General News
Nigeria Leaders Licenced to Loot- Channel 4 News
Another damning report has exposed the depth of corruption in Nigeria, a country where the report said the leaders have been licensed to loot her treasuries.
The report by Channel 4 News, UK based news channel claimed that the breath-taking scale of official corruption is blighting the lives of more Nigerians than even the deadly insurgency.
It also quoted a former Nigerian government minister as saying that “Nigeria, is a country where you can disappear an elephant into the pocket of a shirt.”
The minister claimed that his civil servants offered him a 20 per cent slice off his department’s multi-billion dollar budget, assuring him they could bury their tracks.
Their expectation, he said, was that they too would be rewarded with a generous tranche of the loot.
The senior politician, who cannot be named for his own safety, alleged that he had been approached shortly after his appointment to cabinet, while staying in a hotel on a high-profile foreign trip.
He told Channel 4 News that he refused the offer, telling his civil servants that he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
“The scale of corruption by this country’s political elite is breaking people,” he said. “Some see it as the dispensing of patronage, so they can survive. But let’s say it straight. It is theft. Theft with a sense of entitlement.”
Jonathan Miller of Channel 4 News said that a couple of days later, “I was interviewing Nigeria’s flamboyant finance minister. Inevitably, before long, our conversation homed in on the C-word. “Your country has become a byword for corruption,” I said.
“I reject this completely!” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, shouted indignantly at me across the six-foot gap between our two armchairs in her ministerial office, strewn with photographs of herself with world leaders past and present.
“This country has a tendency for people to throw out wild numbers and because of the perception of corruption, people believe a lot of this. Nigeria is not a lawless country where you just lob accusations.”
Dr Ngozi, who earned her doctorate from MIT and who has spent years as a managing director of the World Bank, has a street named after her in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Half way along it, there’s a slum called Utako, whose residents live hand-to-mouth. Few have jobs; the rat-infested, malarial shanty lacks all basic services.
“The masses are suffering because of the greediness of our leaders,” said Stanley, a man in his late 20s, and one of the millions of Nigerians who do actually believe the “wild numbers” but are powerless in their poverty to hold their leaders to account.
“They are so corrupt don’t care about the masses,” he said. “All they care about is how to embezzle our money. If you look around this place, there is no sanitation, no water, no electricity. They don’t live in this environment.”
Nigeria now ranks as Africa’s largest economy, powered by vast oil reserves. Average incomes have doubled since 2010, yet a third of Nigeria’s people live on less than one pound a day.
For decades, it has been alleged that corrupt politicians were skimming huge sums off the national oil revenues – hundreds of billions of dollars according to the UN.
Most of Nigeria’s 500 languages don’t even have words for “million”, let alone “billion”, but people know the score. Power is perceived as the licence to loot.
Until last year, these “wild numbers” were indeed just “thrown around,” as the finance minister put it. Then, finally, a whistle-blower emerged who put some flesh on the bones.
The numbers were indeed wild. But he came with some pedigree. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria was no ordinary whistle-blower.
Dr Lamido Sanusi, who had been awarded “Central Banker of the Year 2010″ by the Financial Times Banker magazine (an award which cited his “radical anti-corruption” campaign) discovered what he figured was a US$20-bn black hole in Nigeria’s national finances.
He wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan, detailing the mechanisms by which be believed an astronomical fraud had been committed.
He calculated that over the course of a year and a half, a billion dollars a month had been siphoned off national oil revenues. These “leakages” were, Dr Sanusi told the president, “unsustainable”.
For his trouble, the president first suspended, then fired him, accusing his central bank governor of “financial recklessness”.
Last month, Dr Sanusi, a blue-blooded descendent of the Kano royal line, was reincarnated as the northern kingdom’s new emir.
He swapped his pin-striped suit for flowing robes and a turban. Sitting in his throne room the day after his coronation (pictured below), HRH Muhammad Sanusi II told Channel 4 News exactly how he believed the alleged fraud had been perpetrated. He sticks by all his allegations.
“At the heart of the problem, to my mind,” he said, “is that the entire political system is held hostage by a small group of vested interests.”
