MONDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2025

NULGE: AGF Plotting to Preempt S'Court, Set

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Osun State chapter, has disclosed that the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation is plotting to

“preempt the Supreme Court” by allegedly preparing to pay withheld local government allocations in Osun into the accounts of court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC)

Chairs,

chairmen and councillors.

In a press statement signed by its President, Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, the union warned that the alleged move would amount to “gross

misappropriation” and a brazen attempt to subvert the rule of law. It said: "Nigerians are well aware of the lingering crisis that has plagued local

Sacked by Court

government administration in Osun State since February this year, following the seizure of local government funds by the federal government. This matter is currently before the

Leadway Holdings Announces Acquisition of PAL Pensions, Deepens Presence

www.thisdaylive.com

FG Calls for Truce

Supreme Court for adjudication. "We have, however, received credible information that officials of the office of the Accountant-

as NUPENG Vows to Embark on Strike Today Over Dispute with Dangote

retailers declare shutdown from Tuesday IPMAN distances members from industrial action ERA kicks, knocks NLC, NUPENG

(NUPENG) yesterday vowed to go ahead with its planned strike action today (Monday), in protest against the decision by the

Dangote Refinery not to allow drivers of its newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks join any trade union.

But the federal government pleaded with the union, which also kicked against the massive importation of the Dangote trucks, which it said will put its members out of business, to reconsider its

Continued on page 5

El-Rufai: There Are Now More Poor Nigerians Than Our 1960 Population

Decries persistent low voter turnout, seeks true federalism APC: Opposition leaders weaponising grudges against President Ruling party insists Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai, failing to provide leadership for their parties Catholic church, ADC condemn disruption of Owerri lecture Story on page 5

Cardoso: CBN Committed to Economic Stability, Stronger Banks, More Investment Inflows

Vows to jealously guard financial system stability EU Chambers hail reforms, Naira stability

Nume Ekeghe

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to driving economic stability and building stronger, more resilient banks. He also assured that renewed confidence in monetary policy will attract greater investment inflows into Nigeria’s economy.

Chuks Okocha,

A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the weekend insisted that there are more poorer Nigerians in the nation today than during the period of the country’s independence in 1960.

El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said if the Nigerian government makes it a priority, it can end poverty like China and India, which he said, are in the process of beating the social menace.

The politician, a key member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) disclosed this during an interactive session in Owerri, Imo State, titled: “Moving Forward Together”.

In his speech at the event, the former governor said that while other countries like China and India have largely conquered poverty, Nigeria has no master plan yet to achieve the same.

“For the sake of our people, we need to have a roadmap for beating mass poverty. It is deeply embarrassing that, judging from the population estimate in 1960, there are now more poor Nigerians than there were Nigerians at independence 65 years ago. China

stance on the nationwide industrial action, pledging to broker a dialogue to resolve the dispute .

The President of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha and the General Secretary of the union, Olawale Afolabi, in a statement in Abuja, maintained that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG would refrain from lifting petroleum products from depots nationwide.

NUPENG also disowned a statement attributed to the President of the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), Enoch Kanawa, which claimed that NUPENG could not speak for members of petroleum tanker drivers. Kanawa had urged

General of the Federation (OAGF) have been instructed to prepare mandates to release Osun State local government allocations covering over eight months into accounts that do not belong to our local governments. Disturbingly, these accounts belong to chieftains of the APC who have been removed by the court as chairmen and councillors.

"We competently gathered that the Director, Federation Account, and Director, Funds (names withheld) in the OAGF's office, under the directive of the Accountant General of the Federation worked late

Speaking at a fireside chat moderated by Andreas Voss, Chief Country Representative, Deutsche Bank Nigeria, during the European Business Chamber (Eurocham Nigeria) C-Level Forum in Lagos, at the weekend, Cardoso pointed out that the ongoing recapitalisation exercise for commercial banks was “making good progress” and would produce stronger institutions capable of

has beaten mass poverty, while India is on a path to ending it.

“We too can do it, if we make it a governance priority to move our people out of poverty. We need an economic programme to achieve this important human goal, a programme that is pragmatic in execution but ambitious in its goal.

“ In this regard, what is needed is not new agencies of poverty alleviation or ‘humanitarian affairs’ with a massive bureaucracy, but innovative ways to make honest, hardworking citizens more productive and better-rewarded, while discouraging rent-seeking and other ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes in our society,” El-Rufai argued.

However, THISDAY check revealed that in 1960, Nigeria's population was estimated at about 45 million as against over 220 million currently.

While there are no reliable statistics available on Nigeria’s poverty rate specifically for 1960, the very year of independence, THISDAY's checks showed that most poverty data began in later decades—with the earliest comprehensive measure around 1980, when the poverty rate was approximately 27.2 per cent.

But by 2024, more than 54 per cent of Nigerians were estimated to live below the international extreme

Nigerians to disregard the planned industrial action.

The leadership of NUPENG declared that the Kanawa-led DTCDA was a creation of the Refinery, which has vowed not to allow its recruited truck drivers to join NUPENG. The union argued that NUPENG is the only statutorily recognised union authorised to unionise the drivers.

NUPENG vowed that it would not surrender to what it called ‘slavish conditions’ being promoted by the refinery in the oil industry. "We ask our members, members of the public and independent minded objective segments of the media to disregard (DTCDA)

into Friday night and through Saturday, processing papers and figures to facilitate this illegal diversion. These desperate moves are a clear attempt to preempt the decision of the Supreme Court.”

Osun NULGE therefore issued a strong warning to the Accountant General of the Federation, his officials; the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its officials to desist from obeying illegal directives. It added: “Criminal acts have no statute of limitation. Any payment of Osun State local government funds into private or fraudulent accounts will amount

withstanding shocks and financing growth.

Cardoso noted that while headline inflation remains elevated, it was trending downward as a result of collective efforts thus far, with the expectation that the benefits of the bank’s tighten monetary policy stance would continue to take hold.

“We will guard very jealously the stability that has been

poverty line of $2.15/day, capturing about 129 million people.

Despite recent government efforts, the disparity between rural and urban poverty has been especially pronounced, with rural regions often exceeding 75 per cent.

Besides, El-Rufai questioned the persistent low voter turnout during elections in Nigeria, explaining that between 2003 and 2023, the proportion of Nigerian voters fell from 60 per cent to 30 per cent.

“In my view, one of the most pressing items for elite consensus is how our governments emerge in a democratic process. We need to agree on how to build trust in the electoral process and promote citizen participation. Our country has since 1999 conducted national elections as at when due.

“Given our stormy history, 25 years of unbroken rule by elected governments indicates that our country is on a pathway to democratic stability. But voter turnout at presidential elections has been declining since 2007. Less than 30 per cent of registered voters bothered to vote in 2023, down from over 60 per cent in 2003!

“Also, the integrity of every presidential election result from 1999 to date has been challenged in the courts, except in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan

and its statements…Slavery ended centuries ago but some unscrupulous capitalists are making efforts to bring it back.

“Any worker who cannot exercise the right of association is no better than a slave. Ordinary Nigerians should neither encourage nor support slavish working conditions," NUPENG maintained.

But while calling for a truce, the federal government pleaded with NUPENG to reconsider its stance on commencing a nationwide industrial action from today over alleged anti-labour practices.

A statement signed by Head, Information and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia said the plea was made by the Minister of Labour

to gross misappropriation. By law, only Directors of Administration and Directors of Finance are authorised signatories to local government accounts.

“However, the law is that the persons occupying the positions of these authorised signatories must be authenticated in writing by the Auditor General for the Local Governments of the State to ensure compliance with the law and avoid payment to impostors. Therefore, any impostors whose names may have been smuggled into CBN records are acting in clear violation of the law. We remind the CBN to steer clear of

restored in the financial system,” he said.

“Our priority is to sustain that stability, while at the same time tackling inflation and ensuring the financial system is resilient enough to support corporate lending and investment.”

When asked about high lending rates in Nigeria and their impact on investment, the CBN Governor acknowledged the concern but tied it back to

personally and commendably chose not to. Low voter turnout should worry every democrat because apathy by citizens who feel alienated from the political process could lead to unwelcome fragility.

“We should engage our citizens to find out why so many consistently forfeit their constitutional right to vote. We should try to ascertain what could encourage them to resume exercising that fundamental democratic right. This, in my view, should also include measures to assure them that the election process is free from threats of violence or coercion, while ensuring that the results would accurately reflect the preferences expressed by voters at the ballot box,” he pointed out.

He emphasised that there was a need for an elite consensus around free and fair elections, stressing that adopting a wholesale electronic system of voting as well as real-time transmission of results was central to having transparent polls.

“I do not see any compelling argument or unbridgeable barrier to adopting electronic voting and transmission of results for the 2027 elections. Based on our experience in preparing for and conducting local government elections in Kaduna State in 2018, I believe

and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi on Sunday.

The statement said that the minister also pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw the red alert it issued to its affiliate unions to be on standby for a nationwide strike in solidarity with the petroleum workers on their planned strike.

Dingyadi said that since his ministry has intervened in the matter, the unions should shelve their plan of shutting down the petroleum industry, with a view to maintaining peace in this highly critical sector of the Nigerian economy.

Dingyadi stated: “I have invited all the parties for a conciliation

partisan politics and uphold its constitutional mandate”, NULGE stated.

Stating that they are not politicians and are not involved in the politics that is involved, however, NULGE explained that as a union, it has a duty and obligation to protect members’ jobs and stand by its members whose positions are being usurped by impostor politicians.

"It is curious and deeply troubling that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Accountant-General of the Federation and the CBN have singled out Osun State for this

his earlier point on inflation and stability.

He said there was a significant opportunity for interest rates to come down over time as inflation continues on its downward path and as markets become more efficient in allocating capital.

“That is the environment in which stronger corporate lending and higher levels of investment will naturally follow,” he added.

there is adequate time today, for INEC to acquire and deploy the hard and soft infrastructure needed to deliver this for the entire country at a much lower lifecycle cost than the current, unreliable system that has repeatedly been subject to human manipulation,” El-Rufai stated.

According to him, Nigeria can adopt electronic voting machines that are designed and configured to do at least five functions: Integrating the simultaneous identification and verification of the voter; providing a paper trail of votes cast at every polling unit and shutting down of the system at the predetermined deadline.

Besides, he called for the provision of a printout of the polling unit result for each party agent, presiding officer, the media and the security agencies, and a seamless transmission of the polling unit results on the conclusion of voting.

To him, there is an urgent need for the current and prospective office holders to focus not just on an ‘arithmetic’ of power, but on a national programme that addresses and solves societal problems as well as true federalism.

“This country was founded as a federation, but it appears that there are very few committed federalists

meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 8, 2025. Since I have intervened, I plead with NUPENG to rescind their decision to shut down the petroleum sector from tomorrow. I also appeal to the NLC to withdraw the red alert it issued to its affiliate unions to be on standby for a nationwide strike in solidarity with NUPENG.

“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. It constitutes the core of the country’s economy. A strike in the petroleum sector, even for just a day, will have an adverse consequential impact on the economy. It will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country, running into billions of Naira, but also cause

punitive treatment while local governments in the other 35 states continue to receive their allocations through accounts as provided for in the 1999 Constitution.

Cardoso

Cardoso noted the CBN’s recapitalisation directive, which requires banks to increase their minimum capital, was designed precisely to build resilience and ensure the financial system is strong enough to support broader economic activities.

in Nigeria. Recent experience would seem to suggest that federalism is a concept often touted by those seeking power who promptly forget about it once suitably empowered.

“ Our experience in the First Republic, as well as the consensus of scholars have credited federalism with helping to advance inter-ethnic unity, democratic stability, and socio-economic development. The intrusion of a unitary, centralising mindset from the 1970s onwards appears to have limited these wellknown attributes of federalism.

“My personal view is that promoting federalism is in the interest of Nigeria’s progress and development. The attempt to run Nigeria as a unitary polity runs contrary to its founding constitutional structure and denies its rich diversity. The federal government has since the 1970s acquired more powers and resources but it does too much but too little well.

“More powers, resources and responsibilities should be devolved to the states, including policing. I welcome the progress made in the 2023 constitutional amendment that moved electricity and railways to the concurrent list, thereby allowing states to own, operate and regulate

untold hardship and difficulties for Nigerians.

“Hence, I plead with the unions to give peace a chance. I assure them that this matter will be resolved amicably to the satisfaction of all the parties involved,” Dingyadi stated. The minister also assured Nigerians that the dispute will be resolved harmoniously to ensure that no disruption occurs in the petroleum sector, which is vital to the Nigerian economy.

Also at the weekend, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) announced a three-

“Significantly, the AGF, who also served as counsel to the APC governorship candidate in the last Osun election, appears to be placing the rule of power and politics above the rule of law. This is unfortunate and unacceptable. The case before the Supreme Court should be allowed to run its course without anyone foisting a fait accompli on the system,” Osun NULGE emphasised. It insisted that the people of Osun State will not accept the injustice, pointing out that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done and stressed that the rule of law must prevail over political desperation.

"Accordingly, we call on well-meaning Nigerians, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society organisations, and the international community to join our call for the rule of law in Osun State. The money involved belongs to the people of Osun State, not to any political party or group of politicians," it added.

PROMOTING NIGERIAN-EUROPEAN TRADE, INVESTMENT AND EXCHANGES...

RMRDC DG Hails Shea Nuts Ban, Insists Raw Materials Should Not Be Exported Without 30% Value Addition

Council initiatives mechanisms to ensure ban achieves intended goals NASPAN urges FG to prevail on N'Assembly to urgently pass shea council law Seeks adoption of shea tree for climate management programmes

Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja

Director General/Chief Executive, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo IkeMuonso, has commended the federal government's recent six-month ban on raw shea nuts export.

President Bola Tinubu approved a temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts to curb informal trade, boost local processing, protect and grow the country's shea industry.

The ban was, however, subject to review on expiration and specifically aimed at boosting the shea value chain to generate about $300 million annually in the short term.

National Association of Shea

Products of Nigeria (NASPAN) urged the federal government to prevail on the National Assembly to immediately pass into law the National Council on Shea, initiated by the 9th Assembly, to provide appropriate governance and policy direction for the sector. NASPAN, the umbrella body for players in the country's shea value chain, stated that for continuous growth and to sustain Nigeria's advantage of accounting for about 58 per cent of total world stock of shea trees, the federal government should adopt the shea tree for its various climate management programmes in states within the shea belt.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja at the weekend, IkeMuonso reaffirmed the council's commitment to play its statutory

role to support the actualisation of the objectives of the ban.

He stated that since his assumption of office, he had been advocating that raw materials should not be exported without adding at least 30 per cent value to them.

He said the council also submitted a bill on the proposed policy to the National Assembly, which had passed Third Reading in the Senate, and gone through First Reading in the House of Representatives.

The RMRDC chief executive said the federal government's ban on shea nut exports was a "stamp on the goal we have been pursuing, because it is in the overall interest of the country".

He said one of the immediate impacts of the federal government’s ban was Niger

State’s offer of 10,000 hectares of land for shea plantations, adding that once developed, the country can become the world’s largest producer of shea nuts and derivatives.

He added, "Every Nigerian knows that instead of exporting volumes of raw materials, we should be exporting semiprocessed or fully processed materials. That is what creates employment, strengthens our currency, and boosts our economy.

"When the federal government came up with this six-month suspension, we saw it as a test period. The question was: if it doesn’t succeed in the first six months, what happens?

"For us at RMRDC, this is a challenge. This conference is to reassure Nigerians that, working

Lokpobiri: FG Committed to Globally Competitive Incentives for Deepwater Operations in Nigeria

Says conditions that led to IOCs’ exit no longer exist

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has reiterated the commitment of the federal government to providing globally competitive incentives for deepwater oil operations in the country.

Lokpobiri in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nneamaka Okafor, noted that Nigeria has contributed to send a clear message to the global oil community that the oil and gas landscape has changed and the country is open for business.

Speaking at the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) deepwater investment roundtable in London organised by the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the minister called on major EPC companies to return, assuring them that previous concerns had been addressed through bold reforms

and investor-focused policy shifts.

“When we say Nigeria is open for business, we’re not making a statement of intent, we’re pointing to the reforms we’ve implemented, the policies we’re enacting, and the partnerships we’re building. The landscape has changed, and this can be confirmed directly from the IOCs, who are members of the OPTS, who are already seeing the results,” the minister stated.

He acknowledged that many EPC firms had scaled down or exited Nigeria due to legitimate challenges in the past, such as contracting inefficiencies, regulatory ambiguity, security issues, and fiscal uncertainty.

“But those reasons no longer exist. Through the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), we have streamlined fiscal terms, strengthened regulatory clarity, and committed to project security in partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies,” Lokpobiri

noted.

A key highlight of the event, according to the statement, was the minister’s strong appeal to International Oil Companies and deepwater operators to continue making Final Investment Decisions (FIDs).

“The EPCs will not return if there are no projects,” he stressed. “And there can be no projects if operators are not investing. I want to thank those who are already leveraging what the government is doing, but we must do more. The projects must flow for the EPCs to come back,” he added.

To this end, the minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to providing globally competitive incentives for deepwater operations.

Under the PIA, Lokpobiri stated that these include: Reduced royalty rates for deep offshore production, ranging from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent depending on water depth, while cost

recovery limits have been removed, allowing companies to recover full development costs before profit sharing.

Besides, he mentions tax credits and allowances for frontier exploration; contract sanctity and investor protection mechanisms, ensuring long-term stability as well as streamlined approvals and shorter contracting cycles, which are now under active review to reduce delays.

Importantly, Lokpobiri made it clear that these incentives will not be limited to the IOCs alone but will also extend to the EPC contractors who execute these technically demanding projects.

“These giant EPC companies, who once left, are exactly the kind of players who can thrive in deepwater.

“The same way we have finetuned incentives for operators, we will ensure those benefits are extended to EPCs, because without the EPCs, these projects cannot be delivered,” he declared.

together with the presidency, we will make this succeed and succeed properly."

He stated that from RMRDC's earlier studies, about one million metric tonnes of shea nuts were available from 21 states of the federation, though existing data suggested about 350,000 tonnes.

Ike-Muonso said over 90 per cent of the shea nut output was exported raw.

According to him, the export restrictions of raw shea nut is "not just a ban—it is a clarion call for Nigeria to stop exporting poverty and start exporting prosperity”.

He stressed that the council stood ready to drive the process, leveraging its statutory mandate, technical expertise, nationwide presence, and partnerships.

He said, "We are present in all 36 states, and all our

coordinating offices are mobilised to ensure this decision achieves its objectives.

"We invite all stakeholders to align with this vision so that within the six-month suspension window, Nigeria will emerge not as a supplier of raw shea, but as a global hub for shea value addition."

Ike-Muonso said, "The global demand for shea is very high, yet we have been throwing away opportunities by exporting raw shea nuts instead of adding value. This means losing potential foreign exchange and local jobs.

"Yesterday (Wednesday), in preparation for this event, we visited Salid Agriculture Nigeria Limited - the new shea nut refinery located in Kudu, Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State.

Gas Flaring: Carbon Offset to Address Crime, Violence in N’Delta

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Country Director of the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), Florence Kayemba, at the weekend revealed that carbon offset initiatives have the potential to address some of the underlying drivers of crime and violence in the Niger Delta region.

Kayemba stated this at the National Dissemination of the Carbon Offset Study Report and Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue, funded by the European Union, which was held in Abuja.

The central theme of the programme was: "From Degradation to Regeneration: Local Solutions for Carbon Offsetting in the Niger Delta, Community-Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality & Violence in the Niger Delta."

Kayemba said the project was aimed at reducing crime and violence in the Niger Delta region, stating that the multi-stakeholder dialogue was important to the region.

She said: "As an organisation that has worked in the Niger Delta

for over 20 years, we have seen the scars of gas flaring, oil spills, and other types of pollution that continue to pervade our region.

“These have affected livelihoods, contributed to unemployment, and also to crime and violence, which—if we are honest—continue to be on the rise."

Speaking earlier, the host and Acting Country Director of Search for Common Ground (SCG), Karno Ouattara, stated that a recent study by the University of Port Harcourt on carbon offsets has illuminated how carbon market opportunities can be harnessed not only to reduce emissions, but also to create alternative livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and strengthen community resilience.

He also stated that by aligning carbon offset strategies with the aspirations of local communities, the initiative ensures that environmental solutions also serve as peacebuilding tools—breaking the cycle of ecological harm, economic exclusion, and conflict, and paving the way for a greener, safer, and more prosperous Niger Delta.

STRENGTHENING CONSUMER AND PROTECTION IN PETROLEUM SECTOR...

Abubakar Kyari: Nigeria Loses N3.5tn

Annually to Post-harvest Inefficiencies

G unveils postharvest systems to transform, unlock private sector investment, strengthen market confidence, others

James Emejo in Abuja

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has lamented that postharvest inefficiencies cost the country about N3.5 trillion annually.

Kyari spoke in Dakar, Senegal, at the Nigeria Legacy Programme, organised by Africa Food Systems Forum, in partnership with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The minister pointed out that smallholder farmers often bore the regrettable and affordable losses due to absence of effective storage facilities, among others.

