Opinion

PARIS OLYMPICS: OF METAL MEDALS AND MINISTER ENOH’S SONG OF HOPE

Published

3 months ago

August 16, 2024

Admin

BY BOLAJI AFOLABI
For sports aficionados, supporters, and many Nigerians, Friday, August 9 was an unusual day. For hours, various media platforms, and social media handles were abuzz with the hope and prayers that Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who came third at the semi finals would make it on technical grounds for the finals of the 110 metres hurdles. The event was the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics. The apprehension of many Nigerians was hinged on the fact that the Ogun-born hurdler was Nigeria’s last realistic hope for medals at the games. This was not minding that Hannah Reuben would be on the mat following day for the women’s 76 kg freestyle wrestling. Hopes were subsequently dashed, as the speedy hurdler who posted 12:55 seconds did not make the final cut.

This unexpected, and unfortunate development snowballed into a cacophony of regrets, accusations and blame-games in the sporting community. From reports, Team Nigeria’s camp was thrown into a “mourning mode” just as the country’s fraternity of human kinetics in and around Paris, as well as here at home. Nigerians are hyper-passionate about sports. This needs not be overemphasized. Over the years, it has become the only unifying capital for a country that is divided along ethnic, tribal, and religious considerations. Through sports, such leanings and similar banal segmentations are usually shoved aside. With sports, nobody remembers language, creed, and location. With the ghost of the 2012 London Olympics, where Nigeria failed to win any medal staring the nation in Paris, the anger, complaints, and negative exertions of people was understandable.

I was privileged to attend the 2004 Olympics in Greece. Yes I did, courtesy of my selfless and inspirational principal in The Presidency at the time. A few days to the closing ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Greece with no medal prospect, I engaged with Patrick Ekeji who was Nigeria’s Chef de Mission to the global tournament. After late dinner at the Holiday Inn “Nigeria House” in Athens. Ekeji, the foremost dual-lingual sports administrator who presently serves as Governor Hope Uzodinma’s Deputy Chief of Staff quipped: “We are condemned to win medals. We can’t leave here without any medal.” Happily, the “Nigerian House,” Olympics Stadium, Athletics Village, and other areas including Marousi, Omonoia and Kolonaki squares, restaurants, and pubs were besieged, and thrown into hours of jubilation when Team Nigeria won bronze medals at the men’s 4×100, and 4×400 relay events.

That Nigeria’s shambolic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics games has elicited negative reactions and outright condemnation among many people is not surprising. Nigeria is a nation of about 200million people with over 250 ethnic groups, positioned as one of Africa’s largest economies, boasting about $3,62.81 billion gross domestic product, (GDP). Nigeria has produced some of the most brilliant and successful achievers in sports and other sectors over time. Failing to make the awards-list is unacceptable.

Nigeria expended billions of naira, on a quadrennial event in which it featured 88 athletes who participated in 12 events and came back not even with metals of participation. Jamaica spent paltry $2,300 on each athlete and won 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze medals. Nigeria’s below par outing can only be inexplicable. Smaller African countries like Botswana, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and Kenya performed better than Nigeria. These are countries which had hitherto looked up to Nigeria for inspiration. How about countries like St. Lucia and Uzbekistan, with populations below some of our states in Nigeria, excelling at the meet?

Prior to the Olympics, many athletes posted impressive results which encouraged Nigerians to invest their trust and belief in them as potential medal winners. Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Ese Brume, Kanyisola Ajayi, and few others posted very good times in their respective events at different meets and competitions at home and abroad this year. Blessing Oborodudu, and her female colleagues in wrestling showcased their readiness for the Olympics games. Not forgetting the Super Falcons who defeated arch-rivals South Africa to qualify for the female football event after 20 years.

Same for D’Tigress, the female basketball team which defeated every opposition all the way to the Olympic podium. With the convergence of these superlative performances and the desire to accomplish more, it was not out of place that people expressed hope and had expectations on Nigeria’s chances at the Olympics. At the end of the games, however, and contrary to predictions, Nigeria was not among Africa’s “Top 10” finishers. We “flourished and excelled” in the back-pages as one of the dismal performers in Africa and the world.

