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Did Nigeria lose over 18 million jobs under Buhari’s presidency?

Niyi Oyedeji
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Did Nigeria lose over 18 million jobs under Buhari’s presidency?

An image has been retweeted over a thousand times alongside a claim that 18.8 million Nigerians have lost their jobs since Muhammadu Buhari became the country’s president in May 2015.

The claim was made by a twitter user @Chxta on August 16.

The tweet features a graph and a caption which put forward that 54.4 million Nigerians were in full time employment as at May 29, 2015 and that currently, that number has reduced to 35.6 million people.

The tweet also  alluded that 18.8 million people lost their jobs within the last 5 years.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Confirmed: TRUE, 18.8 million Nigerians have lost their jobs so far under the Buhari’s led administration

A post shared by FactCheckHub (@thefactcheckhub) on

The tweet reads: “As of 29 May 2015, Nigeria had 54.4 million people in full time work. Today, Nigeria has only 35.6 million people working. Buhari has destroyed 18.8 million jobs in just over five years.”

 

THE CLAIMS:

From the tweet, these three claims were established:

Claim 1. That Nigeria had 54.4 million people in full time job as at May 29, 2015.

Claim 2. That Nigeria currently (August 2020) has 35.6 million people working full time.

Claim 3: That 18.8 million full time jobs was lost within 5 five years under President Buhari’s administration.

 

THE FINDINGS:

Claim 1

In a bid to verify the claim, The FactCheckhub checked the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website for the data on Nigeria’s labour statistics as at May 29, 2015.

May 29 falls on the 2nd quarter (Q2),  The FactCheckHub could not find the 2015  NBS report, however data for the country’s labour force for the 2015 was included in the  Q1 –Q3 2017 unemployment report.

In the report, it was stated that approximately  55.7 million people were fully employed in the 2015-Q1, 54.4 million people in 2015- Q2, 55.2 million people in 2015-Q3 and 54.5 million  in 2015-Q4.

The data shows that 54.4 million people were employed as at May 29, 2015 which makes the claim TRUE.

 

A screenshot from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Labor Force Statistics Vol. 1: Unemployment and Underemployment Report (Q1-Q3 2017).

 

Claim 2

The FactCheckHub checked the NBS website for the 2020 data on Nigeria’s labour force. From the data for the 2020-Q2, it was stated that approximately 35.6 million people are fully employed out of the 80.3 million labour force population. This also makes the claim that only 35.6 million Nigerians are fully employed as at 2020 TRUE.

A screenshot from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Labor Force Statistics 2020 Q2.

Claim 3

President Buhari was sworn-in on May 29, 2015, which implies that he has  spent over five years as Nigeria’s president.

To ascertain if  18.8 million jobs were lost as alluded  in the tweet, The FactCheckHub compared the number of Nigerians fully employed as at May 29, 2015 to the current number of Nigerians that are fully employed as at June 2020.  The use of June was selected because the NBS report is presented quarterly. The data for August will be in the the 2020 Q3 report which ends in September.

The difference between the number of people who were fully employed as May 2015  – 54.4 million and as at June 2020  – 35.6 million is 18.8 million.

While it cannot be determined if the 18.8 million people have lost their jobs  or moved from full time employment to other form of employments within the period under review, the NBS records shows that there is a difference of 18.8 million in the number of people who were fully employed in the country in comparison to  five years ago which makes the claim  TRUE. 

The NBS refers to fully employed people as people who work forty hours and above.

THE VERDICT: 

From the data presented above, the claim  that Nigeria had 54.4 million people in full time job as at May 29, 2015  is TRUE.

The claim that Nigeria currently (August 2020) has 35.6 million people in full time jobs is TRUE.

The claim that 18.8 million full time jobs were lost within 5 five years under President Buhari’s administration is TRUE.

FALSE claim circulates online in Nigeria discouraging public from using rival ATMs

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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FALSE claim circulates online in Nigeria discouraging public from using rival ATMs

A WhatsApp message forwarded  and shared numerous times in August 2020 claim that banks have advised their customers to avoid the use of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) of rival banks.

