FG Seeks Stronger Partnership with Engineers to Bridge Infrastructure Gap

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The federal government has called for enhanced collaboration with consulting engineers to accelerate infrastructure delivery across the country, saying their expertise is critical to achieving national development goals.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, stated this at the 47th Annual Conference of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria (ACEN), themed: “Closing the Critical National Infrastructure Deficit and the Strategic Roles of Consulting Engineers,” yesterday, in Abuja.

Delivering his goodwill message, he explained that the Bola Tinubu administration is prioritising road construction, power sector reform, rail development and digital infrastructure to drive economic growth and job creation.

Akume, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Technical, Prof. Babatunde Bolaji said the conference’s theme resonated with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.

“Infrastructure is not just a sector concern. It is the backbone of economic transformation, social inclusion and national competitiveness. President Bola Tinubu appreciates the professionalism and patriotism of consulting engineers in nation building,” he said.

Also, he stated that over 40 major road projects, including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road and Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano expressway, are receiving accelerated attention. Additionally, the government, he said, has approved a comprehensive roadmap to expand electricity generation and modernise the grid under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

President of ACEN, Kam-Selem Bukar, in his opening remarks, said the conference theme reflected the vital role of engineers in national development. He urged participants to develop practical solutions to infrastructure challenges and deepen collaboration across sectors.

He said: “Nigeria serves as a critical juncture where infrastructure development is essential for economic growth, social progress, and global competitiveness. Consulting engineers are uniquely positioned to provide expertise in innovation and strategic guidance required to bridge the gap.

“The conference is not just about identifying the challenges, it is about creating actionable solutions that partnership and transform our vision and reality,” he stated.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, in his keynote address, said Nigeria is currently implementing over $20 billion worth of renewable energy and decentralised power projects.

He noted that initiatives such as the National Public Sector Solarisation Programme and the Distributed Green Energy Scheme rely heavily on engineering excellence and innovation.

“In rural electrification agencies, our mandate is very clear to accelerate sustainable energy access for all Nigerians through renewable energy and decentralized systems. We are implementing over $20 billion worth of programmes and projects across the country.

“These programmes are supported by development partners, finances, and private sectors. Each of these programs depends on engineering excellence, design integrity, quality assurance, and innovation that ensures reliability, safety, and sustainability,” he stressed.

Aliyu said the federal government’s “Nigeria First” policy mandates increased local design, assembly and manufacturing of renewable energy systems. He called on consulting engineers to lead in developing local standards, building capacity in solar and battery technologies, and transforming Nigeria into a clean energy manufacturing hub.

He warned that Nigeria must not lag behind as global energy transitions intensify, citing trillion-dollar clean energy investments in the US and Europe.

“The Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S has mobilised over 1 trillion in clean energy investment. This is just a policy that was put in place by the United States government. In Europe, the Green Deal adds another 1 trillion euros of sustainable industry financing.

“In Nigeria, where we have the biggest market and the base of human resources, we cannot continue to just stay behind. We must become designers, manufacturers, and exporters of clean energy leveraging the market that we have in the country,” he said.

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Back on Washington’s Watchlist, Ordinary Nigerians Bear the Burden

By Ugo Inyama

When Donald Trump speaks, the world listens, sometimes with outrage, often with disbelief. Yet when Washington labels a nation a “Country of Particular Concern”, it sounds like a diplomatic technicality. Behind that phrase lies a powerful verdict that reshapes how the world views a country and how its citizens are treated across borders.

Nigeria’s recent return to this list under the United States International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) has stirred official anger in Abuja and debate among citizens. But the real question is not what it means for politicians. It is what it means for ordinary Nigerians trying to study, trade, invest, or travel abroad.

A Label That Filters Down

In today’s interconnected world, perception is everything. When a country lands on a watchlist, that label spreads through databases long before nuance does. Country of Particular Concern becomes a filter on investors’ screens, a checkbox in immigration systems, and a whisper in visa offices.

For millions of Nigerians abroad, it means extra questioning, extended processing times, and a quiet suspicion that their passport represents risk.

These invisible barriers amount to a kind of reputational tax. Banks impose stricter checks on transactions. International schools demand additional documentation from students. Investors hedge against Nigerian markets, citing instability or governance risks. None of these actions is mandated by Washington, yet all are driven by the shadow the label casts.

The Irony of the Label

Ironically, the CPC list is meant to promote religious freedom, yet its ripple effects often constrain the freedoms of ordinary people. The United States Congress designed the designation to hold governments accountable for tolerating religious violence. Nigeria’s inclusion stems largely from reports of attacks on Christians and the failure to prosecute perpetrators.

It is presented as a moral stance, but for citizens, it feels like collective punishment. They neither make policy nor command militias, yet they are the ones whose visas are delayed, whose job applications abroad are questioned, and whose investments face extra scrutiny. The CPC tag, though aimed at those in power, ends up defining the reputation of millions who have no power to change the conditions that caused it.

Economic and Diplomatic Implications

The economic consequences are subtle but real. International lenders and investors interpret such designations as warnings about instability. In a global financial system driven by perception, being seen as high risk means higher borrowing costs and fewer investment commitments.

