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Yiaga Scores INEC’s CVR Exercise In 151 Centres High
Ahead of the 2023 general election, an election observer, Yiaga Africa, yesterday, released a report scoring ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in 151 centres high.
The report made available to newsmen, indicated that there was improvement in the process following the deployment of materials from the first reporting period covering July 26 to August 6, 2021.
The report focused on six states in the six geopolitical zones, which include Adamawa, Anambra, Plateau, Kano, Rivers, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the report, Yiaga Africa trained observers and deployed them to the 151 INEC registration centres.
The report, in summary, reads, “With the continuous voter registration (CVR) still ongoing at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Local Government area centres’, Yiaga Africa’s Watching the Vote (WTV) trained observers continued to observe the process in 151 INEC registration centres across the six geo-political zones. This report includes the findings from the observer reports for the period of August 09 to August 27, 2021.
“The findings in this reporting period are based on reports from Yiaga Africa WTV observers reporting from 151 INEC registrations centres across Adamawa, Anambra, Plateau, Kano, Rivers, Lagos, and FCT. Yiaga Africa also received reports from its roving observers from Cross River, Ekiti, Bayelsa and Zamfara states.
“Yiaga Africa observed improvement on deployment from the first reporting period, covering July 26 to August 6. This includes compliance to the commencement time of 9:00 am and keeping centres open until all intending registrants on the queue have been attended to.
“Yiaga Africa commends INEC for bringing the CVR process closer to the people in Anambra state by decentralizing the process to Registration Area/Wards in Anambra State from August 30 to September 5, 2021 ahead of the November 6 Governorship election.
“INEC’s data as of August 30, 2021 indicates that a total of 2,485,770 new registrants completed the online pre-registration. While a total of 569,828 registration has completed both the online and in-person (physical) registration, with Anambra State recording a total of 39,428 completed registration.
“This is reasonable progress. However, there is an opportunity for improvement, because in the five weeks of the commencement of the physical (in-person) CVR exercise, only 23% of those who registered online have concluded their voter registration in the INEC designated centres.
“This also indicates that young people are leveraging the online platform as shown by INEC’s data but are not completing the physical registration. There is, therefore, an ardent need for more citizens’ engagement by INEC and stakeholders in mobilizing intending registrants who have completed the online process to ensure they complete the registration at the INEC CVR centres.”
Meanwhile, Yiaga Africa in the report called on Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing CVR exercise before 2023, especially youths in Anambra to register ahead of November 6 governorship election.
However, the report pointed out that there was the issue of lack of security presence at the registration centres.
“Yiaga Africa still reports the poor deployment of security personnel to the registration centres as shown in Appendix 1 and the near absence of political parties or their agents during this continuous voters registration exercise.
“Yiaga Africa notes that due to security threats in Gusau, Anka, Shinkafi, Zurmi and Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara State, citizens’ turnout to register was low. In Anambra and other states in the South-East, the confusion around the sit-at-home order on Mondays has also impacted on the exercise”, he pointed.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had lauded the courage and commitment of troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.
Abubakar gave the commendation during a morale-boosting visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, yesterday, in Abuja.
The CAS said their sacrifices were etched in the history of the nation, and in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who sleep safer because of the troops’ vigilance.
He emphasised that their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity have not gone unnoticed, saying his visit underscored the vital role airpower plays in neutralising threats and protecting communities.
Abubakar pledged continued investment in cutting-edge technology to empower frontline units.
According to him, the NAF remains steadfast in its mission, guided by leadership, strengthened by unity, and driven by the selfless service of its personnel.
The visit comes at a critical moment, reinforcing the importance of public support for military operations and spotlighting the human element at the heart of national defence.
Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show strong growth potential, making it the leading consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association.
A statement by the VDMA disclosed during a press conference held in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024, placing it well ahead of other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite challenges such as inflation and a weakening naira, Nigeria’s growing population, rising urbanisation, and expanding middle class are key factors driving demand in the beverage sector.
Bottled water led the segment with 48.7 billion litres sold in 2024, a figure projected to rise by 27% to 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated soft drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres, expected to reach 4.4 billion litres by 2028, while energy drinks are forecasted to grow by 30% over the same period. Juices, though relatively small, are also on an upward trajectory.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” VDMA stated, citing data from Euromonitor International.
Set to take place in Munich from 15 to 19 September 2025, drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
VDMA, a key exhibitor and technical partner for the event, revealed that Nigerian participation is expected to be strong, especially as the country anticipates economic recovery.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.
Abdulkareem had waxed a song titled “Tell Your Papa” which criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, yesterday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.
He expressed irony in suggesting that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”
Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.
“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.
He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.
The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him,” he added.
The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.
“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.
He warned that the ban creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
Soyinka’s statement also touched on broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, lamenting the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatised survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
Referencing the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticised the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”