The post which was shared across multiple groups and as direct messages in Nigeria states that “Bankers advised that people should not use ATM of other banks, other than their bank for any transaction for now”.

An additional paragraph claimed that Interswitch, a digital payment platform in the country had already stopped operations, as such “issues that comes while using another bank ATM will not be resolved till they resume after COVID-19”.

Members of the public were advised to withdraw money only from the ATMs of their respective financial institutions.

The post which is titled “Important Information” also asked people to tell their neighbours, family and friends.

 

THE CLAIMS: 

Claim 1: Banks (bankers) have advised  people against use of rival banks ATMs

Claim 2:  Interswitch has stopped operations.

The viral message

 

THE FINDINGS: 

Claim 1

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines on operations of electronic payment channels guiding activities of commercial banks in Nigeria prohibits such restrictions where customers are solely limited to patronise particular ATM machines.

The public has the liberty to patronise any ATM positioned in any bank or a public space – in as much as  the ATM card is valid and the issuer recognised by the CBN.

More so, the guideline warned commercial banks of any form of discrimination on the use of ATM cards or issuers.

“All ATMs to accept cards issued in Nigeria under the CBN regulations for any card-based value-added service made available on the machine,” the CBN guideline released in June 2020 stated.

In addition the 44-page document states that “no card scheme shall discriminate against any ATM owner or acquirer” while adding that all ATMs should dispense all Naira denominations.

But, beyond the documented guidelines, Isaac Okorafor, Director, Corporate Communications of the CBN, in a phone interview with The FactCheckHub dismissed the claim.

“This is not true,” Okorafor stated.

“No bank has said so and I know Interswitch and other switches are working. So this must be fake news” the CBN official explained.

 

Claim 2

Although the Interswitch group did not respond to numerous communication from The FactCheckHub,  a tweet made by its support handle @iswsupport on August 4, noted that the organisation is still operating.

“Interswitch’s operations continue to function in spite of the pandemic. You can make transfers, withdrawals, pay on the Quickteller and use your verve card,” the payment system tweeted. “

It added that all our services are working and issues will be resolved promptly.

Earlier in April, the Twitter handle of Quickteller, a payment product of Interswitch had debunked a similar variation of the claim in question. The tweet which was accompanied by several screenshots of the claim termed it as “fake news”.

THE VERDICT:

From the information presented above both claims are FALSE.

 

Fact Guage Metre Ratings

Trending video alleging Somalia’s president in fisticuffs with deputy is FALSE

FactCheckHub
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Trending video alleging Somalia’s president in fisticuffs with deputy is FALSE

By Olayinka SHEHU.

A TRENDING video posted on microblogging site, Twitter by Nana Kwame Ahoufe, a Ghanaian Television presenter that the president of Somalia and his vice-president are engaged in fisticuffs is false.

Nana’s, twitter profile states that he is a TV Director & TV Presenter at Citi TV, a privately owned multi-platform network based in Adabraka, Accra.

He had tweeted the video with an accompanying text that read, “The President of Somalia and his Vice President in fisticuffs! Exchanging executive blows for the good of their country maybe?,” he wrote on Twitter.

The tweet has since gone viral. Nana’s 11 seconds video has now been viewed more than 2000 times, with 701 retweets and comments, 439 likes.

The video has also been picked up and published by some blogs in Nigeria such as Elombah News. Vanguard Newspaper also reported it with a headline, “A President, his Vice, ‘exchange blows’ in public”.

THE FINDINGS:

To verify the authenticity of the video, The ICIR did Google and YouTube searches and also used google translate in searching for the meaning of Golaha Wakiilada and did a google search on the flag that appeared on the video.

Golaha Wakiilada means of House of Representatives in Somali language, which is the lower house of the de facto state of Somaliland.

The green and red flag with a black star that appeared in the video is that of Somaliland.

Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is a self-declared state, internationally considered to be part of Somalia.

Somaliland is a breakaway region on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland declared independence after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991.

