Once bitten, ₦10 billion shy
Nigeria plans to save billions by avoiding a repeat of COP28
Good morning, Big Brains. Do you ever remember something from the past and get embarrassed all over again? The federal government is experiencing that right now and it's interesting to witness.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Nigeria to save ₦10 billion by cutting COP29 expenses
Oil producers criticise Tinubu’s order to supply to Dangote refinery and other local refineries
Botswana ramps up mpox screening at borders to prevent outbreak
The Big Deal
Nigeria to save ₦10 billion by cutting COP29 expenses
If the weather seems nicer today, it’s probably because Mother Nature is psyched that the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP29) is back. The name is probably springing up nostalgia right now and soon, you’ll find out why.
Like other nations of the world, Nigeria is getting ready to attend the 11-day global event which is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November. But this time, the government is doing things a little differently by cutting costs amounting to ₦10 billion.
Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, shared that there’s a new system called the climate accountability and transparency portal, which is supposed to help them achieve this ₦10 billion goal . This system will play whistleblower by tracking all government officials attending the event.
Another big action they are taking is to stop the renting of pavilions for delegates, which cost about $500,000. Instead, they will set up an office at the event to save money. They will also cut out costly consultants and subcontractors for things like lighting and tech, handling these directly through the National Council on Climate Change.
Ngelale also assured that Nigerians will have real-time access to information about who is attending these conferences to determine who has no business being there and how the government is spending funds.
Why is this a big deal?
Ngalale is still getting second-hand embarrassment from the mess that was made of COP28 which took place in Dubai last year. And by mess, we mostly mean the dragging of media personality Toke Makinwa who was in attendance and the rumours of invitation slots that were paid for by elites who wanted an excuse to visit Dubai after the ban.
Many Nigerians on X wanted to know how FG determines who attends this event and why Makinwa, who isn’t exactly known for giving two shits about climate change, was there. The answers never came but it seems the Tinubu-led administration also admits that things could have been better and cheaper. According to the event organisers, the ideal guests are business leaders, young people, climate scientists, journalists, climate experts and stakeholders. So Nigeria will be more intentional about who gets to attend the event this year.
If everything goes well, attendees stand a chance to bring investment and other opportunities to Nigeria.
Oil producers criticise Tinubu’s order to supply to Dangote refinery and other local refineries
President Bola Tinubu just gave a new order and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) just found a professional way to say “hell nah!”
The order, in case you were wondering, says that crude oil producers must sell their oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in naira instead of dollars. Asides the obvious loss this would cause for the group, IPPG also thinks this order should be doubled and given to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
IPPG believes that NNPCL is better positioned to help with the crude shortage problems which is kinda understandable because NNPCL controls a large amount of crude oil (445,000 barrels per day) that has been used in the past to support local needs. IPPG is struggling to understand why NNPCL isn’t using this oil to help local refineries that are struggling right now.
They also have questions about how the government is deciding who gets oil. Now, they've counter-ordered the president to provide clearer rules and better transparency about how oil is allocated to make sure the process is fair and helps both local refineries and oil producers.
Unfortunately for Aliko Dangote, his dreams of launching Africa’s largest refinery in August is starting to seem overly ambitious.
Botswana starts mpox screening at borders to prevent outbreak
If you’re travelling to Botswana over the next few weeks, things are going to look a little bit different. The country has started screening travellers at entry points like borders and airports because of the spread of the disease in neighbouring South Africa.
Mpox has taken over 500 lives across Africa this year and three lives in South Africa. Although Botswana hasn't had any cases yet, the government is being proactive. Dr. Edwin Dikoloti, the country’s health minister, said it's important to stay ahead of the disease.
Botswana is also working with international partners to secure vaccines. Currently, Africa has around 200,000 vaccine doses but needs at least 10 million.
Meanwhile, four cases of mpox have been reported in Ogun state but it could get a lot worse because the doctors who should be treating these patients are currently on strike. So this is your cue to get hand sanitizers and practise social distancing.
This Week’s Big Question
“Which fictional character would you want as a mentor, and what would you hope to learn from them?”
Demi’s response - “I hope nobody will come for me but I’ll say Madam Koi Koi. Her mysterious aura is something I need to learn as a yapper.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Demi’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Uganda, Kenya Write JAMB To Demand Students’ Verification: After discovering fake certifications, the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) has prompted examination boards in Kenya and Uganda to start verifying records of Nigerian candidates applying for admission to universities in those countries.
Fidelity Bank Fined N555.8m By NDPC For Data Breach: The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined Fidelity Bank a substantial ₦555.8 million for breaching customer data privacy.
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