More worrisome was that some athletes of Nigerian descent competed for other countries. These included those who changed nationalities due to the arbitrary, nepotistic, and capricious attitudes of some Nigerian officials and managers. Watching helplessly as they won medals for their adopted nations triggered psychological discomfort, even emotional torture. Annette Echikunwoke won silver medal for USA in Hammer Throw after being frustrated and chased out of Nigeria by some overzealous officials at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, (AFN). Same with Salwa Eid Naser (formerly Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu) who also won silver medal in 400 metres, for little known Bahrain. She has been in the country since 2014 and naturalised. Watching others including Yemisi Ogunleye, Victoria Ohuruogu, Barthelemy Chinenze, Samu Omorodion and Michael Olise winning medals for Germany, Great Britain, France, and Spain in different sports evoked teary eyes, and mood swings.

From major stakeholders in the sports sector to politicians and ordinary citizens, it has been consistent and continued condemnation. Respected sports journalist, Dr. Mumini Alao believes that, “Nigerian sports is grossly underfunded which is a reflection of our poor economy. Unfortunately, even the little that is made available by government is often managed by selfish and corrupt sports administrators.” Enefiok Udo-Obong, two-time Olympics medalist in men’s relay believes that, “the failure of our athletes to win any medal is due to a combination of lack of preparation, bad luck, and incompetence of some of the handlers.” Chioma Ajunwa, Nigeria’s first-ever Olympics gold medalist won at Atlanta 1996 declared that, “it is a pity and painful that we keep saying the same thing after every edition of Olympics.” There are indeed reports that before the event, the Nigerian contingent had plethora of avoidable and resolvable issues.

Why have we abandoned weightlifting, boxing, and few other sports in which Nigeria had comparative advantage in the past? Can we learn from Uzbekistan which concentrated on boxing and delivered five gold medals; out of the eight won by the country? What happened to our swimming with the water bodies our country is blessed with? This is one sport with multiple medal prospects where our brother nation South Africa consistently excels. Why not us?

Going forward, given the numerous benefits of sports including youth empowerment, the promotion of national unity, curtailment of social vices, reduction of security challenges, and significant contributions to economic growth, the sector requires immediate and prompt overhauling. Every sub-sector of the nation’s sports superstructure needs people with new visions, fresh ideas, and creative approaches to leadership. Udo-Obong believes that, “people must be held accountable.The first thing is a sweeping change in the executive of sporting federations. A lot of board members have nothing to offer, only perhaps for title in which they are ready to pay their way for.”

Ajunwa counselled that, “Nigerian sports must put their house in order and stop recycling good for nothing administrators. Let them put in position those that really love and know sports, it’s powers, and what it can do for a nation rather than those that are there for pecuniary reasons.” Any circus approach, and motions without realistic movement must be jettisoned. The only way to get it right is to do the right thing in resourceful appointments into leadership, realizable planning, and improved funding. Can we juxtapose Sir Sebastian Coe’s achievements, who was a multi-decorated Olympian as President of Great Britain’s Olympic Committee with that of his Nigerian counterpart, septuagenarian Engineer Habu Gumel who has led the country to four Olympics?

There seem to be bright lights in the recent bleak experience that the sports administration can build upon towards having realisable and practicable vision. Through D’Tigress, Nigeria emerged as the first African basketball team, male or female to get to the Quarter finals at the Olympics. The team defeated Australia and Canada, the 3rd and 5th world ranked teams. Also, 32 year-old Rena Wakama was declared the “Best Coach” at the Olympics, just as Ezinne Kalu named in the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) Women stars team; first in Africa. In long jump, Ese Brume and two others qualified for finals, first time by any African country. Despite not winning medals, some athletes ranked among the best in the world.

Perhaps, Minister John Enoh’s sustained admittance of taking responsibility for Nigeria’s failure, and promise to overhaul the sports sector may be the greatest positive. Away from the combative, arrogant, and know-it-all posturing of some of his predecessors, Enoh who may have been a victim of naivety and delegated legislation needs to be given benefit of the doubt in his determination to “right the wrongs” and put “round pegs in round holes.” Can he break the iron-cast grip of few “principalities, strongholds, and powers” that have held the nation’s sports down for years? Robert Nesta Marley and Jimmy Cliff, two iconic reggae superstars, in different songs, at different times, request to be watchful as we expect that “time will tell.”

