By Omoniyi David

Lawmakers from 16 African countries met in Abuja last week for the 8th Conference of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO), warning that fiscal leakages drain the continent of an estimated $587 billion annually.

The conference, hosted at the Abuja Continental Hotel, underscored Nigeria’s vulnerability as Africa’s largest economy, where corruption and illicit financial flows continue to undermine development.

In his keynote address, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, decried the scale of losses.

“Every year, billions that should be building hospitals in Nairobi, equipping schools in Accra, or paving roads in Lagos vanish into illicit flows and profit shifting. Corruption alone drains Africa of $148 billion annually. This is unsustainable,” he said.

Abbas revealed that Nigeria’s procurement fraud costs about $18 billion yearly, equivalent to 3.8 percent of GDP – money that could finance critical infrastructure. He described the losses as a harsh reminder of how much disappears before budgets are implemented.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, called the summit “a springboard for innovation and a moment to reimagine fiscal governance across the continent.”

The Nigerian context added urgency to the discussions. The country loses an estimated $582 billion to corruption since independence, with PwC projecting that unchecked graft could erode up to 37 percent of GDP by 2030.

In 2014 alone, every Nigerian effectively lost about $1,000 to corruption, a figure projected to double by 2030.

Delegates noted that African countries with high illicit financial flows spend up to 25 percent less on health care and 58 percent less on education.

Experts stressed that with Nigeria’s $18 billion annual loss, the country could build between 1,800 and 3,600 fully equipped hospitals each year, rehabilitate schools, or finance major road projects.

The consequences, they observed, are visible in underfunded hospitals, dilapidated schools, poor infrastructure, and worsening insecurity across the northeast, northwest, and Niger Delta.

Participants debated reforms including establishing independent budget offices, improving fiscal data, and enforcing procurement transparency.

Abbas assured that Nigeria’s planned National Assembly Budget and Research Office would strengthen lawmakers’ oversight and accountability.

The conference closed with resolutions to improve fiscal discipline across Africa. But observers noted that Nigeria’s ability to act on the recommendations and stem its $18 billion annual losses will determine whether the resolutions translate into real development.

By Huldah Shado

President Bola Tinubu has approved the construction of new hostel facilities to accommodate 600 students at the Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School.

The approval was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the statement, Tinubu directed FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to immediately commence work on the projects.

The presidency explained that the initiative is aimed at addressing accommodation challenges faced by students of the institution.

The plan includes the construction of two separate hostel blocks, each with a capacity of 300 students; one for male residents and the other for female residents.

In December 2024, Wike had inaugurated the design, construction, and furnishing of an annex office for the Body of Benchers, stressing that providing infrastructure for the judiciary should not be mistaken for executive interference.

Around the same period, he also launched the design and construction of 10 four-bedroom bungalows for staff of the Law School, donated operational vehicles, including three coaster buses and four Hilux vans and pledged to include two hostel buildings in the 2025 FCT budget.

Olayinka noted that the hostel projects will be executed under emergency provisions, covering both the 300-capacity male hostel and the 300-capacity female hostel.

In addition to the hostels, Tinubu also approved the construction of a new road linking the Body of Benchers Secretariat in Jabi District with Nile University.

According to the FCT Minister’s spokesperson, the road is expected to ease gridlock on the route leading to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

By Oso Abidemi 

Following public outcry and loss of property worth billions razed by inferno in Abuja and Nigeria at large, the Federal Fire Service (FFS), says it will establish additional fire stations across the country to improve emergency response and expand coverage to underserved areas.

Controller General of the Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji, disclosed this on Friday, noting that the move followed public complaints about slow response times and the absence of stations in densely populated areas such as Lugbe, Abuja.

“All our efforts this year are aimed at reducing response times and ensuring that every part of the country has access to fire services,” Jaji said. “We are moving into more senatorial districts and will continue to do more because we want to be closer to the people.”

He revealed that new stations are already under construction in locations including Gusape and the Abuja city centre, with completion expected by mid-2025.

The plan, he added, aligns with the directive of the Minister of Interior to strengthen fire safety nationwide.

Jaji also commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the procurement of new firefighting equipment and the recruitment of more personnel to meet increasing demands.

“Fire can devastate the economy of a country, and we cannot allow that to happen. This is why we are doing everything possible to strengthen the Federal Fire Service,” he said.