Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund And Inter-generational Equity

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Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund And Inter-generational Equity

On May 11, 2011 the Nigerian Senate approved the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority Bill, 2010, which sought to establish a sovereign wealth fund to manage excess profits from the country’s sale of crude oil. Before then, it had been passed by the House of Representatives, in line with the Nigerian Constitution.

 

It was subsequently signed into law by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR. More than a year later, on August 28, 2012, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced the appointment of the Chairman of Board and Management team of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)

 

This was a welcome development as there has been a lot of concern by well-meaning citizens about why a major oil producing nation like Nigeria with revenues totaling $50.3 billion in 2011 alone, could not meaningfully establish a sovereign wealth fund like other natural resource-rich nations such as Angola, Singapore, Norway, UAE-Abu Dhabi etc.

 

According to experts, a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is a state-owned pool of money that is commonly established from balance of payments surpluses and funneled into investments rather than simply keeping it in the central bank or channeling it back into the economy.

 

However, the major argument for establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is the idea of intergenerational equity. Natural resources are finite, and through the instrumentation of an SWF, a country can diversify revenue streams by devoting a portion of its reserves to an entity that invests in the types of assets which act as shields against systemic risk, and in the case of Nigeria, against oil related risk.

 

Before the creation of the NSIA, surplus funds, mainly emanating from the sale of Nigeria’s crude oil were held in the Excess Crude Account (ECA), which was created in 2004 to act as a stabilization fund against budget deficits arising out of oil price volatility, and to potentially fund domestic infrastructure investments.

 

It is important to note that with its establishment and formal take-off, the Excess Crude Account (ECA) has been replaced with the NSIA under three pools namely, the Future Generations Fund, the Nigerian Infrastructure Fund, and the Stabilization Fund.

Briefly, the Future Generation Fund targets a diversified portfolio of appropriate growth investments in order to provide future generation of Nigerians a solid savings base for such a time as the hydrocarbon reserves in Nigeria are exhausted;

 

While the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund will invest in infrastructure projects in Nigeria that meet the country’s targeted financial returns and contribute to the development of essential infrastructure.

 

Potential areas for investment include transportation, energy and power, water resources, agriculture, among others, in order to stimulate growth and diversification of the Nigerian economy, attract foreign investment, and create jobs for Nigerians; and The Stabilization Fund will provide stabilization support to the Federation revenue in times of economic stress. The Nigerian Government injected a take-off cash of $1bn into the NSIA making it the third largest SWF in sub-Saharan Africa, after Botswana’s $6.9 bn and Angola’s $5 bn funds.

 

Recently, at the inauguration of the Governing Council of the NSIA Board at the Presidntial Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, President Jonathan stated that the initial $1 billion investment in the Fund is not inconsequential as not many sovereign wealth funds have started out with such amount.

 

The President reiterated that although the NSIA take-off gives the Government credibility, its sustainability depends on continuous contributions and broad-based support from all Nigerians. The key concern for many Nigerians, however, is to see fiscal astuteness and transparency in the management of the fund, especially, considering the controversy that trailed its establishment.

 

According to the Harvard-trained head of the NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, although the seed funding of $1 billion is a modest sum by global standards, the Fund, through the government’s disciplined contributions, could become one of the largest pools of capital in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Most importantly, Mr. Orji strongly believes that the NSIA’s sound corporate governance and risk management pillars will be the key factors that sets it apart to achieving its objectives. The enabling Act clearly intends the Fund as an independent organization as has been captured in its “F-I-T “operational model, namely, ‘Financial sustainability, Independence in decision-making’; and Transparency in process.

 

In line with its mandate, the NSIA makes investment with the expectations of profitable returns. Already, the authority is working hard to evaluate a number of infrastructure projects across the country some of which include Second Niger Bridge, Gurara Dam Phase 2, seaports investment and an aircraft leasing company to ease the financial burden in the airline industry and promote greater visibility in its operations.

 

It is hoped that the development of well-conceived infrastructure projects by the Authority will also provide a platform for national pension funds to invest in credible undertakings.

 

Earlier in September, the NSIA made its first investment of $200m in US treasuries and a US corporate bond portfolio.

