FACTS AROUND AFRICA

African Initiative On Policy Reforms and Corporate Governance (AIPRCG)  Research & Review

Based on research conducted by A.I.P.R.C.G Research & Statistic, below is what we found:

1. FooD: Africa spends $35Billion on food importation annually

2. Africa has 400million hectares of Arable land that is yet to be cultivated.

3. Nigeria has 85million hectares of Arable land that is yet to be cultivated.

4. Gombe Government claim to spend N6.3billion on water-supply within 2years

5. Niger Delta is Africa's largest delta covering 70,000 square KM, home of 31 million people with 39,300 settlement and the 3rd largest in the world

6. Article 5 Countries: country with serious climate threat.

7. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syrian war began in March, 2011

8. According to Water Aid, 57.7 million Nigerians do not have access to safe drinking water

9. Nigeria needs 70million housing units to address its housing challenge, 1million every year.

10. According to the Population Division of UN Dept of Economic & Social Affairs and UN Statistics Division, there are 20,391 live births in Nigeria every day; this implies that about 842 babies are born every hour.

11. Out of 20million out-of-school leavers, Nigeria has the largest with 11.4million Out-of-school-leavers. 

12. German CCI (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) POTSDAM has 6,370 member companies spanning info-tech, infrastructure, rail-tech etc
National Bureau of Economic Research.

13. Nigeria consumes 800million litres of gins annually.

Thank You.

Carl Oshodi
Executive Director,
Policy, Research & Human Guidance Division
AIPRCG - Nigeria

Stay You!

There is a way of having your needs met without negativity and complaining. If you want something — give it. Being positive, giving and caring may not always work out exactly the way you wish, but whatever you give will come back to you one way or another. Your giving heart may inspire change in another, or qualify you for a better situation if the current situation must eventually change. And, even if it fails with the person in whom you wish to see a behaviour change — even if they are totally non-responsive, dysfunctional and a taker — you still can’t lose, because you can never lose by being awesome and by being your very best.

— Carl Oshodi

#Free Gambia

I came across the Gambia Youth Parliament Press release in response to President Yahya Jammeh’s call for fresh elections, citing that the elections were manipulated. I found it quite funny when he said that God-fearing men will be chosen to run a fresh elections. He dared to call God’s name? How did it sound in his mouth? A man spends over 23 years of his life hurting, manipulating and killing people and then talks about God and a free/fair elections. What has been free and fair about his leadership? I saw the reactions of Gambians in Diaspora and in exile when the results came out.

Just after everyone rejoiced that a dictator has relinquished power and some Gambian exiles were plans to return home…In age where our western counterparts are moving in technological and medical advancements, Africa is still dealing with power-drunk men who have only hurt and kill their fellow country-men. Doesn’t a man know his ovation is over? Why agree to elections and turn back to refuse to hand over power?

This is a difficult time for my Gambian friends and the Gambian people in general. I pray God gives them the courage to stand strong and demand a true democracy in their country.

