News
NITDA and Peter Jack’s Can of Worms
Given the significance of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) towards broadening Nigeria’s communication frontiers in the global community, the need to sanitize the agency from the cankerworm of corruption becomes cogent more than ever before.
The ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Ministry of Communications, and the House of Representatives into the activities of the erstwhile Mr Peter Jack, director general of NITDA, are in sync with this ideal.
In what seem an unbridled ego-flight stirred by a sense of dare, Jack disregarded Ministerial directive that put on hold employment drive at NITDA by flagrantly employing 245.
Without due process, Jack placed them on very high and strategic positions in NITDA and issued appointment letters to them prior to their mandatory interviews, which negates by any stretch of the imagination Civil Service staff recruitment procedures.
A twist in the NITDA 245 staff drama is the allegation of a conspiracy by NITDA’s management to discredit the whole recruitment process under Jack as a kangaroo arrangement by luring some of its gullible members to lie that their employment was subject to monetary inducements.
This move, in the opinion of the NITDA 245 will not see the light of day because there is ample evidence to show the veracity of their claims.
They insist that there exist a comprehensive list of all those who took part in both the oral and written interviews. This includes the few who came through referrals.
Inside sources at NITDA also reveal Jack’s financial infractions as alarming.
Out of the N1.5 Billion earmarked for 2015 personnel budget, only N800 Million was used. This was due largely to the planned expansion in manpower.
In this vein, personnel budget for 2016 was increased to N2.6Billion to accommodate the salaries of the NITDA 245.
Sadly, neither the extra budgetary allocations for 2016 nor the balance from the N1.5Billiion for the 2015 fiscal year reflected on the wage bill of the new staff.
According to sources, towards the end of the 2015 fiscal year, precisely, from December 29-31, 2015, in frenzy to beat the Federal Government’s deadline to MDAs for remittances of unspent monies or budgetary allocations, Jack swung to action and directed NITDA’s Director of Finance to quickly slush the balance from the N1.5 Billion to various staff accounts in order to evade remittance of unspent NITDA’S funds before the end of the year.
That’s not all. It was learnt too that a little over a year ago, the Board of NITDA embarked on an expansionist drive across the six geopolitical zones in the country and made payments for 6 buildings, one in each zone. Uptil now, the buildings are still unoccupied in 2016 due to lack of manpower.
Integral to the 2015 procurement process was the equipping of the 6 zonal offices of NITDA, which has been put on hold by the Minister, Adebayo Shittu in anticipation of a substantive DG.
The argument championed by Jack and his supporters that financial constraints and operational space are twin elements hampering NITDA’s optimal performance, is therefore, inadmissible.
How else do we explain the annual engagement of close to 200 corpers as manpower aid if not in the light of sufficient space? In itself, this action of using corpers as manpower aid contravenes labour law.
As if Peter Jack’s arrant circumvention of government’s directives or NITDA’s statutory responsibilities to the state are not a blatant rape on the Country’s collective yearnings and aspirations for a vibrant and prosperous Nigeria, he resorted to banal publicity stunts in the media to redeem his battered psyche and public image when his can of worms spilled in the public domain with their stark realities via the current investigations.
Such media stunts, if anything, seek to insult Nigerians sensibilities and serve to reinforce the justification of Jack’s suspension from his exalted perch as DG of NITDA based on facts that tally.
However, in the manner of all things Nigerian, it may not be too presumptive to imagine that there will be some form of justice in this matter if the spate of investigations with regard to Jack’s stewardship in NITDA linger more than necessary.
It is almost 3 months since the investigations began, yet none is absolutely certain when they will end and whether the burden of proof of moral and financial culpability will be established against Jack in view of his apparently well-orchestrated propaganda machinery aimed at giving him a clean bill in public glare.
It is certainly an issue political pundits are currently appraising for they are given to the belief that it comes across as the right Litmus test for President Buhari’s vaulted war against corruption.
Buhari’s ‘change mantra’ and anti-corruption war hangs precariously on the balance if NITDA’s can of worms is swept under the carpet on the altar of political patronage.
That, according to observers, will not fit into Buhari’s no nonsense personà and will not curry his significance as a dependable change agent in contemporary Nigeria. So he must leave no stone unturned in his bid to sanitize the system.
The likes of Jack must therefore be brought to book promptly to deter others from following similar paths. Let them have their day in Court!
Equally instructive too is the fact that there is no leadership vacuum in NITDA with the exit of Jack as his hatchet men are bent on making us believe.