For now, it might be presumptuous for Nigerians to appraise the nascent fund, but for establishing international best practices in governance and investment procedures, the 2013 Assets-based Fund Rankings by Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute has placed the NSIA in the top ranking chart of Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute ahead of Venezuela, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Gabon etc. which were all established long ago.

 

Unequivocally, the establishment of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is a mark of political courage on the part of President Goodluck Jonathan. It is fundamentally, a practical component of The Transformation Agenda and the Vision 20:2020; and a further attestation of the Administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and building a savings base for the Nigerian people, enhancing the development of Nigerian infrastructure and providing stabilization support in times of economic stress.

 

–Dr, Ezenwa is a Diaspora Nigerian from Maryland, USA.

 

 

Global Recognition for Nigeria MDGs Efforts

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Global Recognition for Nigeria MDGs Efforts

World leaders at the just concluded United Nations General Assembly renews their efforts toward alleviating the plight of the poor in the society as Nigeria receives a thumbs up for her unflinching commitment.

 

The side event held at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York was designed to enable African countries implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals framework to share experiences of their best practices, identify areas of weaknesses and device strategies that will help the member countries accelerate their efforts towards effectively attaining the goals.

 

Titled: Transformative agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa: Lessons, actions and emerging perspectives, the event pulled together participants from different strata of the United Nations and Presidents of some African countries. In attendance were the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon represented by the UN Assistant Secretary and Advisor on post 2015, Amina Mohammed, President Goodluck Jonathan, President of Ghana, John Mohama, President of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, President Macky Sall of Senegal, Ministers, Heads of Mission, Diplomats amongst others.

 

With less than 1000 days remaining to the 2015 target date, world leaders are racing against time in the final push to attain MDGs. Indeed, deliberations on a post 2015 development framework is already at top gear and the side event therefore provided a platform for  peer review of the efforts of the various leaders of African countries towards achieving the MDGs.

 

The leaders also seized the opportunity to highlight their desired inputs to the succession framework post 2015. All the leaders of African countries present at the side event agreed that alleviation of poverty should be the major focus of the post MDGs agenda with measures aimed at  poverty reduction, improved healthcare, jobs creation, as well as energy also included in the agenda

 

While speaking at the event, President Mohama noted that experience of the last 13 years has largely shown that a lot can be done to improve the cause of humanity when the world come together to set common targets as it was done with the MDGs in year 2000.  The Ghanaian President who stated that the successes that has so far been recorded by some African countries in alleviating the plight of the most vulnerable in their societies singled out Nigeria’s Social protection scheme (Conditional Cash transfer)  for commendation, describing it as an effective way of reaching the poor and under-privileged in the society.

 

Ahead of the 2015, deadline, Nigeria, as revealed by recent NBS statistics as reeled out by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr Precious Gbeneol, has met goals three and six as well as the Hunger target of goal one. The country’s Maternal Mortality Ratio, which was estimated that 1,000 mothers died per 100,000 live births in 1990, dropped to 545 in 2008 and to 350 in 2012. Nigeria has also recorded 65 per cent reduction in maternal mortality between 2000 and 2013 and increased skilled birth attendants from 17 per cent in 2000 to 60 per cent 2013.

 

There has also been a reduction from the 2008 NDHS figure for the under-five mortality rate of 157 deaths per 1,000 live births, to 94 deaths.

 

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon who spoke through the UN Assistant Secretary and Advisor on post 2015, Amina Mohammed stated that the MDGs Acceleration Framework (MAF) introduced by the Nigeria and supported by the UN as well as other policies of Government attest to the commitment of Nigeria in addressing the plight of the very vulnerable poor in the country as defined in the MDGs framework.

 

He hailed the leadership and coordinating role of the government of Nigeria in attaining the MDGs not only in Nigeria, but also in Africa.

 

“The commitment of President Jonathan to MDGs in Nigeria and indeed across Africa will help us more in our quest to meet the peoples’ need at national, regional and global level. In turn, this will contribute to more effective multilateral system and one that is fit for purpose to deliver not only on the MDGs but the post 2015 development agenda” Ban stated.

