Voter Apathy, Financial Inclusion and Nigeria’s declining Gas flare volumes
Nigeria's level of voter apathy grew worse in the last national elections, with voter turnout in the country hitting 34.8%, the lowest in Africa. More than 13 out of every 20 eligible voters who registered to vote in the 2019 elections did not vote eventually.
This may not be unconnected with Nigerians’ disappointment at leadership in the past. 30 governors within the space of 20 years of democracy have been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), all suspected of embezzling their state resources estimated at a total of N975 billion.
While the number of voice call lines decreased by 0.32% from the 3rd quarter, The MTN in the last quarter of 2020 had the largest share of voice subscriptions, with 80.8 million subscribers, amounting to a 39.5% of the total voice subscription in the country.
Nigeria’s 204.6 million voice subscription as at 2020 year end appears to match its 206.1 million population, yet, not everyone has a phone line in Nigeria. The FCT led with more than 2 phone lines to a person while Jigawa had the least phone usage rate with less than half of the people in the state owning a phone line.
Data shows that the use of the mobile phone has helped increase financial inclusion in Nigeria. 482 million USSD (non internet) banking transactions were made, surpassing 409.71 mobile app internet transactions.
N975 billion alleged fraud
Since returning to democracy in 1999, EFCC has investigated 30 Ex-governors for embezzling a total sum of N975 billion. Out of the 30 governors investigated by the EFCC, 4 governed in the south-west, 7 in the North-central, 5 in the South-south, 6 in the south-east, 3 in the Northwest and 5 in the northeast of the country.
Dataphyte research confirmed that 7 of the 30 accused governors have been convicted so far, one acquitted and the graft cases of the others are either ongoing or stalled. The data also revealed that among the governors investigated by the EFCC, only Rochas Okorocha and Abdulaziz Yari (who had his first term under ANPP) belonged to the All Progressive Congress (APC). The remaining 28 former governors were all from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while the alleged embezzled state funds by all of them approximated to a trillion naira.
482 million mobile Banking Transactions
Nigerian financial service providers are moving gradually to SDGs 9 and 10 which are optimistic about financial inclusion by 2030. The latest NBS report reveals that people are turning to the use of simple phone functions such as calls and text messaging for financial transactions more than the internet functions on smartphones.
The volume of USSD (non-internet) transactions far outweighs that of mobile banking with over 70 thousands transactions. USSD However, though there were more USSD banking transactions (482 million) over Mobile App (409.72 million), the reverse was the case in terms of the value of those transactions.
The total value of USSD transactions was N5.03 billion while that of Mobile Transfers was N32.39 billion. This reveals that more low-income persons and households now have access to financial services, a plus for financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Nigeria telecom sector recorded a decrease in its active voice subscription in Q4 2020. The country’s active call lines decreased from a total of 205.2 million to 204.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
204.6 million
Nigeria telecom sector recorded a decrease in its active voice subscription in Q4 2020. The country’s active call lines decreased from a total of 205.2 million to 204.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. This represents a marginal decrease of 0.32% across all networks.
While MTN had a shortfall in its voice subscriber base by the end of last quarter 2020, the telecommunications giant still contributed 80.8 million voice lines to the total call lines in the country. This represents 39% of the total 204.6 million voice subscription as of 2020 year-end.
In all, the FCT had the highest number of call lines per person, with an average of more than 2 phone lines to a person, going by the 2016 population estimates of states in Nigeria. Jigawa had the least phone usage rate with less than 5 in 10 in ten persons having a phone line for calls.
Going by the data on phone bank transactions, access to phones contributes to the level of financial inclusion in the country.
13/20 registered voters
Thus voter turnout declined consistently in the past five elections. The voter turnout dropped from 69.08% in 2003 to 34.75% in the last election in 2019. This indicates that only 7 out of 20 persons who registered in the 2019 election eventually voted.
Overall, the level of electoral participation in Nigeria’s general elections conducted since 1999 has been relatively low, with its 2019 voter turnout the lowest in Africa. With 658 days away from the forthcoming 2023 general elections, the country will need to adopt best practices and homegrown strategies that will encourage better voter turnout outcomes.
4-year steady decline in gas flared
In the last five years, Nigeria has flared 1,252 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas to the atmosphere, posing health risks and lighting up global warming.
Analysis of the NNPC’s Monthly Oil & Gas Reports between 2016 and 2020 showed flared gas dropped to the lowest in 2020. According to the reports, Nigeria reduced its flared gas volumes from 245 billion cubic feet in 2016 to 193.1 billion cubic feet last year. Within the period, it recorded huge burnt gas into the atmosphere in 2018, contributing 287.58 billion cubic feet to the global gas emissions.
Despite these yearly reductions in the gas flare, Nigeria still ranks 7th among countries that flare gas the most. Satellite data compiled by the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR), puts Russia, Iraq, Iran, the United States, Algeria, Venezuela, and Nigeria as the top seven gas flaring sites in the world.