The Director-General of the Cross River State Lottery Gaming Agency, Michael Eja, has revealed that about 60 million Nigerians engage in betting activities daily.

He also said Nigeria’s gaming industry is presently generating around N500-N600 billion a year.

Eja, who disclosed this during the unveiling of Woskybet company yesterday in Abuja, said the Federal Government is taking steps with state lottery agencies to bring the gaming industry’s operators into the tax net for more revenue.

According to him, the betting industry in Africa is now worth a staggering $1 billion, adding that Lagos State accounted for a significant chunk of this revenue, generating $243 million in 2023 alone.

He said: “People are beginning to understand the essence of gambling as the gaming industry sells hope and helps in wealth redistribution, creation of jobs, and revenue generation.

“The government at various levels is doing its best in upgrading their platforms and working very hard to ensure that all operators are brought to the tax net.

“Over time, you are going to see improvement in the revenue that the gambling industry will generate towards nation-building. In Nigeria presently, we are doing about N500 billion to N600 billion yearly.

“Nigeria has a population of about 150 million people, and presently from the statistics we have, we know that about 60 million Nigerians gamble on a daily basis. Do the mathematics. We have not even captured 90 per cent of that market.”

On his part, Director of Operations Interim Woskybet, Nurudeen Idrees, said the gaming industry is contributing towards job creation for youths in the country.

“We are unique, which makes us stand out in public in terms of completeness with other companies.

“In terms of payment, I want to reassure our customers and the general public around the country that they should feel free when they win because their money is guaranteed 100 percent, as their wins are their rights.”

According to him, gambling is a game of luck, saying, “You either lose or win, and everything is about taking risks if you want to move forward as players among others.

“Woskybet offers an unparalleled betting experience, featuring competitive odds and generous bonuses, extensive coverage of international and local sports events, real-time score updates and live betting, secure payment systems and instant payouts, and dedicated customer support.

“We are committed to providing a safe, secure, and thrilling betting experience for Nigerian sports enthusiasts.”

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, is a country where survival is a daily struggle. From the crowded streets of Lagos to the isolated rural villages in the north region, the quest for survival is a constant theme that resonates across all facets of life.

For many Nigerians, survival means waking up every morning without a guarantee of where the next meal will come from. It means braving the chaotic streets, navigating through gridlocked traffic, and facing the harsh realities of an economy in shambles.

As Nigeria’s current President, Bola Tinubu, took office in May 2023, hopes for a revival of the economy and better governance soared among many Nigerians.

Yet, more than a year into his administration, survival for the average Nigerian remains an arduous task. Tinubu’s regime, while embarking on reforms, has inherited deep-rooted economic challenges. For millions, navigating daily life has become a balancing act of overcoming inflation, job scarcity, and rising costs of basic necessities.

Survival under Tinubu’s government is not just about getting by—it’s about weathering a storm of policies, economic downturns, and systemic issues that make daily living a struggle.

A Country in Crisis: The Economic Landscape

Nigeria’s economy, though bolstered by its status as an oil-producing giant, is weighed down by inflation, high costs of living, and unstable markets. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has painted a grim picture of the state of the economy, with inflation reaching 32.15% in August 2024. The cost of food, transportation, and essential goods continues to rise, outpacing the growth in wages. For many families, even basic necessities have become luxuries.

The price of a healthy diet, a measure tracked closely by the NBS, underscores the economic burden faced by ordinary Nigerians. The national average cost of a healthy diet stood at N1,255 per adult per day in August 2024, a staggering 28% increase from March of the same year. In wealthier states like Lagos, the cost climbs even higher, reaching N1,615 per day, compared to N880 in poorer northern states like Katsina. While this disparity highlights regional inequalities, the reality is that across the country, the rising cost of living has left many struggling to afford even a modest meal.