 

The Coordinator of the UNDP Helen Clark, speaking through Regional Director of Africa Bureau, Abdoulaye Mar dieye stated that the concerted efforts of Nigeria have produced significant results especially on the MDGs target on the proportion of undernourished people, on gender parity in primary education, reversal of HIV/AIDS, reduction of under 5 mortality and maternal mortality rate.

 

Ban’s position was re-echoed by the Special Adviser to the Secretary General and head of the Earth Institute of the Columbia University, Professor Jeffrey Sachs. “Nigeria deserves our great gratitude for its leadership right from the start of the MDGs. I am very proud of the huge successes so far recorded by Nigeria in the effort to attain the goals. I expect Nigeria to continue to lead in the post 2015 efforts.” Sachs said.

 

According to the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, the efforts of Nigeria and the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan is notable and very key as the continent joins the global community in the new quest to frame a post 2015 successive framework.

 

On her part, President Ellen Sirleaf stated that she was particularly impressed by Nigeria’s MDGs implementation mechanism, institution and structures put in place to achieve the development agenda as well as the independent monitoring and evaluation mechanism which she described as world class and laudable.

 

While acknowledging the commendations over Nigeria’s achievements in the realization of MDGs, President Jonathan stated that the commitment of his government to the development goals is as result of the premium the government places on the lives of the vulnerable poor in the country, which he described as a mission. The Nigerian President particularly noted that his commitment was also informed by his personal experience.

 

“The issues of MDGs touch me directly, having lost seven of my eight siblings before their first birthdays and we are taking the issues of the MDGs as a mission. We are committed to taking people out of poverty, ensure that mothers and babies stay alive in good health and households enjoys improve standard of living.” President Jonathan stated.

 

The President’s remarks at the side event was a further amplification his earlier pledge of greater commitment to the MDGs during his address to the UN General Assembly. The President also during the address harped on the importance of peace as the bedrock of all developmental efforts.

 

 

Kidnappers and their executioners

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Kidnappers and their executioners

In April 2013, Senate President David Mark called for the execution of oil thieves and those engaged in bunkering activities. Curiously, he did not call for the execution of those involved in the oil subsidy scam or those politicians responsible for stealing millions of dollars every year for the last several decades in the country. We have a dumb way of making laws in this country. We harshly penalise the underclass, but gently slap the wrist of high-rolling offenders.

 

Unfortunately, even the public — the vast majority of the Nigerian public — have come to accept this legal abridgment. No wonder why the typical Nigerian would bow and prostrate before million-dollar thieves but beat up and burn pickpockets. They would pray for the man who just stole their votes and by extension, deprived them of their human and civil rights, yet abuse and curse the man who pointed out the violations.

 

Because we’ve had administrations that do not fully and openly address problems, we have become used to solutions driven by passion and irrationality. Not enough critical thinking takes place. Not enough reflection takes place. We don’t pay too much attention to short and long-term ramifications. And even within the judicial and legislative branches, we don’t seem to spend enough time thinking about the cause and origin of crimes. All we want are harsh punishments that satisfy the citizens’ sentiments and raw emotion. As a collective, we want to punish and punish some more instead of devising ways to mitigate our propensity for crimes and ethical violations.

 

Within the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones for instance, many states have laws that prescribe death penalty for kidnappers. They include Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Edo, Abia and Anambra states. And on Friday, October 18, 2013, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State went further by signing a law that amends the previous one (Kidnapping Provision Law 2009). Among its many provisions, the law states that, “Any premises where victims of kidnapping were held would be demolished.” Was he kidding? Is he kidding the indigenes and inhabitants of Edo State?

 

Demolishing houses belonging to “terrorists” and their sympathisers was a tactic used by the Israeli government to punish and dehumanise Palestinians. Not minding international outcry – and not minding the fact that they were violating international law and decency, the Israelis bulldozed several thousand homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Although the Israelis called it “deterrence against terrorism;” really, it was a crime against humanity. Today, Oshiomhole wants to embark on the same inhumanity in Nigeria.