The disclosure came as the federal government unveiled an ambitious "Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation

Programme (NiPHaST)" aimed at ensuring a resilient, efficient, and inclusive post-harvest handling and storage system.

The initiative seeks to reduce losses, enhance, incomes as well as achieve food sovereignty.

Kyari said NiPHaST will stabilise food prices, ensure availability, accessibility, affordability of stable food, improve storage system, as well as achieve national food sovereignty

According to a statement issued by Head, Department of Information, of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the initiative is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to eradicate poverty, attain food and nutrition

Tinubu Rejoices with Shettima, Others on Emergence as Fellows of Nigerian Economic Society

Lauds VP for relentless dedication to implementing govt's policies

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has felicitated Vice President Kashim Shettima and other distinguished Nigerians on their conferment as Fellows of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), recognising their outstanding contributions to economic policy, research, and development.

The President, in a release issued on Sunday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted the conferment on Monday, September 8, is a testament to their exemplary service, intellectual depth, and commitment to advancing Nigeria's socio-economic transformation.

He commended Shettima for his visionary leadership, deep insights, and relentless dedication to implementing the administration's Renewed Hope

Agenda, particularly in driving inclusive growth, job creation, and sustainable development.

President Tinubu equally applauded renowned economist and director of the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G-24), Dr. Iyabo Masha, on the honour.

Masha was a member of Nigeria's eight-person Presidential Economic Advisory Council (2019-2022), which directly advised President Muhammadu Buhari on economic policy.

The President described their recognition as well-deserved and an inspiration to upcoming economists, researchers, and policy experts across the country.

"As a nation, we are proud of your achievements and the example you set for current and future generations.

security, economic growth, and reduce post-harvest losses.

The minster said the programme would focus on household storage technologies, community-level warehouses, cold rooms, and strategic national silos managed through public–private partnerships, among others.

He pointed out it would create robust investment in the storage value chain in terms of processing, preservation,

packaging, marketing, climate, smart metal Silos, and cold rooms.

Kyari stated that the initiative would unlock private sector investment, strengthen market confidence, and expand storage infrastructure.

He said it would also improve agricultural exports, nutrition, household sales, job opportunities, farmer’s income, and wealth, as well as achieve food import substitution in the

agricultural ecosystem.

He said, “This is not just produce going to waste. It is opportunity lost and livelihoods destroyed,”

Kyari called for stronger international collaboration, stressing that transforming postharvest systems will secure farmer livelihoods, revive agribusiness confidence, and position Nigeria as a leading food supplier in West Africa

In attendance at the event

were Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar A. Namadi; Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma; Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Abu Ibrahim; and President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Kabir Ibrahim, among others, the statement said.

Bakare: Nigeria Needs Structured Institutions to Empower Leaders

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Tunde Bakare, has declared that Nigeria needs an institution that would prepare and empower its political and public servants for the demands of governance in the 21st century.

Bakare stated this at the weekend in his speech during the official opening of the Citadel School of Government (CSG) and the induction of the pioneer class of the school’s Advanced Diploma in Public Leadership and Statecraft.

The CSG is offering the programme in partnership

After

with the University of Lagos Business School.

He said: “We chose not to become armchair critics, faultfinders with no applicable solutions to our national problems. We chose to train rather than blame, to equip rather than just quip, to empower rather than cower in the face of the mounting challenges of our nation and the continent.

“It is, therefore, out of these convictions that a compelling vision emerged: Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world need structured, practitioner-driven institutions that can identify, prepare, and empower leaders to rise to the demands of

governance in the 21st century.

“It is this conviction that has ultimately given rise to the CSG.

At the CSG, we have a bold and clear vision to become a globally renowned institution facilitating the emergence of cutting-edge nations, beginning with Nigeria.”

He said that by taking this initial step, it was on course to bridging the leadership gap in public sector governance in Nigeria, Africa and, by extension, across the globe.

“We will do this by providing current public sector leaders with exposure to cutting-edge tools for continuous development, and by facilitating the mobility of quality leadership from the private to

the public sector,” he added. He, therefore, congratulated the 70 intakes that made history by becoming the first set of participants for the Advanced Diploma in Public Leadership and Statecraft.

“With your admission into this programme, I am confident that Nigeria is about to experience a new wave of transformative leadership across sectors. With your induction into this programme, I have no doubt that a new breed without greed, a radical opposition to corruption, and a cohort of change makers is about to be equipped for high visibility and maximum impact.

Six Years, Court Clears First Nation CEO, Odukoya, of Fraud Allegations

Wale Igbintade

After six years of standing trial, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of First Nation Airways Limited, Mr. Kayode Odukoya, has been discharged and acquitted of all fraud-related charges by the Lagos State Special Offences High Court. Delivering judgement, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC) failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Dada stated that the prosecution’s evidence, including a disputed “Memorandum of Loss”, was riddled with inconsistencies.

The court declared that the case “collapsed like a pack of cards”, dismissing all counts against Odukoya and his company.

The trial judge described EFCC’s

case as having “collapsed like a pack of cards” due to unreliable and inadmissible evidence.

Odukoya was arraigned alongside First Nation Airways on allegations of fraud, forgery, stealing, and using a falsified document, charges he consistently denied.

The prosecution’s case largely hinged on a disputed “Memorandum of Loss of

Certificate of Occupancy” allegedly used to obtain credit facilities. Dada held that EFCC did not present sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations. She observed that the purported document relied upon by the commission was not properly certified, lacked proof of receipt by any bank, and contained only photocopies without authentication.

OGUAA FETU AFAHYE FESTIVAL 2025 IN GHANA...

LCCI, NACCIMA Applaud Selection of Lagos as Host of 2027 Afreximbank’s Trade Fair

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in separate press statements during the weekend have applauded the selection of Lagos as the host city for the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2027 by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The Director General of LCCI, Dr. Chinyere Almona, said that the hosting of the IATF 2027 presented a historic opportunity for Nigeria that would expand the country’s export potential, attract both foreign and local investment, and create significant opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs” Almona said: “In addition, the fair will stimulate growth across

tourism, hospitality, and allied industries. Beyond commerce, it will spotlight Lagos and Nigeria as Africa’s economic powerhouse while reinforcing our leadership in the AfCFTA and the Intra-African Trade growth agenda.”

She added: “As the host city chamber, LCCI will work closely with all stakeholders to deliver a world-class event. We will mobilise the business community, facilitate investment and policy dialogues, drive advocacy and awareness, and strengthen private sector participation to ensure that Nigerian enterprises fully maximise this historic opportunity.”

She also disclosed that the LCCI is already supporting about 20 export-focused SMEs currently participating in IATF 2025 in Algiers, Algeria, in partnership with Afreximbank.

The LCCI also said that it would leverage on its nearly 40 years of experience in organising

Steel Devt Ministry Seeks Strengthening of NMDC, Jos to Align with

FG's Mandate

The Ministry of Steel Development, has sought to ensure that National Metallurgical Development Centre' s (NMDC) activities and programmes align with the federal government's strategic objectives under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chris Osa Isokounwu, gave the hint after concluding a two-day familiarisation visit to the centre in Jos, Plateau State.

Isokpunwu stated the visit aimed to strengthen oversight, align mandates, identify gaps, promote synergy, and generate policy inputs to drive metallurgical and industrial development in Nigeria.

The Perm Sec in a statement, weekend in Abuja, noted his delegation received a strategic briefing on NMDC's mandate, achievements, and current programmes.

He stated that core research and metallurgical facilities were inspected to identify areas for improvement, critical challenges, resource gaps, and areas requiring Federal Government intervention were identified.

The Permanent Secretary added that collaboration between the ministry and NMDC will be strengthened to ensure alignment with national metallurgical and industrial development goals.

He revealed the ministry's commitment to effective oversight and policy guidance was underscored by this visit, ensuring that NMDC's programmes contribute to the federal government's industrialization agenda. "This familiarisation tour is expected to yield positive outcomes for the development of Nigeria's metallurgical sector." he added.

international trade fairs in Lagos to contribute its expertise to the successful planning and delivery of IATF 2027.

“This landmark decision reaffirms Nigeria’s central role in Africa’s trade integration agenda. The LCCI affirms its commitment to ensuring that Nigerian businesses, particularly SMEs maximise the opportunities that this event will bring.

“The LCCI congratulates the

Federal Government of Nigeria on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to working with all stakeholders to deliver an inclusive and impactful IATF 2027 in Lagos,” Almona said.

Speaking in the same vein, the NACCIMA Secretariat also congratulated the federal government and the FMITI on the announcement by Afreximbank that granted Nigeria the hosting rights for IATF 2027 in Lagos.

“This landmark development is both a national honour and a continental responsibility, reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership role in advancing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and promoting sustainable economic growth across Africa.

“The hosting of IATF 2027 in Lagos will create an unparalleled platform for Nigerian businesses, particularly Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to showcase their products, services and innovations to African and global markets.

“It will also provide unique opportunities for investors, both domestic and international, to explore the vast potentials of Nigeria’s economy across key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, technology, creative industries, logistics and financial services,” NACCIMA said.

Malnutrition: UNICEF Stresses Need for States’ Urgent, Sustained Investment in Child Nutrition, Survival

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stressed the need for urgent and sustained investment in child nutrition and health to tackle malnutrition as well as address life-threatening maternal and new-born emergencies towards enhancing child survival and well-being

UNICEF also called on the governments of Bauchi and Plateau states to step up efforts towards tackling child malnutrition by releasing more funds for nutrition, investing in local food solutions, and expanding community-driven initiatives already saving lives. The new UNICEF

Expert

Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, made the call in a press release issued yesterday following her visits to both states, where she met with government officials, traditional rulers, mothers, fathers, and children to discuss collective action for child survival and wellbeing.

According to Saeed, “If governments, communities, and partners come together for children and act with urgency and unity, we can give every child in Nigeria the chance not just to survive, but to truly thrive.”

While in Plateau, Saeed commended the state government’s commitment to children, highlighting UNICEF’s investment in the Child Nutrition

Fund (CNF), which led to the procurement of over 5,300 cartons of nutrition supplements for 15,000 children.

She, however, stated that nearly half of children under five remained stunted, stressing the need for quick release of pledged funds and investments in locally available nutritious foods to strengthen growth.

in Bauchi State, Saeed engaged Governor Bala Mohammed on strengthening healthcare and education, while also commending efforts to expand new-born care, renovate primary healthcare centres, and scale up investment in child-friendly services. She observed the dedication of community groups, including,

Warns against Catastrophe

“Fathers for Good Health, spreading health messages, women supporting each other in Mama2Mama groups, and traditional leaders taking active roles in improving child wellbeing.

“The passion and commitment of these groups, especially the women, left me deeply inspired.” At a nutrition facility in Bauchi, Saeed met children battling severe acute malnutrition, “Holding their tiny hands and seeing the pain in their eyes was a stark reminder that behind every statistic is a child, a mother’s hope, and a father’s dream. No child should suffer this way. Their survival depends on the choices and actions we take now, not tomorrow.”

in Power Market as

Senate Amends Electricity Act 2023 Two Years After

Peter Uzoho

Foremost energy expert and Lead Consultant on Electricity to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Mr. Odion Omonfoman, has called on the Senate to tread with caution and avoid the risk of throwing the country's electricity market into catastrophe as the lawmakers are currently amending the Electricity Act 2023.

Electricity Act 2023 was signed

into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 8, 2023 following the 5th Alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which expressly provided full constitutional rights to state Houses of Assembly to make laws for electricity generation, transmission and distribution within their state territories.

Omonfoman argued that while the National Assembly was well within its powers to either amend or repeal any of its Acts, and at

such a time it deemed necessary, Electricity Act Amendment Bill 2025, as currently drafted, was riddled with constitutional, legal, regulatory and fiscal landmines that would be catastrophic to the Nigerian electricity sector if the bill was passed.

In his article, titled, "The Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 - The Need for a Cautious Rethink," Omonfoman stated that by virtue of the 5th alteration of the constitution, the regulation

of all aspects of distribution and sale of electricity within a state were an exclusive (not residual) right of State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs). Curiously, he stated that within less than two years of its passage, a bill to amend the Electricity Act had passed Second Reading on the floor of the Senate, sponsored by Chairman of Senate Committee on Power, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com

08033025611 SMS ON lY

MONDAY DISCOURSE

Proliferation of Political Parties Ahead of 2027 Polls

ahead of the 2027 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission claims to have received a total of 171 letters from associations seeking to be registered as political parties. Adedayo Akinwale reports.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last week disclosed that it has received a total of 171 letters of intent for the registration of new political parties.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun in a statement issued last Thursday said the commission has announced a shortlist of the pre-qualified associations, which he said was being finalised for the next stage of application for registration. He disclosed that the committee reviewing the letters of intent has prepared its recommendations for final consideration by the Commission.

The letters of intent were received from political associations including African Alliance Party, National Advancement Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, The Nigerian Convenant, Democracy for Dividends Party, National Coalition of Democrats, African Renaissance Party, Peoples Interest Movement, Rescue Party, Guardian Democratic Party, Save Nigeria Congress, National Democratic Liberation Party, National Action Congress of Nigeria, Peoples Supremacy Party, African Future Alliance Party, Freedom Alliance Party and People’s Community Development Party.

Nevertheless, the 171 letters received from associations seeking to be registered as political parties was in addition to the current 18 active parties in the country. While a multi-party system is seen as good for democracy, the proliferation of political parties, most of whom may not have capacity to win a councillorship seat is a source of concern.

At the beginning of the Fourth Republic, specifically, the 1999 elections featured only three major parties, but the number of registered parties has grown significantly over time.

In 2002, late fiery activist and senior lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi successfully challenged the decision of the electoral body at the time to refuse

registration to his political party, the National Conscience Party (NCP) and many others on the grounds that they did not meet the pre-requisite set by the electoral body to be licensed as political parties.

In its unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal in the nation’s capital, Abuja, said the Independent National Electoral Commission’s registration guidelines and aspects of the Electoral Act of 2001 on which they were based were contrary to the constitution.

“I restrain INEC from basing the registration of political parties on the aforesaid offending provisions of the guidelines and the Electoral Act,” Justice Dahiru Musdapher had ruled.

While the judgement of the court that threw open the door for anyone or any group to register political parties was hailed as victory for democracy and the freedom of association, the proliferation of political parties in every election cycle has shown that the judgement created more problems for the electoral body. If anything, it has made its work more cumbersome.

For instance, in the 2019 elections, a total of 91 political parties

participated. However, after the 2019 elections, INEC deregistered 74 political parties for failing to “satisfy the requirements” of continued registration based on their poor performances during the elections.

Most of the political parties ended up adopting the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as their presidential candidate, while others adopted the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as theirs.

While INEC has put some conditions in place for registration as a political party, it has not really been able to sanitise the process. Political pundits believe that more strict conditions would have to be introduced to prevent associations from registering political parties that only exist on paper.

Some of the conditions for the registration of political parties are: No association by whatever name called shall be registered as a political party unless the association submits to the office of the Chairman of the Commission the following:

a) the names, residential addresses and states of origin respectively of members of its National and State Executive Committees and the records of proceedings of meeting where these Officers were elected;

b) the minutes of the meeting of mem -

While the judgement of the court that threw open the door for anyone or any group to register political parties was hailed as victory for democracy and the freedom of association, the proliferation of political parties in every election cycle has shown that the judgement created more problems for the electoral body. If anything, it has made its work more cumbersome.

bers of National Executive Committee indicating approval and adoption of the name, constitution, manifesto and symbol/logo of the proposed political party;

c) the name or acronym of the association which must;

(i) not be the same as the name or acronym of an existing party or any known registered political party or too similar as to create confusion/doubt in the mind of an ordinary voter at an election;

ii) not have any ethnic, religious, professional or other sectional connotation; Similarly, some of the guidelines for the Registration of New Political Parties are: Not give the appearance that its activities are confined to only a certain part of the country; A register showing that membership is open to every citizen of Nigeria;

Also, a draft copy each of the association’s Constitution and Manifesto which must contain among other things: The association’s name, symbol or logo, flag, motto, aims and objectives, the distinctive description and interpretation of the symbol or logo; provisions for periodic elections on democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the Executive Committee or other governing bodies;

Provision of an administrative structure for the association; a provision that the membership of the National Executive or other governing bodies of the association at the National level reflect the Federal Character Principle of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); a provision showing that its Constitution and Manifesto conform with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2010{as amended), among others. As preparation for the 2027 elections continue, it remains to be seen how many of those applications for registration of political parties will scale through INEC’s scrutiny.

FEaturEs

Japa: Nigeria’s Malnourished Children Battling for Breath in Strained Wards

Hunger is worsening in Nigeria at a frightening pace, so also its victim, malnutrition. No thanks to a sudden policy shift at the start of present administration that drove up prices of staples, including children's essential diets by as much as 353 per cent, leaving many households still struggling to cope. Now ranked as Africa's worst-hit and second globally for child malnutrition, behind this figures, however, lie heart-breaking tales of mothers' desperation to keep their vulnerable innocents alive with the unusual, such as scavenged leftovers, chicken feeds, and even worse. Omolabake Fasogbon reports that the consequences of poor diets forced on children due to harsh economic realities- including unprecedented child admissions, grave ailments, and deaths are slipping beyond what the nation's medical capacity can contain, as medical migration (Japa) further burdens a fragile healthcare system.

Little Chima's voice fades into thin air as he loses the strength to cry the more. His small body lies limp on the cold market floor. His siblings, their faces etched with worry, gently brush away the flies swarming around him. At just eight months old, Chima is a mere shadow of a child, a victim of hunger so deep it silences even his cries.

This scene greeted the reporter at Mrs. Rose Okafor's sparse stall at Ile-Epo market, Abuleegba, Lagos. Rose, Chima's mother, ekes out a meagre living selling homemade dishwashers. The bustling market, typically a hive of commerce, hummed indifferently to the children's silent suffering. Chima’s siblings, barely more than toddlers themselves, guard their mother's wares, their eyes vacant with hunger.

"He is hungry," Chima's younger sister about four years, whispered, her voice barely audible. "My mummy went to buy food," added their eldest brother. Their eyes fixed on the market entrance, it was just after 1:00 pm, and they were still awaiting their first meal. This reporter found they were accustomed to skipping meals, especially on non-school days. Indeed, their right to timely nutrition, as provided in the Child Rights Act, was being violated. They remain excluded from the intent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on timely nutrition because their parents could not afford nutritious meals. A United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report says that 11 million or one in three Nigerian children under five are experiencing severe food poverty, but in this circumstance, three siblings arevictims, yet settle for low-nutrient meals when they eventually eat, a reality common in many households.

Scavenging to survive

As the children waited, the reporter, wary of local custom of distrust towards strangers, hesitated to offer them snacks. Rose returned about half an hour late for an interview prearranged two weeks earlier, following our first encounter at Orile-Agege General Hospital, Ile-Epo, Oke-Odo, Lagos, where she had brought sickly Chima for treatment.

In her hand, a black polythene bag emits a pungent smell of soured food. Her children swarmed around her, as their eyeslit-up with anticipation. Rose emptied a heap of leftovers: sour jollof rice, wilted salad, and congealed melon, all scavenged, as was later learnt, from a party she had attended uninvited. Both mother and children savoured the meal, while Rose laughed off concerns about the potential risk of their intake.

"This is how we have survived since January 2024 when food became the preserve of rich men", a disheartened Rose lamented. "I've been collecting leftovers from any available parties where I disguise as a guest. A neighbour showed me this way. I can't watch my child, the little I earn won't buy food in the market", she confessed.

Chima’s health fails

Like his siblings, Chima also subsists on scraps and at times, breast milk when Rose is not far away, struggling for their next meal. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children like Chima receive at least five food groups daily—from breast milk and proteins to fruits and vegetables.

Lacking any of these, Chima soon fell ill with conditions linked to poor nutrition, battling repeated bouts of illness, alongside growth delays, a confirmation of medics' warning on the repercussions of poor diets in children.

In Rose’s household, as is with several others, hunger has left them succumbing to any diets, however dreadful even for children. This, resonating with findings by lifestyle-focused publication, Good Health Weekly, that Nigerians no longer eat for nutrients, but to fill their stomach for energy.

Affirming this finding, President of Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), Prof. Ekanem Ekure, blamed it on poverty and unaffordable food prices.

"This development also threatens to reverse previous gains in childhood survival, likewise obstructs SDG 3 achievement", she stated.

Also citing consequences of poor nutrition, Maternal and Child Health Expert, Blessing Akombi said, “Children risk stunted physical and cognitive development, weak immunity, frequent infections, and lifelong effects on education, productivity and health."

Not unaware of the consequences of scraps she gives her little ones, Rose believes ''survival matters", as she echoed at different occasions.

Getting Chima treated in his frail

state at Orile Agege General Hospital, Rose narrated, was another hurdle, like of chasing a fantasy. Although, she reported that physician complained Chima was battling infections and severe malnourishment, she said doctors' dietary advice was unrealistic.

"I rarely make N2,000 daily ($1.31), how am I expected to get money for therapeutic food? Even the recommended local substitutes are beyond my reach, but I still try to give him beans and add some milk to his pap, though not consistently, due to the cost. My husband is just a site labourer who struggles to get engagements, so I expect little or no support from him", she said, strapping sleeping Chima to her back.

