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At UNGA 81, Nigeria Teams Up with Italy for Massive $5bn Global Education Funding Tinubu: Vision aligns with our agenda to improve outcomes, invest in access, capacity building Education driving our economic future, says Shettima, to deliver Nigeria’s statement today Deji Elumoye and Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Nigeria and Italy have strengthened collaboration to implement the proposed Global Partnership for

Education (GPE) financing campaign targeted at mobilising $5 billion for education financing worldwide.

This was just as President Bola Tinubu has said the GPE vision aligned with Nigeria’s agenda which

aims at improving educational outcomes by investing in access as well as capacity building for

teachers. Continued on page 52

Wike: PDP G5 Governors Backed Peter Obi to Prevent Atiku’s Victory in 2023 Elections... Page 55 Thursday 24 September, 2026 Vol 31. No 11491. Price: N400

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Nigeria Unlocks 53-year Ima Gas Field as TotalEnergies, AMNI Sign $800m FID Tinubu hails deal, says FG determined to expand exports, create jobs Total Nigeria CEO declares FG’s oil reforms working

Story on page 52

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION FINANCING ON THE SIDELINES OF THE ONGOING UNGA...

L-R: Deputy Secretary General, United Nations, Ms Amina Mohammed; Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Vice-President Kashim Shettima; and President, Global Partnership for Education, Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, at event jointly hosted by Nigeria and Italy for Global Partnership for Education Financing on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, yesterday

CBK Orders Transfer of Access Bank Kenya to National Bank Nume Ekeghe Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has approved the transfer of the business, assets, and liabilities of Access Bank (Kenya) Plc to National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK), in a development that reshapes the Nigerian lender’s operations in the Kenyan market. The regulator said the transfer was approved on August 17, 2026, under Section 13(4) of the Banking Act, while the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning gave the required approval on September 21, 2026, pursuant to Section 9(1) of the Act. The development comes days after Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) directed commercial banks operating in the country, including subsidiaries of Nigerian lenders, such as Access Bank, to begin a phased replacement of non-Gambian employees with suitably qualified Gambian nationals. The latest action in Kenya adds to a series of regulatory developments affecting Nigerian banks with operations across African markets, as regulators seek to strengthen local participation and ensure stability within their respective banking

systems. According to CBK, the transfer of Access Bank Kenya’s business, assets, and liabilities to NBK would take effect upon completion of the transaction in line with the terms of the Business and Assets Transfer Agreement between the parties. A statement from the regulator yesterday said, “The Central Bank of Kenya announces the transfer of all assets and liabilities of Access Bank (Kenya) Plc to National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK).

“This follows the approval by CBK on August 17, 2026, under Section 13(4) of the Banking Act and approval by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning on September 21, 2026, pursuant to Section 9(1) of the Banking Act. “The transfer shall take effect upon completion of the transaction in accordance with the terms of the Business and Assets Transfer Agreement between the parties.” NBK was established in 1968 as a

As Akwa lbom State celebrates its 39 years of creation, the governor, Umo Eno, has honoured past leaders, traditional institutions, workers, farmers, teachers, the clergy, professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders for supporting the state to achieve its dream. In a state broadcast, Eno said those honoured hae in one way or another contributed to the progress of the state. He stated, “We are here because many hands built before us and because others built before us, we have a sacred duty to build for those who will come after us.” The governor maintained that the ARISE Agenda of the state was

Transnational Bank commenced operations in 1985. CBK said it welcomed the transaction, stating that it would support continued stability, enhance the resilience of Kenya’s banking sector, and promote competition. It stated, “CBK welcomes this transaction as it will ensure continued stability and enhance resilience of the Kenyan banking sector and promote competition.” Access Bank has banking subsidiaries in several African countries, includ-

ing The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Botswana, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Nigerian lender also operates in the United Kingdom, with representative offices in China, India, and Lebanon, as well as a branch in the United Arab Emirates. When contacted for comments on the development, the spokesperson for Access Bank did not respond as of the time of filing this report.

NADF Moves to Fill Agriculture Finance Gap James Emejo in Abuja National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) said it was prepared to assume a more prominent role in mobilising and structuring funding for the agricultural sector. Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of NADF, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, said the objective was not merely to create another financing framework but to widen the range

of credible funding options available to farmers, agribusinesses, and other actors across the agricultural value chain. Ibrahim said the framework would establish a structured basis for delivering NADF interventions through licensed Non-Interest Financial Institutions, with governance, operational, risk-management and Shari’ah-compliance requirements built into the system.

Eno Praises Citizens for Support in Developing Akwa Ibom Okon Bassey in Uyo

wholly owned government entity to expand access to credit and support Kenya’s economic development after independence. KCB Group Plc acquired 100 per cent of the bank in September 2019, before Access Bank Plc acquired the entire issued share capital of NBK from KCB Group in May 2025. Access Bank had entered the Kenyan market in February 2020 through the acquisition of Transnational Bank Plc, which was subsequently renamed Access Bank (Kenya) Plc.

designed not merely as a policy document, but as a covenant of service. He said, ‘’Across Akwa Ibom, our roads are changing the geography of opportunity. Since May 29, 2023, our administration has undertaken, commissioned or continued work on more than 1,500 kilometres of roads, including 43 bridges. “As part of our 39th anniversary celebrations, we are commissioning projects across the state, including roads, schools and healthcare facilities. This is our understanding of inclusive governance. “We have continued to sustain free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels. We are providing bursaries for our

students, so far, N1.69b has been disbursed. “We have recruited 3, 000 teachers, with further recruitment approved. And we have advanced the transformation of the Akwa Ibom College of Education, Afaha Nsit, into a University of Education. “Because governance is a continuum, we will fulfil a commitment made by the immediate past governor, to award full scholarship to a brilliant student, Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob to pursue his education up to the university level. “We will present him a cheque of N30m (full scholarship to study software engineering at Nile University, Abuja) during our Variety Night at the Banquet Hall of our Arise Palm Resort.”

The significance of the proposal, however, will ultimately depend on whether it can translate into actual financing for agricultural enterprises rather than remain another policy framework. Ibrahim spoke at a stakeholders’ validation event for a proposed framework that would enable the fund deploy non-interest financing through licensed financial institutions. He said it was another channel in efforts to address the persistent funding constraints confronting farmers and agribusinesses. The move followed confirmation by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Director, Development Finance Advisory Department, Dr Paul Oluikpe. Oluikpe affirmed that the apex bank had moved away from direct developmental interventions, underscoring the growing importance of institutions, such as NADF, in filling the financing gap. That effectively placed the proposed non-interest finance framework within a broader restructuring of how development finance would reach Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Oluikpe said the scale of financing required by agriculture was enormous, with funding needs extending beyond production to infrastructure, mechanisation, and other parts of the value chain. He said the federal government’s food security objectives

had made institutions, such as NADF, increasingly important in mobilising resources and addressing those gaps. The CBN official also described the non-interest finance initiative as an opportunity to introduce a financing dimension that had often been overlooked in agricultural development. He said, “With the non-interest finance framework that is being looked at and validated today, it’s really a key opportunity for us to bring in that particular dimension.” The development gives NADF a potentially broader role in Nigeria’s agricultural financing ecosystem, moving beyond the traditional conception of public agricultural intervention towards the structuring of multiple funding channels. The fund’s recent activities suggested that the repositioning was already underway. In June, NADF launched a blended finance initiative aimed at attracting private capital into agriculture. It said public resources alone could not finance the scale of transformation required in the sector. NADF had also been developing mechanisms around climate-risk financing and data-driven agricultural investment, indicating an emerging strategy focused on using its public mandate to unlock additional sources of capital rather than relying solely on direct government funding.

Against that backdrop, the proposed non-interest framework represents another layer of the fund’s emerging financing architecture. NADF’s Head of Investment, Olalekan Alabi, stressed that stakeholders were expected to test the documents for practical applicability before they were finalised. According to Alabi, the framework would define the institutional architecture, financing structures, responsibilities of participating institutions, risk management and control mechanisms, while the accompanying guidelines would prescribe how individual financing interventions would be assessed, approved, implemented, monitored and reported. “We are not here simply to confirm that the documents have been prepared. We are here to test their technical robustness and practical applicability,” Alabi said. The distinction is important given the structural problems that have historically limited agricultural credit, including the risks associated with production, inadequate infrastructure, and difficulties in assessing agricultural borrowers. Deputy Chairman of CBN’s Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts, Professor Bashir Aliyu Umar, said the proposed framework could also deepen financial inclusion by bringing more Nigerians into the formal financing system.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

MEETING OF THE SSDC WITH AKWA IBOM YOUTHS...

L-R: Special Assiatant to Akwa Ibom State Governor on Girls, Ms Anita Eno; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Aﬀairs, Hon. Joe Williams; SSA and Coordinator, Female Youths, Mrs. Esther Nta Bob; Akwa Ibom State representative on South-South Development Commission (SSDC) Board, Hon Nkereuwem Ebong; Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerette Ekanem; Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Emmanuel Ekong; Chairman, Village Youths, Hon Itai James; and SA to the Governor on Youths, Ikono/ Ini Federal Constituency, Hon Charles Udoﬁa, during a meeting of the SSDC with Akwa Ibom Youths, yesterday in Uyo PHOTO: SSDC

Nigeria No Longer Soft Target for Predatory Arbitration, Fagbemi Warns Malami denies bribery claim, says ICC award not criminal conviction Alex Enumah in Abuja and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has warned that Nigeria will no longer be a soft target for predatory litigation and arbitration. Fagbemi sounded the warning while reacting to a recent judgment

of an international tribunal in Paris, France which ruled in favour of Nigeria in a $400 million arbitration. In a statement released to newsmen in Abuja, the AGF recalled how the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in Paris, France had on September 17, announced what he described as a “landmark and decisive victory” for the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the international arbitration instituted

by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (Sunrise) and its principal, Mr. Leno Adesanya. “For over two decades, the progress of this vital project has been held hostage by Sunrise’s relentless litigation and arbitration against the Federal Republic of Nigeria - beginning with the claim of an alleged Build-Operate-Transfer contract in 2003, followed by court

proceedings in 2007, and continuing through further arbitrations. “The financing of the Mambilla Project by the China Export-Import Bank was expressly conditioned on the resolution of these disputes. As a result, the project has been unable to achieve financial closure, depriving Nigeria and its people of the enormous economic benefits of 3,050 megawatts of clean, renewable

CSEA Discourse: Nigeria, S’Korea Seek Stronger Partnership in Tech, Job Creation, Others Envoy canvasses shift from diplomatic goodwill to concrete projects PEBEC advocates more Korean investment in energy, others Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria and South Korea have called for a stronger economic partnership capable of translating their 46-year diplomatic relationship into increased investment, technology transfer, skills development and job creation. Speaking at the Nigeria Economic Diplomacy Discourse organised by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria, the Korean ambassador to Nigeria, Jeong Yo-an, said the 46-year relationship between both

countries should now be driven by concrete economic projects. The event, with the theme, “Korea-Nigeria Economic Partnership: Practical Frameworks for Trade, Investment and Fiscal Cooperation,” brought together government officials, diplomats, development experts and private sector stakeholders to examine how the longstanding bilateral relationship could deliver more measurable economic outcomes. Yo-an said the objective should be to build partnerships that generate investment, transfer technology, develop skills and create jobs, noting that the strength of a relationship

should not be measured merely by the length of time it has existed. According to him, economic diplomacy should serve as a bridge connecting governments, institutions, businesses, knowledge and people, while ensuring that those connections ultimately translate into tangible results. He cited the recent groundbreaking for the A.C.E. Sanctuary as an example of how ideas could be converted into implementation through capacity building, institutional strengthening, knowledge sharing and technology. The ambassador said Nigeria could also draw useful lessons from

UNICEF Holds Knowledge for Use Summit to Drive Data-Driven Action for Children in Nigeria Kuni Tyessi in Abuja UNICEF Nigeria has convened stakeholders for the Knowledge for Use (K4U) Summit on Child Rights, a dynamic platform where evidence meets action to accelerate progress for children across Nigeria. The Summit brings together thought leaders, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, development partners, academia and young people to showcase ideas,

innovations, lessons and solutions driving results for children. Designed as a conversation rather than a series of presentations, the Summit is sparking meaningful dialogue, challenging conventional thinking and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration on how knowledge, evidence and innovation can be translated into stronger policies, smarter investments and more effective programmes. Speaking at the Summit while

delivering her welcome speech, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, stressed the need to put young people at the centre of learning, delivery and measurement, noting that data and evidence are critical to moving decisions from guessing to knowing. “We have to, in our system of learning and improving and delivering, put young people at the center,” Ms. Saeed said.

Korea’s economic transformation, but cautioned against attempting to replicate the Korean experience wholesale. “Nigeria has its own history, resources, institutions and opportunities. Nigeria must find its own path. We would therefore like to share what worked and what did not work, and what lessons may be useful for Nigeria. The key word is not copy, but adapt,” he said.

hydroelectric power. “The cost of this delay - measured in lost power generation, foregone industrial output, and continued energy poverty - is incalculable”, the statement read. Speaking further, the minister disclosed that the tribunal in its verdict rejected the entire claim of Sunrise, after it found that the Settlement Agreement and the Addendum thereto, are not binding on Nigeria, because the former Nigerian ministers who signed them lacked the requisite authority to commit and bind the Federal Government of Nigeria without presidential approval. Fagbemi also disclosed that the tribunal had in addition, held that the Settlement Agreement was a product of corruption and a violation of Nigerian public policy thereby making it unenforceable. “This award serves as a clear and unequivocal message: the Federal Republic of Nigeria will not be a soft target for predatory litigation and arbitration”, the statement added. Also, the AGF acknowledged the leadership efforts of President Bola Tinubu, who he disclosed consistently maintained the position that under no guise should Nigeria succumb to fraudulently contrived contractual agreements and any adverse claims arising therefrom.

Fagbemi assured that under his leadership, the Federal Ministry of Justice will remain unwavering in its duty to safeguard the rule of law and defend Nigeria’s legal interest at all times. “We shall continue to provide sound legal advice and effective representation on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ensuring that justice is served and the integrity of our nation upheld”, he said. Meanwhile, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the long-running Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project arbitration while rejecting reports that the tribunal found him complicit in a corrupt arrangement with Sunrise Power promoter, Leno Adesanya. In a press statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, Malami said the protection of Nigeria from substantial financial exposure is an outcome every patriotic Nigerian should welcome, irrespective of political affiliation. Malami nevertheless urged caution and fidelity to the complete record, stressing that the proceedings were commercial arbitration between disputing parties and not a criminal prosecution against him.

Edo Govt Boosts State Economy with Revitalisation of Drug Manufacturing Coy Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City Edo State Government said it had concluded plans for the revitalisation of the moribund Edo Pharmaceutical Company located in Benin City. The government also disclosed that the state was in talks with Chinese investors and others for the establishment of drug manufacturing companies using the abandoned pharmaceutical company as a launch pad. Executive Secretary of Edo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency (DMA), Kenny Okojie, disclosed the moves on Wednesday at a monthly press briefing by Ministry of Information and Strategy in Benin City. Okojie said the pharmaceutical

company established during the military administration of the late Samuel Ogbemudia was vandalised in 2020 during the #Endsars protest in the state. She said when fully rehabilitated the company would supply drugs to neighbouring Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Kogi states, and other African countries. Okojie stated, “We are looking at investors who had come to talk to us to establish a manufacturing firm that will be producing drugs in the state. And it will not be for consumption of the state alone. “We are looking at all the neighbouring states around us. We have Ondo, we have Delta, Bayelsa, Kogi, and even

into the African region too because what they are coming in is a large, huge, and focused manufacturing outfit. “They want to have a PPI arrangement with us. They will build, establish, and run. We only give the enabling environment and the right policy for them to exist in the state. “That’s where we are now. And in no time, we will be able to accomplish that mandate. It’s going to give employment to our youth, generate revenue to the state as well.” While attributing the development to the leadership provided by the Governor Monday Okpebholo administration, Okojie added that the systems of the agency had been digitalised.

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

NEWS

2026 WORLD CLEANUP DAY ORGANISED BY HBM NIGERIA...

L-R: Head, Sustainability and Sponsorship, HBM Nigeria Plc, Gabriel Pollyn; Founder/Chief Executive Oﬃcer, FABE International Foundation, Temitope Okunnu; Director, HBM - ECO Nigeria, Temitope Dosumu; Iyaloja, Oyigbo market, Olateju Ramot; Head, Street Sanitation Services, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lanre Shasore; and Head of Communications Brand & Events, HBM Nigeria, Ginikanwa FrankDurugbor, during the 2026 World Cleanup Day, organised by HBM Nigeria Plc in partnership with FABE International Foundation and held at Oyigbo Ultra Modern Market, Lagos, yesterday

Abubakar Momoh Urges Niger Delta Stakeholders to Unite for Regional Transformation Sen. Ekpenyong seeks NDDC Act Amendment to institutionalise master plan Ogbuku unveils governance framework, community monitoring committee Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta to unite and demonstrate stronger commitment to the development of the region, saying no single institution can address the region’s complex infrastructure, economic, and environmental challenges. Momoh made the call yesterday in Port Harcourt at the 2026 Partners for Sustainable Development Conference (PSD) organised by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the theme, “Synergy for Transformation.” He said sustainable development in the region required collaboration among the federal and state governments, NDDC, private sector, traditional institutions, development partners, and communities. According to him, stakeholders must move beyond ceremonial declarations and focus on measurable outcomes, with clearly defined programmes, responsibilities, timelines, and mechanisms for assessing progress.

Momoh also disclosed that the federal government was working towards a National Policy on Regional Development aimed at harmonising the activities of regional development commissions and aligning their interventions with national development priorities. He said regional development plans must be consistent with federal policies and called for greater investment in infrastructure, agriculture, agro-processing, renewable energy, digital services, transport, tourism, manufacturing, and rural economies. The minister cited the ongoing transformation of infrastructure in the Niger Delta, including the 1.2-kilometre Ataba-Kaaba Bridge in Rivers State, which is to be named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Bridge, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the region. He said the bridge, alongside road, electricity and water projects, demonstrated the importance of partnerships in delivering development. Momoh urged traditional rulers, governors, communities, the youth, and women to take ownership of development initiatives, stressing that

infrastructure alone cannot eradicate poverty without corresponding investment in livelihoods, skills, markets, and local economies. Chairman of Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, called for the institutionalisation of the NDDC regional master plan through an amendment to the commission’s enabling law. Ekpenyong said embedding the plan in law would ensure that the commission’s development direction

British independent energy company, Savannah Energy Plc, has announced that its midstream subsidiary in Nigeria, Accugas Limited, has inaugurated the Board of Trustees for its Host Communities Development Trust (HCDTs). Acugas disclosed that in a statement issued yesterday, saying the inauguration represents an important milestone in its longstanding relationship with its host communities across Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The statement said Accugas had over the years worked closely with the communities to support initiatives across education, healthcare, economic empowerment, infrastructure, and other areas of community development in line with Savannah’s sustainability policy. Established within the framework

of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the Accugas HCDT provides a structured and sustainable platform through which host communities can participate in identifying and prioritising their development needs and implementing initiatives designed to address those needs. Speaking on the inauguration, Head of Stakeholder Relations and Regional Manager, Nigeria, Savannah, Nkoyo Etuk, said the inauguration built on Acugas’ longstanding commitment to communities in which it operated. Etuk added that the inauguration reinforced a principle that had long guided the company’s operations, where its host communities were treated as important stakeholders in its business, “and that our longterm success is closely linked to their wellbeing, stability and development.” Etuk stated, “Over many years,

businesses, infrastructure, skills and institutions. NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission had introduced a governance framework designed by KPMG to strengthen accountability, checks and balances, and institutional continuity. Ogbuku said the framework had been approved by the NDDC board and reviewed by anti-corruption agencies, adding that it would establish clear roles and limits for

board members, management, and staff. He announced plans for full digitisation of the commission, saying automation would improve efficiency and help curb delays and opportunities for corruption. He disclosed that stakeholders had agreed to establish a PSD Community Monitoring Committee to assess the implementation of commitments and present a scorecard at the next conference.

MAN: MPR Cut Will Support Manufacturers’ Capacity to Finance Inventory, Raw Materials Dike Onwuamaeze The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) declared that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reduction of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) will support manufacturers’ capacity to finance inventory, raw materials, production cycles, equipment acquisition, and

Accugas Deepens Host Community Relations, Inaugurates HCDT BOTs in A’Ibom, Cross River Peter Uzoho

was not dependent on the goodwill or personal convictions of individuals occupying leadership positions. He said the Niger Delta must transition “from extraction to production, from raw materials to value addition, from intervention to enterprise, and from environmental degradation to resilience”. The senator urged NDDC to focus on economic transformation and ensure that resources derived from the region helped build sustainable

Accugas has built and maintained constructive relationships with our host communities, supporting initiatives across education, healthcare, economic empowerment, infrastructure and other areas of community development. “The establishment of this trust provides an opportunity to build on these efforts through a framework that places greater responsibility, ownership and participation in the hands of the communities themselves.” In her remarks, Senior Manager, Host Community Development Trust, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Cynthia Nzeh, said, “The Accugas Host Communities Development Trust is the first midstream Host Communities Development Trust in Nigeria to be inaugurated. I commend Accugas and the Board of Trustees for achieving this important milestone.

business expansion. Aside from slashing the MPR by 350 basis points to 23 per cent from 26.50 per cent, other decisions of the MPC included the adjustment of the Standing Facilities Corridor (SFC) to +50 / -300 basis points around the MPR; retaining the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 45 per cent for deposit money banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks and retaining the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent. While commending the CBN for lowering the MPR, which it described as “a significant easing of the monetary policy stance,” it explained that the move is expected to lower the borrowing cost and improve the operating environment for businesses, particularly manufacturers whose activities depend heavily on working capital and investment financing. Director General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stated this yesterday in a public statement on the position of MAN on the September 2026 MPC meeting. Ajayi-Kadir said that the reduction signalled a gradual shift from the exceptionally tight monetary conditions that have prevailed in recent periods that contributed to poor performance of the manufacturing sector. He also said that the revised SFC of +50/-300 basis points provided a more moderate framework around the policy rate, and would improve

liquidity management within the banking system and support more efficient pricing of short-term funds. However, the director general stated that “retaining the CRR at 45 per cent for deposit money banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks means that a substantial proportion of banks’ deposits will continue to be held as reserves. “While reserve requirements remain important for financial and monetary stability, the relatively high CRR may continue to constrain the proportion of deposits available for lending to productive sectors,” it stated. The MAN added that the benefits of the MPR reduction may not be fully realised if credit expansion to the real sector remains constrained because of the high CRR rate that reduces the available funds for lending or investment. According to the organisation, the extent manufacturers would benefit from the reduced MPR would depend on the speed and strength of monetary policy transmission to actual lending rates and complementary fiscal and structural interventions, including reliable electricity supply, reduced logistics costs, smooth road infrastructure and favourable ease of doing business. It said: “Broadly, MAN sees the MPR reduction as a good opportunity to create a more supportive financing environment for manufacturing.

“Yet, more cuts are needed to achieve meaningful impact. Nevertheless, lower interest rates alone cannot resolve the structural constraints that continue to raise production costs. “Therefore, MAN advocates for stronger coordination between monetary and fiscal authorities to ensure that monetary policy easing is complemented by targeted fiscal and structural interventions. “Such coordination is necessary to translate the reduction in the policy rate into lower lending costs, improved access to credit, increased productive investment, an improved operating environment, and stronger industrial growth.” The association also highlighted that the MPR cut would lead to a downward shift in fixed income yields on short term government security like treasury bills and Open Market Operations (OMO); reduce debt-servicing borrowing costs for the federal government and slightly narrow the yield spread for foreign portfolio investors looking for opportunities. MAN, therefore, recommended the following policy measures for the government’s consideration to support sustainable economic growth and industrial development. It recommended that the CBN should expand access to concessionary, single-digit financing for manufacturers, particularly SMIs and businesses operating in strategic sectors.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

CELEBRATING A VISIONARY, TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER, & NATION-BUILDER @ 60!

MR. AIGBOJE

AIG-IMOUKHUEDE

, CFR

Today, we celebrate an exceptional Nigerian whose life and career embody vision, transformational leadership and an enduring commitment to nation-building. From transforming the banking landscape to championing investment, enterprise and public-sector reform, you have consistently demonstrated that true leadership is measured by the institutions built, opportunities created and lives impacted. Through your philanthropic and leadership initiatives, you have continued to invest in the capacity of Nigerians and the effectiveness of public institutions, leaving an imprint that extends far beyond the corporate world. At 60, we celebrate this eventful milestone and your legacy of excellence, enterprise and service to humanity and Nigeria. tƇɬ٪ɅǕƲ٪ɬƲƇȯȷ٪ƇǕƲƇƫ٪ƣȯǛǾǍ٪ɬȉɍ٪ȯƲǾƲɦƲƫ٪ȷɅȯƲǾǍɅǕ‫ؙ‬٪ǍȯƲƇɅƲȯ٪ǌɍǳ˚ǳǼƲǾɅ٪ƇǾƫ٪ǼƇǾɬ٪ more opportunities to inspire, transform and build. Congratulations and HBD @ 60 AIG!

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Senator Tokunbo & Mrs. Feyisola Abiru C H A I R M A N , S E N AT E C O M M I T T E E O N B A N K I N G , INSURANCE AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

TRIBUTE

Aigboje at 60: From Building a Bank to Building an African Institution For Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the bigger ambition was never simply to build successful businesses. It was to create institutions that could endure beyond their founders and help Africa turn capital into lasting prosperity. enabled solutions as an important investment area, particularly businesses addressing structural problems in African markets. The objective is not technology for its own sake. For a continent where access, information and distribution remain significant constraints, technology can reduce friction between people, businesses and financial markets. The idea of democratisation therefore becomes practical: use institutions, technology and expertise to make more opportunities accessible.

By Bayo Akinloye

ome business milestones are best understood not by the numbers attached to them, but by the institutions they leave behind. For Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who turns 60 on September 24, the most consequential chapter of his career began in 2002, when he and the late Herbert Wigwe acquired Access Bank, then a relatively small player in Nigeria’s banking industry. It was an audacious proposition. The two bankers had left Guaranty Trust Bank, where they had built their careers, to take control of an institution that had little of the scale or visibility it would eventually command. Aig has since recounted that period in his memoir, Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa. What is perhaps more significant today, however, is not simply what happened to Access Bank after the acquisition, but what the experience appears to have taught him about institutions. The lesson was that building a business and building an institution are not necessarily the same thing. An entrepreneur can create a successful company around an idea, a market opportunity or even the force of personal leadership. An institution has a more demanding test: it must be able to continue creating value when its founders are no longer in the room. That distinction has increasingly become central to how Aig describes his own journey. In an August 2026 interview with African Business, he argued that institution-builders create organisations capable of enduring beyond the energy, personality and presence of their founders. He identified governance, succession, culture, disciplined capital allocation and the ability to renew an organisation as critical elements of institutional longevity. It is a useful lens through which to view the second half of his career. Because if Access Bank was the great institutional experiment of Aig’s first major chapter, Coronation represents something different: an attempt to build an integrated African financial-services platform capable of operating across several parts of the wealth-creation ecosystem.

The ﬁrst big bet Aig’s banking career began in the late 1980s. He joined Guaranty Trust Bank in 1991 and rose to executive director before leaving in 2002 to pursue the Access Bank acquisition. He became Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, a position he held until 2013. The transformation that followed has become one of the better-known stories in Nigerian banking. But the more interesting question at 60 is what sat underneath the transformation. The Access Bank project was not simply about increasing deposits, opening branches or growing the balance sheet. It was about creating a culture, building management capacity and developing systems that could support scale. That approach subsequently informed Aig’s work beyond commercial banking. He became involved in the wider architecture of Nigeria’s financial markets, including the Financial Market Dealers Association and FMDQ, and later served as President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He also became Chairman of EnterpriseNGR, an advocacy group for Nigeria’s financial and professional-services industries. The progression is instructive. The banker who had once focused on building one institution increasingly became interested in the institutions around the institution: capital markets, regulation, market infrastructure, investment, governance and the ability to connect savings with productive economic activity. That evolution provides a useful explanation for what came next.

