FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2025

GHL: First Bank Wins Battle, But Loses War to Retain Crude Proceeds from FPSO Tokoni Court of Appeal: We are determined to protect the crude from First Bank’s dissipation pending determination of court case and/or arbitration

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja After a string of losses, First

Alagoa and Justice Deinde Bank Nigeria Limited (FBN) of the Federal High Court, Port seize the cargo of crude on board monetary value therefrom. has won a battle to set aside Harcourt which had in March FPSO Tamara Tokoni, but lost The bank had earlier lost in Dipeolu, both of the Federal the ruling of Justice E.A Obile reversed the ex parte order to the war to retain the crude and the case before Justice Lewis Continued on page 8

NUPRC: At 9,600 Bpd, Nigeria’s Crude Oil Losses Slumped to 16-Year-low in July... Page 5

Friday 12 September, 2025 Vol 30. No 11114. Price: N400

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INEC: 157 Associations Fail Party Registration Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) L-R: Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Maya Ngon; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye; Commissioner has revealed that 157 out of 171 for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Former Member of the National Assembly, Senator Lanre Tejuosho; Permanent associations, which applied to Secretary, Lagos Health District II, Dr. Dayo Lajide; and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa, at the Mid-Term Review of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Programme held in Lagos, yesterday Continued on page 8

NLC, Ozekhome, Natasha’s Lawyer Condemn Senate over Senator’s Prolonged Suspension Labour: This is descent into dictatorship, brazen, premeditated assault on democracy; threatens to mobilise against senate Constitutional lawyer: Continued suspension is political victimization, unconstitutional Natasha’s lawyer replies NASS clerk, threatens further legal actions

Wale Igbintade and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

condemned Senate’s decision to continue barring the Kogi State senator from resumption The Nigeria Labour Congress and performing her sacred (NLC), constitutional lawyer constitutional duties even after and Senior Advocate of her controversial suspension has Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike expired.

The NLC warned it may be 2027 LOADING? OBI VISITS JONATHAN...

Ozekhome and the legal team representing Senator Natasha forced to mobilize its members Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election, Mr. Peter Obi (L), and former President Goodluck Akpoti-Uduaghan have strongly Continued on page 8 Jonathan after their closed-door meeting in Abuja, yesterday

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

NEWS

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

BUSINESS RECEPTION FOR UK-NIGERIA BUSINESS LEADERS...

L-R: Vice President Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Tajudeen Ahmed; Vice President, Lara Kayode; Deputy President, Akin Osuntoki; MP, UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Flo Eshalomi; President/Chairman of Council, NBCC, Abimbola Olashore, and Deputy President, Nnamdi Okonkwo, at a Business Reception for UK-Nigeria business leaders, in Lagos…recently

NUPRC: At 9,600 Bpd, Nigeria’s Crude Oil Losses Slumped to 16-Year-low in July Says 2.04m barrels lost in seven months Renaissance, navy plan framework to safeguard oil, gas assets

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday disclosed that the nation’s upstream oil sector had continued to witness a dramatic turnaround, with crude losses from theft and metering issues dropping to 9,600 barrels per day in July this year, the lowest in nearly 16 years.

In a statement in Abuja signed by the commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, the NUPRC explained that the figure was the lowest figure since 2009 when losses dropped to an all-time low of 8,500 bpd.

It noted that the progress marked a major leap forward in the commission’s relentless drive to eliminate all forms of crude losses across Nigeria’s oilfields and pipelines.

“Between January and July 2025, crude oil losses were contained at 2.04 million barrels, averaging 9,600 barrels per day over the seven-month period. This marks a clear departure from the high-loss years that have long plagued the industry”, the commission stated.

By comparison, it pointed out that the entire 2024 calendar year recorded 4.1 million barrels lost at a daily average of 11,300 barrels, adding that remarkably, in just the first seven months of 2025, losses were cut by 50.2 per cent, with 2.04 million barrels lost over the period.

The upstream regulator maintained that the figures for the period ending July 2025 also represented a dramatic 94.57 per cent drop in crude oil losses compared to the full year of 2021, when Nigeria lost a staggering 37.6 million barrels at a daily average of

102,900 barrels.

“So far in 2025, only 2.04 million barrels have been lost, which is a reduction of 35.56 million barrels compared to the 37.6 million barrels lost in 2021, underscoring the scale of progress made in just four years. Crude oil losses in 2021 were the highest recorded in nearly 23 years, making it the

Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation (BoF), Mr. Tanimu Yakubu, yesterday hinted that the implementation of the 2025 budget will commence by the end of September.

The assurance came amid growing concerns that the N54.99 trillion budget, tagged, “Budget of Restoration,” was yet to be implemented, about nine months after it was passed into law.

Speaking at the third Quarter Ministerial Stakeholders

and Citizens Engagement Forum, hosted by Ministry of Budget and National Planning, in Abuja, Yakubu said effective implementation and prudent fiscal management will be critical to the budget’s success.

He stressed that citizen involvement remained critical in the exercise, adding that Nigerians are the ultimate owners of public resources.

He said setting realistic revenue targets, particularly in the oil sector, was a key challenge in the country’s public finance system.

and in 2022, this dropped to 20.9 million barrels at a daily average of 57,200 barrels.

It stated further that the downward trend continued in 2023, with losses reduced to 4.3 million barrels at 11,900 barrels per day, noting that even more progress was made in 2024, as losses were further contained to

4.1 million barrels, averaging 11,300 barrels per day.

The commission said it has adopted a balanced mix of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in tackling oil losses. On the kinetic front, the commission said it had continued to collaborate closely with security agencies, operators and communities.

Oil and Gas: Wale Tinubu Calls for Regional Integration, African-focused Financing Backs proposed African Energy Bank

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

sustainable development and energy sovereignty.

Speaking in a high-profile The Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, has fireside chat with the Group underscored the urgent need for Publisher and Managing Africa to strengthen indigenous Director, African Business at financing, deepen regional the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 cooperation, and leverage its (IATF 2025), Omar Yedder, in vast natural resources to achieve Algeria, Tinubu reflected on his entrepreneurial journey while outlining bold prescriptions for Africa’s energy future.

Addressing a packed audience, Tinubu described entrepreneurship as “the art of Yakubu pointed out that surpassing challenges,” noting initiatives, including translating budget documents into local languages, simplifying budget content, and empowering communities to hold the government accountable, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja remained essential.

Addressing fiscal implications of the Petroleum The Head of the Civil Service Industry Act (PIA), he stressed of the Federation, Mrs. Didi that improving revenue rec- Esther Walson-Jack, has stated ognition in project financing the Personnel Audit and Skills and tax credit schemes, and Gap Analysis will establish a prioritising debt servicing, workforce profile and database which accounts for N14.3 that can be trusted for evidencetrillion of the 2025 budget, based planning, targeted training, efficient postings, were key.

DG Budget: 2025 Budget Implementation to Commence September James Emejo in Abuja

peak year between 2002 and July 2025”, NUPRC added.

According to the commission, since the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, Nigeria has recorded steady progress in reducing crude oil losses.

In 2021, it said losses stood at 37.6 million barrels, averaging 102,900 barrels per day,

that Oando’s growth story has been defined by resilience, risk management, and innovation.

“Every day we face challenges, and our success is really defined by our capacity to anticipate tomorrow’s problems, manage risk, and create solutions” a statement by the company yesterday quoted him as saying.

A major theme of the conversation was financing, with Tinubu highlighting the significant transformation in Africa’s financial landscape

over the past two decades, with local and regional banks playing a growing role in a sector once dominated by international lenders.

He singled out the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) as a catalytic force, growing from a $1 billion institution to $7 billion in assets.

“Institutions like Afreximbank have become real enablers, supporting African champions with the scale of financing once reserved for multinationals” he said.

Walson-Jack: Personnel Audit Will Establish Credible National Workforce Profile for Planning promotions and transparent succession management.

She asserted this yesterday at the opening of a three-day retreat on Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis in Abuja that brought together key stakeholders and experts to review progress and harmonize strategies for the successful implementation of

the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Walson-Jack described the project as a national assignment and a foundational reform initiative under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • THISDAY

NEWS

KAYODE OJO SUBMITS NOMINATION FORM FOR 2026 EKITI GUBER ELECTION...

L-R: Engr Kayode Ojo, Ekiti State APC Gubernatorial Aspirant, and Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, Deputy National Organizing Secretary of All Progressive Party (APC) during the submission of Nomination Form at APC’s Secretariat, Abuja... yesterday

Rights Abuses: FCCPC Recovers N10bn for Aggrieved Consumers Loan deductions, account charges, transaction disputes in banks top complaints James Emejo in Abuja Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), yesterday, revealed that over N10 billion was recovered for consumers whose rights were breached across key sectors of the economy.

The commission, in its updated data on consumer

complaints covering March to August, 2025, stated that 9,091 complaints were resolved during the reporting period - reflecting both the scale of harm experienced and the significant financial burden borne by consumers in the absence of effective redress.

Commenting on the findings, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, FCCPC, Mr. Tunji

Bello, said, “These numbers are not just statistics; they tell the story of consumer frustration, and the daily challenges Nigerians face in essential services.

“However, the FCCPC is determined to hold businesses accountable, ensure compliance with the FCCPA, and promote fair market practices that protect the welfare of all consumers.”

The data covers consumer grievances ranging from unfair charges, service failure, unauthorised deductions, deceptive marketing, poor disclosure of terms, product defects, and failure to provide redress within acceptable timelines.

The findings provided insight into the patterns and prevalence of consumer dissatisfaction across 30 sectors, led

Obi Chides Tinubu Over Inability to Keep Campaign Promise to Fix Electricity within Four Years Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has chided President Bola Tinubu over his inability to keep the campaign promise to fix the electricity crisis in Nigeria within four years.

Obi also reminded the president of his pledge to Nigerians not to vote for him for a second term in office, should he fail to fix the electricity crisis within the period promised.

Obi stated, ‘’Mr. President, it is time to prioritise generating and distributing more electricity to power businesses, especially NSME, which will create jobs and grow the economy.

The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the last general election spoke against the backdrop of Wednesday’s electricity grid collapse across the various

states of the federation, reminding Tinubu to keep to his campaign promises.

In a statement he signed, Obi recalled Tinubu’s campaign vow, saying, ‘’Lest we forget, If I Don’t Obi Give You Constant Electricity in The Next 4 Years, Don’t Vote for Me for Second Term.’’

Obi, who took a swipe at Tinubu over his campaign promise to end the energy crisis, said, ‘’The impact is too glaring for Nigerians to forget the promise of Mr. President while campaigning on 22nd December 2022 that: ‘If I Don’t Give You Constant Electricity in the Next 4 Years, Don’t Vote Me for Second Term’”.

He said, ‘’For a nation already stated to have more people living without electricity than anywhere in the world, there could not be any more firm comforting political promise than this. ‘’Yet APC and its current

government have presided over more national grid failures and power outages than any government in our history. There are now repeated blackouts despite billions in power investments. ‘’Over the years, billions of dollars have been spent on the power sector in Nigeria.

In fact, Nigeria has spent more on power generation with little or no increase in

supply, than countries like Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. ‘’Yet, while some of these nations have proudly doubled their electricity generation, and distribution by adding tens of thousands of megawatts to transform their economies and increase their GDP, Nigeria has barely crawled from 4,500MW to 5,000MW.”

by banking (3,173 complaints), Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FCMG) (1,543), fintech (1,442), and electricity (458).

Other notable sectors included e-commerce (412), telecommunications (409), retail/wholesale/shopping (329), aviation (243), information technology (131), and road transport, and logistics (114).

In a statement, FCCPC said the publication of sector-specific complaint data aligned with the commission’s mandate under Sections 17(a), 17(j) of the FCCPA 2018, which empowered it to enforce consumer protection laws and make information on its functions available to the public.

The report further disclosed that banking wasthe dominant source of consumer complaints, both in volume and financial exposure, highlighting recurring issues in loan deductions, account charges, and transaction disputes, and “reflecting public reliance on the FCCPC to intervene in systemic financial service challenges”.

FCCPC stated, “Banking and fintech dominate by financial impact, showing consumer vulnerability where services are both essential and high value, signalling an urgent need for stronger joint regulation with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“With 458 reported complaints, the electricity sector ranks 4th overall, behind banking, financial services, and FCMG, highlighting persistent billing disputes, service delivery failures, and the need for stronger coordination between the FCCPC, NERC, state electricity regulatory agencies and electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

“E-commerce disputes are relatively low-value but high-frequency, signaling broad consumer exposure at the retail level. While average monetary losses per complaint are low, the volume and recurrence of disputes (deliveries, refunds, counterfeit goods) reveal e-commerce as a growing consumer pain point.

Sahara Leaders Named in African Energy Chamber’s ‘20 Under 40’ Rising Stars List

Peter Uzoho

Sahara Group, an international energy and infrastructure conglomerate has celebrated the recognition of two of its business leaders on the African Energy Chamber’s 2025 ‘20 Under 40 Energy Women Rising Stars’ list, a landmark that

reinforces the company’s role in shaping the next generation of global energy leadership.

The Head of Integrated Gas Ventures at Asharami Energy, Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel and the Chief Financial Officer of Egbin Power Plc, Yetunde Sorinola, were named among the continent’s rising stars for

their outstanding contributions to Africa’s energy sector.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sahara said the recognition of the company’s leaders reflects a wider global shift as the energy industry navigates the twin imperatives of expanding access to power and advancing a just energy

transition.

The 20 Under 40 list shines an international spotlight on women who are redefining Africa’s oil, gas, and renewable industries, at a time when the continent’s leadership in innovation and resilience is increasingly shaping global conversations.

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NUPENG: Dangote Frustrating Resolutions Reached at FG-brokered Truce

Threatens to resume industrial action Refinery to roll out CNG-powered trucks next Monday, cuts petrol prices First deployment to cover Abuja, Lagos, Kwara, Delta, Edo, Rivers, South-west states

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday accused the Dangote Refinery of reneging on the resolutions reached on Tuesday by all parties to the industrial dispute with the management of the 650,000 barrels per day facility.

President of the union, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale,made the declaration in a joint statement in Abuja, vowing to continue the strike if the matter is not resolved immediately.

Specifically, NUPENG said that the management of the refinery had started removing the stickers

of the union from its trucks and was compelling drivers to load, despite complaints over the flouting of basic rules.

A meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) attended by three ministers, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals resolved the pending issues during the Tuesday meeting.

“Since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees of Dangote Refinery and the unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals who are willing

to unionise.

“The process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9-22 September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union,” part of the communiqué at the end of the meeting had read.

But NUPENG which dropped the hint that it might resume the suspended strike action alleged in the statement that in breach of the agreement reached, a representative of Dangote refinery Aliu Dantata instructed all his truck drivers who have been NUPENG-PTD members for several years to remove the union Stickers from the trucks.

Aside from removing stick-

ers, NUPENG said: “Today, Thursday, September 11, 2025, he (Dantata) instructed them to forcefully drive into Dangote Refinery to load and union officials stopped them from entering the refinery to load because their trucks violated union loading rules and regulations.”

NUPENG called on the federal government not to allow the Navy and other security agents being paid by the resources of the country to be used with impunity against the laws and people of the nation.

“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated

along with Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, all Regional and Global Working people and Civil Society Organisations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat of the capitalist world,” NUPENG added.

Earlier, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery had reaffirmed that association with any trade union remains strictly voluntary, in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

Dangote The company stressed that it neither interferes with nor restricts its employees’ right to freely join legally recognised trade unions. The statement was issued amid what the company described as “distortion of facts”

by NUPENG concerning the refinery’s trade relations with its workforce.

NLC, Ozekhome, Natasha’s Lawyer Condemn Senate over Senator’s Prolonged Suspension

and moral authority to resist alleged slide into autocracy.

In a statement signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the Labour movement cautioned the Senate leadership against creating anarchy.

“This act is not merely an error in judgement; it is a brazen, premeditated assault on democracy itself, a direct threat to the social contract, and a dangerous slide towards fascism masquerading as governance.

“That you suspended a fellow Senator from her constitutional roles depriving her people proper representation is not sinful enough but you went ahead to ignore the rulings

of the Court that voided her suspension and at the expiration of your illegal suspension, you are still denying her a return is the height of impunity and morally reprehensible. This is no longer democracy,” NLC said Meanwhile, constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome, also criticised the Senate for continuing to bar Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from resuming her legislative duties despite the expiration of her six-month suspension.

In a statement issued yesterday, Ozekhome described the move as unconstitutional, stressing that indefinite suspen-

sion of an elected lawmaker strips an entire constituency of representation, insisting the continued suspension amounted to political victimization.

He noted that AkpotiUduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, had served out her suspension imposed in March but was blocked from returning after a letter from the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly cited ongoing appeals in court.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the legal team representing Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan has written a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly, accusing him

INEC: 157 Associations Fail Party Registration

be registered as political parties, failed registration requirements.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement issued Thursday, said only 14 associations met the requirements, and they had been cleared to proceed to the next stage of the registration process.

The electoral body stressed that the interim chairmen and secretaries of the pre-qualified associations had been invited to a briefing next Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The 14 associations that scaled the first hurdle, according to INEC, were African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (APP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA).

Others were Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation Peoples Party (LPP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic Peoples Alliance

(PPA), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

The associations that failed to meet the requirements included African Alliance Party (AAP), National Advancement Party (NAP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), The Nigerian Covenant (TNC), Democracy for Dividends Party (DDP), National Coalition of Democrats, African Renaissance Party (ARP), Peoples Interest Movement (PIM), Rescue Party (RP), and Guardian Democratic Party (GDP).

Also on the list, INEC said, were Save Nigeria Congress (SNC), National Democratic Liberation Party (NDLP), National Action Congress of Nigeria (NACN), Peoples Supremacy Party, African Future Alliance (AFAP) Party, Freedom Alliance Party (FAP), and People’s Community Development Party (PCDP).

Olumekun expalined, “A total of 171 requests for registration were received. Each request was assessed on the basis of its prima facie compliance with the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022,

and Clause 2 (i and ii) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.”

He stated “Out of the total number of applications received, 14 associations have met the requirements to proceed to the next stage while 157 have not.

“The commission shall officially communicate the decision arising from today’s meeting to all the associations in the next 24 hours.

“Meanwhile, the list of the 14 pre-qualified associations has been published on our website and other official platforms for public information.

“The interim Chairmen and Secretaries of the pre-qualified associations are invited to a briefing on Wednesday 17th September 2025 at 11am, at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.

“In addition to uploading the required information to the portal, they will physically verify all claims by each association in line with our Regulations and Guidelines.”

The electoral body added that the final determination of the registrability of the associations as political parties would be made after the physical

of overstepping his authority by refusing to facilitate her return to the Senate despite the expiration of her suspension and subsisting court orders mandating her recall.

In a letter dated September 11, 2025, and signed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), Michael Jonathan Numa, the lawyers described the Clerk’s refusal to act as “unlawful, unconstitutional, and politically motivated.”

Further reacting to Senates obstructive footing, the NLC described Senate’s recourse to a frivolous legal technicality claiming the matter is subjudice after the expiration of a patently illegal

verification of all their claims to determine compliance with the legal framework.

It reiterated that party registration was a continuous process under the law, adding that the commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law.

INEC had last week said a shortlist of the pre-qualified associations was being finalised for the next stage of the application for registration.

The commission also urged the associations to avoid frequent changes to their logos, acronyms and addresses or one association submitting multiple requests.

“Worse, some associations have changed their interim leaderships, following defections to other associations or even existing political parties, thereby delaying the process,” it had said.

The commission had in July introduced a political party registration portal, which was a module in the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System (PFRAS).

It explained that the online registration was introduced to make the process faster and seamless.

six-month suspension, “as the height of legislative bad faith”.

“It is a cynical ploy that reveals a sinister agenda to silence dissent, crush opposition, and manipulate the judiciary as

a tool of political persecution.

“This action, led by Senator Akpabio, constitutes a gross abuse of power that shames the hallowed chambers of the Continued on page 43

GHL: First Bank Wins Battle, But Loses War to Retain Crude Proceeds from FPSO Tokoni

High Court, Lagos.

