Editorial
In A Tumultuous Week: Building BRICS, Brick by Brick.
In A Tumultuous Week: Building BRICS, Brick by Brick.
By Owei Lakemfa
THIS week has been one of the most tumultuous with the plucking of Wagner chiefs from the sky, France’s renewed bid to invade Niger and fires thrashing North America, to the dramatic rescue of Pakistani school children after 16 hours of dangling from a broken cable car hundreds of metres above a ravine.
The week beginning August 20, 2023 found the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, reduced to a weather forecaster constantly threatening brimstones over Niger Republic and withdrawing the threats with declarations for peaceful means of reversing the Nigerien July 26 coup. The less active African Union, playing the same role as ECOWAS, became a louder voice.
The reality that Africans are not ready to shed the blood of their brothers and sisters in Niger finally dawned on France. It therefore decided to carry out the invasion itself. So, on Monday it approached Algeria for permission to use its airspace to invade Niger.
An enraged Algeria must have been quite hurt that France, which massacred some two million Algerians in an effort to annex the country, would insult it by making such a request. It immediately made public the satanic request of imperialist France, a country that has for over four centuries, stolen resources from Africa. What was Macron’s France thinking by approaching Algeria, a country it invaded in 1830 and has always tried to exploit?
While the coup plotters in Niger might have had narrow intentions, the desperate international attempts to reverse the coup has resulted in an unprecedented anti-imperialist sentiment sweeping through Africa. Not even in the days of Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Ben Bella, Patrice Lumumba, Felix Moumie and Albert Luthuli were such sentiments so strong.
In North America, the wildfires are a powerful reminder that nature can be quite stubborn, so we need to do all in our power to live in harmony with it, including taking climate change serious. This Tuesday, over 1,000 wildfires were raging through Canada alone with 650 of them acknowledged to be out of control. This week, that country has lost over 37.8 million acres to the fires. But the Canadian situation is better than the fires razing through Maui, Hawai where with over 1,000 persons missing in those fires; the official body count this Sunday was 115 killed and 850 persons missing.
As noted earlier, Asia produced the good news of eight persons, including six school children snatched from the jaws of death when their cable car hung high in the sky. India also added the good news of landing in the moon, while the news from Cambodia is that after being in office for 38 years, Prime Minister Hun Sen stepped down while his eldest son, Hun Manet, stepped up to replace him. The new Prime Minister was seven years old when his father was sworn in as the Cambodian leader in 1985.
Meanwhile, some of the most dramatic sketches are playing out in Thailand. Former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown by the anti-democracy and pro-monarchy military on September 19, 2006, returned from 15 years in exile to serve an eight-year jail sentence. You can be sure that his August 22, 2023 return is part of a political script; he was checked into a hospital, and same day his preferred candidate, Srettha Thavisin, was voted the new Prime Minster.
The leader of the Russian mercenary Wagner group had suddenly resurfaced on social media on Monday apparently speaking from somewhere in Africa. He and six other Wagner leaders, including 53-year old co-founder, Dmitry Utkin, boarded one of his private jets from Moscow, and half an hour later, the aircraft fell from the sky. Given the drone attacks by Ukraine in the past days, it could have been friendly fire. Whatever it was, the Wagner chiefs had made a fatal error in deciding to mutiny and march on Moscow on June 24, 2023 and then suddenly withdrawing. The only elevation a failed mutineer, especially in the military tradition, can hope to get is promotion to heaven.
But the most awaited event in the week was the August 22-24 summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, famously known by its acronym: BRICS. Although BRICS says its aims are to promote peace, security, development and cooperation leading to a more equitable and fair world, its clear objective is to create a new system in opposition to the dominant Euro-American world. It is to create a counter weight to the unipolar world. A world dominated by the United States, its allies and institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Trade Organisation, WTO, which they control. BRICS aims to change a world in which the dollar is the reserve currency and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, is the world’s policeman.
To give a sense of their formidable weight, host President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said the five BRICS members make up a quarter of the global economy, a fifth of global trade and more than 40 per cent of world population. BRICS had before its summit, listed over 40 countries said to have expressed interest in working with it or becoming members.
