Daily Watch – 20m Nigerian kids out of school, Customs query NNPC fuel consumption data

An estimated 20 million Nigerian children and youths are out of school, according to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The report published on the UNESCO website on Thursday shows that Nigeria has over 20 million of the 244 million out-of-school children around the world. War-torn Ethiopia, with 10.5 million out-of-school children follows Nigeria while Congo and Kenya record 5.9 million and 1.8 million out-of-school children respectively. “Important data gaps have been filled in countries that have large out-of-school numbers but where no administrative data of good quality has been available for over a decade, such as Nigeria which has an estimated 20.2 million children and youths out of school, Ethiopia (10.5 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (5.9 million) and Kenya (1.8 million),” UNESCO said. The report also shows “sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the most children and youth out of school, with a total of 98 million children. It is also the only region where this number is increasing: out-of-school rates are falling more slowly than the rate at which the school-age population is growing.” “In view of these results, the objective of quality education for all by 2030, set by the United Nations, risks not being achieved. We need a global mobilisation to place education at the top of the international agenda,” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, was quoted to have said in the report. 

In order to implement the 11 pillars of the 10-year North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), the FG said about 80 billion dollars (₦31.05 trillion) would be required. The government however noted that such a colossal amount of money would not hinder its resolve and commitment to restore peace, stability and prosperity to the region. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Boss Mustapha, who made the remarks said President Muhammadu Buhari was unwavering in his resolve to change the narratives of the North East following the devastation of the region by insurgent activities. Speaking at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, at the Validation Meeting of the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan, Mustapha described the Master-plan as ”a holistic road-map for recovery, stabilisation, expansion, and long-term socio-economic development of the Northeast region.” He said at the event, which was attended by Governors Babagana Zullum of Borno State and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe as well as representatives of the Governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Yobe and Taraba, that the region is now witnessing improved security and gradually returning to sustainable peace and stability.

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has faulted the figures of Nigeria’s daily consumption of petrol, by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. Figures attributed to the NNPC put the daily consumption of the product at about 60 million litres, while the company said it on a daily basis pushes out 98 million litres into the market, for which subsidy is calculated and paid. But responding to a question by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, on what efforts the Customs is making to address reported PMS smuggling, a development the NNPC blamed as being responsible for the huge amount paid for the subsidy, Ali on Thursday described the subsidy regime as non-existing. Ali said if it is assumed that NNPC was correct that the daily consumption was 60 million litres, and it supplies 98 million litres daily, questions needed to be answered whether all vehicle owners in Nigeria buy full tank capacity of the product daily, and how could 38 million litres, which is the differential between the estimated consumption and the supplied quantity, requiring at least 500 trucks to load, be moved out of the country on daily basis. Agreeing with the CG’s assertions, the deputy chairman of the committee, Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi, who anchored the session said, “I think as a government, we’re not doing well.”

Ethiopian and Eritrean forces on Thursday launched a massive “joint” offensive against areas of Tigray bordering Eritrea, say authorities in the rebel region in northern Ethiopia. Ethiopia, “after repositioning a massive military force in Eritrea, has now launched a joint offensive with the invading forces of Eritrea” against northern Tigray, bordering Eritrea, the rebel forces’ command announced in a statement. The Ethiopian government and rebels in the Tigray region accused each other on Wednesday of opening new fronts in northern Ethiopia, a week after renewed fighting shattered a five-month truce. The possible expansion of the conflict comes a day after a new air raid on the Tigrayan capital Mekele, the second since hostilities resumed on 24 August, in areas of the Amhara and Afar regions surrounding the southeastern tip of Tigray. In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the Ethiopian government accused the rebels of having “extended their offensive to other areas” of northern Ethiopia, in the Wag administrative zone (northeastern Amhara), in Wolkait, a district of western Tigray, and in areas of western Amhara bordering Sudan. When asked by AFP, Getachew Reda, spokesman for the rebel authorities in Tigray, accused the “Abiy regime” of having “launched an offensive in these areas”. In its statement, the Ethiopian government did not mention this new strike, which it neither confirmed nor denied. A humanitarian source who requested anonymity confirmed to AFP on Wednesday the night air strike on Mekele, without further details.