Frying pan to fire

Though not entirely pleasant prior, Okafor family's dietary pattern declined further from 2024, at the same time when food prices more than doubled, following economic reforms of present administration. Nigeria's food inflation reached a 28-year high of 40.87% as of June 2024, causing more strain on households' diets since then. . Once surviving on bare minimum, the Okafors now struggle for even the cheapest meal.

"Before now, we could afford two decent meals a day, with a little spice of protein. I would split one egg among the three of them, but it is now too costly. If I couldn't give Ponmo (cowhide), I'd add Puff Puff for flavour, this too is now on the high side", she recounted when asked about their feeding routine.

Although this household's previous diet already fell short of UNICEF's recommended food groups for children, Rose worried that their inadequate

previous were running over the family's means. With neither spouse earning a stable income, life has been a constant struggle. On days when there are no parties to scavenge food, she said she enters food stores to pick up spilt grains of raw rice and beans.

Worsening hunger

Hunger and malnutrition remain persistent in Nigeria. Once seen largely as Northern crisis, the scourge is tightening its grip nationwide. Economic policies at the onset of the present government sent food prices soaring, amid food insecurity, climate shocks and rising conflict. This aggravated a tense situation, pushing national inflation to 34 per cent as of December 2024, far beyond regional averages. Although this gradually tapered to 21.88 per cent in July 2025, a spot check, alongside economic observers, showed it is not market-reflective. From February of present year, food inflation has remained above 2.0% month-on-month, contrasting disinflation in core prices.

Despite its rich resources, Nigeria ranksas the world’s second most food-insecure country. Year on year, the country slips further on the Global Hunger Index, currently ranked 110th out of 127 countries. This, fueled by rising food inflation, heightens nutritional risks.An analysis by data platform,Intelpoint comparing prices food items between April 2023 and December 2024 showed an increase by up to 353 per cent, far outpacing prevailing 133 per cent wage increase, thusunsustainable for even the privileged grappling with several other needs.To date, these prices have barely changed.

Resultantly, child malnutrition worsens to leave Nigeria with the highest burden in Africa, with no fewer than 3.5million children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) - deadliest form of malnutrition which compromises children's immune systems and makes common illnesses life-threatening. Suggesting present situation may even get worse, Country Director at International Rescue Committee, IRC, Babatunde Ojei noted that donors' reluctance and global food aid cuts will likely compound an already precarious situation.

"It’s heartbreaking to see the needs of children growing while the support to reach them is shrinking. Fewer implementing partners are active, as donor reluctance, driven by insecurity, limited access, and global aid cuts, continue to restrict funding", he remarked.

Animal feed to the rescue

Far away in oil-rich Akwa Ibom state, Southern Nigeria, about 700 kilometres from Nigeria's richest economy, Lagos state, another mother's desperate choice reveals nationwide scope of the crisis. Like Lagos, ravaging hunger defies this state's modernity, forcing desperate widow, Grace Eseneowo to seek respite in animal nutrients.

TVET: As Mbah Crafts Enugu’s Prosperity Via Technical and Vocational Education

Jeff Ukachukwu

Enugu is not just promising a better future; it is actively working towards it. With a young, dynamic population and a pressing issue of unemployment, the state is not clinging to traditional education models that merely issue certificates. Under the visionary leadership of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, and with the Science, Technical, and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB) leading the charge, Enugu is charting a new course. It is transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) from a last resort to a first-choice pathway. The slogan is ‘Tomorrow Is Here,’ but the reality is that the future is being meticulously designed, scheduled, and imparted.

The first task is cultural. For too long, TVET has suffered a branding problem: respected in private, overlooked in public. Repositioning it as a prestigious route to dignity and prosperity means telling new stories—and backing them with new systems. It means seeing a young woman with a welding badge as a leader, not an outlier; a rural boy with a mechatronics credential as a builder of local industry, not a plan B. It means integrating TVET into SS1–SS3 timetables so it sits beside mathematics and literature, not behind them. It means dual certification—WAEC/NABTEB plus a vocational skill badge—so learning produces both recognition and readiness.

But it needs infrastructure too. The Government Technical College, GTC, Enugu, inherited by Governor Peter Mbah was so dilapidated and an eyesore. First, he shipped the students to others schools, insisting that no Enugu child should study in such environment. In July 2024, he descended on the decrepit GTC with bulldozers so that the old, disgraceful relic could give way for something ultramodern.

On June 9, 2025, less than a year later, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commissioned GTC Enugu as the pilot launchpad for TVET in the state with seven more coming up in the remaining seven Federal Constituencies of Enugu State. The choice of GTC for the pilot is both symbolic and strategic: an institution with a history and a location with reach; a neely built ultramodern infrastructure blended learning, including multiple blocks of exquisite hostel with the capacity to take the expected1,200 students. This pilot becomes a statewide standard.

Yet the heart of any transformation beats in the classroom—and in the workshop adjacent to it. Enugu’s curriculum architecture is competencybased and aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). Learners won’t just cram; they will demonstrate their understanding. Stackable badges allow progression from foundational competencies to higher certifications, and the assessment is as much about what a student can build as what they can recall. Career guidance and mentorship are not add-ons; they are baked into the timetable. Apprenticeships and industry exposure are not favours; they are formal pathways. The state is making a simple promise to its young people: you will learn, you will earn, and you will be equipped to lead.

This requires a new kind of instructor pipeline—one that combines pedagogy with practical experience. STVSMB’s

sourcing strategy is intentionally plural. Tertiary institutions like the Enugu State College of Education (Technical) (ESCET) will do what they do best: pedagogy, tradespecific teaching, and teacher training.

IMT Enugu offers engineering, ICT, and business modules. The Colleges of Nursing, Agriculture, and Health Technology extend the frontier into health, biotechnology, and agribusiness. UNN supports curriculum design, mentorship, and research. Industry will not sit in the spectator stand. Through the “Adopt-a-Trade” programme, artisans, technicians, and entrepreneurs step into classrooms as guest instructors. Corporate partners, such as Innoson Kiara, Haier Thermocool, and the Dewdrop Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, provide trainers and co-design modules. Retired professionals return as master craftsmen and mentors. Standards hold it all together: NBTE’s role in training and certification ensures that excellence is defined nationally, even as delivery is localised.

Two institutional innovations make this pipeline durable. First, the Enugu Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation (CELI), located at ESCET and inaugurated by Governor Mbah in August 2024, serves as a hub for training and retraining educators across Smart Green Schools being built by Mbah Administration in 260 wards for as a remarkable paradigm shift from rote or memoralisation learning to experiential learning in a 21st Century environment. CELI is where teachers learn to teach the Fourth Industrial Revolution: inquiry-based learning, project studios, digital tools, and maker-space mindsets. Second, the flagship ESCET–STVSMB Teacher Training Partnership Program, launched on August 11, 2025, and led by Dr. Amaka Ngene, Chairman of STVSMB, sets an ambitious target: to train 1,000 educators in 21st-century pedagogy for science, technical, and vocational education. Modules cover competency-based delivery, blended learning, inclusive and gendersensitive pedagogy, entrepreneurship integration, and the gritty craft of classroom management and learner engagement. This is not a one-off boot camp; it is a culture. Quarterly workshops keep content current; peer networks and innovation labs keep practices sharp; certification upgrades and refresher courses keep

credentials current; KPI dashboards keep everyone accountable. Those dashboards matter. Transformation without measurement is theatre. Enugu’s outcomes are explicit: 100% of instructors are certified for NSQF-aligned delivery; at least 80% retention across GTCs; annual participation in professional development is at or above 90%; instructor satisfaction and performance are tracked and acted upon. And the learner-side indicators— badge completion, apprenticeship uptake, job placement, enterprise starts—will be defined, collected, and published as the pilot matures. If the promise is that TVET can be a lever for inclusive prosperity, the proof must be that graduates are entering jobs, building micro-enterprises, or progressing into further study without dead-ends. Digital systems are not just a support, but a crucial part of the initiative, stitching the whole ecosystem together. A learner information system will track progress from SS1 through certification; a placement and apprenticeship portal will match talent to firms in real time; the professional development dashboard will help school leaders coach rather than guess. None of this ignores the human realities of access. Inclusion is a design principle: gender-responsive pedagogy, role-model visibility, and targeted supports for learners with vulnerabilities ensure that TVET does not reproduce old exclusions under a new name. In practice, this means offering scholarships, ensuring safe learning environments, providing flexible scheduling for caregiving students, and implementing community-anchored projects that showcase skills and their value close to home.

Industry partnership is the driving force behind this transformation. When firms actively participate in co-designing curricula, hosting apprentices, donating equipment, and hiring graduates, a trust loop is formed. Students see a clear path to employment; employers see a pipeline of skilled workers; and schools see the relevance of their education being rewarded. Entrepreneurship is also a key aspect, with incubations embedded in TVET Colleges, access to start-up kits and micro-finance, and post-graduation mentoring converting skills into viable businesses. Local economies are not just interested in what is known, but also in

what is made, repaired, installed, and grown. TVET is speaking the language of livelihoods.

The timeframe of 2025–2031 keeps everyone focused. The pilot year establishes credibility; the replication phase expands to seven additional TVET Colleges; consolidation standardises NSQF alignment, professionalises the instructor corps, and deepens digital and data capabilities. Throughout, the Governor’s Office and Ministry of Education provide policy cover, funding alignment, and public advocacy; the First Lady’s commissioning lends national visibility; communities and alumni networks widen the circle of support. The North Star remains a bold social goal: to contribute meaningfully to achieving a zero-percent poverty headcount through education-driven empowerment. Lofty? Yes. But poverty is not persuaded by modesty.

There is, of course, risk. Instructor retention depends on meaningful career pathways and fair compensation. Industry engagement must outlast photo-ops. Data systems must protect privacy while enabling insight. And the social rebranding of TVET will take as much storytelling as infrastructure. Yet the architecture is sound because it is coherent: curriculum, capacity, partnerships, data, and dignity reinforce one another.

If Enugu succeeds, it will not merely produce skilled graduates; it will normalise a new social contract between school and society. Young people will not be told to wait their turn; they will be taught to make it. Parents will not measure success solely by university admission; they will also celebrate mastery and financial gain. Communities will not fear brain drain; they will feel brain circulation as skills root and multiply locally. By 2031, the phrase “TVET capital of West Africa” will read less like a boast and more like a description. And so, the refrain becomes a roadmap: We create with our hands. We rise with our skills. We lead with our purpose. Tomorrow is here—Enugu is ready.

•Dr Jeff Ukachukwu, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos

www.thisdaylive.com

opinion@thisdaylive.com

A TALE OF ORDERS

Financial institutions must be deliberate in their service to customers, urges TEMITOPE FASORANTI

SMES

AND DATA QUALITY CONCERNS

JOSHUA OSAH argues that small and medium sized enterprises need the right intelligence to manage their finances judiciously

Production sharing contract promises to boost crude oil output, diversify energy resources and strengthens the country’s economic resilience, argues AKPANDEM JAMES

NIGERIA’S PURSUIT OF INCREASED CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION

Just about this time last year, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced an ambitious programme to increase Nigeria’s crude oil output by one million barrels per day, over a 12 to 24-month period. When the Commission’s Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe made this proclamation, those acquainted with the country’s oil and gas industry travails viewed it as another aspirational pronouncement aimed at maintaining public relevance, seemingly unattainable.

However, those knowledgeable about Nigeria’s hydrocarbon potential recognised that achieving and even surpassing, that production level primarily required removing cumbrous entry barriers, accelerating production via bid rounds and rigorously enforcing operational regulations, including the "Drill or Drop" policy.

At the time of pronouncement, Nigeria had just concluded its first fully executed licensing round under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, arguably the most successful bid round in 70 years. This milestone preceded the public announcement of the incremental production initiative and formed a strategic pillar to enhance the nation’s revenue profile. The successful execution of the licensing round served as a booster for the one-million-barrel incremental programme already underway. Reinforced by a renewed commitment to enforce the "Drill or Drop" policy, which aimed to revitalise dormant wells, the initiative anticipated reviving idle assets to increase oil flow and pipeline throughput. Complementing this momentum were a series of presidential executive orders that eliminated certain restrictive entry barriers, thereby encouraging broader industry participation.

These bold reforms aimed to attract investment, reduce costs and optimise sector efficiency through streamlined contracting processes, fiscal incentives, promotion of local content compliance, enhanced regulatory clarity and steadfast implementation of the PIA. Also, efforts focused on reviving dormant assets and bolstering security and infrastructure support. Collectively, these measures sought to dismantle significant financial, regulatory and operational hurdles, transforming Nigeria’s oil and gas sector into a more competitive and investorfriendly landscape. This signaled a renewed commitment to increasing production, attracting foreign investment and strengthening the country's energy security.

A little over a year since these strategic reforms took effect, visible progress is evident across the petroleum landscape. Production levels are rising, investor participation has increased and operational activities have intensified in offices, fields and wells. More investment contracts have been signed in the offices, about 46 oil rigs are already active in the fields (as at July, 2025, from eight rigs in 2021) and the terminals are recording an average daily flow of about 1.78 million barrels of crude oil. This surge in rig activity underscores the upstream sector's growing momentum and the government’s dedication to expanding production capacity and investment, a core component of the incremental production plan.

The overarching goal of the onemillion-barrel incremental effort is to further enhance Nigeria's crude oil output from an average of 1.6 million barrels per day in 2024 to approximately 2.6 million barrels per day by 2026. Conceived as a collaborative effort among upstream stakeholders: producers, service companies, rig operators, financiers and crude off-takers, the initiative aims to unlock additional production through reactivating dormant fields, fast-tracking approvals, deploying improved recovery techniques and adopting a cluster and nodal development strategy. This approach reduces costs and mitigates risks by sharing infrastructure, which, coupled with institutional support, has reportedly increased production by roughly 300,000 barrels per day by mid-2025.

A diligent enforcement of the Drill or Drop policy would further complement the project by mandating producers to commence production within stipulated deadlines or risk forfeiture of such licenses. It will prevent asset idling, boost rig activity, maximise resource use and enhance government revenue. Timely field development is capable of revitalising Nigeria’s upstream sector, enabling increased crude oil output and broader economic benefits from petroleum

resources.

On Monday, September 1, 2025, the Nigerian government, through NUPRC, marked another milestone in its drive to enhance oil production by formally signing a landmark Production Sharing Contract (PSC) covering Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) 2000 and 2001. Executed on August 28, the PSC involves NNPC Limited (as Concessionaire) and TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited with South Atlantic Petroleum (Deep Offshore) Limited (as Contractors). This is the first deep offshore PSC awarded since the 2024 bid round and the first to comprehensively address both crude oil and natural gas, incorporating innovative gas terms designed to unlock monetisation of nonassociated gas.

Structured under the Petroleum Industry Act and the 2022 Licensing Regulations, the PSC introduces a new benchmark in contract design, incorporating 32 clauses and 13 appendices, emphasizing responsible operations, transparency and increased value for the country.

The contract features robust fiscal terms, including a signature bonus of $10 million, production bonuses activated at two production milestones: two million barrels and four million or cash equivalent upon achieving 35 million and 100 million barrels respectively, a crude profit oil split based on cumulative production, gas profit sharing tied to cumulative associated gas sales, a cost oil limit of 70%, applicable royalty rates and clear definitions of recoverable versus non-recoverable costs. It also includes provisions for decommissioning, abandonment and an environmental remediation fund, along with a mandated minimum work programme and performance guarantees. This PSC signposts the commencement of a deliberate work programme intended to unlock Nigeria’s deep-water geological potential, expand reserves, augment production and enhance national energy security. Komolafe described the agreement as more than a contract; it represents a blueprint for the future, embodying Nigeria’s dedication to regulatory reform and energy sector expansion, and supporting NNPC’s target of two million barrels of oil and 10 billion cubic feet of gas per day by 2027. He reaffirmed NUPRC’s pledge to maintain a level playing field, reduce uncertainties and engender ease of doing business.

James,

a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, writes from Abuja

Financial institutions must be deliberate in their service to customers, urges TEMITOPE FASORANTI

A TALE OF ORDERS

Almost everyone has a tale of placing an order for products based on a picture or a service promise and getting something sub-standard. While this is most prevalent in the e-commerce sector, we must begin to ask same of our service providers - is what I ordered different from what I got?

Nigeria’s financial inclusion rate has grown steadily in the last 10 years from 53.7% in 2012 to 74% in 2023 according to the apex Bank and Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) reports. This means that bank accounts and Fintech wallets are fast becoming a necessity for all Nigerians. But the question remains, is your financial partner delivering what you ordered?

Let’s start by examining financial institutions and their commitment to delivering what is ordered.

Generally speaking, financial institutions adopt three core strategies in customer acquisition, namely: Branding, marketing, and customers service.

Brand image involves creating a perception of elegance in the minds of customers and prospects. It may be based on facts or through make-believe. Marketing on the other hand includes activities like, one on one engagements, promotions, media publications, event sponsorships and influencer hypes aimed at driving awareness. Customer service refers to how the customer is being catered to - such as products rendered and after sales support. All financial institutions adopt these three strategies to acquire customer, howbeit, in different degrees.

Branding is very important because whatever people think of an institution whether real or imagined would determine, their level of interactions. Brand image is used by institutions to elicit affinity from consumers. From the style of building structures to taglines to lapel pins, these physical, written and verbal assets are used to create a desired image in the minds of customers and would be customers.

Branding is used as a potent tool to drive emotional appeal; little wonder, institutions invest a fortune in it. Examples of branding include colour scheme, logos, font style, tone and personality of communication.

Very close to branding is marketing. Banks in Nigeria have long adopted this as a core part of their acquisition strate-

gy. One of the most populated department in financial institutions in Nigeria is the ‘marketing department’. With fancy clothes and soft words, they attempt to convince you that choosing to bank with them “is the best decision of your life”. And if that doesn’t work they could pull out the “emotional card”. The principle of marketing is that the more you engage a customer, the more likely they are to onboard with your institution. Marketing initiatives may be in-person or through digital channels.

Digital Marketing, involving using online channels and digital technologies, has seen a huge uptake amongst financial institutions. Digital marketing is not entirely new to advertising. Before now, it was the use of random casts to convince you of the benefits of a service or financial solution. Now, it’s a lot more sophisticated. Your favourite skit-maker and movie stars are used to connect with you on an emotional level; real life scenarios are adopted to make these adverts more relatable and these ads come subtly at you in the middle of your favourite television show are while surfing the internet for an entertaining content. Your interactions with such contents are also measured to ensure digital marketing strategies are better optimized for consumer appeal.

The third effective strategy for customer onboarding, is customer service. While branding and marketing are good, they must be complemented by excellent customer service. Any financial institution that pays more attention to branding and marketing than they do to excellent customer service will always fall short of the customers’ expectations.

For any service to be considered excellent, it must be driven by a desire to meet the customers’ needs not just to appear ‘woke’. Customers’ requests from their financial institutions are numerous but not limited to the following: Security (Trust) – this includes ensuring funds are secured from fraudsters, internal theft and loss of deposits (due to the institution’s liquidation).

Accessible – this means access to funds 24 hours every day and from anywhere. Ease of access to pay bills, do transfers and fund other lifestyle needs. It also includes access to credit and immediate support.

Dr Fasoranti is an Economist, Banker, and Consultant on Digital Transformation.

JOSHUA OSAH argues that small and medium sized enterprises need the right intelligence to manage their finances judiciously

SMES AND DATA QUALITY CONCERNS

For any business that strives to be successful and sustainable, there should be unequivocal consensus by its stakeholders that their decision making must be contingent on intelligence that is extracted from reliable data. This line of thinking is conscientiously crafted to get the attention of small and medium enterprises (SME’s) that are domiciled in Nigeria, noting the dismal statistics that depict the high failure rates of such businesses in the region. The inextricable link between business intelligence (BI) and business decision-making cannot be overemphasized. Metaphorically, making decisions for a business without B.I is commensurate to driving blindfolded. Obviously, we can all predict that there will be catastrophic ramifications for such an action. Central to the concept of B.I is the quality level of data that comprises intelligence. Data quality embodies a comprehensive expression that considers the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, ease of accessibility, security, degree of understandability and relevance of accumulated data from which intelligence emerges. Getting data to this state necessitates a conscious, deliberate and painstakingly meticulous process that may expectedly intimidate business owners. This in turn may breed reluctance to actions aimed at validating the quality of data that businesses use to form their intelligence. Business owners who entertain such reluctance should however be cognizant of the idiom garbage in garbage out (GIGO). Simply put, low quality data will produce low quality intelligence. Given the above synopsis, it is disheartening to note that many SMEs in Nigeria, do not treat data quality concerns with the required urgency. Relatedly, many firms in this context make unintelligent decisions. We have all heard the anecdotes of mindless financial planning, random product launches, atrocious hiring decisions and lack of attention to customer concerns. Obviously, failing to collect data across these focal areas will result in poor decision making in related areas. Using any web indexing tool, a quick search about SME failure rates in Nigeria will produce a substantial number of online articles, implicitly suggesting that it is indeed an area of concern. Furthermore, a good number of these articles and written pieces point to poor decision making as a key factor that contributes to the eventual failure of these businesses. Granted, there is overwhelming perception by majority of the Nigerian populace that the harsh economic environment is responsible for the high failure rates that SME’s experience. Whereas there is truth to the thinking that Nigerian domiciled SMEs operate in a highly precarious macro-economic environment, it is also true that the only way to navigate such a context is by consistently making

the right decisions (which can only be achieved where there is access to quality intelligence). For instance, an SME needs the right intelligence to manage its finances judiciously, and in a similar manner they need the right intelligence to access external funding. Besides, it makes logical sense for SMEs in the Nigerian context to focus on the actions that they can control rather than constantly worrying about uncontrollable dynamics at the macrolevel. To achieve acceptable data quality standards that the paragraphs above have been attempting to argue for, Nigerian domiciled SMEs must begin to habitually undertake certain actions that will overtime enhance the quality of data required to support their decision making. Firstly, it is believed that a good proportion of the SMEs that operate in Nigeria do not routinely capture operational data. An example that is the lack of proper accounting record keeping that is commonly observed amongst businesses in the informal sector. Clearly, if there are no records kept about financial undertakings and actions, how can such businesses judge the soundness of their financial decisions over time. Moreover, if no records are captured data quality cannot be ascertained. Therefore, a first point of call for Nigerian domiciled SMEs is to ensure consistent data capture. Osah (2024), points out some useful tips that can aid such data capture. I will take it a notch higher by nudging SMEs to adopt digital tools to support the capture of their operational data. As recently as 2025, I have witnessed firsthand where SME owners/representatives still make use of pens and notebooks to facilitate recording of their operational activities. The irony of this observation is that on these notices a good number of these representatives had smartphones with them. It is widely acknowledged that android and IOS enabled smartphones can support spreadsheet applications which are very powerful tools for organization and record keeping. Moreso these spreadsheet applications can be downloaded for free.