BOLAJI AFOLABI is a development communications specialist, was with the Office of Public Affairs in The Presidency.

Opinion

Bianca Ojukwu’s Appointment, and Road to 2027

Published

1 week ago

October 31, 2024

Naijablitznews

By Franklyn Ginger-Eke

The political landscape in Nigeria’s Southeast region under President Bola Tinubu is taking on new contours, especially as he approaches the 2027 elections. Tinubu’s recent appointment of Ambassador Bianca Odinaka Odimegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs signals both strategic intent and an understanding of the symbolic weight her name carries. Her husband, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, remains a potent figure in Southeast memory, known for his role in the Biafran secessionist movement and later political ventures that ultimately did not fulfill his lofty ambitions. This political legacy carries a strong but complex resonance that the Tinubu administration might seek to leverage, albeit within certain constraints.

However, Bianca Odimegwu-Ojukwu, despite her familial legacy, lacks an independent political foundation or widespread influence within the Southeast. While she has occasionally assumed roles in public service, including as a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, her impact on local politics has been relatively limited, largely tied to her association with her late husband rather than any substantial personal political clout.

This limitation could prove challenging if Tinubu’s government is relying on her appointment alone to rally Southeast support in 2027.

Another critical figure from the Southeast in Tinubu’s administration is Engr. David Umahi, the Minister of Works and former governor of Ebonyi State. Umahi, unlike Bianca, holds considerable political capital and has a more extensive track record in governance and political influence in the Southeast. His political alignment with Tinubu reflects a more pragmatic approach to politics and governance in the region, one that acknowledges the need for a Southeast figurehead with established credibility to help drive national infrastructure goals, while also retaining significant sway over local politics. Umahi’s role, therefore, may offer more strategic advantage than Bianca’s in terms of consolidating Southeast support for Tinubu in the lead-up to 2027.

The 2027 elections are set against a backdrop of persistent discontent in the Southeast. This unrest is largely due to a perceived marginalization, compounded by Nnamdi Kanu’s ongoing incarceration.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Kanu remains a polarizing figure whose influence spans a significant demographic within the Southeast, particularly among those with secessionist sentiments. Kanu’s situation remains a thorny issue, and his incarceration signals to many in the Southeast that their grievances are either being suppressed or ignored. Unless Tinubu’s administration can address these grievances — perhaps through meaningful engagement and reconciliation — the Southeast may remain a challenging frontier in the upcoming elections.

Then there is Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, whose popularity surged across the Southeast and extended nationally.

Obi represents not only a figure of political and economic prudence but also a beacon of new possibilities for Southeast voters who feel alienated by the mainstream political structure. With Obi potentially remaining a political force to contend with in 2027, Tinubu’s administration faces a daunting task in consolidating support in the region.

Obi’s influence could mean that efforts to garner Southeast loyalty through appointments, symbolic or otherwise, may have limited traction if they lack substantial follow-through in terms of development and inclusive governance.
Bianca’s appointment, therefore, may carry more symbolic weight than functional leverage. She does not have the political machinery or grassroots network that figures like Umahi or Obi have, nor the capacity to sway the vast support bases that are deeply skeptical of the APC government. Her affiliation with Tinubu might even risk alienating some in the Southeast who view the federal government with suspicion, especially in light of the region’s ongoing issues with infrastructure deficits, economic neglect, and security concerns.
In conclusion, while the appointments of Bianca Odimegwu-Ojukwu and David Umahi mark an apparent effort by Tinubu’s administration to make inroads into the Southeast, the efficacy of this strategy remains uncertain. The Peter Obi factor looms large, and the unresolved matter of Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration continues to inflame regional discontent. For the APC to gain substantial Southeast support in 2027, it would require a more comprehensive approach that includes genuine political engagement, addressing longstanding regional grievances, and delivering tangible economic and infrastructural benefits. Relying on symbolic appointments alone may prove insufficient, especially in a region with both historical complexities and contemporary challenges that demand substantive, not merely symbolic, leadership.