 

Of greater concern to me is the idea of executing kidnappers. This is a cruel and unusual punishment for a crime that is basically a manifestation of the fetidity that Nigeria has become. All the governors of the states with such laws belong to the class that made Nigeria what it is today. There are at least a dozen other crimes that warrant death penalty in the country. For instance, why don’t we start by executing all the men and women who, since 1985 at least, have been wasting the country and its human and natural resources? Let’s start with that!

 

But no! No serious-minded politician wants to genuinely address our national problems, but is very much interested in making laws that assault common sense and pragmatism. The same system that exalts thieves in high places – rewarding them with national honours, contracts and political appointments – sends to prison petty thieves. Now, they want to execute small-time criminals.

 

I am not dismissing kidnapping as a painless crime. No. It takes its toll on the victims and on friends and family. It is materially and psychologically tasking and draining. And indeed, I am not dismissing kidnapping as a petty crime. Not at all! But the fact is that in the scheme of what ails Nigeria, kidnapping is a fly on the wall. But unfortunately, the traditional and social media sensationalise it – making it seem as if kidnapping takes place every moment of the waking moment.

 

What many Nigerians outside of the South-South zone do not know is that kidnapping is a game, a tool used by many of the elite and politicians to score points, avenge loses, or penalise opponents. It is similar to the way they used restless youths to rig elections and settle scores; similar to the way they encouraged and financed militant groups to cause havoc in the oil-producing communities and to make governing hellish.

 

And really, when you take into consideration the vast majority of the kidnapping that has taken place since 2005 or thereabout, you will see that less than two per cent of the kidnapping is “criminal in nature.” So, instead of the elite/politicians to agree amongst themselves to stop this dirty game, they want to execute the same young men that have been doing their biddings.

 

The vast majority of our politicians are inconsiderate, they have no conscience. No moral compass. The same is true of the rich and powerful. They prey on the gullible, the poorly educated and the hungry. They prey on the hungry and angry youths and then manipulate them to commit crimes against their communities and against their private and public opponents.

 

Think this through: If Police reports show President Goodluck Jonathan’s blood brother was responsible for kidnapping the President’s ardent of critics, would the said brother be prosecuted and, if found guilty, executed? What governor or Judge would see to it that the execution takes place? And would Oshiomhole demolish the private home of the Oba of Benin or Tony Anenih if their nieces or nephews were found to have used their private homes? But imagine what would happen if the said perpetrators were from the shantytowns.

 

Believe me: Governor Oshiomhole and his counterparts know this to be true. If they will ever be honest with themselves is another matter. In Edo, as in Bayelsa State and elsewhere, the governor and the security service know what’s going on more than 90 per cent of the time. But the show must go on. Otherwise, how would they justify their security vote allocation?

 

And finally, assuming you know nothing about the art and science of kidnapping in the South-South zone, then, you must know this: Political-kidnapping will end when the elite and the ruling class get tired of it. And criminal-kidnapping will end if and when we pay genuine attention to good governance and nation-building.

Guess who is dollarizing the economy!

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Any patron of Bureau de Change may find that a difference of about N10 per dollar now exists between the official rate of N155 per dollar ex-Central Bank, and about N165/dollar in the open market!  This is in place of the permitted one per cent markup officially allowed to commercial banks on dollar purchases ex-CBN.

 

In conformity with the law of demand and supply, the increasing market price of the dollar must be attributable to hoarding or the reality of more naira chasing dollars.  Paradoxically, however, according to the CBN, the increased dollar demand is not matched by a symmetric rise in imported goods; in other words, increasing dollars are demanded for speculative purposes or simply for custody as a store of value, in place of the naira.

 

The commercial banks have apparently taken advantage of the wider gap in forex rates to roundtrip dollars earlier purchased from CBN’s forex auctions with large-scale dollar importation, for onward sale to Bureaux De Change (BDCs) and customers!!

 

Surprisingly, despite the serious economic implications of such odious practice, no bank has so far suffered any serious sanction!

 

In an attempt to puncture the perceived bloated dollar demand, last week, CBN rolled out a series of measures, which included withdrawal of the operating licences of 20 BDCs for purchasing and selling huge sums of dollars without required documentation; furthermore, commercial banks will henceforth only be allowed to import foreign cash after prior consideration and approval by CBN.

