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Governors seek to take over, manage Federal roads

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Governors of the 36 states of the federation have agreed to take over the construction and management of some federal roads under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The governors are to submit to President Muhammadu Buhari a strategic plan that would guide the handover and management process.

Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, who briefed State House Correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday in Abuja, decried the deplorable condition of roads in the country. The development, he said, was worsening and needed states with capacity to manage them with a view to checking the needless carnage and loss of man-hours on these facilities nationwide.

“Council was highly concerned about the failure of our roads, even after fixing them,” he said.

Umahi, who was joined at the briefing by his Kwara and Kebbi counterparts as well the Director General of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Segun Awolowo, also lamented that the axial load of more than 35 tonnes trucks carrying mostly fuel and other goods was responsible for the failing highways nationwide.

The NEC, which comprises the governors, ministers of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Finance, Budget, National Planning as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), directed the Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, to also come up with a strategy to regulate the weight of heavy trucks plying the nation’s roads.

According to the Ebonyi State governor, council members were worried that the highways “collapsed within six months after their fixing. We identified that the over-loading is one of the major factors, because in road design, you take an axial load, most of the time you don’t use an axial load of more than 35 tonnes but we have noticed that a lot of our trucks carrying mostly fuel do 45,60,70 tonnes and that’s a major concern to the state governors.”

Umahi said: “The state governors are very much concerned about these failures. It’s been agitating our minds, and we are soliciting that the Federal Government should give out some of these roads to states to fix through investors and toll them.

“And we believe strongly that in view of the number of roads that is being handled by Federal Government, there would be no amount of budget that can fix them.”

The gathering also announced the constitution of a National Committee on Export Promotion to give vent to the country’s economic diversification plan.

Briefing newsmen, governor of Kwara State, Abdul-Fatah Ahmed said the committee to be chaired by his Jigawa counterpart, Abubakar Badaru, is to work with various institutions to ensure that states truly take ownership of the processes of export promotion.

Members of the committee are Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Umahi as well as ‎Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry, Trade and Investment, Transport, Power, Works and Housing and Finance.

Other members are representatives of CBN, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

The panel is equally to draw a single plan based on available templates with a view to enthroning a single stop-shop for access to useful information on export promotion.

The committee, which is also expected to submit an initial report by November, would come up with a concise action plan on how to drive non-oil exports based on the presentations and discussions of the council.

Other highlights of yesterday’s meeting were a briefing by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbe on “Strategic Export Initiatives – A framework and action plan to grow and diversify export of agro-products.”

The minister listed exportable agro commodities to include coffee, cashew nuts, rubber, kola nuts, palm kennel, coconut, cotton, Ogbono, ginger, timber and shrimps.

He told council that agricultural export had increased by 82 per cent in the first quarter of this year, while export earnings from agro goods stood at N30 billion during the period under review.

NEPC made a presentation, “The Zero Oil Plan”, to the council on a strategy to restructure the nation’s economy so it could survive without the black gold.

The council was informed that the country was experiencing the direst fall in revenues in recent history, losing over $100 billion (over N30 trillion) of national export revenue between 2015 and 2017 due to the crash in oil prices.

The council was briefed on the need to rapidly ramp up non-oil exports as future earnings from crude oil face significant headwinds.

The new strategy “ aims at earning at least $30 billion from non-oil sources in the near to medium term as against the current earnings of about $5 billion.”

The objectives of the plan are to shore up the country’s revenue base by $150 billion in the next 10 years, create 500,000 jobs, lift 10 million Nigerians out of poverty and integrate every state in the export value chain.

The focus being export of rice, wheat, corn, palm oil, rubber, hide and skin, sugar, soyabeans and automotive parts, among others.

The destination countries are The Netherlands, China, Iran, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, among others.

NEXIM briefed the council on the “States Export Development Initiative” which is being pursued as a medium to long term strategic plan aimed at stimulating and increasing deliberate funding intervention to SMEs in the non-oil sector for the attainment of its objectives.

The council was also informed that one of the major objectives of the initiative was to contribute to the implementation of economic policies like the ERGP and the Agricultural Promotion Policy.

It added that the initiative was built on schematic transaction dynamics with key features like provision of a dedicated funding of a minimum of N5 billion as a pilot phase with window for other facilities and partnership for transactional support.

The council was further told that the initiative would also help to re-awaken the business consciousness of the states towards export and value -added production, especially in the areas of manufacturing, agro-processing and solid minerals.

The Managing Director of NEPZA briefed the council on the need to have more special economic zones in addition to the Calabar Free Trade Zone.

He said the major defect in the Calabar Free Trade Zone was that the zones had not been linked to the Calabar Port, hence the urgent need to make the facility more effective.

Partnership between the federal and state governments as well as the private sectors was canvassed.

He urged Council to ensure that the location of Free Trade Zones should be done strictly on business consideration.

The NEPZA boss also asked Council to provide incentives for Free Trade Zones to include linkage to rail lines, expressways, proximity to utilities, airports, among others.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, told the council that the earlier projection on national economy was exit of recession in the third quarter of the year. He, however, noted that the exit from the crisis came three months earlier, that is the second quarter.

He gave the council a breakdown of sectoral performance, adding that agriculture had the highest GDP growth.

He told the council that inflation had come down to 16.01 per cent in the second quarter from over 18 per cent in the last quarter of 2016. The council was also informed that confidence was gradually returning to the economy.