-Franklyn Ginger-Eke, a public affairs and strategic communication expert, writes from Abuja

Opinion

Social Media providers and Nigerian Content creators

Published

2 weeks ago

October 30, 2024

Naijablitznews

By Sonny Aragba-Akpore

On Monday September 16,2024,ByteDance and it’s short video platform,Tik Tok appeared at a crowded court in Washington DC,the United States of America (USA) before a panel of three judges to appeal against a law that is likely to ban the company from doing business in the USA by January 2025 if it does not divest its operations.
Although,this legal tussle is ongoing,Nigerian content creators appear to be the first victims of this long drawn battle between Tik Tok and the American government.
While the content creators wonder what becomes of their trade,Facebook and Instagram are making things more difficult for them.
Tik Tok ,Facebook and Instagram may have strong reasons for their actions but not as much as we know.
Meta Group,owners of Facebook,Instagram and WhatsApp last week deleted over 1,600 users in Nigeria for alleged scamming activities.
The deleted 1,600 Facebook groups are allegedly linked to Yahoo Boys.

This purge, which happened on October 17,2024 , follows the one in July 2024 that saw 7,200 Facebook assets removed. The company also announced that the recent removal of 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria were tied to financial sextortion scams.

On Thursday ,October 17,2024 Meta revealed that these groups attempted to organise, recruit, and train new scammers. It said, “Yahoo Boys are banned under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy — one of our strictest policies — which means we remove Yahoo Boys’ accounts engaged in this criminal activity whenever we become aware of them.”

“While we’ve been removing violating Yahoo Boys accounts for years, we’re putting new processes in place which will allow us to identify and remove these accounts more quickly.”

In addition to targeting scammers, Meta introduced new safety features aimed at protecting users, particularly teens, from sextortion scams. These measures include blocking suspicious accounts from following teens and making it harder for scammers to view follower lists, which are often used to blackmail victims.

The TikTok face off with the U.S. government in federal court specifically argued a law that could ban the platform in a few short months saying it is unconstitutional .

But the American Justice Department said it is needed to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company.

In the more than two-hour appearance before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, attorneys for the two sides – and content creators – were pressed on their best arguments for and against the law that forces TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance to break ties by mid-January or lose one of their biggest markets in the world.
Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs foul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. – the U.S. arm of TikTok – is an American entity. After his remarks, another attorney representing content creators who are also challenging the law argued it violates the rights of U.S. speakers and is akin to prohibiting Americans from publishing on foreign-owned media outlets, such as Politico, Al Jazeera or Spotify.
Despite the spirited arguments put forward by Tik Tok is already licking its wounds and in what seems a transferred aggression visited its spleen by deleting over two million accounts of Nigerians mid last week.
This is the second time in the last one year that it will visit its anger on Nigerians.
By last quarter of 2023, no fewer than 1.7 million accounts were deleted.
Figures published in ByteDance’s advertising resources indicate that TikTok had 23.84 million users aged 18 and above in Nigeria in early 2024 according to DataReportal.

ByteDance allows marketers to target TikTok ads to users aged 13 and above via its advertising tools, but these tools only show audience data for users aged 18 and above .

ByteDance’s figures indicate that TikTok ads reached 20.8 percent of all adults aged 18 and above in Nigeria at the start of 2024.

TikTok’s ad reach in Nigeria was equivalent to 23.1 percent of the local internet user base at the beginning of the year, regardless of age according to DataReportal.

In early 2024, 40.9 percent of TikTok’s ad audience in Nigeria was female, while 59.1 percent was male.ByteDance’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

DataReportal explains that, ad audiences often only account for a subset of a platform’s total users, and given that TikTok’s ad tools only publish data for users aged 18 and above, it’s important to remember that trends in TikTok’s ad reach figures may not necessarily match changes in the platform’s overall user base. In reality TikTok’s ad reach in Nigeria was equivalent to 23.1 percent of the local internet user base at the beginning of the year, regardless of age.

The battle in the American courts is especially calculated to upturn a Presidential Executive Order which specifically directs Tik Tok to divest its operations by breaking away from the Chinese appendages.