Dr Osah is a senior lecturer at the School of Media and Communication of the PanAtlantic University, Lagos

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

TACKLING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

There is need to invest more in vocational education

Former Statistician General of the Federation, Yemi Kale, warned recently that rising youth unemployment in the country should be considered a national security threat. Each year about 4-5 million young Nigerians enter the labour market that isn’t creating jobs fast enough, raising the unemployment level to about 53 per cent. “To address this, we need to invest in vocational and digital skills training tied to high-growth sectors,” Kale said. “Expand credit and regulatory support for MSMEs and start-ups….”

We agree with Kale that unless the relevant authorities do something critical and urgent about the astronomical rise in unemployment levels, particularly among the youths, Nigeria may be sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode. Figures available paint a dire situation of millions of Nigerian youths roaming the streets looking for work but finding none. For President Bola Tinubu, one issue that must be uppermost in his mind is how to tackle this challenge. It should not be taken for granted that because Nigerians are somewhat resilient, they will continue to accept the tough socio-economic conditions. If things continue the way they are today, nobody should be under any illusion that Nigeria is insulated from the kind of social and political upheavals currently being witnessed in some African countries.

such a huge number of the nation’s labour force is idle is bad enough. But worse and extremely dangerous is the fact that majority of that army of idle citizens is peopled by those between the ages of 15 and 35. Worse still is that there is no evidence to suggest that the authorities in Abuja and the 36 states appreciate the gravity of the situation nor are there plans to deal with it.

There is urgent need to realign the nation’s educational curriculum with the needs of the economy

T H I S D AY

EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU

DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE

MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU

CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

The unemployment crisis has created a lost generation of graduates who cannot find jobs. Many of them are exasperated. The reality of our situation today is that Africa’s most populated country paints a terrible situation of joblessness. Indeed, the NBS has reported a consistent pattern of worsening situation of unemployment. That

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU

DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE

DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI

SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI

DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

The clear and present danger of such a high level of idleness among young people is already manifested in the high level of strife and crimes in virtually every corner of the country. Whereas the multitude of violent outbursts might have religious and ethnic undertones it is a notorious fact that most of the people in the fields and trenches of war are youths who if otherwise meaningfully engaged would have been unavailable for those worthless anti-social endeavours. Some of the factors aggravating this situation include a growing population amid declining financial resources, predominant production of primary goods over finished products, aging public infrastructure and opaque systems of governance. In several parts of the country where farming is the main occupation, the incessant violence on communities by terrorists have made the profession a serious hazard. Of more fundamental imperative, however, is the urgent need to realign the nation’s educational curriculum with the needs of the economy. It has been said with some measure of justification that many of the school leavers are unemployable, with regard to their training and skills. It has become necessary as Kale suggested that our educational training curriculum must incorporate skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development so that graduates leave school with the capacity to create wealth and jobs rather than seeking jobs.

Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

TINUBU’S REVENUE TARGET AND THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently announced that Nigeria had impressively surpassed its 2025 revenue targets as early as August 2025. On the surface, this is a laudable feat, especially in a country where revenue shortfalls have often undermined economic planning and budget implementation. Meeting revenue targets ahead of schedule should ordinarily signal hope for better fiscal stability, improved service delivery, and greater infrastructural development.

However, beneath this celebration lies a series of unanswered questions. If the government has indeed met and exceeded its revenue targets, why are many Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) still struggling to perform their statutory functions due to lack of funds? Reports indicate that numerous local contractors are owed huge sums of money, with many unable to service

loans collected from banks to execute government projects. These contractors, like many Nigerians, have families to feed and workers to pay. Their plight raises doubts about the practical impact of Nigeria’s much-publicized revenue success.

Even more troubling is the admission by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, that Nigerian missions abroad are facing serious financial difficulties. Diplomats and staff are allegedly unable to receive salaries on time, service routine bills, or function effectively. For a country that prides itself as the “Giant of Africa,” this is both embarrassing and dangerous, as it undermines Nigeria’s international image and diplomatic presence.

The critical question therefore remains: Why are budgeted funds not being released, despite the government’s

claim of surpassing its revenue goals? Nigerians deserve to know what is being done with the generated funds. Transparency and accountability must be at the center of public finance management if citizens are to trust the system.

President Tinubu must go beyond rhetoric and take concrete action. Contractors who have fulfilled their part of government agreements should be promptly paid. Funds appropriated to MDAs should be released without unnecessary bottlenecks. Furthermore, anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC must step up oversight to ensure that released funds are judiciously utilized, rather than diverted for personal gain.

Tochukwu Jimo Obi, jimobi83@gmail.com

At

Maximum Lending Rate Drops

One-Year Low Amid Stable Monetary Fee

As the Monetary Committee Members (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) retained interest rate at 27.50 per cent, the average maximum lending rate in Nigeria’s banking sector dropped to 29.31 per cent in July 2025, making it the lowest rate since July 2024-28.89 per cent. Maximum lending rate represents the average of the highest lending rates charged by deposit money banks in Nigeria and it is influenced by the CBN’s monetary

policy adjustments.

Inflation rate, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had dropped to 21.88 per cent as of July 2025 from 24.48 per cent January 2025, while Naira at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) closed July 2025 at N1,534 against the dollar from N1,477.99 against the dollar January 31, 2025. According to the CBN’s money market indicator, the reported 29.31 per cent average maximum lending in July 2025 is the

lowest so far this year.

With interest rate at 27.50 per cent, commercial banks typically add a margin of 300–500 basis points above the interest rate to cover credit risk, inflation, and operational costs.

THISDAY analysis of CBN revealed that the 30.50 per cent in February 2025 was the highest average maximum lending, followed by 30.19 per cent reported in March 2025.

In a bid to tackle inflation and stabilise the Naira at the foreign exchange market, the

CBN since November 2024 retained its rate at 27.50 per cent from 27.25 per cent

In December 2024, the maximum lending rate was 29.71 per cent, when the MPC voted to retain the MPR at 27.50 per cent

The steep increase in the interest rate has sparked concerns regarding the potential impact on the cost of credit for businesses already facing economic hardships due to foreign exchange reforms and fuel subsidy removal by the

federal government.

Further analysis of the CBN data revealed that the average maximum lending rate rose to 29.79 per cent in January 2025 from 29.71 per cent in December 2024 when MPC members of CBN voted to retain MPR to 27.50 per cent.

Early in 2024, average maximum lending rate stood at 27.07 per cent when MPR was at 18.75 per cent, while in March 2024, it closed at 29.38 per cent when the MPR stood at 24.75 per cent in March 2024.

When the MPR increased from 26.75 per cent in August 2024 to 27.25 per cent, the average maximum lending rate also rose from 29.93 per cent in August 2024 to 30.21 per cent in September 2024. The banking sector lending rate in Nigeria averaged 14.17 per cent from 1961 until 2024, reaching an all-time high of 37.80 per cent in September of 1993 and a record low of six per cent in April of 1975.

Total inflows into the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) stood at $2.80 billion in August, according to data from FMDQ, underscoring the continuing resilience of local participation even as foreign investors moderated their activity. The figure, though lower than the $3.83 billion recorded in July,

highlights the balance of contributions from both offshore and domestic sources. Analysis of the data showed that foreign inflows accounted for 38 per cent of the total at $1.06 billion, while domestic sources provided the larger share of 62 per cent, or $1.74 billion.

Analysts at Cordros Securities observed that foreign exchange inflows from both local

and offshore sources are likely to remain firm in the near term, with volumes expected to exceed the 2024 fullyear average of $2.51 billion. They attributed this outlook to improving market sentiment and the continued appeal of Nigeria’s naira yields to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).

According to FMDQ data, total inflows into the Nigerian Foreign

Exchange Market, NFEM, fell by 26.9 per cent m/m to $2.80 billion in August, from $3.83 billion in July, reflecting declines across both foreign, 38.0 per cent of total, and local, 62.0 per cent of total, sources. They said, “Foreign inflows dropped to a four-month low of $1.06 billion, down 61.0 per cent m/m, driven largely by weaker participation from FPIs, down 65.8 per cent m/m, and FDIs,

down 25.2 per cent m/m, partly cushioned by higher accretion from other corporates, up 165.5 per cent m/m.

“On the domestic front, inflows contracted by 17.9 per cent m/m to $1.74 billion, as declines from exporters/importers, down 32.8 per cent m/m, and non-bank corporates, down 32.7 per cent m/m, outweighed sharp increases from individuals, up 413.8

per cent m/m, and the CBN, up 118.9 per cent m/m.

“In the near term, we expect foreign exchange inflows from both local and foreign sources to remain strong, surpassing 2024 levels, with the 2024FY average at $2.51 billion, driven by improving market confidence and stillattractive naira yields for foreign portfolio investors, FPIs.”

At Afreximbank’s IATF 2025 in Algiers, Solewant Group Showcases Advanced Technology

Olufunke Adeola

As Africa’s most innovative businesses across multiple sectors converge at the SAFEX Building in Algiers, Algeria, for the ongoing 4th edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), Solewant Group, is one of the leading exhibitors capturing attention.

The company, which is Nigeria’s foremost pipe production, coating and energy sector industrial solutions provider, is showcasing cutting-edge technologies and its robust portfolio of subsidiaries at IATF 2025, which is convened by Afreximbank at SAFEX Building in Algiers.

The highlight of the company’s participation so far was the high-profile visits to its exhibition booth at Pavilion Union, Country Pavilions, beside the ECOWAS stand.

Dignitaries who stopped by included former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi.

The distinguished guests engaged the Solewant team with questions on the Group’s value addition to Africa’s energy and infrastructure sectors, particularly in steel pipe manufacturing, advanced pipeline coating technologies, protective paints, fabrication services, and energy training.

In response, Group Managing Director/ CEO of Solewant Group and leader of the company’s delegation, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi, provided compelling insights into how the company has become a trusted local content champion, bridging gaps in technology, capacity, and industrial excellence.

“Our commitment is not only to deliver world-class coated pipes, fabrication, and specialty protective solutions but also to deepen indigenous capacity through training and technology transfer. “We see Solewant as a vehicle for Africa’s self-reliance in energy and infrastructure,” Ewanehi explained.

Highpoint of the dignitaries’ visit was a series of group photographs with Solewant executives, symbolising solidarity with Africa’s drive for

homegrown industrialisation.

Solewant Group’s delegation to IATF 2025 is composed of top executives from across its five subsidiaries: Group Managing Director/CEO, Solewant Group, Ewanehi; Group Executive Director and Managing Director, Solewant Specialty Protective Coatings & Paints Ltd. (SSPC), Mr. Matthew Aganren; Executive Secretary, Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI), Dr. Benjamin Ubleble; Business Development Manager, Solewant Group, Dr. Felix Onyela; and the Group Sales Representative, Southern Africa Region (Namibia); Ms. Selma Matheus.

Across the exhibition floor, Solewant is presenting its diversified portfolio: Solewant Nigeria Limited (SNL) – Africa’s largest multi-layer pipe coating plant, delivering 3LPE, 3LPP, 5LPP, FBE, and Concrete Weight Coating solutions; Field Joint Coatings Ltd. (FJCL) – Onshore and offshore field joint coating and rehabilitation services; and SSPC – Specialty protective paints and coatings.

Others include: Pipe & Metals Industries Ltd. (PMI) – Steel pipe and metal fabrication; and SETI –Industry-focused energy training and certification.

The company’s presence at IATF 2025 also emphasizes its role in supporting AfCFTA’s mission by driving intraAfrican trade, strengthening local supply chains, and fostering regional self-sufficiency in energy infrastructure across Africa and the diaspora.

With a clear focus on innovation, local content, and sustainable growth, the Group is seizing IATF 2025 as a platform to build new partnerships, explore export opportunities, and reinforce its strategic positioning as a pan-African leader in industrial and energy solutions.

In recent years, the company has been strengthening its leadership position in technological innovation in the global oil and gas industry by showcasing innovative oil and gas products and solutions at global events. Two of such events include the Offshore Technology Conference

(OTC) held in May 2025 in Houston, Texas, United States of America (USA), and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) 2025, held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

OTC represents a consortium of 15 non-profit entities dedicated to supporting the global energy sector.

At OTC 2025, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ewanehi, represented by the company’s Group Executive Director, Mr. Matthew Aganren, made a presentation at the company’s exhibition booth at the Nigerian pavilion on May 6.

Speaking during the presentation, Ewanehi noted that the company has excelled in manufacturing and supply of steel pipes, metals, fabrication and specialty coating solutions for 25 years.

According to him, the company is entering the next phase of its extensive development through a series of investments and expansions.

Ewanehi enumerated the company’s facilities to include: Multi-layer pipecoating plant; concrete weight coating plant; pipe milling and steel fabrication facility; state-of-the-art laboratory; pipe storage and preservation facility; and pipe bend and fitting coating facility - with plant equipment installation currently ongoing.

It was on this occasion that he announced that the company would unveil the state-of- the-art pipe bend and pipe fitting multi -layer coating factory at its industrial park, Onne, Rivers State, which was done in June, 2025.

“Our vision is to be the first-rate world-class steel pipes and coating service provider for the oil, gas and water industry in Africa. Our mission is to provide excellent and reliable steel pipe and coating services, manpower training and research, using well-trained pipe/metals industrial experts and best modern technology to satisfy our clients,” Ewanehi explained.

“Our competence includes: Engineering design, Pipe manufacturing and provision of steel pipes, 3-Layer polyethylene pipe coating services, 3LPP to 5LPP pipe coating solution, Concrete weight

coating solution, Steel pipe/metals fabrication and specialty coating solutions, Field Joint Coating Solutions, Cathodic Protection Solution and Manpower training services,” Ewanehi added.

He noted that the company’s multilayer pipe coating was commissioned in November 2016.

Ewanehi also told the global oil and gas industry stakeholders and top government functionaries that the company’s 5LPP Coating system provides a five-layered polypropylene system on pipes.

“The Solewant Pipe Milling Plant is helping to cut the growing needs for steel pipes in upcoming projects in Nigeria, with Solewant steel pipe manufacturing technology that produces 12-inch to 56-inch line pipes to serve the oil, gas and water industries.

He stated that the company’s solid reputation was built on consistency, expertise, clients’ satisfaction and efficient project delivery.

Speaking on the company’s future, Ewanehi stated that “Our business plan and strategy is to continue to invest in People, Plants, Products and innovations required to build and deliver master class projects for our clients.”

Solewant Group also showcased its technological innovations at NOGOF 2025, held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

At the conference, Ewanehi announced the unveiling of ‘Solewant Group Roadmap Plus’ to deepen its advancement in technological innovation and also boost its contributions to Nigeria’s industrial development and energy transition.

The unveiling of the ‘Solewant Group Roadmap Plus’ was part of the company’s renewed commitment to its 10-year strategic vision.

While hailing the NCDMB for its continued leadership in promoting local content, Ewanehi also lauded the efforts of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), and the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), in deepening local capacity development.

Adejuwon: MBH Aims to Save Forests, Curb Land Deforestation, Sustain Africa’s Greener Future

A US-based forestry sustainability advocate, Prince Adebanjo Adejuwon, has embarked on a journey to save the planet through its MBH Global Resources, a reputable forestry and agro-industrial company. Adejuwon’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s effort on green revolution no doubt is Africa’s leading catalyst for forest regeneration and set a benchmark in sustainable land management and climate change advocacy. In this interview with Oluchi Chibuzor, he speaks on Sustainable Forest Management, a holistic approach to managing forests that balances environmental protection, social needs, and economic growth and how the idea of embracing tree planting to save forests, tackle land deforestation and sustain the greener future has become a global phenomenon. Excerpts

Who is Prince Adebanjo Adejuwon, and what inspired the founding of MBH Global Resources?

Prince Adebanjo Adejuwon is the GMD/CEO of MBH Global Resources, a US-based sustainability advocate with a background in business administration, management, and agriculture. His passion for environmental conservation was shaped during his childhood in Ijare, Ondo State, Nigeria, where he witnessed widespread deforestation without regeneration. This experience, combined with his entrepreneurial and agricultural expertise, inspired him to establish MBH Global Resources as a platform to regenerate Africa’s forests, restore degraded lands, and empower communities through sustainable solutions.

What is the mission of MBH Global Resources towards a greener planet?

MBH Global Resources is an environmentally focused enterprise leading large-scale forest regeneration and land restoration presently within southwestern Nigeria and intention to go further beyond. Through agroforestry, economic tree farming, consulting, and nursery operations, the company aligns with climate-smart practices and global ecological goals. By working with governments and private partners, MBH Global Resources transforms degraded landscapes into ecosystems that support biodiversity, secure livelihoods, and drive long-term climate resilience.

Can you enumerate the aims of MBH Global Resources…?

• Promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM): Balancing environmental, social, and economic needs while safeguarding forests for future generations.

• Scaling Afforestation and Reforestation: Restoring degraded lands through tree planting, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration.

• Advancing Climate-Smart Agriculture: Integrating ecological land use with sustainable farming systems that build resilience and food security.

• Engaging End Users Through Green Solutions: Reducing deforestation by providing sustainable alternatives that support livelihoods and cultural values.

• Fostering International Partnerships: Collaborating with governments, global stakeholders, and the private sector to scale ecosystem restoration.

At what stage did the company conceive the idea of tree planting?

The vision for tree planting emerged in response to global climate agreements such as the Paris Accord of 2016.

Building on agricultural expertise and entrepreneurship, MBH Global Resources launched its initiatives five years ago. Since then, it has advanced forest regeneration projects, collaborated with governments on reforestation goals, and mobilized investments for climate-smart development.

Nigeria still belongs to the continent where millions don’t have access to clean cooking and rural end users contribute a lot to deforestation through fetching firewood. How can this end?

Energy poverty remains a root cause of deforestation. MBH Global Resources advocates for promoting clean cooking technologies and renewable alternatives while scaling afforestation projects. By offering end users practical green solutions and reducing reliance on firewood, the company addresses both environmental degradation and social needs.

You said you started about five years ago, can you mention some of the achievements so far?

Beginning with family-owned land at Oreseun ijare, in Ifedore Local Government Area, Ondo State, MBH Global Resources has grown into a regional leader in reforestation. A landmark achievement is a PublicPrivate Partnership with Ondo and Ekiti States restoring over 1,000 hectares of degraded land through planting thousands of economic trees. This initiative combats

deforestation, creates jobs, protects biodiversity, and strengthens rural economies, demonstrating a scalable global model.

Can you throw more light on the economic implications, benefits and the sustainability of the projects?

Sustainable forestry creates both ecological resilience and economic opportunities. By engaging communities in tree planting and agroforestry, MBH Global Resources provides jobs, enhances food security, and generates long-term industrial value. Species like Melina, Teak, Afara, Obese, Opepe, Iroko and so on are used in industries ranging from paper to furniture. Though capital-intensive, such projects attract sustainable investments, proving that environmental stewardship and economic growth go hand in hand.

While protecting the environment, the business aspect is what keeps it going. What are the economic benefits of these trees?

The trees planted by MBH Global Resources generate significant economic returns. Melina trees can be used in paper and other industries within three to four years, while hardwoods such as Iroko provide valuable timber over longer cycles. Diversifying tree species ensures continuous supply, supporting industries while maintaining ecological balance.

How do you get the seeds to do all these things?

Seeds are sourced from established nurseries and plantations. Some of the earliest farms managed by MBH Global Resources now produce their own seeds, ensuring sustainability and reducing reliance on external suppliers.

Tree planting is capital intensive, and a long-term project. And with the difficulty in getting the commitment of government across levels, how do you get private investors to buy into this idea?

