National Issues
African Union finally wakes up to Trump
The reaction of the African Union (AU) to United States (US) President Donald Trump’s latest utterances during a discussion in the White House about migration and refugees came as a surprise to many AU watchers.
Ebba Kalondo, AU Commission spokesperson, told news agencies on 12 January that she was ‘frankly alarmed’ by Trump’s vulgar remarks – allegedly referring to Haiti and African countries as ‘s**thole countries’. She said Trump’s statements were ‘particularly surprising’ since ‘the US remains a global example of how migration gave birth to a nation built on strong values of diversity and opportunity’.
Kalondo’s boss, AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, met with US ambassador to the AU Mary Beth Leonard at his headquarters in Addis Ababa on 15 January. ‘I took the opportunity to express the AU’s outrage’ at Trump’s comments, Mahamat tweeted after the meeting. He said earlier that he was ‘dismayed’ given that ‘the US is a unique example of how migration contributes to nation-building based on the values of diversity, tolerance and opportunity’.
The AU mission to the United Nations (UN) in Washington asked for a retraction and an apology and said the remarks ‘dishonour the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity’.
This flurry of reaction from the AU is unusual for an organisation that rarely speaks out on current affairs issues affecting ordinary African citizens. Up to now, official AU reaction to Trump’s statements and travel bans, which have affected several African countries, has been muted.
In January last year, at the 28th AU summit in Addis Ababa, Mahamat’s predecessor Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma did remark that ‘the very country to whom people were taken as slaves during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries’. This aligns with some of the comments from the AU last week. In September last year, Mahamat said he was ‘perplexed’ by Chad’s inclusion on Trump’s travel ban – but there didn’t seem to be any official AU statement.
The fact that hundreds of thousands of African refugees and migrants risk their lives to seek a better life elsewhere has certainly been a tricky issue for the AU. There has been little formal discussion in the AU since the crisis of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean started several years ago. Only late last year, after a CNN video showing migrants being sold as slaves in Libya, did Mahamat and the AU make plans to help get the migrants home to safety. A high-level meeting on migration was also held in Morocco earlier this month. A report on migration is expected to be tabled by Morocco at the 30th AU summit starting in Addis Ababa next week.
So does this expression of outrage against Trump mean the AU will be more forthright in future? Will it engage with the rest of the world on the issue of migration and refugees?
Of course, the downside of taking a stand is that it leaves the AU open to attack. Since Kalondo’s remarks, social media has been abuzz with accusations against the AU’s habitual inaction and failure to condemn ‘corruption and bad governance’ in Africa. Others say the AU should ‘focus on human rights and improving our economies rather than fixating on Trump’s newest diplomatic blunder’.
South African columnist and gender activist Sisonke Msimang says Africans shouldn’t waste their time reacting to Trump, but should rather acknowledge the hardships of Africa’s poor.
Despite the criticism, the AU’s statements and Kalondo’s quick reaction could be seen as a move in the right direction for the AU. John Stremlau, visiting professor in international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, says Kalondo’s statement drew attention to the US tradition of aspiring to higher moral values. Stremlau recently authored a report on the first few months of Trump’s presidency. He says by emphasising ‘shared values’ of democracy and civic principles in the US and Africa, Kalondo is speaking ‘over the head’ of Trump to those in the US who seek the ‘moral high ground’.
African heads of state and the AU have been largely silent over the issue of Trump up to now, because they have been perplexed, just like other world leaders and analysts – and no one ‘could see what this is leading to’, says Stremlau.
He says while Trump’s authoritarianism, ‘tribalism’, attacks on the media and repression of critics will resonate with African strongmen, there is a ‘historic shift’ in Africa towards creating ‘regional diplomatic norms’. The AU’s Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance are examples.
Following the AU statements, several African leaders – including Ghana’s former president John Dramani Mahama and Senegal’s President Macky Sall – have spoken out against Trump’s comments, calling them ‘racist’ and ‘insulting’. In several countries the US ambassadors were summoned to explain Trump’s remarks – a démarche, in diplomatic terms, that sends a strong signal of disapproval from a host country.
The position of US ambassador in South Africa has been vacant for over a year now since former ambassador Patrick Gaspard left at the end of 2016. The fact that Trump hasn’t yet appointed ambassadors in key countries like South Africa and elsewhere in Africa, and that the post of assistant secretary of state for Africa is still vacant, indicates his general indifference when it comes to the continent.