Neither is the notion that Jack was not given fair treatment in his suspension by the Honourable Minister of Communications true.
The facts speak for themselves. That he is yet to face the full wrath of the law is an attestation of how porous our laws are.
Under its Acting DG, Dr. Vincent Olatunji who has shown great commitment to shared vision and excellence, which stands him in good stead as a visionary leader, NITDA’s smooth sail onward is assured. Indeed NITDA is being driven at the moment by a gale inspired by leadership savvy, foresightedness, innovation, and recourse to team play courtesy of the vast experience of Olatunji who is poised not only to reposition the agency but redeem its mandate to fast-track an ICT based economy that can compete favourably in the Information Age.
A sad commentary it is that the 245 staff employed by Jack arbitrarily in NITDA before his suspension seem like soar thumbs in the rather vibrant and promising agency due to their non recognition for remuneration by the Ministry of Communications since there is no budgetary provision for them as captured in the Federal budget.
That is the anomaly Jack fostered on NITDA which the current leadership grapples with – how to pacify these floating members of staff whose remunerations are beyond NITDA’s financial leverage.
The World Bank announced on Wednesday that it had approved a total of $1.08 billion in concessional financing for Nigeria to enhance education quality, build household and community resilience, and improve nutrition for underserved groups.
In a statement, the world’s largest multilateral development bank said that the loan is intended to help strengthen its extensive reach and impact in Nigeria in the face of economic hardships, especially in the wake of the Federal Government’s economic reforms in 2023.
According to the statement, the loan comprises $500 million in additional financing for the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Program, $80 million for Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0), and $500 million for Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU).
Specifically, the statement said that the NG-CARES Program will support the Nigerian government in expanding access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and communities.
The financing for ANRIN aims to increase the utilization of quality and cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant women and lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under five in select areas.
The new financing for HOPE-EDU will focus on improving foundational learning, access to basic education, and strengthening education systems in participating states.
It further stated that the NG-CARES Program was initially designed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since evolved into a shock-responsive platform providing multisectoral interventions for the poor and vulnerable.
Implemented at the subnational level across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the program stimulates the local economy through social transfers, labor-intensive public works, livelihood grants, basic community services, agriculture and food security interventions, and support to micro and small enterprises.
The additional financing will strengthen the program’s extensive reach and positive impact, underscoring the need for continued support in the face of economic hardships, including those from the 2023 fuel subsidy reforms and foreign exchange rate unification.
The statement noted that ANRiN 2.0, which aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021-2025), the Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (2021-2025), and the Nutrition-774 initiative, offers an evidence-based, multisectoral approach to combating malnutrition and food insecurity, focusing on maternal and child health, integrated nutrition services, and household food security.
It added that the program will increase the utilization of preventive and curative nutrition services, improve maternal and young child feeding practices and dietary diversity, increase access to micronutrient-rich foods, and provide essential nutritional support to vulnerable populations, mitigating the immediate risks of malnutrition and food insecurity.
The initial ANRIN program reached over 13 million children under five with nutrition services between 2018 and 2024.
For HOPE-EDU, which is part of a series of three interrelated operations alongside HOPE-Governance and HOPE-Primary Health Care, the program aligns with Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education program objectives and strategies.
HOPE-EDU will support structured pedagogy approaches to foundational literacy and numeracy, create learning opportunities where school overcrowding impedes participation, and adopt decentralized allocation and management of Universal Basic Education Intervention Funds, school management, and system information.
The program is expected to directly benefit 29 million children enrolled in public primary schools, 500,000 public primary teachers, and more than 65,000 public primary schools and their School-Based Management Committees.
The program will also receive co-financing in the amount of $52.18 million from the Global Partnership for Education Fund.
The statement quoted Ndiamé Diop, country director for Nigeria, The World Bank, as saying: “Investing in human capital is critical for Nigeria as it offers the best opportunity to unlock the enormous potential of the country.
“These new sets of programs will help Nigeria accelerate education quality and support vulnerable citizens.
“The HOPE-EDU program will enable better education outcomes by implementing bold reforms and making the right investments to equip the fast-growing young population with foundational skills and knowledge necessary for rapid and inclusive economic growth.
“Nutrition interventions from ANRIN will enhance household access to micronutrient-rich foods and nutrition services at the primary healthcare level, improve dietary diversity, and provide essential nutritional support to vulnerable populations, mitigating the immediate risks of malnutrition and food insecurity.
“The NG-CARES additional financing will support the Nigerian government in transitioning from responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 crisis to building household and community resilience.”