The third case they lost was before Justice E.A Obile of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt which was the subject of the bank’s appeal to the Court of Appeal on a narrow ground where they won the battle but lost the war.

The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal filed by First Bank of Nigeria, setting aside an earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in its case against GHL. The Court of Appeal directed that crude be sold and the proceeds be paid into a courtadministered escrow pending the hearing and determination of the arbitration and other processes currently ongoing.

Court of Appeal strongly expressed its determination to protect the crude from First Bank dissipation pending determination of the court case and/or arbitration.

The Court sitting in Abuja, appointed the Chief Re gistrar of the Court, in liaison with the Admiralty Marshal to take charge, possession and to secure any cargo of crude oil on board FPSO Tamara Tokoni against expropriation, waste, dissipation and or fraudulent disposition pending the hearing and determination of a suit before the trial court and or court of arbitration in the case.

A three-man panel led by Justice Hamma Barka while allowing the appeal filed by First Bank said the interest of justice in the case demanded that the res (subject matter) be preserved pending the determination of the case still pending at the high court and

before an arbitration panel.

The court also issued an order directing payment of the proceeds of each sale into a single interest yielding escrow account in the name of the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal pending the hearing of the suit before the trial court and or before the court of arbitration.

GHL had taken First Bank to arbitration and the process is on going with a decision expected before the end of the year.

The FPSO has crude oil belonging to GHL, Conoil/ NNPC. First Bank claimed that GHL owed it $225.8 million in debt. However, GHL strongly denied the claim, saying FBN on several occasions breached the 2021 Subrogation Agreement and no payment is due.

In the Appeal, GHL accused FBN of abusing an ex parte freezing orders when it selectively released part of the crude in the FPSO to Conoil and NNPCL. But the Court of Appeal has now stopped all that, giving all possession and control of all crude in the FPSO to the Chief Registrar assisted by the Admiralty Marshall of the Court of Appeal.

In its ruling yesterday, the Appeal Court said the main issue in contention was the need to preserve the res, being crude oil in FPSO. It also ordered that proceeds from the sale of the cargo be paid to an escrow account in the name of the Chief Registrar.

The funds will remain under the custody of the court until the matter is determined either at trial or in arbitration, it was learnt. The parties were further directed to bear their own costs.

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

BLESSED

Oluyemi Braithwaite 4th October, 1969 - 24th August, 2025

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

ONE OF ONE

Oluyemi Braithwaite 4th October, 1969 - 24th August, 2025

From Us All

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (NPAN)

We celebrate the life of our dutiful Trustee and pride of the Industry

Dr. (Mrs.) Doyinsola Abiola (Nee Aboa)

February 1, 1943 - August 5, 2025

FUNERAL SERVICE: Friday 12th September, 2025 I 11:00am at Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina , 29, Marina Road, Lagos Colours of the day: Shades of Fuschia Pink/Purple Signed:

MAL. KABIRU A. YUSUF PRESIDENT

ANGELA EMUWA GENERAL SECRETARY

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

NEWSPAPER ANNOUNCEMENT This advertisement appears as a matter of record only

is pleased to announce the result of the

Rights Issue of 14,286,785,417 Ordinary Shares of 50 kobo each at ₦10.45 Per Share On the basis of Two (2) New Ordinary Shares for Every Three (3) Ordinary Shares Held as at the close of business of March 5, 2025 In connection with the Wema Bank Plc Rights Issue of 14,286,785,417 Ordinary Shares of 50 kobo each at ₦10.45 per Share on the basis of two (2) new Ordinary Shares for every three (3) Ordinary Shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, 5 March, 2025, a total of 2,066 applications for 15,062,876,474 Ordinary shares of 50 kobo each was received in connection with the Rights Issue.

Out of the 15,062,876,474 ordinary shares applied for 919,631,727 Ordinary shares were unallotted. This comprises 776,091,057 additional ordinary shares requested but not allotted, and 143,540,670 ordinary shares representing traded rights that were partially rejected . The Offer recorded a subscription level of 105.43%. No oversubscription was absorbed.

The breakdown of allotment is presented below: •

A total of 1,739 shareholders who were provisionally allotted 8,041,552,668 Ordinary Shares accepted their rights in full and were fully allotted.

•

205 shareholders with provisional allotment of 1,375,095,936 Ordinary Shares partially accepted a total of 182,935,594 units, thereby renouncing 1,192,160,342 Ordinary Shares.

•

122 subscribers purchased 4,104,163,682 units of traded rights and were allotted in full except for one (1) subscriber whose application was partially rejected by the CBN in the sum of ₦1,500,000,000, representing 143,540,670 units. Consequently, the effective number of traded rights allotted stood at 3,960,623,012 units.

•

244,743 Shareholders fully renounced their shares totaling 765,973,131 Ordinary Shares. Bringing the total renounced shares to 1,958,133,473 Ordinary shares.

•

Of the 1,739 shareholders who accepted their rights in full, a total of 905 shareholders applied for additional 2,734,224,530 Ordinary Shares and were allotted 1,958,133,473 units.

•

Following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s clearance of ₦147,796,907,607.65 (One Hundred and Forty-Seven Billion, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Six Million, Nine Hundred and Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Naira, Sixty-Five Kobo Only), a total of ₦9,631,416,920.15 (Nine Billion, Six Hundred and Thirty-One Million, Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Naira, Fifteen Kobo Only), representing the rejected subscription, return monies and excess/unidentified monies will be returned to the affected subscribers.

In preparing this Basis of Allotment, the following factors were considered: • • •

All applications received as at the close of the Offer.

CBN Capital Verification Report Full allotment was made to existing shareholders that accepted their rights in full.

•

Full allotment of shares was made to investors that purchased traded rights on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited dur ing the Acceptance period, with the exception of one (1) subscriber whose application was partially rejected by the CBN following the outcome of the CBN capital verification exercise.

•

Provisional rights not accepted by shareholders by the close of the Acceptance Period on May 21, 2025, were deemed to have been renounced and were allotted to shareholders and subscribers who applied for additional shares.

•

All applicants for additional rights were allotted in full except for two (2) entities who applied for a total of 2,622,009,568 additional units after accepting their full allotment of 2,440,388,206.

They were allotted 1,845,918,511 additional units.

•

Therefore, their request for additional shares was prorated based on the outstanding shares available for allotment after all other applicants were allotted in full.

The Basis of Allotment is as follows:

Range of Shares Accepted

1 - 10,000 10,001 - 100,000 100,001 - 1,000,000 1,000,001 - 10,000,000 10,000,001 - 100,000,000 100,000,001 and above TOTAL

No of Applicants

Rights Due

1,162 581 236 62 10 15 2,066

Full Acceptance

Partial Acceptance

Traded Rights

Rights Accepted

Additional Units Applied

Additional Units Allotted

% Additional Allotted

Total Units Allotted

Cumulative Total Units Allotted

2,948,851

2,691,832

190,264

125,970

2,882,096

15,138,982

15,138,982

100%

3,081,860

3,081,860

19,860,591

17,427,132

1,582,042

2,705,883

19,009,174

14,870,032

14,870,032

100%

28,283,582

31,365,442

56,778,068

49,479,879

5,051,044

17,241,961

54,530,923

1,201,595,191

753,359,725

63%

87,183,238

118,548,680

100,832,257

91,919,168

1,882,427

51,655,871

93,801,595

9,154,367

9,154,367

100%

173,893,829

292,442,509

218,243,069

218,243,069

-

81,000,050

218,243,069

58,058,273

58,058,273

100%

534,531,209

826,973,718

9,017,985,768

7,661,791,588

174,229,817

3,807,893,277

7,836,021,405

1,435,407,685

1,107,552,094

77%

13,459,811,699

14,143,244,747

9,416,648,604

8,041,552,668

182,935,594

3,960,623,012

8,224,488,262

2,734,224,530

1,958,133,473

14,143,244,747

The basis of allotment shown above as well as this announcement have been cleared by the Securities & Exchange Commission.

The Registrars to the Offer, Greenwich Registrar and Data Solutions, situated at 274 Murtala Muhammed Way, Alagomeji-Yaba, Lagos, will credit the shares allotted to the CSCS accounts of applicants who have indicated their CSCS account numbers on their respective application forms with the shares allotted not later than September 24, 2025. Applicants without CSCS accounts will have their shares credited at the CSCS using a Registrar Identification Number, in line with the SEC Directive on Dematerialisation of Share Certificates, not later than September 24, 2025.

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 20 TR

UT H

& RE A S O

Friday September 12, 2025 Vol 27. No 11122

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

SUPER EAGLES: ONCE UPON A FOOTBALL FORCE

We have never had it so bad, argues JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA

See page 21

RAISING THE BAR FOR HAJJ OPERATIONS

The National Hajj Commission is delivering on its mandate, writes KINGSLEY OKOH

See page 21

EDITORIAL

STATES AND THE DEBT BURDEN

See page 22

1

Intra-African Trade Fair is advancing trade among Africans, writes BOLAJI ADEBIYI

NOT EXACTLY A BIANNUAL RITUAL

Trade among Africans remains limited but is gradually rising. This was the consistent message from political and business leaders gathered in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, for the biannual Intra-African Trade Fair, which concluded on Wednesday.

Back in 1963, the African Union, then known as the Organisation of African Unity, believed that without integrating Africa's economy, the continent would be unfairly controlled by developed nations. As a result, it envisioned a Common African Market where Africans could trade among themselves to foster growth and development.

It remained a vision to be pursued for many years afterwards. Analysis by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), one of the promoters of the trade fair, reveals that intraAfrican trade accounts for a meagre 15%, compared to Europe (59%), Asia (51%), and North America (37%).

Recognising a lack of access to trade and market information as a significant challenge, it decided to address these issues. Afreximbank, therefore, decided, among other actions, to organise the Intra-African Trade Fair every two years, providing trade and market information and connecting buyers and sellers from across the continent.

Supported by the African Union Commission and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the 7-day trade exhibition has become a platform for sharing trade, investment, and market insights, enabling buyers, sellers, investors, and nations to meet, discuss, and finalise business deals. It provides exhibitors with an opportunity to showcase their goods and services, engage in Business-to-Business (B2B) exchanges, and conclude deals.

Its growth has been remarkable since it began in 2018, when the first IATF was held in Cairo, Egypt, with an estimated 1,000 participants, leading to deals worth $20 billion. The second edition, held in Durban, South Africa, in 2021, welcomed over 1,100 exhibitors from 59 countries and recorded deals worth $42 billion. IATF returned to Cairo in 2023, featuring 1,600 exhibitors and trade and investment commitments exceeding $43 billion.

The Algiers exhibition, which closed on Wednesday, was expected to be the largest, with 35,000 conference delegates, 75 participating countries,

and 2,000 exhibitors projected to secure $44 billion worth of deals.

Examining the outcome, however, Afreximbank’s Director of Trade Facilitation & Investment Promotion, Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, noted that the 2025 edition exceeded the key performance indicators set by the Advisory Council.

According to him, deals worth $48.3 billion were signed, while 2,148 exhibitors from 132 countries and 112,476 delegates attended the 7-day event. He added that 49 African countries and 21 non-African countries had exhibition pavilions, which attracted 958 buyers, instead of the estimated 750.

“By all measures, including the number of buyers, visitors, exhibitors, and countries, as well as the value of deals made, this has been the best we have seen,” an elated President of Afreximbank, Prof Benedict Oramah, stated during the press conference at the end of the fair.

The Nigerian-born president of the continental bank has every reason to boast about this. Under his leadership, the fair has secured deals worth a staggering $166.3 billion, attracting 182,476 delegates and 5,458 buyers from 132 countries.

This may be a modest achievement, given the size of the AfCFTA single market area, which covers more than 1.6 billion people and has a combined GDP exceeding US$3.5 trillion. However, not a few African political and business leaders think the cup is half-full.

Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria and chairman of the IATF Advisory Board, thinks the progress being made is laudable, saying the growth over the past eight years has been phenomenal. For him, Africa has no alternative but to band together,

contending that the continent cannot survive unless it integrates its economy.

“I will say to every African, and everybody who loves Africa, that we must not outsource our development.

Our development should be by us, for us, and with us,” he stated emphatically during a fireside chat moderated by CNBC’s Fifi Peters, at the sidelines of the Algiers fair.

Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, adopted a broader perspective on the issue.

He urged African leaders to speed up the implementation of the AfCFTA to enhance resilience and protect the continent’s collective interests amid current global uncertainties and changing trade patterns.

Focusing on the positive aspects, he stated that intra-African trade rebounded strongly in 2024, reaching $220.3 billion—a 12.4% increase from 2023—according to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2025. He explained that this recovery emphasises growing confidence in Africa’s integration model under the AfCFTA, adding that the data indicates a gradual shift in the continent’s trade composition.

“While primary commodities still dominate, there is a clear growth in machinery, motor vehicles, food products, chemicals, and electronics.

This shift signals our continent’s transition from raw commodity dependency toward industrial diversification, a shift that will only be sustained by stronger logistics and manufacturing value chains,” he told delegates at the fair’s opening last week Thursday.

Selma Malika Haddadi, the deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, remarked that although intra-African trade still makes up a small part of the continent’s overall trade, it has been gradually growing, increasing by 27% between 2017 and 2023.

Hear him, “Our internal trade can be a powerful agent for industrialisation.

Indeed, unlike our international trade, Intra-African trade is mainly driven by manufactured products. While Africa’s exports outside the continent only constitute 20% of manufactured goods, 45% of trade between African countries comprises manufactured goods.

Adebiyi, a THISDAY columnist, wrote from Algiers.

T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

We have never had it so bad, argues JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA

SUPER EAGLES: ONCE UPON A FOOTBALL

The mathematics has not solved into that inevitability yet, but the reality is unavoidable; Nigeria will miss out on back-to-back FIFA World Cup appearances for the first time since 1990. In 35 years, the worst we ever had it until this year was to miss out on a World Cup and then return for the next one after that. We missed out on the Qatar World Cup on what you could put down to a goalkeeping error even though we didn’t lose to Ghana. Under a different football rule, we’d have had to play extra time after 1-1 over two legs. When we missed out on the 2006 World Cup and handed a pathway to Angola, a gift I am certain that country will never forget, it was down to head-to-head rules. Based on conventional football norms, having finished on the same number of points and a better goal difference, we would have qualified for that World Cup. It is hard to know where to start when it comes to the latest World Cup qualifiers.

2025 is the first time in about two generations that we are not only not going to qualify for the World Cup, but we were also never in with a chance. We started out with no win in four matches.

That improved to two in eight. We’d be lucky to finish second in a group comprising African football giants like Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Benin and South Africa. In eight matches against these teams, we could only win twice.

If you consider the results and the entire context, this could be the worst ever qualification series Nigeria has ever had to endure since we started playing qualifiers for the World Cup. Most certainly since the 1980s. Except the Super Eagles exit at the group stage of the next African Cup of Nations, you could say they are not going to fly lower than they currently are doing. They are anything but a flying bird right now, let alone an eagle.

We had it much better, even recently.

Gernot Rohr qualified us for the 2018 World Cup with matches to spare, even after FIFA handed Algeria a game and three goals, not to mention there was also Cameroon in that group. Algeria had Riyad Mahrez at the peak of his game. We qualified for AFCON tournaments with matches to spare. Rohr was deemed stale and boring, then he got sacked. The same Rohr is using Benin Republic to challenge South Africa for the ticket in our group and could end up finishing ahead of Nigeria. Sacking Rohr was not as bad a decision as the people that have held the helm since he left. Not

even one of them steps up to him, whether based on pedigree or results. They could have fired Rohr and then hired a coach with a better profile than the German.

They dug lower than what was already a basic level.

They sought out a Jose whose closest affinity to coaching excellence is that he was friends with Mourinho, answered his first name and shared his nationality. Peseiro has since gone from Venezuela to scoring an unbelievable hiring with Nigeria and now with Zamalek. When they leave the Super Eagles, where they go and what they do is always a good indication of their real level, because Nigeria will always hire below its level.

The last time Nigeria played at the FIFA World Cup was seven years ago and even if we make it to the 2030 edition, we’d have been 12 years away from football’s ultimate stage. You cannot take it for granted that Nigeria will even make that 2030 edition, you only need to realise that we are missing out of a World Cup that will have almost one quarter of the world’s countries and about a fifth of African countries in it.

It just looked harder to not qualify than to qualify. We managed to pull off the unlikelier event, even when we had those countries to play.

We lost it as much on the field as we did in the boardroom. Nigeria signed up to a contest where South Africa did not just have Zimbabwe and Lesotho as group contenders, we also agreed for both countries to play their home matches in South Africa. That has left South Africa with the extra advantage of playing more matches at home than everyone else in the group.

If that was it, it’d still be such a poor showing on our part, but it got worse.

South Africa fielded an ineligible player against Lesotho. Lesotho, for not obvious reasons, decided not to take the matter up with FIFA. Nigeria did not notice this infringement until the time permitted for a report had passed. We also did not bother about putting some pressure on FIFA to take another look at a country breaking its rules.

When we were not dropping points on the pitch, we were dropping the ball in the boardroom, so now we have proven that we can’t play football, and we can’t make a point for ourselves when necessary. This is the worst state I have ever seen the Super Eagles in.

Omojuwa is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/BGX Publishing

The National Hajj Commission is delivering on its mandate, writes KINGSLEY OKOH

RAISING THE BAR FOR HAJJ OPERATIONS As elsewhere in the world, Hajj has evolved as a religious barometer in Nigeria.

Even when they knew that he or she had not made the Hajj, non-Muslims generally refer to a devout Muslim as an Alhaji or Alhaja, a tacit acknowledgement of the person having reached the peak of faith, so to speak.

Hajj has also become a status symbol; it is used as a title for the affluent, even if assumed. Hajj exercise has gone on in Nigeria for decades. The high and the low, the old and the young, the rich and the poor, perform Hajj. Until very recently the Hajj season has evoked nostalgia and expectations. The returning pilgrim was often met with fanfare. The most profound effect is how it reflects on the image of the country and its reputation as a state.

Every year the Hajj exposes the country to the world by the way it has been managed vis-à-vis the global Hajj operations. Moreover, the behaviour of Nigerian pilgrims, itself, is largely a byproduct of the way and manner the Hajj is operated, and reflected the image of the country.

Hajj is one of Nigeria’s earliest institutions. Whole communities were often looking forward for a time and moment of participation and journey to the holy land. The colonial government came to meet it as a religious function, recognized it so and did not interfere with peoples’ acceptance of this religious duty.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is a global phenomenon; Its management involves catering for the pilgrims’ traveling needs, documentation, transportation, accommodation, health and general welfare. Many of the pilgrims are going on Hajj and perhaps traveling out of the country for the first time. Going for a rigorous spiritual matter, and in a more or less different society, the pilgrims need special attention. Significantly, Hajj became an important annual exercise in Nigeria with large Muslim populations participating.

Haj pilgrimage is truly an experience of a time that brings a complete change in the spiritual and behavioural life of Muslims all over the World. It is recorded that the performance of haj completes the five pillars of Islam which attests to the fact that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and Mohammed, then prayers must be established to communicate with Allah to seek his guidance; a purification of wealth to help the poor, observe one month fasting and build your faith in Allah.

To control and manage pilgrims affairs in the country is the National Haj Commission of Nigeria, statutorily appointed to ensure a hitch free haj exercise to Mecca and Medina annually.

All pilgrims are usually expected to make specific payments to cover all expenses and cost, except those sponsored by the states.

The haj commission has disconcerted its critics by showing financial prudence as it returned about N5.3 billion to state

pilgrims welfare board over unprovided services in the 2023 haj exercise.

Speaking at the post haj meeting and strategic dialogue with tour operators in Abuja, the Chairman of the commission, Abdulahi Saleh Usman said the action has restored public confidence, promoted transparency and reaffirmed accountability in the management of haj operations. He said the unspent funds are disbursed to owners in accordance with a universal template which empowers respective pilgrims welfare agencies, boards or their tour operators to process claims.

Again, despite the economic and logistics challenges, the commission under the leadership of Usman delivered on the core mandate of efficient and dignified haj operations.