Inflation and Scarcity: The Food Crisis

One of the stark realities under Tinubu’s regime is the struggle to afford food. Nigeria, which once prided itself on its agricultural capacity, has seen food prices spiral out of control. The NBS reports that the cost of a healthy diet increased by 28% between March and August 2024, meaning the average adult needs N1,255 per day just to afford balanced meals. For most families, this is an unattainable amount. In urban centers like Lagos and Rivers, where the cost of living is already high, the price for daily meals goes up to N1,615, making survival even harder. For a country where over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, this situation is catastrophic.

Staples like yam, maize, and palm oil have become luxuries for many. As food inflation hit 37.52% in August 2024, the poor are finding it difficult to meet even their basic nutritional needs. The hardest hit are the rural and low-income populations who make up a significant portion of Nigeria’s populace. For these individuals, subsistence is no longer guaranteed through farming or informal trade. Instead, survival depends on finding creative ways to stretch limited resources, often going hungry or skipping meals.

Employment Woes and Unstable Incomes

The Nigerian labour market offers no reprieve from the harsh economic environment. While the official unemployment rate for Q1 2024 stands at 5.3%, this number masks deeper problems.

The employment-to-population ratio, which stood at 73.2%, reveals that many of those working are underemployed, toiling in low-paying jobs with insufficient hours. The self-employment rate, traditionally high in Nigeria, fell to 84% in Q1 2024, reflecting the waning opportunities in the informal sector.

In rural areas, where 91.9% of the workforce relies on self-employment, the situation is particularly bleak. As agricultural outputs struggle under the weight of poor infrastructure, climate change, and market volatility, many rural workers are finding it difficult to maintain a sustainable income.

Transportation Costs: An Unaffordable Journey

For many Nigerians, transportation is both a necessity and a financial burden. The price for a bus ride within cities, which many depend on to commute to work, rose from N942.61 in July 2024 to N869.35 in August. Intercity travel also spiked, with fares increasing by 0.59%, pushing it to N7,159 per trip.

Airfares, while generally out of reach for most Nigerians, saw a staggering 56.56% increase, with an average cost of N123,700 per flight. Even motorcycle rides, often the transportation of last resort for many in urban and rural areas alike, saw fares rise to N524.22 in August.

As fuel prices more than doubled, the cost of living increased across every sector, with businesses raising their prices to cope with rising transportation and production costs. This surge in transportation costs not only cuts into household budgets but also restricts the mobility of workers seeking employment or business opportunities, further entrenching the economic divide between regions. The average Nigerian saw their wages remain stagnant, making survival a day-to-day hustle.

The Thin Line Between Progress and Hardship

Tinubu’s administration has introduced several reforms aimed at reviving the economy, including the unification of the exchange rate system and efforts to attract foreign investment. While these moves are necessary for long-term economic stability, the immediate effect on the average Nigerian has been harsh. The removal of fuel subsidies, in particular, has hit the poorest the hardest. It’s a gamble that aims to reduce government debt and improve infrastructure in the long run, but for now, it has increased the cost of everything from food to transportation.

For many Nigerians, the pain of these reforms feels like a punishment. The promises of a better tomorrow are overshadowed by the stark reality of rising living costs today. Tinubu has spoken of the need for sacrifice, but for those already living on the margins, this is a difficult pill to swallow.

Survival in Urban Nigeria: The Lagos Experience

In cities like Lagos, survival is a constant hustle. With over 15 million people jostling for limited resources, the pressure to earn a living is immense. Traffic gridlock, daily power outages, and water shortages are part of everyday life for many. Jobs in the formal sector are scarce, and most residents depend on informal trade or side hustles to get by. Street vendors, artisans, and small business owners make up a significant portion of the workforce, but even they are feeling the pinch.

Rent in Lagos has become unaffordable for most low-income earners, forcing many into overcrowded, substandard housing or even homelessness. For those lucky enough to have jobs, a significant portion of their income goes toward transportation, leaving little left over for food or savings. The removal of the fuel subsidy has hit these individuals the hardest, as their daily costs have risen without any corresponding increase in wages.

