed issues related to security, trade, governance, human rights and humanitarian crises.

Security

We congratulated the leaders of North and South Korea on their historic summit and we applaud them for the positive commitment they have made towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. President Trump deserves a great deal of credit for his statesmanly role in transforming so dramatically the course of events in that region.

We also congratulated the US government on the important role it played in the defeat of ISIS, although some of the remnants have found their way to the Sahel region. We recognized the strong US support in our fight against terrorism and also appreciated very much the US’ agreement to sell twelve Super Tucano A-29 war planes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism.

To contain the spate of insurgency in Nigeria, the Federal government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach, involving relevant government agencies to address the socio-economic and political dimensions while the Armed Forces of Nigeria assist the civil authority to provide security and maintain law and order.

As part of efforts to address emerging cases of insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Military adopted a non-kinetic counter terrorism/counter insurgency approach code-named “Operation safe corridor”, to de-radicalize, re-habilitate, and re-integrate willingly surrendered Boko-Haram members into the larger society. This programme is currently embarking on a number of projects including: skill acquisition centers and integrated farms; comprising poultry, fish pond and greenhouse farming, among others. A number of international partners, including the International Organization for Migration have contributed to the success of Operation Safe Corridor. We indicated that we would appreciate whatever support we could also get from the US.

We expressed gratitude for US support in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the North East of Nigeria, as well as humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), through agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international partners. The USA has been to date the biggest contributor to the humanitarian response and last year gave approximately 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations. These have mainly supported protection activities, health, food assistance and shelter.

We are doing all we can to secure the release of the remaining abducted school girls from Dapchi and Chibok. In this context, we will continue to welcome US collaboration in intelligence gathering, hostage negotiations and information-sharing.

Violence between Herdsmen and Farmers

The government is taking necessary steps to promote the peaceful co-existence of herdsmen and farmers, by focusing on boosting security and enforcing legislation that will guarantee herders and farmers access to land;

Trade and Investment

I extended sincere congratulations to President Trump and his government on the impressive performance of the US economy under their watch.

Our aim is to diversify our own economy by focusing on agriculture and food security; power and infrastructure. We have cut the importation of rice by about 90% thereby saving a significant amount of money. We very much welcomed increased US investment in the Nigerian economy, especially in the non-oil sector.

Economic relations between Nigeria and the United States are anchored on three major instruments, namely: the Bi-National Commission (BNC), Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Bi-National Commission in particular, comprising bilateral political, economic, developmental and humanitarian partnership, is a basic economic framework for engagement between our two countries.

Nigeria’s trade volume with the United States stood at $6.07 billion according to 2016 statistics and comprised $4.176 billion worth of Nigerian exports to the US and $1.894 billion US exports to Nigeria. We urged greater effort to increase these figures substantially.

Governance and Anti-Corruption

We thanked the US government very much for the cooperation we have received in our effort to recover stolen funds. Our two governments have put the machinery in place for their respective Attorneys-General to collaborate in ensuring the return to Nigeria of over five hundred million United States Dollars ($500) of looted funds siphoned away in banks around the world. In this connection, we congratulated the US government on launching a Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative which was spearheaded by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering. We hoped that we could continue to count on US support in this area.

Human Rights

The Government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights as well as the promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror. We commit to ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated and those responsible for violations held accountable for their actions.

Speech by President Buhari during his Working Lunch on his Visit to the United States

Mr. president,

Senior Government officials,

I have just had excellent discussions with President Trump and I would like to reiterate my immense gratitude to you, Mr. President for your kind invitation and the very warm and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation since our arrival in the United States;

We greatly appreciate the importance your administration attaches to a strong relationship with Nigeria. The United States remains for us a valued friend and strategic partner, whose support and solidarity over the years has meant a great deal to us. Our government’s three main priority areas are:

a) Security
b) Anti-corruption and good governance
c) Economic growth and job creation

We congratulate you, Mr. President on the statesmanly role you have played in so dramatically transforming the course of events in the Korean Peninsula to make the denuclearization of the region a real possibility.

