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tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
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Feb 23 • 19 tweets • 6 min read
I saw a Bloomberg correspondent tweeting that Nigeria has lost its leadership role in West Africa.

Not really surprised by that take (considering the source), but let me just explain—with 'receipts'—why it's BS.

#Thread
Apart from the obvious fact that Nigeria remains by far the largest economy in West Africa, and that the economy of Lagos alone is bigger than that of any other West African country...
Nigeria's contributions to stabilising West Africa in recent years have been unparalleled: Whether by carrying the bulk of the burden of financing the MNJTF
Or Intervening to ensure a peaceful transition in the Gambia: it was the Nigerian Military -- and the Nigerian Judges in the Gambian Supreme Court -- who helped maintain democracy in the Gambia when Jammeh refused to leave after losing the presidential election in December 2016.
Or taking leadership on Climate Change issues in West Africa and the Sahel - leadership of Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the Pan Africa Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), and then announcement last week that we will be hosting Secretariat of the Sahel Climate Fund.
Still on security, Nigerian companies @Proforcedefence and @innosonvehicles have been major suppliers of military vehicles to West African countries:
Nigeria is assisting Sierra Leone to set up an (Aviation) Accident Investigation Bureau, while also assisting Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Cape Verde, etc with accident investigations
punchng.com/ghana-gambia-o…
Nigeria does not hesitate to provide logistical support to other West African countries that require it: channelstv.com/2019/04/26/buh…
Nigeria is helping Liberia rebuild its Air Force:
The 'Big Sibling' spirit never dies: thenationonlineng.net/mudslide-niger…
There's the incredible work #Nigeria is doing with the Technical Aid Corps (TAC), one of the most potent demonstrations of Nigerian soft power - many West African and African countries (and beyond!) are beneficiaries
Yeah the CAR is not in West Africa, but they're very close by. This is their President, on a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja in 2021, soliciting support from Nigeria to build military capabilities
Have you heard of SPOMO? The Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act signed by President Buhari in 2019? It's the first legislation dedicated to tackling maritime piracy in all of West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. If that's not leadership I don't know what is.
And then there's infrastructure - Nigeria has just opened the most modern Port in West Africa, possibly in all of Africa.

In the deployment of standard gauge rail, and urban light rail systems, we are showing leadership.
How can anyone be aware of all this and still say manage to suggest that Nigeria is losing leadership in West Africa? Is it ignorance, malice, mischief -- or a combination of all?
Nigeria is building an SGR line that will link Maradi in southern Niger Republic, and open up access to the landlocked country. The new Inland Dry Port in Kano will also open up logistics opportunities:
Last year, @NigerianNavy's newest Warship, NNS KADA was delivered from the manufacturer. The first official assignment of the Ship was to carry personnel and equipment to Guinea Bissau, to support the ECOWAS Stabilization Mission there, August 2022:
When @ecowas_cedeao Heads of State wanted to select a Champion to lead the fight against Covid-19, in April 2020, who did they select?
Nigeria regularly trains (at our Military Colleges) significant numbers of African military officers:

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More from @toluogunlesi

tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 19
The only sellable thing for this presidential election is RECORD. Show us what you did in the previous political positions you held. What you innovated, implemented. The teams you assembled and empowered. The lasting legacies you left behind.

#Thread
“I will, I will” or “This is how China /Bangladesh/ Indonesia did it” or “You will see when we get there” won’t quite cut it.

Show the past workings: what you did, the fresh thinking you brought, how you mobilized financing for it, who you assembled to help do it.
That PMB was going to be Nigeria’s most impactful infrastructure President was evident from his PTF and Petroleum Commissioner record.

That he was going to decisively degrade and defeat Boko Haram (yes, BH/ISWAP degraded/defeated) was evident from his record against Maitatsine.
Read 9 tweets
tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 19
BAT talks a lot about his record as 2-term Governor of Lagos

AA talks a lot about his record as 2-term VP

Kwankwaso talks a lot about his record as 2-term Governor of Kano

But you have one man who prefers to say "I will, I will" as if he wasn't a 2-term Governor as well.
@officialABAT’s FISCAL and JUDICIAL reforms alone as Governor of Lagos State put him in a class by himself. These are reforms that several other States have copied.

Tell us one significant, replicable governance reform the LP candidate introduced as Governor. Just one.
Even the return of schools to their original Mission owners, that PO tries to sell as a revolutionary achievement of his in Anambra, Ngige had kicked it off as Governor.

And long before then, BAT had started it in Lagos. Facts only.
Read 4 tweets
tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 19
"I have a track record my competitors cannot match. We quadrupled state tax revenues, putting those funds directly to work through investing in public services and infrastructure." — @officialABAT
"A legacy of technocratic governance was instituted [in Lagos State] by enlisting talent from the private sector." — @officialABAT
"The squeeze on foreign reserves caused by importing fuel will be eased by increased refinery capacity due later this year, not least by the Dangote refinery located within the Lekki Free Trade Zone (created in Lagos in 2006)." — @officialABAT
Read 4 tweets
tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 19
President @MBuhari and @OfficialAPCNg have delivered on the most ambitious, most-far-reaching, most consequential legislative agenda in Nigerian history; assenting to the following Bills:

(Not an exhaustive list, just some of the most important ones)

#Thread
Electoral Act, 2022

Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2022 (aka 'Omnibus Bill')

Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022
Civil Aviation Act, 2022

Climate Change Act, 2021

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Act, establishing the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission @fccpcnigeria

Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act, 2022
Read 10 tweets
tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 10
The Presidential Executive Order on the Facilitation & Management of Presidential Transition, 2023, recently signed by President @MBuhari, provides for the following:

1. Establishment of a 23-member Presidential Transition Council (PTC), Chaired by the SGF

#Thread
2. Appointment of a Federal Transition Coordinator (FTC), who will double as Secretary of the PTC
3. Funding of PTC & subcommittees by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
4. Establishment of Ministerial Transition Teams (MTT) in each Federal Ministry
5. MTTs & PTC will interface through the Permanent Secretary of each Ministry (for MTTs) and the Federal Transition Coordinator (for PTC)
Read 7 tweets
tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Feb 1
Happening Now, on Instagram: BRF Interview Image
On his absence from rallies:
BRF: "Everybody has their role. I only attended the Lagos Rally, but I'm doing a lot of work in the backroom... we're not going to share with the opposition what we're doing. Our team is working round the clock. Everybody can't be on the rally stage."
BRF on BAT's signature programs as Gov:

1. BRT: Even though I get all the credit for it, BAT started it

2. LASAA: ~15 States have since passed laws to set up their own version of LASAA

3. LASTMA: Copied nationwide. I know what PDP did to undermine LASTMA and attack officials.
Read 23 tweets

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