Dr. Kole Shettima, Director of MacArthur Foundation Africa, has announced a financial grant worth $15 million to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. This funding is intended to bolster educational and research initiatives for the advancement of national development. The disclosure was made during the presentation of ABU’s Diamond Jubilee Public Lecture on “the Challenges of Quality Higher Education in Africa.” Dr. Shettima expressed the foundation’s enthusiasm for its interventions at ABU Zaria, highlighting key areas of support such as the installation of fiber optics and the interconnection of the ABU Teaching Hospital in Shika with the Samaru and Kongo campuses. Additionally, the foundation has provided support for 67 PhD and 87 Master’s students, among other interventions. While emphasizing the importance of increased funding and transparency in Nigeria’s higher education sector, Dr. Shettima underscored the need for accountability to enhance efficiency and address challenges in the sector. Dr. Shettima urged the government and other stakeholders to prioritize funding and transparency in the higher education sector in Nigeria to ensure efficiency and combat challenges facing the sector. In recognition of the enduring relationship between MacArthur Foundation and ABU, Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice-Chancellor of ABU, acknowledged the foundation’s unparalleled support, emphasizing that no other individual, local, or international organization has provided support to ABU on the scale of MacArthur Foundation. Prof. Bala highlighted specific areas of support, including ICT infrastructure, digitization, automation of libraries, and the establishment of various centers such as the Center for Development Communication, Rural Finance, Veterinary Public Health, and Reproductive Health. Noting the delayed celebration of ABU’s Diamond Jubilee due to an ASUU strike, Prof. Bala expressed gratitude for the ongoing support, stating that ABU, established in 1962, remains a national asset that requires collective efforts to overcome its challenges. Addressing the occasion, Alhaji Munir Ja’afaru, Chairman of the Occasion, emphasized the necessity for the government to prioritize funding for tertiary education in Nigeria, emphasizing that education is the bedrock of national development. He called for a collective responsibility to ensure that tertiary institutions have the essential resources to thrive and urged ABU alumni to unite in supporting the institution, emphasizing its status as a national asset that must be safeguarded from potential collapse.

Abuja, [December 5, 2023] — Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre, WAMAC, an anti-corruption crusader, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital has taken note of the directive for a comprehensive investigation into allegations of passport racketeering involving personnel within the service, specifically in the South East region. The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs. Caroline Adepoju, gave this directive in an official press statement, conveyed by Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Adedotun Aridegbe, the Service Public Relations Officer, based in Abuja. This inquiry comes after an in-depth investigation conducted by Dream FM, a partner radio station of WAMAC, on an anti-corruption program titled “Korokoro Eye.” The series delved into numerous complaints of extortion and corruption lodged by applicants seeking the Nigerian Passport in Enugu. Aired on the 25th of August and 1st of September 2023, the program featured applicants who lamented being subjected to exorbitant fees exceeding the officially approved government rates by Immigration officers. Additionally, the collaborative efforts between WAMAC and Dream FM, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation brought to light the preferential treatment accorded to applicants filling forms in passport offices, sidelining the online application process. This resulted in the frustration of applicants making multiple visits to the Immigration passport office before having their biometrics captured due to insufficient attention to online submissions. Korokoro Eye’s investigations further uncovered the complicity of certain NIS Enugu office staff in corrupt practices, offering applicants the option to expedite the process in exchange for additional payments. This report is part of a series of investigative exposés on corruption by Dream FM, supported by Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre and funded by the MacArthur Foundation. WAMAC commends the leadership of the Nigeria Immigration Service for taking action in ordering an investigation into the alleged passport racketeering involving personnel in its Enugu office. Nevertheless, we earnestly call for an expeditious and thorough inquiry, ensuring that those found in violation face the full force of the law, without any exemptions. For media inquiries, please contact:+234- 803 082 3169; +234-803 321 2129

Nigeria’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI has revealed that the country lost N16.25 trillion to crude oil theft. This revelation came in Abuja with the submission of a report on the $74.386 billion spent on fuel subsidy by successive administrations since 2011 to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts. Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, received the report from the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Ogbonnaya Orji.  An interactive session that followed led to more disclosure from Orji about findings in the course of the job and the collated data. “In that report alone, over $8.3 billion were unremitted funds on the part of some government agencies and companies. Our concern is that this is at a time when the government is going borrowing. So, we bring this information with incisive and empirical information and data with evidence and table it.” The Executive Secretary of NEITI also disclosed accountability issues discovered in the process.   “We have incentivized a lot of recoveries for the government because between what is paid and what was recovered, a lot of money in foreign exchange developed wings. Company  “A will say we paid $1 million and you go to the account of the receiving agency and you find out that either half of that money was not received or more is received than what was paid because of poor record keeping and carelessness.” He said.  What Next? The Executive Secretary said NEITI is working with the antigraft agencies in the country – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission, and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit to address the situation.