MBH Global Resources encourages investment by offering scalable, lowerrisk models. Rather than funding from the beginning, investors can buy into established plantations with proven survival rates. This ensures predictable returns while advancing long-term forest regeneration.

What constitutes the difficulty in getting them to believe in it?

The primary challenge is early-stage investment, as young plantations require high maintenance. MBH Global Resources builds investor confidence by showcasing successful projects, ensuring transparency, and demonstrating forestry’s long-term economic and environmental returns.

You have carried out two successful tree planting projects in Ondo and Ekiti. Are you planning to expand your tentacles to other states?

Yes. MBH Global Resources has proposals with several southern states and is preparing to expand into northern regions where deforestation is more severe. Using irrigation and sustainable technologies, the company aims to scale its restoration projects nationwide and across Africa.

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, recently raised an alarm over Nigeria’s forest depletion. What effort is your organization making to involve the federal government?

MBH Global Resources aligns with national sustainability goals and promotes forestry as an economic engine. Drawing inspiration from countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, and Ethiopia, the company advocates for Nigeria to industrialize its forests, generating revenue, jobs, and resilience.

How does this touch on the end users and educational advantages?

There is plan on ground to collaborate with institutions offering forest-related courses in order to build capacity and provide end users with training, internships, and career development opportunities, thereby preparing a new generation of sustainability professionals.

L-R: Deputy President NBCC, Akin osuntoki; President NBCC, Abimbola Olashore; His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Africa, Ben Ainsley; British Deputy High Commissioner Lagos, - Johnny Baxter; UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Florence Eshalomi; Permanent Secretary, Federal ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi and Director of Investment Promotion, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mrs Gertrude Orji during the second edition of the Nigeria UK Business Dialogue held in Lagos… recently

Experts Calls for Bankable Projects to Unlock Africa’s $70bn Infrastructure

The PMI Global Summit Series Africa, which held recently in Kigali, Rwanda, has emphasised that poorly prepared projects in Africa, remain the biggest barrier to the continent’s transformation.

According to expert views from the summit, Africa’s greatest obstacle is not a shortage of capital but a shortage of bankable projects.

The Summit, the largest of its kind on the continent, served as a platform to discuss how Africa can turn its vast potential into reality through bankable projects, professional project

management, and strategic partnerships that deliver long-term impact.

In his address, the former president, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said Africa remained at a pivotal moment in history.

According to him, “The world is becoming more African. One in four people on the planet will soon be African. With 65 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, abundant critical minerals for the green transition, and 13 of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Africa is poised to drive global prosperity.”

To realise this potential, he said Africa must close

Bitget to Transfer 440m BGB to Morph Foundation

Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, is excited to share its strategic collaboration with its trusted ecosystem project Morph, the EVM layer for payments and onchain consumer finance.

The duo has signed up to boost BGB’s utility across a multitude of projects.

With this partnership, Bitget will transfer all BGB tokens that it controls, 440 million in total, to the Morph Foundation. Half of this allocation, 220 million BGB, will be burned in a single action, while the remaining 220 million BGB tokens will be locked and released at two per cent per month to fund liquidity incentives,

use case expansion, and education.

“With this commitment to the Morph Foundation, BGB is entering a new chapter as the gas and governance token of Morph. This upgrade expands BGB into the utility token for the next era of onchain consumer finance, powering payments, applications, and the broader settlement layer for millions of users worldwide,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.

The CEO of Bitget Wallet, Karry Cheung said, “BGB has found its home onchain with Morph, marking a new chapter in its journey. We are thrilled to invite millions of users to experience BGB and find utility in entirely new ways.”

its infrastructure gap, estimated at $70 billion annually, and ensure that projects deliver real impact.

Managing Director, PMI sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani, said: “Africa’s

future will be shaped not by the number of projects we launch, but by the impact those projects deliver.”

Director, Development Impact and Results Department at the AfDB, Armand Nzeyimana, spotlighted the persistent obstacle about the shortage of well-prepared, bankable projects.

According to him, a bankable project is one

that meets three essential tests: technical feasibility, with proven designs and resilient standards; financial viability, with clear revenue models and acceptable riskreturn profile for investors.

Sec Supports Insurers With Help-desk for Easy Capital Raising

Ebere Nwoji

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set up a help -desk to facilitate all processes relating to insurance operators’ bid raise the required funds through the capital market.

At the recent 19th insurers’ committee meeting, SEC Director General, Dr Emomotimi Agama said the commission will fast

track all documentations and approvals for insurance companies wishing to raise capital using the instrumentalities of the capital market.

Agama, who gave the commitment at the interactive session with chief executive officers of insurance and reinsurance companies said the dedicated desk would ensure that all approvals

and documentations were completed within 14 days thus giving the project a head start.

Agama urged insurance companies not to see the project as a fund raising exercise but rather a charge to the reforming and repositioning of the nation’s insurance industry for the big ticket businesses.

According to him, the new capital requirements

which prescribed N15 billion for non life insurance companies, N10 billion for life insurance firms and N35 billion for reinsurance companies should be considered as the much needed tonic for the repositioning of the market contrary to views in certain quarters that the move was meant to decimating the number of players in the industry.

NGX Lifts Trading Suspension on Universal Insurance Shares

Ebere Nwoji

The Nigerian Exchange Limited. (NGX) has lifted the suspension on trading in the shares of Universal Insurance Plc.

This development enables shareholders to resume trading the company’s shares on

the NGX platform.

In its weekly report, the NGX stated, “We refer to our market bulletin dated 1 September 2025 with reference number: NGXREG/ IRD/MB64/25/09/01 wherein we notified trading license holders and the investing public

of the suspension in the trading on the shares of Universal Insurance Plc (the Company).”

According to NGX, the rules mandate that if an issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the Cure Period, the exchange will send the issuer a

“Second Filing Deficiency Notification” within two business days. After the end of the Cure Period, suspend trading in the issuer’s securities; and notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the market within twenty-four hours of the suspension”.

NCAA Steps Up Enforcement of Disability Laws, Introduces Oversight Committee

Chinedu Eze

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has intensified oversight and enforcement of disability laws to enhance inclusivity in the aviation sector with the inauguration

of a Disability Inclusion Oversight Committee.

The Director General, Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, unveiled the committee at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja following an oversight visit by the House of Representatives

Committee on Persons with Disabilities.

In a statement, Captain Najomo said the initiative is an evidence of NCAA’s commitment to aligning with both national disability laws and international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

He stressed that accessibility and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities are critical to the Authority’s vision of a safer and more inclusive aviation industry.

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA:

Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 03 September 2025, unless otherwise stated.

SEC Clears N23.4bn Eko Rice Contracts for Listing on LCFE

Kayode Tokede

The Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange (LCFE) and stakeholders in the commodities ecosystem have held the pre-launch meeting for Eko Rice Classic Spots Contracts

Listing, a landmark event ahead of the official listing of rice contracts valued at N23.4 billion.

Welcoming stakeholders which comprise investors, regulators, and members of the agricultural value chain, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LCFE, Akin Akeredolu-Ale,

emphasised the significance of the listing as a major step toward building a transparent, structured, and globally competitive commodities market in Nigeria. According to him, the official listing of Eko Rice Classic Spots Contracts on the LCFE is expected to set a new benchmark in commodities trading and agricultural financing in Nigeria.

“This pre-launch is not just a curtain-raiser. It is an invitation to co-create the future of commodities trading in Nigeria. Eko Rice Classic is a model for how agriculture and

capital markets can align to generate wealth, ensure food security, and position Nigeria as a leader in structured trade,” he emphasised.

Akeredolu-Ale further further stated that “ Rice remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s food security, yet a significant portion of national demand is met through imports, a trend the Eko Rice Classic seeks to reverse. By channeling investments through LCFE’s structured framework, this listing supports local production while reducing pressure on foreign reserves.”

ProvidusBank Named Among Best Workplaces in Banking 2025

Nume Ekeghe

ProvidusBank has been recognised by Great Place

To Work as one of the Best Workplaces in Banking 2025, underscoring its commitment to employee empowerment and workplace excellence.

The award highlights the bank’s focus on integrity, teamwork, innovation, and inclusivity, reinforcing its position as a people-driven institution in Nigeria’s financial sector

Speaking on the recognition, Group Head, Human Resources at ProvidusBank, Kingsley

Ogirri, emphasised: “This award means a lot to us because it comes from what matters most — the experience of our people. It is proof that the policies and programmes we have put in place are making a difference: from opportunities for opportunities, to wellness initiatives, to creating a space where everyone feels valued. We will continue to listen, to improve, and to ensure ProvidusBank remains a place where careers and people flourish.”

Adding his thoughts, Managing Director/ CEO of ProvidusBank,

Walter Akpani, noted: “Our people are at the very heart of what we do. This recognition is a tribute to their hard work, creativity, and dedication. At ProvidusBank, we’ve always believed that when you create the right culture — one built on trust, collaboration, and innovation — excellence naturally follows. We are proud of this milestone, and it strengthens our resolve to keep building a workplace where our people can thrive and our clients continue to receive exceptional value.”

eTranzact Secures FIRS Nod to Power Nationwide E-Invoicing Platform

Nume Ekeghe

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) approved eTranzact International Plc as a certified partner for the nationwide rollout of its e-invoicing platform.

The approval positions eTranzact as a key technology provider in the government’s drive to digitise tax administration, building on its earlier collaboration with FIRS under Tax Administration 2.0, which introduced VAT

automation through secure API integration with banks.

The new e-invoicing platform, known as the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS), will standardise digital invoicing across business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and business-to-government transactions.

In a statement, Acting Director of Tax Automation at FIRS, Mike Adoga, said the agency worked with the National Information Technology Development

Agency (NITDA) to ensure only providers with robust capacity were selected.

Chief of Staff to the executive Chairman of FIRS, Tayo Koleoso, explained that the providers were carefully selected based on their ability to deliver at scale. “NITDA’s role was critical in tightening data protection and cybersecurity on the platform, giving taxpayers confidence that their information is safe and the process is transparent,” he noted.

CCSLD Consulting Boosts Banking Sector with Fraud Prevention

CCSLD Consulting has boosted the banking sector with fraud prevention by launching its Banking Security and Fraud Prevention Training Programme in Lagos.

The initiative extends the firm’s culture re-orientation expertise from the oil and gas sector into Nigeria’s financial services industry.

CCSLD Consulting, known for reducing compliance breaches and strengthening accountability in energy, is

now targeting fraud and cybercrime challenges in banking and mortgage finance.

The training will equip professionals in commercial banks and mortgage institutions, including the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, to tackle sectorspecific threats such as forged land titles, fraudulent cooperative loans, and insider fraud. Partner Osoba Otaigbe, based in the UK, stressed the importance of culture

in security:

“Security is not just about systems but also about culture. Extending this to banking will help institutions build resilience, protect customers, and restore trust.”

Nigeria-based partner Victor Okosun highlighted past success:

“Our interventions in oil and gas reduced compliance breaches and improved discipline. This tested approach will help banks embed fraud prevention into their DNA.”

To Benefit Shareholders, UBA Extends Rights Issue to Sept 19

KayodeTokede

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has extended its ongoing N157.843 billion rights issue by two weeks ending September 19, 2025.

UBA stated this, in a statement signed by the Group Company secretary/legal counsel, Bili Odum released on the Nigerian Exchange

Limited (NGX). According to the statement, “The bank hereby notifies its shareholders, the NGX, stakeholders, and the general public that the acceptance/ application period for its ongoing rights issue, initially scheduled to close on September 5, 2025, has been extended by two weeks and will now close on September 19,

2025, following the receipt of approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“This extension is aimed at providing shareholders with additional time to fully exercise their rights and participate in the Rights Issue. The Bank remains committed to ensuring that all shareholders are adequately carried along in the process

and can maximize the benefits of the rights issue.”

The company’s second equity issuance under its N400 billion Equity Shelf Programme, by way of a rights issue, is offering 3.157 billion new ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N50.00 per share, on the basis of one new share for every 13 ordinary shares.

Also, the bank’s first equity

issuance under the Programme closed on December 24, 2024, with a N239.4 billion rights issue achieved and a 104.8 per cent subscription level, which was subsequently scaled down to a 100 per cent allotment. This strong performance reflects significant investor confidence in UBA’s strategy and growth prospects.

Speaking, Group Chairman

of UBA, Tony Elumelu stated that, the rights issue intends to raise N157.8 billion in additional equity capital, which will enable the bank meet the new minimum capital requirements set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while also supporting its strategic expansion plans and enhancing long-term shareholder value.

Boosting Indigenous Engineering Excellence for Nigeria’s Industrialisation

Despite mounting challenges that limit their capacity utilisation, some indigenous Nigerian companies have remained resilient and competitive making visible impact in the nation’s industrialisation drive. One of such companies is Dorman Long Engineering Limited, a leader in the engineering and fabrication sector that exemplifies what indigenous firms can achieve when given the ooportunity, Peter Uzoho writes

Nigeria’s industrial future rests on a paradox. The country is rich in talent, ambition, and natural resources, yet its most critical infrastructure is too often built by outsiders. From bridges to oil platforms, foreign firms still dominate the projects that shape Nigeria’s economy, leaving local expertise underutilised. The result is a cycle in which billions of dollars flow out of the country each year, while the domestic capacity to design and deliver at scale struggles for recognition.

This dependence comes at a steep price. According to UN COMTRADE data, Nigeria imported almost $272 million worth of iron and steel in 2023, a figure that captures only raw materials and not the services or finished structures tied to major projects. By early 2025, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, warned that the true import bill was closer to $4 billion annually. Behind those numbers lies a deeper cost: a missed opportunity to create jobs, train young engineers, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial ecosystem from within.

THE COST OF LOOKING ELSEWHERE

Nigeria’s infrastructure needs are vast. The government estimates that the country requires between $100 billion and $150 billion annually, with experts projecting $3 trillion over 30 years to close the infrastructure gap. That scale of demand is not only a challenge but also an opportunity: if even a fraction of this investment were retained in-country, the effects on employment, industrial capacity, and long-term growth would be transformative.

When infrastructure investment remains within Nigeria, the ripple effects can be transformational. Beyond bricks and steel, such projects become engines for employment, skills transfer, and economic resilience. Consider Nigeria’s upcoming LNG Train 7 expansion—once complete, this $6.5 billion project is expected to generate 52,000 jobs, including 12,000 direct and 40,000 indirect positions.

Meanwhile, the Imota Rice Mill, poised to be sub-Saharan Africa’s largest, is projected to create 1,500 direct jobs and 254,000 indirect roles.

Examples like this show what’s possible when investment translates into local capacity. The same principle applies to the engineering and fabrication sector, where indigenous firms are proving they can deliver world-class results when given the chance.

PROVING POSSIBILITY

Consider the case of Dorman Long Engineering Limited, a company that exemplifies what indigenous firms can achieve when given the chance.

Established in Nigeria in 1949, Dorman Long began as a bridge builder in colonial times and has since evolved into a modern engineering powerhouse.

Over the decades, its steel and fabrication work has touched nearly every corner of the Nigerian economy, from energy to transport to communications.

The company’s portfolio includes some of the nation’s most critical assets. It provided structural steel for landmark bridges such as the First Niger Bridge and the Eko Bridge, both of which remain vital arteries of trade and mobility.

In the oil and gas sector, Dorman Long fabricated the Madu Conductor Supported Platform, the first oil drilling platform ever built entirely on Nigerian soil, a milestone that proved offshore engineering need not be imported. Its expertise has extended to refineries, LNG plants, and storage facilities that anchor

the country’s energy backbone, as well as telecoms towers and transmission structures that connect millions of Nigerians to power and communications.

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO CAPACITY BUILDING

What makes Dorman Long’s trajectory significant is its systematic approach to capability building. In 2009, the company installed Nigeria’s first heavy engineering quality hot-dip galvanising facility, filling a critical gap in the domestic supply chain. The company’s ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications provide the quality assurance that global clients demand.

Over the past three years, Dorman Long Engineering Limited has trained an average of 237 individuals across professional and vocational fields such as welding, scaffolding, electrical engineering, project management, civil works, and ICT. Beneficiaries have included students on industrial training, corps members, internal staff, and youths from host communities.

In partnership with the Shell

Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and in line with the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (HCD) Guideline, the company also delivered a 12-month training scheme at the Mudiame Welding Institute in Irrua, Edo State. Conducted between August 2021 and August 2022, the programme equipped 40 participants—8 in professional disciplines and 32 in vocational areas—with practical skills and industry exposure for future careers.

Building on this record, Dorman Long, in 2025, signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). The agreement commits the company to advancing professional training, strengthening local content, and embedding Nigerian engineers in major infrastructure projects. It reflects the company’s vision of being more than a contractor—serving instead as a custodian of Nigeria’s industrial future.

The company has also taken deliberate steps to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to the sustainable development of society, placing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations at the core of how it creates value. As a leading provider of oilfield equipment, structural steel, marine structures engineering, and fabrication, the company actively monitors its greenhouse gas emissions and implements strategies to cut waste, improve resource efficiency, and promote environmental conservation. These efforts reflect Dorman Long’s belief that industrial progress must go hand in hand with responsible growth and environmental stewardship.

CREATING INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

The impact of supporting indigenous engineering firms extends beyond individual projects. When local companies handle major infrastructure work, entire supply chains strengthen. Companies like Dorman Long have spent decades building trust through consistent performance.

Their seventy-five-year presence demonstrates not only resilience, but also the cumulative investment in skills, knowledge, and capital that anchor an authentic industrial ecosystem. It shows that Nigeria’s future does not have to rest on imported expertise but can be secured by institutions that have grown with the country, trained its people, and reinvested consistently in its economy.

United Nigeria, Southwest Airlines Seal Agreement for Delivery of 6 Boeing B737-800 Aircraft

Chinedu Eze

United Nigeria Airlines, one of Africa’s fastest-growing carriers, has signed a landmark aircraft sales and purchase agreement with Southwest Airlines, the world’s largest operator of Boeing 737 and a global leader in affordable and reliable air travel, for the delivery of six Boeing 737-800 aircraft within a year.

United Nigeria Airlines will also acquire an additional four Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, bringing the total to 10 between the first quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.

A press statement by United

Nigeria Airlines said the strategic fleet acquisition and expansion, which was brokered in partnership with SkyWorks Holdings, LLC., marked a new phase in the airlines’ strategic plan and growth.

SkyWorks specialises in aircraft lease origination and provides a full suite of aircraft and lease management services for airlines and investors

Speaking on the expansion, Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the new fleet will enable the airline to operate new flights into approved domestic, regional and international designations, lift

more passengers and cargo at competitive fares, and provide efficient point-to-point travels.

Okonkwo said that will help Nigerians and other African travellers to eliminate inefficient stopovers and save valuable time.

He stated, "The massive aircraft acquisition would generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs and boost the country's economic development and growth, in line with the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

"After four years of solid and reliable operations by United Nigeria Airlines, the Boeing 737-800 upgrade will pave

the way for a more profitable expansion and growth.

“We must put on record the strong support we have received from Boeing throughout the entire process and the promise for continued support to ensure a smooth entry into service and operation of the fleet.

"The excellent maintenance culture of Southwest Airlines, which is in line with United Nigeria Airlines’ culture, motivated us to make the acquisition. We are looking forward to continued collaboration with Southwest Airlines post-delivery in different areas, such as: training and maintenance support, among

Atuwatse III Champion African Women's Conference Towards Empowerment

Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom, Olori Atuwatse III, leading other notable Africa women, emphasised the importance of harnessing women potentials, empowerment and leadership skills towards contributing to the socialeconomic and political future of the continent.

Women across diverse endeavours had converged in Cape Coast, Ghana, at 2025 Women Allying Women Conference, a brainchild of "Elevate Africa".

Delivering a key note address at the well-attended

conference, Founder, Elevate Africa and Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom, Olori Atuwatse III, said the innate leadership qualities of women in homes and communities remained a testament to their capabilities in empathy, fiscal discipline, and strategic leadership.

The Queen Consort lamented the diminished role of women in formal decision-making spaces outside the home, particularly in business and politics, calling for a course correction.

She also stated that in the modern era, royalty demanded a complementary for role for both

male and female leadership in building a striving society, just as she called for constitutional reform to ensure inclusion of more queens, mothers and female traditional leaders in local and traditional councils.

She outlined the vision of Women Allying Women as a platform for women leaders to collaborate, reframing societal perceptions of women's roles.

She stated, "Every day, women across homes harness leadership skills that are innate to us. We show empathy, fiscal discipline, and strategic leadership, the kind that nurtures the next

generation even as we build our own future.

"Now, we all know that the home is not just a domestic place; it is a microcosm of society that shapes the wider customs, values, structures, and norms. We are the generation that not only climbs the ladder but also steadies it and guides other women up.

"It is time to course-correct, because I can imagine what will happen when we set the temperature of nations and shape the atmosphere of continents. Incredible things. Purely incredible things."

Azuh Arinze Conferred CIPA Fellowship

The Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, Mr. Azuh Arinze, has been conferred with the prestigious Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria (CIPA).

