Buhari Administration 2021 Highlights Part 1 (January to June)
Happy New Year!
I’ve put together this compilation of policy highlights and other accomplishments from the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, for the first half of 2021 (Jan — June 2021).
It’s not an exhaustive list of course, I will keep updating with additional items I may have left out.
Also, Watch out for Part 2, which will cover the second half of the Year (July — Dec 2021).
A lot was accomplished in 2021, no doubt. And much more to come in 2022!
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BUHARI ADMINISTRATION JANUARY TO JUNE 2021 HIGHLIGHTS
By Tolu Ogunlesi
The FGN successfully carried out Nigeria’s first Marginal Field Bid Rounds in almost 20 years. 57 marginal field assets were awarded to 161 companies, with expected signature bonuses amounting to more than half a billion dollars.
President Buhari awarded the 2021 Great Builder Super Prize, the Babacar Ndiaye Trophy, during the inaugural Africa Road Builders Conference in Cairo.
Signing Ceremony of OML 118 Agreements between NNPC and Contractor Parties (Shell, Exxon, TOTAL and NAOC), to settle longstanding disputes on the field and also renew production for twenty years. NNPC says the dispute resolution will unlock $10bn of new investment.
Commencement of Port Harcourt Refinery Rehabilitation; the first total overhaul of the Refinery since inception.
Completion of the new Ikom Bridge in Cross River State, replacing the old steel truss bridge built in the 1970s.
Digital Switch Over (DSO) launch in Lagos, marking the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting in the most populous State (and nation’s commercial hub).
Two new Airlines conclude licensing processing and commence operations: Green Africa Airlines and United Nigeria Airlines
Launch of the National Social Housing Programme, a component of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) of the Federal Government. (ESP is one of the FGN’s main Covid-19 stimulus packages)
Microsoft launched a 3-pillar partnership with FGN, covering connectivity (development of high-speed internet infrastructure), skilling (upskilling five million people in Nigeria over the next three years) and digital transformation (design and implementation of cloud-based tools to further enable government’s fight against corruption; and protection of Nigeria’s cultural heritage)
First Instalment of Ibori Loot received by FGN from the UK Government (GBP 4.2 million). It was committed to the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), for investment in the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway.
Completion and Commissioning of a Solar-powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station pilot project — the first in the country — by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in collaboration with Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS). (This pilot phase covers three Nigerian Universities- UDUS, UNN, UNILAG).
12 brand new Super Tucano aircraft and 3 JF17 Thunder aircraft delivered and inducted into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force. Bringing the total number of new aircraft inducted under President Buhari to three dozen (36).
Moshood Abiola National Stadium (MANS) rehabilitation and upgrade work completed by Dangote Group, under a CSR project championed by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
NNS LANA delivered to the Nigerian Navy. It is the Navy’s first-ever purpose-built Offshore Survey Vessel; yet another major new military acquisition by President Buhari’s administration.
FGN approved Revised National Climate Change Policy
FGN launched Jubilee Fellows Programme, in partnership with UNDP. A 12-month fully-paid Internship Programme for recent graduates, to help prepare tens of thousands of young Nigerian beneficiaries for the 21st century world of work.
Deep Blue Maritime Security Project completed and commissioned; a multiagency security collaboration spearheaded by NIMASA. It comprises 3 Special Mission Helicopters, 2 Special Mission Aircraft, 4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, 2 Special Mission Vehicles, 17 Interceptor Boat, 16 Armored Vehicles and a State-of-the-art Command and Control Center, for the protection of Nigeria’s maritime environment.
Plant Variety Protection Law (PVPL) assented to by President Buhari. According to experts, “The legislation brings Nigerian IP law further in line with international norms and it will benefit both Nigerians and international companies. It will result in Nigeria becoming a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). It will attract new investment into the country’s seed industry.”
Calabar Port exported 7,000MT of cocoa beans to the USA, for the first time in 14 years
The Infrastructure Regulatory Concession Commission (ICRC) handed over the Certificate of Compliance for the FGN’s Highway Development and Maintenance Initiative (HDMI) to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This was followed by the official Bid Opening Ceremony for the Value-Added Concession component of the HDMI. Twelve roads covered in the first Phase: Benin-Asaba; Abuja-Lokoja; Kaduna-Kano; Onitsha-Owerri-Aba; Sagamu-Benin; Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga; Lokoja-Benin; Enugu-Port Harcourt; Ilorin-Jebba; Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta; Lagos-Badagry and Kano-Shuari-Potiskum-Damaturu
The Nigerian Navy’s brand new Landing Ship Tank (LST), a 100-meter long roll-on-roll-off landing craft, underwent its launching in Sharjah, the UAE. The last time Nigeria commissioned LSTs was in 1979.
86 new freight trains arrived Nigeria from China, for use on the new standard gauge rail lines. (Note that more than 600km of standard gauge rail lines already revamped / newly-constructed under President Buhari, for passengers and freight — and contracts approved for more than 1,000km of new lines).