The bigger African question

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

investment banking, capital markets, asset management, insurance, wealth management, trustees, technology and related services. Today, Coronation describes itself as a leading African financial-services provider, offering solutions across banking, fund management, insurance, trade enablement, fiduciary services, data and technology, while also building strategic partnerships across business, art and innovation. The distinction matters. A collection of financial businesses can be measured individually. An institution can be judged by whether those capabilities collectively solve problems for clients and markets. That appears to be the direction in which Aig wants Coronation to evolve. In the African Business interview, he described the group as an integrated platform designed to serve the wealth-creation needs of Nigeria and Africa. He linked the model to a broader problem: the continent needs more long-term capital, but uncertainty, fragmentation and institutional weaknesses can make capital unnecessarily expensive. This idea is remarkably consistent across his career. The challenge has changed, but the underlying question has remained the same:

How do you build institutions that make opportunity easier to access? Democratising wealth This is where another part of Aig’s philosophy becomes important. His approach to wealth has increasingly extended beyond the conventional idea of accumulating financial assets. It is also about expanding access to capital, investment opportunities, financial expertise, technology and the institutions that help individuals and businesses build lasting prosperity. Coronation’s current model reflects this ambition. Its businesses provide different entry points into the financial system. Banking provides access to financing and payment services. Asset management provides investment solutions. Insurance provides risk protection. Capital-market businesses connect issuers and investors. Wealth platforms support individuals and families seeking to manage and preserve assets. The underlying proposition is not that every client needs every service. Rather, it is that a sophisticated financial-services institution should have the capability to address different stages of the wealth journey. That is also why technology features prominently in the Coronation story. Coronation Capital, for example, identifies technology-

Aig’s institutional ambition is also connected to his belief that Africa needs financial institutions with continental relevance. In the African Business interview, he drew a comparison with BlackRock and argued that Africa needs institutions with comparable respect and capacity to help address the cost of capital. The comparison is ambitious, but the underlying argument is straightforward. Africa does not only need more entrepreneurs. It needs institutions capable of supporting entrepreneurs. It needs deeper capital markets, stronger investment managers, credible insurers, effective fiduciaries and financial institutions capable of understanding the continent’s particular risks and opportunities. That is the space Coronation is seeking to occupy. Its current ecosystem includes Coronation Group, Coronation Capital, Coronation Merchant Bank, Coronation Securities, Coronation Registrars, Coronation Asset Management, Coronation Trustees, Coronation Insurance, Coronation Life Assurance, Coronation Insurance Ghana, Coronation Wealth, Trium, and Coronation Technologies. The significance of this range is not the number of entities. It is the possibility of bringing specialised capabilities together around a single economic objective: helping capital move more effectively through the African economy. That is also why Aig’s thinking has moved increasingly towards institution-building rather than individual business-building. A successful business can create wealth. A successful institution can create the conditions for wealth to be created repeatedly.

Building the ecosystem around ﬁnance There is another dimension to the Coronation story that is easy to overlook. If Aig’s philosophy were exclusively about financial capital, the group’s activities would probably stop at banking, investment and insurance. They do not. Coronation has increasingly positioned itself at the intersection of finance, culture, technology and business. Its engagement with the Africa CEO Forum and Africa Financial Industry Summit, for example, places the group within conversations around investment, financial markets and the continent’s economic future. Its partnership with Tate Modern around Nigerian Modernism represents another dimension. The partnership, involving Coronation Group and Access Holdings, has supported the international presentation of Nigerian modernist art and created a platform for African cultural narratives to reach a global audience. The Coronation Art Gallery provides a domestic expression of the same philosophy. Its The Value of Belief exhibition explored the role of collectors as custodians of cultural heritage and champions of artistic talent, while drawing a parallel between the conviction required to collect art and the conviction required for long-term investment. The exhibition’s underlying proposition was that cultural capital can itself contribute to Africa’s creative and economic future. At first glance, this might appear distant from banking. It is not. It reflects a broader conception of capital — one that recognises that financial prosperity does not exist in isolation from knowledge, talent, culture and identity. This has increasingly become part of the language around Aig’s work. The question is not simply how Africa creates financial wealth, but how it develops the human and cultural assets required to sustain that wealth.

The institution beyond its founder Perhaps the most revealing test of Aig’s current philosophy is whether Coronation can eventually become less about Aig. That may sound counterintuitive when discussing a 60th birthday profile, but it is precisely the point. Institution-building, by Aig’s own definition, requires an organisation to perform through leadership transitions, economic cycles, technological disruption, regulatory changes and crises. The founder therefore becomes less important over time, not more. That places a different responsibility on leadership. The task is to create systems that attract and develop talent, establish credible governance, allocate capital with discipline and build a culture strong enough to survive changes in personnel. Coronation’s own approach places considerable emphasis on talent and professional development. Its graduate trainee programme, for instance, is designed to develop the skills and leadership capacity required by the next generation of financial professionals. This is an important part of the institution-building story. A financial institution is ultimately only as strong as the people capable of carrying its purpose forward.

A different deﬁnition of success At 60, Aig’s career offers two different ways of looking at success. The first is conventional: the size of the institutions he has helped build, the markets in which they operate, the transactions they have participated in and the recognition he has received. The second is institutional. What organisations will still be creating value decades from now? What platforms will still be connecting capital with opportunity? What institutions will still be developing people? What African businesses will have access to capital because financial institutions were built to understand and serve them? And what will remain of the philosophy after the founder has moved on? These questions make the Coronation story more interesting than a simple corporate expansion narrative. Aig is attempting to move from the model of the successful entrepreneur to that of the institution builder. His own description of the distinction is instructive. An entrepreneur creates a business; an institution-builder creates an organisation that can endure beyond the founder. That philosophy has been shaped by his experience at Guaranty Trust Bank and Access Bank, but it has also been reinforced by his work across Nigeria’s financial-market architecture and his involvement in public-sector reform. His work through the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation reflects the same belief from another direction: privatesector progress cannot be sustained indefinitely where public institutions remain weak. The Foundation and its subsidiaries focus on developing public-sector leadership and improving government effectiveness. (Access Holdings) In other words, institution-building for Aig is not confined to companies. It is a broader philosophy about how societies create and preserve prosperity.

The next chapter The temptation with a 60th birthday is to write the conclusion before the story is over. For Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, that would probably miss the point. The more revealing feature of his career is that each major chapter appears to have produced another institutional question. Access Bank raised the question of whether a relatively small Nigerian bank could be transformed into a major African institution. His subsequent work in financial-market infrastructure raised questions about how markets themselves should function. The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation raised questions about the strength of public institutions. And Coronation raises a broader question still: can an African financial institution be built with the scale, breadth and longevity required to support sustainable wealth creation across the continent?

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

FEATURES Respite for Bakiyawa Women After Years of Poor Maternity Care

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com,

Francis Sardauna writes that after years of enduring poor facilities and limited healthcare services, the recent renovation of the Bakiyawa Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC) by UNICEF, with funding from the Global Fund, has given Suwaiba Abubakar, a mother of nine, fresh hope for safer and better healthcare for women and children in her community

or Suwaiba Abubakar, the Bakiyawa Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC) in Batagarawa Local Government Area of Katsina State is more than a hospital. It is where she gave birth to all her nine children and where each of them received their routine vaccinations. But for years, the 45-year-old mother associated the facility with more than memories of childbirth. She also remembers the discomfort, poor maternity care, limited services and anxiety that women faced whenever they came to seek care. Before its renovation by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with funding from the Global Fund, Suwaiba said women in labour sometimes had to give birth in the same ward where other female patients were being treated because the centre had no dedicated labour room. In an exclusive interview with THISDAY on the sideline of the project’s inauguration, Suwaiba said the experience was particularly uncomfortable for women who needed privacy and specialised attention during labour. “Sometimes, women in labour had to give birth in the same ward where other female patients were staying because there was no labour room,” she recalled. She also recalled how women who require blood during or after childbirth were being referred to neighbouring hospitals in Babban Ruga, a situation she added, was dangerous in emergencies where every minute counts. “When a woman needs blood, she has to be taken to another hospital. This is a serious challenge, especially for women who lose a lot of blood during childbirth, and other patients seeking immediate blood transfusion services,” she said. However, the 45-year-old mother who was visibly excited by the renovation, said: “I gave birth to all my nine children here and they all received their vaccinations here. The renovation will improve the hospital and encourage more women within and outside Bakiyawa to use the facility”. She added that the renovated Maternal and Child Health Centre is not merely a refurbished hospital, but a place where memories of anxiety and discomfort during childbirth and other health-seeking services are replaced with hope of life. While commending UNICEF for coming to their aid, Suwaiba appealed to the Katsina State Government to provide the health centre with adequate medical equipment, additional health workers, essential drugs and other consumables needed to sustain effective service delivery. She said such support would ensure that women and children who come to the facility can receive comprehensive healthcare without being referred elsewhere for services that should be available at the centre. Another woman from the community, Fatima Yusuf, said: “The condition of the old facility made many women afraid to go there. Sometimes, we had no choice but to depend on traditional birth attendants because the health centre was not in a condition we could trust. “We are happy that attention is finally being given to maternal healthcare in our community. What we need now is for the facility to remain functional, with qualified health workers, drugs, water and other basic equipment.” The mother of three, who was seen leaving the old section of the hospital with cannula

The newly renovated Maternal and Child Health Centre in Bakiyawa, Batagarawa LGA

in her right hand, added that: “All women and children in this place depend on this health centre. So, if the facility works properly, it will save families the stress and danger of travelling elsewhere for treatment”. Her concern was echoed by the Health Manager, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Dr Serekeberehan Seyoum, who urged the state government to ensure adequate staffing, regular provision of essential medicines and supplies, routine maintenance and the prompt commencement of quality services at the facility. Seyoum, who spoke while handing over the renovated centre to the state government on Thursday, said the sustainability of the investment would depend on effective management and continued commitment from government and community stakeholders. He described the completion of the renovation of the Bakiyawa MCHC; Sabon Gari Primary Health Centre in Daura and Dandutse Primary Health Centre in Funtua as an important step towards improving access to essential healthcare and creating better working conditions for health workers. He said the upgraded facilities would particularly benefit women, children and other vulnerable groups within and outside the shores of the three benefiting local government areas of the state. Seyoum said: “Under the Global Fund implementation support, UNICEF served as the implementation partner for the renovation of three Primary Health Care facilities: MCHC Bakiyawa (Batagarawa LGA), Sabon Gari PHC (Daura LGA), and Dandutse PHC (Funtua LGA). “We are pleased that the renovation works have been successfully completed and the facilities are now ready to provide quality health services to their communities. “These improved facilities will contribute to better access

to essential health services, enhanced working conditions for health workers, and improved health outcomes for women, children, and other vulnerable populations.” He added that: “Today (Thursday), UNICEF formally hands over these facilities to the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, transferring responsibility for their management, utilization, and maintenance to the state government and stakeholders in benefiting communities. “We encourage the State Government to ensure adequate staffing, provision of essential supplies, routine maintenance, and the prompt commencement of quality service delivery so that communities can immediately benefit from this investment. “On behalf of UNICEF, we are proud to hand over these renovated facilities and look forward to seeing them serve as centers of quality health care for the benefit of communities across Katsina State.” Unveiling the Bakiyawa MCHC facility amidst jubilation by residents, the acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Shema’u Kabir, said the government would provide the equipment required for the centre to resume full operations. She said the agency would assess the facility’s outstanding needs and make a formal request to the state government for additional equipment to complement what has already been provided. She further explained that health workers who were providing services at the facility before the renovation would return and continue their duties. She noted that the state government is currently implementing a programme to revitalise at least one healthcare facility in each of the state’s 361 wards. She stressed that another health facility in Bakiyawa had already benefited from comprehensive government intervention, including renovation, provision of equipment, a tricycle, an ambulance and human resources for health. She stated that the newly renovated facility would require further government support as it is an additional facility beyond those already prioritised under the state’s revitalisation programme.

The acting executive secretary applauded UNICEF for supporting the Katsina State Government in improving maternal and child health services and other healthcare programmes across the state. She said: “Not only the infrastructure, they (UNICEF) are supporting the state government in terms of strengthening the human resource for health, the quality of the services we are providing. “So they have been one major partner that we have been working with, and we will continue to collaborate with UNICEF to improve the maternal and child health intervention and services in Katsina State”. Earlier, the Vice Chairman of Batagarawa Local Government Area, Abdulrahman Ahmed Ajiwa, described the UNICEF intervention as a significant step towards improving access to healthcare services in the community. He said the initiative would help bring essential healthcare services closer to residents, particularly those in underserved communities, and urged residents to take ownership of the projects and ensure that the facilities are properly maintained for the benefit of the people. He also called on the community to protect projects provided by the government and development partners, stressing that their sustainability depends largely on the support and cooperation of the beneficiaries. But Suwaiba, who had gone through childbirth nine times, believes that the renovation will only be complete when women who come to the centre in the most critical moments of their lives can access every service they need without being sent elsewhere. “For us mothers, we want a hospital where we can come and receive complete care, especially when there is an emergency. We are grateful for what has been done, but we still need more,” she said. Her message is simple but crucial: a renovated hospital can change the appearance of healthcare, but adequate equipment, personnel and emergency services are what ultimately save lives. Beyond the renovated health centre, Suwaiba appealed to the state government to reconstruct the road linking the community, which she said was critical in accessing healthcare and facilitating the movement of people, goods and services.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

PERSPECTIVE

From Ajegunle to Amuwo-Odofin: Why Communities Must Own Their Environment Story Jerome Gboko

omewhere between government policy and environmental outcome stands the community. A ministry can design a programme. Engineers can construct drains. LAWMA can deploy waste collectors. Scientists can model climate risk. Enforcement officers can issue notices. But eventually, environmental policy arrives at a street, market, estate or neighbourhood where ordinary people either sustain it or undermine it. This is why the next phase of environmental governance in Lagos may depend less on what government says to communities and more on what it does with them. Recent independent research increasingly supports that conclusion, and two very different neighbourhoods — Ajegunle-Ikorodu and Amuwo-Odofin — help illustrate why. Listening Before Lecturing In March 2026, researchers working through the University of Lagos and the African Cities Research Consortium brought community stakeholders together to examine climate vulnerabilities in Ajegunle-Ikorodu. Their research found that decades of rapid land-use change had transformed what was once a much greener landscape into a densely built environment, increasing exposure to flooding, heat and other climate-related risks. The significance lies not simply in the findings. It lies in the method. Residents were not treated merely as people waiting for experts to explain their problems to them. They became part of the conversation — contributors rather than subjects, participants rather than statistics gathered for a report they would never read. This represents an important shift in climate governance, and it matters more than it might first appear. The people living with flooding often possess knowledge that cannot be obtained from satellite imagery alone. They know which street floods first. They know where water flowed before a building appeared on what used to be open land. They know which drain stopped functioning after construction began upstream, long before any official inspection would catch it. They know whether flooding now lasts two hours rather than two days — or whether, worryingly, the reverse is true. They know, better than any consultant flown in for a fortnight, which interventions actually changed their daily lives and which were simply announced and forgotten. Research in Lagos's coastal communities has similarly highlighted the value of local adaptation knowledge, particularly among vulnerable groups who adjust livelihoods and daily practices in response to environmental changes. Fishermen who alter their routines around tidal patterns. Traders who relocate stalls before the rains. Families who have learned, through hard experience, which rooms to abandon first when water rises. This is knowledge earned through consequence, not derived from a model. That knowledge should not compete with engineering. It should inform it. A Grassroots Shift Already Underway There is already evidence of a stronger grassroots dimension emerging in Lagos's environmental approach. In July 2026, the Ministry intensified environmental-

Heaps of refuse illicitly dumped along Ago Palace Way by residents

awareness programmes in Amuwo-Odofin, specifically linking responsible waste disposal with flood prevention and public health. Officials emphasised, correctly, that environmental sustainability could not be achieved by government action alone. That message is correct. But community engagement must become more than government officials travelling to neighbourhoods to lecture residents about what they are doing wrong. The relationship should be reciprocal, built on an exchange rather than a broadcast. Government should tell residents what it is doing. Residents should tell government what is working. Government should provide disposal systems. Residents should use them. Government should identify drainage corridors. Communities should help protect them. Government should communicate flood risk. Residents should supply local intelligence about emerging problems before they become emergencies. This is how environmental policy becomes rooted rather than imposed — how it survives beyond the tenure of any single commissioner or campaign. Consider waste, the most visible and most contested of Lagos's environmental battles. A LAWMA truck may visit a neighbourhood twice a week, but residents live there every day. If illegal dumping begins at an unguarded corner, they will see it before government does. If a PSP operator quietly stops coming, residents know first — often weeks before any complaint reaches a desk downtown. If a drainage channel becomes gradually obstructed, the community frequently sees the deterioration long before the rainy season violently exposes its consequences to everyone else. The community is therefore potentially the largest environmental-

monitoring network Lagos possesses. It is simply not always organised as one. Imagining a Different Kind Of Participation Picture environmental focal persons embedded in neighbourhood associations, connected digitally to the relevant agencies — not as volunteers shouting into a void, but as recognised nodes in a functioning system. Picture every LCDA maintaining a regularly updated map of drainage blackspots, built partly on citizen reporting rather than occasional official surveys. Picture residents photographing illegal dumping and tracking, in real time, whether their complaint was actually resolved. Picture community environmental scorecards measuring waste collection, drainage maintenance and sanitation — public, comparable, and impossible to quietly ignore. Environmental participation would begin moving from slogans towards accountability. But the responsibility must run both ways. It is unfair for government to appeal endlessly for public cooperation while citizens believe their complaints disappear into bureaucracy, never to be seen again. Community ownership grows when people can see that participation produces a response. That means feedback, not silence. If residents report a blocked channel, somebody should acknowledge it. If it cannot be immediately cleared, they should be told why. If a PSP operator repeatedly fails a community, the regulator should intervene rather than looking away. If government plans enforcement affecting homes or businesses, communities should receive credible technical information about the basis for the action, not just a notice pasted on a wall. Trust is environmental infrastructure too. Without it, even sensible policy becomes contested, resisted, and eventually undone. Partnership As The Routine, Not The Exception The African Cities Research Consortium's work in Lagos has stressed the importance

of collaboration between researchers, local government and communities in confronting flooding and other urban pressures. In early 2026, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA publicly supported continued climate-resilience research focused on Ajegunle-Ikorodu and surrounding areas — a small but telling signal that local government can see itself as a partner in inquiry rather than merely a subject of it. That kind of partnership should become routine rather than remarkable. The state government possesses resources. Universities possess research expertise. Local councils understand neighbourhood dynamics in ways no state-level office ever fully can. Community organisations possess social networks that move faster than any official channel. Residents possess lived experience that no dataset can replicate. None of these is sufficient alone. Together, they begin to resemble something durable. Whose Environment Is It? The Lagos environmental legacy will therefore be strongest when ordinary Lagosians cease to see environmental management as something government occasionally comes into their neighbourhood to perform, like a travelling show that packs up and leaves. A clean street should become a community asset, not a temporary condition maintained for an inspection. An open drainage channel should become infrastructure residents feel entitled to protect, the way they would protect a shared water source. A wetland should not be regarded merely as undeveloped land awaiting somebody powerful enough to claim it — it should be understood as a defence residents actively want kept intact. And illegal dumping should offend the community before enforcement officers ever arrive on the scene. Government can create the framework, write the policy, build the drain. But the most durable legacy will be achieved when residents begin to say, without needing to be told: this is not merely government's environment. It is ours. t(CPLP XSPUF JO GSPN -BHPT

THURSDAY, 4&15&.#&3 t T H I S D AY

THRUSDAY, 4&15&.#&3 t T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

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REPO

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

S E P T E M B E R

S & P INDEX

2 3 , 2 0 2 6

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OPR

25.34%

CALL

23.25%

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595.26

1/4 TO DATE

0.24%

N1,383.00 / 1 US DOLLAR*

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25.18%

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Mobile Number Portability Drops to 1,251 as MTN Leads in Incoming Porting

Stories by Emma Okonji The total number of telecoms subscribers that dumped their service providers in search of quality service, known as Mobile Number Portability (MNP), dropped in the month of July to 1,251, after reaching 1,268 in June this year, statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed. The drop according to telecoms experts, is an indication of a fairly stable network, resulting from improved telecoms network in the month of July 2026.

The statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NCC, however showed that MTN maintained a leading position in the number of incoming porting for 12 consecutive months, an indication that more subscribers continue to join the MTN network in search of quality service, even though the number dropped on the MTN network from 704 in June to 613 in July 2026. The statistics also showed the number of outgoing porting, where T2 recorded the highest number of outgoing porting in July, as high as

461 subscribers that left its network, followed by Airtel with 317 subscribers that left its network. Next to Airtel is MTN with 257 subscribers that left its network in the month of July 2026. Globacom had the least number of outgoing subscribers, with a record of 216 subscribers that left its network withing the same period, an indication that subscribers are gaining more confidence from the Globacom network that is attracting more of its subscribers to retain the network.

However, not a single subscriber ported out of VITEL network, but it gained 21 new subscribers that ported into its network within the same period. In telecoms’ parlance, incoming porting refers to a trend where a network gains additional subscribers when mobile numbers are transferred from one service provider to another on the request of the subscribers that wish to change their service providers while keeping the same telephone number. Outgoing porting

refers to a trend where a network loses subscribers when mobile numbers are transferred from one service provider to another on the request of subscribers that wish to change service providers while keeping the same telephone number. From the incoming porting statistics in January 2026, MTN recorded 740 new subscribers that ported into its network, Airtel recorded 494 new subscribers that ported into its network, Globacom recorded 215 new subscribers that ported into its network, T2 recorded 12

new subscribers that ported into its network, while VITEL recorded seven new subscribers that ported into its network. In February 2026, MTN recorded 1,183 incoming porting subscribers, Airtel recorded 428 incoming porting subscribers, Globacom recorded 195 incoming porting subscribers, T2 recorded 21 incoming porting subscribers, while VITEL recorded eight incoming porting subscribers. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Expert Warns Against Geopolitics, Delusions Built Around Artificial Intelligence As technologies continue to emerge globally, theories of delusions continue to spread around some of the emerging technologies, especially the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that is fast shaping the world. Worried about what has been widely described as the big AI hoax and the delusions of geopolitics surrounding AI, a technology expert, Dr. Mkpe Abang has warned against some of the theories surrounding AI, insisting they

are simply hoax and delusions that must be discarded by all. Citing the highly canvassed message of apocalyptic occurrences in year 2000, where many people were told of a possible crashing of computer systems, the collapse of the internet, and of cataclysmic halt to data transmissions; even, of an attendant financial meltdown, Abang said such was the beginning of delusions surrounding emerging technologies.

He questioned: “Did any of such happened throughout the month of January 2000, the first month of the beginning of the millennium? The sad reality is that several companies, individuals, agencies and even governments deployed the fear-factor, the phobia so induced, to fleece and defraud millions of people globally of their hard-earned monies through the fearmongering so spread. But, does the world ever learn?”

According to him, today, governments all over the world are summoning experts, while profit-focused corporations are issuing warnings with muted expectations abut AI. He however said such summons and warnings about AI are all hoax, even though AI itself is not a hoax. “Let me dispose immediately of a possible misunderstanding. Artificial Intelligence is not a hoax. Its capabilities are real, its

advances extraordinary and some of its risks serious. The hoax is something else: the mythology being constructed around AI – the proposition that humanity has suddenly encountered a technological phenomenon without historical antecedent. That machines have somehow acquired an independent moral agency; that mass human redundancy is inevitable; that today’s AI represents the summit of technological evolution;

and that every apocalyptic possibility deserves to be treated as impending reality,” Abang said. According to him, one of the AI promoters, Anthropic, announced it would invest $32 billion to build a data centre in Queensland, Australia. AI leading companies, Open AI, and the likes, are teaming up to propose how to put the brakes on advancement of AI beyond human control. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 2 6 BONDS DESCRIPTION Price Yield Change Updated Time (%) September ^13.98 230.00 23, 2026 96.21 16.98 FEB-2028 ^21.00 20105.35 16.90 0.00 September MAR-2028 23, 2026 ^19.30 170.06 September 104.53 17.05 23, 2026 APR-2029 ^14.55 26September 95.28 16.80 0.00 APR-2029 23, 2026 ^18.50 21September 104.48 17.02 -0.12 FEB-2031 23, 2026

BILLS MATURITY NTB 8-Oct26 NTB 5-Nov26 NTB 3-Dec26 NTB 7-Jan27 NTB 4-Feb27

Discount Yield

CPS

Change (%) Updated Time

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17.30

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MATURITY HAAI CP X 7-SEP-26 PCLL CP V 25-SEP-26 AGRO CP IV 7-DEC-26 DAIL CP II 26-NOV-26 JVIL CP XXIV 29-DEC-26

Discount Yield 22.85

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-0.01 September 23, 2026 0.00 September 23, 2026 0.01 September 23, 2026 0.00 September 23, 2026 0.01 September 23, 2026

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

FINANCE

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede at 60: From Building a Bank to Building an African Institution Eromosele Abiodun posits that for Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the bigger ambition was never simply to build successful businesses. It was to create institutions that could endure beyond their founders and help Africa turn capital into lasting prosperity

ome business milestones are best understood not by the numbers attached to them, but by the institutions they leave behind. For Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who turns 60 today, the most consequential chapter of his career began in 2002, when he and the late Herbert Wigwe acquired Access Bank, then a relatively small player in Nigeria’s banking industry. It was an audacious proposition. The two bankers had left Guaranty Trust Bank, where they had built their careers, to take control of an institution that had little of the scale or visibility it would eventually command. Aig has since recounted that period in his memoir, Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa. What is perhaps more significant today, however, is not simply what happened to Access Bank after the acquisition, but what the experience appears to have taught him about institutions. The lesson was that building a business and building an institution are not necessarily the same thing. An entrepreneur can create a successful company around an idea, a market opportunity or even the force of personal leadership. An institution has a more demanding test: it must be able to continue creating value when its founders are no longer in the room. That distinction has increasingly become central to how Aig describes his own journey. In an August 2026 interview with African Business, he argued that institution-builders create organisations capable of enduring beyond the energy, personality and presence of their founders. He identified governance, succession, culture, disciplined capital allocation and the ability to renew an organisation as critical elements of institutional longevity. It is a useful lens through which to view the second half of his career. Because if Access Bank was the great institutional experiment of Aig’s first major chapter, Coronation represents something different: an attempt to build an integrated African financial-services platform capable of operating across several parts of the wealth-creation ecosystem.

First big bet Aig’s banking career began in the late 1980s. He joined Guaranty Trust Bank in 1991 and rose to executive director before leaving in 2002 to pursue the Access Bank acquisition. He became Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, a position he held until 2013. The transformation that followed has become one of the betterknown stories in Nigerian banking. But the more interesting question at 60 is what sat underneath the transformation. The Access Bank project was not simply about increasing deposits, opening branches or growing the balance sheet. It was about creating a culture, building management capacity and developing systems that could support scale. That approach subsequently informed Aig’s work beyond commercial banking. He became involved in the wider architecture of Nigeria’s financial markets, including the Financial Market Dealers Association and FMDQ, and later served as President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He also became Chairman of EnterpriseNGR, an advocacy group for Nigeria’s financial and professional-services industries. The progression is instructive. The banker who had once focused on building one institution increasingly became interested in the institutions around the institution: capital markets, regulation, market infrastructure, investment, governance and the ability to connect savings with productive economic

Aig-I mouk hue d e activity. That evolution provides a useful explanation for what came next.

Beyond the bank After leaving Access Bank’s executive leadership, Aig established Coronation Capital in 2015. The investment platform has interests spanning areas including banking, insurance, technology, real estate and energy. But Coronation Capital was not the endpoint. It became part of a larger vision for Coronation, one that brings together financial capabilities across investment banking, capital markets, asset management, insurance, wealth management, trustees, technology and related services. Today, Coronation describes itself as a leading African financial-services provider, offering solutions across banking, fund management, insurance, trade enablement, fiduciary services, data and technology, while also building strategic partnerships across business, art and innovation. The distinction matters. A collection of financial businesses can be measured individually. An institution can be judged by whether those capabilities collectively solve problems for clients and markets. That appears to be the direction in which Aig wants Coronation to evolve. In the African Business interview, he described the group as an integrated platform designed to serve the wealthcreation needs of Nigeria and Africa. He linked the model to a broader problem: the continent needs more long-term capital, but uncertainty, fragmentation and institutional weaknesses can make capital unnecessarily expensive. This idea is remarkably consistent across his career. The challenge has changed, but the underlying question has remained the same: How do you build institutions that make opportunity easier to access?

