.@NigeriaGov has so far done a fantastic job on the #Ukraine evacuation. We’ve come a long way from the initial reports suggesting abandonment of Nigerians — even at a time when serious work was going on behind the scenes to sort out diplomatic + logistical pre-evac issues.
Naturally, the media enthusiasm about reporting “abandonment” far exceeds any enthusiasm for reporting UPDATES that suggest things are being done right.
But what matters most is that all Nigerians who want to return home are able to do so promptly & safely. And that’s ongoing.
This thing where you constantly highlight Ghana news and deliberately unlook Nigeria news, you CANNOT be educated and be doing it.
Toyota went to Ghana yes, but several others are here in Nigeria, incl Hyundai, Honda, GAC, Geely, Kia, Peugeot etc
This year, already, Peugeot is back assembling cars in Nigeria, in a JV with Dangote Group. Brand new plant, hasn’t even been formally commissioned yet.
Geely Assembly plant in Nigeria, opened 2020.
Before you open an ignorant mouth to try and diss the Geely brand, remember they own sizable stakes in Daimler (owners of Mercedes Benz) and Volvo, and in 2020 announced a new JV with Mercedes-Benz AG to focus on electric vehicles.
One can safely and boldly assert that no elected Nigerian President has signed into Law as many landmark reform parliamentary Bills as President Muhammadu Buhari has so far done.
A quick list of key ones (by no means is this a list of ALL):
The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), 2021, which finally became an Act after almost two decades of false starts. Broken — one of the Greatest Jinxes Ever Liveth!
The Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, 1993 (Amendment) Act, 2019, coming almost three decades after the original legislation.
From Abuja where PMB has just signed into law the historic Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022, we move to Lagos, where the VP is commissioning @KCCorp’s new $80m manufacturing facility, in Ikorodu. Host Governor @jidesanwoolu is also here. #InvestNigeria
I will try to live-tweet highlights of #StateHouseBriefing, featuring Governor @elrufai this morning. Follow this thread. See previous tweet for livestream link.
A thread about Nigeria’s Conditional Cash Transfer program @HUPcct - one of the programs under the National Social Investment Programme; and whether N5,000 a month (current monthly payment, to 1.6 million Nigerian households) can make a difference in people’s lives or not.
HM @Sadiya_farouq was asked about the N5,000 at #StateHouseBriefing yesterday. A journalist, asking a question, spoke dismissively about the amount - that N5,000 cannot do anything.
Minister’s reply:
“Saying 5,000 cannot make a difference in ppl’s lives is an elitist statement. We know, ‘cos we’ve gone to the field. We’ve seen ppl, when you pay them this @HUPcct 5k, they cry ‘cos they’ve never seen 5k before. It goes a long way, changes their status.”