Established in 1996 and chartered by Act of Parliament No. 1 of 2017, CIPA recognises outstanding individuals who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, administration,

and public service. Azuh, a renowned journalist and prolific author, has written several influential works, including The CEO’s Bible (Volumes 1 & 2), Success Is Not Served A La Carte, Anything and Everything Journalism, My Story of Many Colours, and Conversations with Showbiz Stars. Academically, he holds a HND in Mass Communication, a B.Sc. in Public Administration, and a Master’s degree in Public

Administration. He is also currently pursuing his doctorate in the same field.

Before founding YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, the proud Rotarian and Knight served as Editor of Encomium Weekly. The conferment ceremony was held in Lagos on Saturday, August 6, 2025.

In the official letter of admission, Dr. Uche Okereke, Registrar/Chief Executive and Secretary to the Council, wrote:

“The President and the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria, at the last Council meeting, unanimously agreed to bestow on you the Fellowship of the Institute. The decision, no doubt, was informed by the fact that you have exhibited a high degree of exemplary leadership style, not just as a seasoned administrator but also as a man of great integrity whose virtues are worthy of emulation.”

other areas.

"Consequently, we have also expressed interest in acquiring an additional four Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, bringing the total to 10, which will be inducted into the United Nigeria Airlines fleet between the first quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.”

Speaking on the partnership, during the signing ceremony at the corporate campus of Southwest Airlines in Dallas, USA, Anbessie Yitbarek, Boeing’s vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Africa, said, "We are pleased to welcome United Nigeria Airlines to the 737 family with its first 737-800.

“The 737-800 will provide United Nigeria Airlines with superior reliability, fuel efficiency and high-value returns operators require in today's competitive market.”

Chief Commercial Officer of SkyWorks Holdings, LLC, Anders Hebrand, said, regarding the partnership, "We’re pleased to have partnered with Southwest Airlines as they continue to restructure and modernize their fleet.

“With United Nigeria Airlines, these top-of-the-line 737-800s have found a great home in the growing African aviation market, where they will be productive for many more years to come."

The Boeing 737-800, renowned for its advanced technology and design enhancements that improve performance, efficiency, and passenger comfort, will enable United Nigeria Airlines to broaden its domestic, regional, and international operations, enhance efficiency and capacity, and strengthen Nigeria’s competitive edge in global aviation.

Nigeria Hosts Global Business Mixer Ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Ghana

Nigeria has positioned itself as a rising powerhouse in innovation and global trade with the Global Business Mixer, a high-profile event held in Lagos ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) in Ghana this November.

The mixer brought together visionary entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders from across Africa and beyond to explore opportunities and drive growth.

Under the theme, “Global Business: Unlocking Opportunities”, the event showcased Nigeria's capacity to lead Africa's economic renaissance, emphasising strategic partnerships, disruptive technologies, and resilience as key drivers of growth.

Industry experts highlighted artificial intelligence as a gamechanger, with AI CEOs sharing insights on how to leverage technology for productivity, profits, and sustainable development.

Project Lead for GEF, Dr.

Summy Smart-Francis, noted that the mixer is part of a movement to create a powerhouse of innovation and collaboration across the continent. "This isn't just a gathering; it's a movement," he said, emphasising the importance of bringing together the brightest minds from across the globe to drive economic transformation."

Nigeria's top executives echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of collaboration, technology, and resilience in propelling the country to the forefront of global commerce.

Jubril Arogundade, Board Chairman, emphasised the event demonstrates Nigeria's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to shaping the future of international trade.

The mixer also addressed the challenges facing Nigerian entrepreneurs, with industry leaders stressing the importance of soft skills, mentorship, and resilience in overcoming obstacles and sustaining growth.

UNVEILING OF CREDITPRO FINANCE COMPANY...

Leadway Holdings Announces Acquisition of PAL Pensions, Deepens Presence in Industry

Nume Ekeghe

In a move set to reshape Nigeria’s pension landscape, Leadway Holdings Limited, one of the country’s most diversified financial services groups, has acquired full ownership of Pensions Alliance Limited (PAL), a leading Pension Fund Administrator.

Leadway Holdings, in a statement, said the transaction, which transferred PAL’s equity from FSDH Holding Company Limited and Africa Alliance Insurance Plc, highlighted the growing wave of strategic consolidations in the financial services sector.

For Leadway, it signalled a

deliberate push to expand its footprint in pensions while reinforcing its broader commitment to driving long-term economic growth in Nigeria, the statement said.

It explained, “This acquisition of PAL Pensions, which recently celebrated the dual milestone of its 20th anniversary and crossing of the N1trillion Asset Under Management (AUM), underscores Leadway Holdings’ strategy of diversification and sustainable growth. By integrating PAL with Leadway Pensure, the Group creates one of the largest and most resilient pension fund administrators with a reinforced capacity to deliver more value

to Nigerians.

“The move further expands Leadway’s nationwide reach, positioning it to capture future growth in a pension market with immense potentials. The combined strength in governance, innovation, and customer reach promotes the collective goal of financial inclusion, delivers long-term value to stakeholders, and contributes to the stability of Nigeria’s financial sector.”

Commenting on the transaction, Group Managing Director, Leadway Holdings Limited, Tunde Hassan-Odukale, said, “This milestone is more than a transaction, it is a reaffirmation of our belief in the future of

Nigeria’s pension industry and our responsibility to help contribute to its growth. By bringing PAL and Leadway Pensure together, we are building not only scale, but resilience, trust, and broader access for more Nigerians to create wealth.

“At Leadway, we remain guided by a vision of service that balances innovation with integrity, and ambition with inclusivity. This acquisition reflects our commitment to creating lasting value - for our customers, the industry and for the nation.”

Equally speaking on the development, Group Managing Director, FSDH, Segun Odusanya, affirmed that the decision was a

Ossiomo: Ownership Rights Responsible for Power Outage

Ossiomo Power, an electricity firm, which serves streetlights, government house buildings, state secretariat and some private investors in Edo, has said it is the rightful owner of critical power infrastructure currently at Ologbo, Edo State.

However, its customers have been plunged into darkness since electricity from Ossiomo was switched off on September 1, over alleged ownership of the

power infrastructure. THISDAY gathered that the Chinese firm, CCETC which built the power station was also contesting ownership.

Deputy General Manager of Ossiomo Power, Francis Ekwe, in a statement at the weekend in Benin City, said the company has been confirmed to be the sole owner of the power generating plant, the transmission network, and associated gas infrastructure tied to the project

He said the company since

2008 held exclusive rights to the gas infrastructure and power facilities, adding that its ownership is backed by statutory licences and approvals for power generation and transmission within Edo State.

Ekwe added that CCETC’s involvement was limited to a contract executed in 2018 for the supply and installation of engines for the Independent Power Project (IPP1). He said the contract does not transfer or confer ownership of any

facilities to the Chinese firm.

The Ossiomo acting General Manager, noted that recent moves by the CCETC to assert ownership might be aimed at influencing state authorities and creating uncertainty around the operations of Ossiomo Power.

He therefore warned that any attempt to sideline an indigenous operator in favour of a foreign contractor could undermine Nigeria’s local content policy and pose risks to energy security in Edo State.

Rep. Member Backs Enugu State over Alleged Contract Breach, Urges EFCC to Recover N5.7bn from Contractor

Ndubuisi Francis in

Abuja

The leader of Enugu State caucus in the House of Representatives, and member representing Nkanu East & West Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji has lent his support to the Enugu State Government which is currently embroiled in an alleged contract breach with Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited for the construction of

22 smart school buildings in the state.

According to the state, the contract was awarded on July 2, 2024, for a total sum of N11,457,930,950.52, covering the construction of 22 Smart Schools, for which it paid N5.7 billion to Sujimoto, being half of the contract sum.

The contractor allegedly abandoned the project after collecting 50 per cent of the

contract sum.

In an interview yesterday, Nnaji, took a swipe at the Chief Executive Officer of the contracting company, Mr Olasijibomi Ogundele, for allegedly defrauding the Enugu State Government of N5.7 billion.

According to the lawmaker, Ogundele's company was awarded a contract to construct 22 smart school buildings across the state on July 2, 2024, worth

N11,457,930,950.52, with a completion period of six months.

However, he lamented that after collecting 50 per cent of the contract sum, amounting to N5,762,565,475.25, Ogundele allegedly failed to fulfill his obligations.

Nnaji described Ogundele's actions as "highly irresponsible" and accused him of betraying the trust of the Enugu State Government.

strategic one taken in line with the global vision of the organisation, with full consideration of the longterm interests of both organisations factored.

Odusanya stated, “This decision reflects our long-term strategy to sharpen our portfolio focus while ensuring PAL Pensions is well positioned for sustainable growth.”

He expressed confidence in the vision and strength demonstrated by Leadway Holdings all through the process, affirming that PAL Pensions is, indeed, being entrusted into capable hands.

Similarly reacting to the development, Managing Director, PAL Pensions, Sa’adu Jijji, expressed his appreciation for the seamless manner the transition had been handled, with particular focus placed on protecting the customers, employees, and stakeholders of PAL Pensions.

Jijji stated, “Our transition from PAL Pension into the Leadway ecosystem, without doubt, opens the door to industry-focused

collaboration that is bound to deliver a wider range of financial solutions, more growth, greater impact, and enhanced value for all stakeholders in PAL Pensions as we continue to deliver the stellar services we are renowned for.”

They further stated that the transaction, which remained subject to regulatory approvals, marked a pivotal moment for Leadway Holdings, as it strengthened its footprint in Nigeria’s financial services sector.

They said, "By unifying PAL with Leadway Pensure, the Group is better positioned for continued growth and industry leadership by creating one of the country’s largest and most resilient pension platforms anchored on governance, trust, and customer value.

“As integration progresses under the guidance of PenCom and Leadway’s leadership, contributors and stakeholders can look ahead with confidence to a stable, transparent, and sustainable financially secured future."

Bauchi Govt Recommits to Providing Quality, Free

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has reiterated its commitment to continue to offer free antenatal care, drugs to pregnant women and children U-5 years across the state.

The State Commissioner of Information and Communications, Usman Shehu Usman, who made the declaration over the weekend while leading a team of journalists on media tour of ongoing and completed projects of the present administration led by the Governor Bala Mohammed pointed out it was part of the government's commitment to promote family health, reduce infant morbidity and maternal mortality rates across the state.

The Commissioner while leading the team to see the Primary Healthcare Centre,

Konkyel, Darazo LGA and Model Primary Healthcare Centre, Dagauda, in Dambam LGA, assured that government has made drugs, delivery kits and other commodities available for the success of the free medical services.

According to him, government is committed to quality, effective and efficient service delivery in the healthcare sector of the state in order to ensure that patients have unhindered access to services. He called on the people to feel free to attend any health facilities across the state in order to access healthcare services that are readily available.

The officer in charge of the Primary Healthcare Centre in Konkyel, assured that drugs are available at the pharmacy while delivery kits and other essential healthcare services delivery are available.

AT THE GLOBAL BUSINESS MIXER...

DSS Writes X, Seeks Ban on Sowore’s Account over ‘Incendiary’ Post against Tinubu

Urges activist to retract comment, apologise Vows to take all legal steps to ensure compliance

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Department of State Services (DSS) has petitioned X (formerly Twitter), demanding the immediate deactivation of Omoyele Sowore's verified account, over what it described as 'incendiary' comments against President Bola Tinubu.

The letter of demand, dated September 6, 2025 and signed on behalf of the Director General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, by one B. Bamigboye, alleged that Sowore had been deliberately spreading

false information, hate speech, and incitement capable of threatening national security.

The Service referenced a post made by Sowore on August 25, 2025, in which he stated: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

The DSS stated that the remarks were personally targeted at the President via his official X handle and have since sparked widespread

condemnation and protests from Tinubu’s supporters, generating political tension across the country.

The DSS further explained that the post not only disparaged the President but also violated several Nigerian laws, including provisions of the Criminal Code, the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

The Service stressed that Sowore’s statements constituted online harassment, misinformation, and a deliberate attempt to

discredit Nigeria before the international community.

“The tweet in question violates transparency standards on X, and the government has strongly condemned it, considering it extremely dangerous, false, and a breach of privacy. It represents behaviour that manipulates public perception and negatively impacts the image of the President and the country,” the Service stated.

The DSS further warned X Corp. of “far-reaching, sweeping, and across-the-board measures”

NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests Three Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

An international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating between Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), made up of mainly ex-jailbirds in overseas prisons, has been smashed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the anti- narcotics agency, in two-week-long intelligence-led operations across Lagos, arrested three leaders of the cartel after intercepting a large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile

materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Babafemi said the unravelling of the drug syndicate began on August 26 after NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials going to Sydney.

He stated that a thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery of 16 big blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9 kilogrammes hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection.

He disclosed that a freight agent and member of the syndicate, Olashupo Oladimeji,

was the first to be arrested.

The consignment was expected to fetch the syndicate an estimated street value of over 5.3 million Australian Dollars, equivalent of N5.3 billion.

He said fast-paced investigation of the operations of the IOCG quickly unmasked other leaders of the group –Muaezee Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke.

Babafemi stated that Ogunbiyi, the arrowhead of the syndicate in Nigeria, was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja GRA last Wednesday and swiftly taken to his house in Lekki area of Lagos, where a search led to the recovery of 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis with a total weight of 10.9 kilogrammes, and

a double-barrelled pump action gun, with some cartridges.

Babafemi said a house located at 13 Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA, where the criminal group used to package illicit drugs for export, was subsequently raided and another leader of the syndicate, Shola Adegoke, was arrested there.

He added that a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in the compound was searched and 17 parcels of Loud weighing 9.6 kilogrammes were recovered.

A black Toyota Venza car with registration number FST 771 JQ was earlier recovered from Ogunbiyi at the point of his arrest at the hotel.

Kwara 2027: I Have 35 Years Experience to Provide Quality Leadership, Says Saraki's ex-Chief of Staff

A former Chief of Staff to former Governor Bukola Saraki and governorship aspirant of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, Alhaji Ladi Hassan at the weekend said that, he had over 35 years experiences to lead the state to enviable transformation and sterling leadership come 2027.

Hassan stated this in Ilorin while fielding questions from newsmen on the sideline of the forthcoming primaries of the party in the state.

He said that, "Out of all the governorship aspirants of the PDP in the state, I am the most qualified to fly the ticket of the party in the state.

"And I want to say that, I am most qualified and experienced.

I have been in government for some time. Out of all of us in the race in the PDP, I think I am almost qualified. I started from the scratch, from Personal Assistant, Special Assistant, Chief of Staff to commissioner to the chairman of the federal board to the head of the commercial ventures of the state; Harmony and to the FCT board.

"I have a broad experience

in terms of governance and before that, I taught in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions; Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and with a broad experience in the grassroots leverages.

"I also worked in the banking sector for many years. I have a broad experience in both private and public sectors of the economy and this is unrivalled with other contestants.

should the company fail to remove Sowore’s post and deactivate his account within 24 hours.

Separately, the DSS has written to Sowore, urging him to retract the said publication and apologise in national newspapers and television stations.

The secret police also vowed to use all legal means to ensure compliance if the activist fails to adhere to its demands, without further recourse to him and initiate measures it deems most appropriate.

‘‘(You are to) Make an immediate and unequivocal retraction of the false and repugnant post through the same platform and with the same prominence as the initial post; Publish a public apology

in at least two national dailies and two television stations with national spread.

“And send your representation within one week of receipt of this letter to the State Security Service Headquarters at No 1, Maitama Avenue, Three Arms Zone, Abuja or to dsspr@dss.gov.ng cc legalsat@ nhss2.org.

“Persons of your status who are campaigning to lead this country as critical stakeholders of democracy must be of high integrity and therefore should exercise restraint, and responsibility in their speech as well as action. Such individuals and organisations must in addition, tailor their comments towards promoting peace, security and good governance in the country.

Group Demands Probe of Human Rights Abuses Under El-Rufai’s Administration

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI), has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate and prosecute those responsible for alleged human rights violations during the tenure of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, between 2015 and 2023.

In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communication, Dr. Tunji Bamidele, the group said El-Rufai’s administration was marked by violence, oppression, and disregard for civil liberties, despite efforts at infrastructural reforms.

Among the incidents highlighted were the Zaria Shiite massacre, the Kajuru massacre, and the demolition of properties belonging to political opponents, which DWI described as evidence of a governance style that “prioritized power over fundamental rights.”

Bamidele said: “In light of the alarming human rights violations committed during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State

from 2015 to 2023, we hereby call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to take decisive action in arresting and prosecuting those responsible for these atrocities.

“We also urge international human rights organizations to lend their voices and support in holding accountable those who have perpetuated violence and repression against the citizens of Kaduna State.

“El-Rufai's administration has been marred by a troubling legacy of violence, oppression, and a blatant disregard for civil liberties. While the former governor attempted to implement infrastructural and governance reforms, his tenure was overshadowed by a series of egregious human rights violations that cannot be overlooked.

“The Zaria Shiite massacre, the Kajuru massacre, and the systematic demolition of properties belonging to political opponents are just a few examples of the alarming pattern of governance that prioritized power over the protection of fundamental rights.

Reactions Trail Killing of 58 Residents, 5 Soldiers in Borno

Emmanuel Addeh, Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode and Linus Aleke in Abuja

Reactions yesterday continued to trail the murder of 63 Nigerians on Friday in Darajamal, a community in Bama, Borno state, by the deadly Boko Haram insurgents who have waged a relentless war against Nigeria for over 15 years.

The jihadist group, THISDAY learnt, carried out the overnight attack on Friday night as the militants struck the village, home to a military base on the NigeriaCameroon border, killing at least five soldiers and 58 residents.

More than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed in the community,

while at least 13 drivers and labourers, who had been working on reconstruction efforts in the town were killed, it was gathered.

Former Vice President and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubukar, expressed shock over the weekend killings in the northern parts of the country, including soldiers and other security officials.

In a statement he signed, Atiku said he was deeply saddened by the tragic killing of scores of people, including gallant soldiers, in the Boko Haram attack, describing it as senseless violence and a painful reminder of the heavy price Nigerians continue to pay in the face of terror.

Police Brutality: Five Years After, Abia Victims Yet to Receive N511m Compensation

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Forty-six identified victims of police brutality and extra-judicial killings in Abia State are yet to be paid the recommended financial compensation totaling N511 million, five years after the #EndSARS protest.

Following the directive of the federal government, the immediate past administration of Okezie Ikpeazu had in 2020 set up a 17-man panel to receive, review complaints on police brutality, and recommend adequate compensations for victims.

The panel headed by Justice Sunday Imo (rtd), with Mrs. Uche Ikonne as secretary, had during its sitting received 86 petitions from Abia State victims and after deliberations recommended 46 for compensation. However, the past Abia government left office without attending to the recommendations of the panel thereby leaving the 46 victims

without receiving compensation till date.

Many states, including Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, among others are known to have paid compensations to victims on recommendations of their respective panels of enquiry.

Having waited for five years without receiving the expected compensation, the Abia victims of police brutality have appealed to both Governor Alex Otti and President Bola Tinubu to use their good offices and make the payment of the compensation possible.

The Facilitator/Coordinator of the Members of Police Brutality and Extra-Judicial Killing, Abia State chapter, Dr. Odita Nwabuko, made the appeal weekend in a statement made available to the media in Umuahia. He said that many states had already paid compensations to identified victims while Abia has not complied like others.

''My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, the resilient people of Borno, and Governor Zulum, whose swift compassion in visiting the affected community is commendable. May Almighty Allah grant the departed Al-Jannah Firdaus and comfort their loved ones.

''As a nation, we must rise to confront this menace with unity and renewed resolve. The sacrifices of our soldiers and civilians must inspire stronger community security, deeper collaboration, and unwavering commitment to peace'', the former vice president stated.

Also, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Saturday, visited Darajamal, a community in Bama, to condole with families of the 63 people killed by Boko Haram. The 58 civilians were earlier displaced by the insurgents but had been resettled in Darajamal for two months now.

Zulum, visibly moved by the incident, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families. He expressed grief and condemned the brutal attack in the

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Action Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the federal government's claims of embarking on a 76 billion Naira Eket bypass project in Akwa Ibom State.

The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the party, said there is no such project underway in Eket Local Government Area.

The federal government's chart captioned "Infrastructural Equity for Every Region," shows a total of N2.41 trillion worth of projects in the South South Region, including the Eket bypass project valued at N76 billion.

The party's Publicity Secretary, Mr. Manfred Ekpe, in a statement issued weekend in Uyo argued

strongest terms, a system from the state government said.

Speaking to newsmen, the governor said: "We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they go about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced a Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience."

On the casualties, the Governor said: "At this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more. Close to about 60 civilians and 5 soldiers lost their lives."

Governor Zulum, while noting the challenges faced in the fight against insecurity, also called for the immediate deployment of the newly trained Forest Guards to complement the military in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

He said, "We have to take note

that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere, so far so good, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained, therefore one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities."

Also, the Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, whose constituency Darajamal falls under, has condemned the attack, describing it as a crime against humanity. He expressed his commitment to supporting Governor Babagana Umara Zulum through legislative backing to restore peace in Borno State.

In the same vein, the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall has condemned the killing of civilians by suspected members of the non-state actors, Boko Haram.

