The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says it has so far recovered  48 escapee inmates at Owerri Custodial Centre by unknown gunmen, raising the figure of inmates following the attack at the Owerri Custodial Centre to 84.

It expressed suspicion  that the attack was  carried out by members of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).

Francis Enobore spokesman of the NCoS also announced that peace has finally returned to the custodial centre from where a total of 1844 inmates .

He said that 11 of the escapees were recaptured by men of 211Nigerian Ariforce Base Owerri .

“Among the escapees, 11 were recaptured by men of the 211 Nigerian Airforce Base, Owerri while others either came back on their own volition or were returned by their relations, traditional rulers and religious leaders”.

The acting Controller General of Corrections, John Mrabure has charged all staff in the Command to go after the fleeing inmates and smoke them out of hiding at all cost.

” He read the riot act during the interactive session with personnel attached to the Custodial Centre including those at the State Headquarters.

Africa now faces the dual onslaught of climate change – currently estimated at between $7 billion and $15 billion each year – and Covid-19, which has claimed 114,000 lives,the African Development Bank has said.

The  bank said it  expects that the impact of climate change on the continent could rise to $50 billion each year by 2040, with a further 3% decline each year in Gross Domestic Products  by 2050.

Speaking during a virtual Leaders’ Dialogue convened by the African Development Bank, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA.org) and the Africa Adaptation Initiative, more than 30 heads of state and global leaders rallied behind the bold new Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (

President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and African Union Chairperson, invited his fellow leaders to: “revisit our climate ambitions and accelerate the implementation of our actions planned under our national priorities. To do this we will need to focus on actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, these include nature-based solutions, energy transition, enhanced transparency framework, technology transfer and climate finance.”

The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program is built to address the impacts of Covid-19, climate change, and the continent’s worst recession in 25 years. This is why today’s unprecedented show of support for the financing of African adaptation is so significant.

According to Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation, “The Covid-19 pandemic is eroding recent progress in building climate resilience and leaving countries and communities more vulnerable to future shocks. Africa must make up for lost ground and lost time. Climate change did not stop because of Covid-19, and neither should the urgent task of preparing humanity to live with the multiple effects of a warming planet.”

President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, and Chair of the African Union-led Africa Adaptation Initiative, spoke of Gabon’s record in emission reductions. He said that Gabon is one of the few countries in the world that is carbon positive. “We have to insist that equal attention be paid to climate adaptation and mitigation in climate finance. Africa calls on the developed nations to shoulder the historic responsibility and to join the program to accelerate the adaptation in Africa,” President Bongo said.

African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “With our partners, we intend to mobilize $25 billion in financing for the success of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program. It is time for developed countries to meet their promise of providing $100 billion annually for climate finance. And a greater share of this should go to climate adaptation. So far, more than 20 trillion dollars have gone into Covid-19 stimulus packages in developed countries. The International Monetary Fund’s plan to issue $650 billion of new Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to boost global reserves and liquidity will be enormously helpful to support green growth and climate financing for economic recovery. I applaud the leadership of the US government and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, especially, on this big push.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “African nations are showing leadership…The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, and many other ambitious African initiatives, must be empowered to fully deliver on their goals. “

Guterres added: “Universal access to energy in Africa, a priority in the coming years, could be provided primarily through renewable energy. I call for a comprehensive package of support to meet these dual objectives by COP 26. It is achievable, it is necessary, it is overdue, and it is smart.”

Speaking on behalf of US President Joseph R. Biden, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said: “The United States remains a committed development partner for Africa and a huge supporter of the African Development Bank. Africa contributed the least to climate change but is suffering the worst of its effects. I congratulate the African Development Bank and the Global Center for Adaptation for developing the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program. We support the program… to help ensure that together, we can avoid the worst effects of climate change.”