The diplomats who are in place have tried to mend fences in the past few days by stressing the existing good relations between Africa and the US. The acting ambassador in Pretoria said her country ‘deeply respects the people of Africa’. The US embassy to the AU tweeted that ‘the US deeply values its enduring partnerships with Africa’.
The comments made by African leaders at the upcoming AU summit in Addis Ababa starting on 22 January will indicate whether or not these diplomatic overtures have been successful.
TEXT OF THE BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2025
Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same. I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.
On February 28, 2025, the supreme court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:
“a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”
The above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Going Forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected
“are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”
The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy. These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.
Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.
Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.
Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.
The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.
In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do.
By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.
The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.
This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
Long live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has emphasized the need for the recruitment of intelligent graduates into its ranks, stating that crime-fighting requires intellect and strategic thinking.
DSS Director, Oluwatosin Ajayi, made this known on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The lecture, titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” highlighted the agency’s crucial role in safeguarding the nation and the necessity of strengthening intelligence institutions.
Ajayi, represented by DSS Deputy Director Patrick Ikenweiwe, stressed that the country’s best minds should be drafted into the DSS to address the growing security challenges.
“If I have my way, the best graduates in the country should be compelled to join the DSS and serve the nation in tackling security threats,” Ikenweiwe stated.
Drawing a comparison to Israel’s academic system, he noted: “In Israel, students who score above 70 marks in their university entrance exam are automatically placed in the university. Tell me, how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to counter a criminal gang made up of first-class brains? Intelligence is key to fighting crime.”
He further advocated for collaboration with academic institutions to identify top-performing students who could be recruited into the intelligence service.
The DSS official also outlined several threats to national security, including sabotage, subversion, and espionage, urging a comprehensive approach to national security that includes intelligence-driven solutions and a well-trained workforce.
The Nigerian government spent a staggering $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt within the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant 39.77% increase compared to the $2.56 billion expended over the same period in 2023.
This data, drawn from a recent report on international payment statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflects a concerning rise in the country’s foreign debt obligations amid depreciating currency values.
According to the report, the most substantial monthly debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, totaling $854.37 million. This is a substantial 286.52% increase from May 2023’s $221.05 million.
Meanwhile, the highest monthly payment for 2023 was $641.7 million in July, underscoring the trend of Nigeria’s escalating debt costs.
Detailed analysis of monthly payments further illuminates the trend.
In January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89%, reaching $560.52 million, a significant rise from $112.35 million in January 2023. However, February saw a modest reduction of 1.84%, with costs decreasing from $288.54 million in 2023 to $283.22 million in 2024. March also recorded a decline of 31.04%, down to $276.17 million from $400.47 million the previous year.
Additional fluctuations in debt payments continued throughout the year, with June witnessing a slight decrease of 6.51% to $50.82 million from $54.36 million in 2023. July 2024 payments dropped by 15.48%, while August showed a 9.69% decline compared to 2023. September, however, reversed the trend with a 17.49% increase, highlighting persistent pressure on foreign debt obligations.
With the rise in exchange rates exacerbating these financial strains, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs are projected to remain elevated.
The central bank’s data highlights how these obligations are stretching national resources as the naira’s devaluation continues to impact debt repayment in dollar terms.
Rising State Debt Levels Add Pressure
The federal government’s debt challenges are mirrored by state governments, whose collective debt rose to N11.47 trillion by June 30, 2024.
Despite allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and internally generated revenue (IGR), states remain heavily reliant on federal transfers to meet budgetary demands.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the debt burden for Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by 14.57% from N10.01 trillion in December 2023.
In naira terms, debt rose by 73.46%, from N4.15 trillion to N7.2 trillion, primarily due to the naira’s depreciation from N899.39 to N1,470.19 per dollar within six months. External debt for states and the FCT also increased from $4.61 billion to $4.89 billion during this period.
Further data from BudgIT’s 2024 State of States report illustrates how reliant states are on federal support. The report revealed that 32 states depended on FAAC allocations for at least 55% of their revenue in 2023.
In fact, 14 states relied on FAAC for 70% or more of their revenue. This heavy dependence on federal transfers underscores the vulnerability of states to fluctuations in federal revenue, particularly those tied to oil prices.
The economic challenges facing both the federal and state governments are stark. The combination of mounting foreign debt, fluctuating exchange rates, and high reliance on federally distributed revenue suggests a need for fiscal reforms to bolster revenue generation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With foreign debt obligations continuing to grow, the report emphasizes the urgency for Nigeria to address its debt sustainability to foster long-term economic stability.
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