One of the major issues at this 15th Summit was the issue of expanding membership with some BRICS nations expressing caution. This was resolved in favour of expansion and six of the over 20 countries that applied for membership were admitted. These include three hitherto staunch allies of the US: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, UAE; and Egypt. Also admitted is Iran, a country with a streak of anti-Americanism, Argentina and Ethiopia. They became full members in January 2024. With these new additions, the building of BRICS brick by brick on the foundation of the five founding countries, have begun. It is unclear if a change of name is in the offing.
The summit itself focused on global recession, international trade, food, climate change and international security.
Ramaphosa in reflecting on his country’s Apartheid nightmare, said: “We have always believed that the freedom we won – and the international solidarity from which we benefited – imposes a duty on us to support the struggles of those who continue to experience colonialism and racial oppression. That is why we will continue to support the struggles of the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.”
BRICS may eventually float its own currency which in contrast to the euro, would be more universally acceptable and used. A vastly expanded BRICS would signal the decline of the dollar and the American Empire. However, the US will not go down without a fight; so we have to prepare for a world of wild fires lit by a declining world power.
Your Excellency,
SUBJECT: Strategic Proposal to Leverage Dangote’s Bayelsa Visit and Unlock Delta’s Coastal Industrial Corridor
Warm greetings to Your Excellency and continued appreciation for your stewardship over the affairs of Delta State.
I write to you with a sense of strateg urgency and patriotic commitment, in light of Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s recent visit to Bayelsa State, which has reunited national attention toward private-sector-led industrial development in the Niger Delta. As commendable as that engagement is, Delta State holds even more viable, strategic, and economically advantageous alternatives that demand immediate prioritisation and promotion.⁸
Deltas Host to Tree of the Many Oil Terminals in Nigeria
Delta State is host to Escravos Oil Terminal, Forcados Oil Terminal, and the Agbami Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading offshore facility (FPSO). This and many more makes Delta the highest Oil Producing State in Nigeria today. It is our firm belief that the Delta State Government can approach the Dangote Group or any other local or international oil and gas consortium to build mega/Modular Oil Refineries incorporated with power plats near these export terminals, construct a railway and dual carrage highway, and power transmission networks from the incorporated power plants to Warri city. This way, constant oil supply to the Refineries is guaranteed, constant power supply is guaranteed, constant supply of Petroleum products is guaranteed, and the issue of motorable road infrastructure from the city centre to the creeks/coastal coastal communities of the Niger Delta creeks is resolved. More than that, road access makes it more efficient for securing the oil-rich swampy terrain of Delta State.
Delta Coast Corridor: A Hidden Goldmine
Communities such as Pepper-Ama/Oporoza in Gbaramatu Kingdom, and Youbebe/Ogulagha in Ogulagha Kingdom, and Forcados/Beniboye in Iduwini Kingdom, located along the Coastline of Warri-Southwest Local Government Area and Burutu Local Government Area respectively, offer a rare confluence of economic advantages that make them ideal for:
a. A modular or full scale Crude Oil Refinery or petrochemical plant
b. A deep water Offloading depot and marine Terminal
c. A seaport connected to international shipplanes
d. A motorable road and rail linking the creeks to Warri city, the East-West road, and beyond
Unlike some other locations in the region, these areas are resources-rich, geostrategically positioned, relatively peaceful, and welcoming to industrial development.
Why Delta State MustAct Now
You Excellency, Delta must not be a spectator in the race to attract transformative investments. With Dangote, Ibeto, etc, and/or other industrial giants exploring new Refinery locations, the time is ripe for Delta State to present a unified, attractive, and superior proposition.
Here’s why this corridor stands out:
1. Superior Geographic Advantage
Pepper-ama, Ogulagha, Youbebeb, Forcados, and Beniboye lies along navigable coastal waters with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, making them ideal for a deep-sea port and marine logistics hub that can serve the South-South, South-East, North-Central, and North-East regions.