The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, as launched by the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation, revolves around several transformative initiatives:

Climate Smart Digital Technologies for Agriculture and Food Security aims to scale up access to climate-smart digital technologies for at least 30 million farmers in Africa. The African Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator will scale up investment for climate-resilient urban and rural infrastructure in key sectors. These include water, transport, energy, and waste management for a circular economy. Empowering Youth for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in Climate Resilience will provide one million youths with skills for climate adaptation and support 10,000 small and medium size youth-led businesses to create green jobs.  Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa will help close adaptation finance gaps, enhance access to existing finance and mobilize new public and private sector investment.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said: “As well as facing the health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic, countries in Africa are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Tackling this dual challenge requires putting adaptation at the heart of Africa’s recovery – so countries build resilience to climate change and spur economic activity. This pandemic has shown us the importance of investing in people. And that is so, so very valuable for Africa, which has a fast-growing young population. This begins by improving education, healthcare, and food security, and in that context, I warmly welcome the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program.”

Speaking on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron, the Chief Executive of the French Development Agency, Remy Rioux said: “Africa is providing solutions to climate change, including the Great Green Wall and the Desert to Power initiative of the African Development Bank to build the world’s largest solar zone in the Sahel of Africa. France fully supports the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program.”

Master Warrant Officer, Sa’idu Afaka, the official driver of President Muhammadu Buhari,has been announced  dead.

He died at the State House Clinic on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

The President has consequently extended heartfelt condolences to his family.

 Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), said President Buhari, commiserated with the government and people of Kaduna State.

He described the late Afaka as an honest, capable and reliable person who handled his job with utmost care and responsibility.

The President recalled that in 2016 the soldier, while on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, picked up a bag containing a large amount of foreign currencies and turned it over to the National Hajj Commission, an action which earned him praises from the Saudi and Nigerian authorities.

President Buhari prayed Almighty Allah to ‘‘bless the soul of the departed with an elevated place in heavens,’’ committing the family and friends to divine comfort and patience.

Another rounds of unemployment looms in the country as South African Company, Shoprite Holdings Limited, says the sale of its Nigerian outlets was being concluded.

Over 70million Nigerians are unemployed,according to the current figure of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.

 The company  said it would shut down operations in the country by disposing a 100 per cent equity stake in its Nigerian retail supermarkets.

Shoprite stated in its financial report for December 2020 that  it was awaiting approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission after lodging the transaction with the commission.

The management of the expects the transaction to be approved by the end of the 2021 financial year,it said in the financial statement.

 It added that the management was in the process of concluding a franchise agreement for the Shoprite brand to remain in Nigeria as well as an administration and services agreement to provide support to the new shareholders with operating the outlets.

 The Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Engelbrecht said, “We are at the approval stage in terms of the sale of our Nigeria supermarket operation.

 “From here, our capital allocated to the region remains at a minimum and we continue to manage costs as best as we can.”

  “Statement of comprehensive income reflects profit from discontinued operations separately; assets and liabilities relating to the Nigeria operations disclosed as held for sale,” the report stated.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a growth of 2.5 percent for Nigeria in 2021 from its earlier projection of 1.5 percent

The new growth projection is 1.0 percent higher than the multilateral institution’s 2021 forecast in January.

The Washington-based institution disclosed this on Tuesday during the 2021 Virtual Spring Meetings.

It also predicted  a growth of 3.4 percent for the Sub-Saharan Africa region in 2021, up 0.2 percent, from the previous forecast.

It also lifted its global economic growth forecast for 2021 to 6 percent — the strongest annual growth in more than four decades, up from the 5.2 percent it anticipated in October. The rebound comes after a 3.3 percent contraction in 2020.

“Global prospects remain highly uncertain one year into the pandemic. New virus mutations and the accumulating human toll raise concerns, even as growing vaccine coverage lifts sentiment. Economic recoveries are diverging across countries and sectors, reflecting variation in pandemic-induced disruptions and the extent of policy support,” IMF said in a statement.

“The outlook depends not just on the outcome of the battle between the virus and vaccines—it also hinges on how effectively economic policies deployed under high uncertainty can limit lasting damage from this unprecedented crisis.

“Global growth is projected at 6 percent in 2021, moderating to 4.4 percent in 2022. The projections for 2021 and 2022 are stronger than in the October 2020 WEO. The upward revision reflects additional fiscal support in a few large economies, the anticipated vaccine-powered recovery in the second half of 2021, and continued adaptation of economic activity to subdued mobility.

“High uncertainty surrounds this outlook, related to the path of the pandemic, the effectiveness of policy support to provide a bridge to vaccine-powered normalization, and the evolution of financial conditions.”