A Google video search showed that the 20-minute long video appeared on youtube on the 12 of September 2015 on a Somali youtube channel, Dhamays Media Production, with an English translated caption of “Watch the War on the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Somaliland”, having 1,424,316 views, Somali Star Tv, (14 minutes 37 seconds) with 86,967 views, and on 2Qumac, (9 minutes 49 seconds) on the 13th of September 2015 with 246,273 views.

A Google translate of the caption that accompanied the video on 2Qumac read, “How did the Somaliland House of Representative’s scandal start?”

Another caption under the video indicated that the fight was between Chairman Irro and his deputy Bashe.

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro)  is a Somaliland politician who was the 4th Speaker of the Somaliland House of Representatives.

Bashe Mohamed Farah Irro then deputy is the 5th and current Speaker of the Somaliland House of Representatives.

Somalia’s government officially comprises the executive branch of government, with the parliament serving as the legislative branch. It is headed by the President of Somalia, to whom the Council of Ministers reports through the Prime Minister.

Somalia practises a Federal Parliamentary system of government which is currently headed by Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed who is also the current President of Somalia, and Mahdi Mohammed Gulaid, the Prime Minister.

Somalia currently does not have an office of Deputy President. The last officially recognised Somalian vice president was  Siad Barre, ousted in 1991.

THE VERDICT:

Nana’s claim that the viral video is of the Somalian president and his deputy is FALSE. The Federal government of Somalia currently has no office for deputy president. Also, “Golaha Wakiilada” which appeared on the video is the Somali language for House of Representatives (Somaliland) when translated to English, and the flag that appeared on the video is that of Somaliland and not Somalia.

Claim on resignation of Ganduje’s aide on graveyard TRUE but tweet MISLEADING

FactCheckHub
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Claim on resignation of Ganduje’s aide on graveyard TRUE but tweet MISLEADING

ON August 10, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, tweeted that Yakubu Nagoda an aide to the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje has resigned. 

Odinkalu wrote, “Yakubu Nagoda, the Special Assistant on Graveyards to @GovUmarGanduje, Governor of Kano State in NW #Nigeria, has resigned.”

He also added that “The man is tired. Can u blame him?!”

The resignation document with the letterhead ‘Office of the Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Kano State on Graveyards’ was included in the tweet.

In less than 24 hours, the tweet has garnered 137 retweets and generated 55 comments and lead to several similar posts made by other accounts with reactions.

The reactions generally border on disbelief that a position for a special assistant on graveyards exists. Some of the reactions also questioned the timeline of the resignation.

 

THE CLAIM:

Claim 1: That there is an office of the special assistant to the executive governor of Kano state on graveyards.

Claim 2: That Yakubu Nagoda just resigned as special assistant to Governor Umar Ganduje on graveyards.

 

THE FINDINGS:

A look at the date on the attached document shows August 4, 2018.

In addition a search of the document using the TinEye tool – an app that allows for reverse searches on images – showed that it appeared on the internet as far back as August 2018.

Within the same period, Legit, an online newspaper reported the same story and embedded the resignation document on the published report.  The Cable and BBC Pidgin also had similar reports with the same document.

This means Odinkalu made his Twitter post almost two years after it actually happened and  he presented it as something recent. For instance, he said, “The man is tired. Can u blame him.”

The Kano state Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Garba confirmed to the ICIR that the Office of the special assistant to the executive governor of Kano state on graveyards exists within the period in question.

In a phone interview with  The ICIR on Tuesday, August 11, Garba said  that the office existed between 2015 to 2019 but no new appointment has been made since the governor returned for his second term in office.

Garba said “The office existed in the last 2015 – 2019.”

“There is no new appointment.”

“The Governor is yet to appoint anyone to that office.”

Ganduje is the current governor of Kano state. He was re-elected for a second term in 2019. After finishing his first tenure which lasted  from 2015 to 2019.

The ICIR also reached out to Nagoda, the aide who was said to have resigned and in a phone interview on August 12 confirmed  submitting the resignation letter.

The letter had initially gone viral in 2018, before resurfacing in 2020.

Nagoda speaking Hausa language told the ICIR “It is true. I gave the letter when I was leaving.”

The ICIR called and sent a text message to Professor Odinkalu for comment but he has not responded as at the time of filing this report.