Democratising wealth This is where another part of Aig’s philosophy becomes important. His

respect and capacity to help address the cost of capital. The comparison is ambitious, but the underlying argument is straightforward. Africa does not only need more entrepreneurs. It needs institutions capable of supporting entrepreneurs. It needs deeper capital markets, stronger investment managers, credible insurers, effective fiduciaries and financial institutions capable of understanding the continent’s particular risks and opportunities. That is the space Coronation is seeking to occupy. Its current ecosystem includes Coronation Group, Coronation Capital, Coronation Merchant Bank, Coronation Securities, Coronation Registrars, Coronation Asset Management, Coronation Trustees, Coronation Insurance, Coronation Life Assurance, Coronation Insurance Ghana, Coronation Wealth, Trium, and Coronation Technologies. The significance of this range is not the number of entities. It is the possibility of bringing specialised capabilities together around a single economic objective: helping capital move more effectively through the African economy. That is also why Aig’s thinking has moved increasingly towards institution-building rather than individual business-building. A successful business can create wealth. A successful institution can create the conditions for wealth to be approach to wealth has increasingly created repeatedly. extended beyond the conventional idea of accumulating financial assets. Building the ecosystem It is also about expanding access to around finance capital, investment opportunities, financial expertise, technology There is another dimension to the and the institutions that help Coronation story that is easy to overlook. individuals and businesses build If Aig’s philosophy were exclusively about lasting prosperity. Coronation’s financial capital, the group’s activities would current model reflects this ambition. probably stop at banking, investment Its businesses provide different entry and insurance. They do not. Coronation points into the financial system. Banking has increasingly positioned itself at the provides access to financing and payment intersection of finance, culture, technology services. Asset management provides and business. Its engagement with the investment solutions. Insurance provides Africa CEO Forum and Africa Financial risk protection. Capital-market businesses Industry Summit, for example, places connect issuers and investors. Wealth the group within conversations around platforms support individuals and investment, financial markets and the families seeking to manage and preserve continent’s economic future. Its partnership assets. The underlying proposition with Tate Modern around Nigerian is not that every client needs every Modernism represents another dimension. service. Rather, it is that a sophisticated The partnership, involving Coronation financial-services institution should have Group and Access Holdings, has supported the capability to address different stages the international presentation of Nigerian of the wealth journey. That is also why modernist art and created a platform for technology features prominently in the African cultural narratives to reach a global Coronation story. Coronation Capital, for audience. The Coronation Art Gallery example, identifies technology-enabled provides a domestic expression of the same solutions as an important investment philosophy. Its The Value of Belief exhibition area, particularly businesses addressing explored the role of collectors as custodians structural problems in African markets. of cultural heritage and champions of artistic The objective is not technology for its talent, while drawing a parallel between the own sake. For a continent where access, conviction required to collect art and the information and distribution remain conviction required for long-term investment. significant constraints, technology The exhibition’s underlying proposition was can reduce friction between people, that cultural capital can itself contribute businesses and financial markets. to Africa’s creative and economic future. The idea of democratisation therefore At first glance, this might appear distant becomes practical: use institutions, from banking. It is not. technology and expertise to make It reflects a broader conception of more opportunities accessible. capital — one that recognises that financial prosperity does not exist in Bigger African question isolation from knowledge, talent, culture and identity. This has increasingly Aig’s institutional ambition is also become part of the language around connected to his belief that Africa needs Aig’s work. The question is not simply financial institutions with continental how Africa creates financial wealth, but relevance. In the African Business how it develops the human and cultural interview, he drew a comparison with assets required to sustain that wealth. BlackRock and argued that Africa The story continues online on needs institutions with comparable www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Coker: Banks Must Act Now on Data Localisation CEO, Open Access Data Centres, Ayotunde Coker, speaks about the need for banks to be active in carrying out CBN’s directive on data localisation, its impact on Nigeria’s economy and businesses, among other issues, Emma Okonji presents the excerpts CBN recently directed all ﬁnancial institutions to host their payment data locally in Nigeria by January 1, 2027. How will the directive positively impact on Nigeria’s economy and businesses? he economic impact of the CBN directive on Nigeria’s economy and businesses is enormous. If fully implemented, it will send strong signals to foreign cloud providers that host Nigeria’s data abroad, that they’re going to be losing their Nigerian customers, if they don’t invest in Nigeria and if they refuse to partner with established local cloud providers in Nigeria. By the time they realise this, they will begin to channel their investment portfolio to Nigeria and also partner with local cloud providers to host Nigeria’s data in Nigeria. This will attract more investments to Nigeria, boost business growth and efficiency of data centres in Nigeria, and such growth is going to be significant because of the support chain that exists in the country. The CBN directive will also increase employment by attracting significant investment in terms of build-outs. It will increase GDP growth as local cloud providers will expand capacity.

Feedbacks from the directive shows that most ﬁnancial institutions are not willing to return all their data hitherto hosted outside Nigeria, for some personal reasons. What is the implication of this? There are implications for non-compliance to CBN’s directive on data localisation, but I cannot speak for CBN because I don’t work with CBN. But one thing that is certain is that financial institutions in Nigeria are heavily regulated, just like the telecoms sector. Those that play in those sectors, know it fully well and would not want to violate any directive from their regulators. With regards to the issue of noncompliance, the banks have their core banking, and if there’s one thing that the banks won’t mess about with, is the cloud hosting.

Coker Banks and financial institutions run their core banking applications and sensitive data on clouds that are hosted outside the shores of Nigeria. Local cloud providers also host Nigeria’s data on AWS Cloud or Microsoft Cloud or Google Cloud, or Oracle Cloud platforms that are domiciled in the United States of America, United Kingdom and other countries outside Nigeria. Foreign hosting negates Nigeria’s sovereignty with grave security implications, which the Nigerian Data Protection Act is against. What is the possibility of data hosting companies in Nigeria to successfully host all data hitherto hosted abroad, in terms of their hosting capacity, should the directive be fully implemented? Today Nigeria has a lot of data centre providers, and data centres are rapidly increasing, which is good. Lagos is now pretty much the digital infrastructure hub for West Africa, and it’s continuing to be

a major African hub as we’re building in more data centre capacities. Open Access Data Centres (OADC) is expanding significantly. We’ve had 24 megawatts and we are working towards 40 megawatts with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Equinix has talked about its own expansion of data centre in Nigeria. There is Digital Reality that has put in a lot of infrastructure in its data centres, and we also have Rack Centre on the mainland. So, not only do we have increasing scale, we also have multiple providers of data centre facilities that can conveniently host data in Nigeria. Some banks were beginning to see reasons why they should outsource their data to co-location data centres, and such banks are already connected to network providers, interconnection points, and internet exchanges, thereby diminishing the desires of banks to own data centres, to enable them face their core baking operations. Within OADC, we are open access and we are carrier neutral. We have over 45 carriers connected now. It’s a place to get into and interconnect. There’s a product that we have, which is a platform that has a peering engine in place now live in Nigeria. It is such that banks, oil and gas companies that use cloud services abroad can link to the platform. OADC is part of WIOC group. There’s a WIOC connectivity that has significant subsea capacity, and network capacity. We’re building out connectivity, long distance connectivity in the country, very progressive, and very successful. It gives operators efficient connection to the cloud location. WIOC connectivity is also a consortium partner to Google Equinox, and to Meta on its Two Africa cable, which lands in a different facility. Google’s Equinox lands into our own facility in Lagos. All these demonstrate the capacity and

capability of the OADC data centres. What has been the compliance level since the directive was given, and has the directive in anyway increased OADC’s customer base? We cannot talk of compliance level until after January 1, 2027, which is the deadline for the implementation of the directive. In answering your question about the impact of the directive on OADC’s customer base, I will say we are beginning to see such impact, because more fintech companies and financial institutions are already discussing with us on data hosting in our facilities. I can’t be more specific, but I can say that we’ve seen a step in that direction, where more companies are beginning to seek interest in our co-location cloud services. Yes, we have seen that impact. One major concern of Fintech companies operating in Nigeria is the fear of losing their entire data to rising insecurity in the country. How will OADC assure customers of safety of data in its facility? Those that handle data should rather feel that their data domiciled in the country, which they operate is safe. The existing data centres in Nigeria comply with the strongest and the most stringent international standards on physical security and the construction certifications. OADC for instance, has certifications for ISO 2791, the 1001 Uptime certification. We’ve got PCIDSS certification for financial institutions. So it’s a world-class environment. That concern of fear raised by Fintechs, in my view, is a very weak argument. The set of standards we have in Nigeria are global standards. They’re not just backroom server rooms. And in fact, they should put in the systems that protect their own data. And whether you’re hosted in Lagos, Nigeria or hosted in Frankfurt, Germany you have to ensure that you’ve got the right application architecture that protect your data. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

FG Urged to Rethink Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Investments Stories by Emma Okonji Industry stakeholders have called on the federal government (FG), as well as industry regulators and the private sector players to rethink Nigeria’s digital infrastructure strategy in order to attract investments and drive digital innovation. They made the call in Lagos during the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 7.0), hosted by Business Remarks, a leading industry platform. The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the Nigerian telecom industry has performed very well in its over 25 years of existence. He therefore called on federal government and the private sector to invest more in digital infrastructure that would drive

investments and innovation. The Executive Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Ajibola Olude, called for renewed focus on talent development, rural inclusion, and infrastructure investment to drive the country’s digital economy. In her opening remarks, the convener of the forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, noted that the forum was convened to move beyond rhetoric and proffer actionable solutions to Nigeria’s persistent digital infrastructure deficit. In his keynote presentation, the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty Nigeria and Co-chair of the National Cloud Initiative Technical Working Group, Ikechukwu Nnamani,

raised the alarm that “Nigeria is currently losing an estimated $3.5 billion annually to foreign cloud service providers, as some government agencies have adopted cloud services over the past five years with

their data hosted outside the country. He disclosed that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s sovereign data is currently hosted outside the country, describing it as a significant

national risk. In his presentation, the Chief Operating Officer, WTES Group, Mr. Chidi Ajuzie, noted that broadband penetration remained around 57 per cent despite mobile

penetration of about 90 per cent. He identified capital starvation, right of way crisis, and regulatory fragmentation as major obstacles to fibre rollout.

AI Will Not Take Jobs, Failure to Adapt Will, Experts Warn Oluchi Chibuzor As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape workplaces and accelerate business processes, experts have urged Nigerian workers and employers to focus on adaptation, continuous learning and responsible use of the technology rather than fear job loss. Speaking at the second edition of the Nigeria Workplace Culture

Conference & Awards, the Chief Executive Officer, WINBOX Consulting, Dr. Deji Osasona, stressed that AI could help organisations accomplish tasks faster, but leadership would remain critical in managing people, sustaining team energy and providing direction. “While AI is automating a lot of things in the workplace, we need leaders to ensure that the people side of it, the

process side of it, connects with the performance and profitability,” he said. The Minister of Labour and Employment said the technology should be viewed as a tool for transforming skills and improving productivity. Represented by the Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, South-West Zone, Mienye Badejo, she said, “AI is just recreating your skills and applying

them in a different way without necessarily having to lose your job. It’s a process. People need to first understand that they are safe, their work is safe. And everything else follows.” Also speaking, Founder, Digital Encode Prof. Obadare Adewale, said AI was already changing the structure of the workplace, with workers increasingly expected to collaborate with AI systems.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

ECONOMY

How Ogun Customs is Fighting Smuggling Ogun State’s strategic border with the Republic of Benin has made it a major corridor for legitimate trade and a battleground against smuggling. Oluchi Chibuzor examines how the Ogun 1 command of the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of Deputy Comptroller, Oladapo Afeni is fighting illicit trade while protecting local industries and facilitating non-oil exports

t Nigeria’s borders, the battle against smuggling is no longer simply about intercepting contraband or arresting offenders. It is increasingly a contest over the country’s economic future, between illicit trade that drains jobs, undermines local production and threatens national security, and legitimate commerce capable of generating revenue, creating employment and strengthening Nigeria’s non-oil economy. This tension is particularly evident in Ogun State, where the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), operating along the country’s busiest border corridors with the Republic of Benin, has intensified its campaign against economic saboteurs while simultaneously facilitating legitimate exports. At the centre of the campaign is the Acting Customs Area Controller of Ogun I Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni, a career anti-smuggling officer, astute administrator with about two decades of experience across some of Nigeria’s most challenging border and smuggling routes. For Afeni, smuggling cannot be dismissed as a harmless commercial activity or merely a survival strategy, as its sponsors and practitioners often portray it. Rather, he sees it as an economic and security threat capable of destroying local businesses, weakening government policy, depriving Nigerians of employment and exposing communities to dangerous substances. “No nation can grow when its borders

are gateways from criminality,” Afeni declared, stressing that the Customs Service would continue to make Ogun State increasingly hostile to smugglers.

Hidden Cost of Smuggled Rice

to compete, leaving some mills unable to operate profitably and threatening investments that were made in response to the government’s drive for selfsufficiency. Afeni therefore views the fight against rice smuggling as part of the wider effort to protect domestic production. “By Nigerians patronising smuggled foreign processed parboiled rice instead of locally processed rice, the country is not only exporting jobs to foreign rice-producing countries but worsening unemployment and poverty in our home country, Nigeria,” he said. The problem, according to him, is compounded by the conditions in which some of the smuggled rice is handled. He said some foreign parboiled rice believed to originate from countries in Asia is re-bagged under unhygienic conditions or stored for prolonged periods in warehouses, potentially compromising its quality. His assessment is based on years of direct involvement in anti-smuggling operations across several parts of the country, where Customs officers have intercepted foreign rice stored under questionable conditions.

Few commodities illustrate the economic consequences of smuggling as clearly as foreign parboiled rice. For years, smugglers have exploited Nigeria’s extensive land borders to move rice from neighbouring countries into the domestic market, often through remote routes and sophisticated concealment methods. According to Afeni, the consequences extend far beyond lost Customs revenue. He argued that the practice undermines Nigerian farmers, particularly rice producers across the North-East, NorthWest and North-Central regions, who have invested heavily in expanding domestic production. Rice farmers in states including Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi and Nasarawa are among those affected when cheaper smuggled foreign rice competes with locally produced alternatives. The impact, he said, is also felt by rice Ogun as Smugglers’ mills and other businesses that have Battlefield invested billions of naira in processing capacity. When smuggled rice floods Ogun State occupies a strategically the market, local producers struggle important position in Nigeria’s trade

and border security architecture. Its extensive border with the Republic of Benin provides legitimate opportunities for cross-border commerce but also creates avenues that smugglers attempt to exploit. Afeni said smugglers had increasingly resorted to sophisticated concealment methods and remote routes to move prohibited goods into Nigeria. But the strategy is being countered by a combination of intelligence gathering, technology and aggressive frontline operations. “Our intelligence networks, technological integration, and the raw determination of our officers on the frontline have proven superior,” Afeni said. He added that the command had consistently dismantled smuggling networks, intercepted contraband and disrupted supply chains. Between July 17 and September 17, the command recorded a series of seizures involving foreign rice, illicit drugs, petroleum products, clothing, used vehicles and other prohibited goods. Among the items displayed by the command were 3,543 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 cartons of basmati rice, 9,928 parcels of Ghana Loud/ Indica, 30 bags of foreign sugar, 2,674 pieces of new shorts and trousers, 3,760 pieces of new tops and 91 bales of second-hand clothing. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

IHS Restates Commitment to Sustainable ICT Sector in Nigeria IHS Nigeria has restated its commitment to the evolution of a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive telecommunications and technology sector in Nigeria. The company stated this at a stakeholder breakfast session organised by the Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) in Abuja. Speaking on behalf of IHS Nigeria, its Director of Sustainability, Titilope Oguntuga, described the stakeholder dialogue as important to advancing practical sustainability solutions across the sector.

She said the gathering provided an opportunity for stakeholders to take an honest look at the progress made and identify areas requiring further action to strengthen collaboration around environmental, social and governance priorities. “TTSWG’s progress reflects a shared and enduring conviction: that technology and innovation remain among the most effective tools available to address the sector’s challenges. This conviction continues to guide the work and partnerships shaping the telecommunications and technology space today,”

Oguntuga said. In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the TTSWG Board, Abdu-Waya Mohammed, said the strategy

provided a framework for strengthening collaboration around sustainability in the telecommunications and technology ecosystem.

Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), Bankole Oloruntoba, described TTSWG as a multi

stakeholder platform established to advance sustainability across the telecommunications and technology ecosystem.

Firms Host Customers on AI Enabled Security Solutions Quomodo Systems Africa, in collaboration with its strategic partner, Checkpoint Systems, held its first in the series of customers’ engagement forum in Lagos, on Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled security solutions for the oil and gas sector. At the forum, Quomodo, an indigenous Nigerian technology consulting and

systems delivery company, explored how intelligent security and innovative technology could help organisations stay ahead in an evolving digital world. Themed: ‘Secure Today, Resilient Tomorrow’, the forum featured presentations from experts and top executives of the two global technology companies, and outlined

how AI remained critical in securing the oil and gas industry. In her welcome address, Chief Financial Officer of Quomodo Systems Africa, Olufunke Tonye-Preghafi, said the decision to focus on the oil and gas sector was due to its critical impact on the Nigerian economy. According to her, the oil and

gas industry space attack is beginning to increase, saying “we are beginning to see an increase of attacks in the oil and gas.” She disclosed that Quomodo found out that most of the attackers were not even seeing the smaller companies as the key focus, stating that the smaller companies are a ladder to bigger.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS 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 21st September 2026, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 904.23 914.61 46.09% Nigeria International Debt Fund 424.80 424.80 11.96% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 14.68% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 120.55 120.55 9.02% Afrinvest Halal Fund(AHF) 119.84 119.84 15.29% Web: www.alphamorgan.com, Tel: +2347018898523 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ALPHA MORGAN BALANCED FUND 3,311.57 3,336.44 50.80% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 17.48% AIICO Balanced Fund 9.82 10.00 25.25% AIICO Eurobond Fund 109.46 9.46% 109.46 Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 18.48% Anchoria Equity Fund 1.88 1.88 12.64% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 598.39 607.16 46.25% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) info@anchoriaam.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 1.00 1.00 17.63% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 1.25 1.25 5.06% ARM Ethical Fund 1.45 1.45 12.41% ARM Eurobond Fund 1.30 1.30 13.33% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.23 1.23 13.56% ARM Short Term Bond Fund 1.08 1.08 4.99% ARM Shariah Fixed Income Fund 1.07 1.07 4.54% ARM Short Term Eurobond Fund 1,478.12 0.00 39.67% ARM Specialized Dollar Fund 152.65 (0.05) 35.99% ARM Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 42.30% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 122.28 122.28 8.13% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 1,419.38 1,419.38 22.37% AVA GAM Fixed Income (Naira) Fund 1.00 1.00 17.13% AVA GAM Money Market Fund AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 0.00 0.00 0.00 AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 AXA Mansard Money Market Fund CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 0.00 0.00 0.00 CEAT Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.14 1.14 12.27% CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.30 1.30 7.10% CardinalStone Dollar Fund 2.96 3.00 65.46% CardinalStone Equity Fund 1.79 1.80 47.54% CardinalStone Balanced Fund 1.00 1.00 19.73% CardinalStone Money Market Fund CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapel Hill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.93% Nigeria Bond Fund 114.43 115.15 5.89% Nigeria Dollar Income Fund 1.09 1.09 0.33% Paramount Equity Fund 75.38 75.72 56.33% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.68% 117.22 117.22 11.91% Cordros Fixed Income Fund 130.48 130.48 14.24% Cordros Halal Fixed Income Fund Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 118.58 118.58 6.21% Cordros Milestone Fund 308.67 310.97 37.79% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 20.37% Coronation Balanced Fund 2.79 2.85 41.40% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.62 1.62 10.63% Coronation Premium Fixed Income Fund 1.09 1.09 11.59% Coronation Dollar Fund 1.03 1.03 4.83% CFG Asset Management Limited Portfoliomanagers@cfgafrica.com Web:https://cfgafrica.com/cfg-am/ , Tel: 02018870020 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CFG Ethical Fund 1,281.41 1,280.88 20.62% CFG AM Naira Fixed Income Fund 1,107.54 1,107.54 15.05% CFG AM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 EDC Nigeria Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 EDC Nigeria Halal Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup. EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Emerging Africa Bond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Emerging Africa Halal Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn First Asset Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.29% First Asset Bond Fund 1,790.90 1,790.90 10.49% First Asset Dollar Fund 135.09 135.10 7.87% First Asset Halal Fund 156.68 156.68 14.25% First Asset Specialised Dollar Fund 131.90 131.93 0.00% First Asset Balanced Fund 609.72 614.82 42.35% First Asset Smart Beta Equity Fund 593.10 600.77 30.83% First Asset Blended Dollar Fund 113.46 113.46 1.49% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED FCMBAMhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FCMBAM Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FCMBAM USD Bond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FCMBAM Debt Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FCMBAM Equity Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FCMB-TLG Private Debt Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FSL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Adeniran.Daniel@fsl.ng Web: https://www.fsl.ng/asset-management ; Tel: +2348062727759 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FSL Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 FSL Euro Bond 0.00 0.00 0.00 FIRST ALLY ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED blossom.omojughare@ﬁrst-ally.com Web: https://ﬁrst-allyasset.com/ ; Tel: +2348023217850 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FAAM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.21% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1

Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral income fund 5,093.94 5,093.94 10.08% Coral money market fund 100.00 100.00 16.38% FSDH HALAL FUND 1,447.14 1,447.14 12.96% FSDH dollar fund 1.41 1.41 7.06% Coral Balanced Fund 14,474.13 14,581.57 41.56% HILLCREST CAPITAL MANAGEMENT dabbey@hillcrestcapmgt.com Web: https://hillcrestcapmgt.com/; Tel: +2348075144540, 0214540094 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Hillcrest Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn LOTUS HALAL FIXED INCOME FUND 1,331.28 1,331.28 16.03% 3.89 LOTUS HALAL INVESTMENT FUND 3.96 40.32% 97.90 LOTUS HALAL EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND 108.21 66.96% LOTUS WAQF ENDOWMENT FUND 1,487.63 1,487.63 23.11% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Meristem Value ETF 0.00 0.00 0.00 Meristem Growth ETF 0.00 0.00 0.00 Meristem Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Meristem Dollar Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Meristem Money Market Mutual Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 MANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT jetadafe@mangoam.com Web:https://mangoam.com/; Tel: +234 7030839517 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Mango Naira Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.01% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 18% Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 109.47 109.47 18% NORRENBERGER DOLLAR FUND (NDF)-----($) 107.12 107.12 13% NORRENBERGER TURBO FUND (NTF)-----(N) 109.02 109.02 14% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 PACAM Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 PACAM Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 PACAM Equity Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 PACAM EuroBond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 SCM CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn The Frontier Fund 303.22 313.09 81.70% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 SFS REIT 0.00 0.00 0.00 UH REIT/SFS 0.00 0.00 0.00 UPDC REIT 0.00 0.00 0.00 STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund Stanbic IBTC Imaan Fund Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC Aggressive Fund Stanbic IBTC Conservative Fund

STL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: WWW.STLASSETMGT.COM; Tel: 8136115170 Fund Name STL MONEY MARKET FUND STL BALANCED FUND STL DOLLAR FUND

UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name United Capital Money Market Fund United Capital Sukuk Fund United Capital Fixed Income Fund United Capital Nigerian Eurobond Fund United Capital Global Fixed Income Fund United Capital Stable Income Fund United Capital Equity Fund United Capital Balanced Fund United Capital Wealth for Women Fund United Capital Children Investment Fund VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva USD Fixed Income Fund QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Money Market Fund ZEDCREST INVESTMENT MANAGER LIMITED Web: www.zedcrestwealth.com; Tel: +2348075881240 Fund Name Zedcrest Money Market Fund Zedcrest Fixed Inocme Fund Zedcrest Dollar Fund Zedcrest Equity Fund

REITS Fund Name SFS REIT UPDC REIT EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

1.00 403.46 263.03 1.7188 161.75 181.04 13,795.02 510.89 6.95 1,480.74 62,107.62 747.86 17,669.24 11,277.05

1.00 403.46 263.03 1.7188 161.75 181.04 13,936.85 519.60 7.05 1,501.35 62,952.37 760.78 17,928.65 11,332.49

16.57% 6.68% 2.02% 2.83% 12.90% 12.29% 0.87% 0.10% 0.65% 2043.30% -48.87% 0.25% 0.32% 0.19%

jemenike@stlassetmgt.com Bid Price 0.00 0.00 0.00

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 unitedcapitalplcgroup.com

Bid Price 1.00 1.19 1.92 122.56 1.22 131.31 2.46 2.92 2.26 1.52

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 16.03% 1.19 9.67% 1.92 8.23% 122.56 6.02% 1.22 7.36% 131.31 14.64% 2.48 43.43% 2.95 41.92% 2.28 40.66% 1.52 38.97% funds@vetiva.com

Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 90.01 90.21 46.70% 25.78 25.88 58.66% 40.79 40.89 4.33% 102.14 102.34 59.59% 147.62 149.62 2.17% 1.00 1.00 18.23% 1.17 1.17 1.55% service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 46.64 47.19 37.44% 54.31 54.84 35.82% 33.15 33.15 9.38% 1.00 1.00 16.56% investmentoperations@zedcrest.com Bid Price 1.00 1.54 1.57

Offer Price 1.00 1.54 1.57

Yield / T-Rtn 19.44% 16.61% 7.59%

2.06

2.08

101.82%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

18.55 0.00

0.00% 0.00%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

0.00

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

AfCFTA Calls for Stronger Delivery Capacity to Unlock Businesses Emma Okonji Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has said Africa must strengthen its capacity to deliver the payment systems, efficient borders and infrastructure that businesses need to benefit from. He told project professionals at Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Summit Series in Cape Town, during a fireside conversation with PMI’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani. Mene outlined the work needed to turn continental trade commitments into easier access to markets. Priorities include aligning national policies, modernising customs and enabling cross-border payments in local currencies. Speaking under the summit theme: ‘Africa Delivers M.O.R.E. Together’, he urged professionals across infrastructure, construction,

agriculture, services and customs to consider how their expertise could help connect African economies. “We all have a contribution to creating a single integrated market,” Mene said. He illustrated the cost of fragmented markets through a transaction between businesses in Ghana and Kenya. Despite trading within Africa, the businesses may need to purchase a third currency, typically the US dollar, to complete payment. He estimated the associated currency conversion costs across the continent at approximately US$5 billion annually. Mene pointed to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), developed by Afreximbank in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, as a practical response. The system enables cross-border payments in local currencies, reducing reliance on third currencies. The payments example showed why the mechanics of integration matter to businesses. The

ability to trade across borders depends on the systems supporting each transaction, as well as the agreement itself. Reducing friction in those systems can help make access to a continental market commercially useful. Making trade easier also requires customs authorities to apply agreed rules and governments to align domestic policies with continental commitments. Asamani connected those requirements to the skills needed to deliver programmes involving multiple institutions and countries. “A continental agreement becomes meaningful when a business can use it,” said Asamani. “That depends on people who can coordinate institutions, manage risk, deliver reliable systems and keep the intended benefit in view. Project management provides the discipline to carry a policy commitment through to a service that businesses can use,” Mene said.