2. Proximity to Existing Oil and Gas Fields/Installations
These communities are surrounded by operational oil and gas assets, iwned by major IOCs and national companies. A Refinery or depot sited here would reduce reliance on Lagos ports, minimizes inland transportation cost and problems that often lead to massive traffic jam due to influx of big Petroleum tankers sharing Limited road facilities with other users, by decentralizing fuel distribution.
3. Untapped Blue Economy Potential
With maritime infrastructure, these coastal areas can become hubs for logistics, ship repairs, offshore support services, and even export-based industrial and agricultural processing zones.
4. Community Willingness and Land Availability
The people Gbaramatu Ogulagha and Iduwini Kingdoms have consistently demonstrated hospitality towards industry, making land and support available-if development is inclusive, environmentally sounds, and consutative.
Key infrastructure Priority: An All-Se Road Network
To fully unlock this region’s economic value, the construction of a durable, all-season motorable road from the creeks to Warri and onward to other urban centres is non-negotiable.
This road will ensure seamless distribution of Petroleum products from future reginry/Offloading depots.
It will integrate these coastal communities into the broader Delta economy and reduce travel times and transport costs.
With federal alignment, it could feed into the East-West road, facilitating cargo movement to the South-East, North-Central, and North-East geopolitical regions.
Recommendations for Strategic Actions
1. Host a Coastal Investment Summit in Warri
Invite key investors, including Aliko Dangote, BUA, NNPC Ltd., Waltersmith, Renaissance, Transcorp Group, etc., and other global operators.
Showcase Delta’s Coastal Corridor as a viable industrial zone ready for investment.
2. Commission a Joint Feasibility Study
Assess Pepper-ama, Youbebe, Ogulagha, Forcados, and Beniboye communities for a Refinery, Offloading depot, and seaport.
Include road infrastructure needs and environmental safeguards.
3. Establish a Delta Coastal Development Authority (DCDA) or use the Delta State Ministry of Riverine Communities Development
Tasked with coordinating infrastructure planning, PPP engagement, and land/community integration.
4. Lobby Federal Government, NNPC, and other critical stakeholders
Secure destination of the area as a strategic industrial development zone.
Explore subsidy, tax, and logistics waivers to incentive private-sector eng.
Conclusively, let Delta take the lead
Your Excellency, it is time for Delta to reclaim its historic leadership as the industrial and economic heartbeat of the Niger Delta. By proactively showcasing our superiors’ sites and unlocking our creek-to-hinterland logistics corridor, we can attract investment that will create jobs, build infrastructure, and catalyze long-term prosour people.
Let us not watch others harvest the fruit of opportunities planted better our own terrain.
We look forward to bold leadership and swift action.
Yours in service and development,
Peretengboro Bibaikefie
Thanks you
Editorial
A-Z on How AI Can Help You Design Your Future; Hear Ngozi’s Story from Technology to Transformation
From the Editor’s Desk – IduwiniVoice
In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and disrupting traditional careers, Award-winning entrepreneur Ngozi Elobuike is proving that living your dream life is more possible than ever before. And she’s not just talking about it-she’s living it.
Once sleeping on her sister’s couch, Elobuike has since transformed her lowest point into a global, AI-powered life of purpose and creativity. Now splitting her time between the U.S., Ireland, France, she’s built a life that reflects both ambition and intention. From founding Ireland’s first black-led wine club and launching two luxury beverage brands to publishing an AI-powered travel book and teaching over 500 creatives how to use AI to unlock their potential, Elobuike’s story is a living blueprint for the modern dreamers.
“Most people stay stuck in lives they don’t love because they think transformation takes years,” Elobuike said in her recent TEDx talk, which has generated over 200,000 views. “They believe dreams lives belongs to other people-the lucky ones.”
For Elobuike, AI is more than just a tool-it’s a catalyst for reinvention. She sold her social media agency in 2021 and used AI to build her next business, handing off repetitive tasks to technology so she could focus on the things that matter: writing for Forbes, competing in powerlifting and living as a digital nomad across 35 cities.