Rural Nigeria: A Different Kind of Struggle

In rural areas, the challenges are different but no less severe. Agriculture, the mainstay of the rural economy, is facing a myriad of problems, including poor infrastructure, lack of access to credit, and unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Farmers struggle to produce enough food to feed their families, let alone sell at a profit. With transportation costs increasing, it has become harder to move goods to urban markets, further exacerbating rural poverty.

Despite these challenges, rural Nigerians are known for their resilience. Communities often band together to support each other, sharing resources and pulling together in times of crisis. While this spirit of communal support has helped many survive, it is not a substitute for the structural reforms needed to lift rural areas out of poverty.

A Country at a Crossroads

As Tinubu’s government approaches the halfway mark of his term, Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The country has immense potential, but without swift and targeted action, the economic situation may worsen for millions of citizens. While the administration’s policies may pay off in the long run, the short-term sacrifices required are squeezing the average Nigerian’s ability to survive.

Survival in Nigeria is not just an individual struggle; it is a national one. For millions of Nigerians, the hope for a better tomorrow is often overshadowed by the need to make it through today.

Until the economic landscape stabilises and the government takes meaningful steps to curb inflation, provide jobs, and reduce the cost of living, the daily struggle for survival will continue.

In Nigeria, survival is more than a battle against poverty—it is a battle for dignity, for hope, and for the future. The question remains: how long can the Nigerian people continue to survive under such immense pressure?

In the words of a Lagos street vendor: “We are surviving, but we are barely living.”

The Ogun State Government announced on Saturday that it has initiated an extensive inquiry into an alleged physical attack on a nursing student by a physician at the State Hospital in Ijaiye, Abeokuta.

Dr. Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health, revealed this information in a statement released by the ministry’s media representative, Mr. Gbadamosi Adegoke.

Coker said, “The National Association of Nigerian Student Nurses and Midwives had made a formal report of the alleged assault on September 30, 2024. And upon receiving the report, the government has promptly initiated an investigation to address the matter through the Civil Service redress process.”

The statement provided reassurance to the public regarding the government’s firm stance against abuse, urging those impacted to remain calm as justice would be administered in a timely manner.

On Thursday, nurses from the State Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta, along with colleagues from other areas of the state, gathered to demonstrate against the alleged attack on a final-year nursing student by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Nurudeen Adekunle.

Reports indicate that Adekunle, an employee of the hospital, slapped the student nurse in the theatre suite on September 24. Despite attempts to seek justice from the government since then, no positive outcome has been achieved.

The protest was spearheaded by Comr. Adejoke Bello, the state Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives.

The nurses chanting various songs to drive home their grievances were also armed with placards bearing messages such as “End bullying of nurses, “End nurses brutality, bullying of nurses is not acceptable, “Zero tolerance for nurses bullying, “Respect for nurses, Respect for care”, “Justice for nurses, a must” among others.

Speaking with our Correspondent, Bello said, “The peaceful demonstration is to register our dissatisfaction and displeasure over an unethical practice of a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Nurudeen Adekunle who slapped a final year student nurse precisely on September 24.

“This is assault and it is against the public rule service, this should not have happened under whatever circumstances. It is gross misconduct for you to have slapped your subordinate at work. So we are here to say that the entire nurses in Ogun State won’t tolerate this.

“This ordinarily should not have degenerated to this level of protest but we have written to the appropriate quarters since last Monday and given them 48 hours to address this unfortunate incident but we have heard nothing from them, especially the management of this Hospital, they have not called us, so we are left with no choice than to mobilise for this peaceful protest.

“We demand that the culprit, Dr Adekunle Nurudeen must be brought to justice according to the public service rules. We are saying no to harassment and assault of nurses. We have told our nurses to go back to work but we have given the management of the hospital four hours to get back to us in black and white just as we have equally done to register our dissatisfaction over the poor treatment.”

