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Covid-19 Presents Opportunity to Reset Africa- Elumelu

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Tony Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa
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Tony Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has stated that the Coronavirus Pandemic currently ravaging the world presents an opportunity to reset the African continent so that Africans can be empowered to become more productive and self reliant.

Covid-19 Presents Opportunity to Reset Africa- Elumelu

Tony Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa

He said this at the high-level Roundtable discussions made up of African leaders including Dr. Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala, special envoy of the African Union on Covid-19 and Tidjane Thiam who is also a Covid-19 Special Envoy responsible for mobilising international economic support for Africa.

During the session titled ‘Resilient World: An African call for a new world order’, Elumelu stated “I see this pandemic as an opportunity to reset Africa.’ Whilst pointing out that Africa as a continent has all it takes to emerge into a strong digital economy, the UBA Group Chairman advocated a martial plan that will galvanise the entire continent and make Africa less dependent on the ‘circularity of debt’ from developed nations, which according to him, has been a major setback for decades.

He said, “I feel that as we engage the rest of the world in providing relief, we need to look for a more fundamental solution to Africa’s challenges. I have often argued for a martial plan overtime. We need to mobilise everyone. If we have a martial plan that mobilises resources to address particular issues, then we can mitigate against this constant begging for assistance.”

Explaining further, Elumelu pointedly said, “The truth is that we have resources to help mobilise people. As the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we committed to endow $100m to support young African entrepreneurs and we have been seeing the positive results this has yielded so far. It is evident that if we can fix access to electricity, ensure stability of the macro-economic environment, ensure prioritisation of the youth, empower our small and medium scale enterprises and fix youth migration, then we are in for a better and more resilient economy’.

“There is the urgent need to prioritise our youths and empower our SMEs. The people who work hard need to be encouraged,” Elumelu noted passionately.

Tidjane Thiam who supported what Elumelu had proposed, said that rather than depend on international assistance at every point, there is the need for governments and institutions to invest in activities that will prioritise the youths and create a better enabling environment.

“I totally agree with Tony Elumelu. The major challenge is that we do not see enough entrepreneurs. Similar to what obtains in Asia and Europe, there is the need to promote a class of Entrepreneurs to drive the African economy.  we need to groom more Tony Elumelus’ from Africa’ he said.

Tidjane continued, ‘We know what needs to be done. We need government and multinational institutions to bring in capital so that there will be investment in health, infrastructure and the like. We do need to get rid of this debt cycle because constant rescheduling and begging for relief for debts is not good for us as a continent,”

Okonjo-Iweala, on her part, called for a system where youths and women will be empowered to create and produce more to boost the African economy.

Whilst calling on private and government parastatals to engage in meaningful partnerships that will help to galvanise job creation and entrepreneurship among youths in Africa, she said, “As Tony pointed out, we can see this pandemic as an opportunity for the continent. We have the African Free Trade Agreement, and we have to make it real.

“We have to specialise our countries to manufacture the things we need so we can trade with others. We need to produce good jobs for our young people. We need to empower our women and youths and put them at the centre. It is said that Africa would have the largest number of youths in the world by 2050, so we need to fix this,” she noted.

The roundtable which was organised by the New York Forum Institute, also had in attendance African Heads of States including President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger; President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya; President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire; President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone;

 


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Lagos Plastic Ban: MAN Warns of Job Losses, Closure of Businesses

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Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed concerns over the impending ban on Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment.

Lagos Plastic Ban:  MAN Warns of Job Losses, Closure of Businesses

It warned that it could lead to job losses and  and lead to economic, operational, and social consequences for manufacturers, traders, recyclers, and end users.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, director general, MAN, in a statement called on the Lagos State government to reconsider the ban, citing a lack of credible data and stakeholder engagement.

According to Ajayi-Kadir, a recent study revealed that 100% of manufacturers surveyed expressed fears of job losses and workforce restructuring if the ban is implemented.

He said, “A recent MAN-supported study evaluating the possible impacts of the Lagos State SUPs ban revealed significant adverse economic, operational, and social implications across the value chain, from manufacturers to wholesalers, traders, and end users. It has been noted that only poor and developing countries often tilt towards plastic ban as a strategy to combat environmental problems.

“A hundred percent of the manufacturers consulted expressed concern over a ban-induced workforce restructuring. Thus, several jobs will be lost in the industry if this ban were to be implemented.

“It is noteworthy to mention that there is no form of arrangement for social protection for the employees who will lose their livelihoods as a result of this ban.

“Also, there has been no form of social dialogue on the part of the government with these workers or the industry on the potential job losses.”

According to him, findings showed that 89% of operators in the plastic value chain rely on SUPs as their primary source of income with no alternative source of livelihoods, over 75% of end users, including SMEs, depend on plastic packaging with no affordable or practical alternatives, and  93% of dealers, many of whom are women, reported no prior information or social support mechanisms to cushion the impact.