“Your dream life is closer than you think with AI as your partner,” she said.
At the heart of her philosophy is the belief that life is a laboratory.
“What does a scientist do? They think about life as an experiment,” Elobuike explains. “You have dependent variables and you have independent variables. You have things that you can control in your settings.”
To her, AI is the Independent variable that “has the ability to act as an enzyme. It lowers the activation energy needed to complete a task.”
Identify what drains you, and delegate repetitive tasks to AI. Tools like Claude for writing, Zapier for automation, and Perplexity for research can reclaim hours of your day and give you space to create.
One of her most innovative ideas? Creating an AI advisory board-a team of specialized AI personas to advise on business, creativity, and personal growth.
“Instead of asking your friend who may be a naysayer, ‘hey, I’m thinking about starting this new idea venture, ‘ consider asking AI,” she suggests. “Prompt ChatGPT and say I have an idea for X. Give me advise as if you were Oprah.”
Elobuike also urges people to test their ideas with small, smart experiments.
“You don’t need to quit your job tomorrow, Want to write? Use AI to pushing one article. Want to Launch a wine? Don’t start with the wine-start with a product mockup and gauge your audience’s reaction.”
While many remain sceptical-only 32% of adults believe AI will benefit them, with scepticism highest amongst women and older adults-Elobuike sees a window of opportunity.
“While others debate whether AI is good or bad, you can be building,” she advises. “That hesitation is head start.”
The real magic, she says, comes from a mindset of continuous improvement.
“Growth hacking is what startup entrepreneurs created as a term back in 2010. What is growth hacking? Imagine if you got 1% better every day, but 10% better every day.”
Her advice is clear: Stop playing with AI like a toy. Start using it as a system. Use it to build, scale, and magnify things that make you uniquely you.
In a word still catching up to the power of artificial intelligence, Ngozi Elobuike is already living in the future-and showed the rest of us how to get there. Let Elobuike’s story fire your marrows and power your dreams today.
Editorial
Taming the Swampy Creeks, Bridging the Future: Bayelsa’s Nembe-Brass Coastal Road Begins to Take Shape
IduwiniVoice
The long-anticipated Nembe-Brass Road project, a monumental infrastructure initiative in Bayelsa State, is making steady headway as construction advances into its second phase, with the second major bridge now rising from the creeks, Arogbo-IbeVoice Newspaper reported.
Launched in June 2022, the 21-kilometre Nembe-Brass Road is designed to link the historically isolated Brass Island to Nembe and ultimately to the mainland, opening a new corridor of access and opportunity for the people of Bayelsa East Senatorial District.
New images emerging from the site offer compelling evidence of the ongoing work. Concrete pillars for the second bridge now tower above the swamplands, while heavy machinery continues the arduous task of road expansion through the difficult terrain.
Describing the pace of the project, a site engineer who spoke under anonymity noted: “We are tackling one of the most technically challenging sections now, and the progress is remarkable given the terrain. The second bridge is a critical component, and once it’s complete, we can begin surfacing the next stretch of the road.”
The road, when completed, will not only facilitate easier movement between Brass and Nembe but also serve as a strategic link to the Atlantic coastline — vital for trade, tourism, and security. Locals have long expressed hopes that the project would transform the economic and social landscape of the region.
Speaking at a recent inspection tour, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to delivering the project: “We are determined to see this road completed. It is not just a road; it is a lifeline for our people, an artery of development that has been long overdue.”
Many community leaders and stakeholders have praised the government’s persistence in driving the project despite fiscal and environmental constraints. Chief Ebikesei Ben-Wills, a traditional leader in Brass, remarked: “This is not just concrete and gravel — this is our future taking shape before our eyes.”
As the second bridge nears completion and more sections of the road take form, optimism grows that Bayelsa’s coastal communities may finally be lifted from decades of isolation.
The Nembe-Brass Road is more than infrastructure; it is a symbol of long-awaited inclusion, bridging the gap between forgotten communities and a modern, connected Bayelsa.