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Senate cttee gathers data on Nigerians abroad, plans to reverse japa

Published

6 hours ago

February 6, 2025

The Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations has expressed concern over the growing trend of Nigerians migrating abroad in search of better opportunities, commonly referred to as the “Japa” syndrome.

The committee, chaired by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi), has vowed to address this issue as part of its strategy to strengthen the nation’s economy and reduce mass emigration.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, emphasised the importance of reversing the trend for the benefit of the country.

“This committee will do this by collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the area of making Nigerians particularly the youth, believe more in their country and not the mindset of wanting to rush out of the country.

“Patriotism is earned and not forced. We need to identify a few steps that we can use in building our economy here using our diaspora energy.

“We’re going to look into countries like India, Pakistan, even Egypt, in Africa here on how they have grown their capacities and making their countries attractive for a larger percentage of citizenry to stay.

“The committee will start this process by getting the database of Nigerians in Diaspora, country by country and also collaborate with various international organisations on areas of focus that can attract many of them back home.

“India is a very good example of reversing the japa syndrome by being the Information and Communication Technology capacity hub of the world with attendant jobs for its citizens,” Akpoti-Uduaghan added.

In his remarks, the former chairman of the committee, Senator Victor Umeh (APGA, Anambra), expressed confidence in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s leadership.

He praised her for possessing the necessary skills to lead the committee effectively and galvanize efforts to tap into the potential of Nigeria’s diaspora communities. “With Senator Natasha as Chairman, I am confident that the committee will make significant strides in reversing the ‘Japa’ syndrome,” Umeh said.

Related Topics:chairman Economy Nigeria PDP Senate

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House of Reps Halts Oil Company Divestments Over Unresolved Liabilities

Published

3 seconds ago

February 6, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

…as lawmakers callRepresentativelegal framework on oil company divestment

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to immediately suspend all divestment moves by Shell, TotalEnergies, and other International Oil Companies (IOCs) until their outstanding environmental, social, and financial liabilities are properly addressed. Lawmakers insist that no sale or transfer of assets should proceed without full transparency and direct consultation with Niger Delta communities and state governments.

Additionally, the House is pushing for the creation of an Environmental Restoration Fund, funded by the IOCs, to tackle the estimated $100 billion in damages outlined by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Bayelsa State Commission. Legislators also demand the introduction of profit-sharing arrangements to ensure host communities receive direct benefits from oil and gas revenues.

The Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has been directed to strictly enforce the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by scrutinizing all divestment applications, ensuring corporate accountability, and thoroughly assessing the financial, technical, and environmental capacity of new operators before approvals are granted.

These resolutions followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by House Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, titled “The Need to Protect Environmental Integrity, Community Welfare, and Regulatory Independence in the Niger Delta by Halting Divestments of International Oil Companies, including Shell and TotalEnergies.” The motion was debated and adopted during Thursday’s plenary session.

Speaking on the motion, Chinda emphasised the federal government’s responsibility to safeguard the rights and welfare of its citizens, particularly Niger Delta residents, who have suffered decades of environmental degradation and socio-economic hardship due to oil exploration. He warned that approving divestments without resolving these long-standing issues would set a dangerous precedent.

The motion reads in part: “The House notes that the Nigerian Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, vests the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission with the responsibility to regulate the upstream petroleum sector in line with national interests and global best practices.

“The House also notes that independent assessments, including those by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, and the Bayezid State Oil and Environment Commission, have documented the catastrophic environmental and health impacts of oil exploration in the Niger Delta, including contaminated water sources, soil infectivity, loss of biodiversity, and public health emergencies.

“The House is aware that recently the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has rejected Shell’s divestment application, citing failure to address environmental liabilities and concerns about the capacity of the Renaissance Consortium to manage the assets effectively.

“The House is also aware that past divestment by IOCs, such as Shell’s sale of assets in Nembe to Aleppo, ExxonMobil’s transfer, and E&I’s agile sale to Rwanda have left communities with unresolved pollution, worsened environmental degradation, and increased social unrest.