The president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Prof. John Palfrey, has received a chieftaincy title in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.  Garki Traditional Council in Abuja conferred the title of ‘Byefeche Nugba’ on the MacArthur Foundation president; this means ‘Hero of Justice for Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Original Inhabitants’.  Prof. Palfrey made history as the first foreigner to be honoured with the title. During the ceremony on Sunday in the palace of Sa’Peyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Nga Kupi, the council appreciated the MacArthur Foundation for their development work in the FCT which has helped build the capacity of the indigenes on their cultural, social, economic, and political rights. MacArthur Foundation works in the country by supporting Nigerian-led efforts to reduce corruption, promote good governance, and advance gender equity and social inclusion in the six geopolitical zones.  The Foundation’s grantees in the country include Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) and the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED). “As a traditional institution, we can affirm that these efforts have touched our lives as Original Inhabitants in several respects.”, the Traditional Council said in an address of welcome delivered by Secretary of the Garki Kingdom, Lazarus Nyaholo. Prof. Palfrey, on his part acknowledged the traditional institution for its importance in nation-building  “We at MacArthur Foundation, honour and respect the important role played by traditional institutions in Nigeria and around the world, in maintaining law and order, settling disputes, encouraging education, and encouraging healthy behaviours.  “We see you as the foundation of society that survives, in every transition of government in Nigeria and around the world. “MacArthur Foundation is a global foundation, and whether we are at home in the United States of America in Chicago, or Abuja, we acknowledge and honour indigenous communities.” Prof. Palfrey, the Abuja Hero of Justice title recipient said as he accepted the honour on behalf of the MacArthur Foundation team in Abuja.

WAMAC Trains Journalists on Data-Driven and Investigative JournalismAmidst the difficulties created by the federal government’s cashless policy, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre(WAMAC) in March successfully trained 36 journalists from 12 partner radio stations in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The team with funding from MacArthur Foundation held the two-phased programme in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Fighting Corruption and WinningAnd so, after undergoing training, Prestige FM, one of WAMAC’s media partners received a complaint from Kontagora Local Government Area in Niger State about the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC. The Complaint, Actions and ResultThe power company was said to have been overbilling residents of Kontagora LGA without providing service to them. Their newly acquired training from WAMAC came in handy as the journalists from Prestige FM investigated the claim from a whistle-blower and discovered the claim to be true.Using their anti-corruption radio programmes in Pidgin English and Hausa – Whistle Blower and Kwarmato respectively, the journalists aired their investigations. The head office of the AEDC in Minna also got interested in this case about one of their regional offices produced by Prestige FM. The authorities, therefore, investigated the case as well and discovered the culprits. Two months later, the manager of AEDC realized that the regional office in Kontagora could not account for the monies collected. Some records of payments from customers got missing also. Eleven persons found to be responsible  were discovered and fired as a result of the investigations. Deep Dive Into Electricity Sector Unmasks Estimated Billing and Metering CorruptionWadata Media and Advocacy Centre in continuation of its accountability and anticorruption focused town hall meetings, THMs laid bare the corruption in the  Electricity Distribution in some parts of Nigeria.Participants from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, Community-Based Organizations, Religious and Community leaders as well as the National Orientation Agency {NOA}, EFCC, ICPC, Market Women Association and People With Disabilities. Among the conduits for corruption identified are overbilling and extortion of consumers by field officers who are mostly adhoc staff.Another is shifting official responsibilities to the consumers – communities or individuals investing in electricity infrastructures such as transformers, poles, wires etc. without any plan for refund. The THMs took place June and July 2023 at Akure, Ondo State, South West Nigeria and Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. WAMAC in the News Stakeholders advocate community journalism for post insurgency eraStakeholders Task Nigerians On Fight Against Corruption In Electricity Sector  ‘Massive Corruption In Electricity Sector, Discos Defrauding Nigerians’ Quotes From THMs