On security, please accept our sincere congratulations on the important role played by the US in the defeat of ISIS, although some of the remnants have found their way to the Sahel region. We are very grateful for the strong US support in our fight against terrorism. We also appreciate very much your agreement to sell twelve Super Tucano A-29 war planes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism.

To contain the spate of insurgency in Nigeria, the Federal government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach, involving relevant government agencies to address the socio-economic and political dimensions while the Armed Forces of Nigeria assist the civil authorities to provide security and maintain law and order.

As part of efforts to address emerging cases of insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Military adopted a non-kinetic counter terrorism/counter insurgency approach code-named “Operation safe corridor”, to de-radicalize, re-habilitate, and re-integrate willingly surrendered Boko-Haram members into the larger society.

This programme is currently embarking on a number of projects including: skill acquisition centers and integrated farms; comprising poultry, fishpond and greenhouse farming, among others.

A number of international partners, including the International Organization for Migration have contributed to the success of Operation Safe Corridor. We will also appreciate whatever support we could also get from the US.

We are extremely grateful for your government’s support in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the North East of Nigeria, as well as humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons, through agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development and other international partners.

The USA has been to date the biggest contributor to the humanitarian response and last year gave approximately 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations. These have mainly supported protection activities, namely health, food assistance and shelter.

We are doing all we can to secure the release of the remaining abducted schoolgirls from Dapchi and Chibok. In this context, we will continue to welcome US collaboration in intelligence gathering, hostage negotiations and information-sharing.

The government is taking necessary steps to promote the peaceful co-existence of herdsmen and farmers, by focusing on boosting security and enforcing legislation that will guarantee herders and farmers’ access to land, reducing strife and promoting harmonizing economic activities.

I wish to extend sincere congratulations to you and your government on the impressive performance of the US economy under your watch.

Our aim is to diversify our economy by focusing on agriculture and food security; power and infrastructure. We have cut the importation of rice by about 90% thereby saving a significant amount of money. We very much welcome increased US investment in the Nigerian economy, especially in the non-oil sector.

Economic relations between Nigeria and the United States are anchored on three major instruments, namely: the Bi-National Commission, Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.

The Bi-National Commission in particular, comprising bilateral political, economic, developmental and humanitarian partnership, is a basic economic framework for engagement between our two countries.

Nigeria’s trade volume with the United States stood at six point zero-seven billion United States Dollars according to 2016 statistics and comprised four point one-seven-six billion united States dollars worth of Nigerian exports to the US and one point eight-nine-four billion United States Dollars US exports to Nigeria. We should work to increase these figures substantially and to make balance of trade more even.

We thank your government very much for the cooperation we have received in our effort to recover stolen funds. Our two governments have put the machinery in place for their respective Attorneys-General to collaborate in ensuring the return to Nigeria of over five hundred million United States Dollars ($500) of looted funds siphoned away in banks around the world.

In this connection, we congratulate the US government on launching a Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which was spearheaded by the US Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering. We hope that we can continue to count on your support in our efforts to recover our money.

The Government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights as well as the promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror. We will ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated and those responsible for violations held accountable for their actions.

In addition, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria inaugurated the Nigerian Military Human Rights Dialogue in August 2015 to provide the Nigerian Military and Para-Military with necessary tools to integrate human rights practices into their code, education systems, field training and disciplinary systems.

To this end, the victims of a criminal law enforcement operation that occurred in 2013 (otherwise known as Apo-six) were compensated in April this year based on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission. Two of the police officers responsible were convicted for culpable homicide arising from the extra-judicial killings.

Mr. President, this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the Federal Government compensated the victims of extra-judicial killings. It also provides a sustainable platform for local and international human rights organizations to constructively engage the Nigerian security forces on human rights concerns. We also look to share best practices in this area with the United States.

I thank you, Mr. President, again for hosting us and for your constructive response to our shaped problems. I hope you make Nigeria the first port of call whenever you visit African continent.