HealthCap Africa Urges Pension Funds to Finance Healthcare Kayode Tokede

As international donor funding from USAID and other foreign assistance programs for healthcare continues to shrink, leading financial stakeholders convened by HealthCap Africa, at its Private Markets & Healthcare Roundtable called for a stronger domestic capital ecosystem to help finance Africa’s critical healthcare needs. Pension fund representatives at the meeting came from institutions collectively managing more than $5 billion in assets under management. Themed Healthcare as an Asset

Class, the invitation-only roundtable held recently in Lagos, alongside HealthCap Africa’s Annual General Meeting. Speaking at the event, Founder and General Partner of HealthCap Africa, Dr. Ola Brown highlighted Quadria Capital’s healthcarefocused investment platform in India and its scale as an illustration of what sustained private investment can build. “Quadria Capital is one of the largest VC funds in Asia focused on healthcare. “They have raised over $1 billion and have an AUM of over $4 billion. As you know, many Nigerians go to

India for healthcare. Now imagine how much private capital has gone into building their healthcare sector.” The investment has coincided with a decline in maternal mortality from 384 to 80.5 per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2023,” she added. Speaking on this, CEO of ABC Health, Dr. Mories Atoki said: “There needs to be more early-stage investors. There’s no such thing as an unbankable project. There’s only such a thing as a risk-investor match. Some are early-stage, some are later-stage, and we need to match the right investors, or we need to invest in the early-stage ecosystem if we want to get to growth”

DHL Express Launches Initiative to Support Businesses Kayode Tokede

DHL Express has launched Domestic Select, a new domestic delivery service designed to help businesses and individuals ship parcels across Nigeria with greater affordability, convenience, and reliability. Domestic Select is an addition to the current suite of DHL products that offers customers flexibility for shipping less urgent parcels across the country. As Nigeria’s domestic trade, entrepreneurship, and e-commerce

sectors continue to grow, businesses are increasingly looking for logistics solutions that enable them to serve customers beyond their immediate location. Domestic Select has been developed to meet this growing demand by providing a dependable shipping solution that helps customers connect with opportunities across the country. Whether it is a small business fulfilling customer orders, an entrepreneur supplying products to new markets, or an individual sending important parcels to family and friends,

Domestic Select offers a practical and costeffective way to move shipments within Nigeri a. Backed by DHL’s trusted expertise and service standards, the new offering provides customers with the confidence that their shipments will be handled by one of the world’s leading logistics providers. “At DHL Express, we understand that reliable logistics is critical to business growth and customer satisfaction,” said Muyiwa Adeseyoju, Country Manager, DHL Express Nigeria.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) October 2025

Month

Money Supply (M3)

119,037,577.07

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

9,291.49

Money Supply (M2)

119,028,285.58

Quasi Money

79,681,419.97

-- Narrow Money (M1)

39,346,865.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

4,646,794.28

---- Demand Deposits

34,700,071.33

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

34,804,442.84

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

84,233,134.23

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

99,199,655.08

---- Credit to Government (Net)

24,787,980.96

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

74,411,674.12

--Other Assets Net

2,603,854.03

Reserve Money (Base Money)

36,641,142.21

--Currency in Circulation

5,057,881.01

--Banks Reserves

31,583,261.21

--Special Intervention Reserves

284,361.95

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

October 2025

Inter-Bank Call Rate

October 2025

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

27.00

Treasury Bill Rate

15.07

Savings Deposit Rate

7.43

1 Month Deposit Rate

11.37

3 Months Deposit Rate

11.32

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.12

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.78

Prime Lending rate

18.89

Maximum Lending Rate

29.56

NSE MARKET INDEX CAP

0.75%(52%YoY)

Index

0.9% (29%Y/D) ˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ Ͱ͵ϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 24TH NOVEMBER , 2025

The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $63.14 a barrel on Monday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zaﬁro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

MARKET NEWS

NGX Market Cap Crosses N163tn on Sustained Investors Confidence Kayode Tokede The market capitalization of listed companies on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) crossed a record of N163 trillion to N163.05 trillion for the first time ever as the stock market sustained its positive momentum. On investors’ demand for MTN Nigeria Plc (+0.6 per

cent), Zenith Bank (+2.3per cent), and First Holdco (+1.4per cent), the market capitalization yesterday gained N374.4 billion from N162.68 trillion it opened for trading to N163.06 trillion. The NGX All-Share Index rose 0.23 per cent to close at 251,191.20 basis points to push the market’s year-todate return to 61.42 per cent The sectoral performance was mixed. The Insurance

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index rose 1.08 per cent, followed by the Banking index with 0.85 per cent, Consumer Goods with 0.17 per cent and Oil and Gas with 0.06 per cent. The Industrial index declined 0.15 per cent, while the Commodity index closed flat. Market breadth remained positive, with 43 stocks gaining against 20 decliners. Eterna, Thomas Wyatt

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Nigeria, Critical Mineral Financing Corporation, Haldane McCall and Omatek were the top five gainers, with their shares rising by 10 per cent, 9.88 per cent, 9.76 per cent, 9.70 per cent and 9.63 per cent respectively. On the losing side, Caverton led the decliners, falling 9.09 per cent, followed by UACN Property Development Company,

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which declined nine per cent. WAPIC Insurance, Veritas Kapital Assurance and United Capital fell 6.30 per cent, 5.45 per cent and five per cent respectively. Trading activity was mixed, as investors traded 1.59 billion shares in 49,836 deals valued at N45.82 billion. The volume of shares traded increased 89.97 per cent from 837.26

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million shares recorded in the previous session, while the value of transactions fell 5.66 per cent from N48.57 billion. The number of deals also declined 4.39 per cent from 52,126 transactions. Fidelity Bank recorded the highest volume of transactions with 170.72 million shares, while GTCO, Dangote Sugar Refinery and Chams also featured among the most actively traded

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

SOStainabilityWeekly

with

Oke Epia

e-mail: sostainability01@gmail.com Whatsapp: +234 8034000706

Trends and Threads

Subsidy Savings: Governors and Nigeria’s Power Problems (4)

wara, Edo, Borno, Osun, Kebbi, and Anambra take the spotlight this week on this series. The debate on subsidy savings and governance at the sub-national level vis-à-vis the power sector is a significant discussion that affects the lives and living conditions of citizens, communities and households in the nooks and crannies of the country. How have the states translated the decentralisation of electricity from a wholly federal affair to a concurrent and collaborative service delivery? This is the central question raised by this page since the last

four weeks, pointing attention to the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 7 at the subnational level. The Judicious use of public resources can help solve Nigeria’s power problems and unlock productivity for industries, small and medium-scale businesses, households, and individuals who require regular, affordable, and cleaner supply of electricity to power production. This series uses key metrics including legal framework, regulatory readiness, and evidence of project pipelines to measure performance in the power sector. States that have

been profiled are Abia, Ekiti, Kaduna, Taraba, Bayelsa, and Kogi. Others are Zamfara, Oyo, Cross River, Benue, Ebonyi, and Yobe. Last week, the focus was on Ogun, Niger, Enugu, Gombe, Delta, and Kano States. The graphical illustrations provide summary answers to the same questions for the six states under review this week. •This light-touch assessment precedes a more detailed reporting and documentation of power access, affordability, and clean energy in the states by SOStainability’s SDG7 industry report and success stories.

SOStainabilityWeekly Interview

SOS Alert

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

“

45 As you can see from the membership of this committee, there is absolutely no excuse for justice not to be done. Let your performance and your sustained integrity over the years justify what will be done”

–Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on probing the death of 37 alleged illegal miners causing widespread outrage

'Why UK investors are Keen on Renewable Energy Opportunities in Nigeria' Ashutosh (Ash) Shastri is the founder of a London-based international strategic management consultancy practice in the Energy Sector. He also serves as Advisor, Global Gas Centre, Geneva; Distinguished Fellow at the Washington DC-based Energy Policy Research Foundation Inc. (EPRINC); and visiting faculty at leading business schools in Europe, India and the USA. His expertise spans international oil and gas, electric utilities, natural gas/LNG, and downstream petroleum sectors. In the area of energy & climate policy, he has advised national governments and international organisations on international strategic negotiations in climate and energy security. Ashutosh serves as Master, The Worshipful Company of Fuellers, London’s livery company representing the energy industry with members drawn from diverse sectors, including electricity generation, renewables, nuclear, oil, gas, and associated supply chains. On the back of the Nigeria Climate Investment Summit (NCIS) held in London earlier in the year , Ashutosh spoke to SOStainability on Nigeria’s energy transition opportunities UK businesses are keen to tap into. Excerpts:

ell us your personal areas of focus in terms of climate action, highlighting past, ongoing, and future projects and milestones? Previously, I have been a Sherpa to the President of COP15 at Copenhagen that was instrumental in making progress towards the Paris Agreement: my advisory work focused on engaging high-growth countries in Asia - China and India - on energy transition and climate action. What should developing countries do differently to secure global climate finance for the transition? The most important thing is to assert without any ambiguity the right to economic growth and engage in a fact-based manner about the challenges inherent in building the energy system that is required to underpin that growth and achieving a gradual reduction in the carbon emissions trajectory. The second most important thing to do is to start building the national institutional architecture that is considered robust by private capital to absorb the available climate finance meaningfully. Tell us about the Worshipful Company of Fuellers and its significance in the UK climate capital ecosystem We are a City of London Livery Company representing all aspects of the energy industry in the City of London: we work closely with the CoLC in projecting the City as a global centre for climate finance. Our activities span the bridge between the policy community in Westminster and the financial community in the City. We are an apolitical organisation focused on fact-based analysis of the energy and technology industries in the country. How can collaboration and initiatives like the NCIS advance the objectives of the fuellers?

•Ash Shastri Our members represent all dimensions of the energy industry - from oil and gas to nuclear to renewables, as well as leading-edge technology professionals engaged in hydrogen and transport electrification; we also have in our midst finance professionals focused on energy. Securing energy transition and decarbonisation-oriented investments in Nigeria and understanding the lessons learnt in the process is important for us, and a successful demonstration of this will enable greater engagement for the climate finance community in the City. What kind of opportunities would your company and other UK institutional and individual investors be looking to engage with at NCIS and Nigeria generally? Renewable energy financing; energy project development, and professional support opportunities, as well as opportunities to share

international best practices with Nigerian policy makers and institutions are some of our important opportunity areas. What would be your expectations engaging with investment opportunities in Nigeria? We look forward to following through with actions (from our various existing programmes) to engage with the financial-industrial and policy community in Nigeria. Exchange of visits, professional development seminars and workshops in the UK and in Nigeria will be of immense interest for us. What sort of reforms do you think should happen in the global climate political economy to improve and increase capital flows to the Global South? The local/domestic industry-specific reforms that provide greater investor confidence and an identified pipeline of projects that enable absorption of climate finance are important, in our view. How can South-South cooperation contribute to improved outcomes for the transition?

Primarily in the area of experience-expertise sharing within the policy and regulatory community will make a significant difference to the speed with which low carbon investment deployment could occur in the Global South. Existing institutional architecture can be further strengthened in our view. Is there a role for private capital and wealthy investors from Africa in mobilising investments for transition projects? Absolutely! If the investment is led from domestic private sources, the international investor confidence will significantly improve. Have you been to Nigeria? Tell us about your fond memories, if you have any, and what you would look for to create such memories if you haven’t. I have not yet been to Nigeria, although some opportunities that came earlier were missed. I am very much looking forward to visiting Nigeria. From what I hear from many of my Nigerian friends in London, it appears to me to be a very dynamic, modern, and friendly culture.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

POLITICS

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com 08033025611 SMS ONLY

Governance and Imperative of Report Card: The Peter Mbah Example

In Nigeria, one term in oﬃce is never enough for State Governors. They seek second term in oﬃce as an entitlement. But in this piece, Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo, writes that while such ambition is legitimate, governors should borrow a leaf from Governor Peter Mbah, who recently unveiled a compendium of his accomplishments in the last three years to back his quest for mandate renewal.

ince the inception of the present democratic dispensation it has become the norm for governors to aspire for second term in office at the expiration of their first term. One can easily find a pin in a haystack than find a Nigerian state governor who has completed first term of office and walked away without asking for mandate renewal. In fact, it has become a tradition for them to go back to the electorate and demand for another four-year sojourn in Government House. Most of them have succeeded in getting a mandate renewal while in many instances such aspirations had failed to materialise. Between 1999 and 2019, no fewer than 24 governors have lost their bids to remain in office after their first term. Yet, the success rate of those that did second term in office is so high that it’s almost unthinkable to expect a serving governor to fail a second term election. And because the success rate is very high for second term bids, governors have developed entitlement mentality in seeking for second term in office regardless of the content of the report card they parade after the first term. While the electioneering for 2027 general election is gradually kicking into gear, Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the report cards of governors seeking for second term in office. But it appears that the second term-seeking state chief executives are still bidding their time to formally make public the achievements they have so far recorded in office with just eight months remaining to complete their first term of four years. However, the situation is different in Enugu State. Governor Peter Mbah has presented his first term report card without any prevarication. He is not only proud of it, he flaunts it. On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Mbah publicly unveiled a compendium of his achievements for the people of Enugu to examine and determine whether or not he is justified to ask them to renew his mandate in 2027. The event held at the International Conference Centre Enugu was organised by the government for Mbah to formally present his first term report card to Ndi Enugu. The main bowl of the ICC was filled to the brim and overflowed with people that gathered to receive their governor’s report card. And like a student who has come top of his class at the end of the academic session, Mbah confidently presented his report card to his father, in this case, the people of Enugu State. The report card is impressive. The 222-page compendium, which captured verifiable accomplishments of the Peter Mbah administration, was aptly entitled “A Thousand and One Reasons Why Dr. Peter Mbah Should be Re-elected as Governor of Enugu State”. The title suggests that Mbah and his supporters are not making any pretence of his qualification for re-election. With the compendium, the evidence has been provided to counter the sceptic. It contains over 10,000 milestone achievements as proof that “Enugu is on course to greatness”. Within 39 of the 48 months constitutionally allorted to him in office, Mbah has constructed or reconstructed a total of 1,521km roads. He completed 7, 000 classrooms; 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres(PHCs), and has implemented transformative reforms that have impacted every facet of governance. No sector of the Enugu State economy has not been touched with the Mbah magic wand that engenders transformation. The government presented a detailed account of Mbah’s achievements over the past three years. What the governor has done in each sector are

Mbah

listed and illustrated with appropriate graphics. Even the activities of the less noticeable departments and agencies were meticulously captured and presented. The listed achievements ranged from physical infrastructures, innovative programmes and policies implemented across various sectors of the state. Some of accomplishments, especially the physical infrastructures, are more visible than others. The road netwotks, the five modern transport terminals located in Enugu, the capital city and Nsukka, the university town, the CNG buses that have made inter-state commuting comfortable and affordable are glaring. So also are the Smart Green Schools, the 9 Type-2 PHCS, the 360-bed Enugu International Hospital, the Enugu Air, which is rapidly expanding its routes across the coast of West Africa. Some of Mbah’s achievements have become national reference points. The security architecture he has put in place in Enugu is so effective that both the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Olatunji Disu, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), have called on other governors to emulate Mbah. The security set up

is driven by the Command Control Centre, which monitors every part of the state using security cameras and drones, as well as DNA Forensics Centre that makes crime investigation fast and efficient to produce scientific, watertight evidence. While policies are not physically felt, the impact of their implementation cannot be ignored. For instance, the astronomical rise of the revenue portfolio of Enugu State was made possible by Mbah’s revenue policy reforms, including deployment of technology. As recorded in his compendium of achievements, the internally generated revenue(IGR) of the state has recorded 286.2 percent growth over the past three years, rising from N37.4 billion at the end of 2023 to N181 billion in 2024 and N406 in 2025. It is projected that the IGR would hit N509.9 at the close of 2026. Government said that contrary to insinuation of heavy taxation in the state, much of the IGR come from non-tax revenue which accounts for 87.4 percent of total revenue. It is the aggregation of these sectoral achievements that thrusted Enugu to the “Quantum Leap” of development as never seen before. This feat has already been affirmed by a renowned firm, Phillips Consulting, reputed for shaping a sustainable future for Africa. It ranked Enugu as the fasted improving state in its 2026 State Performance Momentum Index, after carrying out assessments of 33 out of

A good report card gives a governor a head start with the opposition candidates challenging him for the state’s top job. An incumbent governor can easily point to his achievements and tell the electorate that he would do more if re-elected. With that alone, 50 percent of the campaign for mandate renewal is done, that is if the report card is good enough.

Nigeria’s 36 states. Enugu outperformed all the states in governance and development, a proof that Mbah is making governance impactful. In fact, the governor cherishes calling his governance style “disruptive governance”. The Quantum Leap that Mbah has caused for Enugu has not escaped the attention of the global community, either. On the very day Mbah’s compendium of achievements was being unveiled in Enugu, his alma mater, the University of East London(UEL) was honouring him with Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his outstanding achievements in both private and public sectors. The University testified that “through public service, business and philanthropy, Peter has championed investment, innovation, infrastructure, healthcare and community development, bringing together the disciplines that have shaped his own career to pursue a wider vision for economic and social progress”. This honour done to him in the United Kingdom explained his inevitable absence at the unveiling of the compendium of his achievements. Mbah, who was ably represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, said the contents of the compendium have proved that the Enugu State Citizens Charter was being diligently implemented. The Charter, also known as Executive Order 001, was executed immediately Mbah sworn into oaffice on May 29, 2023. The Charter, according to the government is “a framework designed to clearly define government obligations and standards in public financial management while strengthening trust between government and citizens”. It is the guardrail of the Mbah administration’s commitment to accountability, traceability and transparency. The Enugu Governor noted that the compendium highlighted his administration’s philosophy of disruptive innovation and its focus on large-scale infrastructure. However, he noted that “it does not in any particular material represent the actual successful modest achievements of this government as at 9th of September 2026” the day it was unveiled. This means that work is still in progress, regardless of the campaign season that has ensued. Having, ab initio, dreamed big and envisioned Enugu State operating on $30 billion economy, Mbah assured that state has not veered off its course for greatness. He, therefore, pointed out that “it is important to note that the (unveiled) document does not entirely capture everything this government has done because, given the time it took to prepare this document, there was a cut-off point running months behind”. The Governor told Ndi Enugu that the event organised to present his achievements “is a conversation on the sacrosanct duty and responsibility you gave to us to midwife and preside over your resources”. He said the achievements recorded by his administration were made possible through collective efforts of those who believed in his vision and worked for his election in 2023. Nonetheless, Mbah admitted that some policy decisions of his government may have caused consequential discomforts and social and economic dislocations for some people, as usually happens with implementation of reforms. He, therefore, urged those affected in any way by the tough decisions his administration had to make for the transformation of the state, to bear with his government and show understanding as everything was done for the overall good of Enugu. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, t T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

POLITY

Festus Keyamo: In Service of Country and Party From the courtroom, streets of pro-democracy and human rights activism, to the centre of presidential campaigns and the federal cabinet, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has built a career around advocacy, communication and public service, writes Emmanuel Addeh

management and the country’s broader connectivity. The ministry describes its mandate as covering aviation policy, airport development and management, aviation infrastructure and security, among other responsibilities. Yet even while serving as a minister, Keyamo has remained one of the administration’s most recognisable political voices. Not one to sit on the fence, Keyamo will marshal points why you are wrong on your perception of the government and why you should take a second look at your position. His public interventions have frequently extended beyond his immediate ministerial portfolio, particularly when responding to criticism of the Tinubu administration or attacks from opposition figures. That ‘fierce’ communication style is part of what makes his consideration for the campaign structure unsurprising. The 2027 APC council unveiled in August already contains a sizeable number of media and strategic communications persons, but with Keyamo one can never go wrong. Keyamo’s possible addition would therefore bring another layer of political experience to an already established communications team.

A Familiar Voice for Another Campaign

From the Chambers to National Stage Keyamo’s political story did not begin inside a political party. It began in the legal profession and, more specifically, in the tradition of radical human rights advocacy associated with the late Gani Fawehinmi. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993, Keyamo began his legal career at Fawehinmi’s chambers at a time when Nigeria was under military rule and the struggle over the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election was reshaping the country’s political landscape. As a young lawyer, he became involved in pro-democracy activism and represented several prominent activists and political figures. His work included cases involving Beko Ransome-Kuti, Frank Kokori, Ken Saro-Wiwa, M.K.O. Abiola and other figures associated with the struggle against military rule. The experience helped establish the characteristics that would later become central to his political career: an aggressive courtroom style, an ability to articulate complicated political issues in accessible language and a willingness to confront opponents publicly. Keyamo eventually established his own law firm in 1995 and continued with high-profile cases, including the defence of Niger Delta militant leader Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and MASSOB leader Ralph Uwazuruike. In 2008, he also challenged the federal government in court over the

Festus Keyamo

appointment of service chiefs. His transformation from activist lawyer to political advocate was gradual. By the time he emerged prominently in partisan politics, he had already spent decades learning how to prosecute an argument, defend a position and communicate under pressure. That trajectory produced one of the more striking turns in Keyamo’s public career. In 2019, then-President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him to the federal cabinet, first as Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs and subsequently as Minister of State for Labour and Employment. His political communication role expanded alongside his ministerial responsibilities. Before that, however, Keyamo had already become an important voice in Buhari’s re-election effort. In April 2018, he was appointed Director of Strategic Communications and official spokesperson for Buhari’s 2019 presidential campaign. The role placed him at the centre of one of the country’s most closely watched political contests and reinforced his reputation as a

campaign communicator capable of taking the fight directly to political opponents. By 2022, as Tinubu emerged as the APC’s presidential candidate, Keyamo again became one of the prominent public defenders of the party’s campaign. For Keyamo, the progression was significant: activist, lawyer, government critic, political campaigner and eventually government minister.

In Defence of Tinubu & His Administration His appointment by Tinubu as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development in 2023 further expanded the arena in which Keyamo operates. He assumed office in August 2023 and pledged to make transparency a watchword, while promising to study the existing aviation roadmap and build on what had already been done rather than discard it wholesale. The aviation portfolio has placed him in charge of a sector with implications for airports, airlines, air safety, airspace

The significance of Keyamo’s possible role goes beyond the title of spokesperson. He understands the mechanics of presidential campaigns from inside. He has worked on Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign and Tinubu’s 2023 campaign. He has also spent years in government, giving him direct knowledge of the administration whose record the campaign will inevitably have to defend and explain. That combination could make him a bridge between the party’s political messaging and the government’s policy narrative. His evolution also gives the coming campaign an interesting historical backdrop. He brings the same fire which he once deployed in challenging and righting wrongs in court to defend the records of a government he staunchly believes in, and seeking another mandate for its president. Whatever interpretation is placed on that transformation by his detractors, Keyamo’s record shows a consistent feature: he has remained deeply engaged in whatever position he finds himself throughout his life. From the courtroom to political rallies, from television studios to the cabinet table, his career has been built around making a case. And as the APC prepares for another presidential contest, that experience may once again place Keyamo where he has spent much of his public life: in the frontline, speaking for a cause, a candidate and, this time, a party seeking to retain power.

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

PERSPECTIVE

2027: The Developing Acrimony

Growing anti-opposition sentiments in states and institutional complicity are combining to supercharge tensions ahead of 2027, writes Vincent Obia

or Festus Keyamo, the expected return to the frontline of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign is another turn in a political journey that has taken him from the streets of pro-democracy activism to the courtroom, the campaign podium and the federal cabinet. The recent confrontation in Kaduna State during an African Democratic Congress (ADC) rally was not an isolated incident. The attack on ADC supporters who gathered to flag off their 2027 governorship campaign laid bare the growing anti-opposition sentiments in the states. The ADC rally and solidarity walk on September 10, the day after Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened campaigns for the 2027 governorship elections, turned violent after suspected political thugs invaded the gathering and security operatives deployed tear gas. Kaduna State Police Command said the police used tear gas to disperse protesters, who blocked major roads, to prevent a breakdown of public order. But ADC condemned the attack as a deplorable escalation at a time when political activities ahead of the elections were only just beginning. ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said, “No political party has a monopoly on nonstate sanctioned violence. Once violence becomes an accepted instrument of political competition, nobody can predict where it ends.” Attacks on opposition gatherings have become a flashpoint for the 2027 election campaigns, and a dangerous harbinger of the upcoming polls. Since the official commencement of public campaigns for the next general election on August 19, the country has seen a rising incidence of pre-electoral friction, featuring attacks and attempts to intimidate the opposition. That is despite the signing of a National Peace Committee (NPC) peace accord by political parties and their candidates on the eve of the commencement of the campaigns. All Progressives Congress (APC) governors have been the major culprits. But there are fears that the vice may spread quickly to the few other states governed by the opposition parties. The convoy of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was on September 8 blocked by suspected political thugs, chanting “Obi go back, Obi go back,” as he arrived in Benue State. Obi was visiting to condole with victims of terrorist attacks in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area. But he was forced to turn back to avoid an outbreak of mass violence. The APC-controlled Benue State government denied sponsorship of the confrontation, but it failed to condemn the attack. The government claimed it was not aware of Obi’s visit to the state, and blamed the NDC candidate for coming into the state without proper official notification. The government stated that the governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, a Catholic priest, “is a peace-loving Reverend gentleman. He is averse to the promotion of thuggery.” It alleged, “It is, therefore, curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed of his movement.” The Alia government also stated, “Ordinarily, such a visit would attract the attention and necessary security coordination involving the Commissioner of Police and other relevant security agencies.” But the police in Benue State exploded the state government’s claims. Benue State Police Command said they were notified about Obi’s visit, and they provided security for him and his team. Commissioner of Police, Mr Cletus Nwadiogbu, said, “I also asked the AC Operations to personally lead the men. But unfortunately on his arrival we heard that youth blocked the roads, saying they did not want to see him. We tactically managed the situation but we are investigating why they took that decision.” Nwadiogbu added, “The man is very responsible. When that happened, he went back and boarded his plane and left.” The inconsistency in the authorities’ accounts is stark. Obi had faced a similar hostility in Benue State in April last year, when he had to shelve a planned visit to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and a nursing school. Alia gave similar reasons bordering

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia

Bishop Matthew Kukah

on protocol for preventing that humanitarian visit to the state. What seems obvious from the incidents is a recurring pattern of coordinated antagonism against Obi by the APC government in Benue State, where the NDC presidential candidate came in a very close second place in the 2023 election. Bola Tinubu of APC won Benue State with 310,468 votes, with only 2,096 votes separating him from Obi, who scored 308,372 votes. Benue presented one of the tightest state races in the 2023 presidential election, and APC seems to be guarding against any slips that may turn the table against it in 2027. But it is chasing that goal in a risky game. There have been attacks on the opposition in other APC states. In Enugu State on September 12, an NDC ward meeting in Nkanu West was invaded by gunmen, who shot an injured some members of the party. On the same day in Agbani, Enugu State, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathering was disrupted and dispersed by armed men. In Rivers State, on September 14, an ADC ward secretariat in Ikwerre Local Government Area was vandalised by gunmen, who shot also sporadically close to the residence of the party’s vice presidential candidate and former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi. The build-up to the August 15 off-cycle governorship election in Osun State was equally very volatile. The period saw about 30 politically motivated deaths and series of violence. Two forces feed the developing acrimony on the road to 2027: incendiary speech from political leaders and a system that responds only with silence or favouritism. Before the Osun State election, APC senator, Francis Fadahunsi, was seen in a viral video breathing out extreme hostility against members of the rival Accord Party. Despite how bad Fadahunsi’s actions were, the police gave him a light slap on the wrist, which showed obvious favouritism. The trivially lenient response by the Nigeria Police contrasted sharply with their disposition to Accord Party members and leaders in the state. When institutions enable bad behaviour, it invites more undemocratic acts. In July 2025, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo warned, “Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance.” Okpebholo made the comment when he received the defecting last opposition lawmaker in the state, Marcus Onobun, into APC. And it followed Obi’s visit to Benin to make donations for the completion

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo

of some health projects in the state. Curiously, a governor flaunting a state he claimed had almost become a politically homogenous entity was still wary about allowing strong opposition elements to campaign in the state. Even more curious, perhaps, was the silence of the federal government and relevant state institutions in the face of the anomie. It is trite law that a Nigerian citizen, including a political personality, does not require a permit, clearance, or prior approval from a state governor to visit a state in the country. The constitution guarantees every citizen the right to move freely throughout the country and reside in any part of it. Under the Electoral Act and several court rulings, political figures and parties do not need police permits to hold rallies and public gatherings. Notification for security coverage is different from demanding permission. The governors are engaged in mere political posturing, and the drama is threatening to consume whatever remains of the credibility of the process expected to shepherd the transition to a new government next year. The hostility is spreading far and wide. A few days ago, Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Blessing Albert, warned commercial drivers in the council area never to wear caps or other promotional materials associated with opposition parties. Albert gave the warning in a viral video while addressing commercial drivers at Onitsha Park, in Ekpoma. “On no account will I see any driver put on a cap or any material that does not belong to APC,” Albert said in the video, where he was seen distributing APC-branded caps to the drivers. He said violators risked ejection from the park. Before Albert, the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Samuel Shekwolo, sparked widespread outrage last month after a viral video captured him warning residents to either support APC or leave the area ahead of 2027. In Kaduna State, APC has also alleged attack on its members and vandalism of its offices. With barely one month in the electioneering process ahead of the 2027 general election, the country is confronting a familiar problem: toxic campaigns dwelling on sentiments, violence, and personal attacks, rather than contestation of ideas and proposals on how to address the issues hindering national progress. The destructive behaviours – exactly conducts the parties and their leaders signed on August 18 to eschew – are exacerbated by institutional complicity,

whether through inaction or partiality. The peace committee, headed by former Head of State, General Abdulasalami Abubakar, and Bishop Matthew Kukah, has since 2014 emerged as a kind of rallying point for political stakeholders. There has been a kind of elite consensus on the signing of the “peace accord” by politicians before every election cycle as part efforts to ensure peaceful and credible polls. The peace accord came into being in 2014 following the sensitive nature of the campaigns leading up to the 2015 general election. The accord commits the candidates to issue-based campaigns devoid of violence, hate speech, personal attacks, and disinformation. NPC has since 2015 facilitated 30 peace accords, including five national-level accords and 25 at the subnational level. Yet, nearly 900 persons have been killed in election-related violence since the initiation of the accord in 2015. ADC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, did not participate in the last peace accord ceremony on August 18 in protest against the failure of previous accords to address political violence. ADC rejected the peace accord committee’s failure to condemn pre-election infractions and those involved. The committee did not openly condemn Fadahunsi, or any of the recent hate-speech purveyors. Abdullahi said staying away from the pre-election accord ritual was “our way of saying no”. Ahead of the 2027 general election, intimidation is gradually replacing persuasion as the currency of the realm. NPC deserves recognition for bringing rival politicians to the peace table ahead of voting cycles. But such symbolic gestures have become insufficient. Many believe meaningful action must replace mere symbolism in the work of the peace committee if it is to remain relevant. NPC’s Election Security Information Hub recently reported an “alarming resurgence” of hate speech, toxic polarisation, misinformation, and personality-driven political discourse. But the peace committee must now go beyond condemnation of infractions to taking actions, like naming and shaming culprits. Project coordinator at The Kukah Centre, Asabe Ndahi, says the peace accord document “has gone beyond a moral document, it has backing of the law – the constitution, Electoral Act, and all other legal frameworks that govern the electoral process”. The acrimonious realities leading up to the 2027 elections require the peace committee to step up as a proactive group that holds individuals and institutions accountable.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