The measure, signed by President Joe Biden in April, 2024 was the culmination of years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China.

The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion.

Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to alleged manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.

So what is the offence of Nigerian content creators in all of these?

During the second quarter of 2024, approximately 21.6 million TikTok accounts owned by Nigerians were removed from the platform due to suspicion of being operated by users under the age of 13.
“During the last measured period, around 171 million fake accounts were removed from fake accounts removed from TikTok” as alleged by the company saying that the deleted accounts allegedly consistently violated Community Guidelines and so stood banned from TikTok.

“If your account has been banned, you’ll receive a banner notification when you next open the app, informing you of this account change” Tik Tok stated.

Some of the accounts were deleted because they were said to be inactive and were not used to access TikTok for at least 180 days.

“Whether an account is inactive is not publicly visible and duplication of user name is inadmissible.”

“In most instances, we cannot reassign a username. We suggest using a variation of your desired username by adding numbers or underscores, or using an abbreviation.

If you believe that a username infringes your intellectual property rights, view our Intellectual Property Policy.”

TikTok’s Community Guidelines Enforcement Report provides insight into how the platform maintains safety and integrity. With over 40,000 trust and safety professionals working alongside cutting-edge technology, TikTok enforces strict guidelines and policies to ensure a positive experience for all users.
With a global proactive detection rate of 98.2%, TikTok is more efficient than ever at preventing harmful content from reaching its audience.

The platform’s ongoing investment in cutting-edge moderation technology is coupled with its commitment to transparency, ensuring a secure space for its diverse Nigerian and global users.

TikTok’s report is part of its broader mission to inspire creativity and foster a joyful, safe environment for all users.

These actions reflect TikTok’s focus on ensuring user safety by addressing harmful content swiftly. The platform continues to invest in advanced technologies to detect and remove inappropriate material.

Globally, TikTok removed over 178 million videos in June 2024, with 144 million of these removed through automated systems.

These improvements have helped reduce the exposure of moderators to harmful content, as well as the speed of detection.

“In its Q2 2024 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, Tik Tok emphasized its commitment to maintaining a safe and positive environment for Nigerian users.

This report provides transparency into the platform’s content moderation efforts, highlighting the videos and accounts removed for violating community guidelines” according to agency reports.
The 2.1 million videos deleted from Nigeria are less than 1% of all content uploaded in the country.
The social media platform attributed this action to violations of its Community Guidelines.

It noted Nigeria’s presence among the top 50 countries for such policy breaches during Q4 of 2023.
Globally, 176.5 million videos were removed during this period, with the top 50 offending markets responsible for about 90% of these removals.

According to the report, the deleted videos violate TikTok’s restrictions pertaining to safety, and civility. Additionally, they violate mental and behavioral health, privacy and security, integrity, and authenticity restrictions, among others.

TikTok claimed that within the period under examination, it had deleted 169 million accounts that had been found to be fraudulent or spam.

Agency reports quoted TikTok Ada’s saying “From October through to the end of 2023, we removed more than 169 million fake accounts globally. Also, we have removed about 1.2 million bot comments on content tagged with hashtags related to the Israel-Hamas war.”

“However, we remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement.

“These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics within these areas.”

Since its launch, TikTok has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, using recommendation algorithms to connect content creators with new audiences.

In April 2020, TikTok surpassed two billion mobile downloads worldwide.
Cloud flare ranked TikTok the most popular website of 2021, surpassing Google.The popularity of TikTok has allowed viral trends in food and music to take off and increase the platform’s cultural impact worldwide.

TikTok has come under scrutiny due to data privacy violations, mental health concerns, misinformation, offensive content, and its role during the Israel–Hamas war.

Countries have fined, banned, or attempted to restrict TikTok to protect children or out of national security concerns over possible user data collection by the Chinese government through ByteDance.

TikTok, started as Douyin in China and Hong Kong as a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 60 minutes.It can be accessed with a smart phone app.

ByteDance planned on Douyin expanding overseas. The founder of ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, stated that “China is home to only one-fifth of Internet users globally. If we don’t expand on a global scale, we are bound to lose to peers eyeing the four-fifths. So, going global is a must.”