VERDICT: 

Based on the information presented the claim that there is an office of the special assistant to the executive governor of Kano state on graveyards is TRUE.

While it is true that Nagoda resigned as  special assistant on graveyards to Ganduje, He did that two years ago.  The presentation of the tweet as something that recently happened is MISLEADING.

10 Steps to Spot Fake News

Opeyemi Kehinde
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10 Steps to Spot Fake News

Sorting out fact from fiction in today’s ‘global village’ has become very important amidst the ‘infodemic’ we’re experiencing. Below are steps you can follow to detect fake news whenever you see one:

    1. Is the publisher credible? Check the website’s ‘about us’ and ‘contact’ pages to verify its authenticity. Just because the website is popular among your family or friends doesn’t mean its content is factual.
    2. Ascertain the originality of the domain name or social media account which shared the article or posted the photo or video.
    3. Check to see that the author is also credible. Google search his name to see if he/she has published other things. Don’t forget to confirm who created the social media account, wrote the article, capture or post the online content.
    4. Verify that the sources cited in the article or visual are also credible. Also, check if the information is available on other news websites.
    5. Check the date the article or photo or video was posted. Verify that it wasn’t an old news which was reposted as current event.

  1. Ask yourself: Are they biased? Does the article present one side of the story? Are there some parts of the story left out or unexplained? Be skeptical.
  2. Ascertain that the sources or related links posted supports the news story.
  3. Watch out for most common errors involving Names, Titles, location, spelling errors and dramatic punctuations, among others. Check to know if the news report isn’t being taken out of context
  4. Check that the headline isn’t outrageous. Try read beyond those fascinating or emotion-inducing headlines and the report’s introductory part.
  5. Search fact-checking websites to confirm if the information has already been verified or debunked.

Claim that Dubai banned Nigerians from entering the city due to alleged criminality is FALSE

FactCheckHub
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Claim that Dubai banned Nigerians from entering the city due to alleged criminality is FALSE

By Olayinka SHEHU.

BLESSING Ramoba, a South African, in a Twitter message on July 10 made a claim that  Dubai had banned Nigerians from entering the city.

Ramoba, who is the President of Mining Forum of South Africa in the viral tweet that has been tweeted 560 times and liked 1700 times had said that Nigerians were banned from Dubai because of several atrocities similar to what they (Nigerians) are notorious for in South Africa.

“In South Africa when we complain about Nigerians that they are not respecting our laws, peddling drugs, hijacking buildings and turning them into brothels and involved in human trafficking. @Julius_S_Malema accuse us of xenophobia. Today, Dubai has banned them for same criminality,” he wrote on Twitter.

Blessing Ramoba

The tweet has since gone viral. In the tweet, Ramoba, who is the President of Mining Forum of South Africa in the viral tweet that has been tweeted 560 time and 1700 likes had said, in South Africa when we complain about Nigerians that they are not respecting our laws, peddling drugs, hijacking buildings and turning them into brothels and involved in human trafficking. @Julius_S_Malema accuses us of xenophobia. Today, Dubai has banned them for same criminality.

Findings

Ramoba’s tweet claimed Nigerians had been banned from Dubai. But Dubai, a city and an Emirate and the capital of United Arab Emirate (UAE) has no legal authority to place a ban on Nationals of any country.

There are only two authorities in Dubai– the Al Maktoum family, which has ruled since 1833 and the Dubai Municipality which is under the Government of Dubai. None of these two has the legal status to bar foreign nationals from entering Dubai.

The municipal body serves under the control of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is also the Vice President of UAE with jurisdiction over city services and the upkeep of facilities in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE.

Only the UAE authority has the authority to place a travel ban on foreign nationals.

In disclaiming the statement, the UAE Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria said the government only temporarily suspended the issuance of visas to foreign nationals including Nigerians because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement shared via its verified Twitter handle had read, “In an affirmation of the growing bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, the UAE Embassy in Abuja denies the accuracy of the information contained in these reports.”

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE took a number of precautionary measures to combat the virus’ spread, including the temporary suspension on issuing UAE visas for all nationalities as of March 17, 2020.

