The federal government has assured of its determination to ensure that the inflation rate which has been on a downward trend is brought even lower as the government continues to work ways of reviving the economy.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, gave the assurance yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after briefing the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the latest performance figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

He said though the economy is making a lot of progress given its consistently good performance in recent times, the question of whether the positive indicators have had the desired impact on the lives of people is another matter.

He, however, said he could not provide a definite timeline to reduce the inflation to the level that will positively impact all Nigerians.

Agba, while reacting to a question on why the downward trend noticed in the inflation rate was yet to have impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians, said: “First, you say the figures that were given show that there is a positive trajectory in terms of the economy. I think first we need to understand what GDP itself means. It’s the totality of the value of goods and services. It’s an indication of what is happening in the economy; when you are having more to spend, more transactions are going on.

“It means the economy itself is growing and if it is declining, and you have such a negative decline in two quarters, then we will say you are in a recession.

“And NBS has consistently given these figures, whether they are positive, or they are negative, and then we compare them either on the month-on-month basis, or year-on-year basis.

“And then we also have what those figures are annually, which tend to show us or indicate whether we are making progress or not. What those numbers show is that there’s steady progress that is being made. Whether it is far-reaching enough, is a different ball game.”

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Monday, that the microblogging site, Twitter, is expected to open its Nigerian office before the end of March 2022.

The minister, who disclosed this when he appeared on a radio progarmme, the Radio Link, in Abuja, said the move is part of the agreement the company reached with the Federal Government last year to have the ban imposed on it lifted.

He said: “Twitter also agreed to comply with all payable taxes, as they are operating under Nigerian laws and this they agreed to do within one week of restoring their operations.

”Twitter agreed to immediately work with the Federal Government in the area of code of conduct, that was in line with global best practices

“Twitter agreed to immediately enroll Nigerians in its law enforcement portals and Partners Support Portal.

“The law enforcement portal will provide dedicated channels for the Nigerian law enforcement agencies to escalate reports on contents that violate the code of conduct or national laws.

“Similarly, the partner support portal provides a direct channel for government to engage Twitter staff to manage prohibited contents.”

According to him, other social media platforms operating in the country will be expected to follow suit in due course, as the government vowed to ensure that only wholesome content was allowed to pass through the platforms henceforth.

Mohammed maintained that the government’s intention to regulate social media was borne out of the desire to sanitise social media and not to stifle the freedom of speech and expression or strangulate the media as some people might believe.

He said: “We are going to regulate the social media not because we want to stifle the media or we want to violate the right of expression. We want to ensure that only wholesome contents are available on social media.

“Recently, we were all shocked when an 18-year old boy, accused of killing his 21-year old girlfriend for money rituals, confessed that he learnt the diabolical act on social media. The teenager, in collaboration with his friends, cut off the head of the victim and was burning it in a pot when they were apprehended.”

“The government has the responsibility to ensure that social media platforms were responsible and the contents they displayed are not harmful to young people, as well as the unity of the country,” he said.

He reiterated that relevant laws and the broadcasting code would be amended to ensure that the agreement reached with Twitter was applicable to other social media platforms.

A coalition of Nigerian activists demonstrated Tuesday in the capital city Abuja, demanding President Mohammadu Buhari sign a bill that aims to improve transparency, inclusion, and planning for national elections.

More than 200 participants from various civil society groups chanted as they converged at unity fountain Tuesday in Abuja.

The activists are demanding President Mohammadu Buhari sign into a law a bill that would promote the early release of funds for elections, the inclusion of marginalized groups in voting, and would authorize the electronic transmission of election results.

“In 2019, one truth that we’re not telling Nigerians is that resources were released six weeks to the elections,” said Paul James, one of the organizers of the protest. “So, if these things are coming close to the elections, it affects everybody that is working on the process.”

Activists at the protest say the new bill will make elections more organized, inclusive and credible if signed into law.

There are more than 30 million Nigerians living with disabilities.

“Election after election, people with disabilities have to surmount whatever challenge it is to vote,” said Grace Jerry, executive director Inclusive Friends Association, a group representing disabled citizens at the protest. “President Buhari, in case you do not know, people with disabilities had to crawl on the ground because of inaccessible polling units. To vote for you, people who are blind had to rely on somebody to vote and could not experience the secret ballot process.”

The president’s office released a statement late Monday denying claims of foot-dragging in Buhari signing the bill.

The president spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said the president had only received the bill from the senate on January 31 and had until March 1 to sign it.

He also said interest groups were taking advantage of “what they consider a delay in the signing of the electoral bill by the president to foment civil disorder.”

During an interview Tuesday with Lagos-based Channels television, Adesina said Buhari would sign the bill soon.

But protester James Paul has doubts the president will follow through.

“The government has not been very truthful with Nigerians, they have been dilly-dallying with what we thought would help to improve on the transparency and integrity of our elections,” said Paul. “Since 1999, the more money you pump into the election, the less participation you see in the election.”

Allegations of rigging and corruption are common during Nigerian elections.

Activists say the president already has declined to sign the bill five times and are hoping he will sign it this time round.

The Centre of Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) on Tuesday, 22nd February 2022 partnered with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa and other CSOs in a protest towards urging President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the electoral bill transmitted to him by the National Assembly on the 31st of January, 2022.

Recognizing that the bill made favourable provisions for citizens with disabilities, the Centre’s Executive Director; Mr. David Anyaele, mobilized Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to protest at the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja, and urge the President to sign the bill, thus that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can issue a timeline for the 2023 General Election in Nigeria.

According to Mr. Anyaele; “the bill which not only embraces inclusion and innovation but is also a bill that promotes transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process is a great input since the return of democracy in 1999”. He went further to urge the president to sign the bill as swiftly as possible and write his name in Gold as someone who enhanced the democratic tenets that brought him to power.

During the protest rally, speeches were made by Samson Itodo of Yiaga Africa, Ene Obi who is the convener of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, and a host of other Executives of the plethora of Civil Societies Organizations, who in one voice, demanded that President Buhari, gives swiftly his assent to the electoral bill.

PWDs participated actively at the protest march as all clusters were represented at the event.