How RCCG is Taking on Nigeria’s Kidney Crisis Stayingalivewith kidney failure in Nigeriaoftenmeans racing againstcostand distance tofinda dialysismachine.Withmost patientspaying outofpocketandjustover200centresclusteredinbigcities,accessisstillaluxuryformany.Formorethanadecade,theRedeemedChristian Church of God, through its His Love Foundation, has quietly been closing that gap, installing dialysis centres, ICUs, and diagnostic units inside publichospitalsacrossthecountry.OnSeptember24,thateffortgrewagainwiththecommissioningoftheEnochandFoluAdeboyeDialysis Centre at FMC Asaba - another faith-built lifeline for patients fighting to survive.Writes MARY NNAH

n Nigeria, surviving kidney failure often comes down to two harsh realities: how close you are to a dialysis machine, and whether you can afford to use it three times a week. For many, the cost of treatment and limited access to dialysis facilities can make continued care difficult, diminishing patients’ hopes of survival. According to a 2024 study of patients with end-stage kidney disease in Abuja, haemodialysis imposes a substantial financial burden, with patients’ out-of-pocket expenses increasing with the number of treatment sessions. The study also found that most Nigerians requiring haemodialysis pay for treatment out of pocket. Research has also highlighted challenges beyond cost, including inadequate access to diagnosis and the geographical concentration of kidney care services. It is against this backdrop that His Love Foundation, the Christian Social Responsibility arm of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has sought to expand access to healthcare by providing dialysis centres and other medical facilities across Nigeria. The latest addition is scheduled for 24 September, when RCCG, through His Love Foundation, will commission the Enoch and Folu Adeboye Dialysis Centre at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba. The centre is expected to be commissioned by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. While the Asaba project is new, the intervention represents the continuation of a healthcare programme that has been developing for more than a decade. Over the years, His Love Foundation has moved beyond occasional medical outreaches to providing specialised equipment and facilities within public and teaching hospitals. According to the Foundation’s website, it has commissioned 10 dialysis centres across Nigeria, alongside four intensive care units, a correctional centre referral hospital, two ambulances, a cardiac diagnostic unit, a primary healthcare centre and two X-ray facilities. The Foundation says its interventions extend across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with impact recorded in 650 local government areas. From one ICU to a network of interventions His Love Foundation’s healthcare interventions can be traced to projects undertaken before its more recent expansion. Among them was the Intensive Care Unit at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), commissioned in 2017, followed by an ICU at Plateau State Specialist Hospital in Jos and another at Redeemer’s Health Centre in Mowe, Ogun State. In April 2021, the Foundation commissioned the Akindayomi-Adeboye Intensive Care Centre at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital complex in Ondo State. The Ondo project was notable because it went beyond intensive care. It incorporated an ICU, kidney dialysis unit, cardiac diagnostic unit, and X-ray unit. That combination illustrates a pattern that has become increasingly visible in the Foundation’s health projects. Rather than concentrating exclusively on one category of medical intervention, some projects seek to address several infrastructure gaps within the same health facility. Why dialysis keeps appearing Kidney care has, however, become one of the most prominent features of the Foundation’s healthcare programme. A Foundation record published in 2022 listed dialysis centres at Healing Stripes Dialysis Centre in Lagos; Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu; Redeemer’s Health Centre, Mowe; Redeemer’s Health Centre, Ibadan; University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos; Wuse District Hospital, Abuja; Abubakar

Pastor E. A. Adeboye and views of a dialysis centre

Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; and Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital, Maiduguri. It also identified centres at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, and the Comprehensive Medical Centre, Awkuzu, Anambra State, as projects awaiting commissioning. The Foundation’s Maiduguri intervention provides an indication of what goes into establishing a functioning dialysis facility. Commissioned in May 2022, the centre at Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital was equipped with three dialysis machines, a medical water reverse-osmosis purification system and a dedicated 30KVA generator. At the time, the Foundation said the project brought the number of dialysis machines it had commissioned nationwide to 48. The supporting equipment is significant. Providing dialysis is not simply a matter of buying machines and installing them in a room. Water treatment, electricity, consumables, trained personnel, and maintenance are all necessary for sustained operation. That reality makes what happens after the commissioning ceremony an important part of assessing any healthcare donation. The cost behind the treatment The need for additional dialysis capacity becomes clearer when the economics of kidney care are considered. A study examining the management of end-stage renal disease in Abuja found that the direct cost of haemodialysis was high, while patients incurred additional expenses for medicines, laboratory services, transportation, feeding and the treatment of other conditions. It concluded that public subsidies and wider health insurance coverage could help reduce the financial burden. The Federal Government subsequently introduced a dialysis subsidy scheme in 2025, reducing the approved cost per session at participating federal tertiary institutions from N50,000 to N12,000 under the pilot programme. Participating institutions included University College Hospital, Ibadan, and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, among others. Yet even with public intervention, the need for greater capacity remains. A recent review of kidney care in Nigeria noted that haemodialysis is the predominant form of renal replacement therapy and that more than 200 dialysis centres are concentrated largely in major cities, creating access challenges for people in rural communities. For patients, therefore, the location of a dialysis centre can be as important as the availability of a machine. This is where interventions located within

government-owned teaching hospitals and medical centres become particularly relevant. Beyond dialysis The Foundation’s healthcare work is not restricted to kidney disease. Its documented interventions include the Healing Stripes Cancer Screening Centre in Surulere, Lagos; X-ray units at health facilities in Ogun and Ondo states; a cardiac diagnostic unit in Ondo; and the rehabilitation of the Kirikiri Correctional Centre Referral Hospital in Lagos. It has also provided ambulances to correctional facilities, including Kirikiri and Agodi. Earlier reports from the Foundation also recorded medical missions, subsidised cancer screening and dialysis services, as well as kidney transplant support through partnerships with medical institutions abroad. A 2023 academic study examining RCCG’s development activities cited figures reported by the Foundation showing that more than 100,000 people had been screened at subsidised rates through its cancer screening and diagnostic programme, while more than 9,500 dialysis sessions had been completed at the Healing Stripes Dialysis Centre at the time of the study. Together, the interventions illustrate a programme operating at several levels. There is prevention through screening, diagnosis through X-ray and cardiac diagnostic services, critical care through intensive care units, and long-term treatment through dialysis centres. There are also interventions directed at populations particularly vulnerable to inadequate healthcare, including inmates of correctional facilities.

and facilities, the deeper question for Nigeria’s healthcare system is sustainability. A dialysis centre requires more than infrastructure. Machines need maintenance. Patients require regular treatment. Medical personnel must be available. Water purification systems must function. Electricity must be reliable. Consumables must remain available. The same applies to intensive care units, where equipment without trained personnel, medicines, electricity and other supporting infrastructure cannot, on its own, guarantee effective critical care. That makes the relationship between His Love Foundation and the hospitals receiving its interventions particularly important. The Foundation has generally positioned its projects as interventions within existing healthcare institutions rather than attempts to replace the public health system. In several cases, equipment and facilities are handed over to government-owned hospitals, where they become part of the institutions’ wider healthcare capacity. This raises a broader question for healthcare in Nigeria: how can philanthropy, faith-based organisations and government work together to ensure that donated infrastructure remains functional long after the commissioning ceremony? The answer could determine the long-term value of projects such as the Asaba centre. From outreach to infrastructure There has also been a significant evolution in the nature of RCCG’s healthcare interventions. Medical outreaches can provide immediate relief through consultations, screenings, medicines and referrals. Infrastructure projects operate differently. A dialysis machine can serve patients repeatedly over many years if it is properly maintained and supported. An ICU can continuously receive critically ill patients. An X-ray facility can become part of the diagnostic pathway of an entire hospital. That difference can turn a one-day intervention into a long-term contribution to healthcare capacity. It also explains why the Foundation’s expanding portfolio is worth examining beyond the language of charity. The question is not simply how much was donated or how many projects were commissioned. It is how many patients ultimately receive treatment because those interventions exist.

The intervention keeps expanding.. Recent developments suggest that the programme continues to expand. On 2 September 2026, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) received three complete dialysis machines donated through His Love Foundation. UBTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu, said the donation would complement government investment in healthcare. Next comes Asaba. The Enoch and Folu Adeboye Dialysis Centre at the Federal Medical Centre is expected to increase the hospital’s capacity to provide dialysis treatment to patients in Delta State and surrounding communities. Taken together, the UBTH donation and the scheduled Asaba commissioning demonstrate that kidney care remains an active component of the Foundation’s healthcare strategy.

A faith-based response to a public need His Love Foundation emerged from RCCG’s Christian Social Responsibility activities and works across several areas beyond healthcare, including hunger, education, social enterprise, rehabilitation, and interventions in correctional facilities. Its stated approach centres on addressing social needs through practical projects. Healthcare has become one of its most visible areas of intervention because the gaps are tangible. A patient waiting for dialysis does not need an abstract promise. The patient needs a functioning machine. A critically ill patient needs an ICU bed, trained personnel and the equipment required to keep that bed operational. And for someone at risk of cancer, access to screening can mean detecting the disease early enough for treatment to make a difference. That is the practical space in which His Love Foundation’s healthcare interventions operate. The commissioning scheduled for 24 September in Asaba will therefore represent more than another ceremony on the Foundation’s calendar. It will add another facility to a healthcare programme that has gradually moved from individual medical outreaches towards investment in specialised health infrastructure.

But commissioning is only the beginning For all the significance of new machines

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

GAMINGWEEK Edited by NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG | gamingweek1117@gmail.com | Tel: 08114495324

Is Gaming Licence Transferable in Nigeria? Adick Joshua Adick raises an important question: can an existing gaming licence be transferred, acquired or otherwise utilised as part of a structured market-entry transaction? Then proceeds to give a broader answer that addresses the concerns of investors, international operators and existing market participants, while pointing them to the applicable regulatory framework and approval of the relevant gaming authorities as Nigeria’s gaming industry enters a more sophisticated phase

Bashir Are, MD/CEO, Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Arinze Arum, Executive Secretary Enugu State Gaming Adick Authority Commission he possibility of transferring licensee to another upon an application in benefit of the existing gaming licence. Subject an existing gaming licence the prescribed form and payment of the to the operation of the statutory provision, creates an important avenue applicable fees. The provision is significant the transferee may also assume the liabilities for investment, mergers and because it expressly contemplates a regulatory attached to the existing licensee. This makes acquisitions, restructuring and process through which an existing licence due diligence an essential component of consolidation within Nigeria’s gaming can move from one licensee to another. It any proposed licence-transfer transaction. sector. It also presents an opportunity therefore provides a statutory basis for Once the application has been approved, for investors to consider market-entry transactions in which an investor may the Authority shall cause the name of the strategies beyond the traditional process seek to acquire an existing licensed gaming licence holder to be changed on the licence of establishing a new operating entity and operation, subject to regulatory approval. and in the records of the Authority. This commencing a fresh licensing application. Section 45 also provides important approach is not limited to Lagos, as similar procedural protections. Where the LSLGA provisions appear in other states’ gaming Lagos provides clear statutory refuses an application, it is required to state laws. For example, the Enugu State Gaming framework the grounds for refusal, while the applicant and Lottery Commission Law, 2025 contains The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming is entitled to remedy defects in its application a similar statutory provision, showing that Authority Law, 2021 provides one of the within 30 days of the refusal. The Authority licence-transfer mechanisms are also emerging clearest statutory frameworks for transferring may also request additional information in other state gaming regulatory frameworks. a gaming licence in Nigeria. Section 45 where it considers such information necessary A gaming licence cannot of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming in determining the application. Authority Law 2021 states, “A person One of the most significant provisions simply be “sold” It is important to distinguish between a desiring to obtain a transfer of a licence prospective investors must consider is issued under this Law shall apply for the the treatment of the existing licensee’s commercial transaction involving an existing transfer with the consent of the holder of liabilities upon a licence transfer, as the gaming business and the regulatory transfer the licence.” licensee’s liabilities shall be transferred to of a gaming licence. A gaming licence is The provision further empowers the the applicant. This provision has significant a regulatory authorisation issued by a Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority commercial implications. A prospective competent authority following an assessment (LSLGA) to transfer a licence from one transferee is therefore not simply acquiring the of the licensee. It is therefore not an ordinary

Africacomicade, GIZ Nigeria Partner to Expand Opportunities for Game Developers Iyke Bede Africacomicade and GIZ Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Nigeria have partnered to expand opportunities for young Nigerian game developers and emerging studio founders through a specialised game development bootcamp and international industry exposure. The partnership, implemented through the ICT Skills for Youth initiative of DTC Nigeria, builds on the programme’s support for a delegation of Nigerian games industry stakeholders who attended Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, in August. Founder of Africacomicade, Michael Oscar, and technical partner for the programme, welcomed GIZ Nigeria’s support for the sector. “It’s great to have a leading organisation like GIZ supporting the games industry in the manner they have chosen. “For many years, the growth of Nigeria’s games sector has been

commercial asset that can simply be assigned between private parties without regulatory intervention. In practice, an existing licensee and an investor may agree on the commercial terms of a proposed transaction. However, where the transaction involves the transfer of the licence itself, the approval of the relevant gaming regulator remains critical. The regulatory position across jurisdictions should therefore be assessed independently. The fact that a transfer is permissible in one jurisdiction does not automatically mean that the same transaction can be implemented in another jurisdiction without satisfying that jurisdiction’s specific requirements.

What does this mean for investors?

For international gaming companies and investors considering Nigeria, the traditional market-entry model has generally been: incorporation licensing operational set-up launch. Licence transfers potentially introduce another route: identify existing licensed operator conduct due diligence structure acquisition/transfer obtain regulatory approval complete transaction. This does not mean that acquiring an existing licence will always be preferable to applying for a new one. Rather, it gives investors an additional transaction structure to evaluate. An investor may, for example, explore the acquisition of an existing licensed gaming company or negotiate with an existing licensee for the transfer of its licence, where permitted by the applicable regulatory framework. t "EJDL Bø (BNJOH *OWFTUNFOU -JDFOTJOH 3FHVMBUPSZ "UUPSOFZø JT B 4FOJPS "TTPDJBUF BUø -BX "MMJBO[ JO -BHPT /JHFSJB The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

L–R: Olusegun Alimi (DTC ICT Skills for Youth Project Coordinator), Dr. Thuweba Diwani (Head DTC Nigeria) Michael Oscar (Founder, Africacomicade), Emmanuel Dickson (Technical Advisor, GIZ) at UNON during Games and SDG Summit, Nairobi April, 2026 constrained by limited resources, forward. GIZ’s presence in the sector access to opportunities and institutional significantly increases our chances of support. Through this training venture building a stronger and more globally with the GIZ Nigeria team, we can competitive Nigerian games industry.” begin to build stronger foundations and The story continues online on partnerships that can propel the sector www.thisdaylive.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

FIFTY-TWO

China Woos Nigeria into Global AI Alliance as Trade Hits $18bn

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

China has moved to deepen its strategic economic partnership with Nigeria beyond infrastructure and conventional trade, inviting the country to join a global artificial intelligence cooperation platform as bilateral trade between both countries climbed to $18 billion in the first half of 2026. The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dunhai Yu made the proposal in Abuja yesterday at a reception marking the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Yu said China was ready to align its 15th Five-year plan with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed

Hope Agenda, describing industrialisation and emerging technologies as areas with significant potential for expanding bilateral cooperation. He specifically invited Nigeria to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, saying participation would enable the country to share in global technological development. The proposal comes as economic exchanges between the two countries continue to expand. Yu disclosed that bilateral trade reached $18 billion in the first half of the year, representing a 35 per cent increase, while Chinese imports from Nigeria surged by 81 per cent. Yu highlighted China’s zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries

as another opportunity for African producers to increase access to the Chinese market. He said the policy had contributed to a 24 per cent increase in Chinese imports from Africa in May and June, adding that Nigeria could benefit from the expanding market if its producers were able to meet quality, supply and market requirements. The envoy also commended the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, saying the government’s structural reforms, macroeconomic stabilisation measures and efforts to improve the business environment had strengthened Nigeria’s economic recovery and created conditions for deeper cooperation with China. “Our future cooperation holds

boundless potential,” Yu said, stressing that both countries could deepen collaboration through innovation, openness and cooperation. The renewed emphasis on technology and industrialisation comes as Nigeria and China mark 55 years of diplomatic relations, with the relationship having evolved from trade and diplomatic engagement into extensive cooperation in infrastructure, energy, transport, healthcare and technical development. Yu, who reflected on his two years in Nigeria, also praised the resilience and determination of Nigerians, describing what he called the “Naija spirit” as a quality that had impressed him during his travels across the country.

He said relations between Beijing and Abuja had entered a new phase under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Tinubu. On China’s economic trajectory, Yu said the country’s economy grew by 4.7 per cent in the first half of the year, supported by emerging sectors including artificial intelligence, robotics and innovative pharmaceuticals. He also pointed to China’s broader international initiatives in data and artificial intelligence as part of Beijing’s effort to promote technological cooperation with developing countries. Speaking at the event, DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and

Joseph Tegbe Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said Nigeria valued China’s contribution to major infrastructure projects and other areas of economic development.

Nigeria Unlocks 53-year Ima Gas Field as TotalEnergies, AMNI Sign $800m FID Tinubu hails deal, says FG determined to expand exports, create jobs Total Nigeria CEO declares FG’s oil reforms working Says up to $4bn in value expected over lifetime of gas facility Project to produce 350 million cubic feet of gas daily First gas expected in 2028 Deji Elumoye and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria’s 53-year wait to unlock the Ima Gas Field neared an end yesterday, following the signing of

an $800 million Final Investment Decision (FID) by TotalEnergies and AMNI International, which set the stage for first gas from the long-delayed project in 2028. The project, located in Oil Min-

ing Lease (OML) 112 and 117, is expected to produce about 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, adding significantly to the country’s gas supply while creating a new stream of investment, jobs,

and export opportunities. The development marked the latest major commitment by international and indigenous energy companies to Nigeria’s upstream sector. This followed a

series of regulatory and fiscal reforms introduced by the federal government to improve the investment environment in the last three years. The Ima project is about eight kilometres off Bonny Island in Rivers

Dangote Reﬁnery IPO: Nigerians Can Now Buy Shares 24/7 Through Moniepoint Agents Minimum investment remains N5,250 for 10 shares Access to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery public offer has been further expanded, with prospective investors now able to subscribe for shares through participating Moniepoint agents 24 hours a day. The initiative takes the refinery’s Initial Public Offering closer to millions of Nigerians who routinely use agency banking services, particularly individuals who may not ordinarily transact through conventional subscription channels. Under the arrangement, prospective investors can visit participating Moniepoint agents at any time of the day to subscribe to the Dangote

Petroleum Refinery IPO through the approved process. The shares are being offered at N525 each, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares, meaning Nigerians can become prospective shareholders in the refinery with an investment of N5,250. Investors are also permitted to subscribe multiple times, further widening the opportunity for individuals to build their holdings progressively during the offer period. The introduction of the 24-hour agency channel represents another step towards broadening participation in the offer and lowering

Investors can subscribe multiple times throughout the offer period

some of the practical barriers that could prevent retail investors from accessing the capital market. Agency banking has become an important part of Nigeria’s financial infrastructure, bringing financial services closer to communities and individuals outside traditional banking and investment channels. Leveraging that network for the refinery offer potentially extends access to prospective investors across a wider geographical and socioeconomic spectrum. The development also reinforces the broader ownership philosophy behind the public offer, which is

designed to give ordinary Nigerians an opportunity to acquire a stake in one of the country’s largest industrial assets. Prospective subscribers using participating Moniepoint agents are required to complete their subscription through the approved process and retain their transaction receipts as evidence of the transaction. Details of their subscription would also be received via sms to their registered phone number. The company has advised investors to consult the offer Prospectus for full information on the public offer and approved subscription

channels. Prospective investors are also encouraged to consult their stockbrokers or financial advisers before making investment decisions. The Prospectus and details of approved subscription channels are available through the Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO portal, ipo. dangote.com. With a minimum entry point of N5,250 and round the clock access through participating agency banking outlets, the latest initiative effectively brings the refinery offer closer to the street, allowing a broader spectrum of Nigerians to participate in the ownership of the industrial asset.

State, and is expected to supply feedgas to Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG). Discovered in 1973, it had remained undeveloped for more than five decades, despite its significant reserves and potential as a source of feedgas for Nigeria LNG Limited. In a statement, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the FID by the French oil giant and the Nigerian independent producer, describing it as another milestone in efforts to unlock stranded gas resources and turn them into investment, jobs, industrial activity, and economic opportunities. Tinubu stated, “For more than 50 years, the gas beneath Ima remained a resource with enormous potential, but potential alone does not create jobs, finance businesses or improve the lives of our people. “Our responsibility has been to create the conditions that turn Nigeria’s natural resources into productive investments and economic opportunities. “The Final Investment Decision on Continued on page 57

AT UNGA 81, NIGERIA TEAMS UP WITH ITALY FOR MASSIVE $5BN GLOBAL EDUCATION FUNDING The president made this disclosure yesterday in New York, United States, during the Multiply Possibility High-level event tagged, “A New Era for Education Financing” held on the margins of the ongoing 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. In his intervention, Tinubu, in a video message, also commended stakeholders in the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for their efforts in accelerating education financing globally. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is representing the Nigerian president at the global gathering, noted that education was an investment in Nigeria’s economic future, and productivity as well as the prosperity and stability of its citizens, stressing that it was not merely an expense at the margins of the country’s development agenda. He said: “For Nigeria, education is not an expenditure at the margins

of our development agenda. It is an investment in our economic future, national productivity, and the prosperity and stability of our people. “Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023, our Administration has substantially increased resources devoted to education, while pursuing reforms to strengthen basic education financing, expand foundational learning, and improve access to tertiary and technical education. “Through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, we are widening access to higher education, while strengthening the link between education, skills, employment and enterprise.” According to the Vice President, while Nigeria was looking beyond traditional budgetary allocations, President Tinubu has directed that liquid funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, once legally cleared and free from litigation, be channelled to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

To carry out the president’s directive, he said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved consideration of unclaimed dividends and dormant funds for the same purpose, subject to the relevant legal requirements. This, Shettima explained, demonstrated the nation’s conviction that financing education needed mobilisation of every responsible and lawful domestic source available. Citing Nigeria’s alliances with the World Bank and GPE through HOPEEDU, the vice president underscored what international partnership could achieve, saying, “The programme is expected to reach approximately 29 million children and 500,000 teachers across Nigeria. “This is precisely why GPE matters. GPE does not replace national investment; it multiplies it. The ambition before us is to mobilise US$5 billion for GPE and, through that investment, unlock additional financing for education in partner countries.

“Domestic resources must remain the anchor, complemented by development assistance, concessional finance, philanthropy and innovative financing.” Shettima further observed that although Nigeria was a young country whose growing population could become one of its greatest economic assets, adding that this was possible only if the nation’s “young people have access to quality education, relevant skills and meaningful opportunities.” The answer to declining global aid, he pointed out, “must therefore be smarter multilateralism: using scarce international resources to leverage much larger investments.” He urged participants at the highlevel event to ensure that it was not merely a fundraising exercise, “but a renewed compact for human capital, bringing together national leadership, international partnership and responsible financing so that every child has the opportunity to

learn, thrive and contribute to their country’s future.” Expressing Nigeria’s appreciation to the Italian government and GPE for joining in the conversation on the future of education financing, the Vice President said as co-hosts of the campaign, Nigeria was not participating merely to ask the international community to invest more in education but “to demonstrate that we are investing in education ourselves.” Earlier in a video presentation, the Prime Minister of Italy, HE Giorgia Meloni, praised President Tinubu’s leadership and Nigeria’s determination to improve educational outcomes across all levels. He urged all partners in the global alliance to show greater commitment to reversing the trend in developing countries. On her part, the UN Deputy Secretary General, Dr Amina Mohammed, thanked all partners for the interest

shown in the improvement of education financing in developing countries, noting that the changes sought by stakeholders should begin with the choices that governments make. She called on International Finance Institutions to support committed countries in finding the fiscal spaces needed to improve educational outcomes, including capacity building for teachers whose motivation and training remain critical to achieving set objectives. In the same vein, Chair of Board of Directors of GPE, Dr. Jakaya Kikwete, underscored the need for accelerating education financing, noting that the event was a reminder to the fact that education remained central to the attainment of human rights, security, and peace, among other benefits. According to him, GPE was driven by the realities of the drop in development assistance in education amidst the Continued on page 58

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

NEWS

OPENING CEREMONY AND PREMIERE EVENING OF NEXT TITAN NIGERIA SEASON X1...

L-R: Category Manager, Gum and Candies, West Africa, Oluwatosin Oti; Betano Oﬃcial, Macaulay Abayomi; Senior Business Development Advisor for Africa, Betano, Mr. Daniel Lamberti; Executive Producer, Betano-The Next Titan Nigeria, Mr. Mide Akinlaja; Director, Betano, Mr. Obayomi Okubajo; Category Manager , Beverages, Cadbury West Africa, Mr. Oladapo Oshuntoye; and Category Planning and Activation Lead, Cadbury West Africa, Portia Morewa, at the opening ceremony and Premiere Evening of Next Titan Nigeria Season X1 held in Ikeja, Lagos ... recently PHOTO:ETOP UKUTT

Fuel Price: Atiku Tackles Lokpobiri, Says Nigeria’s Reality Differs from US Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former Vice President and presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, faulted Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, over

his comparison of fuel prices and subsidies in Nigeria and the United States. There had been a controversy over the appropriate price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and the removal of fuel subsidy. Atiku, in a statement by his

media aide, Paul Ibe, said the minister’s comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United States was a textbook example of how statistics could obscure economic reality when stripped of income and purchasing power. According to Atiku, “Telling a

Nigerian earning N70,000 a month that petrol is ‘cheaper’ because an American pays a higher dollar price per litre ignores the question that actually matters: how much petrol can each worker afford from their earnings?” Atiku further said, “At about

Mbah, SEDC Flag Off South East AgroDevelopment Programme in Enugu As SEDC, Enugu begin devt of 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Tuesday officially flaggedoff the South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), a 200-hectare pilot integrated model farm by the South East Development Commission (SEDC) at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. The historic event which marks a significant transition from planning to physical implementation by the Commission, was witnessed by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh; Chairman of SEDC, Dr. Emeka Wogu; Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Mr. Mark Okoye; Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, as well as traditional and community leaders and other stakeholders, and community members.

Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the deputy governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, described the project as an important example of what strategic collaboration between South East states and the Commission can achieve, particularly at a time when food production and economic diversification had become increasingly important. He noted the Agro-Development Programme fitted perfectly into the state government’s decision to build 200-hectare modern farm estates in the 260 wards of the state, saying the state’s investment in agriculture connects perfectly with other government projects and the commitment to eradicate poverty in the state by 2031. “When we invest hugely in education, when we invest hugely in expanding our road infrastruc-

ture, when we invest in security, health, and transportation, it is to create access to enable investors and partners like the SEDC to have access to land, have access to development opportunities. “History has also taught us all over the world that communities, states and governments that invest in agriculture with a geometric progression are able to migrate their people faster from poverty to middle-class economy. And what the South East Development Commission is doing today is an example of one of those efforts and the result we can get working together. But that is not more. “So, we believe that this project can become an important part of the economic development of not just Nomeh Unateze and Enugu East Senatorial Zone, but the entire South East region within the context of Nigeria,” he said,

Educators, Professionals Harp on Digital Initiative to Boost Nigeria’s Academic Knowledge Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Educators, professionals, entrepreneurs and other knowledge providers have been urged to take their expertise beyond the traditional classroom by converting their knowledge into structured digital learning products. Speaking in Ilorin yesterday on the sidelines of educational development event in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Chief Executive Officer of Spoilert, Dr. Opeyemi Abe, said that, Spoilert was created to provide a digital platform where individuals and

institutions could package, share and potentially earn from their knowledge through structured learning products known as “Spoylz”. He explained that a Spoylz could combine videos, PDFs, slides and text, organised into modules and lessons to give learners access to structured knowledge beyond the physical classroom. According to him, Spoilert allows lecturers, professionals, entrepreneurs and skilled individuals to transform their expertise into digital learning products that can reach learners

beyond their immediate environment. Dr. Abe said the platform also enables creators to publish and manage their Spoylz, build portfolios around their expertise and monitor indicators such as views, enrolments, ratings and earnings. He noted that Spoilert was not limited to individual educators, explaining that universities and other institutions could also use the platform to extend courses, lectures, research-based materials and other learning resources beyond their campuses.

urging the people of Nomeh to also own the project. The Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mr. Okoye, explained that the project was deliberately designed as a development project to redefine how the region approaches agriculture. “The South East Agro-Development Programme is about building productive capacity of the region. We want to demonstrate what agriculture can look like when land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets are brought together in one,” he stated.

N1,400 per litre, Nigeria’s N70,000 minimum wage buys only 50 litres of petrol. By contrast, four weeks of earnings at the US federal minimum wage can buy roughly 981 litres at prevailing American pump prices.” He explained, “That is the comparison Nigerians should be looking at. Americans may pay a higher nominal price for petrol, but they also earn substantially more. “Nigerians are buying petrol from wages already battered and shattered by high food prices, transport costs, rent, electricity, healthcare and the collapse in the purchasing power of the naira. “And because Nigeria depends heavily on road transportation and generators, expensive petrol does not stop at the filling station. It feeds directly into the price of food, transportation, production and virtually every other household expense. “So, the real question is not whether a litre of petrol costs more in America. The real questions are: how many litres can the average Nigerian afford from his income? “How much is left after food, rent and transportation? Absolutely nothing. Indeed, it leaves a deficit!” Atiku asked, “And is the average Nigerian household better off today? A government cannot

establish that petrol is affordable simply by converting the pump price into dollars and pointing to another country where the nominal price happens to be higher.” He said affordability was measured against income, purchasing power, and the cost of living, stressing, “Any comparison that leaves those out is economically incomplete. “And this is where accountability must begin. Instead of celebrating favourable international price comparisons, government officials should publish the figures that actually reflect the lived economy: petrol as a share of wages, real household income, food inflation, transport costs, unemployment, poverty levels and purchasing power.” Atiku said Nigerians deserved economic arguments grounded in what families could actually afford, rather than comparisons that looked reassuring only when wages and living costs were left out. The former vice president said, “If the government wants to defend its economic record, it should do so on the full cost-of-living numbers. “Those are the numbers that matter to ordinary Nigerians and not the ‘Animal Farm’ numbers being bandied about by Tinubu and his officials.”