Similarly, the Unit Chairman of NANNM, State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Comrade Lola Falujo, also condemned the action of Adekunle, saying that it fell below the provisions of the public service rules.

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Falujo said, “We are out to end bullying of nurses, we are saying no to all forms of assault against nurses, we are doing our best in this hospital to care for our patients and move the state and country forward. So we don’t deserve any form of maltreatment.

“We condemn the action of Dr Adekunle who assaulted one of our student nurses and was even threatening him saying that if he heard anything about the incident outside he would ensure that the student won’t graduate.

“We wrote the the management of the hospital and the government since Friday but we have heard nothing, if they have decided to get back to us there may not be the need for this peaceful protest.

“This is unacceptable and we are saying that bullying of nurses must stop. We therefore want the government to activate the state public service rules to handle this matter and ensure that justice is served.”

The Permanent Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. (Mrs.) Olayinka Elemide, speaking to protesting nurses, informed PUNCH Online that the government is aware of the circumstances and is actively working to resolve the issue.

Elemide said, “The government is aware of this situation and already taking steps to ensure that due process is followed. The doctor and the student nurse are both in the care of the government, so we are on top of the situation.”

The PUNCH

The Ogun State Police Command has detained a 29-year-old individual, Ogunnaike Philip, under suspicion of murdering at least three young girls, one of whom is 18 years old, in different incidents throughout the state.

According to the police, the suspect’s approach involved enticing his victims into the woods, where he would restrain them, strangle them, and subsequently leave their bodies behind after taking their mobile phones.

The authorities reported that inquiries indicated the suspect is believed to be a serial killer who fled from the Ibara Correctional Centre nearly two years ago while being transported to the Isabo Magistrate Court for an ongoing armed robbery trial.

In a press conference on Friday, the authorities disclosed that Philip’s victims included 18-year-old Akinsanya Habibat, 22-year-old Abigail Dina, and 23-year-old Mary Ogunyemi.

In a statement issued late Friday by the spokesperson for the command, Omolola Odutola, it was disclosed that Philip admitted to murdering the three victims and abandoning their remains in the woods.

After his admission, the suspect guided the police anti-kidnapping unit to various sites where the three victims were slain.

As reported by the police, 22-year-old nurse Dina departed from her residence in Iyana Egbado, Ewekoro Local Government, at 8:10 AM on May 6, 2024, to go to her job at Sodipo Medical Centre in Itori, when she was kidnapped by the suspect and taken to an undisclosed forest in Itori.

The statement read, “The kidnapper stole an iPhone XR from the victim and then strangled her to death. Subsequently, he contacted her family by phone and demanded a ransom of N50,000.

“Afterward, the suspect abandoned her body in the forest. Ogunnaike Philip, a male suspect, was arrested in connection with the case and confessed to committing the crime.

“The suspect confessed that he fled to Saki town in Oyo State, where he exchanged the stolen iPhone XR for an Infinix Hot 10 and received a cash sum of N65,000.”

“The victim was bound with rope and robbed of an iPhone S. Ogunnaike Philip and his accomplice jointly strangled her to death. The two criminals later contacted the victim’s mother by phone and demanded a ransom of seventeen thousand naira.

“The duo abandoned the corpse of the victim inside the bush and fled to Badagry, Lagos State, to sell off the stolen iPhone S at the rate of N8,000.”

The order indicated that the accused was accountable for the death of his employer’s 18-year-old daughter, Akinsanya, during an event that occurred at Mile 6, Abeokuta, on August 30, 2024, at approximately 5 pm.

Philip is accused of abducting the victim, sexually assaulting her, and subsequently strangling her with a rope on her father’s farm within the area.

He subsequently contacted the parents to request a ransom before escaping the location.

The command noted, “The father received a phone call on his daughter Habibat Akinsanya’s phone, informing him that she, aged 18, had been kidnapped and that he needed to pay a ransom of one million naira for her release.