His was an almost identical assessment to that offered by Stanley in the slum on Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Street, where most people I spoke to knew all about the former central bank governor’s staggering allegations.
But Dr Ngozi herself dismisses his claim. “It just so happens that on this that he was not correct,” she said. Last year, she claimed more than US$10bn was “missing”.
The Nigerian government commissioned an independent “forensic audit” to determine the truth, but has chosen only to publish edited highlights of the final report – and many Nigerians still smell a rat.
Nigeria ranks 136th out of 175 countries surveyed for Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index – which measures how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be.
Obiageli Ezekwesili is Transparency’s co-founder. She too has served with the World Bank – as its vice-president for Africa – and as a Nigerian government minister.
“There is nothing cultural about corruption in African societies. What has happened is that the is an alienation of the systems and institutions of governance from the people,” she said.
“So when you see elite greed manifested in grand corruption, perpetrated over time, it is simply that nobody has made the link to the fact that government owes us something.”
Oby Ezekwesili remains optimistic about Nigeria, despite its politicians’ winner-takes-all approach. “Give this country about a decade and a half, it won’t be the same. You know, when citizens awaken to the power of the office of the citizen, no society remains the same.”
Interswitch, an integrated payments and digital commerce company, has announced the induction of the third and largest cohort of developer interns into its Developer Academy, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to building world-class technology talent and strengthening Africa’s digital ecosystem.
Selected from a pool of over 20,000 applications, the new cohort emerged through a rigorous multi-stage process involving technical assessments, and interviews. Their induction into the Developer Academy highlights both the scale of interest in software engineering opportunities in Nigeria and Interswitch’s role in nurturing the next generation of highly skilled technology professionals.
Commenting on the initiative, founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe, emphasised the importance of taking a long-term, ecosystem-driven approach to talent development.
“At Interswitch, we have always believed in the capacity to see beyond the immediate challenges and focus on long-term impact. While the migration of skilled talent remains a reality, our approach is to actively shape the outcomes by building a strong and sustainable pipeline of technology professionals.
“We are therefore committed to equipping individuals with the capabilities to contribute meaningfully to the broader technology ecosystem, locally and globally, not just for our own needs at Interswitch. In doing so, we are not only strengthening the industry but also reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a source of globally competitive engineering talent,” Elegbe said.
The 9-month programme brings together talents across key engineering tracks, including Backend Development, DevOps, Mobile Development, Frontend Engineering, and Quality Assurance.
Designed as an intensive and structured learning experience, the Developer Academy combines theoretical instruction with real-world application, equipping participants with the skills required to thrive in an increasingly global and competitive technology landscape.
Also commenting, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Interswitch, Franklin Ali, said: “The Developer Academy reflects our long-term commitment to building talent at scale. We are equipping these young professionals not just with technical skills, but with the mindset, discipline, and adaptability required to thrive in diverse environments.
“Whether they build their careers within Interswitch, contribute to the local ecosystem, or explore global opportunities, they represent the strength and potential of Nigerian talent and carry forward the standard of excellence we are committed to building.”
General News
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Press Freedom, Science Journalism Training for Nigerian Media
United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting press freedom and strengthening science and technology journalism in Nigeria through a media training programme for journalists.
Speaking during the Advancing Press Freedom Through Science and Technology Journalism training organised by the UK Government, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonny Baxter, said independent journalism remains essential to democratic societies and informed public debate.
Baxter, who hosted the journalists at his residence in Lagos, described the programme as part of the UK’s sustained engagement with Nigerian journalists, academia, and media stakeholders aimed at promoting ethical, evidence-based reporting.
“Strong, independent journalism is essential to democratic societies and informed public debate. That is why we take our relationship with the Nigerian media very seriously,” Baxter said.
He noted that the UK strongly supports freedom of expression and a free press, adding that the training programme was designed to equip Nigerian journalists with tools to interrogate data, challenge misinformation, and accurately communicate scientific and technological issues.
“In an age of rapid technological change, accurate, ethical, and evidence-based reporting has never been more essential,” he said.