ByteDance created TikTok as a global version of Douyin. TikTok was launched in the international market in September 2017.On November 9,2017, ByteDance spent nearly $1 billion to purchase Musical.ly, a startup headquartered in Shanghai with an overseas office in Santa Monica, California.Musical.ly was a social media video platform that allowed users to create short lip-sync and comedy videos, initially released in August 2014.

TikTok merged with Musical.ly on August 2,2018 with existing accounts and data consolidated into one app, keeping the title TikTok.

On January 23,2018, the TikTok app ranked first among free application downloads on app stores in Thailand and other countries.TikTok has been downloaded more than 130 million times in the United States and has reached two billion downloads worldwide,according to data from mobile research firm Sensor Tower (those numbers exclude Android users in China).

In the United States, celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon and Tony Hawk, began using the app in 2018.Other celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Will Smith, and Justin Bieber joined TikTok as well as many others.In January 2019, TikTok allowed creators to embed merchandise sale links into their videos.

On September 3,2019, TikTok and the U.S. National Football League (NFL) announced a multi-year partnership.The agreement occurred just two days before the NFL’s 100th season kick-off at Soldier Field, where TikTok hosted activities for fans in honor of the deal.

The partnership entails the launch of an official NFL TikTok account, which is to bring about new marketing opportunities such as sponsored videos and hashtag challenges.

In July 2020, TikTok, excluding Douyin, reported close to 800 million monthly active users worldwide after less than four years of existence.

In May 2021, TikTok appointed Shou Zi Chew as their new CEO who assumed the position from interim CEO Vanessa Pappas, following the resignation of Kevin A. Mayer on August 27, 2020.In September 2021, TikTok reported that it had reached one billion users.
In 2021, TikTok earned $4 billion in advertising revenue.

In October 2022, TikTok was reported to be planning an expansion into the e-commerce market in the US, following the launch of TikTok Shop in the United Kingdom. The company posted job listings for staff for a series of order fulfillment centers in the US and is reportedly planning to start the new live shopping business before the end of the year.

Douyin was launched by ByteDance in September 2016, originally under the name A.me, before rebranding to Douyin in December 2016.

Douyin was developed in 200 days and within a year had 100 million users, with more than one billion videos viewed every day.

While TikTok and Douyin share a similar user interface, the platforms operate separately.

Douyin includes an in-video search feature that can search by people’s faces for more videos of them, along with other features such as buying, booking hotels, and making geo-tagged reviews.

Opinion

MOHAMMED MAIGARI DINGYADI: A QUINTESSENTIAL PATRIOT JOINS PRESIDENT TINUBU’S RENEWED HOPE CABINET

Published

2 weeks ago

October 29, 2024

Naijablitznews

BY. DELE AILEMEN

Having been involved for most of my life in working class and progressive activism, and journalism nationally and globally, I must admit my hopefulness at the inspirational nomination of Hon. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi for the Labour and Employment portfolio. These are simultaneously defining and trying times for President Bola Tinubu administration. Undeniably, the helms of the labour and employment is an existential artery for oxygenerating our national socio-economic health. The choice of President Tinubu for the phenomenal task of the ministry is vitally consequential.

After months of speculations and serial rumour, President Tinubu announced changes and rejuvenation in the federal executive council. In swift action, he named seven ministerial nominees supplanting five others. As expected, the ministerial-shake up has elicited energetic comments in the media and other platforms.

While some have vilified and minimized the efforts of Tinubu saying that the changes were not far reaching, others believe that the administration deserves commendation for the courage to effect potentially profound reforms.

Amid the cacophony of talks about the cabinet changes, there are indisputable silver linings of positivity; for the first time, since the birth of the fourth republic in 1999, Tinubu attached portfolios to the list of ministerial nominees for the Senate screening. With this audacious decision, the President has responded to the yearning of Nigerians who have clamoured for such feature in the nomination process in a way that enables the Senate to engage in direct interrogation and thoughtful scrutiny of every nominee.