“After entering the recovery phase of the pandemic, the UAE eased some measures on July 7, permitting visitors from various countries to adhere to the necessary precautionary measures, including by showing negative PCR test results within 92 hours of travelling to the UAE. This includes those visiting from Nigeria.”

The Embassy noted that the travel between the UAE and Nigeria has remained limited due to the closure of Nigerian airspace.

“… the UAE Embassy in Abuja continues to work closely with the Nigerian Government to obtain the necessary approvals to facilitate travel between the two countries,” it stated.

VERDICT

Ramoba’s claim, therefore, is false.  The UAE government under which the Dubai Emirate operates had never issued any regulation stopping Nigerians from Dubai. Also, the claim that Nigerians coming to Dubai were banned had been denied by the UAE embassy in Nigeria.

Did ICT contribute 14 percent to Nigeria’s 2020 first quarter GDP?

Niyi Oyedeji
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Did ICT contribute 14 percent to Nigeria’s 2020 first quarter GDP?

The Director-General  (DG) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was 14 percent in the first quarter of 2020.

The DG who was represented by NITDA Director of  E-Government Development and Regulations, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, made this statement at a webinar organised by Abuja and Kano Chapters of  Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN).

He said the growth of 14 percent represented an increase of almost 1 percent when compared to the contribution of 13.12 percent in the last quarter of 2019.

This assertion was reported by several new platforms; Nigerian Tribune, NNN, and others.

In the report, Inuwa said, “in spite of the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on all economies of the world, ICT  grew by 14 percent compared to the initial growth of 13.12 percent in the last quarter.”

He added that “the agency’s mandate of regulating the IT sector ensured that it created initiatives and schemes to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the ICT sector. We are ensuring the growth of the sector by promoting the startups’ ecosystem”.

The claim has sparked debate among Nigerians on whether the ICT sector can actually account for 14 percent percent of the country’s GDP.

This is probably due to the linear view of what some people perceive to comprise the ICT sector. The general notion is that the ICT sector covers only telecommunications and information services.

This will not be the first time this figure would be questioned,  A report published in May where the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said ICT  contributed 14.07 percent to the nation’s GDP also got people talking.

In response to the report, a user with the name Thusspokez wrote “I have no idea where these figures came from. Could he be talking about the real growth of the ICT sector? For example, the petroleum industry contributes 10 percent of GDP; agriculture 22 percent, etc. Nigeria is not even in the Information Technology minor league like Malaysia with 18-19 percent to its GDP”.

 

THE CLAIMS:

Claim 1: That the ICT contributed 14 percent to Nigeria’s GDP in the first quarter of 2020

Claim 2: That the ICT in the last quarter of 2019 was 13.12 percent and 14 percent for the first quarter of 2020.

 

THE FINDINGS:

In a bid to verify the claim, The ICIR checked the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website for the latest data on Nigeria’s GDP to get the scope of what the ICT sector covers.

The report explained that the ICT sector is composed of the four activities of  (1) Telecommunications and Information Services; (2) Publishing; (3) Motion Picture, Sound Recording, and Music Production; and  (4) Broadcasting.”

The data also showed that the ICT contributed 14.07 percent to total real GDP in the First Quarter of 2020.

The data report stated that “The sector contributed 14.07 percent to total real GDP in Q1 2020, higher than its contribution a year earlier (13.32 percent ) and in the preceding quarter, in which it accounted for 13.12 percent.”

A page from NBS 2020 Q1 report

THE VERDICT:

From the information gotten from the NBS the claim that the ICT contributed 14 percent to Nigeria’s GDP in the first quarter of 2020 is TRUE, However, the exact figure is 14.07 percent.

The claim that the ICT in the last quarter of 2019 was 13.12 percent and 14 percent for the first quarter of 2020 is also TRUE, However, the exact figure is 14.07 percent.

Did Nigeria discharge over 11,000 COVID-19 patients in one day?

Bamas Victoria
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Did Nigeria discharge over 11,000 COVID-19 patients in one day?

ON AUGUST 5,  the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) daily updates on COVID-19 cases showing a difference of over eleven thousand discharged patients were widely shared on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp groups.