NAHCON has successfully negotiated with haj official carriers to accept local currency, to curb delay and difficulties in preparation.

Notably, around various incentives provided is the suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) credit and payments of BTA by pilgrims. The policy needed adequate enlightenment of pilgrims, who are not conversant with the payment system. Business Travel Allowance (BTA) is a provision in Nigeria that allows residents to access foreign currency for business related travel expenses abroad, a financial procedure not common amongst a greater percentage of Nigerians.

Undoubtedly, the current economic realities and the impact of exchange rates have affected foreign trade as well as private foreign trips, including religious conferences and pilgrimage.

One of the elemental achievements of the commission is the expansion of the haj savings scheme, which allows intending pilgrims to save gradually over time, making it a lot more easier to sort out pilgrims expenses.

The scheme is seen as remarkable in the face of prevalent high cost of living, and numerous challenges associated with global economic crisis.Haj reforms by the agency includes a negotiation in the cost of payment for services, of airlines, hotel accommodation, etc, to reduce the burden of expenses on pilgrims.

Okoh writes from Abuja

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T H I S D AY

EDITORIAL

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

I

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

STATES AND THE DEBT BURDEN The states should be prudent with their resources

n spite of substantial increase in revenue from Abuja in recent months, most of the 36 states are groaning in debts. Thirty one states are indebted to the tune of N2.57trn in domestic borrowing. According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), 10 states increased their debt burden by a worrying N418bn margin within a year. These include Rivers, Enugu, Niger, Taraba, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Edo, Kwara, and Nasarawa States. Only five states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), managed to stay above the crippling debt obligations.

The 2018 introduction of the World Bank-assisted States Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Programme (SFTAS) was to nudge sub-national governments into imbibing fiscal transparency and tame their appetite for indiscriminate borrowing. Unfortunately, the programme has not helped. The statistics paint a disturbing signal that just as the government at the centre goes on a borrowing binge, the states are also neckdeep in debt accumulation.

Ironically, the surge in borrowing comes amid increase in federal allocations, due largely to improved oil earnings, exchange rate adjustments, and the removal of petrol subsidies. But while borrowing is a legitimate tool for financing critical infrastructural projects, our experience has shown repeatedly that the money borrowed is hardly put to good use, as much is frittered on unproductive projects. Indeed, these debts being incurred for future generations of Nigerians are expended on projects that bring little or no returns on investment. Some are abandoned outright. Much of the debts therefore end up more or less in straining local economies, as most resources are diverted to debt servicing.

The situation is worsened by hefty external debts, as many states also spend huge amounts in servicing them. According to the National Bu-

reau of Statistics (NBS), the states collectively spent about N236bn in servicing external debt obligations in the first half of 2025. Lagos State alone spent about N50bn in the first six months of the year in debt servicing.

Thus, despite the so-called ‘boom’ in the states as a result of increased revenue from the centre, many are experiencing fiscal stress and finding it difficult in meeting their recurrent expenditures. Indeed, some states are not only owing backlog of workers’ salaries and pensions, but they are also yet to implement the National Minimum Wage of N70,000. This is despite the stagflation in the land which has pushed the cost of goods and services beyond the reach of majority of Nigerians.

Regrettably, despite the misery at their doorsteps, many of the governors are yet to adjust to the prevailing realities as they continue to indulge in ostentatious lifestyles and investing scarce public funds on frivolities. They still funnel public funds to political activities while the burial and wedding ceremonies of family members of top public officers are turned into carnivals at huge cost.

While the humongous debts hang precariously on the neck of these states, some of them are also moving to borrow more. We believe that the current challenge does not call for more borrowing, but rather creative resource management and potent revenue generation drive.

The situation calls for a serious re-think of the fundamental assumption of our fiscal arrangements. The states must learn to be transparent and accountable. The feeding bottle mentality must begin to give way to a better public finance management system anchored on result-oriented revenue generation mechanism. They must raise their revenue base, and get their priorities right. In addition, they should do more to attract foreign investments as the FCT and Lagos State are doing.

These debts being incurred for future generations of Nigerians are expended on projects that bring little or no returns on investment T H I S D AY

EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

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

LETTERS NCC AND THE FUTURE OF TELCOM

In today’s digital age, telecommunications is no longer a luxury—it is the backbone of social interaction, business, and national development. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is the agency tasked with regulating this vital sector. Established in 1992, the NCC has overseen one of the most remarkable transformations in Nigeria’s economic history: the transition from limited landline services to a booming mobile and broadband market.

When mobile telephony was first introduced in 2001, few could have imagined the scale of growth that would follow. Today, Nigeria has over 200 million active mobile subscribers, making it the largest telecoms market in Africa. This rapid expansion has been driven by private investment, innovation, and regulation by the NCC. The agency’s licensing of operators, spectrum allocation, and

enforcement of standards have helped shape the industry into a competitive and vibrant space.

The impact of this growth on the Nigerian economy cannot be overstated. The telecoms sector contributes over 12% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing jobs, attracting foreign investment, and enabling new industries such as fintech, e-commerce, and digital media. Many credit the NCC with providing the regulatory environment that has allowed this transformation to happen.

However, the commission faces growing challenges.

Poor network quality, frequent call drops, and slow internet speeds remain major complaints among subscribers.

While telecom companies often cite power shortages, vandalism, and high operating costs as obstacles, Nigerians continue to demand better services. As the regula-

tor, the NCC is frequently called upon to enforce stricter quality standards and hold operators accountable.

Another pressing issue is affordability. Although mobile penetration is high, millions of Nigerians—especially in rural areas—still struggle to access affordable data and reliable connectivity. The “digital divide” between urban and rural communities remains wide, raising questions about inclusivity in Nigeria’s digital transformation. The NCC has launched initiatives to expand broadband access, but progress has been uneven.

Cybersecurity and data privacy are also rising concerns.

With the increasing use of mobile banking, online shopping, and digital communications, Nigerians are more exposed to cybercrime.

Timothy Ali Samuel, Dept of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri

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T H I S D AY • FRIday SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

Politics

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com 08033025611 sms only

Akwa Ibom: Looming Face-off Between Gov Eno and Predecessor, Emmanuel

Etim Etim in this piece wonders if the acts and utterances of the supporters and aides of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, will not bring a wedge between the two political gladiators ahead of the 2027 general elections in the state.

T

he visit of former Governor Udom Emmanuel to Akwa Ibom State last Wednesday has triggered spirited discussions in some quarters, particularly because some appointees of Governor Umo Eno went to the airport to receive the former governor. Eno defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in June, 2025, but his predecessor has remained in the PDP. Since then, there have been speculations about the relationship between the two men, with many claiming that all is not well between them. So, when Udom Emmanuel arrived Uyo in a chartered flight and was met at the airport by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Kufre Edidem; some of the governor’s appointees (all of whom had defected with the governor), and a crowd of PDP supporters singing and waving their party’s flags, many APC members were astounded, with many raising questions, speculations, innuendoes and rumours since Wednesday.

When he arrived his country home in Onna local government area, some 40 minutes drive from the airport, the former governor met a larger crowd of supporters singing, dancing and drumming. But he told them that he was not in the state for politics; and that he came for the funeral of his cousin; and to that extent he would not make any political statement.

It should be stressed that long before Eno defected to APC, his appointees were in the habit of going to the airport to receive the former governor whenever he visited the state. But now, some APC members are against that, even though the governor has no qualms with it.

On Thursday, a Media Assistant to Senator Akpabio forwarded a photograph of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Documentation, Essien Ndueso, posing with the former governor at the airport to me and wrote: ‘’Essien Ndueso, daring Governor Eno?’’.

I responded immediately: ‘’He is not daring the governor. We are no longer in the era of political differences being the cause of enmity.

After all, the PDP State Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, and many other PDP members were in the country home of the Senate President the other day to attend a meeting. Did anybody raise alarm?’’. The matter ended.

But on Saturday morning, another media assistant to the Senate President, Anietie Ekong, posted a lengthy article on Facebook, warning that Governor Eno’s staff who were at the airport to receive the former governor might be playing a cloak and dagger political game. He wrote: ‘’What I found most disturbing and concerning are the appointees of Governor Umo Eno who trooped out to welcome their former boss and rubbed it on our faces where their allegiance and loyalty stand. They stumbled over themselves to take selfies with the former governor and without qualms, splashed (the photographs) in our faces in the social media; their bodies may be with Governor Eno, but their hearts are with Mr Udom Emmanuel’’.

He continued: ‘’Truth is some of the governor’s present set of appointees may have claimed to follow the governor to APC, but their hearts are not with him. They are disgruntled. Some of them are just hanging in there waiting for the right time to strike. If you want to know them, go back and take a look at those who sang along with PDP supporters in the name of going to receive former Governor Udom Emmanuel’’.

These are very weighty allegations, and coming from a senior official of the Senate President’s, I took more than a passing interest in them.

For one, the writer is not known to be flippant and the fact that two of the Senate President’s staffers are leading the debate, makes it all the more intriguing.

I responded by stating that the presence of the governor’s aides at the airport does not necessarily amount to disloyalty to the governor, in

my view. Rather, it is in consonance with Eno’s brand of politics which he terms ‘’Akwa Ibom United’’. This means our political differences should not make us enemies.

But is it possible for a senior government official to have gone to the airport to receive the former governor without the governor’s

approval? I reached out to the governor and a long exchange ensued. Excerpts: Me: Good day Sir. Your predecessor arrived Uyo the other day, and some of your officials went to the airport to receive him. But some APC members seem uncomfortable with that.

They think that your officials are disloyal. In

fact, I have just read an article written by…

-Etim writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom state NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Mbah’s Stand Out Performance and Place of Opposition in Enugu

Ifeanyichukwu Ajah writes that with the rating of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as one of the nation’s governors that stand out in performance, the door may have been shut against the opposition in the Coal City State ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial poll.

I

n Enugu State, the footprints of genius in the giant strides recorded by the administration of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah in the last two years have become evident to national and global audience. Visitors to the state have been mouthing profuse words of commendation and amplification of the huge multi-sectorial accomplishments of the governor.

Although residents and citizens of the state have long become conversant with the myriad of impactful programmes and projects that now dot the entire length and breadth of Enugu State, the confirmation and recognition by various high-profile visitors have shown the extent good governance can go in determining the direction of politics in a democracy.

The Nigeria Guild of Editors, the elite union of senior Nigerian journalists held their annual conference in the state and extolled Governor Mbah’s unique mandate delivery and leadership acumen. But, signs that the governor’s mesmerising record of achievements has become a subject of national contemplation emerged when the governor rolled out three Embraer Aircrafts to signal the entrance of Enugu Air into the aviation industry.

It was not the fact that Governor Mbah unveiled his signature pathway to recalibrating Enugu State’s economy from a mere $3billion to an ambitious $40billion economy that was the gist. What made headlines was that the unveiling of the state-owned airline gave vent

for the world to rate Governor Mbah as being head and shoulders above his peers in terms of performance, status of project conception and implementation.

The verdict was clear and loud: Governor Mbah of Enugu State is unarguably the best among the crop of current state governors! Announcing that indubitable result was no less a personality than Festus Keyamo, who is not only a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), but also the wave-making Aviation Minister in the Federal Cabinet.

Keyamo’s observation and declaration cut

across governance and petty political considerations in accuracy and objectivity. While hailing the Enugu State governor “as one of the best-performing governors in the country,” the Aviation Minister noted that his verdict was despite the fact that the governor belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Keyamo declared: “I want to mirror what the President said when he visited the other day to commission projects. Dr Peter Mbah, you’re in PDP, but we are scared of you. The way you are going, we don’t know what will happen, and we don’t know how to drop a scheme to defeat you, but we will be planning.

“Beyond party lines, we should not be afraid to say it. You have a progressive spirit, you have done well for Enugu State and you are one of the best performing governors.”

Back in Enugu State, we know that what the President and the members of his cabinet said was without prejudice to the fact that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a state chapter that contributed a member to the federal cabinet. But the truth-telling was not calculated or intended to offend; it was merely saying it as it is, not minding whose ox is gored.

-Dr Ajah writes from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

24

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

IN THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE IN THE LAGOS JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT LAGOS SWORN AFFIDAVIT OF DECLARATION AND CLARIFICATION OF FACTS I, AMB. (DR.) MRS. ADEDOYIN ROSALINE AMANGBO, Females Christian, Nigerian of 135A, Eti-Osa Way, Dolphin Estat Lagos Nigeria do hereby state on oath as follows.

1. That I am the above-named person and accredited representative of PI International Royal Diplomatic C Of the United Nations, EU Republic of Lithuania and uNter Africa and the Deputy Head of Mission in Nigeria and Africa.

2. That my attention was drawn to a newspaper publication in online Platform of The Guardian Newspaper dated 14th of August, 2025 written by one ‘Sola Akinsanmi with a caption, ‘AMB. AMAFIBE RECEIVES DIPLOMATIC ELITE MEMBERSHIP OF UN” asserting that the said Amb. Amafibe has been “handed the membership of the International Royal Diplomatic club of the United Nations (IRDCUN) by the Nigerian Chapter of the “International organization. The said publication went on to assert that “A membership letter signed by the IRDCUN Protocol Director, Mr. Mustapha Idowu, said Amb. Amafibe is now entitled to all the rights and privileges of the United Nations” and further that,” He also received other insignia of the organization, including its identity card, customized number plate and others.”

3. That I hereby state on record that I know absolutely nothing about the alleged nomination or appointment of Mr. Amafibe as an Ambassador of International Royal Diplomatic club of the United Nations (IRDCUN) or any organization whatsoever and has nothing whatsoever to do or in connection with the granting of any rights, privileges and /or benefit to the said individual.

4. That I also have nothing to do with or in connection with such publication in The Guardian Newspaper dated 14th of August, 2025 and the said appointment or nomination did not emanate from me or my office at any time or in any way whatsoever and howsoever and that I am not aware of or have any contact, relationship, discussion or dealings whatsoever with the said Mr. Amafibe in respect of any appointment or nomination. I was not even present or aware or informed of the event where he was nominated or awarded the alleged ambassadorial position.

5. That I was only informed between the 3rd and 4th of September, 2025 by my Boss Amb. (Dr.) Jonathan Daniel Ojadah that Mr. Amafibe has been appointed as an ambassador of the United Nations International for Peace and Governing Council, Africa with full rights and privileges as a member of UNIPGC and not as a member of International Royal Diplomatic club of the United Nations (IRDCUN) • I was never aware of such nomination and appointment nor informed of his appointment prior to 3rd of September and I was never present or participated or involved in the planning and organization of the event where he was appointed.

6. That I have instructed my solicitors to legally take up everything connected with and/or incidental to the said publication with The Guardian Newspaper with a view to unraveling the source of the said malicious and false publication and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

7. That I have never done and will never do anything or engage in any activities that will bring the International Royal Diplomatic club of the United Nations (IRDCUN) or any organization to disrepute or involve, engage, participate in any nomination or appointment without the express written consent of International Royal Diplomatic club of the United Nations (IRDCUN)• 8. That I depose to this affidavit in good faith, consciously believing the same to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Law of Lagos State.

Amb. Dr. Rosaline Adedoyin Amangbo Sworn to at the High Court of Lagos State, This 0 9 / 0 9 / 2 day 5 of September, 2025.

DEPONENT

25

T H I S D AY • FRIday, September 12, 2025

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S

MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

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

08056356325, 07034471123

S e p te m b er

S & P INDEX

1 1 , 2 0 2 5

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

25.34%

CALL

23.25%

INDEX LEVEL

595.26

1/4 to daTE

0.24%

N1,526,27/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

25.18%

1-MONTH

21.37%

1-DAY

0.10%

YEAR TO DATE

-10.99%

*AS AT THUR, September 11, 2025

3-MONTH

22.41%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.24%

Experts Identify Key Reasons Why Nations Adopt Stringent Visa Policies against Nigeria Chinedu Eze

Countries are increasingly introducing strict visa policies against Nigeria, targeted mostly at the male travellers.

In a recent Qatar Visa Policy changes for Nigeria, the Middle East nation said that Qatar Ministry of Interior has announced updated visa regulations

for Nigerian travellers, following the recent cases of overstays.

It said that confirmed return transfer must now be booked alongside a Nigerian traveller’s hotel before tourist or transit visa can be processed for male travellers.

“There will be restricted eligibility that only females or families may apply. Male

travellers are no longer eligible; unless accompanied by his family. On hotel requirements, only five-star hotels are now accepted for visa qualification.

Also, these requirements apply to all pending visa approvals,” it said.

Some months ago, the United Arab Emirates adjusted its visa policy directed at Nigerians

and introduced more stringent conditions to restrict more Nigerians from being eligible to access their visa. Also, since July 8, 2025, the US implemented a reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians, limiting most non-immigrant visas to a single entry and a three-month validity period.

THISDAY spoke to Deputy Controller of Immigration who retired recently, on why many countries have introduced stricter visa policy against Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria is regarded as a pariah nation, known globally for corruption and now a mockery of its old self.

He said Canadian

government recently denied a Nigerian who worked as policeman in Nigeria asylum. “He applied for a review of the visa decision and during the review it was directed that he should be deported in the next four days. He was accused of promoting corruption in Nigeria.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

NIMET STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT…

L-R: Director of Air Service Control, Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), Mr. John Tayo; MD/CEO, Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, Mahmud Mohammed; Pastor Femi Bejide of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA); MD/CEO, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt. Alex Badeh Jnr.; Representative of World Meteorological Organization (WMO),Bernard Edward Gomez; DG/ CEO, NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike;SA to the President on Humanitarian Affairs & Development Partner, Inna B. Audu and Director of Observation System, Morocco, Nouni Nabil, during a two-day Stakeholders’ Engagement in Island, Lagos… recently Photo: KOLAWOLE ALLI

NCMDLCA: Proposed Increase of Customs Agents License Fee Contravenes International Best Practice Eromosele Abiodun

Licensed customs agents in the country have called on the federal government to halt the plan by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to increase clearing agents License fee.

The planned increase, they said, contravenes international best practice on registration, renewal and other professional licenses in the country.

In a petition addressed to President Bola Tinubu, seen by THISDAY, the agents urged the federal government to take Ghana as example where its parliament consolidated all fees and charges levied

by Ministries, Department and Agencies.

National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella

body of customs agents in Nigeria, Lucky Amiwero, who signed the petition said: “The Registration represent new license that is one hundred Ghana Cedis (100.00 GHc) while Customs House Agent Licensing(Renewal) is Seventy Ghana Cedis(70.00 GHc), the Customs House Agents(CHA) of Ghana is similar to the Licensed Customs Agents in Nigeria, while Nigeria Customs

levied N200,000 for yearly renewal of Custom Agent License. The practitioner operating customs agents license in Nigeria, is currently overburdened with outrageous fees of N200,000 yearly renewal, with additional N15000, for each Customs Area Command. On the regional and international front, Ghana’s’ Practitioners Operating License Fees is 100 GHc, and 70 GHc is

for renewal, approved by the Parliament of Ghana, “The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is N25000, renewal fees. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria is N40,000 and N20,000, renewal fees depending on the years of experience, Nigerian Bar Association is N50,000, N25000, N17000, N10,000 and N5000 respectively depending of year of call.

“The customs agents license fees and the bond are for procedural and process performance, is not tied to revenue but performance, that is the ability to classify harmonised system, rule of origin, interpret trade policy and treat valuation agreement, trade agreement, protocols, treaties etc and apply it on procedure and process.”