A suit seeking to stop Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited’s deal transferring its mining licence to Renaissance African Energy Company Limited has been filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The Incorporated Trustees of Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) sued Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Renaissance African Energy Company Limited, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and four others over the transfer of an oil exploration licence.
Other defendants are: Mr Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general and minister for Justice of the Federation; the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited; the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission; and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings, a consortium consisting of four Nigerian independent oil and gas companies – ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc, FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited, the Waltersmith Group, and Petrolin – recently completed the acquisition of the entire equity holding in the SPDC.
In the suit filed by Kunle Adegoke on behalf of the plaintiff, HEDA raised concerns about alleged non-compliance with Nigeria’s legal and regulatory frameworks governing the petroleum industry.
In suit number FHC/L/CS/651/2025, the group alleged that Shell’s sale of the onshore assets to Renaissance violated several Nigerian laws, including the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Key issues raised by HEDA include concerns over the legality, transparency, and regulatory compliance of the transaction.
The plaintiff asserted that the process failed to meet statutory provisions, including the requirement to conduct and disclose an Environmental Evaluation Study under the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulation, 2022.
The organisation argued that allowing the transaction to proceed without adhering to these legal requirements could set a dangerous precedent and undermine the national and public interest, particularly regarding environmental sustainability and the welfare of communities in the Niger Delta.
HEDA requested the court to declare that by sections 10 (f), 95 (11) and (15), 235, 237, and 238 of the PIA Regulations; 4.2.5, 5.2.4, 5.2.5 and 5.4 of the Guidelines for Obtaining Minister’s Consent to Assignment of Interest in Oil and Gas Assets, 2021; Regulations 7 and 8 of the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulation, 2022; Regulations 8(1) and (2), 9(1) and (2) of the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Remediation Regulations, 2024; Regulation 13(1) – (3) of the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) Regulations, 2023; Shell’s transfer of its oil exploration license to the 2nd defendant “is invalid, unlawful and not backed by the extant and enabling Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The organisation also wants the court to declare that, given the failure of the defendants to comply with the provisions of the various sections, the consent/approval given by the government to Shell in order to transfer/assign/divest its oil exploration licence to the Renaissance is unlawful, null and void.
The company’s spokesperson could not be reached for comments as of press time.
In March, Shell said it had completed the sale of SPDC to Renaissance, as announced on January 16, 2024.
The energy giant explained that the divestment of SPDC aligns with its intent to simplify its presence in Nigeria through an exit of onshore oil production in the Niger Delta and a focus on future disciplined investment in its deepwater and integrated gas positions.
Renaissance now controls SPDC’s 30 per cent stake in the SPDC Joint Venture, an unincorporated joint venture with the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd (10 per cent) and Agip Energy and Natural Resources Limited (five per cent).
Bosun Tijani, minister for Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, has stated that the federal government is geared towards creating about one million technology jobs for teeming Nigerian youth.
Tijani stated this at the official opening of a solar-powered community ICT center built by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abeokuta, as part of activities marking the 38th Lisabi festival.
The minister emphasised the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to invest in the digital economy, driving inclusive growth and empowering the country’s teeming youth population.
“The president made it very clear when I came into office, that he will spend efforts and resources in creating one million technology jobs. So, for anybody that is following the development in the world today you will see that there’s no world without technology.
“There is a strong shortage of technology workforce all over the world, and while a lot of the developed countries have ageing population, and not giving birth to kids, in Nigeria, the average age is 16.9, so our young people are being projected to be the workforce of the future, not only for Nigeria.
“This center here is one of many. In the next two months, we are launching about 30 of them all over the country. This center will be properly animated and we will put resources into ensuring that there are courses for young people to come and take here.
“We are also going to ensure that there are job opportunities that we can connect them to and if anyone wants to follow, follow the three million Technical Talent Program which we have started already in the country”, he said.
He therefore charged the youth to remain focus, and not be discouraged, adding that there is massive employment opportunities in technology as there is no enough people to work in technology all over the world.
“If you ask anyone that works in technology, the entry salary is between N350,000 to N500,000. Technology pays really well, so instead of worrying about things being hard, they should take advantage of centers like this, empower themselves and go for the opportunities the world has to offer them”, he added.
Speaking earlier, Oba Adedotun Are, Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, lauded President Tinubu for approving the centre in Abeokuta, saying that this has no doubt marked another new dawn for the people of Egbaland, given rapid growth, development, and economic empowerment of the people.
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