200 Jigawa Women Get Poultry Boost as BATN Foundation Targets Rural Incomes Bennett Oghifo BATN Foundation has empowered 200 women in Jigawa State with poultry assets and enterprise training to boost household incomes, food security and rural livelihoods. The beneficiaries were supported under the Foundation’s EMPOWERHer Poultry Project, an intervention designed to expand women’s access to productive assets, strengthen their participation in the agricultural value chain and create sustainable incomegenerating opportunities. The project was inaugurated on September 4, 2026, in Dutse, Jigawa State, in collaboration with the Jigawa State Government and development partners. Under the programme, the women received Noiler birds, poultry feed and medication after undergoing training in poultry production and

enterprise management. The intervention is targeted at addressing some of the constraints confronting women in rural communities, particularly limited access to productive resources, enterprise opportunities, technical knowledge and sustainable sources of income. Speaking at the inauguration, Project Manager, BATN Foundation, Adetola Oniyelu, said the initiative was designed to ensure that empowerment translated into sustainable economic opportunities for the beneficiaries. “For us, empowerment goes beyond providing inputs. It is about creating opportunities for women to build productive businesses, generate income, contribute to household food security and strengthen their economic resilience,” he said. Oniyelu said supporting the women to participate in the poultry

value chain would create pathways to sustainable livelihoods while strengthening their capacity to contribute to the economic wellbeing of their families and communities. He explained the intervention reflected BATN Foundation’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to establish and grow productive enterprises. Poultry production remains an important entry point into agriculture for rural women because it requires relatively manageable levels of investment and provides opportunities for regular income through the sale of eggs and meat. The Foundation’s intervention combines the provision of productive assets with practical training, an approach intended to equip the beneficiaries with both the resources and knowledge required to manage poultry enterprises.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

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INDUCTION SERVICE OF NEW PRESIDENT, NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION...

L-R: Immediate Past President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Israel Akanji; President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Olusola Idowu; and Wife, Folashade Idowu, during Idowu’s induction service held at the Baptist International Convention Center(BICC) Lufuwape, Ogun State... recently

NECO Registrar: Boko Haram, Banditry, Terrorism Never Stopped Conduct of Examinations Gives awards to dedicated staff, proficient students Laleye Dipo in Minna Despite the activities of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups, as well as attacks by bandits in parts of the country, the conduct and release of results of examinations across the country by National Examination Council (NECO) was never stopped. Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Professor Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Minna at the 2025 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony. “We distribute our materials as planned; our logistics were also carried out as expected,” Wushishi said. Wushishi said despite the security and other challenges, “our staff and partners daily demonstrate dedication, relent-

lessness and professionalism.” The registrar said the award ceremony was organised to motivate the staff so that they could continuously improve and achieve better performance. Wushishi declared that the awards, “is also intended to

boost, inspire better performance and reinforce the mind-set of better every day among both staff and students.” He added that the presentation reflected the diverse roles that sustained NECOs operations and upheld its standards.

Families of Banki town who were being resettled from Minawao camp in Cameroon have called on the Borno State Government to provide them with adequate toilet facilities to prevent open defecation which may lead to disease outbreak. This was communicated on the sidelines of the resettlement exercise held in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. The exercise was led by the Chairman, Bama Reconstruction Committee, Lawan Wakilbe, earlier this week. One of the returnees, Saleh Usman, while thanking the state government for providing them with access to free accommodation and running water facilities, noted that with the scale of the resettlement, inadequate toilet facilities may lead children to resort to open defecation which may cause an epidemic. “We are happy with the free

Service to 2025 Retirees, Most Hardworking and Dedicated Staff, Best State Coordinator of the Year 2025, and the Best Driver of the Year 2025. Others were Award for Excellent Performance in other areas, and Special Awards for Best

Environmental Sustainability: Nigerian Breweries Plants 340,000 Trees, Restores Over 350 Hectares at Olokemeji Forest Dike Onwuamaeze The Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB), in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Forestry and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), has planted more than 340,000 indigenous trees

and restored over 350 hectares of degraded forest landscape at the Olokemeji Forest within five years. The Olokemeji Forest Reforestation Project, which is in line with NB’s “Brew a Better World” sustainability agenda, is aimed at advancing environmental stewardship and

Borno: Bama Returnees Seek Access to Toilet Facilities to Prevent Disease Outbreak Esther Oluku

Wushishi emphasised NECOs commitment to continuous improvement, strengthening of accountability, and ensuring its examinations continued to be accepted globally The awards were given in six categories: Certificate of

Performing Male and Female Students 2025 examinations. The registrar charged the awardees and other staff not to let “today’s recognition not to remain a moment of celebration alone but a call to action so that each awardee serves as a model and each staff member is motivated to raise their performance”.

accommodation and enough water provided for us but one of our major concerns is that our toilets are almost full and will force children into open defecation which can lead to disease outbreak. We are pleading for intervention.” Another returnee, Habiba Muhammadu, urged the government to provide their children with access to a worship center and schools to reintegrate them into the educational system. Wakilbe explained the resettlement is specifically targeted at providing accommodation facilities for the people of Darul Jamal and adjoining communities adding that the state government will address other emerging needs as they arise. Speaking on the need to give returning children access to education, he said: “They are gradually settled and we are going to provide means of livelihood for them. We are going to provide a new primary school inside the Tijani

Banki Memorial Government Day Secondary School, Banki, to address the increasing need for schools while we identify other interventions of a school here.” Wakilbe, who also inspected 500,000 housing units nearing completion in Mayanti and 1,000 semi-permanent shelters nearing completion at Kumshe, said that plans are underway to resettle persons affected by displacement in both areas. He noted that farm lands will be accessible as soon as all security concerns are addressed. “We are grateful that Governor Zulum has fulfilled his promises. We also commend the resilience and support of people of Bama. “We are happy that Darul Jamal and other adjoining communities have been resettled successfully and very soon, we will resettle Mayanti and Kumshe as construction work have reached advanced level of completion,” he said.

contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, watershed protection, and sustainable ecosystem management. The milestone was highlighted during a joint engagement among the representatives of NB, the Ogun State Government and IITA, where stakeholders reviewed the project’s progress and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaborative efforts towards environmental restoration and sustainable land management. Speaking during the engagement, the Director of Corporate Affairs, NB Plc, Mr. Uzodinma Odenigbo, disclosed that the initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ecosystem restoration and environmental

sustainability in the communities where the company operates. Odenigbo said: “At Nigerian Breweries, sustainability remains central to how we operate and create shared value. “The restoration of over 350 hectares of degraded forest and the planting of more than 340,000 indigenous trees demonstrate what can be achieved through strategic partnerships. “Beyond restoring ecosystems, we are investing in a healthier environment and creating opportunities that will benefit surrounding communities for generations to come.” In his remarks, the Commissioner for Forestry, Ogun State,

Mr. Oludotun Taiwo, commended the collaboration among the state government, NB Plc and IITA, noting that such partnerships are essential to preserving the state’s forest resources and promoting sustainable development. Beyond reforestation, the Olokemeji Reforestation Project has also enhanced biodiversity, strengthened climate resilience, and improved watershed protection across the forest reserve. The initiative has also created alternative livelihood opportunities for surrounding communities, including beekeeping and vegetable farming, and improving access to clean water by providing community boreholes.

Uzodimma Recruits 6,000 Teachers to Beef Up the State School System Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has approved the recruitment of 6,030 teachers to enhance teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools in the state. Already, the newly recruited teachers have completed a six week intensive training at the state owned Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma. The Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba who announced the cheering news in Owerri on Wednesday said the

exercise is part of a broader strategy by the state government to strengthen education in the state. He disclosed that the recruitment exercise was undertaken to fill existing vacancies as well as ensure that there is no gap in teaching and learning across the 27 local government areas of the state. According to Emelumba, this is the first time in a long time that this large number of teachers was being injected into the school system at once. He said that to underscore the

importance that the governor placed on the exercise, he would personally address the new teachers at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, Owerri. The Commissioner disclosed that the meeting which will be held tomorrow, Thursday, September 24th ,2026, by 10 am, will afford the teachers the rare opportunity to meet face to face with the governor. He said only teachers who underwent the training at Ihitte Uboma would be allowed to attend the meeting.

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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MEGASTAR MAN OF THE DECADE AWARD...

L-R: CEO Megastar Media Communications/Executive Producer, Megastar Man of the Decade Award, Dr. Adeniyi Ifetayo; and Her Majesty, Olori Atuwatse iii, Queen Consort of Warri kingdom, during the presentation of letter of invitation to serve as Royal Mother of the Day at the Award ceremony in October in Abuja on Tuesday PHOTO: MEGASTAR MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS.

Wike: PDP G5 Governors Backed Peter Obi to Prevent Atiku’s Victory in 2023 Elections FCT minister’s revelation demands probe, Says Dalung Chuks Okocha and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Minister of the Federal Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said Atiku Abubakar underperformed in the South-south geopolitical zone in the 2023 presidential election because G5 Governors in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resolved to back the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi. Wike made the revelation yesterday at a project inspection visit while clarifying his recent comments on the 2027 elections and the role of Rivers State and FCT. He said the G5 governors adopted that strategy in the South-south, which incidentally was a PDP stronghold, in order to prevent Atiku, the party’s candidate, from securing the bulk of

the votes enough to tilt the pendulum of electoral victory in his favour The FCT minister said the G5 developed the strategy after assessing the political strength of the major contenders in the 2023 presidential election. Wike said, “For example, the Southsouth, actually, was what you would call the PDP state. Being PDP states, it means that if you look at the difference between what the president had and what Atiku had, the difference was about two million. “Now look at the votes from the South-south, where PDP didn’t make main route, that was what led to the loss of Atiku. And we felt that Atiku was more of a factor in that election than Obi. “Our strategy was that, ‘listen, you

vote, make sure that you vote for Obi to win, in order to deny Atiku the votes’. So, people wouldn’t understand, and be saying, ‘Oh, how would I have done it? I just took the result sheet, I wrote it, and gave it to INEC?’” He also dismissed claims that the outcome in Rivers State was achieved by manipulating election results, stating that the political strategy adopted by the G5 contributed to the result. Wike said the assumption that Obi won in Rivers was largely made up by the social media. He said it was not enough to win an election by solely by gaining the social media traffic. He explained, “You have polling units of about 7,000, and probably you have seen 300 polling units. And then you jump to the conclusion that so-and-so

person has won. You remember that they went to the tribunal? Did anybody tender any result from Rivers State that, ‘Look, this is the result, we won?’ “We have our strategy in this election, and whether you like it or not, it’s not for us to let the cat out of the bag. Why we said what we said, to tell you that every election has a strategy. The G5 had their strategy. “South-south was purely a PDP state, purely a PDP state, and so if we had voted for PDP all through, then Atiku would have won, and that was the threat. Obi wasn’t the threat. Obi was merely a threat by social media or the South-east or the Igbo people; what is the percentage? “When you are strategising to win an election, you look at a lot of factors:

2027: Atiku Orders Jigawa ADC Factions to Drop All Court Cases and Embrace Unity Chuks Okocha in Abuja Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has intervened in the lingering crisis within the party in Jigawa State, directing rival factions to withdraw all court cases and work together ahead of the 2027 elections. The directive followed a reconciliation meeting involving the two factions, where the parties agreed to maintain the status quo and accept the list of candidates released by Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC) in the interest of party unity and progress. A member of ADC National Executive Committee and Northwest Organising Secretary, Hon. Ali Tukur, confirmed the development in an interview with reporters Tukur said the meeting was chaired by Atiku, with National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, and other prominent party leaders in attendance. He disclosed that the two leaders of the opposing camps in Jigawa – the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Sabo Nakudu,

and Hon. Bashir Jimbo – agreed to the terms of reconciliation and signed an agreement to end their legal battles. According to Tukur, one of the court cases was filed by Nakudu’s camp against the Jimbo faction over the candidates uploaded to the INEC portal, including the governorship running mate and some National and state Assembly candidates. Tukur said the Jimbo camp, on the other hand, instituted a case challenging Nakudu’s eligibility to contest the governorship election, alleging irregularities in the primary

Bauchi Flags Off Payment of Gratuity Arrears, Releases N10bn Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Bauchi State Government has flagged-off the payment of backlog of gratuity arrears to over 1000 retired civil servants in the state. Governor Bala Abdukadir Mohammed in a symbolic handover of the cheque on Wednesday directed the commencement of payment of

outstanding gratuity to retired civil servants from 2012 to 2016 in the state. The governor who was represented by his deputy, Rt Hon Auwal Jatau, said the exercise would commence with the first batch of beneficiaries, while subsequent payments would be made until all eligible retirees had received their entitlements.

Bala Mohammed said the state government had committed N10bn towards addressing the accumulated gratuity obligations owed to retirees in the state. He said the government was determined to address the longstanding plight of pensioners who had waited for years to receive their entitlements.

election that produced him as the party’s governorship candidate. He said Atiku’s intervention, supported by other national leaders, paved the way for the two camps to resolve their differences and close ranks. Speaking after the meeting, Atiku, he disclosed, said he was pleased to witness the reconciliation between Nakudu and Jimbo.

who is my threat? If this is my threat, this is a lesser threat, and I know what to do so as to make sure that the vote of my major threat does not increase. “So, people should learn all this. It’s not about staying in the platform to say, ‘Oh, Obi was winning Rivers State.’ No, we strategised. Since this strategy made sure that Obi wins there, but the Rivers State, there is a factor. And that factor has to do with: you cannot say where Rivers State will go. “When you talk about rigging, you cannot rig an election where you are not popular. You cannot! If you try that, then you see what happens; people will resist it. So, people should forget about this issue that Obi this or that. “Assuming Obi won Rivers State, for example, add it for him, would he have won the election? So, people should come out with clear facts not social media issues. “What I said was we had our strategy and that strategy worked well for us. Our major problem and opponent was Atiku Abubakar and if we didn’t do that, something would have happened.”

Wike’s 2023 Presidential Poll Revelation Demands Investigation, Declares Dalung Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, criticised Wike over his account of the strategy adopted by the defunct G-5 governors during the 2023 presidential election. Reacting, in a Facebook post yesterday, Dalung said Wike’s com-

ments amounted to an admission that political actors deliberately influenced the distribution of votes during the election for strategic reasons. “He has always understood Nigerian politics as a transaction: power, access, influence and whatever political advantage can be extracted from the system,” Dalung said. Dalung questioned why Wike’s disclosure had not triggered a serious institutional response. He stated, “The real disgrace is not even Wike’s shamelessness. It is a country where politicians can publicly tell us how they interfered in an election and the national response is mostly: ‘Ah, Wike has spoken again.’ No investigation. No serious institutional reckoning. No consequences.” According to Dalung, the issue should not be treated simply as another political statement, given Wike’s description of how the G-5 approached the 2023 election. He said, “This was a sitting governor openly talking about how political actors deliberately manipulated the distribution of votes to produce a preferred political outcome.” He also raised concerns about what political actors could do with the lessons they drew from the 2023 election as the country approached the 2027 general election. Dalung stated, “And if this is what politicians are comfortable telling Nigerians about 2023 on national television, one question should concern every voter: what exactly are they planning to do with the lessons they learnt from 2023 in 2027?”

Momodu Warns: Cannabis Decriminalisation Could Fuel Crime, Mental Health Problems in Nigeria Linus Aleke in Abuja The former Director of Technical Services at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Sule Momodu, has warned that the decriminalisation of Cannabis sativa in Nigeria could fuel crime and exacerbate mental health problems in the country. The retired Deputy CommanderGeneral of the NDLEA said there were established links between drug use and criminal behaviour. Momodu, a Fellow of the Security Institute, made the remarks during

an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, where he argued that the Nigerian variety of cannabis is particularly potent and should therefore not be legalised. His comments come amid growing calls in some quarters for the decriminalisation of Cannabis sativa to enable Nigeria to fully harness its economic potential and explore its possible applications for health purposes. Responding to questions about the calls for the legalisation of the illicit substance, Momodu said: “Yes, I’m not in support of

decriminalising cannabis. I’m not in support, especially the Nigerian variant, because the THC, the chemical content of Nigerian cannabis, is very, very, very strong. “And if you dare decriminalise Nigerian cannabis, you’re going to create a crisis — a crisis that we will not be able to handle. I am sure you see what happens in some countries where they say, ‘Okay, we’ll decriminalise this.’ “You see zombies on the streets. We’re going to have a lot of mad people on the Nigerian streets. And we’re going to have a lot of people turning to crime.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

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LAGOS STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL’S WORKING VISIT TO THE USA...

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Founder/ CEO, Empire Records, San Francisco, California, USA, Mr. Ghazi Shami; and Member of the California State Assembly, Mr. Matthew Haney, during Lagos State Executive Council’s working visit to the USA... recently

Go After Corrupt Nigerians Without Fear or Favour, NIREC and Sultan Tell EFCC Many pastors, imams facing corruption charges, says EFCC

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, have charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after corrupt Nigerians without fear or favour, including pastors and imams. The position of the religious leaders came as EFCC said corruption had permeated the religious circles in the country, with many ordained pastors and imams undergoing investigation over fraud and misappropriation of funds. The Sultan, who is co-chairman of NIREC, spoke at the council’s meeting held yesterday at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja. He said religious leaders had a duty to fight corruption because God abhorred it. He stated, “We as religious leaders must fight corruption. Why? Because God Almighty doesn’t like corruption. He doesn’t love corruption. You cannot steal

money and they send people to Jerusalem and Mecca with corrupt money, and then you think God will accept your deed? No, God is not corrupt, so He doesn’t like corruption. “So you cannot use public money, you cannot use corrupt money to send people to Jerusalem or to Saudi Arabia for hajj or for any other thing. So let’s see how we can come together and help the EFCC chairman to really fight this corruption.” The Sultan insisted that anyone involved in corruption must face the law, irrespective of religious status or personal relationship. He said, “Whoever is involved, even our brothers, our sisters, our fathers, our friends, those involved should face the law. Law is not

respecter of anybody. Whoever does something wrong, he should face the law. “And when he’s facing the law, don’t tell me he is the pastor of a church or he is the chief imam of a mosque. We don’t want to hear that. Let the EFCC go after that person, whoever it is, and deal with him according to the law.” He urged the commission not to deviate or listen to politics or political leaders. In his welcome remarks, outgoing Executive Secretary of NIREC, Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua, admonished Christian and Islamic faithful to live in peace and unity, warning that a wrong concept of God produces fake, professional, and accidental pastors and imams who mislead

their followers with hate speeches and weaponise religion, ethnicity, and poverty for personal gains. Omonokhua said NIREC had resolved to condemn any statement that contradicted peace and human dignity. He said, “We hope that the EFCC anti-corruption manual would stop religious preachers and teachers from religious corruption and religious-motivated corruption through professional and fake preaching.” In his address, Director-General of Islamic Council, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said the anti-corruption manual produced by EFCC should serve as a moral compass for Nigerians, especially religious centres and educational institutions desirous of promoting a corruption-free society.

Uzodimma, IGP Seek Collaboration on Community Policing Amby Uneze in Owerri The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and the InspectorGeneral of Police, Olatunji Disu, have called for stronger collaboration

among security agencies, state governments and local communities to enhance policing and improve public safety in Nigeria. Uzodimma made the call while delivering a lecture at the

6th Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) held yesterday at the Landmark Event Centre, Owerri. The governor examined the ‘principle of subsidiarity and its

Otti Urges Nigeria to Adopt Indigenous Languages Like South Korea, India, China Academics ask education minister to reinstate 2022 national language policy Oluchi Chibuzor Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, says Nigeria should learn from modern economies, including South Korea, India, and China, where early education is driven by indigenous languages. Otti gave the advice yesterday at the Fafunwa Educational Foundation (FEF) annual lecture and symposium, held in Lagos. That was as academics called on the federal government to reinstate the 2022 National Language Policy. Speaking at the lecture, Otti said the focus of this year’s event, the relevance of using mother tongues as the primary language of instruction in early education, was very relevant to the evolution of education in the

Co-chairman of NIREC and President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, urged religious leaders to use their platforms to preach peace and unity and build bridges, asking what kind of Nigeria they want to build by their statements and actions. In his keynote, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, lamented that corruption had permeated even religious circles, disclosing that records at the commission show many pastors and imams are facing trial for corruption, including alleged conspiracy to misappropriate funds meant for pilgrimage. Olukoyede said he would prefer that such persons be stripped of religious titles. Declaring the meeting open,

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s message, said government would not relent until every Nigerian could live, work, and travel in safety. Akume stated that the armed forces and security agencies were intensifying operations to reclaim the country from criminals and secure churches, mosques, schools and markets. He urged religious and traditional leaders to promote tolerance, defuse disputes, counter divisive narratives, and ensure politics was not taken to the altar or mosque as electioneering approaches. The SGF said the federal government planned to collaborate with NIREC to sensitise members of the public on the need to ensure peaceful conduct of the 2027 general election.

country’s different constituencies, especially at the foundational level. He said it was fulfilling that FEF was keeping alive a compelling, researchsupported observation made several decades ago by Professor Fafunwa and others that children learned better when taught in indigenous languages. The governor stated that, while it was fine to disagree with the findings of a research work, it was not acceptable to reject a viewpoint for the simple reason that agreeing with the facts challenged individual biases and ego. He stated, “If research says that early learners do better when instructions are passed through the vehicle of indigenous languages, my preference would be to identify and address the

probable limitations to teaching pupils in their native languages, including inadequacy of skilled instructors that are fluent in the languages or perhaps, the challenge of limited relevance outside one’s own community or maybe region. “The fears, I have to admit, are real but we may also have to look at a few countries where early education is driven by indigenous languages including South Korea, India and China. In so doing, we may learn a few lessons from the success they have achieved over the years. “More so, looking at these successful cases would provide some perspectives on how the use of indigenous languages in passing classroom instructions may have shaped the

economic and technological exploits of the aforementioned countries on the global stage.” Otti added, “My position would be that if children and professionals in China suffer no disadvantage from learning in Mandarin, just like their counterparts in India or South Korea who started their learning in indigenous languages, then the fears against the use of indigenous languages for early-stage education in this part of the world may be exaggerated at best.” He stated, “Well, I am not sufficiently schooled on matters of languages or early childhood learning to make definitive statements on matters related thereto; this perhaps is why I am grateful that we have experts in the room to guide us.

relevance to policing and national security.’ The governor said the debate over state police should go beyond the issue of structure to determine how responsibility, knowledge and capacity could be deployed at the level where they would be most effective. Drawing from Imo’s security experience since 2020, Uzodimma said the state’s challenges demonstrated the importance of local intelligence in distinguishing political violence from kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities. He said communities possessed vital information that security agencies could leverage, but stressed that such intelligence must be professionally assessed and acted upon within the law. “The federal government and the Nigerian Police Force possess the means of coercion which no community organisation can replicate. Communities, however, possess priceless knowledge which no headquarters can manufacture,” Uzodimma said. He advocated greater localisation of policing, insisting that any State police arrangement must guarantee professionalism, merit-based recruitment, constitutional allegiance and respect for citizens’ rights.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the governor urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and community partnerships, noting that electoral violence often begins long before election day. Responding, the IGP, Disu, charged police officers who participated in the retreat to apply the knowledge gained to improve service delivery across the country. Disu commended Uzodimma for his support for the Nigeria Police Force and disclosed that complaints against police officers had “reduced drastically,” attributing the improvement to the efforts of Commissioners of Police. He urged officers to sustain the improvement and work towards reducing complaints to “almost near zero” by the end of the year. “We will continue to do our best to protect lives and properties,” the IGP said. The retreat featured lectures and discussions on policing, emotional intelligence, media relations, elections and other aspects of contemporary policing, including contributions from retired Inspectors-General of Police. The high point of the three-day summit was the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Uzodimma by the IGP in recognition of his support for the police.

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

NEWS

PARTNERSHIP MEETING ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND GREEN FUND FINANCING...

L-R: Representive of Lagos Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, Mr. Babawale Joel; Director, Partnership for Energy Efficiency in Building (PEEB), Joscha Rosenbush; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Urban Development, Mr. Segun Williams; Nigéria Country Advisor, PEEB, Marc Alexander-Gross; Implementing Manager, PEEB, Joshua Yari Garba; and Country Lead/Adviisor, PEEB, Edima Okodi-Iyah, during a partnership meeting with GIZ on Energy Efficiency and Green Fund Financing at the conference room of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development... recently

I Feel Vindicated, Saraki Reacts to Appeal Court Verdict on Ibrahim Magu’s Tenure Chuks Okocha in Abuja A former President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said he felt vindicated after the Court of Appeal ruled that Ibrahim Magu’s

prolonged tenure as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unlawful. The appellate court, sitting in Abuja, had Monday overturned a 2019 judgment of the Federal High Court, which

upheld Magu’s continued retention as acting chairman despite the eight senate’s rejection of his nomination as substantive EFCC chairman. A three-member panel delivered the verdict in an appeal filed by

Johnmary Jideobi, a lawyer who had challenged Magu’s continued stay in office after the senate twice rejected his nomination. In a Facebook post, Saraki recalled that the eighth senate, which he led,

rejected Magu’s nomination twice in 2016 and 2017. “Back in 2016 and 2017, the 8th Senate, under my leadership, rejected Ibrahim Magu’s nomination as substantive EFCC Chairman not

NIGERIA UNLOCKS 53-YEAR IMA GAS FIELD AS TOTALENERGIES, AMNI SIGN $800M FID Ima demonstrates what is possible when we provide investors with a competitive, predictable and enabling environment. We are determined to unlock more of Nigeria’s gas resources to power our industries, expand our exports, create jobs, and build lasting prosperity for our people.” Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, the president said he had prioritised reforms to reverse years of underinvestment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, as several undeveloped projects lacked the fiscal and commercial conditions needed to become viable. In 2024, Tinubu recalled that he issued a series of presidential directives, developed by the team led by Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, which sought to improve fiscal competitiveness, shorten contracting timelines, and reduce costs. Regarding the Ima project, THISDAY learnt that Nigerian financial institutions arranged 77 per cent of the project’s financing, with around 60 per cent of the project workforce expected to come from host communities, including Bonny, Finima, and Andoni, all in Rivers State. “Natural resources have value only when they are converted into opportunities for our people. Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s gas powers Nigerian prosperity,” the president emphasised. Delivering his welcome remarks at the FID signing ceremony, Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria, Mathieu Bouyer, described the investment as a major vote of confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and the country’s investment environment. Bouyer said, “The FID confirms that technically, commercially, legally and (in terms of) regulatory, we are all set and all geared to invest in a new adventure, a new project in full trust and full confidence…it’s a clear vote of confidence in Nigeria

and its oil and gas industry and also in the potential of the oil and gas people of this country.” He said the project was designed to support the additional capacity being created through Nigeria LNG’s Train 7, adding that TotalEnergies is targeting first gas by the end of 2028. The financial partners include Zenith Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Standard Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and First Abu Dhabi Bank. According to Bouyer, the project is expected to generate between $2 billion and $4 billion in value over its lifetime, depending on international oil and gas prices. He said Nigerian content would remain central to its execution, with the four major project packages to be handled by Nigerian contractors. He added that more than 60 per cent of work done locally would be undertaken by members of the host communities, while the project would create opportunities in employment, local contracting, and technical skills development. The TotalEnergies chief said the project would also feature an unmanned offshore platform powered from shore, zero routine flaring, and permanent methane monitoring systems as part of efforts to reduce operational emissions. Bouyer said the Ima investment was part of TotalEnergies’ sustained commitment to Nigeria, where the company had operated for more than 60 years. He stressed that the reforms embarked upon by the current administration had begun to bear fruits. Bouyer stated, “This decision also reflects the progress made in Nigeria’s investment environment. I would particularly like to recognise the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that enabled and made it possible through a number of reforms of the executive orders that were issued two years ago, and one specifically

on the non-associated gas sector. “These measures have improved the competitiveness of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and supported the investment conditions for projects such as Ubeta that we launched two years ago, and also Ima gas that we are launching today.” Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, said the FID was evidence that reforms by the administration of Tinubu were restoring investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Lokpobiri recalled that Nigeria had gone for years without major investments because of concerns over regulatory and fiscal uncertainty, saying the government’s reforms have helped provide greater clarity and stability. The minister said, “Mr. President’s reforms are working. Nigeria is now one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.” He commended TotalEnergies and AMNI for completing the partnership and called for faster completion of future FIDs to accelerate investment. and production. Lokpobiri also urged Nigerian banks to continue to finance oil and gas projects, stating that hydrocarbons would remain a major component of the global energy mix for decades. Executive Chairman of AMNI International, Tunde Afolabi, said the FID fulfilled a commitment made when the two companies signed Heads of Terms in Houston in May 2024. Afolabi said the project demonstrated the value of trust and partnership between an indigenous Nigerian company and an international energy major. According to him, the next phase would focus on safe execution, adherence to schedule, and project economics, environmental responsibility, host-community engagement and increased participation by Nigerian companies and

professionals. Afolabi stated, “Ima is not only a commercial development for our joint venture. Its gas will provide material feedstock to Nigeria LNG and support the additional capacity being created through Train 7… By converting discovered gas into production, export earnings, government revenue and Nigerian business activity, Ima gives practical expression to Nigeria’s gas-development ambitions.” He stated that the FID was also enabled by deliberate action from the federal government, especially the fiscal and policy measures introduced for offshore non-associated gas, together with the engagement of the relevant regulators and agencies. Verheijen said the Ima decision was the fourth gas FID secured in two years as part of efforts to unlock Nigeria’s stranded gas resources. She said the government’s focus was not merely to increase gas production but to convert the country’s resources into investment, industrial activity, jobs and higher incomes. According to her, “Our objective is not simply to produce more gas. It is to use Nigeria’s resources to power a more productive economy and improve the lives of our people.” In his remarks, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the FID as a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s gas sector and said the project aligned with the federal government’s Decade of Gas initiative. Ekpo said the project would support power generation, industrialisation, manufacturing, fertiliser production, petrochemicals, transportation, and clean cooking. He said the expected first gas in 2028 would contribute to the government’s target of raising gas production to 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030. The minister stated, “Ima gas development project reflects the kind of strategic investment needed

to translate Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources into tangible economic value, while supporting the country’s broader aspirations for industrialisation, energy security and sustainable economic growth.” Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the regulator would continue to remove obstacles and support investment in the sector. NNPC Limited Executive Vice President, Udobong Ntia, who represented Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, expressed the national oil company’s commitment to supporting the project towards first gas.

once but twice. “Still, he remained in office illegally until July 2020, without confirmation by the Senate,” Saraki said, adding that, senate’s decision at the time was not politically motivated but an exercise of its constitutional responsibility. “At the time, some called our decision political. It wasn’t. We were simply exercising our constitutional duty and standing by what was right,” he said. Saraki also alleged that members of the eighth senate, their families and associates faced pressure from Magu after the rejection of his nomination. “My colleagues in the 8th Senate and I, as well as our families and associates, endured what I can only describe as attempts by Magu to terrorise us,” he said. He added that taking the position had come at a “huge personal and public cost”. He however, said the latest court ruling had reinforced the position taken by the eighth senate almost a decade ago.