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

M a r k e t d ata A s at T h u r s d ay, S e p t e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 2 5

BONDS

Description Price Yield Change Updated Time (%) ^16.2884 17September 98.79 17.22 -0.36 11, 2025 MAR-2027 September ^19.94 200.00 11, 103.72 17.05 2025 MAR-2027 ^13.98 23September 94.18 16.97 -0.19 FEB-2028 11, 2025 ^21.00 20September 108.03 16.95 -0.21 MAR-2028 11, 2025 ^14.55 26September 106.86 16.67 -0.09 11, APR-2029 2025

BILLS Maturity NTB 9-Oct25 NTB 6-Nov25 NTB 4-Dec25 NTB 8-Jan26 NTB 5-Feb26

Discount Yield

Change (%) Updated Time

16.63

16.84

September -0.01 11, 2025

16.83

17.28

September 0.00 11, 2025

17.03

17.72

September -0.01 11, 2025

17.39

18.44

September 0.13 11, 2025

18.79

September -0.01 11, 2025

17.47

CLEARED NAIRA-SETTLED NDFS

CPs Maturity SALC CP II 3-OCT-25 LFZC CP X 16-SEP-25 SIBP CP I 11DEC-25 CILE CP V 11-DEC-25 EULL CP IX 18-JAN-26

Discount Yield 21.10

21.37

21.05

21.11

19.39

20.37

22.95

24.34

20.20

21.74

Change (%)

Updated Time

September 0.00 11, 2025 September 0.00 11, 2025 September 0.00 11, 2025 September -0.01 11, 2025 September 0.05 11, 2025

Contract Current Tenor Contract Rate ($/₦) (Month) NGUS SEP 13M – 30 2026 NGUS OCT 14M – 28 2026 NGUS NOV 15M – 25 2026 NGUS DEC 16M – 30 2026 NGUS JAN 17M – 27 2027

Updated Time

September 11, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 11, 2025

26

FRIday, September 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

Air watch

NPA Consolidates Automation Drive, Deploys Electronic Barrier System Across Terminals

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and improve traffic management within the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), under the leadership of Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has successfully implements the installation of Electronic Barrier Systems at all Terminal access points within the Port.

The initiative, it said in a statement, follows extensive consultations with key Stakeholders aimed at addressing the persistent issue of unauthorized truck diversions, which have adversely impacted Terminal efficiency, traffic flow, and overall Port productivity.

“To ensure seamless coordination and transparency in

truck movements, the Electronic Barriers have been fully integrated with the Eto Electronic Call-Up System, managed by Messrs.

Trucks Transit Parks Ltd (TTP).

This integration guarantees that only trucks with valid Eto-issued call-up tickets are granted access to Terminal facilities, thereby eliminating unauthorized entries and enhancing gate control operations.

“We are pleased to announce that as of Monday, 1st September 2025, all Terminals within the Lagos Port Complex will commence full live operations using the Integrated Electronic Barrier System.

This milestone represents a significant advancement in the Authority’s drive for enhanced automation and modernization

of port infrastructure in Nigeria and reflects the Authority’s commitment to: • Supporting the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business Agenda • Promoting transparency and accountability • Enhancing Port operational efficiency • Strengthening truck traffic management “The Nigerian Ports Authority appreciates the cooperation of all stakeholders throughout the processes preceding this development and remains committed to deploying innovative solutions that improve service delivery and foster a more efficient, secure, and a business-friendly port environment.”

Omosehin to Speak at ChinetAviacargo Confab Stories by Chinedu Eze The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Omosehin, will headline the Insurance Session at the 5th ChinetAviacargo Conference, scheduled to take place on September 16th, 2025, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

This year’s conference, themed: “How e-Commerce is Shaping the Future of Logistics in Africa’, will bring together top stakeholders across aviation, insurance, logistics, and trade.

The commissioner will speak on the topic: “Emerging Synergy

Between Insurance and Aviation,” a session designed to spotlight how insurance can drive growth, resilience, and sustainability within Nigeria’s aviation and cargo ecosystem.

The Insurance Session, which has been a consistent highlight since the inception of Chinet, will also feature other top industry leaders, including Chief BabajideOlatunde-Agbeja, Chairman of Boff& Company Insurance Brokers Ltd, who will serve as session moderator, and Mrs. Bimbo Onakomaiya, MD of Peakthrust Insurance

Brokers Ltd and President of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) and Mr. Kunle Ahmed, Chairman of the Nigerian Insurance Association.

Highlighting the importance of the session, the organisers noted that aviation and insurance are intricately linked sectors: while aviation relies on insurance to mitigate risks and ensure smooth operations, the insurance industry in turn benefits from aviation’s growth to expand its portfolio and impact on the economy.

Air Peace Launches Customer Service Product

Major Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, has launched a new service product for its esteemed passengers, a bespoke Customer Experience Representative (CXR) initiative across its domestic network.

The development reflects the airline’s commitment to elevating service delivery through personalised, and human-centered engagement.

The Customer Experience Representatives (CXR) are specially trained individuals who will serve as dedicated travel chaperones for select passengers: Business Class and loyalty programme members across all domestic stations.

Representatives will be committed to providing hands-on personalised assistance from the moment of booking to the final destination. The representatives

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Deputy Business Editor Chinedu Eze Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Asst. Editor, Energy Emmanuel Addeh Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Correspondents KayodeTokede(CapitalMarkets) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Reporter Peter Uzoho (Energy)

will be the passengers’ go-to support in the following ways: to initiate personal courtesy calls to introduce themselves, and guide passengers on travel procedures before flight departures. to receive and support passengers in navigating the check-in and boarding processes at the airport and to proactively communicate updates or changes to passengers’ itineraries, attend to their concerns, and escalate matters when necessary to resolve issues swiftly.

CXRs will further offer thoughtful touches like refreshment assistance and entertainment guidance embodying the warmth, efficiency,

and professionalism that define the Air Peace brand.

The new service complements a growing suite of travel support innovations introduced by the airline over the past few years.

From flexible payment options through Pay Small, Small for flight tickets, to robust travel insurance packages, and hospitality and mobility partnerships that ease door-to-door connections, Air Peace continues to lead in curating holistic travel experiences for the Nigerian flying public and beyond, raising the bar in championing not just safe and reliable flights, but deeply personalised service for the modern-day traveller.

SUPERDA Appoints Adam Senior Advisor for African Region In response to the policies of the federal government aimed at encouraging private sector participation in the aviation industry, Italy-based Superba Consulting has opened office in Nigeria for the African region and has appointed Nuhu Adam as its Senior Advisor-Aircraft Acquisition, Sales and Management.

The company said, Adam is bridge between continents in the world of aviation and strategic infrastructure.

Adam joins SUPERBA with over two decades of experience in aviation, logistics and public affairs, diplomacy between Africa and Europe.

A seasoned professional with a career spanning across major institutions such as Intel Nigeria Ltd, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Travelinn Ltd, and the Federal

Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)—where he led regional projects funded by the World Bank—Nuhu Adam joined Superba Consulting in 2025 as Senior Advisor for Africa.

His collaboration with Superba’s founder and CEO, Gianni Riccardi, has deep roots. Together, they have successfully managed complex operations in the offshore oil & gas sector, including logistics for oil platforms, private jet acquisition and management, and advisory on the development of helipads and private airports in highcomplexity environments such as Nigeria, Angola, and Mozambique. Notably, in Mozambique, their efforts supported the development of one of the most important natural gas fields.

A i r Watch NCAA’s New Directive for Unruly Passengers

Chinedu Eze It was a relief when the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) met with airlines that operate in the country on Wednesday in Abuja and directed them to stop carrying any passenger that exhibits unruly behaviour.

The regulatory authority said the directive would strengthen safety and discipline in the aviation sector.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who announced the directive, said pilots would only be allowed to fly after the issues are resolved amicably or the unruly passengers are removed by security from the aircraft.

According to him, “Pilots must not fly plane until unruly passengers are removed from the aircraft by security or the issue resolved amicably. This will go a long way to protect cabin crew and make passengers treat them with courtesy.”

Achimugu added that cases in the past were overblown because the pilots in command did not take charge of the situation.

“Going forward, no passenger has right to touch any cabin crew. Cabin crew should not be rude and passengers should not misconstrue firmness of cabin crew as rudeness,” he further said.

NCAA directed airlines to disembark unruly passengers before take-off, but if the incident happened when the aircraft is airborne, the pilot in command will call security who would be waiting for the aircraft to park and when the aircraft is parked the Aviation Security will be the first to enter the aircraft and pick up the unruly passenger before the disembarkation of other passengers.

The NCAA’s directive could be a cheering news, but it would eventually come down to the personality involved because many say that in Nigeria, the law is not applied equally to everyone. But the directive will serve as a relief because it was learnt that many in the industry were disappointed that after the three major cases of unruly behaviour, which started in June this year, no decisive decision was taken on how to deter passengers from exhibiting unruly behaviour at the airports.

It is said that aviation is one of the most regulated industry in the world, where airline operations are controlled by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) annexes, as domesticated by individual countries. It has become obvious that with strict regulation, as enunciated by ICAO and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, it is easier to manage the airlines than it is to

manage the passengers by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

In the last four months, there were three major incidents in Nigeria’s aviation industry involving unruly passenger behaviour, which industry observers alleged were mishandled by the regulatory authority. One was Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s incident with Air Peace, where the Senator disrupted the airline’s operations. The second was the incident involving Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as Kwam 1, who wanted to stop aircraft from taking off and the third was the incident involving Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Air, where Emmanson slapped cabin crew officials.

It could be said that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development intervened in these incidents to calm tempers and to ensure that there was no further disruption of activities in aviation and the system was not overheated, but NCAA did not come out with any pronouncement aimed at guiding passengers to desist from such behaviour in future. So, there was no lesson learned. In fact, two more incidents also happened, involving Enugu Air. In one of the incidents, the pilot in command threatened to return the aircraft to the terminal if the passenger involved did not switch off her phone. The second incident involved a male passenger who refused to switch off his phone and who had to be literally yanked off the flight.

These two incidents followed Emmanson’s scenario and industry observers said NCAA did do not come out with any deterrent measures against passengers who exhibited any act of misconduct at the airport while travelling and that was why the misbehaviour continued.

NCAA did not make any concrete statement on Senator Oshiomhole incident.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, commented on his X (twitter) account remarking that airline procedures were based on global aviation regulations and explained that arriving at the airport shortly before departure time was not acceptable, no matter one’s status.

On ValueJet Airline and Kwam 1 incident, The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate and prosecute renowned Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, over his conduct at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

27

T H I S D AY • FRIday, September 12, 2025

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

From Fuel Dependency to Energy Independence: The EV Opportunity for Nigeria

Convener, EV Nigeria EXPO, Abiola Adekoyejo

Abiola Adekoyejo

A Catalyst Disguised as Crisis

N

igeria stands at a pivotal crossroads, not just economically, but ideologically. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 caused significant hardship across households and industries. Over two years later, while Nigerians have adjusted to new fuel prices, the broader ripple effects, especially on food costs and commerce continue to bite. Yet within this disruption lies an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to redefine Nigeria’s mobility future, reclaim our economic sovereignty, and accelerate industrial transformation through electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

The fuel subsidy removal, while necessary laid bare the structural vulnerabilities of Nigeria’s oil-dependent transport system.

Fuel prices have pushed households and businesses into survival mode. Everyone is feeling the heat.

But this pain reveals a deeper truth: the fossil-fuel status quo is no longer tenable.

In its place, a new path is emerging, one that aligns economic resilience with sustainability, job creation, and energy independence.

More Than a Trend

EVs are not just cleaner vehicles, they represent a strategic response to the core economic challenges Nigeria faces.

• For consumers, EVs offer long term savings as fuel costs climb.

• For cities like Lagos and Abuja, they promise reduced pollution and lower healthcare costs.

• For the nation, they offer a way to cut reliance on imported petroleum, save foreign exchange, and meet our climate commitments.

EV adoption also directly supports Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, particularly the goal of reducing transport sector emissions and increasing energy efficiency across major cities.

It is also important to recognise that the environmental benefits of EVs depend heavily on the energy mix powering

them. Without increasing renewable generation on the national grid, we risk shifting emissions from tailpipes to smokestacks. EV deployment must go hand-in-hand with Nigeria’s renewable energy strategy, ensuring that as we electrify transport, we also decarbonise our electricity supply.

Driving Industrial Growth and Innovation

Electric mobility can unlock entirely new industries. Local EV assembly, battery production, and component manufacturing can create thousands of jobs across sectors. Grid infrastructure upgrades, charging stations, software platforms, and maintenance hubs represent further opportunities for economic stimulation.

Nigeria can position itself as a regional hub for electric mobility through technology transfer and regional export under AfCFTA. This shift will generate employment across construction, tech, and engineering while creating demand for logistics, financial services, insurance, and software development.

Powering Small Businesses and the Informal Economy

Nigeria’s EV transition is not just a macroeconomic opportunity, it has the potential to transform livelihoods at the grassroots level.

Small businesses, informal transport operators, and everyday entrepreneurs stand to gain significantly from this shift. For many who rely on fuel intensive operations, from delivery riders and keke drivers to market traders using logistics bikes, the cost of fuel is a daily burden. EVs offer a path to lower operational costs, greater stability, and ultimately, increased profit margins.

The recent VAT legislation, while postponed until 2026 has already signaled a shift in public sentiment.

This “mini black swan” moment is nudging more consumers toward EVs, recognising that fuel costs will likely

remain volatile and policy sensitive.

New micro business models will emerge: • Mobile charging stations in underserved areas • Battery swapping vendors • EV repair technicians and parts resellers • Local charging hubs hosted by fuel station owners or land-leasers These hubs, especially if designed as informal, multi-use “charge and wait” spaces with food vendors, retail stalls, and rest areas could drive local economic activity and become new sources of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for local governments and state authorities.

More importantly, digital finance, leasing, and asset ownership models tied to EVs can bring more people into the formal financial system enabling credit histories, mobile payments, and micro-insurance.

This is not just a green revolution. It’s a livelihood shift waiting to happen, if we design for inclusion from the start.

Strategic Role of Stakeholders

The government must lead with decisive policy: Incentives for EV import and assembly, public procurement mandates, and infrastructure planning that treats charging stations as essential public assets.

This includes both public and private charging networks. Public infrastructure such as government funded highway charging corridors provides national reach and access equity. Meanwhile, private infrastructure deployed by businesses, real estate developers, and fleet operators enables rapid scaling through innovation and market responsiveness. Policies must distinguish between the two, offering tailored incentives and standards.

Local governments also have a key role to play, from allocating land for charging sites to piloting EV-only zones in high-density corridors.

Investors should act early to unlock first-mover advantages in an emerging sector. To support this, new financing

pathways must emerge including bankable green investment instruments, blended finance models, and carbon credit-backed projects. These tools will be essential to bridge affordability gaps while supporting infrastructure buildout at scale.

The private sector has critical roles to play: Energy companies must ensure power reliability; telcos can enable fleet tech solutions; financiers must innovate around ownership models.

And most importantly, consumers must be educated, engaged, and empowered.

When Nigerians experience EVs directly from price savings to smoother rides, demand will rise and innovation will follow.

A Platform for Transformation: EV Nigeria Expo 2025

This is why EV Nigeria Expo 2025 exists.

More than a conference, it’s an ignition point. Held November 13th and 14th at Balmoral Event Centre, EVN Expo is where vision meets execution, a space where: • Policymakers launch frameworks and incentives • Manufacturers showcase products to real users • Consumers test, compare, and understand options • Financiers offer tailored purchase solutions • Fleet operators and public stakeholders find implementation partners EVN Expo bridges the gap between early adoption and mainstream movement.

With zones for test drives, live demos, and financing support, we welcome stakeholders ready to co-create this future and build the blueprint for Nigeria’s clean mobility transformation.

But we must act!

We must build now, not later. Invest now, not after others lead. And commit now, not just in policy, but in partnerships.

EV Nigeria Expo 2025 is where this shift begins. Join us in shaping the future of Nigerian transportation.

The time to participate is now.

• Abiola Adekoyejo, the Convener, EV Nigeria Expo wrote from Lagos

28

FRIday, September 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

news

Agama: ISSB-Aligned Disclosures Will Lower Capital Costs, Attract Global Investors KayodeTokede

The Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, yesterday unveiled plans to drive the adoption of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) disclosure frameworks in Nigeria.

He asserted that alignment with the global standards will strengthen market transparency, reduce information risk, and attract international capital flows into the country’s capital markets.

Speaking on the sidelines of a panel session on IFRS S1 and S2 standards, Agama said the commission is committed

to positioning Nigeria’s capital market in line with the global baseline set by the ISSB, which operates under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation.

He noted that this move is critical for building investor confidence, lowering the cost of capital for issuers, and making Nigerian securities more attractive to global institutional investors and development finance institutions (DFIs).

Agama explained that as a member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), the SEC has been actively engaged in international policy discussions and is part of the ISSB Standards Adoption Readiness Work Group (ARWG) that developed Nigeria’s roadmap

for implementation.

This roadmap outlines a phased approach that begins with voluntary adoption by early adopters and large public interest entities (PIEs) before transitioning to mandatory adoption from 2027 for significant PIEs, 2028 for other PIEs, and 2030 for small and medium enterprises.

According to him, the new sustainability disclosure regime is designed to give investors clear, comparable, and decision-useful information about how companies manage risk, build cash flow resilience, and execute transition strategies.

Such disclosures, he stressed, will help lower perceived risks, reduce borrowing costs, and increase access to a wider pool of global capital.

FG, Estonian Stakeholders Set to Unveil $400m Agric Initiative in LGAs Arthur Eriye

The federal government, in collaboration with stakeholder groups from Nigeria and Estonia, has finalised plans to raise $400 million in capital funding from Europe to create agricultural commodity value chain projects and data hubs throughout all local governments in Nigeria.

The official l signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Tallinn, Estonia, on September 24.

According to agricultural commodity and rice expert, Dr. Kenechukwu Aloefuna, one of the facilitators of the project, the agreement is tagged: “AGRIC Aid Volunteer Scheme and the Integrated Climate Resilient Innovation Project for Empowering Smallholders, Advancing Sustainability, Integrating Food, Energy and Water Security for Resilient Communities.”

Companies acting on behalf of the Nigerian Government in this initiative comprise the Agricultural Commodity

Value Chain Expansion Project (ACVEP) Limited, First Values360Ventures Limited, along with pertinent federal agencies. Their Estonian partners consist of Values360Ventures OU, Lanmer OU, and Organic New Earth.

This initiative aimed at fortifying food systems, encourage climate-resilient agricultural practices, and improve access to data-driven solutions for smallholder farmers throughout Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

IJEOMA UCHE KPMG Tower, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2020 CREDITOR’S VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR OF SANOFI-AVENTIS NIGERIA LIMITED (RC:351950) [Pursuant to section 654 (1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020]

The Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420, Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja

I, Ijeoma Uche of KPMG Advisory Services, KPMG Tower, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos hereby give notice that I have been appointed Liquidator of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited by virtue of an Ordinary Resolution of the Company and the Creditors passed on the 10th day of September 2025.

WRITTEN RESOLUTION OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF SANOFI-AVENTIS NIGERIA LIMITED Pursuant to Sections 620 - 623, and 259 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, we the Shareholders of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited hereby unanimously adopt the following as resolutions of the Company: 1. Special Resolution to the effect that: 'The affairs of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited be voluntarily wound up by the Creditors, pursuant to the above provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, effective 31st December 2024.

2. Special Resolution to the effect that: 'The books of account of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited shall not be audited and an Auditor's report shall not be required for liquidating the Company pursuant to Section 633(6)(ii) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2020.'

3. An Ordinary Resolution to the effect that: 'Ijeoma Uche of KPMG Advisory Services, KPMG Tower, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos be and is hereby appointed Liquidator to wind up the affairs of the Company.'

WRITTEN RESOLUTION OF THE CREDITORS OF SANOFI-AVENTIS NIGERIA LIMITED Pursuant to Sections 259 and 635 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, we the creditors of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited hereby unanimously adopt the following resolutions: 1. Special Resolution to the effect that: 'The affairs of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited be voluntarily wound up, pursuant to the above provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, effective 31st December 2024.

2. Special Resolution to the effect that: 'The books of account of Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Limited shall not be audited and an Auditor's report shall not be required for liquidating the Company pursuant to Section 633(6)(ii) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2020.'

3. An Ordinary Resolution to the effect that: 'Ijeoma Uche of KPMG Advisory Services, KPMG Tower, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos be and is hereby appointed Liquidator to wind up the affairs of the Company.'