Finally, power belongs to the people…

THE NATIONAL YOUTH PARLIAMENT- THE GAMBIA                                                PRESS STATEMENT The National Youth Parliament – The Gambia strongly condemns the outgoing President's statement issued on December 9th supposedly annulling the December 1st Presidential Election results. We found his statement as not only threatening the peace and stability of the Gambia but also a blatant disregard of the supreme law of the land, our constitution and the norms of democracy. As an institution that represents the youths of The Gambia, The National Youth Parliament has been observing public elections in the Gambia since 2006. We have conducted voter education campaigns, mobilized young people to vote in elections and to respect the democratic process as a means to take responsibility and leadership in the affairs of their society. Our observation mission found the December 1st presidential elections to be free, peaceful and credible and the results reflect the undiluted will of the people of the Gambia. We found no incidences of malpractices and unfairness during the voting or counting of the results in all the places we observed around the country. Hence we believe the allegations made on the 9th December by the Outgoing President against the results are immaterial. We consider this election as genuine and all leaders, not least Outgoing President Yaya Jammeh must respect the result and prepare himself to step down. As young people, we fervently believe that Democracy and Good Governance are central values that we must nurture and uphold as future leaders of our great country. We believe Gambian people have spoken at the December 1st polls and their choice should be respected. We are therefore calling on the Outgoing President to withdraw his December 9th statement and maintain his acceptance speech, which was made on the 2nd December and work with President-elect Adama Barrow on a transition process that the Gambian people deserve. We urge Outgoing Pres. Jammeh to demonstrate leadership and commitment to the values and ideals of democracy at this critical juncture of our history and after 22 years of his rule. We would like to call on all Gambians to stay calm and allow the political leaders, President-elect Adama Barrow and his team to work with the out-going government Dr. Jammeh on a smooth transition as expected in a democratic society. The National Youth Parliament - The Gambia would call on all state institutions and security services to play their customary role and stay committed to their responsibility as servants of the Gambian people. To the International Community, we would call on you to stand in solidarity with our great country and her people as we go through this historic first democratic transition of power since independence. We would however like to impress on Outgoing Pres. Yaya Jammeh that the National Youth Parliament – The Gambia and indeed all youths of the Gambia will neither accept the annulment of the result nor any prolongation of his rule, which expires in January 2017. We would further make it categorically clear that the youth of this country will not cooperate with him in anyway but will stand firm to ensure that the peace and stability of this country is maintained and that leaders are held to account as per our laws. Yours in the Service of the Nation ………………………………………………. Lamin Saidykhan, Acting Speaker- National Youth Parliament, The Gambia Click here to Reply or Forward 0.87 GB (5%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 13 minutes ago Details

STATE OF THE NATION

#1

I will be running a series titled, "State of the Nation."

 Some of the wrire-ups will not be mine. They will be the opinions of people I respect and who are Nigerian politics-savvy.

And although I am a christian and quite agree that Eno used a lot of sarcasm, he said the truth.Painfully so. Read and make your own jugdement...

After independence, in order to build a great nation, each nation went to work. But in Nigeria, after independence, our people went to pray and fast.

So, while we were praying, Malaysia came here and took our palm seedlings and built a great factory out of it.
While we were praying, Singapore went into investment in technology.
While we were praying, India went into ICT.
While we were praying, China went to massive industrialization.
While we were shouting Allah Alakuba! UAE went into massive infrastructural development.
While we were binding and losing Lucifer Japan went into technological development.
While we were speaking in tongues Denmark went into education of her citizens.
While we were mounting big big speakers in our places of worship USA was mounting man on the moon.

After our prayers, God, being a wise God decided to reward us according to our labour.
Since those that went into industrialization, technology, infrastructural development, ICT, education etc has been rewarded accordingly. It's only wise God rewards us with with our efforts in prayers.
That's why today, Nigerian pastors are competing in building the biggest churches. That's why there are more prayers houses and worship places than hospitals and schools. That's why people rush to prayer houses for medical and business solutions instead of hospitals.
That's why we don't do business proposals before jumping into business since we are going to back it up with prayers. And when it collapse, we blame devil.
That's why it's a sin to say anything negative about pastors and imams.
That's why our pastors don't consider the opinion of engineers while building.
That's why faith in God replaces building pillars and when it collapse we blame it on Lucifer.
That's why our pastors are making sure the plant church branches instead of schools in every streets in Nigeria.
That's why we always wait for God to do that which ability to accomplish he has already handed over to us.
That's why we want our teachers to labour on earth and come to heaven for their rewards.

Nigeria is a prayer loving, God fearing nation. Religion has taken the place of technology, infrastructure, education and what have you.
When we are traveling, we ignore all the necessary road requirements and pray, once we pray, we can put a half fit vehicle on the road and blame Lucifer if anything goes wrong.
That's why some educated idiots are coming to my inbox to warn me that am blaspheming against a man of God.
That's why people are dying on our roads like animals, yet you have not seen any protest.
Because, we pray and fast and leave everything to God.
Before you get it twisted I am an ordained evangelist.

-Eno Beké Ikwen