Fall in a statement on Sunday said: “I am deeply appalled and saddened by Friday’s reported killing of dozens of civilians in

Darajamal Village, Bama Local Government Area (LGA), in Borno State in north-east Nigeria. Civilians should never be a target.

“Preliminary reports indicate that more than 50 civilians were killed when suspected members of a non-state armed group (NSAG) attacked Darajamal on the evening of September 5. An unknown number of people were also allegedly abducted, with others fleeing with injuries. At least 28 houses were also reportedly burned during the attack. The number of casualties is expected to change as more information becomes available.

“On behalf of the United Nations in Nigeria, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed and those affected, and to the Government and the people of Borno State and wish the injured a speedy recovery. I call on security authorities to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous attack and swiftly bring them to justice. I also call for the immediate release of all those abducted.”

that the claim is false and misleading.

Ekpe explained that the Eket bypass was designed under former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of the East/West Road project.

In Ekpe’s words, "ADC Akwa Ibom State Chapter has seen a chart designed by the federal government and captioned "Infrastructural Equity for Every Region.

"The said chart is designed as a response to the opposition who showed in a chart, that President Tinubu is concentrating major projects gulping the greater percentage of national capital budget in the South West.

"In a counter statement, the federal government produced a

chart showing the infrastructural projects of the Tinubu government nationwide.

"In the South South Region, the chart put a total of 2.41 trillion Naira as cost of projects in the region. Item 2 on the chart shows Eket bypass, a 9.7km road at 76 billion Naira.

"ADC wishes to state that there is no such project by the Tinubu government anywhere in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State."

He argued that the project was abandoned and later revived under the Buhari administration, with Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, noting that only clearing of about 1 kilometer of the bypass was done,

and no bitumen has been laid.

"Eket bypass, a 9.7 km dual carriage ring road was designed under former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of Section IV of the East/West Road.

"The bypass was later abandoned and revived under the Buhari civilian Junta and under NDDC when Senator Godswill Akpabio was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Only clearing of about 1 kilometer of the bypass was done.

"Not even 1 meter of bitumen has been laid. Till date this is the state of this road. The accompanying pictures show the state of this road. Nothing is happening there as claimed by the

Government."

ALFALFA GREEN FIELD DAY...

L-R: Registrar, Plateau State University (PLASU), Yakubu Ayuba; Head, Agric Finance, The Alternative Bank, Ugonwa Ikegwuonu; Hon. Commissioner for Livestock Development, Plateau State, Dr. Steven Akpa; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), PLASU, Prof. Keziah Kaslong, and Dean, Faculty of Agric, PLASU and Lead, Alfalfa Project Research Team, Associate Professor Hosea Istifanus Finangwai, at the Alfalfa Green Field Day in Bokkos, Plateau State… recently

NNPP: Jibrin Traded Our Party for Ministerial Slot

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Chairman of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) in Kano State, Hashimu Dungurawa, has alleged that the lawmaker representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Abdulmumin Jibrin, traded the party for a

ministerial position in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing a press conference in Kano yesterday, Dungurawa said the NNPP leadership took the decision to expel him from the party having understood that the lawmaker was clearly seeking a job in Abuja using the party.

In response to the lawmaker’s claims of unfair hearing, Dungurawa argued that the circumstances surrounding the expulsion made a formal hearing unnecessary.

“How can you give fair hearing to a person who publicly declared that he is

planning to leave his party to another one,and that he is not supporting the flagbearer of the party that gave him the platform on which he won his present position,” he queried.

“What kind of fair hearing will you give that kind of member that has already made up his mind to leave the party?

Giving him any fair hearing is, therefore, a waste of time.

So, we expelled him from the party,” the chairman added.

On claims by a faction of the NNPP which carries the logo of fruits and vegetables that it is the bonafide party recognised by INEC and the law, Dungurawa dismissed

EL-RUFAI: THERE ARE NOW MORE POOR NIGERIANS THAN OUR 1960 POPULATION

entities in those sectors. But we should go further and implement the recommendations made in 2018 by the APC Committee on True Federalism which I chaired,” he suggested.

In a similar development, the Administrator of the Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral, Owerri, Imo State, Rev. Fr. Martin Ohajunwa, has condemned the ‘act of hooliganism’ exhibited by some hired thugs at the weekend to disrupt the Odenigbo Lecture that was going on at the premises of Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral

Owerri.

The Imo State Chapter of the African Democratic Party (ADC) also frowned on the inglorious act as it called on the Imo State Government and the police to fish out the perpetrators and punish them.

In a sermon on Sunday at the Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral, Owerri, Ohajunwa described the brigandage as a 'slap on Igbos' noting that Igbo people should rise up and live above such condemnable acts.

He warned the youths of Igbo

extraction to find something meaningful to do instead of getting involved in political thuggery that would eventually damage their future.

According to him, those who sent the youths to Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral Owerri made a very big mistake because from the history of the church, dating back to the civil war, all attempts to bomb the place were unsuccessful.

He stated that some of the hoodlums that were arrested by the Church security revealed the identity of their sponsors and

warned them to desist forthwith from smearing the premises of the church, adding "the wrath of God would descend on them."

THISDAY reliably gathered thugs were sent to disrupt the speech of the former governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai, who came on a private visit to the state and decided to attend the church function.

Meanwhile, the ADC, Imo State Chapter, has condemned the desecration of the Odenigbo Lecture organized by the Assumpta Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri,

describing the act as deeply alarming and threatening to the peace, stability, and moral fabric of Imo State.

The party's press release signed by the State Public Secretary, Chief Macdonald Amadi, stated that such acts of lawlessness are unacceptable and must be addressed decisively.

"We condemn this blatant display of thuggery in the strongest possible terms. The perpetrators’ actions are not only a direct affront to the Catholic Church but also a threat to societal harmony, particularly

FG CALLS FOR TRUCE AS NUPENG VOWS TO EMBARK ON STRIKE TODAY OVER DISPUTE WITH DANGOTE

day forewarning of suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products commencing from the early hours of Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in its ‘advocacy for healthy competition’ as against any form of monopoly in the Nigerian Petroleum downstream sector.

PETROAN's National President, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, made the announcement while addressing members nationwide and newsmen in Abuja, emphasising that the action of NUPENG would be both lawful and peaceful, underscoring the association's commitment to promoting workers' rights and benefits through constructive engagement.

PETROAN underscored its commitment to advancing the interests of Nigerian citizens in the pricing stability of the petroleum sector and promoting a stable and productive industry.

The organisation called on President Bola Tinubu, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, among others, to intervene urgently in the proposed actions of NUPENG and PETROAN to avert potential hardship and pain on citizens arising from the suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products.

He appealed to the President

to find a solution to the crisis, ensuring the smooth operation of the oil and gas sector and minimizing disruptions to the nation's economy.

Gillis-Harry said that pump attendants at PETROAN member filling stations are registered members of NUPENG, explaining that hence, NUPENG's strike would mean these attendants would be absent from duty.

He instructed filling station owners not to discipline or sack any pump attendant who would be absent from duty until the end of the strike.

“PETROAN has earlier advocated for healthy competition in the oil and gas sector, as opposed to monopolistic tendencies. The aggressive business strategies of Dangote Refinery would have farreaching consequences, including pushing private depot owners, modular refinery operators, marketers, retail owners, truck owners, and truck drivers out of business,” the statement added.

This, PETROAN warned, would trigger millions of unemployment nationwide, with devastating effects on the economy and the livelihoods of Nigerians.

The organisation advised Nigerians to view any initial strategy aimed at gaining

monopoly as a "Father Christmas" promise, cautioning them not to forget the events that unfolded in the cement industry. He urged Nigerians to be vigilant and not be swayed by promises that may seem beneficial in the short term but could have long-term negative consequences.

“In a bid to mediate on the proposed shutdown, PETROAN held an emergency ordinary national general meeting, where it resolved to hold consultations on Sunday and Monday. In the event of no fruitful outcome, the PETROAN Congress agreed to not to sack any employee who participates at all retail outlets nationwide by the early hours of Tuesday.

“To enforce this decision, a 120-man compliance team will be mobilised as watchdogs to ensure safety of our member's facilities. As a critical player amongst stakeholders, PETROAN will join other stakeholders in ensuring healthy competition in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria.

“This collaborative effort aims to promote a conducive environment for workers, foster sector growth, and ultimately benefit the Nigerian economy”, it said in a statement.

Still on the planned strike,

the national leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Sunday distanced itself from a strike initiated by the Western Zone of the association which it said was opposed to Dangote acquiring trucks to transport its products to consumers.

The Western Zone in a press statement signed by its Chairman and Acting Secretary, Basorun Akanni and Mr. Adeleke Adeoye had said Dangote’s intention contravenes the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and urged its members to begin a strike on Monday.

However, a statement in Benin City by the National Ex-Officio, Douglas Iyike, on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of IPMAN, urged its members to disregard the strike action.

Iyike added that what Dangote was doing constituted a huge assistance that would free them from multiple and choking levies they are forced to pay by petroleum tanker drivers. He also declared that the action of Dangote is supported by the PIA.

“I am refuting this story as the former chairman of IPMAN Benin Depot and presently the National Ex-Officio of IPMAN. That IPMAN National Executive

Council (NEC) under the leadership of Alhaji Maigandi Shettima is not aware of the action preconceived by the IPMAN Western Zone going on strike by Monday.

“And as you would know, the PIA bill has given the room for any individual to own a refinery in the country and have their own trucks to distribute your products and even build petrol stations if you choose to. Dangote has not done any harm but good to we marketers and to the general public.

“However, I want to state unequivocally that the IPMAN western zone has no impetus to call for any strike as it lacks the constitutional powers to do so. It is only the National Executive Council of IPMAN that has the reserved right to do so and not the zone or any depot and the western zone should also by this statement take into cognisance that they are not on their own.

“They are under the NEC of IPMAN according to the IPMAN constitution of 2009 as amended and as such cannot take any decision of any kind of strike or demonstration regarding the interest of marketers without the approval of the National Executive

the assertion, saying that their own faction with the logo of a book and academic regalia is the authentic NNPP. He further explained that the attendance of INEC officials at the recent national meeting of their own faction held in Abuja testified to the validity of his claim.

as the nation approaches critical electoral exercises. The rule of law must prevail over chaos and intimidation.

"The ADC Imo State Chapter calls on the Imo State Government and all security agencies to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent against future acts of lawlessness, ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly during religious and civic events and uphold the rule of law and protect the sanctity of places of worship and public gatherings.

Council of IPMAN. We advise esteemed marketers to go on with their normal day to day business,” Iyike stated. He maintained that the Dangote Refinery will create jobs for the citizens of the country, explaining that direct distribution would make marketers get products on credit bases and pay the balance after sale.

Meanwhile, the Economic Rights Activists (ERA) has strongly condemned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), NUPENG, PETROAN, and other affiliated unions for their planned nationwide strike, which it said threatens to disrupt fuel distribution and cripple Nigeria’s economic life.

During a press conference in Abuja, ERA’s Executive Director, Dr. Josiah Inuwa, described the proposed industrial action as a “reckless and unpatriotic” assault on the Nigerian people, warning that it would inflict severe hardship on millions while potentially serving the interests of economic saboteurs.

The unions’ grievances stemmed from alleged anti-union practices at the Dangote Refinery and accusations of monopolistic control in the downstream petroleum sector.

NUT VISITS EKITI STATE GOVERNOR…

L-r: Chief of staff to the Governor, mr. oyeniyi adebayo; Head of service, dr Folakemi olomojobi; ekiti state Governor, mr. biodun oyebanji, and Chairman, nigerian Union of teachers (nUt), ekiti state Chapter, Comrade Lawrence egbeyemi, during a courtesy visit by the new nUt state executives to the governor’s office, ado-ekiti…recently

NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine

Michael Olugbode in abuja

An international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating within Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), made up of mainly ex-

jailbirds in overseas prisons, has been smashed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the antinarcotics agency in a two-

College Principal, Two Others Abducted in Niger

LaleyeDipo

Drama as bandits dressed in Hijab, the female Muslim overcoat, kidnapped a school principal and two others in Kontagora area of Niger State.

The incident took place late last Friday night according to reports.

It was learnt that the bandits dressed in the hijab to protect their identities waited patiently in front of the principal’s quarters until his arrival home at about 11p.m.

The principal, though saw the bandits, did not suspect them to be kidnappers.

According to reports, the bandits, after waiting patiently for the principal to settle down, they removed the hijabs and

forced themselves into the school head’s sitting room. At gun point, they took the principal away to an unknown destination.

It was learnt that two other person’s in the principal’s residence were also abducted by the bandits.

Eye witness gave the name of the principal as Malam Aminu Runtoje.of Mahemahe Junior Secondary School but did not know the identities of the two other victims.

When contacted, the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun, promised to verify the authenticity of the report and get back, but did not do so until the time of filing this report.

Akpan & Oduma YouTube Movie Hits 500,000 Views

Sunday Okobi

The management of WAP TV has announced that the comedy movie titled ‘Akpan & Oduma: The Movie’ has hit a massive commercial and critical success, as it has been watched over 500,000 times within just seven days after it was uploaded on its YouTube channel ‘waptvchannel.’

It added that the movie has also been getting positive reviews from thousands of audience members online.

The Producer of Akpan & Oduma, Wale Adenuga Jnr., told journalists that: “Since we launched the ‘Akpan

& Oduma’ Comedy Skit Series in 2014, the multiple videos have amassed over 300 million views across YouTube & Facebook, and have quickly become one of the most-popular comedy brands in Nigeria’s digital media.

“This success has also led to fans of the series constantly asking us for more. We waited until the right time, and since we released ‘Akpan & Oduma: The Movie’ on our YouTube Channel ‘waptvchannel’, we are pleased at the viewership and feedback we have been receiving.”

week-long intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos arrested three leaders of the cartel after intercepting large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going

to Sydney, Australia at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Babafemi said the unraveling of the drug syndicate began on August 26, 2025, after NDLEA

officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials going to Sydney, Australia, noting that a thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery

of 16 big blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9 kilogrammes hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection.

Stakeholders Reunite as Adeleke Resolves Ife PDP Feud

Yinka Kolawole in osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resolved recent family differences within the Ife federal constituency of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), charging all stakeholders to beware of agents of division engineered

by the opposition. At a high powered reconciliation meeting attended by the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewumi; state Chairman of the party, Hon Sunday Bisi; Secretary to the State Government (SSG),

Hon Teslim Igbalaye; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye; Chairman of the Commissioners’ Forum, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, and other party stalwarts, the family feud was declared fully resolved with common resolution to forget and forgive for next year victory.

Governor Adeleke, while rounding off the meeting, described the recent disagreement as a product of communication gap and deliberate efforts of some external forces to sow seeds of discord within the party, commending the leaders for their openness and brotherhood.

Youths Tasked on Active Participation in Politics

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A women and youth empowerment advocate, Omolara Svensson Busari, has enjoined youths in the country to participate actively in politics as their number is indispensable in influencing the nation’s

leadership. She made the call in Ibadan, Oyo State, during a programme for members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Egbeda Local Government Area tagged: ‘Youths in Politics Sensitization’ with the theme: ‘Understanding

our role in active politics’, the first in the series for youths and fourth in the Youth and Women in Politics Sensitization programmes. Busari in a presentation titled: ‘Seeds of Change: Young Nigerians and the Future of Democracy’, urged the youths to

stop seeing politics as a distant theatre, rather they should start treating it as a practical tool to change everyday life. Stating that they account for the majority of voters while their priorities influence the economy, education, technology and culture.

Court Halts UNILAG SSANU Election over Leadership Crisis

Wale Igbintade

A Lagos High Court has restrained the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the management of the University of Lagos(UNILAG), Akoka, and others from

taking further steps in the leadership dispute rocking the institution’s chapter of the union.

Justice Ismaila Ijelu, gave the order in a suit marked No. YSD/6531MJR/2025, filed by Comrade Gbenga Adenaiya

and six others against Comrade Yusuf Ademola Rasaq, the University of Lagos, and six others.

The suit arose from a crisis between rival factions jostling for control of the university’s SSANU chapter.

The order followed

NOA, NAFDAC Lead as Consumers Vote

The race for the 2025 Consumers Value Awards (CVA) continues to gather momentum as consumers vote with surprising results already emerging from the first month of polling. For the very first time in its four-year history, the CVA has opened its

platform to evaluate public sector agencies alongside private sector brands, and the response has been electric.

Leading the pack, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has surged ahead with an impressive 98 per cent per cent of

the court’s consideration of motions ex parte, along with supporting affidavits, exhibits, and oral arguments presented by the claimants’ counsel, human rights lawyer Chief Ajose Abẹjoye, assisted by Olúwa eun Ikumelo, Esq.

in Value Awards

votes, earning the badge of Outstanding Federal Agency on Consumer Engagement. Closely following, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is making waves with 64 per cent of votes as the

Most Consumer-Friendly Regulatory Agency. Other federal bodies are also in the contest as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Com-munications Commission (NCC) are neck-and-neck.

BETRAYAL IS THE PALM OIL…

aides in the First Republic, such as Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, deserted him at some point. In the Second Republic too, Mr. S. G. Ikoku, Alhaji Busari Adelakun, Chief Sunday Afolabi and Chief Akin Omoboriowo all deserted Awo, for different reasons. Not to mention Chief Joseph Tarka, AG’s top First Republic ally who crossed over to NPN in the Second Republic. A top Benue guy I once interviewed in Makurdi said in 1974, when Godwin Daboh Adzuana filed an affidavit in court alleging corruption against him, and Tarka had to resign as Federal Commissioner for Communications in the Gowon regime, he suspected Awo’s hand in it. I don’t know if that was true.

Sardauna was deserted in the 1950s by NPC’s secretary general Ibrahim Imam, who became leader of Borno Youth Movement, allied with AG and UMBC, and Tarka later sponsored this Borno man to return to Northern House of Assembly with a Tivland seat. Some First Republic NCNC folks deserted Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the Second Republic, and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim bolted from Nigeria Peoples Party [NPP] in 1978 to form Great Nigeria Peoples Party [GNPP] when Zik entered the party and his men demanded that either the chairmanship or the presidential ticket be ceded to him.

Uncle Waziri himself did not escape from desertions. GNPP’s two Second Republic governors, Muhammadu Goni of Borno and Abubakar Barde of Gongola, defected to UPN and NPP respectively. Malam Aminu Kano too suffered from loyalists’ desertions. PRP’s two governors, Mohamed Abubakar Rimi of Kano and Balarabe Musa of Kaduna, revolted

and formed the PRP Tabo faction, which allied with UPN and NPP. Even PRP’s Secretary General, Ikoku, later crossed over to NPN and became Special Adviser to President Shehu Shagari. So, Oga Goodluck, you are in very good company in the matter of desertions and betrayal. In this Fourth Republic, who can count the number of politicians from ANPP and Alliance for Democracy [AD] that migrated to PDP as soon as it won the presidential election in 1999?

Betrayal may be common place in Nigerian politics, but it is not the only thing. Luck is also there, and Oga Goodluck’s career is the best testimony of the role luck plays in politics. I do not know how or why the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha picked Jonathan as his running mate in 1999; his placid mien and his harmless looks must have helped. No doubt, luck was a decisive factor in his becoming Governor of Bayelsa in December 2005 when Alams was impeached, at the behest of then President Obasanjo. In 2007, luck again smiled when Oga Goodluck was picked as PDP candidate Umaru Yar’adua’s running mate, most probably as part of a scheme to appease Niger Deltans after stopping Dr. Peter Odili from snatching the top ticket.

And then, after being vice president for three years, he was catapulted to the top job following President Yar’adua’s death. Despite stiff opposition, he won his own term in 2011. Just because he didn’t get another full term in 2015, should Oga Goodluck now blame betrayal, rather than bad luck, for what happened? Good luck smiled at him most of the time, but on the one occasion when bad luck glared at him, he is alleging betrayal. Thousands of

CITIZENS' RIGHTS AND SECURITY CONCERNS

armed robbers, and other criminal gangs. While we urge the governments to spend the bulk of security votes to the acquisition of modern equipment to combat the incessant kidnapping and killing of citizens and foreigners in our midst, it is high time the attention of lawyers was drawn to the need to challenge the extrajudicial killing of citizens by state and non state actors. In other words, lawyers are enjoined to file actions for the dependents of citizens who are killed on account of the failure of the government to protect their fundamental right to life. This position has been upheld by the Ecowas Court in the two cases below:

1.Afolalu v Federal Republic of Nigeria (Unreported) SUIT NO: ECW/CCJ/APP/04/12.

The Community Court of ECOWAS held the that the federal government was negligent in failing to secure the life of the plaintiff's husband which led to his brutal killing by rioters during the post-election violence which greeted the announcement of the presidential election in April 2011. The court awarded N10 million damages to the plaintiff.

2.Obioma Ogukwe v Republic of Ghana (Suit no. ECW/CCJ/APP/03/14)

The Ecowas Court ordered the Republic of Ghana to pay $250,000 as compensation to the family of a 15-year old Nigerian student, Augustine Chukwuebuka Ogukwe, who died in a swimming incident on October 15, 2013 in Ghana.

The court said the compensation is for the failure of the country’s police to carry out a proper investigation into the death of the student, thereby failing in its obligation to protect and defend all persons within its territory.