Dated this 10th day of September 2025

Dated this 10th day of September 2025

Gokou Stephane Director

Walaa Mostafa Abbas Sanofi Foreign Participations B.V Shareholder

Agnes Perre Representative of Sanofi Winthrop Industries S.A. Creditor

Thibaut Quintin Representative of Sanofi Pasteur S.A. Creditor

Matthew Farmer Representative of Sanofi Pasteur Inc Creditor

Hao Zheng Representative of Sanofi B.V Creditor

Dated this 11th day of September 2025 Agnes Perre Sanofi Winthrop Industries Shareholder

Ijeoma Uche Liquidator

Hao Zheng Sanofi Foreign Participations B.V Shareholder

Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Ltd JAPAUL House, Plot 8 Dr Nurudeen Olowopopo Avenue, Ikeja Central Business District (CBD), Agidingbi, Lagos.

Tel: 234-1-2710135, 2800994 Fax: 234-1-2713428 www.sanofi.com DIRECTORS: Mostafa Walaa (Egyptian) Gokou Stephan (Ivorian)

Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria Ltd JAPAUL House, Plot 8 Dr Nurudeen Olowopopo Avenue, Ikeja Central Business District (CBD), Agidingbi, Lagos.

Tel: 234-1-2710135, 2800994 Fax: 234-1-2713428 www.sanofi.com DIRECTORS: Mostafa Walaa (Egyptian) Gokou Stephan (Ivorian)

This

Weekend

Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

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

07010510430

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WEEKLy MaGaZiNE UTH

& R E ASO

Governor Dauda Lawal: A New Standard in Leadership

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Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

Cover

Governor Dauda Lawal: A New Standard in Leadership

Governor Dauda Lawal has never hidden the fact that he came into Zamfara with a rescue mission.Today, that mission is visible in new hospitals fitted with modern equipment, schools brought back to life, and civil servants who can finally depend on their salaries. A former banker with a taste for discipline, he has turned governance into a matter of delivery rather than promises. On September 2, he marked his 60th birthday, not as a man slowing down, butasagovernor intentonproving thatZamfara’s storycanbe rewritten. Konye Chelsea Nwabogor reports

W

hen Dauda Lawal talks about Zamfara, he doesn’t sound like a man overwhelmed by crisis; he sounds like someone who has chosen his battlefield. Banditry, poverty, broken institutions! They were the inheritance no one envied when he became governor in 2023. Yet, two years on, Zamfara’s narrative is beginning to shift. Roads are reopening, hospitals are being fitted with CT scan and MRI machines, and civil servants are earning a living wage. And all of this, he insists, without borrowing a kobo. It is a bold claim in a country addicted to debt, but also classic Lawal: part banker’s discipline, part reformer’s stubbornness. The former First Bank executive who once managed billion-naira portfolios has imported that same fiscal prudence into government, insisting that every project launched in Zamfara is fully funded before the first block is laid.

“Let me make it categorically clear, I, Dauda Lawal, Governor of Zamfara State, have not borrowed a single kobo from any financial institution since assuming office, and I remain financially okay. He says in a recent media parley. There’s nothing wrong with borrowing if you have projects to show for it. But I am against borrowing just to steal.”

A Son of Zamfara Dauda Lawal Dare was born on September 2, 1965, in Gusau, Zamfara State. His story is rooted not in privilege, but in grit and hardearned progress. Education became his passport to a wider world: first at Ahmadu Bello University, where he studied political science, then a Master’s in International Relations, and later a PhD in Business Administration from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He didn’t stop there. Short courses at Harvard Business School, Oxford University Business School, and the London School of Economics gave him the polish and exposure that shaped his outlook.

That mix of local grounding and international perspective would later serve him well. First in the diplomatic service, then in banking, and eventually in politics. For Lawal, education was never just about degrees; it was about equipping himself to solve problems bigger than himself.

Banker’s Discipline, Politician’s Resolve Before politics, Lawal’s career unfolded in measured steps. He served in Nigeria’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., first as an assistant consular officer and later as chief protocol officer. But it was banking that defined him. Joining First Bank of Nigeria in 2003, he rose through the ranks to become executive director, public sector (North). Handling high-value portfolios, he became known for discipline, negotiation skills, and a refusal to cut corners.

Governor Lawal

That discipline translated into politics when he decided to run for governor. In 2018, his first attempt ended in defeat at the APC primaries, where he lost to Idris Shehu Mukhtar. For many, that might have been the end of the story. For Lawal, it was only the beginning. He regrouped, switched parties, and in 2023 ran on the PDP platform. Against the combined weight of APC heavyweights — including then-incumbent Bello Matawalle and former governor Abdulaziz Yari — Lawal won.

He often describes the victory as nothing short of divine. “In 2023, weren’t all the big names in APC still there? Yet here I am. That’s the will of God.” That mix of grit and faith remains central to how he governs.

The Rescue Mission From the moment he assumed office, Lawal framed his tenure as a “rescue mission.” It was not rhetoric. What he found shocked him: hospitals where “no human person would allow even an animal to be treated,” he says, schools in ruins, civil servants earning N7,000 a month, debts to exam bodies so high that Zamfara’s children could not sit WAEC or NECO. In December 2023, after touring healthcare facilities across the state, he declared a state of emergency in health. That decision set off a chain of projects. The Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital was rebuilt entirely, equipped with new CT scan and MRI machines — some of the best in the country. Primary health centres were upgraded into general hospitals. Entirely new hospitals were launched in Maradun, Maru, and Kaura Namoda.

Nursing schools in Tsafe and Birnin Magaji were modernised with lecture theatres, hostels, and laboratories, training

a new generation of health professionals.

Education received equal attention. Lawal cleared ₦3.4 billion in WAEC/NECO debts, rehabilitated hundreds of schools, and recruited thousands of teachers. Through the World Banksupported AGILE programme, Zamfara now has mega schools rising across its senatorial districts, with a particular focus on girl-child education.

The civil service, long demoralised, was revived. Salaries were cleared and raised to the new ₦70,000 minimum wage. Workers received a 13th-month salary bonus in December, a symbolic gesture that carried enormous weight in a state where arrears were once the norm.

Urban renewal became another focus. Gusau, the state capital, got its first traffic lights and improved road networks. A four-star hotel and an international airport are under construction, projects designed not just for prestige but to make Zamfara look and feel like part of the 21st century. “We are changing the narrative,” Lawal insists, “and showing our people that Zamfara can be different.”

Security: The Unfinished Battle Still, in Zamfara, every story eventually returns to the issue of security. For more than a decade, the state has been a hotbed for banditry, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.

Farmers abandoned fields, roads became death traps, and whole villages emptied into IDP camps.

Lawal’s response has been a bold experiment in local defence: the Community Protection Guards (CPG). Over 3,000 men, recruited from every local government, profiled by the DSS and trained by the military, now patrol communities in partnership with conventional forces. They have received uniforms, vehicles, arms, and steady funding.

“These are our people,” he says. “They understand the terrain. They serve as the first line of defence.”

The results are visible. Travelling from Zaria to Gusau today tells a different story. Farmers are back on their land, roads are busier, and there are fewer reports of kidnappings. But the picture is not yet complete. Bandit attacks still occur, sometimes with devastating consequences. Critics argue that Lawal should focus more on security than infrastructure. His answer is consistent: “We must invest in development if we want lasting security.” In his view, schools, hospitals, and jobs are as important as soldiers in ending the cycle of violence.

He has also rejected the popular tactic of negotiating with bandits, insisting it only postpones conflict. “I have always said, any peace initiative must be holistic.

If you negotiate in Katsina while I’m cracking down in Zamfara, they will just cross over, he argues, calling for a unified northern security strategy. So we need a unified approach. That’s what I keep telling my colleagues. We must agree on the same strategy and stick to it.”

Politics and Perception Lawal governs in a state where politics is notoriously unforgiving.

His predecessors, Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, still a formidable figure, continue to cast long shadows.

Yet Lawal is quick to assert his place.

“As for whether I’m the governor of Matawalle and Yari — yes, I am. I’m the governor of every Zamfara citizen.

Our policies are for everyone, not just PDP members.”

That confidence has begun to carry weight within the PDP itself. Last month, he hosted fellow PDP governors in Gusau for a strategic meeting, drawing the party’s centre of gravity to Zamfara, and also positioning him as one of its rising power brokers.

Turning 60: Legacy and Second Term On September 2, Dauda Lawal celebrated his birthday, stepping into what may be the most decisive chapter of his career. For him, age is less a marker of time than a reminder of legacy and the work still ahead.

The next two years will test whether his “rescue mission” can evolve into a sustainable transformation. More hospitals and schools are in the pipeline, IDP resettlement centres are under construction, and efforts are underway to formalise mining, particularly Zamfara’s muchtalked-about lithium deposits.

But beyond projects lies politics.

2027 is not far, and Lawal knows it. Publicly, he downplays ambition.

“I’m not desperate,” he says. “If God says I will win again in 2027, no one can stop it.” But every governor knows that a second term is the real canvas for legacy. For Lawal, the question is whether his mix of fiscal prudence, development drive, and hardline stance on insecurity will be enough to secure another mandate in one of Nigeria’s most unpredictable states.

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news

Nigerian Businesses Must Embrace AI in the Future of Work Nosa Iyamu

T

he COVID-19 pandemic forever changed how we work. It accelerated a digital transformation that was already underway, forcing businesses to embrace new technologies and rethink traditional structures. In this new era, Artificial Intelligence (AI), once a concept from science fiction, is no longer a luxury but a necessity for growth and survival.

AI is poised to redefine the very nature of work, much like email revolutionised communication. It’s not about replacing human ingenuity but augmenting it, making work more agile, efficient, and ultimately, more rewarding. A PwC report, “Sizing the Prize,” predicts AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. For Africa, the potential is immense, with a 2023 African Development Bank report suggesting AI could boost the continent’s GDP by up to $1.2 trillion by 2030.

Nigeria, with its rapidly growing tech sector, stands to benefit immensely.

The government’s commitment to developing a national AI strategy signals a clear understanding of this technology’s importance for the nation’s economic future. For Nigerian businesses to compete on a global stage, they must strategically commit to AI adoption, moving beyond mere interest to a multi-pronged approach that includes deployment, training, and a fundamental shift in mindset.

AI is not a replacement for talent; it’s a powerful coworker. Companies must communicate that AI is an enabler, freeing employees from repetitive tasks to focus on higher-value, creative, and strategic work. This mindset shift is crucial for successful integration.

AI can automate routine tasks, freeing up employees to dedicate their energy to more impactful work. One key way it transforms the workplace is through the automation of repetitive

Nosa

tasks. AI-powered Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can handle routine jobs like data entry, invoice processing, and report generation, significantly boosting efficiency and accuracy. This allows staff to focus on more strategic and creative responsibilities.

Beyond automation, AI also offers enhanced data analytics. Its algorithms can quickly sift through massive datasets, providing businesses with actionable insights for informed decision-making. This capability helps companies uncover trends and predict outcomes much faster than traditional methods.

Furthermore, AI improves the customer experience through tools like AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, which provide 24/7 customer support, handle

routine queries, and free up human agents for more complex issues.

AI also facilitates smarter collaboration. It can transcribe meetings, translate languages in real-time, and summarize lengthy documents, making communication smoother, especially for remote or global teams. In addition, it enhances efficient talent management by streamlining the recruitment process, sifting through resumes to identify the best-fit candidates.

In an increasingly digital world, AI is also crucial for stronger cybersecurity, playing a key role in detecting and responding to cyber threats to protect sensitive company data.

AI offers a unique advantage in creative marketing, a field where

originality and strategic thinking are paramount. It doesn’t stifle creativity; it amplifies it. AI-powered tools can analyse market trends, consumer behavior, and campaign performance with incredible speed and accuracy.

This data allows creative teams to move beyond guesswork and create highly targeted, personalised content that resonates deeply with their audience.

For example, an AI tool can analyse thousands of social media posts to identify emerging trends and emotional sentiment around a brand. This insight allows marketers to craft campaigns that are not only relevant but also culturally timely.

Additionally, AI can automate the creation of marketing materials like social media captions, email subject lines, and ad copy, freeing up creative professionals to focus on big-picture strategy and innovative campaign concepts. In essence, AI handles the data and the drudgery, while the human mind is left to do what it does best - create.

Nigeria and the broader African continent, with a young, tech-savvy population, are perfectly positioned to lead this AI revolution. Businesses in Lagos, Nairobi, and beyond are already leveraging AI in various sectors, from fintech to agriculture. The post-COVID workplace is not just about remote work; it’s about smart work. It’s about empowering employees with tools that enhance their capabilities, fostering a culture of innovation, and strategically leveraging AI to build resilient, globally competitive businesses.

The future of work is here, and it is intelligent, collaborative, and boundless.

Nigerian companies have a critical window to position themselves at the forefront of this wave, understanding that AI is not a futuristic concept but a present-day imperative for growth and global relevance.

•Iyamu is Chief Executive Officer, IVI PR

Angela Omeiza Marks 40th Birthday with Release of Inspiring Book, “The Book of Jela”.

A

ngela Omeiza, Solicitor, Social E n t r e p r e n e u r, Independent Non-Executive Director of Lapo Microfinance Bank, and founder of Jela’s Development Initiatives (JDI), celebrated her 40th birthday in Abuja with the release of her debut book “The Book of Jela Vol. 1: Bits and Snatches”.

The book, launched recently on her birthday, captures Angela’s extraordinary journey through resilience, faith and purpose. More than a recounting of her life, the book is a tapestry of moments, what she calls “bits and snatches,” drawn from her childhood in Nigeria to her transformative years in the United Kingdom.

“This is not the story of

my life in its entirety; it is the story of moments.

Moments that shaped me, broke me, lifted me and sometimes unsettled me,” Omeiza said during the launch. “At forty, I felt the urge to look back, not to capture every detail but to trace the thread that runs through my four decades of living.”

The book chronicles her disciplined years at Adesoye College, the challenges of early motherhood, health battles including a near-fatal ectopic pregnancy, and her career-defining experiences at British Aerospace. It also highlights her unwavering advocacy for social change through JDI, a nonprofit driving solutions in water access, blood donation, mental health and youth

empowerment.

Reflecting on the book’s release, Omeiza added: “The Book of Jela is my offering, a glimpse into the making of the woman I am today, and perhaps a companion for anyone piecing together their own story from the fragments life leaves us.”

The launch drew family, friends and partners who praised both the milestone and the courage it took to tell such a personal yet universal story.

“The Book of Jela Vol. 1: Bits and Snatches” is available now and stands as a testament that trauma can birth purpose, pain can spark advocacy and faith can turn valleys into victories.

For copies of the book, contact thebookofjela@ gmail.com

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Entrepreneur

NAFRC Equips Officers for Life After Service with Entrepreneurship, Management Training

Dr. Donald Duke, Chairman, EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation; NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal B.R. Mamman; and senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, with Senior and Mid-Level Officers’ who graduated from the Entrepreneurship and Management Courses Uzoma Mba

The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, on Thursday, September 4, 2025, graduated officers from its Senior and MidLevel Officers’ Entrepreneurship and Management Courses, with a charge to embrace innovation, leadership, and business opportunities as they prepare for life after military service.

Addressing the graduands, the special guest of honour, His Excellency Dr. Donald Duke, Chairman, EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation, charged officers to harness their newly acquired entrepreneurship and management skills for national growth.

He emphasised that the programme equips participants with the tools to establish agribusinesses, manage enterprises, and positively impact their communities both during active service and in retirement.

He highlighted

entrepreneurship’s benefits, including job creation, innovation, personal development, and community advancement, urging graduates to apply their knowledge to improve operational efficiency, develop solutions, and mentor others within their units.

Dr. Duke commended the NAFRC command led by AVM B.R. Mamman, facilitators, and participants for their commitment, describing the training as a foundation for lasting success. He encouraged the graduates to be ambassadors of innovation and leadership, noting that their achievements will contribute to Nigeria’s economic stability and national prosperity.

Addressing the graduands, the Commandant of the Centre, Air Vice Marshal B.R. Mamman, described the ceremony as a “significant milestone” in their careers, stressing that the month-long programme was designed to equip participants

with the skills needed to transition successfully into civilian life.

“For the past four to five weeks, you have been exposed to knowledge and practices that will not only improve your productivity in service but also prepare you for a stress-free and meaningful retirement,” Mamman said. “You are engines of growth, creators of wealth, and drivers of innovation in a rapidly evolving world.”

The courses, which ran concurrently, focused on entrepreneurship, vocational training, and management, with a strong emphasis on agriculture.

In a bid to further ease officers into entrepreneurship, NAFRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to fast-track business registration for participants.

Mamman said the partnership would help graduands quickly set up legal businesses and

contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.

He urged the officers to carry forward six guiding principles as they progress in their careers and post-service lives: lead with purpose, innovate and adapt, empower others, drive change, make a positive impact, and remain brave, curious, and kind.

The Commandant also used the occasion to appreciate several stakeholders for supporting the programme. He commended the Deputy Commandant and instructors for their dedication, the EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation for sharing expertise, and the Service Chiefs and sister agencies for nominating officers to attend.

He singled out the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, for his consistent support, and paid tribute to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for what he described as “unwavering leadership and dedication to national development.”

Scholars Harp on Experiential Knowledge Sharing, Scholarly Exchange to Strengthen Africa-China Relations Esther Oluku

Nigerian scholars have harped on the need for first hand knowledge sharing and scholarly exchange to strengthen the growing diplomatic alliance between Africa and China.

This was the consensus reached at the one-day seminar organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) themed ‘Bridging Africa-China Dialogue Through Scholarly Exchange’ which held in Lagos recently. The event also doubled as the launch of the 10th edition of the Contemporary World Nigeria magazine.

In his lecture, Director of

Studies at the National Institute of International Affairs, Prof.

Efem Ubi, stressed the need for authentic knowledge sharing in fostering international cooperation.

He explained that this gives room for mutual understanding and respect, deepens diplomatic alliances and improves economic outcomes for both parties.

Ubi opined that examining Africa-China relations through third party lenses of western powers often presents an inaccurate analysis of the subject, while urging the continent to look inwards towards what it hopes to achieve through its alliance with the second most powerful nation in the world.

“We need a China-Africa or an Africa-China dialogue. We also need scholarly exchange between the two parties for both parties to understand each other. Both parties need first-hand information and that means African scholars should visit China and Chinese scholars should visit Nigeria in terms of research and collaborate.

“It is high time we move away from propaganda, from what the western media want us to understand about Africa-China relations. Africa should begin to talk about their relationship with China.

In doing that, we should also move away from the discourses on China’s

expanding role in Africa or China’s interest in Africa.

“We should be looking at Africa’s interest in Chinese expansion across the continent. When we begin to do that, we will begin to maximise our relationship. When we focus on negativity, we might not see the positive aspect of our relationship,” he said.

“The most important thing is having access to first-hand information not what one reads from the generality of the western media because sometimes they distort the information.”

Meanwhile, in his discussion of the lecture, lecturer at the Department of

Political Science, Lagos State University, Dr. Tunde Oshodi, noted that while there exist inherent benefits in scholarly exchange, caution must be exercised to prevent negative outcomes. He explained that exchanges need to be backed by willingness on the part of the government to share important information.

“Cultural and scholarly exchange and intelligence sharing can be beneficial and deadly. If we don’t get things right, it would have a negative impact. Knowledge is not for use in isolation.

Governments need to invest in what they want scholars to know because when people have access to certain body

of knowledge, it begins to dispel their imagination.”

In his remarks, the Director General IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, stated that the meeting presents an opportunity to examine Nigeria, Africa and China’s relationship which, he said “is one of the most consequential for the 21st century.”

While highlighting the critical role of scholars in providing expert analysis on issues, he stated that the Contemporary World Nigeria magazine provides an opportunity for dialogue in political systems and supports initiatives for growth, local innovations, and people-topeople connectivity.

