 We're looking at the second topical conversation here in 10, 15 minutes, but maybe this might just be a plus and a solution to all of the issues of lack of revenue and no funds. Niger and other African countries may benefit from a donor-assisted funding by OPEC for the international development. It may be a record that OPEC funded or fund head in July announced that its FEST financial bonds and the global markets amounting to $1 billion could be issued this year, speaking on the sidelines of Islamic Development Bank Group meeting recently. The director general of the OFID Abdulahi Makhafi was quoted as saying that the fund could issue low interest bonds following its 2021 high credit rating and is only waiting for international markets to stabilize. Now since its establishment, the fund has been providing development assistance in 125 countries with a total financial cost of $190 billion and a capital of about $7.5 billion. Now records show that about 50% of financing provided by funds in African countries, including the Arab countries in North Africa and Sudan, funds have also been made available to other Arab countries, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Asian regions. The fund targets the transport, health and education and energy sector, which are among the important sectors in target regions and countries in addition to the agriculture and water sectors. Now according to the OFID bus, more than $1 billion was spent in the health related sectors during the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the fund does not intend to increase its capital to members' subscription. We have Muktak Mohamed joining the conversation as a developmental economist. Muktak, thank you so much for being part of the show. Good morning. Yes, so with this development, African countries, including Nigeria, to benefit from that, do you think that this might just be a plus for us and for our economy, maybe going ahead to solve some of the issues that we might be faced with? Well, any money to our economy is a plus for us as a nation, especially with what we are going through economically. But again, it's wanting to have the monies on it and to deploy the money to do the right things that this money has been for. I think there's a challenge with Nigeria. If you look at it, it's not that countries, it's not that we're not having money. Sometimes the challenge has been how do we disperse this fund into critical sectors and put it in the structures that will make this result be visible to all, not the more you see, the less you understand. So for me, it's not having money. That's our issue. Are we going to really deploy this money into those sectors that opaque nations are trying to do? Like now at the moment, we have a big challenge, which we should be looking at technologically, way of solving it, even if the government are beginning to look at deploying militants to guide the pipeline. What technology can we use to guide a pipeline? Can this money be channeled towards this possible that we can increase our revenue? So those are part of the things that I think government should be looking at, not just really looking at all these funds are coming. Are we just going to put it there in our account, in our to boost our foreign reserve, or are we going to use it for infrastructure and development, which is key to the development of Nigeria economy? Well, so what can an economy as Niger that over time has been complained by OPEC itself saying, would you not meet the quota? And that has also been responsible for our earnings, shortfalls on our earnings. That's on the one hand. And also the issue of all theft is also another one. What are your thoughts now? Not meeting our quota is as regards of the oil theft that is happening in the Niger Delta. And like I said, the government have not been proactive before we used to say about militancy. Now we graduated from militancy to oil theft. And oil theft is not easy to be done without the help of the rich and mighty. And is it that the government don't have a political way? If you listen to what the Pengers said over the weekend, they said that oil theft is being collaborated by every sector of the Nigerian, the security apparatus, the oil companies. I mean, a lot of people are involved in oil theft. And so that has also bring down revenue. And you can see we're struggling to meet about 222 billion barret. Now we have moved to about 900. And it's sad, especially when you look at the price of food oil by our own pek. We pecked it at about $70 per barret. And it's doing about, now it's going to $90. I don't want to have it yet. We are not benefiting from it. Even the PC have not been able to limit anything to the fabrication account. So for me, we need to begin to look at ways to solve our problem. And one of those ways to use technology to fight oil theft, not by giving one person the contract to begin to guide all the pipeline. And again, when you give it in Delta State, you give all the militants in Niger, in Biasa, will you give all the militants in Riversdale? Already, Asari Dukubo is already crossing his tail with his own pipeline. He should not be guided by government. So we have a big issue at hand. But I think the challenge we have in the Nigerian government thus far is the government always look for a quick solution to challenges. Instead of looking at a long-term solution and taking the time to find these solutions. This is just the last one. We're looking at the relationship with OPEC and Nigeria here. Being that we're part of OPEC. It's also been reported that the organization of petroleum exporting countries and his ally had raised Nigeria's oil production quota to 1.830 million barrels per day. That's in September from 1.826 million barrels per day, which was in August. Do you think that this is actually really a help for us with the fact that we struggle? And do you think that Nigeria will be able to meet this increased quota? I see you smiling there. Well, if you are doing about 900, 900, 900 households for the last time and you are being raised to about one point. How do you meet it when you've not tackled the challenge that is there? OPEC know the challenge that we are going through the node. And again, this challenge also can also be helped by the international committee because this oil that has been stored in our waters has been sold into the international community. And there are people that are already buying that on the high sea. Is OPEC going to help us? It shouldn't just be a Nigerian problem alone because again, when you look at the quantity of those oil being stolen from Nigeria, that also increased the supply and also at the long run may affect the price of all OPEC countries. So it's not just a Nigerian problem. I think OPEC also should look at increasing our number of output does not solve our problem because the critical fundamental problem, which is oil theft, have not been solved yet. So we can we already just dance around the bush but we will not make any significant progress. I thought OPEC would be saying we have a technology. We have a way to help people. We are going to make sure that all stolen goods are not bought in the international market. I think that is the way we need OPEC, not by increasing our output because at the stance that Nigeria is going to be a very challenging period. Not because we cannot produce but because majority of what we produce have been stolen not just in Nigeria, in the high sea. So they need to do something. And the security apparatus, the government need to find a political way. I know it's an election year and governments are taking the backseat but this is critical to the to the survival of Nigerian economy. We need to do something fast and we need OPEC to help us, not just by increasing our output and to help us fight this oil theft, especially in the waters. Well, that's so much we can take now. And it's been great speaking with you this morning on this particular issue. Thank you so much, Mohamed Muktak for being part of the show. Can you say a good morning to him? Well, Mohamed Muktak is a developmental economist and we have been talking about OPEC and its funding plus the fact that our quota has been increased. It should have been a plus for us but of course we have other issues that we're grappling with. That's the size of our conversation. If you missed out on every part of it, it will be okay to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and do subscribe to our YouTube channel. It's at Plus TV Africa and Plus TV Africa Live South. Many thanks for watching. I am Messi Popo.