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) — later unbundled into Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) — issued a Licence to Establish (LTE) to UTM Offshore Ltd for Nigeria’s first-ever floating Liquefied Natural Gas production plant. The licensee proceeded to sign a Pre-Front End Engineering and Design contract with Japan’s JGC Corp. & USA’s KBR.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) signed MoU with Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) for use of the C-Band spectrum of the Nigerian Communications Satellite systems for 5G services in Nigeria; paving the way for the rollout of 5G in the country.
Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approved establishment of the Nigeria Investment and Growth Fund (NIGFUND) — a multi-billion dollar investment fund set up and owned by the FGN but to be wholly funded and run by the private sector
Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approval for the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, which will underpin efforts to achieve President Buhari’s vision of 100 million Nigerians lifted out of poverty within a decade.
National Diaspora Policy adopted by Federal Executive Council (FEC), to formalize relations between Govt and the estimated 17 million Nigerians in diaspora
Completion and Commissioning of NDDC and NCDMB Headquarters buildings, in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa respectively. The new NDDC HQ has been under construction since the mid-1990s; the new NCDMB HQ includes a 10MW power plant)
President Buhari flagged-off construction on NLNG Train 7 project (valued in excess of $10 billion), more than 12 years after Train 6 was completed.
FGN flagged-off freight services on Itakpe-Warri Rail Line, with the transport of pipelines for the AKK gas project.
President Buhari approved funding for the construction of Oxygen production plants in 38 locations across the country (one per State and the FCT; two in Lagos), as part of the health infrastructure response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
NSIA signed agreement with OCP, AKSG, NNPC, GACN, NCDMB and FEPSAN for development of $1.4B ammonia and Diammonium phosphate plant in Akwa Ibom
Nigeria and Morocco have signed an agreement to develop a multipurpose industrial platform that will utilize Nigerian gas and Moroccan phosphate to produce 750,000 tons of ammonia and 1 million tons of phosphate fertilizers annually by 2025. It will be located in Akwa-Ibom State.
President Buhari flagged-off of reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Narrow-gauge Rail
Nigerian Navy took part in Obangame Express March 2021 — described as the largest multinational maritime exercise in West Africa
ANOH Gas Processing Company, an Incorporated Joint Venture between Seplat and NNPC (NGC), successfully raised US$260m in debt to fund the completion of its Gas Processing Plant in Imo State.
CBN and Bankers Committee signed contract award for restoration of the National Theatre, Lagos, and development of the premises (including 44 hectares of adjoining land) into a world-class Creative Park that will support young Nigerians in Film, Fashion, Music and IT.
President Buhari approved establishment of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) styled Infrastructure company named Infra-Co, with an initial seed capital of N1 Trillion. Infra-Co will be one of the premier infrastructure finance entities in Africa and will be wholly dedicated to Nigeria’s infrastructure development. Vice President Osinbajo tasked with chairing a Steering Committee to operationalize the company.
President Buhari appointed New EFCC Chair, 40 year old Abdulrasheed Bawa. Also the first non-police Chairman in the history of the Commission.
President Buhari appointed new Service Chiefs for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Electronic Call Up System for Apapa Port launched
Lagos-Ibadan Rail officially connected to Apapa Port (on January 25, 2021)
Completion and Commissioning of Energizing Education Programme (EEP) at ATBU (Bauchi) and FUPRE (Delta). A 1.2MW solar hybrid power plant was delivered at ATBU, a 1.35MWsolar hybrid power plant delivered at FUPRE. (The EEP is a Federal Government of Nigeria initiative tasked with developing off-grid, dedicated and independent power plants, as well as rehabilitating existing distribution infrastructure, to supply clean and reliable power to 37 federal universities and 7 affiliated university teaching hospitals. In addition, it will provide street lighting for illumination and safety, as well as a world class renewables training centre at each of the EEP beneficiary institutions.)
President Buhari approved the postings of 95 Ambassadors-Designate to Nigerian Missions around the world. Including Nigeria’s first-ever female Ambassador to the USA
Governor of Rivers acknowledged receipt of the largest-ever Federal road refund (78 billion Naira) to any State, approved by President Buhari.
In line with Section 867 of the recently-amended Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, Minister of Trade and Investment approved the Companies Regulations 2021, to guide the conduct & regulation of registration under the Act.
CBN issued approved Framework for Regulatory Sandbox Operations in Nigeria (A Regulatory Sandbox “is a formal process for firms to conduct live tests of new, innovative products, services, delivery channels, or business models in a controlled environment, with regulatory oversight, subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards.”)
E-ticketing solution on Abuja — Kaduna Rail Line went live
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appointed (by consensus) Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the first woman and first African to hold the office.
Nigeria’s Ambassador Bankole Adeoye elected Commissioner for Political Affairs & Peace and Security (PAPS) of the AU Commission; the first person to head the PAPS following the merger of Political Affairs and Peace and Security Departments under the AUC’s new structure.
CBN announced 12-month extension of the 5% per annum interest rate dispensation for CBN interventions. (Reduction of intervenes on all CBN interventions from 9% per annum to 5 percent, initially introduced in March 2020, as part of economic stimulus response to Coronavirus pandemic).
Presidency launched the weekly State House Briefings, to showcase the policies and programmes of the Federal Government under President Buhari #StateHouseBriefing
(To Be Continued)