FRIDAY 12, 2025 • T H12, I S 2025 D AY T H I S D SEPTEMBER AY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER

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IMAGES

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries and the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke (middle), assisted by his wife, Rev Victoria Tokunbo Oke (right); and his son, Pastor Isaac Oke, in cutting the cake to celebrate his 69th birthday at the ongoing Holy Ghost Convention of the Ministry in Ibadan, Oyo State…recently

L-R: Basketball Operations Lead, (National Basketball Association (NBA) Nigeria, Mr. O’Karo Akamune; two-time WNBA All-Star, Basketball Analyst and first female Basketball Africa League (BAL) Ambassador, Chiney Ogwumike; and Vice President, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Mr. Babatunde Ogunade, during the BAL4HER U23 ID Camp, organised by the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in collaboration with the Queens of the Continent (QOTC), on nurturing young female basketball talent through skills development and mentorship, held at the American International School, Lagos… recently

L-R: Member, Asido Mental Health Campus Network, University of Lagos, Hamed Adebiyi; President, Asido Mental Health Campus Network, Lagos State University, Akanbi Aisha; Regional Coordinator, Asido Foundation, Lagos, Dr. Samuel Aladejare; representative of sponsor, Zenera Consulting, Musa Oladipupo; and Phototherapy Intern, Nigeria Reference Hospital, Yaba (NARHY), Oyedemi Esther, during the Asido Foundation Nationwide Awareness Walk with the theme: ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’, held in Lagos… recently

L-R: Members of Ayo-Olumoko’s family, Iremide Ayo-Olumoko, Iyimide Ayo-Olumoko, Otunba Ayo Olumoko (celebrant), Mrs. Toyin Ayo-Olumoko, and Ayomide Ayo-Olumoko, during the commemoration of Otunba Ayo Olumoko’s 65th birthday, held at the Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja… recently

Queen of Apomu Kingdom/collaborator in the Lagos Mainland Trade Fair, Olori Janet Afolabi (left), and Chief Executive Officer, Mona Matthews/ Convener Lagos Mainland Trade Fair, Monalisa Abimbola Azeh, at the maiden Lagos Mainland Trade Fair, held at Yard 158, Kudirat Abiola Way, Lagos… recently

L-R: Guest Speaker, Adeoluwa Ademola; Managing BUA Foods Plc, Ayodele Abioye; Event Manager, Montgomery Group Africa, Moleboyeng Masote; Regional Director, Montgomery Group Africa, George Pearson; and Assistant Director, Corporate Affairs and Communications Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Olusegun Alabi, during the opening of Propak WA Exhibition held at Landmark Centre, Oniru Lekki, Lagos… recently

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business/MOnEYGUIDE

PMI Sustains Momentum at 51.7 Points, Signals Broader Economic Recovery

Nume Ekeghe

Nigeria’s economic recovery gained further traction in August as the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 51.7 points, remaining above the 50-point benchmark that separates expansion from contraction.

The reading, which reflects sustained growth in business activity, was driven largely by strong performances in agriculture at 53.9 points and services at 51.9 points.

Both sectors are critical to employment and household income, underscoring the growing momentum in job creation and business confidence.

The PMI report showed that 22 of the 36 subsectors surveyed recorded expansions

in output and new business orders during the month. This broad-based growth points to strengthening domestic demand and highlights the increasing role of the nonoil economy in supporting recovery.

The report stated: “Another indication has just emerged of a sustained improvement in Nigeria’s domestic economic prospects. At 51.7 points in August 2025 the Composite PMI remained above the 50-point threshold.

“This reading reflects continued expansion in economic activity, driven primarily by robust performance in key employment-intensive sectors, notably agriculture (53.9 points) and services

(51.9 points). These sectoral dynamics reflect positive momentum in job creation and business confidence, reinforcing the prospects for a broad-based economic recovery.”

“Of the thirty-six (36) subsectors captured in PMI survey, twenty-two reported expansions in output and new business orders in August 2025. This broad-based improvement in sectoral performance signals sustained rebound in domestic demand and productive activities, particularly within the nonoil sector. The breadth of expansion further underscores growing business (and investor) confidence in the new domains, particularly in the services sector.”

Stakeholders Seek Regulators, Operators Collaboration to Deepen Financial Inclusion Nume Ekeghe

Stakeholders at the 2nd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Roundtable 2025 have stressed the need for closer collaboration between regulators and operators to drive sustainable growth of Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem and advance financial inclusion across the country.

Chairman of the event and Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, described Nigeria as one of Africa’s most vibrant fintech

markets in the last decade.

“At the Nigerian Exchange Group, we have recognised this trend not as a disruption to be resisted, but as an opportunity to be embraced,” Kwairanga stated. “Our mission has always been to democratise access to investment opportunities and deepen participation in the capital market. To achieve this, we have consistently opened our doors to fintech innovation.”

Director-General/CEO of the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals

(AERMP), Dr. Olayinka Odutola, commended the progress made in fintech and financial inclusion but warned that greed and cyber vulnerabilities remain serious threats. “Fintech and financial inclusion have started very well in Nigeria but we must consider the greed factor in terms of risks and cyber breaches. People can hack into systems and engage in identity fraud. People-risk is a major risk. Prevention is still better in terms of players and institutions to contain digital fraud,” he cautioned.

FIRS, CBN, Others to Address Digital Economy at FICAN Conference Nume Ekeghe and Kayode Tokede

The 2025 Conference of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), has garnered strong support from leading financial institutions and regulators, underscoring its role as a pivotal platform for shaping conversations about Nigeria’s digital economy.

Institutions backing this year’s edition include the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Unity Bank, and Stanbic IBTC Bank, among others. Their involvement reflects the growing recognition of digital transformation as a critical driver of taxation, banking, and finance in the country.

Now in its 35th year, the FICAN Annual Conference is

slated for September 20, 2025, at Orchid Hotels, Lekki, Lagos, with the theme: “Bracing for the Digital Economy in Nigeria: Taxation, Banking and Finance.” Organisers said the gathering will provide fresh insights and practical strategies for navigating a rapidly evolving financial landscape while balancing innovation with inclusion and stability.

Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, will headline the conference as Guest Speaker.

CardinalStone Crowned as Africa’s Best Broker by Euromoney CardinalStone has been named Africa’s Best Broker at the 2025 Euromoney Capital Market Awards, reinforcing its consistent delivery of innovative, client-focused, and high-impact brokerage solutions.

The leading securities firm was previously honoured with the Euromoney Best Equities House in Nigeria award last

year, further underscoring its consistent excellence and strong track record in the market.

The Euromoney Capital Market Awards are internationally regarded as a benchmark for excellence in financial services, celebrating institutions that exhibit exceptional performance, innovation, and market leadership.

CardinalStone has maintained its status as Nigeria’s top stockbroker by both volume and value for three consecutive years. Between January and August 2025, the firm executed trades exceeding N800 billion and transacted over 27 billion shares on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), a clear testament to its market dominance.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) NOVEMBER

Month

Money Supply (M3)

108,966,480.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

19,796.18

Money Supply (M2)

108,946,684.26

Quasi Money

72,672,756.90

-- Narrow Money (M1)

36,273,927.36

---- Currency Outside Banks

4,652,527.74

---- Demand Deposits

31,621,399.62

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

17,347,112.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

91,619,367.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

115,576,757.67

---- Credit to Government (Net)

39,616,629.91

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

75,960,127.77

--Other Assets Net

12,147,461.96

Reserve Money (Base Money)

30,871,571.25

--Currency in Circulation

4,878,125.22

--Banks Reserves

25,993,446.02

--Special Intervention Reserves

278,860.37 • Source - CBN

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

November

Inter-Bank Call Rate

28.88

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

27.50

Treasury Bill Rate

18.00

Savings Deposit Rate

6.56

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.48

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.53

6 Months Deposit Rate

12.13

12 Months Deposit Rate

14.22

Prime Lending rate

18.39

Maximum Lending Rate

31.06

NSE

NSE MARKET INDEX % Change

CAP

0.75%(52%YoY)

Index

0.9% (29%Y/D) • Monetary Policy Rate - 27.50%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE As At 6TH JANUARY , 2025

The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $76.18 a barrel on Monday, compared with $75.89 the previous Friday, 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).

35

T H I S D AY • FRIday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

mARKET NEWS

CBN, SEC Approve Wema Bank’s N150bn Rights Issue, Surpasses Regulatory Capital Requirement KayodeTokede Wema Bank Plc has announced the successful completion of its N150 billion rights issue, which opened on April 14th,2025, and closed on May 21st,2025.

The exercise, the bank said in a statement, has received formal approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

This Rights Issue was undertaken in response to the CBN’s directive on the recapitalization of banks in Nigeria. With the successful completion and regulatory approval, Wema Bank has now met the N200 billion minimum capital requirement applicable to commercial banks with national authorization.

P R I C E S MaiN Board

F O R DEALS

In addition to the Rights Issue, Wema Bank also recently concluded a N50 billion Private Placement, which is now awaiting regulatory reviews.

This additional capital raises the Bank’s total capital base above the regulatory threshold, further strengthening its buffer, enhancing its shock-absorption capacity, and positioning the Bank for sustained growth.

Commenting on the

S E C U R I T I E S Market Price

quantity traded

Bank’s success in meeting the regulatory threshold ahead of the 24-month timeline, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, reaffirmed the Bank’s promise of delivering the best value as it continues its growth journey.

According to Oseni, “As a growth-driven Bank, the industry recapitalization requirement came as a welcome mission, and we undertook it with full

T R A D E D

value traded ( N )

MaiN Board

A S O F

confidence. Our success in surpassing the N200 billion benchmark ahead of the 2026 deadline not only reinforces our strong financial standing as a bank but also attests to the mutual trust and confidence that exists between Wema Bank and its shareholders.

“We do not take this trust for granted and we take this moment to firmly reiterate our commitment to continue

delivering optimum value to every shareholder and stakeholder of Wema Bank.

The conclusion of these capitalraising initiatives reinforces the Bank’s prudential position and provides a solid foundation for long-term stability. It also reflects the continued confidence of stakeholders in Wema Bank’s governance, financial performance, and strategic direction.”

S E P T E M B E R / 1 1 / 2 5 DEALS

Market Price

quantity traded

value traded ( N)

36

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

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 09 September 2025, 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 0.00 0.00 0.00 Afrinvest Plutus Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Nigeria International Debt Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Afrinvest Dollar Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 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 20.35% AIICO Balanced Fund 7.40 7.47 29.52% AIICO Eurobond Fund 100.00 100.00 7.51% Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 20.02% Anchoria Equity Fund 1.62 1.62 24.01% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 385.79 391.25 49.47% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 0.00info@anchoriaam.com 0.00 0.00 ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Ethical Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Eurobond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Shariah Fixed Income Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Short Term Bond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 ARM Short Term Eurobond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 107.15 107.15 14.92% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 1,225.04 1225.04 20.80% AVA GAM Fixed Income (Naira) Fund 1.00 1.00 19.00% 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 2.71 2.71 14.57% CEAT Fixed Income Fund 5.78 5.91 38.64% 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 1.05 1.05 15.67% CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.11 1.11 10.48% CardinalStone Equity Fund 1.56 1.58 32.75% CardinalStone Dollar Fund 1.11 1.12 11.61% CardinalStone Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 19.69% CardinalStone Balanced 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 0.00 0.00 0.00 Nigeria Bond Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Paramount Equity Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 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 0.00% 114.49 114.49 12.80% Cordros Fixed Income Fund 120.90 120.90 10.71% Cordros Halal Fixed Income Fund Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 116.37 116.37 7.02% Cordros Milestone Fund 226.46 228.21 23.11% 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 0.00 0.00 0.00 Coronation Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 0.00 Coronation Fixed Income 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 EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.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 FBN Money Market Fund 100 100 19.93% FBN Bond Fund 1736.61 1736.61 11.66% FBN Dollar Fund 133.28 133.28 7.36% FBN Halal Fund 159.11 159.11 14.35% FBN Specialized Dollar Fund 125.72 125.72 7.92% FBN Blended Dollar Fund 106.09 106.09 6.09% FBN Balanced Fund 445.87 450.05 37.56% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 489.14 495.79 51.05% 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 Legacy Money Market Fund (LMMF) 1.00 1.00 0.00% Legacy Equity Fund (LEF) 3.89 3.89 10.81% Legacy USD Bond Fund (LUBF) 5.13 5.24 37.57% 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 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 4,735.63 4,735.63 11.61% Coral money market fund 100.00 100.00 20.17% FSDH HALAL FUND 1,292.44 1,292.44 12.87% FSDH dollar fund 1.32 1.32 6.63% Coral Balanced Fund 11,215.53 11,303.77 67.74%

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 1,284.00 1,284.00 10.34% LOTUS HALAL INVESTMENT FUND 2.82 2.87 24.26% LOTUS HALAL EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND 50.26 55.55 63.95% LOTUS WAQF ENDOWMENT FUND 1,181.31 1,181.31 7.19% 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 20.44% 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) 0.00 0.00 0.00 Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 0.00 0.00 0.00 NORRENBERGER DOLLAR FUND (NDF)-----($) 0.00 0.00 0.00 NORRENBERGER TURBO FUND (NTF)-----(N) 0.00 0.00 0.00 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 0.00 0.00 0.00 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 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 Bond Fund Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund Stanbic IBTC Absolute Fund UPDC REIT Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment 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 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 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

REITS Fund Name SFS REIT UPDC REIT

10.00 259.17 139.99 154.07 5,176.08 12.29 9,021.76 281.32 4.32 382.80 841.53 39,925.33 394.55

10.00 259.17 139.99 154.07 5,176.08 12.29 9,108.45 286.17 4.37 383.42 852.01 40,497.88 401.24

19.12% 0.16% 2.94% 7.56% 0.11% 5.35% 41.46% -30.79% -97.84% 8.21% 68.87% 57.59% -50.88%

11,916.76 8,743.26

12,082.83 48.87% 8,779.52 28.64% jemenike@stlassetmgt.com

Bid Price 100.00 1,366.16 104.94

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 100.00 19.68% 1,386.42 37.63% 104.94 4.94% unitedcapitalplcgroup.com

Bid Price 1.00 1.18 1.93 122.65 1.22 122.64 1.82 2.11 1.67 1.07

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 18.84% 1.18 10.62% 1.93 8.53% 122.65 8.64% 1.22 8.74% 122.64 20.22% 1.84 40.60% 2.12 26.55% 1.68 29.74% 1.07 7.42% funds@vetiva.com

Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 14.99 15.09 #REF! 31.76 31.86 #REF! 50.38 50.58 #REF! 1.00 1.00 18.10% 49.03 49.23 #REF! 147.83 149.83 #REF! service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 investmentoperations@zedcrest.com Bid Price 1.00 1.32 $ 1.39

Offer Price 1.00 1.32 $ 1.39

Yield / T-Rtn 20.90% 32.13% 17.15%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

0.00

0.00%

8,779.52

28.64%

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.

37

THISDAY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

polity The Gaps Hunger Doesn’t Fill Remi Ladigbolu

L

egendary musician Ebenezer Obey once sang a Yoruba adage: “Tí oúnje bá ti kúrò nínú ìse, ìse bùse.” In other words, “When hunger is taken out of poverty, poverty is defeated.” That melody echoed when President Tinubu, in a speech to members of The Buhari Organisation who visited him at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, September 2, highlighted the efforts of his government in tackling the nation’s myriad economic challenges, particularly eradicating poverty.

In the president’s own words, one of the most important ways the government is tackling poverty is through agricultural mechanisation.

Hear him, “I’ve just signed up on a huge mechanisation programme that in every region, we have a mechanised centre for agric-mechanisation. That is our path to food sovereignty, food security. You remove hunger from poverty, you have defeated poverty.”

But one wonders if that simplification, starched and polished by political rhetoric, is really adequate for what Nigerians President Bola Tinubu endure daily.

Tinubu’s administration has launched a GDP, which was 3.4 percent in 2024, over 2 million metric tons of staples, and sweeping agricultural mechanisation push but that masks deep systemic issues. create 16,000 jobs, directly benefiting half in a bid to tackle hunger. He has rolled Unemployment may be listed at 5.3 percent, a million households. Yet in Katsina, the out 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 farming but youth unemployment remains over flagship mechanisation centre is incomplete. implements, marking Nigeria’s largest 50 percent, and even higher for young Critics note that promises of 2,000 tractors mechanisation drive ever. In June 2025, women. Poverty is a multi-layered crisis: and 100 harvesters have also not been at the launch under the Renewed Hope while 31 percent live below the extreme delivered.

Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, he poverty line, rural poverty surges to a Without reliable rural roads, electricity, declared Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance staggering 75.5 percent. irrigation, or schools, these tractors risk had begun.

And inflation is burning holes in pockets, rusting into idle symbols rather than In Katsina, he commissioned an hovering around 35 percent. Transport engines of transformation. agricultural mechanisation centre and energy costs are sky-high, and a Poverty is deeper than hunger. with 400 tractors, linking it to food proposed 5 percent fuel surcharge threatens Nigerians grapple with everything from security, economic empowerment, rural to pull an estimated N796 billion more unstable power and lack of clean water, revitalisation, and overall prosperity. “Once from citizens. Meanwhile, VAT is slated to breakdowns in healthcare, housing, we free ourselves from hunger, peace to rise to 12.5 percent next year, even schools, job security, taxation, and transport. and prosperity will naturally follow,” as basic goods like food and medicine Pulling hunger from poverty doesn’t erase he enthused. remain excluded. these systemic failures.

These are high-impact visuals. But Tinubu’s tractor rollout has potential.

The Jollof Index shows it costs N27,528 we must pause and ask if food alone According to ThisDay, the programme to cook one pot of Jollof rice, which is forty is enough. may cultivate over 550,000 hectares, yield percent of the N70,000 minimum wage.

Officials often chorus growth in

With inflation in double digits, families ration food, skip healthcare, children drop out of school, and able-bodied men turn to begging to survive.

Yet government rhetoric pushes mechanisation as the magical wand of poverty reduction. Without parallel commitments to social infrastructure and structural reform, that wand won’t wield lasting change.

What Obey’s lyric and Tinubu’s words capture in spirit, they distort in practice.

Food is necessary, but not sufficient.

Productivity and infrastructure matter too.

As one online commentator recently put it, “Nigeria’s woes aren’t just hunger, they are broken laws, weak institutions, rogue tax points, and poor energy.” The remark echoes a sentiment shared by many Nigerians who believe that reducing poverty to the single question of food ignores the wider structural failures that shape daily life.

Meanwhile, Okonjo-Iweala, writing for Brookings, reminds us that structural reforms demand fiscal accountability, transparency, social safety nets, and strong institutions, not simply headline-grabbing initiatives. And as Nigeria’s former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, her legacy underscores the importance of building institutions over relying on slogans.

Tinubu’s agricultural mechanisation is bold and symbolic, but poverty is a many-headed beast. Take one away, and others remain. No amount of tractors will replace access to power, water, healthcare, school fees, or predictable livelihoods.

If our aim is a resilient, inclusive economy, we need full-spectrum reform, which encompasses robust infrastructure, healthcare, education, transport, clean energy, fair taxation, and empowered local governance.

So yes, mechanisation matters. But peace, prosperity, shared opportunity and social justice demand more than tractors.

They demand a committed strategy that addresses poverty’s many faces and not just its hunger.

•Ladigbolu is a Lagos-based journalist

NEWS

NSIB: Report on P’Harcourt Airport Runway Incident Shows Crew May Have Taken Illicit Substances Chinedu Eze

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released the preliminary report on its ongoing investigation into the ‘serious’ incident involving a Boeing 737-524 aircraft, with nationality and registration mark 5N-BQQ, operated by Air Peace Limited.

The incident occurred on July 13, 2025 at the Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Omagwa, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The preliminary report indicated that cockpit and cabin crew members may have taken illicit substances, including alcohol and cannabis.

In a press statement issued

by the agency and signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, NSIB said initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption.

The report said a cabin crew member also tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis.

“These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation. The NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen

Crew Resource Management (CRM) training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch,” it stated.

The aircraft, operated as a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 persons on board, the NSIB official said, landed long on runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach.

The aircraft touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to 209 metres into the clearway, it stressed.

The statement said, “ All passengers and crew disembarked

safely, and no injuries were reported.”

Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew, it said, revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis.

“These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation. The NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen crew resource management (CRM) training, particularly in handling unstabilised ap-

proaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch.

“The full preliminary report, including detailed findings, is available for download on the NSIB website. The report represents early findings and is subject to further analysis.

The final report will present detailed conclusions and additional recommendations to enhance aviation safety in Nigeria,” NSIB said.

