A GOLD fish, they say, has no hiding place. Within the context of the socio-economic and geo-political firmament of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the venerable former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, exemplifies this saying.

THE Federal Government appears determined to open more space for the public to play bigger roles in infrastructure construction and management.

IN June, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbe, flagged off with fanfare the first batch of 72 tonnes of yams being exported to Europe and America from the shores of Nigeria. It was another bold step to expand the base of our foreign exchange earning beyond crude oil.

LATEST news on Nigeria’s troubled road infrastructure is the Federal Government’s concession of road projects to the private sector in exchange for tax holidays, and the request by state governments to take over federal roads in their domains.

THE Federal Government’s decision to harmonise the highly proliferated biometric-based identity systems in the country is long over due. Nigeria lacks a centralised national database unlike other countries. Virtually all Federal agencies and private sector operators have their respective biometric data of citizens.

THE recent exchange of visits by some Northern and South East leaders has undoubtedly reignited the spirit of brotherhood which reckless acts of some elements in authority and youths in the wider society had sought to break over the Biafra agitation.

THE outcome of the recent 2017 fifth Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was not surprising. The Committee voted to leave all policy rates unchanged (by a vote of six to one), with the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, at 14%, the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, at 22.5% and Liquidity Ratio at 30%.

WITH the nation getting ready to embrace campaigns and elections in the next few months, some people seem determined to politicise efforts being made to resettle Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the Boko Haram-ravaged North East, especially Borno State.

THE announcement that the Solid Minerals Ministry is proposing tax holidays for investors in the solid minerals sector is not only a step in the right direction, it is also long overdue. In fact, the measure should be extended to other sectors such as the agro-allied areas where rapid growth will generate investment, especially foreign investment and induce job creation.

CASES of Nigerians languishing in prisons abroad are on the increase. Latest statistics revealed about 170,000 Nigerian citizens are rotting away in jails all over the world.