Source: GuardianNgr

MUSIC

Tems Debut Album Ranks #2 On Billboard’s R&B List Of 2024

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Tems debut album hits #2 on Billboard's R&B list of 2024 | fab.ng

Tems’ Global Impact: A Billboard Recognition

Tems, a global music sensation, has solidified her position as one of Africa’s most successful artists, with her album captivating millions of fans worldwide and garnering numerous prestigious awards.

In a recent testament to her talent, her debut album secured the second spot on Billboard’s list of the best R&B albums of 2025.

This remarkable achievement places Tems alongside renowned artists such as Chris Brown, PartyNextDoor, Muni Long, and Bryson Tiller.

Furthermore, Billboard has praised Tems’ music for transcending the boundaries of Afrobeats, resonating with audiences across the globe.

“The Nigerian star finds her footing in the global spotlight and stands firmly in her purpose on her dazzling debut album Born in the Wild.

“She opens up about surviving her mental wilderness and learning to thrive in it on the opening acoustic ballad that shares the album’s title.

“And on the mid-tempo standout “Burning,” Tems confronts the trappings of her newfound stardom but finds comfort in the collective struggle. As someone who’s studied Céline Dion, Destiny’s Child, and Mariah Carey and dreamt of making soul-stirring songs that send people into their feelings, Tems succeeded with aplomb.

“Born in the Wild became her highest-charting project on Top R&B Albums (reaching No. 5) and marked her career-first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 56.

“And while Born in the Wild and “Love Me JeJe” earned Tems 2025 Grammy nominations for Best Global Music Album and Best African Music Performance, respectively, her best R&B song nod for “Burning” further reinforced the rich diversity of her music–  and the notion that African artists like Tems cannot be bound to the catchall “Afrobeats” term, as their music has traveled well past the borders of the continent. – H.M.”

Tems’ debut album, “Born In The Wild,” received critical acclaim in the United States.

Indeed, the album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Album.

Additionally, her single “Burning” broke records by securing a nomination for Best R&B Song. Meanwhile, “Love Me Jeje” received a nomination for Best African Music Performance.

Check out more music updates here.

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MUSIC

Adekunle Gold Reveals The Role Pheelz Played In Getting Him Signed To YBNL

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Adekunle Gold credits Pheelz for his YBNL signing | fab.ng

Adekunle Gold marks a significant milestone this December 2024 as he celebrates 10 years since releasing his breakthrough single ‘Sade.’

This debut track, which creatively reimagined One Direction’s ‘Story Of My Life,’ catapulted him into Nigeria’s mainstream music consciousness in December 2014.

The artist recently shared compelling details about his journey to stardom in an industry interview, particularly highlighting his unique path to signing with YBNL.

Before his musical breakthrough, Adekunle Gold cultivated a professional relationship with Olamide through his work as YBNL’s graphic designer, creating cover art for the label’s artists, including Lil Kesh and Viktor.

The pivotal moment in his career arrived when producer Pheelz discovered ‘Sade’ and advocated for Gold’s signing to Olamide, leading to a transformative partnership with YBNL.

Under the label’s guidance, Gold released his debut album, ‘Gold,’ which produced standout hits like ‘Orente’ and ‘Pick Up,’ earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.

AG Baby, as fans affectionately call him, has demonstrated remarkable artistic versatility throughout his decade-long career.

He began his journey by crafting a distinctive urban interpretation of folk and traditional Yoruba music, later evolving into a dynamic pop star with the release of ‘Afro-pop Vol 1.’ His musical portfolio now spans five albums, each showcasing his growth and artistic range.

The singer-songwriter has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished artists, earning recognition for his exceptional songwriting abilities and commanding stage presence.

His performances continue to captivate audiences across Africa, solidifying his position as a leading figure in the continent’s music scene.

Gold’s journey from a graphic designer to a celebrated musician exemplifies his artistic versatility and dedication to his craft, marking him as one of Africa’s most sought-after performers.

Check out more updates here.

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FOREIGN

Beyoncé Achieves Historic Milestone As Most Certified Female Artist

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Beyoncé is most RIAA certified female artist of all time | fab.ng

Renowned singer Beyoncé has solidified her position as the most certified female artist of all time, a distinction bestowed upon her by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Her recent surge in song certifications has propelled her to an impressive total of 103 RIAA-certified titles, surpassing all other female artists in this category.

The RIAA celebrated this monumental achievement in a post on X on Tuesday.

“Crowning achievement! Congratulations to @Beyonce, who now holds the record for the most certified titles for a female artist in RIAA history, including her first two Diamond singles! @parkwood @columbiarecords,” RIAA announced in a post on X on Tuesday.

Among her numerous accolades are Diamond certifications for two iconic singles: “Halo” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” These certifications signify extraordinary sales and streaming figures.

Additionally, Beyoncé boasts a string of impressive certifications for her albums. “Renaissance” has achieved 2x Platinum status, “Lemonade” has attained 4x Platinum, and both “Sasha Fierce” and “Dangerously In Love” have earned 7x Platinum certifications.

This latest milestone further solidifies Beyoncé’s legacy as one of the most influential and successful artists of all time.

Her ability to consistently deliver groundbreaking music that resonates with audiences worldwide has undoubtedly contributed to her unparalleled success.

Check out more music updates here.

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