The statement added: “The aircraft had departed Lagos with 96 passengers and seven crew members on board.

Conditions in Port Harcourt were good, with clear skies,

calm weather and daylight visibility.”

However, the investigators explained that the aircraft was stable on approach until it got close to landing.

“At 1,000 feet above the ground, they said that the situation appeared normal, and the captain disconnected the autopilot at 500 feet to complete the landing manually. Shortly after, the aircraft drifted above the normal landing path.

“The captain later admitted that by the time he realised, the aircraft was already too high. It crossed the runway threshold at about 200 feet, which is much higher than the recommended landing height.

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NEWS

EKO ARTS AND CRAFTS COMPETITION FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS...

L-R: Managing Director, Murals Nigeria and Judge of the Eko Arts and Crafts Competition, Dr. Femi Adeleke; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Establishment and Training, Toyin Atanda; Representative, Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Keshiro Olusola; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Damilola Ayinde-Marshal Esq; Director, Administration and Human Resource, Mr. Taoreed Dosunmu; Representative, Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Mrs. Adegbite Adetola; and Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Universal Basic Education Board, Yewande Cole, during the press conference on the maiden edition of Eko Arts and Crafts Competition for Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions held at the Ministry’s Conference Room, yesterday

Nigeria Must Seek Home-Grown Solution to Malaria Scourge, Says Pate In-country manufacture of mosquito nets to begin soon Lagos targets less than 1% prevalence rate State reviews mid-term results with donor agencies, partners

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has said that Nigeria needs to develop and domesticate initiatives to effectively eliminate malaria and other disease burdens afflicting the citizens.

He said that as part of efforts to find a local-driven solution to malaria scourge, a major manufacturer of mosquito bed nets will soon be coming to set up its factory in Nigeria.

According to Pate, more than 600 million mosquito nets have been distributed in the country in the last 20 years to help reduce malaria burden.

The minister who spoke in Abuja at the international conference on malaria with the Theme: “Harnessing Africa’s Central Role for the Big Push Against Malaria,” said that Nigeria and indeed

Africa should stop the idea of seeing malaria as someone else’s problem.

He said that with Nigeria and the rest of the African continent bearing the highest burden of malaria to the tune of 90 per cent, finding lasting solutions to the problem must be a continental priority.

With specific reference to Nigeria’s situation, Pate said the country was doing very well with the management of malaria before our independence but suddenly dropped the ball and allowed funding of programmes to be out- sourced to foreign donors.

He said that part of strategies to overcome the dependency on foreign donors for tackling health challenges is the current push for domestic financing and promotion of local manufacturing of drugs and other health commodities.

“Certainly, we cannot continue in the same direction

to think that we will get a different result. I think we should leave the idea that it is someone else’s problem.

Malaria is our problem, and if we own that problem, then we have to first do what we need to do,” he said.

Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has revealed that Nigeria is presently working towards transition to low-sulphur fuels. Lawal disclosed this in Abuja during the commemoration of the third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

He said, “I am pleased to inform you that the Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with other Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as key stakeholders such as NNPCL,

SON, and DPR, are working towards the transition to lowsulphur fuels. The Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) for petroleum products have been reviewed in line with AFRI IV standards and will soon be implemented.”

Lawal added, “On vehicular emissions, the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is promoting clean air by discouraging the importation of old vehicles, encouraging local manufacturing, and advancing the adoption of alternative fuels such as CNG

To this end, Ogah said the House Committee on ATMTL of the Nigerian parliament has proposed a collective and holistic approach to solving public interest in Africa.

“We cannot talk about malaria without talking about

HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis.

Enough is enough, we can’t continue to take two steps forward and five steps backwards. We are willing to focus on homegrown innovations, innovative solutions to our problems.

NLNG Adopts Artificial Intelligence as Tool for Operational Efficiency, Sustainable Energy Peter Uzoho

while reinforcing its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Goal Zero aspirations.

Speaking at the 2025 GASGas Limited (NLNG) has outlined its strategic direc- TECH Conference in Milan, tion for adopting artificial Italy, during a panel session intelligence (AI) across its titled “Operational Excellence operations for efficiency and through the Application of sustainable energy production. Artificial Intelligence TechThe plan, according to nologies,” NLNG’s Deputy the liquefaction firm, is to Managing Director, Olakunle integrate smart technologies to Osobu, described AI as the keep the business future-ready new driver of efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the energy sector.

Quoted in a statement signed by NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations

and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall, Osobu stated: “Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of tomorrow; it is today’s driver of efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the energy sector.

“At NLNG, we’re embedding AI across our value chain to ensure our business is future-ready. Importantly, our ‘Goal Zero’ safety policy and operational efficiency targets are being significantly enhanced by AI. This has led to the improvement of our safety and business perfor-

and LNG. “The government also supports the importation of electric vehicles, efficient mass transport systems (rail and waterways), and prioritizes CNG for its low emissions and affordability, with plans for a gradual transition to hydrogen and electric vehicles.

“I am further pleased to announce government approval of a Green Hydrogen Project in partnership with UNIDO, while also developing a framework for states to establish Vehicular Emissions Testing Centres in line with global best practices.”

coming 60th anniversary celebration.

Addressing a press conference on the campus, Chairman, Central Planning Committee, Faculty of Arts 60th celebration, Hon. Francis Shonubi, called on all alumni, stakeholders, corporate organisations, and the public to generously support the initiative to

Minister of Environment: Nigeria Working Towards Transition to Low-Sulphur Fuels Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Chairman of the House Representative Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Hon. Amobi Ogah, said that African parliamentarians were concerned over the threat malaria has continued to pose to citizens.

mance across the company’s entire value chain.”

According to him, AI has become indispensable for managing complex processes, particularly in a company that promotes a culture of continuous improvement.

Osobu stated that virtual reality tools and AI agents were being used to accelerate staff onboarding and enhance knowledge retention, while smart cameras and satellite technologies provide advanced visual analytics for more precise monitoring of operations and safety compliance.

UNILAG Alumni to Launch N500m Endowment Fund for Indigent Students

Funmi Ogundare

The Faculty of Arts Alumni Association of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has concluded plans to launch a N500 million endowment trust fund to support indigent students and those with special needs.

The faculty also announced plans for its forth-

help sustain and expand the faculty’s legacy for generations to come.

Shonubi said the funds will also be utilised for research and learning innovations, scholarships, strategic faculty development goals, and the “Light Up Arts Complex” initiative - an alternative solar power solution.

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NEWS

Signing of MoU between Globacom and Disc Media Technology...

L- R: The Managing Director DMT, Mr Harold Monu; Head of Department Enterprise Business Group Globacom, Mr Lawrence Odediran; Chairman DMT Board, Barr Andrew Odum (SAN); and Enterprise National Head Oil and Gas Segment Globacom, Mr Boniface Ogbonnaya during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Globacom and Disc Media Technology (DMT) in Lagos...recently

At Last, FG Removes 5% Telecoms Tax on Voice, Data Services Emma Okonji

The federal government has finally removed the five per cent excise duty on telecommunications from the tax reformed bill that was recently passed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The announcement was

made in a statement released yesterday on the official website of the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

According to the statement, “Federal Government of Nigeria has removed the five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services. This tax was

originally introduced under the 2020 Finance Act during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari but faced strong criticism for its negative impact on businesses and households. In July 2023, shortly after President Bola Tinubu took office, he signed

an executive order suspending the five per cent excise duty on telecom services due to its adverse effects. Subsequently, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed the final elimination of this excise duty, fulfilling President Tinubu’s promise to prioritise

Senate Lacks Legislative Power Over Private Companies, Says Enang As FG moves to cut food prices via transport, input reforms

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Solomon Enang, has cautioned the 10th Senate against overreaching its constitutional limits by summoning or investigating private companies.

He made this assertion during a capacity-building workshop organised by members of the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly Library Complex in Abuja on

Wednesday.

The five-term federal lawmaker, who served in both chambers of the federal parliament from 1999 to 2015, spoke on the theme “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities.”

The event was also attended by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; Spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Kamoru Ogunlana, and the

Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman; among others, who presented papers.

Enang emphasized that the legislative powers granted to the National Assembly under Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) are strictly confined to matters on the Exclusive Legislative List and oversight of public institutions involved in the administration of public funds

or implementation of federal laws.

He warned that ongoing practices by legislative committees, including issuing summons and demanding documents from private companies, have exceeded constitutional bounds and amount to a disregard for judicial authority.

The DEPOWA President explained that when the wives of non-commissioned officers are equipped with skills and entrepreneurial know-how, their families are strengthened, and by extension, the entire Armed Forces community is uplifted.

Mrs. Musa expressed this position in Abuja yesterday during a personal development training session for the

Defence Non-Commissioned Officers’ Wives Association (DENCOWA), held at the DEPOWA Nursery, Primary and Secondary School Auditorium, Mogadishu Cantonment.

She noted that, at DEPOWA, there is a strong belief that true empowerment begins at home and extends into business, community, and the nation at large.

industry have called on the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to review its new tax reform as it pertains to the aviation sector so that it will agree with tax components of treaties and regulations Nigeria has signed with international aviation agencies.

The stakeholders said that levies and taxes have been built into the air transport system; so,

the welfare of Nigerians and support the growth of the telecommunications industry. The removal is expected to ease the financial burden on subscribers and stimulate growth in the telecom sector, which is a significant contributor to Nigeria’s GDP and digital economy.”

During a recent media engagement the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, also clarified the current administration’s position. He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not allow the reintroduced five per cent excise duty to make it into the final version of the tax laws that have now been passed.

Although the spokesperson for telecoms operators, Gbenga Adebayo told THISDAY that telecoms operators were yet to receive any official statement regarding the five per cent telecoms tax removal, he

however said such removal was a welcome development to the telecoms sector.

“Telecoms operators are yet to receive any official statement concerning the five per cent telecoms tax removal, but we welcome such tax removal because it will remove the burden of telecoms taxes from the consumers that are at the receiving end, and help the telecoms sector to develop rapidly. It will also remove the burden of collecting and remitting the tax money to government from the telecoms operators that will be responsible for such tax collection,” Adebayo said.

In 2024, the National Assembly once again proposed the same five per cent excise duty in the draft of the tax reforms bill. This was essentially a reintroduction of the levy that had previously been set aside under former President Muhammad Buhari.

Stakeholders Disagree with New Tax Reform as it Relates to Aviation, Insist Industry has International Tariff Obligations Empower Soldiers’ Wives to Boost National Chinedu new tax reform needs to take tions in the aviation industry; Eze of international tax detailing the taxes businesses, Security, Says DEPOWA President Stakeholders in the aviation cognizance obligations in order to avoid such as commercial aircraft, Linus Aleke in Abuja

President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Mrs. Oghogho Musa, yesterday stated the nation must empower soldiers’ wives to strengthen national security and ensure lasting peace in the country.

double taxation in the sector.

The matter came to the fore yesterday during a business webinar organized by Aviation and Allied Business in collaboration with FRS on how the new tax reform affects the aviation industry.

The lead speaker at the conference, Assistant Director, FRS, Mrs. Nkechi Umegakwe, identified the new tax obliga-

engines, spare parts, domestic, international flight schedule flight services, business aviation, cargo services and others, saying that airlines are no longer exempted from Value Added Tax (VAT) charged by the NRS (Formerly Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS), but inputs of aircraft and spare parts as capital investment could be claimable.

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NEWS

THANK YOU OUR TROOPS’ VISIT BY DEPOWA...

L-R: Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Egbetokun, National President, Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA); Mrs. Oghogho Musa, President, Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA); and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, during a ‘Thank You Our Troops’ visit by DEPOWA to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, earlier in the week

In Landmark Trial, Brazil’s Bolsonaro Found Guilty of Coup Charges Ex-president faces maximum potential sentence of 40 years

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted by a Supreme Court majority on Thursday of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, a powerful blow to the populist far-right movement he created.

The presumptive ruling by a majority of a panel of five justices in Brazil’s Supreme Court makes Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy.

“This criminal case is almost a meeting between Brazil and its past, its present, and its future,” Justice Carmen Lucia said before she voted to convict Bolsonaro of attempting a coup, a reference to previous attempts to overthrow democracy in the country’s history.

There was ample evidence, she added, that Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions,” Reuters reported.

Three judges so far have voted to convict the former

president of five crimes: taking part in an armed criminal organisation, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organising a coup, and damaging government property and protected cultural assets. One judge acquitted him, and one remains to vote.

The conviction of Bolsonaro, a former Army captain who never hid his admiration for the military dictatorship that killed hundreds of Brazilians

between 1964 and 1985, echoes legal condemnations this year for far-right leaders elsewhere, including France’s Marine Le Pen and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.

It is likely to further enrage Bolsonaro’s close ally U.S. President Donald Trump, who has already called the case a “witch hunt” and slammed Brazil with tariff hikes, sanctions against the presiding judge, and the revocation of visas for most

Renowned communications expert and Chief Executive Officer, SKOT Communications, Mrs. Tokunbo GeorgeTaylor, yesterday inaugurated the SKOT Impact Academy, a tuition-free training initiative designed to equip young professionals with the foundational skills required to thrive in the public relations industry.

Speaking at the unveiling in Lagos, George-Taylor, who

That single vote could open a path to challenges to the ruling, potentially bringing the trial’s conclusion closer to the run-up of the 2026 presidential elections, in which Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he is a candidate despite being barred from running for office, the Reuters report said.

Fux’s vote also ignited a surge of righteous relief among the former president’s supporters, who hailed it as a vindication.

“When coherence and a sense of justice prevail over vengeance and lies, there is no room for cruel persecution or biased judgments,” Michelle Bolsonaro, the former president’s wife, posted after Fux’s vote.

Bolsonaro’s conviction marks the nadir in his trajectory from the back benches of Congress to forge a powerful conservative coalition that tested the limits of the country’s young democratic institutions.

Wole Soyinka: I Was Kidnapped, Robbed in Romania

Renowned Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka, has narrated how he was abducted and robbed during a visit to Bucharest, Romania, after missing his hosts at the airport.

The playwright had visited the country to attend the prestigious Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), which is one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world, attracting thousands of artists and spectators globally.

In an interview with

TheNEWS, the playwright recounted the experience, which unfolded shortly after his arrival in Romania, stressing that he arrived in Bucharest at 12:10 a.m. in high spirits, looking forward to the festival.

According to him, events took a dramatic turn after he and the party meant to pick him up missed each other at the airport. Thereafter, he stated that he boarded what appeared to be an official taxi to Novotel Hotel, where he was

Communications Veteran Inaugurates Tuitionfree PR Academy to Groom Young Professionals Funmi Ogundare

members of Brazil’s high court.

The justices are expected to decide on a prison sentence, and how it would be served,

by Friday. Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest as part of another case, faces a maximum potential sentence of 40 years.

The verdict was not unanimous, with Justice Luiz Fux breaking with his peers by acquitting the former president of all charges.

has worked as a publicist for over 31 years, explained the academy was born out of her desire to give back to the sector that shaped her career and to close the knowledge gap for newcomers in the field.

“The SKOT Academy is a six-week tuition-free program for professionals who want to grow with purpose and make an impact. My dream is to shape professionals into global storytellers and build a leading PR hub in Africa,”

she said.

The first cohort, selected from nearly 400 applicants who responded to a call for applications in August, will commence classes on Saturday September 13, in Lagos.

Participants, she noted, will undergo six weeks of intensive training on Saturdays, covering crisis management, storytelling, Artificial Intelligence, and other emerging trends in communications.

scheduled to lodge.

Instead of heading for the hotel, the driver, he explained, diverted to a deserted, dimly lit area, where he was coerced into surrendering his bank details.

He said: “So I got into the taxi and the man drove and drove and finally we got to a spot. It was now close to 1 o’clock in the dead of the night. And I thought we were in the hotel. Then he brought out his POS. A conversation took place.

“Anyway, the bottom line is that I was in effect abducted, robbed, and deposited in this strange place. I had to enter it

without seeing the POS because this man kept hiding it. He was insisting ‘enter your pin, enter your pin.’

“That drama lasted inside the taxi between 25 and 30 minutes.

I was deliberately entering the wrong pin, playing for time, hoping people would come out maybe from the hotel or be strolling around. It was one of those times when everybody refused to come out. Completely bare where I was. No sign.

“I didn’t discover it wasn’t a hotel until I finally got down. I was still playing for time, hoping somebody would come out of the hotel, maybe smoking

cigarettes, even a street worker or whatever. So, it became a battle of wills inside the car, which approached violence – he wondering who I was, what I was and I playing for time, hoping somebody would come along.

“And then you can imagine all sorts of imagination in my head. Why had he dropped me in this particular place? Was it a gang-infested area? Let’s just say it was a weird and not very comfortable kind of situation. Eventually, that night, anyway, I got to the hotel. I was picked up by a car and taken to Sibiu,” he narrated.

Tinubu Mourns Political Ally, APC Chieftain, AVM Terry Okorodudu

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the Delta State Government and the All Progressives Congress over the passing of his political ally, Air Vice Marshal Terry O. Okorodudu (rtd).

Okorodudu, an APC chieftain in Delta State, aged 70, passed away on

September 9, 2025.

The President, in a release issued on Thursday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commiserated with the party stalwart’s wife, children, Okorodudu family, associates, and friends.

President Tinubu recognised AVM Okorodudu’s significant contributions to

APC’s fortunes at the state and national levels, including serving as a member of the security committee of his 2023 Presidential Campaign Council.

The President noted the meritorious military career of the retired Air Vice Marshal, who earned his commission as a Nigerian Air Force pilot officer on January 5, 1976.

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NEWS

Flag-off ceremony of the Harvesting Hope Caravan Tour...

L–R: Regional Director, South-West, Leadway Assurance, Taoreed Akinpelu; Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji; Branch Manager, Ado-Ekiti, Leadway Assurance, Olaoluwa Alasoluyi; Branch Manager, Akure, Leadway Assurance, Emmanuel Owoleye; Regional Veterinary Doctor, South-West, Leadway Assurance, Samuel Okunrintemi; and others, at the flag-off ceremony of the Harvesting Hope Caravan Tour organised by Presidential Food Security Unit (PFSCU) in partnership with Leadway Assurance held in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State ...recently

Ndume to Tinubu: Don’t Sack Service Chiefs, Procure More Arms, Upscale Troops Training Says army private earns N100,000 monthly salary, N5,000 daily allowance

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja Former Senate Leader, and Chairman of the 9th Senate Committee on the Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has rejected calls for the dismissal of Nigeria’s military service chiefs and urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise

funding, training, and morale-boosting measures for the armed forces.

According to him, the solution to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity lies not in sacking the military leadership but in empowering troops with the tools and support they need to succeed.

Ndume’s reaction follows a recent statement by the Northern Ethnic National Forum, whose convener, Dominic Alancha, had called for the immediate removal of all service chiefs.

The group accused them of incompetence, citing the persistence of insecurity

across the country despite what it described as “huge security funding.”

“The President must appoint fresh and innovative military leaders with a clear mandate and timeline for results,” Alancha said in the statement released on Tuesday.

WAIFEM DG, Baba Musa Elected President, Nigerian Economic Society Vows to reposition group, foster research, innovation, others

James Emejo in Abuja

Director General, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Dr. Baba Yusuf Musa, has been elected 45th President of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES).

Prior to his election, Musa was the Vice President and Council Member of the NES. His emergence as president of remained one of the high points of the 66th Annual Conference of the society which was concluded yesterday in Abuja.

He succeeds Prof. Adeola Adenikinju who bowed out

following his two-year tenure.

In his acceptance speech, the new NES president said, “In the coming months, we will embark on collaborative process to develop a new strategic plan for the Nigerian Economic Society.”

He said the plan will be a collective effort that welcomes the invaluable input of the members, the wisdom of the College of Fellows and Past Presidents, and the dedication of the council members.

He noting that the document will serve as the society’s guide, a “compass to reposition us, define

our future trajectory, and ensure that our actions are deliberate, impactful, and aligned with our shared vision”.

He said the vision will be anchored on four core pillars forming the bedrock of its work including reclaiming NES’ voice through evidence-based advocacy.

