Edited by Frank Meke
IMO state government has finally relocated the controversial and only state owned zoo in the entire Eastern region of Nigeria, from Nekede, Owerri West to Eziama, ikeduru, Owerri North. Apart being poorly kept and managed, the zoo, has suffered depletion of fauna resources due to poor funding and absence of legislative regulations, protecting its immediate and future presence. The road to once famous zoo has been cut from the reach of visitors , tourists and researchers, coupled with agitation by the community where it’s was sited in Nekede, with a population growth which had put pressure on lands, particularly for housing needs, thus, jeopardising Conservation efforts and wildlife tourism in the state.
The igueben, Tom Ikimi train station attack in Edo state, is subject of angry reactions from Nigerians who are shocked and concerned about absence of detailed and organised security cover for tourism infrastructure and its enablers across the country. Apart from the airports which presently enjoys some measure of security, practically all tourism transportation and logistics structures across Nigerian are bereft of any serious security presence, thus an easy soft belly for terrorists , kidnappers and bandits. The not too recent breach of Abuja to kaduna rail service by terrorists serves as a major case in point , certainly sad that the Nigerian police railway command, has gone the way of our usual pattern of not sustaining legacies bestowed to us.. About 30 innocent passengers forcefully marched through the forests in Edo state, brings Nigerian transportation architecture into serious scrutiny, and questions the sustainability of government efforts to develop a true multi model transportation system. Over time our sea, waterways, highways and now railway infrastructure have become targets of organised crime and brigands,leaving poor and innocent Nigerians mourning their helplessness.
*** Jack Ma, is to give up the control of Ant Group, Chinese fintech giant, after Chinese state nose down. Ma, the billionaire founder of Ant group, may step down due to official pressures and if he eventually steps aside, there maybe no approval for a single individual to have total investment control over the Chinese fintech giant. Ma, is a flamboyant business man, a former English teacher and owns Ant Group with a subsidiary Alipay, an online payment system in China which is bigger than cash, credit cards and cheques. Ma also founded Alibaba, an electronic commerce giant, which owns about or above 50 percent of Ant group. Jack ma ran into troubled waters with Chinese state authorities who frowns at criticism, after he questioned China’s financial sector in 2020.
Oluwatosin Olaseinde, boss of Money Africa, says a sustainable insurance education and awareness will grow economic development and enhance services sectors. She bemoaned Nigeria’s three percent insurance penetration, and called for serious intervention on benefits of insurance awareness and education, particularly on how people could put their money to use through obtaining insurance plans and offerings.
**** Peace Anyiam Osigwe is dead. Peace was the founder Africa Movie Awards (AMAA). She passed at the age of 53, after a brief illness. From us at Creative Nigeria, we send our condolences to the family of this legendary film maker and also to the entire entertainment industry in Nigeria. We shall get to Igalaman, Dr shiubu Hussien, a close Confidant of the late President of Association Of Movie Producers, to help us with insight on the life and times of this enigma. Nigeria Films and Censors Board, federal government regulatory body on Movie and films sector, is yet to issue a statement on the passage of this creative genius.
*** The World Travel and Tourism Council ( wttc) predicts that Africa continent will create 14 million tourism jobs in the next ten years. It also says the sector will bull at the rebound of the Continent’s economy with a Gross Domestic Growth growth that will tilth favourably above all economic factors, creating about 1. 4 million jobs. Though a GDP forecast runs predictably on average of 6.8 percent annually between 2022 to 2032, a leap frog value growth of 3.3 percent over traditional economic chains, wttc says the industry will ambitiously bank on a 279 billion dollars, which is about 7.2 percent of total economic outlook during the period in Africa . Expectedly but not sure that Nigeria, will play any contributory role, ( our position on this beat) the 2022 GDP drive of 20.5 percent, appreciated to 144 billion dollars, amounting to 5.1 percent of Africa’s total GDP and 3.1 percent fertile opening of about 22 million jobs, surely do not have Nigeria at atop the ladder..
