News
Help! Nigeria’s National Memory under Threat
The sorry and disgusting state of the National Archives office in Lagos portends a threat to the (documentaries) memory of a nation like Nigeria.
The centre is currently undermined by civil servants and politicians as a negligible national monument.
National Archives Lagos once referred to one of Nigeria’s prime point of pride and prestige is under sever attaches of termites, and weeds reaching the roof tops.
During a recent tour of the department of National Archives of Nigeria office in Ikoyi Lagos, by a team of Records and Information Management Awareness (RIMA) Foundation led by Dr. Oyewole Oyedokun, the president, “observed the fact that the facility is grossly underfunded and this has negatively affected the state of records/archives housed by the Lagos branch office which served as National Headquarters up till 2005”.
While recalling UNESCO’s believe that “Documentary heritage reflects the diversity of languages, peoples and cultures.
It is the mirror of the world and its memory. But this memory is fragile. Every day, irreplaceable parts of this memory disappear forever,” he added that “Records and their information contents are raw materials for administrators to direct, control, communicate, plan and formulate policies.
“Public administrators rely on available and accurate records to advise government on implications of policy options, actively promote unity, and assist government to operate an administrative system that is conscious, performance oriented, efficient and effective. Nations archives are the most important sources of information for the study of her political, social, economic and general development.
“They are also means of transmitting information about a nation’s cultural heritage, and also constitute evidence of material and intellectual growth.
However, the Lagos branch office of the National Archives of Nigeria, has in its custody important records/archives e.g. pictorial archives such as past colonial masters, Nigerian heads of state, news papers, journals, copies of Janus, records of federal ministries that relocated from the commercial nerve center of Lagos to Abuja.
The security and preservation of these records in a conducive and well equipped repository is necessary for their continuous survival.
Some findings made by RIMA’s team include that, “The repository where these records/archived materials are kept lack facilities such as , fire extinguisher, air conditioners, dehumidifier etc for the room temperature control of Stacks, boxes, steel shelves, brown paper and other preservation/records maintenance facilities. Most of the records are on the bare floor and are fast deteriorating.
“The records/archives are not secured because the office lacks security physical security (Security guards); The lack of professional training, coupled with the lack of resources; Most of the doors and windows within the building and the repository have collapsed thereby exposing Records to rodents and water from rainfall; The building was surrounded by grasses and the services of gardeners are required and Members of staff are exposed to health hazards because the office lacks conveniences and water”.
A document containing the findings indicated that, “Archivists lack personal protective equipment (overall and gloves etc) and are therefore exposed to dust during the cause of executing their duties.
“The search room is not equipped for usage and no provision for official vehicle or van required for the acquisition of records”.
The RIMA’s president lamented that unless action is taken now, much of mankind’s documentary heritage in the facility may vanish.
“In the light of the above, we would like to call on all relevant government agencies, local and international donors to come to the rescue of these national monuments before being left to deteriorate beyond recovery,” he said.
The National Archives of Nigeria presently operates under the provision of the National Archives Act of 1992 with laid down objectives to locate, assemble and rationalize the documentary source material of the country and preserve them permanently for research and other purposes; to enhance efficiency and economy in the running of government Ministries and departments, by developing and advising on methods for the elimination of non-current records and for their eventual transfer to the Federal Records Centers and the National Archives.
Others are to extend the interest of the department beyond that of non-current records and semi-current records in creating agencies through records management programmes; restore and preserve historical records through conservation activities; serve as an information bank for government documentary source materials and to publish guides and historical materials for the benefit of the people and to educate through training the citizenry on the importance of records and their documentary heritage as well as reservation and management of records of individuals, private bodies, Companies and business organizations.
Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
News
FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
In a bold enforcement action, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), supported by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sealed off the visa application centres of France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja over alleged consumer protection breaches and obstruction of regulatory investigations.
The affected centres—located at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District and operated by TLS Contact, a Teleperformance Company—were shut down following reports that they refused to accept formal correspondence from the FCCPC regarding a consumer complaint. The Commission cited further infractions, including obstruction of investigation and alleged assault of its officers during lawful duties.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter to address a consumer complaint, which they refused to accept. Instead, TLS officers assaulted our team, and in a subsequent visit on June 17, they also allegedly assaulted uniformed police officers.”
Citing Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), Mrs. Adeyinka emphasized that failure to comply with Commission directives constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment, fines of up to ₦20 million, or both.
TLS has been ordered to appear before the Commission on June 20, 2025, to provide testimony, submit evidence, and make formal depositions. The company may be held liable for any financial losses suffered by applicants due to the disruption of visa services.
Despite multiple requests for comment, management at TLS Contact declined to respond as of press time.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
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