“The victim’s father subsequently paid N30,000 to the Moniepoint account number given by the kidnapper. Later, her body was discovered on her father’s farmland in Obasa village, Mile 6, Abeokuta, Ogun State, along with her PoS machine found beside her.

“The suspect admitted that the victim’s father employed him and was working on the farm when he saw the victim passing by. He lured her to the farm and then tied her legs with rope.”

Red wine, with its rich flavors and bold tannins, is a favorite among wine enthusiasts. From fruity Merlots to spicy Syrah, the diversity of red wines offers something for every palate.

Popular Red Wine Varieties

1. Cabernet Sauvignon: Full-bodied, tannic, and acidic, with flavors of black currant, blackberry, and spice.
2. Merlot: Smooth, approachable, and fruity, with notes of plum, blackberry, and chocolate.
3. Pinot Noir: Light-bodied, elegant, and acidic, with flavors of cherry, raspberry, and earth.
4. Syrah/Shiraz: Full-bodied, spicy, and dark-fruited, with hints of pepper, licorice, and smoke.
5. Malbec: Fruity, velvety, and smooth, with flavors of plum, blackberry, and spice.

Red Wine Characteristics

• Tannins: Compounds that give red wine its astringent, drying sensation.
• Acidity: Balances sweetness and tannins, enhancing flavor.
• Body: Ranges from light (Pinot Noir) to full (Cabernet Sauvignon).
• Ageing: Red wines improve with time, developing complexity.

Food Pairing

• Cabernet Sauvignon: Grilled meats, roasted vegetables, hard cheeses.
• Merlot: Pasta, pizza, burgers.
• Pinot Noir: Salmon, poultry, delicate dishes.
• Syrah/Shiraz: Spicy food, game meats, robust cheeses.
• Malbec: Grilled meats, empanadas, spicy sausages.

Regional Red Wines

• Bordeaux (France): Blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
• Tuscany (Italy): Sangiovese-based wines, such as Chianti.
• Rioja (Spain): Tempranillo-based wines.
• Napa Valley (California): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and blends.

Tips for Enjoying Red Wine

• Store: Cool, dark place (55°F-65°F).
• Serve: Decant before serving; use appropriate glassware.
• Drink: Within 2-5 years for most varieties.

Whether you’re a seasoned oenophile or just discovering the world of red wine, there’s always something new to explore.

In anticipation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for October 24, two prominent members of the party are in disagreement over which region should nominate a successor for the party’s interim National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

Since 2023, the PDP has faced internal conflicts, with some members accusing Damagum of failing to implement adequate reforms within the party.

Members of the PDP, particularly from the North Central region, have therefore called for Damagum’s removal and insist that his replacement should come from their zone.

They cited Section 47(6) of the party’s constitution, which states that when a party office becomes vacant, the Executive Committee must appoint a replacement from the same region or zone as the outgoing officer to complete the term.

Segun Showunmi, the 2023 PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, disagreed with Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s former National Publicity Secretary, over which zone should select Damagum’s successor.

Ologbondiyan argued that the replacement should be selected from the North Central region, while Showunmi maintained that the position was not specifically reserved for that area.

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“What the North Central is agitating for is for Damagum to leave that post and return to his position as Deputy National Chairman. The zone will then nominate a suitable person to replace him and complete the tenure,” Ologbondiyan stated.

“We are demanding that North Central be given its rightful place in the National Working Committee, which is the position of National Chairman of the party,” he added.

Showunmi, however, said, “What led to the removal of the last Chairman? Was it not the North Central issues at the heart of this problem? The party will lose if they continue this way.

 “I am from the South, and I have the best ideas to get this party moving right now. We need to bring young people into this party. By even putting myself forward for this, I am taking a big risk with my money and time. So, it is not about the zone; it is about the PDP, and I am saying all this because we cannot have a one-party state.”