 

Furthermore the apex bank also raised the existing limit of US$40,000 to US$150,000 per annum for holders of naira debit and credit cards!  Question is, how many Nigerians earn this kind of money, and how much tax do they pay?  Nonetheless, the latest CBN guideline that recipients of forex money transfers (i.e. ex-Western Union, etc) shall henceforth be paid in naira, may inadvertently, actually drive the bulk of such remittances back into the ‘black market’, which offers better exchange rates!

 

Similarly, CBN’s reduction of BDCs’ maximum weekly dollar purchases from $1,000,000 to “mere” $250,000, in spite of rising demand, might actually further reduce dollar supply and instigate naira exchange rate well above N165=$1.  Curiously, in retrospect, in August 2011, CBN management removed the limit on $1m/week sales to BDCs as part of measures to “sustain and ensure exchange rate stability”!!  Ironically, conversely, the slap-on-the-wrist penalty for those apprehended for smuggling millions of dollars out of Nigeria remains the simple forfeiture of 10 per cent of the foreign exchange value to government!

 

In addition to the latest measures, CBN also abolished the Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS), under which banks could speculate, buy and hoard foreign exchange purchased from CBN, for onward sales to customers and importers; consequently, the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) has been reintroduced, so that banks would now only purchase forex as per the specific demand of their customers.  Incidentally, RDAS failed in the past, and was substituted with WDAS, which is now again being replaced by the earlier discarded RDAS.  See our article titled “WDAS: Why is CBN Fooling Nigerians?” published in 2006, at https://www.lesleba.com/wdas.doc.

 

Instructively, the earlier adopted forex market systems, such as FEM, IFEM, AFEM, DAS, all failed, just like RDAS and WDAS, to forestall extensive dollar hoarding and round-tripping!  Consequently, this latest reintroduction of RDAS is retrogressive and akin to a dog returning to its vomit!

 

In reality, these forex market structures failed because CBN consciously ignored the other side of the equation relating to the supply of naira, because, as earlier indicated, when increasing cash sums chase any commodity whose supply is sticky or hoarded, the price of that commodity will invariably rise.  In other words, whenever naira supply increases relative to available dollars, the dollars price will rise with increased patronage!!

 

So, any realistic and sustainable solution to the consequences of a beleaguered naira must recognize the cause of unceasing excess naira or excess liquidity in the market!  Every month, against the grain of economic wisdom, CBN religiously, borrows about N300bn excess cash at oppressive interest rates in order to reduce perceived surplus naira from the commercial banks and forestall inflation!!

 

Sadly, despite Lamido Sanusi, the CBN Governor’s, belated “confession” of “unknowingly” sustaining the practice of borrowing back government funds in such transactions with oppressive interest rates, our leaders do not seem to care that the cumulative humongous public debts are ultimately not applied to infrastructural enhancement or improvement in our social welfare!

 

Although CBN and its surrogate parastatals such as Asset Management Corporation and Debt Management Office would swear that the perceived excessive spending of government is responsible for the unending surplus cash in the system, the truth, of course, remains clear, that the unending scourge of systemic excess naira is clearly the result of the ability of commercial banks to leverage multiple folds on the fresh inflow of hundreds of billions of naira, which CBN substitutes for distributable federation dollar revenue in monthly allocations to the three tiers of government!!  Surely, the CBN cannot sincerely contest this reality!  Besides, government’s annual budgets below N5tn constitute less than five per cent of total estimated liquidity base (surplus cash) of over N100tn!!

 

Conversely, if dollar revenue allocations are paid with dollar certificates, we will immediately find that the destabilising problem of increasingly useless and surplus naira in the system and the accumulation of avoidable public debts will become a thing of the past, while the curse of systemic naira flush existing simultaneously with acute shortage of low-cost funds to the real sector will be exorcised!  Furthermore, the erstwhile artificial lopsided equation between naira and dollar supply will increasingly begin to be redressed in favour of the local currency!  Ultimately, a stronger naira will shift market preference from the dollar and reduce the propensity for round tripping and stifling dollar importation!