Concerned House of Reps Members Worry over President Tinubu’s Extended Vacation Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Some concerned lawmakers in the House of Representatives, have expressed concern over the constitutional uncertainty surrounding the continued absence of President Bola Tinubu from Nigeria. To this end, the concerned lawmakers also called for immediate reconvening of both Chambers of the National Assembly to address the constitutional situation; and immediate compliance with Section 145(2) where no declaration was transmitted within the constitutionally prescribed 21-day period. The lawmakers in a statement by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (NDC, Rivers State) and Hon. Abubakar Yahaya (APC, Katsina) on behalf of the group recalled that the presidency announced that Tinubu departed Nigeria on 30 August, 2026 for a three-week vacation and subsequently confirmed that his stay abroad had

been extended by a few days. The lawmakers under the auspices of Save Democracy Group decried the failure to transmit the written declaration required under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that whenever the President proceeds on vacation, he shall transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, following which the Vice-President shall perform the functions of President as Acting President. Also, Section 145(2) provides that where the President is unable or fails to transmit that declaration within 21 days, the National Assembly shall, by a simple-majority resolution of each House, mandate the Vice-President to perform the functions of President as Acting President until the President communicates his availability to resume his functions.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

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FREE-KICK LAGOS RUN FOR RED SICKLE CELL AWARENESS INITIATIVE...

L-R: Head, Publicity and Logistics, Free-Kick Lagos, Kolade Cole; Team member, Jessica Lewis; Head, Brand and Development, Hamzat Alao; Winner of the Run For Red Sickle Awareness Run, Scott Itepu; and Head of Communications, Free-Kick Lagos, Amina Ahmed, at the Free-Kick Lagos Run For Red sickle cell awareness initiative, in Lagos... recently

Amupitan: Adequate Funding Critical to the Security and Success of 2027 General Poll Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has said adequate funding is critical to providing the security and logistics required for successful conduct of the 2027 general election. Amupitan added that adequate funding was particularly important for the deployment of personnel and electoral materials to local government areas, wards, registration areas and polling units. He spoke yesterday in Owerri, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers. The conference had the themed, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.” The INEC chairman, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, said while the commission’s funding was constitutionally provided as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the scale of its responsibilities required sustained financial support to enable it to conduct elections effectively.

Amupitan said, “The commission also has statutory powers to request the deployment of security agencies for elections and voter registration, making security an integral part of the electoral process. “Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints. The system does make allocations of what is available and what is affordable at a particular time for the expenses and appropriation of the agencies, including the police and also including INEC.” The chairman explained that INEC was responsible not only for presidential and National Assembly elections, but also for governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, voter registration, and the registration of political parties. Amupitan stressed that voter registration remained the foundation of credible elections, saying an inaccurate or outdated voters’ register could undermine the inclusiveness of the electoral process. He stated that because INEC conducted elections affecting the three tiers of government, election expenditure, including security-related costs, should be

approached as a collective national responsibility. According to him, even where security agencies succeed in maintaining peace, inadequate logistics could still undermine the conduct of an election.

Amupitan said INEC had made both security and logistics priorities under his leadership, adding that the commission is working with government and security agencies to ensure that operational challenges do not undermine the 2027 polls.

He also highlighted the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), describing it as a platform that brings INEC and relevant security and government agencies together to coordinate election security.

Amupitan said the committee, which began as a coordinating arrangement after the 2011 general election following concerns over post-election violence, had evolved into a structured mechanism for election security coordination.

Osun Governor’s Aide Allegedly Kidnaps Self to Extort Govt, Police Probing Matter APC accuses accused of plot to blackmail Tinubu’s govt, seeks thorough police probe Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo An aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Shakirulahi Babatunde, has allegedly kidnapped himself with the sole aim of extorting the state government. But the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lambasted the Adeleke government, alleging desperation to implicate the APC and heat up the polity with the fake kidnap of one of the special assistants to the governor. It warned that the Nigeria Police Force should resist the attempt by the

state government to bury the case. Spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, in a statement, said the state police command was already investigating the incident. Rasheed debunked report that top officials in the Adeleke-led administration were working underground to pressure the police into dropping the matter. According to him, “Our attention has been drawn to a reported case of self -kidnapping by one of the governor’s media aides, Shakirulahi Babatunde. “We immediately want the public to know that the police are investigating the matter without any pressure from

the state government,” Rasheed said in the statement. He also debunked rumours making the rounds that the Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye and other top government officials were working to prevent police from investigating the case. While giving insight into the matter, he said, “It would be recalled that when the media aide sent a text message that he had been kidnapped, an incident report was immediately lodged with the police under the instruction of the Chief of Staff. “The matter was further reported to

the Anti Kidnapping Squad of Osun State Police Command, which swung into action as a signal of transparency and readiness for law enforcement. “It was therefore falsehood from the pit of hell to assert that the Chief of Staff or any state official was trying to prevent the police from conducting investigation into a matter which the state government originally reported to the police service. “We categorically denied the fake news that there were attempts by the state officials to bribe the police to sweep the matter under the carpet. Such reports are unfounded and baseless conjectures.

AT UNGA 81, NIGERIA TEAMS UP WITH ITALY FOR MASSIVE $5BN GLOBAL EDUCATION FUNDING widening financing gap and the fact that the world will increasingly depend on systems that deliver tangible and desirable outcomes Girls’ education activist, Malala Yousafzai, emphasised the need for collaboration in ideas and resources, stating that global partnerships tend to produce greater results and more impactful outcomes than isolated interventions by countries. She urged all stakeholders, especially multilateral organisations and governments across the world, to commit more resources and efforts to gender equality in education and address specific needs of the girl child, especially in developing countries. Governments and donors at the high-level event made generous contributions towards the education of at least 370 million children globally, with the government of Italy pledging the sum of 50 million Euros for GPE programmes and Interventions. Shettima had earlier attended a welcome breakfast hosted by United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres for Heads of Delegation and their spouses. The vice-president, according to

a statement by his Media Assistant, Stanley Nkwocha, arrived at the General Assembly Hall in company with Governors Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. Also on the Nigerian delegation were the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and other top government officials. The General Debate, holding from September 22 to 28 under the theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All,” opened with remarks by UN Secretary-General Guterres and addresses by world leaders, including Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and United States President, Donald Trump. Shettima is scheduled to deliver Nigeria’s national statement before the General Assembly today, setting out the country’s position on major global issues and President Tinubu’s priorities for reform of international

institutions, sustainable development, peace and security, climate action and a more equitable global economic order. On his way from the United Nations Headquarters, Shettima, accompanied by governors, ministers, presidential aides and other members of the Nigerian delegation, made a brief stop at Nigeria House in New York. At his New York engagements, the Vice President represented Tinubu at the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, AMSG, where he called for a new continental push to end Africa’s dependence on the export of raw minerals and build processing, manufacturing and value-addition industries around the continent’s critical resources. Shettima had said Africa’s mineral wealth must translate into jobs, industrial growth and improved living standards for Africans, urging countries on the continent to strengthen cooperation rather than compete through concessions that diminish the value of their resources. The Vice President would also participate in other high-level and

bilateral engagements during the UNGA week as Nigeria advances its national interests and strengthens cooperation with international partners.

Oyedele Seeks Easier, Cheaper Capital for Developing Countries Also yesterday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has called for a strategic shift in the approach to climate finance, with simpler access to affordable capital for Africa and other developing countries, as well as financing arrangements that better reflect their development realities. Oyedele called for a strategic shift in the approach to climate finance, with simpler access to affordable capital for Africa and other developing countries, as well as financing arrangements that better reflect their development realities. He urged the international community to scale up the availability of affordable capital to finance infrastructure and development across the continent. Addressing the United Nations Dialogue on Solutions to Climate

Finance on the sidelines of the ongoing UNGA 81, Oyedele said Africa’s development ambitions, particularly its energy needs, continued to be constrained by high financing costs, currency risks and limited access to affordable long-term capital. The minister explained that despite Africa’s relatively low contribution to global carbon emissions, the continent continued to face what he described as a “prejudice premium” and “narrative cost” in its efforts to mobilise financing for critical infrastructure. The Head Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, said Oyedele also identified currency risk and what he termed “stereotype tax” as additional burdens confronting African countries as they seek to raise capital for critical energy and other development assets. He, therefore, called for a strategic shift in the approach to climate finance, with simpler access to affordable capital for developing countries and financing arrangements that better reflect their development realities. He also urged the international community to scale up investment in gas and other transition energy sources,

particularly in Africa, to expand access to reliable and affordable energy and help address global energy poverty. According to him, greater investment in Africa’s energy sector would also help diversify global energy supply and reduce concentration risks, particularly amid disruptions affecting the Gulf region. The minister stressed that Africa’s energy transition must take account of the continent’s significant energy-access deficit, noting the need for greater investment to enable countries to meet their development needs while pursuing a practical transition to cleaner energy sources. For Nigeria, Oyedele said the immediate priority was to structure and implement policies and programmes that would reduce poverty, expand economic opportunities and accelerate the distribution of shared prosperity. Achieving these objectives, the minister said, would require stronger international cooperation and a financing framework that enables developing countries to mobilise the capital required to invest in infrastructure and improve the lives of their people.

THISDAY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

NEWS

ENUGU AIR GOES INTERNATIONAL...

L-R: Secretary to Enugu State Government Prof Chidiebere Onyia; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; CEO of Enugu Air, Capt. Tolu, during the launch of the airline’s maiden international service, Enugu - Douala, Cameroon, at the international airport, Enugu, Wednesday

In Key Milestone, Mbah Flags Off Enugu Air’s Maiden Int’l Flight to Cameroon Enugu Air CEO: State becoming major gateway Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the first-ever international service by Enugu Air, describing it as a major milestone in his administration’s vision to grow Enugu State into a major aviation hub. Besides, Mbah stated that he was making the state the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and for habitation. Speaking at a brief ceremony at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, yesterday, Mbah, who heaped commendations on the leadership of the state-owned airline for the fast

growth of Enugu Air, said it was not an isolated story, but a part of connecting the dots as his administration strives to grow Enugu State into a $30 billion economy. “Months ago, right here, we watched Enugu take to the skies. In just barely six months after a rigorous regulatory process, Enugu Air obtained her Air Operator’s License. This is not a mean feat. “Today, 14 months after, we can see that dream flying beyond our expectations, as Enugu Air is one of the fastest-growing airlines in Nigeria, without a doubt. “But we did not conceive of Enugu

Air as a bragging right or because of the clamour, or to gain some political acclaim. Enugu Air is part of the masterplan to make Enugu State the premier destination for investment, living, business and tourism. For us, Enugu Air is part of connecting the dots,” he stated. Mbah described Enugu Air as a campaign promise kept, saying the Enugu–Douala service was the beginning of many more international flight operations to many parts of the world. “What you are seeing here today is performance above promises. So, we ask you to judge us by the things we

have promised and have delivered to you. “Besides, today it is Douala, but I am hoping tomorrow, we are not only going to be talking about the continent of Africa, we will be talking about Enugu to the world,” he added. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for consistently demonstrating his commitment to aviation infrastructure and for the support he is also giving to the state to enable it to create businesses like Enugu Air. Similarly, he commended the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyama (SAN) and the agencies under him such as

Tinubu: $12m Abuja Entrepreneurship Centre’ll Boost MSME Ecosystem, Create Jobs and Expand Nation’s Economic Scope Appreciates Korea republic for investment and lauds KOICA, UNDP, SMEDAN for project take-off Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the construction of the $12 million Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE), saying the project will strengthen Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem and help more businesses grow, create jobs, and expand economic activity. The centre, funded by Republic of Korea, through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is being developed at the SMEDAN Industrial Development Centre in Idu, Abuja, in partnership with the federal government, through SMEDAN, and United Nations Development Programme. Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a release issued on Wednesday explained that ACE will support the wider MSME and entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing facilities, technology, training, and enterprise support for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and growing businesses. Onanuga said the project had an initial target of 500 entrepreneurs, 400 start-ups, and 1,500 MSMEs. About $5.9 million will go into

construction, while $6.1 million will fund equipment and programmes for entrepreneurs and businesses. ACE will serve businesses in Abuja and surrounding cities, including Kaduna, Jos, Keffi, Lafia, Minna, Makurdi, and Lokoja, while contributing to a stronger entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem across northern Nigeria. According to Tinubu, “Small businesses are an important part of our economy. They employ people, support families and create activity in communities across the country. “Many entrepreneurs already have the ideas and the determination to succeed. What they often need is better access to facilities, technology, training and the support that can help their businesses grow. “This centre will provide more of that support and strengthen the ecosystem around them.” Tinubu said the federal government would continue to expand the conditions that allow small businesses to grow and compete. He stated, “We want more Nigerians to be able to start businesses, grow them and employ others. We also want existing small businesses

to have better access to the tools and support they need to become stronger and more productive. That is important for jobs, incomes and the wider economy.” The president said the project complemented the administration’s wider investments in digital skills, entrepreneurship, enterprise development, and support for MSMEs. The centre has also been designed to accommodate women and persons with disabilities. It will include accessible facilities and crèche services for women with young children. While construction is ongoing, SMEDAN, KOICA, and UNDP will work with universities, incubators, financial institutions, private-sector organisations, and entrepreneur networks to build a wider support system around the centre and identify businesses that can benefit from its programmes. Tinubu thanked the government of Republic of Korea for the $12 million investment and commended KOICA, UNDP, and SMEDAN for bringing the project to the construction stage. He said Nigeria would continue to welcome investments and partner-

ships that strengthen local businesses, deepen enterprise development and create more jobs. The president stated, “Our economy will be stronger when more Nigerian businesses can start, survive and grow.

the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) supporting Enugu Air’s growth and making Nigeria a standard bearer in the African aviation industry. Speaking at the event, Enugu Air CEO, Capt. Tolu Ita, said Enugu Air was not merely launching a flight, stressing, “we are launching a new chapter.” “This is a chapter in which Enugu is no longer simply where a journey begins or ends. Enugu is becoming a gateway. “Today, much bigger than an aircraft will be moving across our skies. Opportunity will be moving. Business will be moving. People will be moving. Ideas will be moving. And Enugu will be moving with them. This is what makes today so significant. “Enugu Air was never built with the vision to simply put aircraft in the sky. The vision was to build an airline that connects people, connects markets and connects possibilities. “We began by strengthening our domestic network — connecting Enugu with Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Owerri, Asaba, Benin City and Warri. “Today, we take our first major step beyond Nigeria. Enugu to Douala. Nigeria to Cameroon. The Southeast to Central Africa. And this is only

the beginning. “Our ambition is to continue building a stronger regional network across Africa, while progressively opening the door to wider international markets,” she said. In growing Enugu Air, Ita reaffirmed the airline’s responsibility and commitment to authorities, passengers, and all stakeholders, upholding the highest operational and ethical standards. In her goodwill message, the Managing Director/CEO of the FAAN, Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, said Enugu Air’s inaugural international flight was a strong statement of Nigeria’s growing capacity to connect people and businesses across West and Central Africa. Represented by Mrs. Onyeka Udenze, the FAAN DG sai: “Akanu Ibiam International Airport now takes a firm step as a regional hub.” While congratulating Enugu Air for the fast growth in 14 months, she assured that FAAN remained committed to providing the infrastructure, safety standards and support that make such services possible. The DG of NCAA, represented by the Director of Air Transport Regulations, FAAN, Mrs. Olayinka Babaoye-Iruobe, said connecting Enugu to Douala directly represented would create opportunities for increased trade, investment, tourism, and movement of people, while strengthening social and economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon.

OK Movement Rejects Dickson, Insists on Independence, Vows to Resist Bad Structure Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has rejected the description of the organisation as a mere support group of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), insisting that it remained an independent political organisation with its own structures and internal administration. The National Director-General of the movement, Hon. John Ozyl Ughulu, made the position known in a statement, coming barely a day after the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, described the activities of the OK Movement as “unheard of” and “nonsensical.”

Dickson, while receiving a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, into the party, in Abuja on Tuesday, warned that support groups should not establish structures that compete with the political party sponsoring their candidates. “Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy, for space. Support groups are what they are: support groups. “They provide grassroots support, mobilisation, and support. They don’t convert themselves to become critics of the political party sponsored,” he said.

Dickson’s comments followed the decision by the OK Movement to constitute a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to mobilise support for NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The NDC had earlier dissociated itself from the council, saying its formation did not emanate from the party. But Ughulu, in the statement titled, “Statement on the Status, Independence and Structure of the OK Movement”, said the movement would not accept any attempt to redefine its identity or subordinate its organisational structures to the NDC.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

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IMPROVED MANUFACTURING PROCESS ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: Senior Vice President, Technology/Head, 1879 TechHub, UAC of Nigeria Plc, David Asama Dogeni; Co-CIO, Dangote Cement, Ian S. Lesile, and Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Digital Equity Africa, Justina Oha, after a ﬁreside chat on “AI on the Factory Floor - Manufacturing’s Next Leap” at GITEX Nigeria 2026, in Lagos...recently

Curfew Fails to Stop Fresh Attacks in Plateau, Police Officer, Civilians Killed

Yemi Kosoko in Jos

The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and three civilians in separate attacks in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, heightening fears over worsening insecurity despite a newly imposed dusk-to-dawn curfew.The state Police Public Relations Officer

(PPRO), SP Alfred Alabo, said the gunmen opened fire on security operatives attached to Operation Rainbow on Tuesday night along Gagshi Road between Barkin Ladi and Bokkos. One security operative was killed in the ambush, prompting an immediate investigation to identify and apprehend the attackers. Three civilians were also reported killed in another

attack at Rakok (Kafi Abu) in Barkin Ladi, further escalating tension in the area. The incidents occurred barely

AlexEnumahinAbuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrashid Maina, wanted. Maina, according to the cadre. commission, is wanted for Represented by the allegedly “receiving stolen Director of the Payment System Policy Department, Musa Jimoh, Ikeazor said the growing complexity of Tony IchekuinOwerri the economic, technological and social environment made The federal government has strong governance increasingly adopted ‘One Kindred, One important for businesses and Business Initiative (OKOBI),’ an Imo State economic model, institutions. He said governance should as a national strategy to tackle not be reduced to compliance youth unemployment. Speaking at a Town Hall with rules, but should be reflected in how institutions meeting for Small-Medium are managed, decisions are Enterprises in Owerri, the Imo taken and value is created. State capital, the Chief Economic “In an environment where institutions and businesses are increasingly Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Chief Executive Officer of ZenithCare Hospital, Dr. Lekan Ogunlowo, has urged governments and stakeholders to establish stronger support mechanisms for indigent patients unable to afford medical treatment. He made the call during an ongoing free medical and surgical outreach organised by the Pistis Foundation in collaboration with ZenithCare Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State. The expert said some illnesses require treatments that are financially beyond

working to restore calm, and urged citizens to remain law-abiding as investigations continue.

properties.” A statement signed by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, yesterday urged members of the public with useful information to contact any of the commission’s offices, nearest police station or other security agencies. The statement, which is pasted on the wanted person’s segment of the commission’s website reads:

The public is hereby notified that ABDULRASHEED ABDULLAHI MAINA, whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Receiving Stolen Properties. “Maina, 61, is an indigene of Biu in Borno State. “Anybody with useful

information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies”.

FG Adopts Imo Economic Model as Strategy to Tackle Youth Unemployment Adviser to the Imo Government, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, reiterated that OKOBI transitions informal local ventures into group-owned, profit-driven, and registered corporate entities capable of driving economic growth. “OKOBI serves as a platform to convert various local skills, such as poultry, piggery, and palm oil production, into viable commercial enterprises,”

Amaeshi said. He added that the initiative relies on collaborative channels, commercial viability, and institutional partnerships rather than direct government financial handouts. In his remarks during the event, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, affirmed his administration’s commitment to sustainable economic growth

through the empowerment of local communities across the state. The governor, who was represented at the event by his Deputy, Dr. Chinyere Ekomaru, disclosed that 65 communityowned businesses across the state have been established and are currently awaiting formal registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

CAN President Urges United Christian-Muslim Front against Nigeria’s Challenges

Medical Expert Urges Govt The President of the Christian of Nigeria (CAN), to Support Indigent Patients Association Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

following renewed security threats. Alabo assured residents that security agencies were

EFCC Declares Abdulrasheed Maina Wanted for Allegedly Receiving Stolen Properties

CBN Urges Directors to Build Resilient Institutions Nume Ekeghe The Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic Policy, Philip Ikeazor, has called for a shift in the way corporate governance is approached, saying it must go beyond meeting regulatory requirements to building institutions that can withstand economic and other pressures. Ikeazor made the call at the 2026 Fellows’ Night and Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (CIoD), in Lagos yesterday where he was admitted into the Institute’s Fellowship

hours after the Plateau State Government enforced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu

the reach of many Nigerians, leaving indigent patients unable to settle their medical bills, stating that government intervention is necessary to complement the efforts of foundations and hospitals providing free healthcare services to vulnerable people. According to him, “There are some illnesses and medical problems in society that, if you leave them to individuals, some people will not be able to cope with them financially during treatment. “We have a lot of indigent patients that are unable to take care of their medical needs.”

challenged Christian and Muslim leaders to move beyond interfaith dialogue and translate their shared values into practical action to tackle insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and other

challenges confronting Nigeria. He made the call yesterday at a meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria’. He said the theme should move religious engagement beyond the management of differences to a collective effort by Christians and Muslims to

contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing and development of the country. According to him, “Shared Sacred Flourishing” does not require Christians and Muslims to abandon, blend or compromise their distinctive beliefs, but calls for cooperation based on shared values such as love, compassion, mercy, justice,

forgiveness and service to humanity. Okoh said Nigeria’s current challenges, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment, inequality, communal tensions, and declining public trust, require religious leaders to examine the impact of their words, actions and influence on society.

2027: Urhobo Leaders Endorse Tinubu, Oborevwori APC Candidates The Forum of PresidentsGeneral of the 24 Urhobo Kingdoms has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori as sole candidates while declaring support for all other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

The endorsement was made yesterday, when the Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo, representing the state governor, the Chairman of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Hon. Solomon Igrakpata and the State Director of Protocol, Chief Sunday Onoriode and

visited the forum’s secretariat at Effurun, Delta State. Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the forum, Chief Monday Arawore, said the presidents-general were committed to working with the government in power to protect the interests of their communities and ensure that their people benefited from

government programmes. “As presidents-general, our position is clear. We work with the government in power because our primary responsibility is to protect the interests of our communities and ensure that our people benefit from government programmes and interventions,” Arawore said.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

‘Nigeria’s Insecurity Requires Interdisciplinary Approach’ Funmi Ogundare A Professor of Religion and Society at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, United States, Afe Adogame, has called for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to insecurity in Nigeria that considers its political, economic, religious, social, historical, and structural dimensions. Adogame made this call last Monday at the 2026 Conference of African Universities Seminar Series Nigeria (AUSS-NG) hosted by the Institute for African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos, with the theme: ‘Citizenship, Belonging and Geographies of Conflict in Contemporary

Nigeria’. He argued that the country’s security challenges were shaped by multiple interconnected factors that required deeper investigation, stressing the need for researchers to move beyond disciplinary boundaries and examine insecurity from multiple perspectives. “No one theory, no one approach can best explain this variety of conflicts and violence that we find ourselves,” he said. In his keynote address titled ‘Holy Violence, Unholy Embrace: The Intersection of Religious Conflict and Insecurity’, Adogame identified kidnapping as one example of the complexity of Nigeria’s insecurity, noting that the

phenomenon could not be attributed to a single factor. He called for research into both the remote and immediate causes of kidnapping, as well as the endogenous and exogenous factors contributing to its persistence. The professor said examining the historical evolution of kidnapping and related practices would provide deeper insight into the contemporary security crisis. The professor said researchers should pay greater attention to specific case studies and the social and cultural contexts in which conflicts occurred, noting that the same incident could have different meanings in different environments.

Chappal Energies: Court to Rule on Jurisdiction Challenge to Police Charge against MD Wale Igbintade Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, will today (Thursday) rule on whether the court can hear a jurisdictional challenge to the theft and dishonest conversion charge filed against the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chappal Energies, Mr. Ufoma Joseph Immanuel. Justice Oshodi fixed the date after counsel for the police, Mohammed Usman, and defence counsel, Tade Oshodi (SAN), disagreed over when Immanuel’s challenge

to the court’s jurisdiction should be considered. While Usman argued that the court could not entertain the application until Immanuel had been arraigned and entered his plea, the defence maintained that the court must first determine whether it has jurisdiction to entertain the charge, arguing that jurisdiction is a threshold issue that should be resolved before any further proceedings. The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) filed charge number 28400C/26, accusing Immanuel of conspiring with unnamed persons to steal a

Lexus Jeep LA 600F belonging to Chappal Energies Offshore Ltd. The police valued the vehicle at about N600 million. In an application filed on September 22, 2026, Immanuel, through his lead counsel, Oluseun Awonuga (SAN), described the prosecution as an abuse of the criminal process. He alleged that hostile interests within Chappal Energies had instigated the criminal charge as part of efforts to gain an advantage in an ongoing dispute over the control and management of the company and its assets.

Troops Intercept Boko Haram Fighters Migrating to New Location Linus Aleke inAbuja The Nigerian military has said that troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), intercepted Boko Haram fighters migrating to a new location in Yobe State during a night ambush. The troops apprehended four suspected Boko Haram fighters and recovered a vehicle, ammunition and other logistics items, while 11 terrorist fighters also surrendered to the troops within the period under review. According to a statement issued by the acting Military Information Officer of Joint

Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the troops also arrested nine suspected drug dealers during a separate operation. Captain Goni said the latest successes were recorded as sustained military operations continued to degrade terrorist capabilities and deny terrorist and criminal elements freedom of action across the Joint Operations Area. He said: “In the night operation, troops of 27 Task Force Brigade, in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), laid an ambush

to the east of Azare Village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State at about 11 p.m. “Troops made contact with suspected terrorists and engaged them in a firefight with superior firepower. During subsequent exploitation of the area, the troops arrested four suspected terrorists. “Blood traces observed in the general area indicate possible casualties among the fleeing terrorist elements. Items recovered included four bicycles, a large quantity of groceries, one sheep and expended 7.62mm special ammunition cases.”