Ajayi-Kadir emphasised that banning SUPs would not resolve pollution issues but merely substitute one problem for another, especially without scalable alternatives or infrastructure to support the transition.

He urged the government to focus on improving waste management infrastructure and promoting recycling, rather than imposing bans.

 

 


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Court Hands 23 Chinese Nationals 1 Year Jail Term Each for Cyberterrorism, Fraud

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A Federal High Court in Ikeja, Lagos state has sentenced 23 Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for their involvement in cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

Court Hands 23 Chinese Nationals 1 Year Jail Term each for Cyberterrorism, Fraud

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned them before Justices D.E. Osiagor, D.I. Dipeolu, and A.O. Faji on a single count of cyberterrorism and online fraud.

Dele Oyewale,  spokesperson, EFCC,  revealed that the convicted individuals were members of a cyber-fraud syndicate comprising 792 people.

He noted that the culprits were arrested on Thursday, December 19, 2024 in Lagos, during an operation known as ‘Eagle Flush.’

Oyewale stated that the individuals identified as Yu Hui (also known as A. Bin), Huang Jin Hui, Fei Fan, Lu Qiang, Hu Xi Zheng, Sun Zhi Peng, Wu Hao, Cong Bing, and Li Qiang alias Yang Huan Huan, Zheng Wei alias A. Hong, Cheng Jian, Da Tou, A Wen, Zhang Lei, Huang Zhi, Pan Jiong, Chen Wen Yuan, Jia You alias A. You, Wang Zheng Feng alias Feng, Liu San Hua, Liu Beixing, and Wen Zong Xu alias Li Long were all charged on one count of online fraud and cyber-terrorism.

One of the charges brought against Yu Hui (also known as A. Bin) claimed that he, along with others, unlawfully accessed computer systems in Lagos around December 2024 with the intent to destabilize and damage Nigeria’s economy and social structure.

According to the EFCC, this act violated Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, and is punishable under that law.

Similarly, another charge filed against Jia You, accused him of accessing computer systems with the aim of undermining and harming Nigeria’s economic and social stability.

This action was said to be in breach of both the Cybercrimes Act and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Initially all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, during the court session, they pleaded  guilty.

The EFCC prosecution team comprising of Nneemeka Omewa, Babatunde Sonoiki, U.S Kyari, and B.M Isah informed the court that the defendants had reached plea bargain agreements.

The defence team confirmed this and requested the court to adopt the terms of the agreements.

Justices Osiagor, Faji, and Dipeolu found each defendant guilty and sentenced them to one year in prison, with the sentence starting from their arrest date on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

Each convict was also fined N1 million.

Additionally, the judges ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to deport the convicts within seven days of completing their sentences.

All devices recovered during the operation including mobile phones, laptops, and routers were forfeited to the Nigerian government.


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Galaxy Backbone Reaffirms Commitment to Support Security Agencies with Its Vast Digital Infrastructure

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The Board, Management, and Staff of Galaxy Backbone (GBB) express profound sorrow and heartfelt condolences to the governments and people of Benue, Borno, Plateau, Anambra, and other states affected by recent waves of violent attacks and insecurity. We mourn with every family, community, and institution that has suffered the pain of loss, displacement, and trauma.

At Galaxy Backbone (GBB), we firmly believe that security is the bedrock of any thriving society. No nation can make meaningful progress when peace is threatened. These tragic incidents are not just national emergencies, they represent deep personal losses to every Nigerian, and they call for urgent, united, and technology-enabled solutions to support lasting peace.

As a Federal Government organization, entrusted with delivering secure digital infrastructure and smart technology solutions to public institutions across Nigeria, Galaxy Backbone remains resolute in its commitment to supporting state governments and security agencies through cutting-edge digital platforms that enable proactive and intelligent security management.

We also acknowledge and commend the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the concerted efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria in responding decisively to the security challenges facing parts of the country. The President’s unwavering commitment to peace, safety, and national unity under the Renewed Hope Agenda is evident in the bold steps being taken to restore order and build a more secure Nigeria.

Through our Safe City Security Solutions, GBB offers an integrated suite of smart surveillance systems, real-time data analytics, emergency communication networks, and AI-enabled threat detection tools. These solutions are specifically designed to enhance operational capabilities, strengthen coordination across security agencies, and empower informed decision-making in high-risk environments.

GBB stands ready to partner with both state governments and security agencies that are committed to building safer, smarter, and more resilient communities. We believe that technology must lead the charge in safeguarding lives, and we are proud to serve as a trusted digital ally in Nigeria’s journey toward modern, tech-enabled public safety.

Together, we can bolster early warning systems, expand surveillance coverage, enable faster emergency responses, and ensure that every Nigerian lives in a country where peace and prosperity are not aspirations, but realities.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace. And may strength, healing, and hope return to the hearts and homes of all those affected.

Galaxy Backbone remains aligned with the vision of a secure, digitally connected, and inclusive Nigeria, where every citizen has the freedom to live, work, and dream in peace.


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