“The House is concerned that approving Shell and Total Energy’s divestment request, without addressing these historical and ongoing liabilities, risks undermining Nigeria’s regulatory independence, transferring corporate responsibilities to the Nigerian state, and signaling impunity for environmental crimes.

“The House is also concerned that allowing IOCs to divest without accountability will jeopardize the future of the Niger Delta, undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty, and burden the Nigerian people with the economic and environmental costs of cleanup.

“The House believes that a comprehensive and transparent review process, including full disclosure of environmental liabilities and enforceable commitments for cleanup and reparations, must precede any approval of IOC divestments.

“The House is worried that if regulatory independence is not safeguarded to uphold the rule of law and protect national interests against undue corporate and political interference, the sovereignty of the country will be threatened and citizens’ trust in the government would further diminish”.

Lawmakers who spoke in support of the motion acknowledged the federal government’s ongoing efforts to address oil industry challenges through relevant agencies.

Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Upstream, Rep. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, emphasized that legislative intervention would enhance these efforts, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to managing oil sector transitions.

“This motion not only allows us to tackle the pressing issues affecting our people, but it also provides an opportunity to revisit existing legal frameworks. We must introduce permanent statutory provisions to address gaps that were overlooked during the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA),” Doguwa stated.

He further clarified misconceptions about divestment, explaining that International Oil Companies (IOCs) are not physically exiting Nigeria but rather shifting investments from shallow-water to deep-sea operations.

“Divestment, in this context, does not mean these companies are leaving Nigeria entirely. They remain committed to their corporate, commercial, and economic responsibilities within the sector. It is essential that this distinction is understood,” he added.

Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Rep. Tersee Ugbo, noted that multiple committee sessions and retreats had revealed a critical oversight: the PIA lacks clear provisions on how divestments should be handled.

“We discovered that divestment was completely omitted from the PIA, and there are no proper legal guidelines for how IOCs should exit their investments. This gap has led to discussions on the need for a Divestment Act to establish a structured framework for such transitions,” Ugbo explained.

Lawmakers stressed that without a well-defined regulatory structure, unchecked divestments could pose significant economic and environmental risks to host communities and the country at large.

The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu who presided over plenary in his ruling refers the motion to the Committee on Host Communities, Committee on Environment, Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream, and Committee on Legislative Compliance and repoet back in foru weeks for further legislative action.

News

Katsina: Bandits kidnap ex-NYSC DG, nine others

Published

7 minutes ago

February 6, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Bandits have reportedly kidnapped the former Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brgd. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), in Tsiga village, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, in the early hours of Thursday.

The bandits also killed one person and abducted at least nine others, even as they were said to have ransacked several homes, carting away valuables.

The bandits attacked at 12.30am on Thursday, as eyewitness reports have it that the armed hoodlums stormed the community, shooting sporadically to scare residents.

Our correspondent contacted the Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, to confirm the attack but said he “can’t talk now” in an SMS.

Details soon…

News

JUST IN: Reps Committee Propose 31 New States

Published

16 minutes ago

February 6, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has proposed the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria.

If approved, Nigeria will have 67 states in total. The proposal was announced in a letter read during Thursday’s plenary session by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chaired the session in the absence of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Under the proposal, six new states would be added to the North Central region, four to the North East, five to the North West, five to the South East, four to the South South, and seven to the South West.

The letter read in part, “The committee proposes the creation of 31 new states. As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:

1. New state and boundaries

An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.

“2. The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly.

“Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.

Specifically, in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfilment of state demands.

“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.

Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the Committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj. For further information or contact, please contact the Committee Clerk at 08069-232381.

“The committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines. This is coming from the Clerk of the Committee on Constitutional Review

The proposed new states are Okun, Okura and Confluence states from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa states from Benue; FCT state; Amana state from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi states and Savannah states from Borno and Muri State from Taraba.

Others are New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi State; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the South East Adada from Enugu, Orlu and Aba from the South East.

Also included are Ogoja from Cross River State, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun state as well as Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.