The plaintiff, the father of the deceased, Mr. Obioma Ogukwe, alleged that he was given an autopsy report issued by the Ghana Police Hospital without his consent or knowledge, which revealed that the basic cause of death was drowning, while the direct cause was asphyxia by submersion.

BASIC RIGHTS

OF SUSPECTS

In order to address the denial of the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people generally, we have struggled and won the basic rights of criminal suspects, political activists and other citizens in their regular encounter with the police and other law enforcement agencies. Thus, the basic rights of suspects are enshrined in various legal instruments, including the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the Police Establishment Act 2020, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, and the Anti-Torture Act 2017.

These provisions aim to protect suspects from abuse, uphold equality before the law, and ensure fairness in the criminal justice process. Thus, the basic rights of suspects include the following:

politicians in Nigeria are praying for good luck to smile at them at least for a while. Besides, there are many reasons why politicians desert a leader. Ill treatment is one of them. Oga Goodluck is a jovial, happy go lucky fellow but you can never rule out the possibility that some of his associates and advisers meted out shabby treatment to some party folks. A second reason for desertion is failure to fulfil personal aspiration. It is a problem that has no solution, since there are only so many juicy political positions and too many people struggling to get them. A politician who fails to secure a ticket or a ministerial position will migrate to another party if he thinks he has better chances there, since all our parties have no program to speak of.

Another reason why associates desert a political leader is when they feel that he is on course to lose the election. Disorganised and unintelligent though many Nigerian politicians look, they have a very good sense of what voters in their localities are thinking. If voters in their locality dislike a leader, the local politician may pretend to back him but will secretly turn against him, at least for personal protection for himself and his family. The leader may only discover their disloyalty at the last minute.

A few politicians, however, choose to soldier on even when the odds are daunting. For example, I was in Bauchi in 2011 at the invitation of Governor Isa Yuguda to witness his campaign for reelection. He completely tied his campaign to Oga Jonathan’s. At several PDP rallies he held around the state, when the party chairman shouted, “Bauchi!” the crowd roared back, “Sai Malam [i.e. Yuguda].” But

*.Right to Be Informed of the Grounds of Arrest

Section 35(3) of the 1999 Constitution provides that “any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed in writing within 24 hours (and in the language he understands) of the facts and grounds for his arrest or detention.” This is reinforced by Section 6(2)(a) of the ACJA and Section 35(2) of the Police Act, 2020.

*..Right to Remain Silent and Avoid SelfIncrimination

Section 35(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the ACJA affirm a suspect's right to remain silent. Section 17(1) of the ACJA provides that a suspect “shall be accorded humane treatment, having regard to his right to the dignity of his person; and not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” This also supports the right against self-incrimination under Section 36(11) of the Constitution.

*..Right to Legal Representation

Section 36(6)(c) of the Constitution guarantees the right of every person to defend themselves in person or by legal practitioners of their choice.

Section 6(2)(b) and Section 17(2) of the ACJA, as well as Section 35(2) of the Police Act, further affirm the right to consult a lawyer after arrest. In Ubani v. Director, SSS (1999) 11 NWLR (Pt. 625) 129, the court emphasized the inviolability of legal representation from the moment of arrest.

*..Right to Humane Treatment

Section 34(1)(a) of the Constitution prohibits torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment. This is reinforced by Section 8 of the ACJA, Section 1 of the Anti-Torture Act 2017, and Section 36 of the Police Act 2020. The court in COP v. Obolo (1989)

when the party chairman shouted, “Nigeria!” they always roared back, “Sai Buhari!” And those were PDP supporters! As we drove back to Bauchi late at night, I got close to Yuguda and advised him to decouple his campaign from the President’s because the risk was very obvious. He flatly refused, and told me that he did not believe in disloyalty. Buhari got 80% of the Bauchi vote that year, and a terrible post-election riot ensued when he lost the election. Yuguda only just managed to get reelected two weeks later; he later complained to me that President Jonathan did not so much as phone to wish him well once he secured his own reelection.

Maybe Oga Goodluck should also reflect on the rapid turnover of PDP national chairmen during his five years at the helm. Soon as he got the top job in 2010, he shoved out Vincent Ogbulafor for saying the North should get PDP’s 2011 ticket. Okwesilieze Nwodo took over but didn’t last long. Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed acted for some months but was shoved aside to a ministerial job, while Kawu Baraje also acted briefly. Oga Jonathan then installed Bamanga Tukur, shoved him aside after two years and brought in Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, who he touted as the “game changer.” When the election was lost, Mua’zu too was vilified and shoved aside.

Lastly, since Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is being widely touted as a possible presidential contender next year, is it not advisable to avoid making controversial remarks, such as this one about betrayal? Some people who are gearing up to work for him again may now be afraid that maybe, they are in his [unrevealed] list of betrayers.

is unconstitutional.

*..No Arrest for Civil Wrongs

Sections 8(2) and 10 of the ACJA expressly prohibit the arrest of persons in respect of civil disputes, such as debt recovery, contractual breaches, and landlord-tenant disputes. In Oceanic Securities Ltd v. Balogun (2012) LPELR-9218(CA), the court decried using police to settle civil scores.

*.Prohibition of Media Parade of Suspects

Section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2015 prohibits media parades of suspects. Public display of suspects before trial amounts to a violation of the presumption of innocence.

Sections 33 of the ACJA provide for monitoring mechanisms to prevent abuse of arrest powers. To prevent abuse of the power of arrest, the monitoring mechanisms are:

*.The Inspector-General of Police shall submit quarterly reports of arrests to the Attorney-General of the Federation (Section 33).

*..State Commissioners of Police must report monthly to State Attorneys-General.

iii.All Police Divisions must submit monthly arrest records to the nearest magistrate.

5 NWLR (Pt. 120) 130 held that beating a suspect to extract a confession amounted to a violation of the Constitution. Also, in Jim-Jaja v C.O.P Rivers State (2013) 6 NWLR (PT.1350) 225, the Court of Appeal affirmed that any suspect in custody is entitled to dignity and humane treatment.

*..Right to Be Brought Before a Court within a Reasonable Time

Section 35(4) of the Constitution provides that a person arrested must be brought before a court within a reasonable time—24 hours in places with courts nearby - and 48 hours otherwise. Section 293–299 of the ACJA establishes a framework for remand proceedings and prescribes timelines for police investigations and arraignment.

*..Right to Presumption of Innocence

Section 36(5) of the Constitution states that “every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.”

*..Right to Bail

Section 35(4) and (5) of the Constitution and Sections 158–165 of the ACJA recognize the right to bail for persons accused of offences, particularly non-capital offences. Section 30(1) of the Police Act also requires that bail be granted where appropriate and without unnecessary conditions.

In Egwumi v. FRN (2013) LPELR-20091(CA), the court held that bail must not be unreasonably denied.

*..No Arrest in Lieu

Section 7 of the ACJA prohibits the arrest of a person in substitution for another. Arresting relatives or associates of a suspect in their absence

*..Chief Magistrates shall visit all police stations at least once a month. Judges shall be designated to visit other detention facilities. The Chief Magistrates and judges may grant bail, order the release of suspects, or order their arraignment in the appropriate courts.

*..Every police division must have at least one officer qualified to practise as a legal practitioner to monitor human rights compliance by officers of the division.

The above provisions help detect arbitrary arrests, ensure compliance with due process, and promote transparency in policing. The duty of Nigerian lawyers is to defend the aforementioned provisions of the relevant laws.

Socio-economic rights—health, education, housing, social security, fair, clean and safe environment are the substrate upon which civil and political liberties are exercised. In Nigeria, however, most socio-economic guarantees in Chapter II are non-justiciable, weakening enforceability.

Without socio-economic rights, the majority of poor citizens are disabled from enjoying political and civil rights. For instance, without education, income, health, housing, and social security, political and civil rights become formally equal but materially unequal—usable mainly by the well-off. That inequality is itself a security risk. Contrary to the misleading claim of Nigerian judges that the fundamental objectives and directive principles are not enforceable, there has been a transition from aspiration to enforcement of socio-economic rights in the following ways:

NOTE:

Osimhen: My Injury Not Serious, Will Be Back Stronger

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria’s Super Eagles who landed in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon ahead of Tuesday’s all important 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are going to be without the services of top striker, Victor Osimhen.

The Galatasaray striker left the pitch after just 35 minutes during Saturday’s clash between Nigeria and Rwanda in Uyo that Super Eagles won with a Tolu Arokodare lone goal strike.

However, the good news is that Osimhen won’t be too long on the sideline even as his Turkish Super Lig side have insisted on conducting a comprehensive test to know the extent of the injury to the bruised shin.

Speaking with THISDAY yesterday, Osimhen, 26, said that he didn’t continue the match against Rwanda to avoid aggravating the injury.

“It is not too bad (the Injury). I left the pitch so that it will not get worse. I will be back stronger. We move,” observed Osimhen who is 2023 African Player of the Year and also the first Nigerian to make the Top 10 of the Ballon d’Or award.

Despite not going to be involved physically as he would have wished, Osimhen is praying for good result for Nigeria in tomorrow’s must-win clash with Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein.

“Best wishes teammates. Go get the result!” observed the top marksman who last season emerged top scorer in just his first year in the Turkish Super Lig.

Super Eagles Media Officer, Promise Efoghe, had broken the news of Osimhen’s exclusion from the team’s trip to South Africa on Sunday morning.

“Team doctor (has) confirmed Victor Osimhen’s injury is a bruise on his Shin. He woke up this morning with discomfort and will not be traveling with the squad to South Africa for Tuesday’s game,” the media officer announced on the official WhatsApp group of the team on Sunday morning.

Osimhen’s absence is a major setback for Super Eagles who

Defending champions Remo Stars have climbed to the top of the NPFL table after a 1-0 home win over Warri Wolves, while there were home wins for Wikki Tourists, Katsina United, Kwara United, Niger Tornadoes and Enugu Rangers in Week 3.

Samson Olasupo was match winner for Remo Stars against high-flying Warri Wolves after he struck in the 77th minute.

Remo Stars now have seven points from three matches, same as Wikki, who defeated visiting Abia Warriors also by the odd goal.

Katsina United won the Northwest Derby against Kano Pillars 1-0, Kwara United beat

are chasing to win all remaining three games of the qualifying series, after falling behind South Africa, Rwanda and Benin Republic in the Group C log.

The win over Rwanda at the weekend has however leapfrog Nigeria over the Amavubi but are still six points behind leaders Bafana Bafana.

South Africa however risks losing three points for fielding an ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho last March. If that happens and Eagles get a win in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, they will then have their World Cup destinies in their hands ahead of the remaining two matches in October. They will also pray that other results favour Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Head Coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, has said the Super Eagles will be happy to win by the odd goal in Tuesday’s epic World Cup showdown against South Africa.

“If we win 1-0 in South Africa, we will be happy,” said Eric Chelle in his media briefing after the clash with Rwanda on Saturday night in Uyo.

“The most important thing is the three points.

“We are happy we beat Rwanda 1-0 because the target was to win the game.

“I am happy that we now have a second game in three days.”

The coach said his team created many chances, but they were not efficient in front of goal.

“We need to have more confidence in front of the goal, a have a killer instinct, because we created a lot of chances against Rwanda,” he admitted.

RESULTS

NPFL

Katsina Utd 1-0 K’Pillars

Remo Stars 1-0 W’Wolves

Kwara Utd 2-0 Kun Khalifat

Wikki 1-0 Abia Warriors

Enyimba 0-0 Nasarawa

El-Kanemi 0-0 Rivers Utd

Shooting 1-1 Ikorodu City

Tornadoes 1-0 Bayelsa Utd

Barau 1-1 B’Insurance

Rangers 2-0 Plateau Utd

promoted Kun Khalifat 2-0, Niger Tornadoes stopped Bayelsa United 1-0 and Enugu Rangers were 2-0 winners over Plateau United.

Shooting Stars were held by Ikorodu City in the Southwest Derby, while it was goalless between Enyimba and Nasarawa United in Aba.

Bayelsa United are third on six points with Warri Wolves dropping to fourth position also on six points.

Promoted clubs Kun Khalifat and Barau FC, Kano Pillars languish at the bottom end of the table.

Plateau United are bottom of the standings as they remain pointless after three rounds of matches.

Carlos Alcaraz won the second US Open championship of his career on Sunday, overpowering Jannik Sinner in four sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. He is now number 1 on the Men’s ATP rankings.

The US Open is Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam title of 2025, joining his French Open victory. That win was also against Sinner, But that five-hour, five-set marathon was much different than the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

Following a 30-minute delay due to President Donald Trump’s

visit and the added security that entailed, Alcaraz pushed the advantage from the outset against Sinner. His approach was far more aggressive than in his semifinal match versus Novak Djokovic. Perhaps he was hoping to avoid another five-set battle with Sinner.

Sinner was thwarted in his attempt to win consecutive US Open titles and his second Grand Slam victory over Alcaraz this year, after beating him at Wimbledon. However, he had few answers for Alcaraz’s game yesterday.

Sanwo-Olu Lauds Team Lagos for Emerging Overall Winners of NYG

Kunle Adewale

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has hailed the state’s athletes’ historic performance at the just concluded 9th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State.

Speaking with the triumphant Team Lagos via zoom, Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that, as young athletes they have just started their careers across different disciplines, stating that the state nurture the youngsters to compete at the senior categories and represent the country at the

highest level.

Team Lagos was crowned the champions of the NYG established in 2013 for the first time, having amassed 110 medals (52 gold, 36 silver, and 26 bronze). Host Delta State finished second with 114 medals (37 gold, 38 silver, and 39 bronze), while Edo State came third with 79 medals (33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze).

Governor Sanwo-Olu urged the newly crowned champions to continue to stay focused, be disciplined, shun drugs, and train very well in all their endeavors.

“You are just starting at ages

13, 14, and 15. You still have 10-15 years ahead of you. You have to keep yourself well and avoid anything that will make you get injured. Avoid anything that will be an embarrassment to your parents or to your school,” said Sanwo-Olu.

He however, commended the Lagos youngsters for their perseverance, commitment and grit shown during the games as good ambassadors of the Centre of Excellence while assuring the state government continuous interventions in sports development.

While encouraging the young athletes, Sanwo-Olu stressed that those that did not win any medal at the games should not relent that they need to go back, and train harder, adding that those that won medals should not rest on their oars and see it as stepping stone for better things to happen in their life.

“I’m excited that our young athletes from Lagos State are showing the entire nation of how to do it. Am even more excited that we are the best, and we have shown them that we’re the best,” Sanwo-Olu noted.

There has been slight changes in the final schedule of the 2025 Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball League after the organisers announced a new date for the grand finale taking place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The new date will see teams arrive Lagos on Monday, September 15, while matches tip off take between Tuesday, September 16 and Saturday, September 20 with the departure fixed for Sunday, September 21.

In a released signed by the league’s chairperson, Perpetual Clement, while congratulating all

the qualified teams, also appreciated the sponsors, Zenith Bank PLC.

Eight teams made the finals with four coming out each from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences respectively.

Defending champion, MFM was joined by First Bank Basketball Club, Bayelsa Blue Whales Basketball Club and Dolphins Basketball Club from the Atlantic Conference.

The Savannah Conference have Air Warriors Basketball Club, Royal Aces Basketball Club, Titans Basketball Club and Nigeria Customs Basketball Club completing the eight teams that are expected to converge on Lagos for the final.

The 3rd edition of the D’Royal Off-season Football Tournament (DOFT 2025), tagged “No Risk It, No Biscuits,” was recently concluded at the Akure Township Stadium.

In a final that will be etched in local football folklore, Olukayode FC overcame a missed penalty and a first-half red card to defeat a resilient Shine F.A 1-0 and clinch the prestigious title. The tournament, which started with 16 teams, was a carnival of surprises from the outset. The defending champions, Weliweli

FC, and last year’s runners-up, Alagbaka FC, were shockingly eliminated in the group stages, signaling a dramatic shift in the state’s football power dynamics. This set the stage for new entrants to shine. The final was a nerve-wracking affair. Olukayode FC’s hopes seemed dashed early on when they missed a penalty and were subsequently reduced to 10 men. However, displaying incredible grit and tactical discipline, they held firm for over 60 minutes and miraculously scored the winning goal against the run of play to send their fans into a frenzy.

OLUSEGUN OSUNKEYE 85TH BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING...

MAHMUDJEGA

VIEW FROM THE GALLERY

Betrayal is the Palm Oil…

Chinua Achebe wrote that proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten. If he had updated Things Fall Apart before his passing, he probably would have added that double speak is the palm oil with which political words are eaten, while betrayal is the palm oil in which political loyalty is cooked. Former President Goodluck Jonathan discovered these truths last week at a ceremony in Benin to mark the 70th birthday of his former Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe.

Speaking at the event, the former [and possibly future] President accused some unnamed politicians of betraying him during the 2015 elections. He said, “Politics in the Nigerian standard is about betrayals. I witnessed a lot of betrayal during 2015 election. You will find it difficult to see somebody who will say the same thing in the morning and say the same thing in the afternoon and in the evening. Most

Jonathan

politicians, you cannot take their words to the bank. They will tell you something this minute, and in the next hour, they will say another. For the next hour, they will say another thing.” He however exempted Oghiadomhe from the

FEMI FALANA

GUEST COLUMNIST

general charge, saying, “He is a reliable and trustworthy person who can take a bullet on my behalf. He is somebody you can take his words to the bank.”

Oga Goodluck, you have been in politics for nearly three decades in this Nigeria. Yours was truly a case of good luck because few people since 1999 have held as many juicy and sensitive political offices as you did. You were the Deputy Governor of oil-washed Bayelsa State for six years, then Governor of Bayelsa State for 18 months, then Vice President of the Federal Republic for three years. Afterwards, you were President of the Federal Republic for five full years, and since then you have been a statesman much sought after by regional and global agencies, because you refused Godsday Orubebe’s advice to scuttle an election midway.

Oga, you said you cannot take most Nigerian politicians’ words to the bank. Sorry sir, did anyone ever say that a politician’s word is

a bankable proposal? Even if you take it to the bank, mean as Nigerian bank managers are, they will ask for collateral. What is the collateral for a politician’s promise? The fact that he won election before is not adequate collateral. I hear some people today saying someone has never lost an election; can that satisfy a bank manager? Will his Risk Assessment team accept that as collateral?

Oga Jonathan said he suffered a lot of betrayal in his unsuccessful reelection effort in 2015. Sir, it is because you are great. If we define betrayal in politics to mean to be deserted by close associates, which great politician in Nigeria since the First Republic has not suffered desertions by close associates? The greater you are as a politician, the more the deserters.

Many of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s top

Continued on page 38

Citizens' Rights and Security Concerns

Too often, security is reduced to the absence of physical danger—an agenda of soldiers, police, fences, and gates. But citizens do not live by fences alone. They live by wages and jobs, by food and housing, by clinics and schools, by clean water and a breathable sky. A nation that is free from bullets but not from hunger, disease, joblessness, squalor, or illiteracy is not secure. It is merely quiet. Before we can repair the fabric of citizens’ security, we must take stock of the civil and political rights entrenched in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). These are the classic guarantees—life, dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, privacy, freedom of thought and expression, assembly and association, movement, freedom from discrimination, together with the right to seek redress when they are breached. The afore-mentioned political and civil rights

have been well defended and protected by Nigerian lawyers on behalf of their affluent clients. But the class bias of the ruling class led to the so-called non justiciability of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy. In other words, socio-economic rights are not said not to be enforceable because they are not justiciable.

In Nigeria, we proudly proclaim civil and political liberties—life, dignity, liberty, expression, assembly, and fair hearing. Yet, for millions, these rights function as formal guarantees without material access. You can have the right to vote and still be excluded by poverty; you can have freedom of expression and still be silenced by illiteracy; you can have the right to life and still be denied lifesaving healthcare because you cannot pay.

In practice, non-justiciable socio-economic rights create a two-tier constitution: civil and political rights that the well-off can meaningfully enjoy, and a catalogue of socio-economic promises that the poor cannot enforce. The result is a predictable

spiral: inequality, exclusion, grievance, and instability. That spiral is a security problem.

Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. By virtue of section 217 thereof, the armed forces shall defend the territorial integrity of the nation. It is the Nigeria Police Force that is responsible for the maintenance of law and order as prescribed by Section 215 thereof. However, the armed forces may be involved in internal security to the extent of aiding the civil authority to restore law and order.

But in spite of several cases in which the courts have restrained the armed forces from getting involved in the management of internal security, the armed forces have been accused of subversion of democracy by intimidating voters. The authorities of the armed forces should comply with decided cases on the maintenance of law and order.

With respect to the counter insurgency operations, Nigerians believe that the armed forces are capable of ending terrorism. While acknowledging the sacrifice of the armed forces is appreciated, the authorities should comply with decided cases on the maintenance of law and order in the country. Since the bulk of the budget of the Ministry of Defence is spent on recurrent expenditure, we call on the Federal Government to provide adequate funds for the acquisition of vital equipment for the prosecution of the war on terror.

KIDNAPPING AND KILLING OF NIGERIANS

It is a shame that the security architecture of the country cannot address kidnapping and abduction by bandits and killing by gunmen,