“Donor Challenges Media Organisations To Rise Up”. – Dr Amina Salihu, MacArthur Foundation  Speaking at the donor/grantee roundtable at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, Dr Amina Salihu challenged media organizations to remain focused in their primary functions as watch dogs. The conference currently on its third day has a multitude of sessions on innovations in Investigative Journalism as well as other innovations in other aspects of journalism like data driven journalism, breakthroughs in tracking techniques, climate, migration and best practices in trauma support.    Programme Coordinator of Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre Abubakar Wasiu  as well as heads of other media organizations that specialize in investigative journalism in Nigeria are at the conference.   In attendance from Nigeria are Naziru Mikail Abubakar – Executive Director/Editor-in-Chief – Daily Trust, Musikilu Mojeed Editor-in-Chief/Chief Operating Officer at Premium Times, Dayo Aiyetan, founding Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, Professor Umaru Pate Vice Chancellor Federal University of Kashere University, Gombe State and  Busola Ajibola Deputy Director at Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development among others 

Global Investigative Journalism Conference continued on its third day with several sessions and choices for attendees to learn new knowledge and skills useful for the modern-day practice of the profession. Among the topics treated are Digging into Government Contracting: Finding Patterns, Tracking Corruption, Criminal States and Kleptocracies; Tracking Political Extremism; and Indigenous Investigations Others include Climate: Investigating Impacts; Climate: Investigating Causes; Investigating Food and Agriculture, Migration & Human Trafficking; Holding Algorithms Accountable Through Collaboration. A publisher from Nigeria, Haruna Mohammed Salisu, told Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre(WAMAC) in an exclusive interview about the learning opportunity for him and his organisation. Salisu publishes WkkiTimes, an online platform based in Bauchi, Northeast, Nigeria, focusing on accountability at subnational levels where reporters of national dailies rarely penetrate. “I have learnt a lot. Usually, part of our work is to hold power to account, so in our effort to really consolidate on our capacity to hold power to account, we are trying to understand how most of our leaders in Nigeria loot our resources and then move them into off-shore havens and something like that, so part of the skills I have learnt is to track those funds from Nigeria to those havens that are usually used to hide illicit funds, so I have learnt a lot on that, because this is part of the problem that has affected Nigeria over the years.” There’s also the aspect of human rights and funds tracking which the Wikkitimes publisher finds useful for providing solutions to some issues in his home country.   ”One other challenge that is bedeviling Nigeria, which is part of the global conversation is about the issue of climate change, environment, and all of that. And you realize that there are a lot of funds that are designated to address all these kinds of challenges. It is our responsibility really as journalists to follow those funds and to ensure that we are able to track and identify how these funds are utilized over the years to be able to hold power to account and be able to expose the corruption that is going on in that aspect” Honours for Investigative Journalism Well Done Apart from the sessions for learning, Global Investigative Journalism Network again recognized some works from different media outfits for their outstanding investigative journalism.  ‘The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara,’ a documentary that exposed the banditry in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria was among the two works recognised under the ‘Large Organization’ category. The production was by the @BBCAfrica Eye (Nigeria). 

Investigative journalists from around the world have converged in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the Global Investigative Journalism Conference. The four-day event scheduled to end on September 22 has journalists from Nigeria also in attendance. The conference organizers described it as “the world’s largest international gathering of investigative journalists.” Among the activities scheduled for the programme are technical sessions on the latest tools and techniques, extensive networking, and brainstorming sessions. Nigeria’s anticorruption crusader, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre(WAMAC) is rep OP resented at the conference by the organization’s Project Coordinator, Waisu Idris Abubakar. WAMAC works with a team of journalists from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to do investigative journalism, exposing corruption and creating opportunities for citizens to be part of governance and hold leaders accountable. Abubakar, a freelance journalist and development worker, is confident that the discussions, technology, and networking among African journalists at the conference will give WAMAC an edge in its accountability and anti-corruption work. “The gathering is huge. It’s great to be here. So much networking going on” He said. The  Global Conference, which started in 2001 in Copenhagen, is held every two years. According to the GIJC website, over 10,000 journalists from 140 countries have participated in the conference.