 

In conclusion, it is paradoxical that naira rate of exchange invariably comes under pressure simultaneously with increasing CBN dollar reserves; in other words, while the CBN hypocritically decries the excessive demand for dollars, and the higher propensity for Nigerians to hoard dollars, the real villain in the price mechanism that debases naira acceptability is actually the CBN, as it jealously hoards and presides over $40bn, after it has mischievously suffocated the money market with unbridled fresh naira creations substituted as monthly allocations for distributable dollar revenue!

 

So, in effect, it is CBN’s obnoxious monetary policy framework that repels market affinity/loyalty to the naira, and instigates the dollarisation of the economy with large-scale forex round tripping and re-importation of part of the dollars earlier purchased from CBN and remitted abroad by banks under WDAS.

 

SAVE THE NAIRA, SAVE NIGERIANS!!

 

Kano Pillars wins Nigeria Premier League title

Economic Confidential
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Kano Pillars wins Nigeria Premier League title

Kano state governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso has applauded Kano Pillars Football Club for retaining the Glo Nigeria Premier League Cup, after finishing all matches with 63 points to top the league table.

In a congratulatory message signed by his Director of Press, Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, the governor urged the team to see their victory as a starting point since they are billed to represent the nation in a continental competition.

“The fact that your retained the Glo Nigeria Premier League Cup means you should not only celebrate but brace up to the challenge of representing Nigeria in next year’s CAF Champions League”, the statement explained.

“Personally, I am excited, and I believe our citizens of Kano are happy that you won the coveted cup. You started the league with a very good outing and today, you have done us proud by retaining the trophy, please keep the flag flying high”, the governor added.

The governor, who commended the players for their determination and team spirit acknowledged sacrifice of the coaches and other team officials as well as the efforts of their supporters club for their contribution towards victory of the team.

Thus, he assured the team that the state government would continue to support them to excel in national and international competitions, in line with the sports for development agenda of his administration

Defending champions Kano Pillars Football club retained the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League title in the  Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) even after losing on the competition’s final matchday.

The Kano side lost 0-2 to Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi in a week 38 match at Katsina-Ala but the loss did not stop them winning their third league title.

They won the title with 63 points from 38 matches, one point ahead of former winners Enyimba International FC of Aba who surged into second place after a 1-0 home win.

 

The Aba-based former African champions finished with 62 points from 38 matches after beating Sharks FC of Port Harcourt.

 

They leapfrogged Bayelsa United of Yenagoa who dropped to third place after losing 0-1 to Gombe United FC and ending up with 61 points.

 

El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri also dropped to fourth place from third place, with 60 points after a 0-1 loss to Rangers International FC in Enugu.

 

In other matches played in the league, Wikki Tourists of Bauchi lost 0-2 to Dolphin FC in Port Harcourt, while ABS FC of Ilorin lost 0-1 to hosts Warri Wolves.

 

Akwa United FC of Uyo also drew 1-1 with hosts Kwara United FC in Lokoja, while 3SC FC of Ibadan finally went down after a 0-2 loss to Kaduna United FC.

 

The loss kept them at the bottom of the table with 46 points, and will be joined by three others on the list of four clubs relegated into the lower Nigeria National League (NNL).

 

Meanwhile the Kano state government has decide may convert the new paediatric hospital complex at Zoo road in Kano municipality to a nursing school, the state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwanwaso has announced.

 

The governor explained that the aim is to have as many nurses for government hospitals as possible, lamenting that at the moment, pubic hospitals in Kano are suffering from dearth of paramedical personnel.

 

Gov. Kwankwaso therefore assured that the state government is poised to reverse the trend through the establishment of schools of nursing and midwifery at Madobi, Bebeji and Gezawa, in addition to such existing schools in the state.

The governor, who made the disclosure while receiving the chairman and members of the governing council of Northwest University, Kano in his office, stated that the government is also working towards affiliating Kano Informatics Institute with a university to enhance its academic programmes and students’ performance.

 

He further revealed that the government, in conjunction with the authorities of the Northwest University, plan to ensure that the university adds more courses to its  existing academic programmes, adding that the decision to use the Murtala Muhammed Library complex as the department of Library Science of the university is a step in that direction.

 

 

 

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