Baxter highlighted previous training engagements held for Nigerian journalists in Abuja, Lagos, and the United Kingdom, noting that the latest programme builds on earlier workshops conducted in Portugal and London.
According to him, the initiative also reflects the UK’s commitment to deepening collaboration with Nigerian media professionals while improving public understanding of bilateral priorities such as economic growth, migration, and security cooperation.
He referenced the recent state visit of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the UK as a major milestone in UK-Nigeria relations, stressing the importance of responsible media coverage during key diplomatic engagements.
“It was important for us to work closely with Nigerian media during the visit to ensure the public received accurate information while also helping hold all parties accountable to the commitments made,” he stated.
A panel discussion held during the event focused on challenges facing journalists in science and technology reporting, including misinformation, disinformation, access to reliable data, digital harassment, source protection, and legal risks.
Panelists noted that journalists face increasing pressure in a fast-paced digital media environment where algorithms often reward virality over factual accuracy.
They urged reporters to prioritise research, fact-checking, and verification while adopting practical digital security measures such as encrypting devices, password protection, and safeguarding confidential sources.
On misinformation and disinformation, panelists encouraged journalists to resist the pressure to publish unverified reports for speed or online traction.
“Don’t always rush to break news without verifying the facts. Trust is built through consistency, research, and cross-checking information,” one panelist advised.
The discussion also addressed concerns around Nigeria’s cyberstalking laws, with legal experts cautioning journalists to ensure all published information is factual, evidence-based, and defensible.
Participants were advised to maintain proper documentation trails, verify all claims, and avoid reliance on hearsay or unconfirmed digital content.
The training, organised in partnership with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, is part of ongoing UK-backed efforts to strengthen journalism standards and media freedom in Nigeria.
Baxter encouraged participants to actively engage in the sessions and continue championing accountability journalism.
“Thank you for the work you do every day and for your commitment to advancing press freedom in Nigeria,” he said.
Dr Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, accountant-general of the federation, has warned that the federal government may reject loan facilities from the World Bank if delays in approval and disbursement persist, saying prolonged timelines could undermine the country’s willingness to proceed with such arrangements.
The warning was contained in a press statement issued on Friday by Bawa Mokwa, director of press and public relations at the office of the accountant-general of the federation.
Ogunjimi, who spoke in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a World Bank delegation led by Mrs Treed Lane, stressed that Nigeria expects timely processing of funding requests, given that the facilities are loans and not grants.
He said, “If approvals take more than six months, the Nigerian Government may no longer honour such arrangements,” highlighting concerns over bureaucratic delays in accessing development financing.
The AGF noted that as a responsible borrower, Nigeria should not be subjected to prolonged approval processes that could affect project execution timelines and broader development objectives.
He therefore urged the World Bank to “expedite the approval and disbursement of project funds to Nigeria” to support the country’s priorities.
Ogunjimi emphasised that the loans carry repayment obligations, making it imperative that disbursement processes align with project schedules and fiscal planning frameworks.
He further disclosed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had begun addressing key issues raised earlier by the World Bank, particularly in public financial management and audit reporting.
According to him, the 2023 Audit Report would be submitted to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation within two weeks, while work on the 2024 and 2025 audit reports was already underway.
The AGF also assured the delegation that steps were being taken to resolve concerns around the digitalisation of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, noting that obsolete infrastructure was being replaced with modern technology to improve efficiency and service delivery.
He said the reforms were part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and the overall public financial management system in Nigeria.
Earlier in her remarks, the World Bank delegation leader, congratulated Ogunjimi on his recent appointment as African chairman of the Association of Accountants-General.
Lane also urged the Office of the Accountant-General to sustain its digitalisation drive and ensure the timely presentation of financial statements to the Auditor-General, noting that such measures were critical to achieving seamless public financial management processes.
The World Bank earlier explained why about six loans worth $2bn, signed for Nigeria in 2024, are yet to be disbursed nearly a year after the bank’s approval.
This came amid recent reports that the World Bank approved a total of $8.40bn (N12.89tn) in fresh loans to the country over the past two years, based on data from the bank’s official website.
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