To every discerning, and informed mind interested in national growth and development, the labour and employment portfolio is very paramount. In developed climes, necessary, and imperative details are devoted to who manages this strategic ministry in every administration. From empirical studies, countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia conscious of the importance of labour and employment to growth and development ensure that whoever heads the sector must possess criterion fitting for necessary collaboration, and realistic synergies between the government, organised labour, and private sector.

For every Nigerian that has followed the distinguished public service career of Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, his choice as a ministerial-nominee by Tinubu is well-deserved. Also, his expected deployment to labour and employment is akin to putting a round peg in round hole. Indeed, it is apposite to commend Tinubu for the nomination which depicts his commitment, and determination towards having all-round, all-inclusive, robust, and results-yielding labour-government relations as necessary impetus for national development.

In his over four decades post-graduation career as a dedicated civil servant; consummate administrator; resourceful security expert; responsive lawmaker; altruistic politician; and serial philanthropist, Dingyadi has carved enviable niches for himself. Deploying boundless energies, bountiful courage, consistent candour, and ceaseless competencies in the discharge of every duty, assignment and responsibility, Dingyadi has recorded unblemished records of excellence, and achievements in his numerous services to the country, state, community, and humanity.

That Tinubu has found him worthy to oversee the labour and employment portfolio speaks volumes about his high-rating, and affirmation of his achievements as the police affairs minister, between August 2019 and May 2023 in the Buhari administration. That he is the sole nominee; from the last government to deserve a positive look-in confirms, in many ways the acknowledgement of his performances in the last administration, and recognition of his consistency, character, capabilities, and competencies.

From available records, Dingyadi is arguably, the best police affairs minister since 1999. Under his leadership, the Nigerian Police Force, and other agencies such as the Police Academy, Wudil; Police Training Colleges; and Nigerian Police Trust Fund witnessed improved operations, and service deliveries. Numerous initiatives were emplaced towards capacity building, ethical standardization, and operational sustainability of agencies under the ministry.

Under his supervision, the police affairs ministry posted many laudable achievements including:- presidential assent to the elevation of the Police Academy, Wudil to a full-fledged degree awarding institution; presidential assent to the establishment of the federal government Public-Private Security Fund; review, and upgrade of training curriculum for police institutions to align with contemporary policing realities; full implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) at all agencies; establishment of the Interpol Cybercrime Reportorial Platform; commissioned the NPF Crime and Incident Database Centre; establishment of the NPF Cybercrime Control Centre; deployment of ICT-based apparatus at strategic commands and units in fighting crime; improved operational apparatus of the Interpol Cybercrime Unit; and launch of “NPF Rescue Me” application.

Dingyadi also ensured that officers, personnel, and staff of the ministry, and agencies benefited from various operational, empowerment, and welfare initiatives towards encouraging commitment, and service deliveries at all levels. These included:- construction, renovation and rehabilitation of police stations and barracks at FCT, Lagos, Gombe, Kebbi, Abia, Plateau, Edo, Ogun, Borno, Sokoto, Niger, Bayelsa, and other states; construction and rehabilitation of hospitals and health centres; provision of operational vehicles, arms and ammunition, and others; provision of intelligence equipment at Abuja Force Headquarters, and Headquarters Annex in Lagos; provision of medical equipment, kits, and other consumables; recruitment of about 100,000 constables through open, transparent, and credible processes; recruitment of young WASC holders into the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil for Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) training; and many others.

Given his broad-based experiences, and multi-disciplinary competencies which has attracted national and global recognition over the years, Dingyadi is best-suited to be the labour and employment minister. As a top civil servant in Sokoto state where he rose to the position of Secretary to State Government; having functioned as Permanent Secretary in the Career, Special Services, and other strategic ministries, he had excellent working relationship with civil servants such that at no time did workers embarked on any strike action. As a federal lawmaker, he played useful roles in every legislative intervention with the organised labour. At the ministry of police affairs, labour unions, and workers had productive synergies with him. One is confident that leveraging on his manifested love for humanity, and the general well-being of people, Dingyadi would help advance smooth, better, and fruitful government-labour relations towards immense benefits to the Nigerian worker, and the nation.

* DELE AILEMEN, Co-Convener, 2002 Los Angeles (California)People’s Convention; and Chairman, defunct Bendel State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists writes from Benin.