Four Miners Killed as Pit Collapses in Plateau Community Yemi Kosoko in Jos Four miners have reportedly died after a mining pit collapsed on them in the Baban Rafi area of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, sparking renewed concerns over the safety of artisanal mining activities in the region. The incident occurred last Tuesday while the victims-two men and two women-were in the pit mining tin. Bokkos Youth Leader, Daniel Tula, confirmed the tragedy, explaining that the miners were trapped when

the pit suddenly caved in. Their bodies were later recovered and buried by relatives. Tula described the collapse as the first of its kind recorded in the area, and said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still being established. He noted that the victims were engaged in tin mining at the time of the collapse, adding that the incident had raised fresh concerns about the safety of miners operating in the community. The Plateau State Police Command said it had not yet received an official report

on their death as the state Police spokesperson, SP Alfred Alabo, stated that mining-related incidents are often not reported to the police, making it difficult for the command to immediately verify such occurrences. He promised to provide further details once a formal briefing is received. The reported deaths add to growing worries over the hazards associated with informal mining activities across Plateau State, where poorly regulated excavation sites continue to expose miners to life-threatening risks.

PRESS STATEMENT

NIGCOMSAT REJECTS ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT NIGCOMSAT-2A AND NIGCOMSAT-2B PROCUREMENT PROCESS Abuja, Nigeria. 20 September 2026 The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) unequivocally rejects the misleading claims and insinuations contained in a report published by Daily Post on 18 September 2026 concerning the concluded procurement process for the NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B satellite programme. The report presents unverified assertions and selective accounts in a manner that creates the impression that the process was compromised, improperly influenced or conducted to favour particular bidders. That characterisation is false. The procurement exercise was conducted professionally, competitively and transparently, in accordance with the applicable procurement laws, guidelines and procedures of the Bureau of Public Procurement. All participating bidders were assessed against the same established technical, financial and compliance requirements. The report relies on unidentified "industrial sources" to suggest that a particular bidder performed better than the successful bidders in certain aspects of the evaluation. Performance in selected areas, however, does not determine the overall outcome of a procurement exercise. Bidders were assessed against the complete evaluation framework, including technical responsiveness, financial compliance, delivery capability, project risk, security considerations and long-term value to the Federal Government. The successful bidders emerged from that overall assessment, not from the preference or influence of any individual or interest group. Participation in a competitive procurement exercise does not confer an entitlement to selection. Neither a bidder's previous relationship with NIGCOMSAT nor its performance under an earlier contract guarantees its emergence in a new procurement process. It is therefore misleading to present the non-selection of a particular bidder as evidence of wrongdoing. The report also raises concerns about staff welfare and outstanding obligations. The current Management inherited a salary structure that had not been reviewed for 17 years and has since taken steps to advance a review through the required government approval processes. Management is also addressing outstanding obligations relating to official assignments and strengthening the internal processes for authorisation and reimbursement. NIGCOMSAT respects the responsibility of the media to scrutinise public institutions and ask legitimate questions about the use of public resources. Such scrutiny must, however, be based on accuracy, balance, proper context and a clear understanding of the process being reported. Any bidder or interested party with a legitimate concern has access to the appropriate statutory and procurement review mechanisms. The media should not be used as an alternative procurement tribunal or as a means of pressuring a public institution to reverse the outcome of a process conducted under established rules. NIGCOMSAT will not yield to intimidation or pressure from any individual or group seeking through media campaigns an outcome it did not obtain through a competitive procurement process. The report's treatment of the selection of Hughes Network Systems' JUPITER platform is also speculative. It cites reported Chapter 11 proceedings involving Hughes Satellite Systems without establishing that those proceedings impair Hughes Network Systems' technical capacity, contractual obligations or ability to deliver the required ground infrastructure. A reported corporate or financial development involving a related entity does not, on its own, establish that NIGCOMSAT's procurement decision was defective. Conjecture cannot take the place of technical assessment, contractual due diligence or verified facts. NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B are critical components of Nigeria's future digital infrastructure. They are expected to strengthen national communications resilience, expand broadband coverage, improve connectivity in underserved communities and support national security, education, healthcare, broadcasting and economic development. NIGCOMSAT remains fully conscious of its responsibility to safeguard Nigeria's strategic interests. The programme is being implemented with the technical, financial, legal and project-continuity protections appropriate to a project of this scale and importance. NIGCOMSAT stands by the integrity and outcome of the concluded procurement process and will not allow external pressure, commercial interests or attempts to manipulate public opinion to undermine it.

Signed Management Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 • THISDAY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe

Duro Ikhazuagbe

(Birmingham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England) Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany); Frank Onyeka (Coventry City, England) Forwards: Moses Simon (Paris FC,

Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Chelle Orders Eagles to Pick All Six Points against Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Éric Chelle, is set to unleash his best legs against Madagascar in Nigeria’s first game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on Friday. After Nigeria missed two World Cups back-to-back and finished as runners up and third place winners in the last two editions of the AFCON, Chelle is not taking anything for granted as Barea of Madagascar storm the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo tomorrow evening hunting for the three points at stake. The Franco-Malian gaffer was emphatic in stating that Eagles will hit the ground running from this first match of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. “We have to show everyone from Day One that we want it, and the only way to do that is to go for it with our hearts, and refuse to slow down at any point. We must go for the points without any hesitation,” Chelle said as he looked forward to the first two matches of the campaign against Madagascar and Guinea Bissau. The Eagles fly to Bissau on Sunday for a Day 2 encounter against the Wild Dogs slated for the 24 September Stadium on Tuesday, 29th September. Already, Super Eagles camp in Ikot Ekpene is brimming with dependable defender Ola Aina and utility youngster Benjamin Fredricks, as well as forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who has been drafted in the forced absence of Victor Osimhen. Chelle has an interesting headache to deal with for the choice in goal, with Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali both in town and super-fit, and in the defence and attack. At the rear, Fredericks, Aina, Bruno Onyemaechi, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and Bright Osayi-Samuel are all good to start, not forgetting Turkey-based Chibuike Nwaiwu. At the fore, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Akor Adams, Samuel Chukwueze and newboy George Ilenikhena are all in great form. Friday’s clash with the Barea will stir memories of interesting

2 0 2 7 A F C O N Q UA L I F I E R S past encounters between the two countries at senior level. At this same stage, 16 years ago (commencement of an AFCON qualification race), the Super Eagles defeated the Barea 2-0 in Calabar on 5th September 2010. A year later, in the reverse fixture in Antananarivo, the Eagles won by the same margin. However, on the last day of June 2019, the Barea caused one of the biggest upsets in AFCON history by defeating Nigeria 2-0 in a group phase match in Alexandria, Egypt. Noteworthy is the fact that the Eagles had already qualified for

the tournament’s Round of 16 before that encounter. On Friday, both teams will battle for three crucial points at the beginning of another AFCON ticket race, with the Barea sounding off that they are ready for battle, and arriving in Uyo three clear days ahead of the encounter.

(Alverca FC, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Bright Osayi-Samuel

Avoid Shaky Start, Presidential Aide, Adeboye, Charges Eagles

SUPER EAGLES IN CAMP Goalkeepers: Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic, England); Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa) The Senior Special Adviser to the PresiDefenders: Bruno Onyemaechi dent on Grassroots Sports Development, (Olympiakos, Greece); Isaac James Prince Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye,

Super Eagles training last night in Uyo. They have been directed to hit ground running win all six points at stake in the ﬁrst two games of 2027 AFCON qualiﬁers this weekend

E U R O M ATC H N P F L James Mariga, Alex Oweiyalefa and Chinedu Nwosu all going close to breaking the deadlock. Coach Kennedy Boboye made two changes at the interval, introducing Emmanuel Dung and Gabriel Ugochukwu. The

substitutions immediately added impetus to Insurance’s attack. Emmanuel Dung’s pace from the left flank unsettled the Ikorodu City defence, and he was brought down inside the penalty area in the 48th minute.

GCU Relays Calls for Entries, Seeks Sponsors With the resumption of secondary schools nationwide, organisers of the annual Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays have called for entries with regard to the eighth edition confirmed for November 14th, 2026. Although the event strategically targets schools based on invitation, the organisers however said that others who show sufficient interest at participation may be considered and invited. In the past editions, the likes of Novena University Staff School, Kwale and Yewa College, Ilaro have

has charged the Super Eagles to avoid shaky start in their 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The Eagles will on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium face Madagascar in a Group L AFCON qualifier. After the game against Madagascar, the Super Eagles will travel to Bissau to engage Guinea-Bissau in their second game of the series, a few days later. Speaking on the qualifiers, Adeboye advised the Coach Eric Chelle led side to approach the games with patriotism and avoid the mistake that made Nigeria miss out at the last World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. “My advise is that the Super Eagles should avoid complacency, be patriotic and take all the qualifying

matches serious so as to avoid a repeat performance of what happened during the last World Cup qualifiers. He reminded the players that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot to improve the welfare of sportsmen and women in the country and as such they should reciprocate that gesture by putting in their best to enable Nigeria qualify for next year’s AFCON to be co- hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. “I want the Super Eagles to remember that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not taken the welfare of sportsmen and women for granted. He has always supported them both financially, morally and psychologically and as such, they should reciprocate that gesture by not disappointing Nigerians.

Ronaldo Spurred on By 1000 Goals Personal Ambition as Portugal Battle Wales Tonight

Oweiyalefa Header Secures Bendel Insurance Victory over Ikorodu City Bendel Insurance FC defeated Ikorodu City FC 2–1 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Wednesday evening to claim all three points in their Match-day 5 of the EUROMATCH Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture. The Benin Arsenal controlled the first half but we’re unable to convert their chances, with Jonathan

France); Taiwo Awoniyi (Coventry City, England); Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Ajax FC, The Netherlands); George Ilhenikena (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia); Moses Usor (LASK FC, Austria)

benefited from this window and have gone ahead to post tremendous performances. Indeed, Yewa College speedster, Sunday Akintan, dominated the second edition in great style, with a 100m record that is yet to be equalled in the last nine years of the GCU Relays. Government secondary school Kaduna has shown early interest at participation. Early preparation for the 8th edition of the GCU Relays have since commenced, not only with the reconstitution of the Sub-committees,

but also for entries and confirmation of D-day. The renovation and refurbishment of facilities including the Tartan Tracks and Houses (hostels) will be concluded shortly. Both Sapele and School houses have always hosted the boys and girls athletes respectively over the years. Still, the newly rebuilt Forcados House, now in completion stage, and in honour of the Chairman Arco Group , Dr. Alfred Okoigun would for the first time provide accommodation for athletes and officials during the period.

Nwosu converted the resulting spot-kick two minutes later to give Insurance the lead. Nwosu then missed the chance to double the advantage in the 65th minute after Fatai Abdullahi played him through on goal. Ikorodu City however levelled up the scoreline in the 80th minute when captain Farouk Salami rounded goalkeeper Amas Obasogie before finishing into an open net. Insurance FC responded in the 84th minute when Oweiyalefa rose highest to head home Terdoo Shimangade’s cross and restore the hosts’ lead. Coach Kennedy Boboye who was unsatisfied with his wards’ performance, effected more changes as Wisdom Udom replaced Chinedu Nwosu in the 86th minute as Insurance managed the closing stages effectively to secure the 2-1 victory. The result moves Bendel Insurance up to fourth place on the NPFL table with 9 points after five matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo considered retiring after the World Cup but says he opted to extend his glittering career as he believes he can help Portugal to further success - and reach a personal milestone of 1,000 career goals. The 41-year-old confirmed in the summer that the 2026 World Cup would be his last, although his long-term future remained uncertain. However, he has been included in Jorge Jesus’ 25-man squad for Portugal’s Nations League campaign, which begins against Wales in Lisbon on Thursday night. In the lead-up to the contest with Craig Bellamy’s side, the Al-Nassr forward also targeted the 21 goals needed to reach that magical 1,000 mark. Asked if he thought about retiring from international duty after the World Cup, Ronaldo responded: “Yes, I did. “Of course, I’m always thinking on

2026 NATIONS LEAGUE

Cristiano Ronaldo my decisions, my future, the present also. I’m a thinker, you have to think.” The former Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player said: “I had a conversation with our president, with our coach. I still believe that I’m able to help the national team to reach what they want.

Christy Opara to Empower 400 FCT School Girls Through Sports Former Nigerian international and

Olympic medallist, Ambassador Christy Opara, has unveiled plans to empower 400 girls through sports and mentorship in commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Girl-child. The beneficiaries are drawn from JSS 3 to SS1 from Secondary Schools located within the Kado axis. The programme themed “Empowerment of the Girl-child Through Sports Development, Education and Performances” will hold on October 8, at the Soho24 Foundation Sports Park, Kado, Abuja, ahead of the

October 11 International Day. Opara said the programme organised with the support of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), among other partners, underscores the need for collective responsibility in protecting the rights, dignity, education and future of girls. Beyond sports, she said, the initiative also provides opportunities for girls to learn, compete, perform, build confidence and discover their talents.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION SUN(SET) FOR $2.35 BILLION SCAM

DEATH AND THE 37 MINERS

spurious judgement debts. These high rollers are quite aware that the incentives for corruption and related crimes are high because it is a low-risk, high-reward enterprise. But perhaps more importantly, even in instances where such dirty deals blow open, private sector kingpins most often go unpunished. Afterall, a former Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman is currently serving a 75-year jail term for laundering $24.7 million and £18.5 million in a scandal associated with these same power projects. I have always believed that any serious interrogation of corruption in Nigeria must look at the role of the private sector. An X user who goes by the name ‘Arthur of Camelot’ recently shared a story which I find instructive because the character involved could be the son of one of those businessmen who point fingers simply because they don’t hold public offices even when they contribute a lot to the corruption in the system: “My friend was going on about ‘if Nigeria was working, this would happen and that will happen’ and another friend interjected saying, ‘bros, if Naija dey work, your papa go dey prison by now’…that put a dampener on festivities and we started separating a fight.” Meanwhile, one of the interesting aspects of the Paris judgement on the SPTCL scandal is the issue of business culture in Nigeria. It reads like an intellectual engagement between a witness brought by Adesanya, Prof Sope Williams (described an anti-corruption expert) and my friend, Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in the United States, who testified for Nigeria. This is the way the tribunal framed their exchanges: “The Tribunal fully appreciates that the thrust of Prof. Williams’ evidence is that the facts underlying Nigeria’s corruption allegations should be considered against the background of the specific Nigerian cultural context, while the essence of Dr. Obadare’s evidence is that Nigerian culture cannot be used to justify the alleged acts of bribery and corruption.” I find the arguments of both Williams and Obadare quite fascinating, but there is also a context to it that many may not even be aware of. It is a notorious fact that many Nigerian businesspeople tell their

miners are dying in droves, sometimes killed by the ground they dig, and now, unforgivably, killed by the state that claims to regulate them. I am aware that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (who remains one of the bright lights of the current administration), has moved quickly to suspend the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Niger State Commandant Siyaka Aniviye, who made a reckless statement after the tragedy. Tunji-Ojo has also constituted a ten-member independent committee to investigate the deaths. But to the extent that this is yet another episode in a declining national psyche that treats human lives as no more than mere statistics, I won’t be surprised if nothing comes out of the investigation. We have been on this road several times before. On Saturday 15th March 2014, for instance, more than half a million jobless university graduates were herded to stadia and other venues across the nation to write aptitude tests for about 4500 openings in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). And because of overcrowding and shoddy arrangement, there were stampedes leading to the death of 19 people, including expectant women. It was a tragedy aided by a combination of desperation and impunity. Drexel Nigeria Limited to which the contract was outsourced had asked each of the candidates to pay N850 as “application charges” and N150 as “transaction charges” making a total of N1,000 to be eligible to apply for a job in a government agency in their own country. Because all that concerned these ‘consultants’ was the money involved, there was no real plan for these applicants. Nobody perhaps captured that tragedy as succinctly as Dr Mohammed Hakeem, a brother to one of the deceased. A lecturer at Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa State at the time, Hakeem said his late sister, who had previously been defrauded of N150,000 while seeking the same job, died for nothing: “I make bold to say that the (job) slots for which my sister has been used as a sacrificial lamb had been allocated to those that matter in Nigeria.” Following that tragedy, an investigation was ordered by the federal government. But as usual,

foreign collaborators that securing contracts in Nigeria involves bribery. And in the process, they sully the image of our country. Interestingly, that ‘culture’ matter also surfaced in the $182 million Halliburton bribery scandal. French court papers revealed how British lawyer, Mr Jeffrey Tesler, served as the conduit between Halliburton’s subsidiary KBR and the officials responsible for approving the $6 billion turnkey contract for the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project in Bonny, Rivers State. Following his conviction in 2015, Tesler also made allusion to this ‘cultural’ thing that Adesanya’s witness was trying to sell in Paris. “There is no day when I do not regret my weakness of character. I allowed myself to accept standards of behaviour in a BUSINESS CULTURE (emphasis mine) which can never be justified. I accepted the system of corruption that existed in Nigeria,” Tesler lamented. “I turned a blind eye to what was happening, and I am guilty of the offences charged.” Now that another multibillion-dollar scam against Nigeria has been foiled abroad, there are certain lessons we should not ignore. One, we must change the ‘culture’ by which some Nigerian business people believe it is okay to dupe their country or pay bribe to secure contract. Two, we must put in place a well-articulated National Arbitration Policy that makes it difficult for those who devise these crooked schemes. Three, all pending arbitrations against Nigeria should be thoroughly reviewed and seriously challenged, if they are suspicious. Four, we must institute measures to ensure that Nigerian public officials who sign contracts on behalf of the rest of us are not those who would sell the country cheap. Tying Nigeria to scandalous obligations is the kind of action that would normally attract capital punishment for erring public officials in some countries! Finally, the anti-corruption measures must be strong enough to bring to justice corrupt private sector actors. Until authorities in the country begin to expose and prosecute these traitors, they won’t desist from their nefarious activities. But beyond that, we must also begin to build a new culture of ethics in both the private and public sectors in Nigeria.

nobody was held accountable. Five years later, the Minister of Interior who hired the consultants that presided over the death of those innocent Nigerians was elected to the Senate. And he has since then—following reelection in 2023—been making laws for the rest of us! So, what should accountability actually require on this current tragedy? First, Nigerians deserve to read the pathologists’ findings themselves so as to ascertain what exactly happened. Second, if negligence is established, in the size of the cell to which the miners were camped, the hours it took to notice them dying of suffocation, or the conditions of the arrests themselves, the consequence must go beyond reassignment. And it must reach not only Commandant Aniviye but whoever sets detention capacity and medical provisioning across NSCDC facilities nationwide, since Minna is unlikely to be the only cell with such problems of poor ventilation and overcrowding. Third, families of the deceased deserve more than condolences. There must be a prompt, dignified release of their dead, and some form of restitution that acknowledges the state’s role in this tragedy. And fourth, because a raid-and-detain posture toward mostly poor artisanal miners has now become fatal, Alake may need to keep his own counsel on the issue. When a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan two weeks ago, Alake, who is currently the chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, declared that “human life must always supersede resource extraction.” Reacting to a collapse that killed more than a hundred miners in the Central African Republic some weeks earlier, Alake said much the same, warning that such tragedies must not become statistics the continent mourns today and forgets tomorrow. Now, his charity must begin at home. Everything must be done to help these poor Nigerians not to continue dying (including from health hazards) while chasing a living. On the immediate issue of 37 miners who lost their lives in Niger State, we must ensure that those whose commission or omission led to the tragedy are held to account. Only then can we reclaim our collective humanity as a nation.

NEWS

Umahi: Reconstructed First Niger Bridge Opens Next Week Orders replacement of illegal billboards with Tinubu’s pictures David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has ordered the removal of all illegal advertisement on the reconstructed First Niger Bridge and replaced with the pictures of President Bola Tinubu as reward for hard work. Umahi who was at the bridge to

inspect the level of work after the lapse of the two weeks deadline for the maintenance work on the bridge and the one week extension said the bridge will officially be opened to motorists next week. The minister said the president has done well for Igbo people, stressing that the entire bridge

would be decorated with the pictures of the president. He urged those rooting for Peter Obi’s presidency to show what Obi has attracted to Ndigbo and to avoid wasting their votes in 2027. He said: “Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge

removed. Anyone who wants to advertise should apply to the ministry of works. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu. “The president has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures. I want to say to

Africa Records 250,000 Road Deaths Yearly as WHO, Editors Seek Media Action Ayodeji Ake

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) have launched a major media initiative to strengthen road safety reporting across Africa as road crashes continue to claim nearly 250,000 lives annually in the continent. The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja at a three-day African media forum on road safety, bringing together editors, journalists, content creators and road safety experts from several African countries. The forum is expected to pave the way for the development of Africa’s first road safety media guidelines, designed to promote evidence-based reporting and encourage stronger public demand for policies capable of preventing

road deaths and serious injuries. According to WHO, the African Region accounts for about one-fifth of global road traffic fatalities despite having only three per cent of the world’s registered vehicles. Road deaths are also rising in the region, in contrast to the global trend. Nigeria has the highest number of road traffic fatalities in the African Region, with more than 36,000 deaths recorded annually. WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, said the initiative was aimed at bridging the gap between scientific evidence and how road crashes are presented in the media. “This is about closing the gap between science and story. It’s about correcting misperceptions on an urgent and preventable health crisis and driving accountability for action that saves lives,” Ursu said.

He said media leaders could influence public conversations and help drive the adoption of policies capable of reducing deaths and serious injuries on the roads. WHO noted that media reports frequently focus on individual crashes while overlooking broader factors such as unsafe infrastructure, inadequate laws, inappropriate speeds and weak enforcement. The proposed guidelines will be based on the Safe Systems approach, which recognises that road users can make mistakes and seeks to ensure that transport systems are designed to prevent such errors from resulting in death or serious injury. Head of WHO’s Violence and Injury Prevention Unit, Dr. Nhan Tran said the approach was about “building safe streets for people, not fast-moving motor vehicles.” He said road safety should be prioritised in the design of transport

systems because human error could not be completely eliminated. Chief Executive Officer of CJID, Dapo Olorunyomi, said editorial choices could influence whether road crashes were understood merely as individual tragedies or as wider public policy failures. He said the partnership would help establish an evidence-based standard for road safety reporting across Africa, with the media playing a stronger role in holding authorities accountable. Twenty participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda are taking part in the forum. They include representatives of the BBC, AFP, Deutsche Welle, Xinhua, AllAfrica, Premium Times, Nation Media and the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The guidelines are expected to be completed by mid-2027.

Ndigbo that we should not throw away our votes in 2027. In the last election we did not vote for him so well, yet he is bringing projects to our region. “I have a bragging right in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and I’m proud of him and will be willing to show anyone who wants to know all that he has done. Peter Obi is our brother and we do not hate him, but we need to be realistic this time. I don’t care about people abusing me on social media, they should only tell us what Obi has attracted to the South East. “We will be here next week to open the bridge, and I want to say that we will write to the security chiefs to tell them that there would not be need for any checkpoint 200 meters to this bridge because it causes traffic on the bridge, which is not good for its health. “Also, we will write to the governors of Anambra and Delta States and tell them to monitor the scrap market closely. When I was governor, I banned all scrap activities in Ebonyi State because they contribute to the vandalization (sic) of public infrastructure.” He also banned all dredging activities around the bridge, warning that such activities can compromise the integrity of the bridge. Umahi expressed satisfaction with the level of work so far done on the bridge, which included the installation of CCTV cameras,

streetlights, removing asphalt and reconstructing of the carriageway and walkways, the expansion joints, bolts and others. The minister said: “We thank the people for their patience. The bridge is not just healthier, but will last longer now and motorists will enjoy driving on it. We thank the governors of Anambra and Delta States for their commitment and support to the rehabilitation of the bridge. Anambra had to work with ministry of works for bypass and we apologise for the inconveniences but it was for their good. “The bolts that were lost have been replaced, expansion joints have been manufactured and flown in by air and replaced. The company has done beautiful work. We will however not be stampeded to open the bridge until the full structural works have been done. “We will add the painting of the kerbs, all the metal elements on the bridge will be repainted. We will reconstruct the entrance and exit of the bridge with concrete and when we open the bridge next week, it will only be for one carriageway until after 21 days, then we open it and work on the other side,” the minister said. The Controller of Works in Anambra State, Timothy Emenike, who conducted the minister round the work praised his tenacity, hard work and energy, which he said has led to the success of the project.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

Price: N400

BACK PAGE LEAD PHOTOGRAPH

CICFIN’S INDUCTION OF THE INAUGURAL COHORT OF CHARTERED CERTIFIED ENGINEERING FAILURE...

L-R: Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Engr. Okorie Austine Uche; President Council of the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN) Engr. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar; President, Chairman, Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CICFIN), Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki; with Registrar, Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CICFIN) Dr. Isa Salifu; during CICFIN’s induction of the inaugural cohort of Chartered Certified Engineering Failure Forensics Investigators (CEFFI) in collaboration with COREN and Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) in Abuja ... yesterday PHOTO: ADEBOYE KINGSLEY

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Sun(Set) for $2.35 Billion Scam

n October 2023, Nigeria won its case against Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) Limited which had been seeking enforcement of a fraudulent $11 billion judgement debt in its favour. The Commercial Courts of England and Wales affirmed the claim by the federal government lawyer, Mark Howard, that the company obtained the contract “by telling repeated lies and paying bribes to officials.” But Justice Robin Knowles also said something instructive about the political/business environment in Nigeria. “This case has also, sadly, brought together a combination of examples of what some individuals will do for money. Driven by greed and prepared to use corruption; giving no thought to what their enrichment would mean in terms of harm for others,” Justice Knowles said before defining the ‘others’ he was referring to. “Others that in the present case include the people of Nigeria, already let down in so many ways over the history of this matter by a number of individuals in politics and administration whose duty it was to serve them and protect them.” Last week, an International Chamber of Commerce

EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede (ICC) tribunal in Paris dismissed the $2.35 billion compensation claim against Nigeria made by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL). The company’s promoter, Mr Leno Adesanya, according

to the ICC tribunal, had masterminded a “corrupt deal” with some public officials and private individuals to scam his country. While I have no time to read the entire 619-page judgement, flipping through the pages is revealing enough. As I wrote in the past, what some of these businesspeople do is target a thriving sector, procure some civil/public servants (not only with cash but also ‘bedroom services’ as former presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, revealed in his Monday column, How and Why Sunrise, Leno Lost in Paris – THISDAYLIVE), get them to sign some dubious ‘contracts’ that are skewed against Nigeria and when they fail (as they are designed to), approach the courts for enforcement. That’s how many idle billionaires have been created in the country. If there is anything that the failed P&ID and SPTCL scandals have exposed, it is that in the Nigerian deep state, public sector corruption is most often enabled by private sector operators. That explains why Nigeria has over the years paid billions of Dollars on

Continued on page 63

Death and the 37 Miners

n February this year, a police officer attached to a joint Mining Marshals patrol was killed by artisanal miners at a site linked to Millennium Metals Mining Company in Katcha Local Government in Niger State. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Oladele Alake, who set up the Mining Marshals, vowed then that offenders would face “the full wrath of the law,” and the federal government indeed responded by strengthening the unit’s operational capacity. Seven months after one avoidable death hardened a crackdown, 37 young men were arrested for engaging in ‘illegal mining’ in the same state. They died in circumstances that can only be described

as very cruel. Last weekend, the Northern Senators Forum issued a strong statement on the miners’ deaths. While they may have overstated their case with allusion to what happened at Auschwitz (the largest concentration camp operated by Nazi Germany during World War II) I agree with them that history “has taught humanity how horrifying confinement can become when helpless people are deprived of dignity and treated as though their lives have no value.” Stripped of all pretensions, we all know that those young men died not because of the ‘crime’ they committed but rather because of their social status.

Meanwhile, this has been a brutal year for artisanal miners in Nigeria. In February, a gas leak at an illegal site in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, killed 37 people and hospitalised 20 others. In August, an abandoned tin pit collapsed at Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the same Plateau State, killing seven. And on the very day the dead were still being counted in Niger State, more than 20 miners, among them, women and children, were reportedly buried alive at Mayo Kam in Taraba State’s Bali Local Government Area. Add these together, and a pattern emerges: Desperate Continued on page 63

Aig-Imoukhuede at 60

Aig-Imoukhuede

or almost a decade (until I left in April 2024), I was a member of the Leadership Advisory Board of the African Institute for Governance (AIG). Chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it is a subsidiary of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation promoted by Access Bank co-founder and current chairman, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. The Not-for-profit, private sector-led AIG started in 2014 with the annual award of scholarships to six high-potential public sector leaders (Grade Level 13 and above) from Nigeria and Ghana to study at the Oxford University Balvatnik School of Government. Then it collaborated with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to organise locally designed executive training programmes for participants in Lagos and Abuja. With the overall aim of building the capacity of civil servants across the continent but focusing more on Nigeria, the foundation has extended its reach beyond government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to academic institutions, civil society and private sector entities. Over the years, Aig-Imoukhuede and his wife, Ofovwe have committed tremendous financial resources as well as their time and energy to the idea of transforming the public bureaucracy in Nigeria for efficient service delivery. It is a profound national service. As he therefore joins the Sexagenarian Club today at 60, I can only wish Aig-Imoukhuede a happy birthday, long life and good health.

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