Some media houses also reported that Nigeria discharged over 11,000 COVID-19 patients in 1-day.

THE CLAIM:

That Nigeria discharged 11,188 patients in one day.

 

THE FINDINGS:

Checks by The ICIR showed that the centre had on August 3 via its twitter handle, during its daily updates stated that 20,663 COVID-19 patients were discharged.

On August 4 the centre tweeted that 31,851 patients were discharged which makes a difference of additional 11,188 patients within a 24-hour period.

On face value it looks like the NCDC  discharged 11,188 patients in one day,

However, checks showed that was not the case. The Director-General (DG) of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu said that the discharged patients were cases managed from home.

He noted that the difference in number was from Lagos state while explaining that the centre recently provided guidance on reporting cases, not in isolation centres.

Ihekewazu tweeted  “Recently, we provided guidance to states, to report cases that have recovered but were managed at home. These cases have recovered but were not managed in/discharged from an isolation centre. Lagos has done so and this may apply to more states in the next few weeks.”

Earlier on, the NCDC on August 4 had  tweeted that the discharged cases in the daily update included a cumulative 10,946 recovered COVID-19 patients in Lagos State who were being managed at home.”

 

THE VERDICT:

From the information presented above, the claim that Nigeria discharged 11,188 patients in one day is MISLEADING,  even though the figures from the NCDC updates shows that, but the result was cumulative over time and not within a 24-hour period.

Is NIMC behind mobile app capable of integrating BVN, NIN and other security numbers?

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Is NIMC behind mobile app capable of integrating BVN, NIN and other security numbers?

A viral social media post pulled from the WhatsApp platform on July 27, says the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), an agency under the Presidency has designed a mobile phone application capable of integrating all Federal Government-approved social identity cards.

The mobile phone application identified as MWS: NIMC Mobile ID was credited as property of the Nigerian government.

Based on the post, registered subscribers could retrieve private information about their Drivers License Number (DLN), Voters Identity Number (VIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), National Passport Book Number (PPN), and Tax Identity Number (TIN).

“In fact, you only require your full National Identification Number (NIN), your Mobile Number and a PIN to protect the app,” reads the post which have been shared multiple times  across several WhatsApp groups.

A screenshot of the message on WhatsApp

THE CLAIM:

Claim 1: That NIMC is behind the “MWS NIMC Mobile ID” Application.

Claim 2: That the viral message was from NIMC

 

THE FINDINGS

The ICIR observed that the app which is hosted on Google Play Store has been downloaded over 10,000 times.

The logo of NIMC is displayed on every page of the app. In addition the Nigeria’s coat of arm emblem was also included on the app.

More so the Developers’ contact email address says “mobileId@nimc.gov.ng” and lists “11 Sakode Crescent Wuse Zone 5 Abuja, Nigeria” as address,  this is also the organsiation’s office address.

The final stage of the registration process requests users to verify their identities by providing the 11 digits national identification number with a mobile number.

Users are however not allowed to include their Bank Verification Number (BVN) otherwise, they risk being blacklisted. The warning inscription was emphasised in red.

 

A screenshot of a page in the mobile app.

The ICIR reached out to Kayode Adegoke, the Spokesperson for NIMC, and in the phone interview he acknowledged the existence of the app.

He also stated that he has it downloaded on his mobile.

He however, dismissed the viral message being shared on WhatsApp platforms, saying it did not originate from NIMC.

“The message is not from us,” Adegoke said.  “We have our official communication channels which include but not limited to our website, press releases or official social media platforms. Anything outside that is not from us.”

“The general public should be aware so that they won’t be swindled of their money.”

“We are building up the mobile applications where Nigerians can actually access their cards. We are doing the pre-trial stage but we have never asked anyone to supply their BVN number or Tax number or so,” Adegoke explained.

He added that “We notice that some unscrupulous elements want to manipulate Nigerians. It is still being processed, that’s why it has not been officially launched.”

THE VERDICT

Based on the available findings, the claim about the mobile application belonging to the NIMC is TRUE but it has not been launched as it is still at the pretrial stage.

