General News
NIPC in search of N298.3trn to make up N348.7trn to fund NDP
By Imaikop Raphael
Abuja – The Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Emeka Offor, has said that the Commission has put in place a mechanism that would mobilise over N298.3 trillion capital from the private sector to make up the N348.7 trillion needed fund for the National Development Plan (NDP).
Offor stated that the NIPC’s Strategic Plan from 2022 – 2026, validation of the records will give the Commission direction towards a global drive on investment in Nigeria.
The Acting NIPC Boss disclosed this at a media parley on Wednesday in Abuja on the strategic plan of the Commission.
He said: “The work for NIPC in the next five years has been appropriately defined by the National Development Plan 2021 – 2022 (NDP).
“The Plan has projected a capital requirement of N348.7 trillion with 86 per cent (N298.3 trillion) expected to be provided by the private sector.
“Mobilisation of this capital has become the focus of the Commission. It is in this respect that the Commission has begun the process of validating the records of the investment announcements.
“We expect the report from this exercise to give us a further understanding of investors’ readiness to invest in Nigeria”.
Speaking further, the Acting Executive Secretary of the NIPC, said the Commission tracked about 23.30 billion dollars worth of potential investments in the country in 2021, which he said represent 39 per cent more than the value tracked in 2020 (16.74 billion dollars) with Lagos, Bayelsa and Delta states attracting the largest share.
Offor said: “The 2021 Investments Announcement Report indicated that US$23.30 billion was tracked during the year, representing about 39 per cent more than the value tracked in 2020 (US$16.74 billion).
“The increase in value is indicative of the growing adaptation to the global ‘new normal’ after the economic disruption occasioned by the restrictions imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. It also indicates the growing confidence of investors in the efforts to improve the national investment landscape.
“The top 5 states, by the value of investments, are Lagos State (US$8.7 billion), Bayelsa State (US$3.6 billion), Delta State (US$2.9 billion), Akwa Ibom State (US$2 billion), and Adamawa State (US$1 billion).
“The manufacturing sector had the highest number of projects (20) as well as the highest value, US$10.5 billion (45%). Construction (16 per cent), electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (13 per cent), information and communication (12%), and mining and quarrying (9 per cent) made up the top 5 sectors for the year.”
Offor also said that the Federal Government is considering the review of the Pioneer Status Incentive (PDI) under the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act in order to attract more investors to the country.
Pioneer Status Incentive (PSI) is an incentive from the Federal Government which exempts companies from basic income tax.
The incentive is also known as tax holiday and it is generally regarded as an industrial measure aimed at stimulating investments into the economy.
This means the companies with pioneer status do not have to pay tax for a certain period of time allowing the company to get established. This tax exemption can be full or partial.
General News
Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else
At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.
Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.
Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.
In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.
The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.
General News
1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance
In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.
The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”
Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.
Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.
“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”
The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.
Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.
With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.
General News
Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