Foreign direct investment in Nigeria has already fallen from 8.8 billion dollars in 2011 to less than 500 million dollars in 2023, according to UNCTAD. A label that suggests moral or political danger only deepens investor hesitation.

Development partners may also adjust their strategies. When a country is tagged for poor governance or human rights violations, aid agencies often reroute funding through NGOs instead of government ministries. This undermines state capacity and denies institutions the chance to grow stronger. Over time, the country becomes more dependent on external actors to manage domestic challenges.

Diplomatically, Nigeria’s image takes a hit. For a country aspiring to continental leadership, being portrayed as intolerant weakens its credibility in global forums. It dulls the soft power Nigeria once wielded through its music, films, and entrepreneurial spirit. A nation of more than 230 million people should project confidence and diversity, not division and repression.

The Citizens Burden

The global system rarely distinguishes between a government and its people. A single act of state failure can stain the identity of an entire nation. For Nigerians in the diaspora, the CPC label is another layer atop stereotypes about corruption and insecurity. It deepens prejudice in visa offices and at border controls.

Students may find their scholarship applications more heavily scrutinized. Entrepreneurs face delays in opening bank accounts or registering businesses abroad. Even remittances, a lifeline for millions of families, can be flagged more often for compliance checks. What begins as a moral statement in Washington becomes a daily administrative burden for Nigerians everywhere.

Religion, Reality, and Responsibility

Nigeria’s reality is complex. Religious tension is real, but so are ethnic rivalry, poverty, and political failure. Often, what the United States perceives as persecution is, for Nigerians, a symptom of weak governance and the absence of justice. The issue is not a war of faiths but a failure of fairness.

Yet instead of addressing these root causes such as impunity, unemployment, nepotism, tribalism, and divisive politics, Nigerian officials often respond with indignation. They dismiss the label as foreign interference rather than confronting the failures that sustain it. That defensiveness only strengthens the perception that Nigeria is unwilling to reform.

What Should Be Done

If Abuja wants to change the narrative, it must act, not argue. That means prosecuting those responsible for religious and communal violence, protecting minority communities, and ensuring equal treatment for all faiths under the law. It also means investing in education, jobs, and security to remove the fertile ground on which intolerance grows.

Nigeria’s diplomats must reframe the story. They should engage Washington not with denials but with evidence of reform and inclusion. Every Nigerian mission abroad should actively counter negative perceptions by showcasing coexistence, creativity, and resilience, which represent the country’s true story.

Citizens too have a role to play. Diaspora groups and religious leaders must show that faith in Nigeria is not a cause for conflict but a source of community. The world must see that most Nigerians, Muslims, Christians, and traditionalists, live and work together in peace.

Beyond Labels

The danger of the Country of Particular Concern designation is that it freezes a nation’s identity at its worst moment. It defines people by their problems rather than their potential.

For Nigeria, already battling economic distress, insecurity, and declining global confidence, such a label adds another burden. Yet as history shows, labels can be outlived. South Korea, once under similar scrutiny, rebuilt its reputation through democratic reform and investment in its people. Nigeria can do the same if it understands that global perception begins with domestic action. The world sees what we show.

Until then, the CPC tag remains a reminder that when governments fail to protect justice, equity, and tolerance, it is citizens, not politicians, who pay the price.

*Ugo Inyama writes from the African Digital Governance Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
www.africandgc.org

By Ugo Inyama When Donald Trump speaks, the world listens, sometimes with outrage, often with disbelief. Yet when Washington labels a nation a “Country of Particular Concern”, it sounds like

Three Killed as Violence Erupts After Murder of Fulani Herder in Benue Village

Tension has gripped Anwule village in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State following a violent clash between villagers and suspected Fulani herders, which left three people dead and one missing after a reprisal.

According to security sources, the violence began after some suspected villagers killed a Fulani herder in late August. The incident reportedly followed a dispute over cattle grazing on farmlands in the community.

Sources said the crisis escalated when some locals attacked herds cattle and killed a young boy who was herding one of the herds. The boy’s body, they added, has yet to be found.

“While tension was still high between the villagers who felt that the herders strayed into their farms, and the herders who were still searching for the corpse of the missing shepherd, some villagers attacked another group of herders on Monday morning, killing several cattle and a herder,” one security source said.

By Tuesday, the herders were said to have regrouped and launched a counter-attack on the community. Before soldiers from the Army Forward Operating Base in Otukpo could intervene, three villagers, identified as Simon Nbach, Adoya Ejigai, and Ejeh Loko, were killed.

Troops later assisted in recovering the remains of the victims. Nbach, one of the deceased, was reportedly the pastor of the Flaming Fire Ministry in the village.

A security source described the killing of the pastor as “a mere coincidence and pure collateral damage,” noting that the attackers likely did not know his identity.

Following the incident, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Hon. Joseph Har, and the Ohimini Local Government Chairman, Hon. Gabriel Adole, visited the community and appealed for calm.

Tension has gripped Anwule village in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State following a violent clash between villagers and suspected Fulani herders, which left three people dead and one

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