However, the claim that the message originated from NIMC is FALSE.

Is Nigeria, 4 other countries responsible for 80 per cent COVID-19 cases in West Africa?

Niyi Oyedeji
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Is Nigeria, 4 other countries responsible for 80 per cent COVID-19 cases in West Africa?

PROF Stanley Okolo, the Director-General of West African Health Organisation (WAHO) claimed that Nigeria and four other countries are responsible for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in West Africa.

Prof Okolo made this claim while addressing Members of ECOWAS Parliament during the Second Extra-Ordinary Session, which was held via video conference.

The DG, while making a presentation to the Parliament, said that, “as at July 16, the five countries recorded 84,118 cases out of the 96,936 cases in the region.”

The five countries in question are Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea.

When The ICIR reached out to Prof Okolo for clarification on the claim, he directed the reporter to check the West African Health Organisation’s website and Twitter page for the organisation’s dashboard on confirmed coronavirus cases in West Africa.

Since Prof Okolo made this statement at an ECOWAS platform, The ICIR limited this fact-check to cover only the 15 West African countries that make up the ECOWAS.

PROF Stanley Okolo, the Director-General of West African Health Organisation (WAHO)

THE CLAIM

A media report published by Daily Trust, Vanguard and some other media outlets stated that Prof Stanley Okolo the Director-General of West African Health Organisation (WAHO) claimed that Nigeria and four other countries are responsible for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in West Africa.

From the report the following claims were deduced:

CLAIM 1: That Nigeria and four other countries are responsible for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in West Africa.

CLAIM 2: That as at July 16, the five countries recorded 84,118 cases out of the 96,936 cases in the region.

THE FINDINGS:

CLAIM 1

In a bid to verify the claims, The ICIR checked the World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa Regional Office to check the number of coronavirus cases recorded by each ECOWAS country as at July 16.

The data released by WHOAFRO is from the previous day.

“WHO only publishes verified information. Data may reflect difference in reporting methods, retrospective data consolidation and reporting delays” reads a caveat on the health organisation daily infographic updates.

To check Prof Okolo’s figures, The ICIR instead of using July 16 analysed data released on July 17 by WHO. This is because WHO clearly states that the data for July 17 were confirmed cases as at July 16.

These data showed that the five West African countries with the highest number of coronavirus cases account for 89,222 out of the total 102, 661 total coronavirus cases recorded in the region.

These five countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea, the same Prof. Okolo made reference too.

The figures are Nigeria 34,854, Ghana 26,125, Côte d’Ivoire 13,403, Senegal  8,481,  and Guinea 6,359, totalling 89,222.

And the total for ECOWAS member states as at July 16 is 102,661– Benin 1,463, Burkina Faso 1,038, Cabo Verde 1,894, Côte d’Ivoire 13,403, Gambia 78, Ghana 26,125, Guinea 6,359,   Guinea-Bissau 1,927, Liberia 1,070, Mali 2,440,  Niger 1,102, Nigeria 34,854, Senegal  8,481,  Sierra Leone 1,678,  and  Togo 749.

To ascertain the claim that Nigeria and four other countries are responsible for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in West Africa, the total of the five countries, 89,222 and the total of the West African countries, 102,661 were calculated and the result is approximately 87 per cent.

Data on COVID-19 Cases in Africa as of July 16. Infograph Credit: WHO Africa Region

CLAIM 2

From WHO data the five countries recorded  89,222 cases against the 84,118 stated by Prof Okolo and the total of  confirmed cases in the region is 102,661 against the 96,936 figure he gave. This is a difference of 5,104 and 5,725 respectively.

COVID-19 ECOWAS DAILY UPDATE for July 16, 2020 by West African Health Organisation.

In addition the WAHO for their daily update gave the total number of COVID-19 cases in the region to be 102,787  This figure is still more than Prof Okolo’s figure with more than 5,851.

THE VERDICT:

The claim that Nigeria and four other countries are responsible for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in West Africa is TRUE.

The claim that  as at July 16, the five countries recorded 84,118 cases out of the 96,936 cases in the region is  FALSE.

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