Others include investing for tomorrow - youth and capacity building; data revolution - driving research and innovation as well as collective endeavour - fostering partnerships and collaboration and completing the NES building.

He said, “We will establish a new policy advocacy and

engagement committee that will be the bridge between our members’ research and the corridors of power”.

He said, “Let us work together to ensure that the Nigerian Economic Society is not just a society of economists but a society of builders, of innovators, and of patriots. Let us be the voice of reason in a time of uncertainty.

Osun APC Youth leaders from across the state yesterday gave their full support for Senator Iyiola Omisore as their flag bearer for the 2026 governorship election.

The endorsement was made during a meeting at Senator Omisore’s campaign office in Osogbo, where youth leaders

from all 30 local government areas in Osun State including Ife Modakeke were represented.

The local government youth leaders were led to the meeting by the state youth leader.

The youth leaders expressed confidence in Senator Iyiola Omisore’s ability to represent the party’s interests and compete favorably with Governor Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent

Governor of the State, who is also the PDP candidate for the 2026 governorship race.

They described Senator Omisore as a strong and credible candidate who can hold his own against any opponent.

The motion to adopt Senator Iyiola Omisore as the party’s candidate was moved by the state youth leaders and seconded by the state deputy youth leaders.

ing and theatre experience to handle Nigeria’s complex security challenges, and that what they urgently need is robust government support in four key areas.

These according to him are, Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation, which he described as the TEAM approach.

He said, “It is outlandish and uncharitable to accuse the present service chiefs of professional incompetence.

“All of them have the requisite training and experience in theatre operations.

All they need is adequate ammunition and motivation.”

Ndume decried the low morale among troops, particularly in relation to poor remuneration.

According to him, a Nigerian Army private currently earns about N100,000 (roughly $67) per month, while their daily field allowance remains a meagre N5,000, a figure he described as “unconscionable.”

Insecurity: Rights Activist, Kogi Government Raise Concerns over Gruesome Murder of 3 Police Officers

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

human rights activist Osun APC Youth Leaders Support Omisore Kogi-based and Executive Director, Confor Human Rights and as Party Governorship Candidate science Conflicts Resolution, Comrade Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The current security leadership includes Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, all appointed in mid-2023 by President Tinubu.

Ndume, who is representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, dismissed the group’s position as “ill-motivated and unpatriotic,” warning that such rhetoric could undermine troop morale.

“Those pushing for the sack of the present crop of service chiefs have ulterior motives and do not mean well for this administration or Nigerians,” Ndume said in a statement on Thursday.

The Senator whose constituents are regular victims of insurgency, argued that the current military leadership possesses the requisite train-

Idris Miliki, has described the killing of three police men in Okoloke as a call for a new strategy in community resilience the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by Idris Miliki, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday.

Idris explained that the unfortunate murder of these

police officers is condemnable and worrisome, lamenting that for security officers performing their legitimate duties to be killed in such manner is a sad development.

“Despite the efforts of our security men and the state government in recent times, yet this type of madness could still manifest. We sympathize with their family, the Nigeria police force in Kogi State. We urge for holistic community involvement in the security design in our state.

“This unfortunate incident has further reinforced the call for the

creation of state police in Nigeria and the time is now. We call on all communities, villages and local governments in Kogi State to create a security committee in their various locations’ the activist stressed.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government said it received with deep concern reports of security breaches at two flashpoints in the state today, including an attack on security personnel in Yagba West Local Government Area, which tragically led to the loss of some gallant police officers, and a kidnapping incident along the Lokoja-Obajana road.

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NEWS

REPORT ON TOBACCO EXCISE TAX STIMULATION...

L-R: Director, Research Unit, Economics Excisable Products (REEP), University of Cape Town, Professor Corne’ Van Walbeek; Researcher, REEP, Retselisitsoe Pokothoane; Comptroller, Excise Free Trade Zone, Customs Headquarters, Abubakar Yunusa; Representative, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Sarah Bwala; Policy Officer, Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), Kenya, John Thomi; and Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, during the Validation Workshop on the Tobacco Excise Tax Simulation Report for Nigeria, in Abuja, yesterday Photo: ENOCK REUBEN

ADC: Court Declines Request to Temporarily Stop David Mark’s Leadership Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant an application seeking to temporarily restrain the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The judge rather ordered the applicant/ plaintiff to put the defendants on notice and adjourned till next week, to enable the defendants appear before him and show cause why the request should not be granted.

The plaintiff/applicant, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, NafiuBala Gombe is challenging the new leadership of the ADC under the former senate president.

He had through his lawyer, Michael Agber, filed and argued an exparte application, praying the court to restrain the Mark executive from parading themselves as

leaders of the ADC, pending the hearing of the substantive suit.

But, in his ruling delivered on September 4, Justice Nwite, refused to grant the reliefs sought and ordered that the defendants be placed on notice of the suit against them.

Nwite subsequently fixed September 15 for the defendants to come to the court and show why the plaintiff/applicant’s request should not be granted.

Gombe, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, had sued ADC, the National Chairman, Senator Mark, National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Chief Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

Among the reliefs he had sought in the ex-parte motion dated and filed on September 2, included an order of interim injunction

restraining the 4th defendant (INEC) from recognising the 2nd (Mark) and 3rd (Aregbesola) defendants as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the 1st

defendant (ADC) pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

He also sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd and 3rd defendants

their cohorts from parading themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of the 1st defendant, pending hearing in the motion on notice already filed and

served in this matter.

He sought an order restraining the 4th defendant/ respondent from recognising and or dealing with the 2nd and 3rd defendants.

IGP: We Cannot Fight 21st-Century Crime With 20th-Century Tools Linus Aleke in Abuja

data analysis. These are not luxuries; they are necessities.

The Inspector General of And we will continue to Police, Kayode Egbetokun, fight for them until every yesterday said the Nigerian officer on the frontline is Police Force cannot combat equipped to match the 21st-century crime with sophistication of those you face.”

20th-century tools.

Noting that the police Egbetokun made this can no longer continue statement in Abuja during a conference with command- with business as usual, the ers of Border Patrol Bases IGP stressed that policing today can no longer afford across the country.

He said: “That is why we to be reactive.

Crime, he said, is now must embrace technology; surveillance systems, drones, faster, smarter, and more biometric scanners, real-time global than ever before.

“To win, we must anticipate, we must innovate, and

we must outthink those who seek to harm us,” he said.

Egbetokun added: “You, the officers of the Border Patrol Section, carry an enormous responsibility.

You are not just policemen and women. You are the first line of defence against external threats.

“You are the protectors of Nigeria’s sovereignty. Your duties go far beyond routine law enforcement. You are the ones who stop smugglers of weapons and narcotics.

You are the ones who rescue trafficked children before they are lost forever.

“You are the ones who keep criminal syndicates from turning our nation into a playground of lawlessness.

And you do all this while working with sister agencies to ensure that no crack is left open for danger to slip through.

“Let me say this to you: when you mount a checkpoint, when you block a smuggling route, when you rescue a victim—you are not just doing your job; you are shaping the future of Nigeria. But let us be clear: the threats we face are changing every day.

seized 20 containers of illicit drugs and other goods, worth over N13.57billion.

The outgoing Comptroller of the command, also disclosed that under his Command, he surpassed his last target by generating more than N1.1trillion within his service period.

He said on assumption of office last year, as the CAC, of the command, his revenue target was N618 billion; but he

surpassed the target, generating N639 billion.

Babandede disclosed: “My target for last year (2024) was N618 billion; and I was able to generate N639 billion. This year alone, my target is N700 billion. As I am speaking to you, by the end of last month (August), I was able to collect N477 billion.

“So, through your hard work, my officers and men were able to generate over N1.16 trillion.”

Senator Nwoko Urges Igbo to Embrace Kin Outside Southeast ACG Babandede: Onne Customs and Benue states are still Some Anioma people even

By Louis Achi grappling with an identity adopted Benin names be- Command Generated N477bn in 8 Months crisis - an aftermath of the cause soldiers were combing Firmly pushing his mobilisation efforts towards the unification of Ndigbo in Nigeria, Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, has called on Igbos in the Southeast to embrace their brothers and sisters spread across other parts of the country.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the lawmaker stressed that many Igbos scattered across the South-South, Kogi,

Nigerian Civil War. Using the tragic Asaba massacre of 1966 as an example, Nwoko explained that the pogrom forced many Anioma people and other Igbo outside the Southeast to deny their true identity to survive.

“Frightened by the rampaging Nigerian soldiers, many of our people had to renounce their Igbo identity just to escape death.

villages in search of Igbos to kill,” he recalled.

According to him, this tragic history explains why some Igbo groups outside the Southeast still shy away from openly identifying as Igbo.

However, he noted the ongoing restoration of Igbo identity aligns with the vision of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Mohammed Babandede said the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, generated N477 billion this year.

Babandede made the disclosure during a press briefing at the Onne seaport in Rivers State, disclosing the command

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THISDAY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

NEWS

CREATIVE ECONOMY WEEK NIGERIA 2025 PRESS CONFERENCE...

L-R: Programme Director, British Council, Chikodi Onyemerela; Regional Arts Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, British Council, Farai Ncube; Country Director, British Council Nigeria, Donna McGowan; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), Dr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad; and Director of Creative Economy, FMACTCE, Ugochi Akudo-Nwosu; during the Creative Economy Week Nigeria 2025 press conference, held at the British Council, Abuja, yesterday PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Report: Emissions from Biggest Oil Firms Adding to Massive Heatwaves Fossil fuel firms receive $31bn US subsidies annually, study finds

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Carbon emissions from the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies have been directly linked to dozens of deadly heatwaves for the first time, according to a new analysis, a big leap in the legal battle to hold big oil accountable for the damages being caused by the climate crisis.

The research found that the emissions from any one of the 14 biggest companies were by themselves enough to cause more than 50 heatwaves that would otherwise have been virtually impossible, The Guardian reported.

The carbon pollution from ExxonMobil’s fossil fuels, for example, made 51 heatwaves

at least 10,000 times more likely than in an unheated world, the researchers found, as did the emissions from Saudi Aramco.

Global heating is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense across the globe, contributing to at least 500,000 heat-related deaths a year. The searing heatwave that struck the Pacific north-west of the US in

2021 was made almost 3C hotter, for example.

The new research found that the total emissions from the 180 “carbon major” companies included in the analysis were responsible for about half the increase in intensity, with emissions due to forest destruction making up most of the rest. It also found that

the 213 heatwaves studied became 200 times more likely on average from 2010 to 2019 owing to the climate crisis.

The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in July that failing to prevent climate harm could result in having to pay compensation, while a German high court set a legal precedent in May that

fossil fuel companies could be held liable for their contribution.

The research, published in the journal Nature, used a type of analysis called attribution. This compares the hotter world today with the world before mass burning of fossil fuels to assess how emissions have driven up temperatures, using weather data and computer models.

NLC, Ozekhome, Natasha’s Lawyer Condemn Senate over Senator’s Prolonged Suspension

National Assembly and spits on the collective will of the people of Kogi Central who elected Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“From our standpoint, this action is a direct attack on the Nigerian people. It is a declaration by a privileged political elite that they are not accountable to the citizens they purport to serve.

“By willfully disenfranchising an entire senatorial district, the Senate is effectively stealing the political representation for which the people pay taxes.

“This denies Kogi Central its right to participate in lawmaking, oversight, and the appropriation of national resources, directly impoverishing the constituents and perpetuating a system of exclusion and economic injustice.

“It signals to all Nigerians that their votes are meaningless and can be invalidated by the whims of any tyrannical leadership,” it said.

NLC said that it stands on the side of democracy and wishes to state that that Senate’s action is: a calculated test-run for the emasculation of opposition and the subjugation of sovereign will as 2027 approaches.

According to NLC, it is an attempt to punish integrity and honour and hound men and women of conscience out of the political space.

“A Senate that operates as a court in its matter, suspends members, and then ignores the expiry of its own sanctions, is a Senate that has declared

war on the very principles of representative democracy and on our nation.

“We warn the leadership of the National Assembly and their enablers: the Nigerian people, united across ethnic and religious lines, will not stand idly by while you cannibalise our democracy.

“The labour movement, as the historic defender of justice and the common good, will mobilise its immense membership and moral authority to resist this slide into autocracy.

“An attack on one senator today is an attack on the sovereignty of every Nigerian voter tomorrow.”

On his part, Ozekhome stated that, “The Senate’s position weaponises the doctrine of sub judice, turning a principle designed to protect the legal process into a tool of suppression.

By excluding Senator Natasha, the Red Chamber is not just punishing one individual; it is disenfranchising the people of Kogi Central.”

He accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of using legislative power for “personal aggrandizement,” insisting the continued suspension amounted to political victimisation following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s earlier allegations against him.

Ozekhome stressed the Constitution provides only four grounds for losing a legislative seat—defection, conviction, resignation, or recall, adding that none allows indefinite suspension.

Citing precedents, including the Court of Appeal decision in Speaker, Bauchi House of Assembly v. Rifkatu Danna, he argued that courts have consistently ruled that elected representatives cannot be shut out under the guise of internal discipline.

“The Senate is not greater than the Constitution that birthed it. To gag Natasha is to silence Kogi Central. Discipline cannot override democracy,” he declared.

On its part, the legal team representing Senator Natasha insisted that Senator AkpotiUduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, has a constitutional right to resume her legislative duties and that no administrative barrier can override that.

Part of the letter, obtained by THISDAY in Abuja on Thursday read, “Our client’s right to resume her parliamentary duties, after the expiration of her fixed-term suspension, is rooted in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“It cannot be abridged by administrative fiat or internal Senate maneuverings,” the letter stated.

The controversy stems from a letter dated September 4, 2025, in which the Clerk claimed he could not act on Senator AkpotiUduaghan’s planned resumption because the matter was “sub judice” and still awaiting a final judicial pronouncement.

But the Senator’s legal

team said this explanation is not only flawed, but part of a “deliberate attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people of Kogi Central.”

“It is either ill-advised or deliberately contrived to deprive our client of the constitutional mandate freely bestowed upon her by the constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District,” the letter stated.

They argued that the Clerk, as a non-elected official, lacks any constitutional authority to prevent or delay the resumption of a Senator who has completed a suspension.

“Your functions are purely ministerial: to record, transmit, and implement decisions duly made by the Senate or directed by the courts,” the letter noted.

“By assuming powers you do not possess, you have acted ultra vires, and placed both yourself personally and your office in contempt of the Constitution and binding judicial orders,” the lawyers argued.

The lawyers said the Clerk’s position is based on a “grave misapplication” of the sub judice rule, which they described as a self-imposed restraint on parliamentary debate, not an administrative tool to block constitutional rights or defy court judgments.

The letter further read, “Our client’s resumption of her legislative duties does not prejudice the pending appeal.

“It is rather your obstruction that prejudices the outcome of the appeal by presuming that

the Senate will succeed.

“Pending appeals cannot justify extending a sanction which, by its own terms, has expired,” the letter added.

The legal team chronicled a series of incidents that they claimed amounted to deliberate judicial defiance by the Senate leadership and the Clerk’s office.

They cited the March 4, 2025, interim order by Justice Egwuatu restraining the Senate from proceeding with disciplinary action, which was ignored.

They also referenced the July 4, 2025, judgment by Justice Binta Nyako, which declared the suspension unlawful and ordered the Senator’s recall, a judgment, they said, the Senate had refused to act upon, dismissing it as merely “advisory.”

The letter also alleged that, “In spite of its knowledge of the subsisting Court Order, the Senate nevertheless proceeded to suspend our client for an excessive period of six (6) months.

“Your office facilitated and enabled the unlawful enforcement of the suspension by restricting our client’s access to the National Assembly and seizing her emoluments,” the letter read.

They pointed out that even if the suspension were assumed valid, it expired on or about September 6, 2025. At that point, the lawyers claimed, the Senate became functus officio, and had no further power to extend or modify the sanction.

Any continued effort to block

her resumption, they argued, would amount to punishing her twice for the same alleged offence.

The letter demanded the immediate facilitation of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return to the Senate chambers, warning that any further obstruction would trigger legal action against the Clerk personally and in his official capacity.

The letter read, “We hereby demand that you immediately facilitate Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan’s resumption of her legislative duties without further obstruction.

“Take notice that failure to comply by Monday, 15th September 2025, will leave us with no alternative but to initiate proceedings against you.”

The threatened actions include committal for contempt, disciplinary measures for breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, and potential liability for inciting a breach of the peace.

“We strongly advise that you reconsider your untenable stance and comply with the Constitution and extant judicial orders,” the letter concluded.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension earlier this year drew widespread criticism from civil society and legal experts, many of whom described it as politically motivated.

As the September 15 deadline draws near, pressure is mounting on the National Assembly to honour the court’s ruling and allow her to resume her constitutional duties.

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FRIday september 12, 2025 • T H i s d ay

NEWS

DANGOTE CEMENT AT THE NIGERIAN EXCHANGE…

L-R: Group Chairman, NGX Group, Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga; Chairman, Dangote Cement Plc, Emmanuel Ikazoboh; Group Managing Director/CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, Arvind Pathak; Board Member, Dangote Cement Plc, Mariya Dangote, at the “Facts Behind the Figures” presentation on the floor of the NGX in Lagos…recently

Emir of Ilorin Expresses Concern over Prevailing Insecurity in Nigeria Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, yesterday expressed deep concern over the prevailing

insecurity situation across the country.

The emir, however, commended governments at all levels for their proactiveness in ensuring that the dastardly act is seriously condemned and nipped in the bud.

The monarch stated this in Ilorin on the sidelines of the special prayers organised in his palace to seek God’s intervention over the ugly development.

The prayer was attended

by Alhaji Razaq Jiddah, Alhaji Saadudeen Salaudeen, and other top

government functionaries who represented the state government w,h,ile the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, was also in attendance.

Other stakeholders at the prayers session were led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Imam

Solih, and attended by the traditional chiefs across Ilorin Emirate, Islamic scholars, associations, and party chieftains.

He expressed total commitment to complementing the government’s efforts in the fight against insecurity, among other social vices.

The emir noted that the efforts of Governor AbdulRazaq in fighting insecurity and banditry in the state cannot be overemphasised.

He stressed the need for traditional institutions to be a strong vanguard of the actualisation of the desired peace in the state.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

meeting and inauguration of the disability inclusion technical working group for implementation of the protocol to the African Charter on human and people rights and the right of person with disabilities and the discrimination against person in Abuja,

the EU representative at the meeting, Winfred Achu, asked for urgent reforms to remove barriers limiting access to financial services.

Achu, while highlighting the physical challenges many people with disabilities face when trying to access Nigerian banks,

including tight and poorly designed entrance that are especially unfriendly to wheelchair users and those with mobility devices, said: “You can imagine what it is like for people who are wheelchair users or even persons who use a physical device.”

Lasaco Assurance Maintains Strong “A(NG)” Rating EU, NHRC Demand Reforms to Enforce Disability Rights sound risk-adjusted Ebere Nwoji Global Credit Rating agency, (GCR) has conferred on Lasaco Assurance Plc, the financial strength rating of A(NG) with a Stable Outlook.

This marks the third consecutive year that Lasaco Assurance has maintained this strong rating, underscoring the insurer’s commitment to financial strength, stability, and sustainable growth.

GCR said the affirmation reflects Lasaco Assurance’s

capitalisation and solid liquidity position, strengthened by the recent N10.8 billion capital injection through private placement.

Commenting, Lasaco Assurance management said as of June 30, 2025, the company’s shareholders’ fund rose significantly by 80.2 per cent to N22.1 billion, boosting the firm’s capital adequacy ratio to 3.6x a clear indication of improved loss-absorbing capacity and resilience.

IG Arraigns Ministry Director, Others over Land Grab in Lagos

Wale Igbintade

The Inspector-General of Police (IG) has arraigned Julius Eshiet, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, and Alabi Collins, a director in the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban before transformation and Development, organisational agility can shape the future of work include: immediate past Yinka Kolawole in Managing Director, Distel Osogbo Wines and Spirits, Adenrele Onikosi; Managing Director/ Osun State Governor, Adeleke, CEO, Conegelics Consulting Ademola International Ltd., Christabel has expanded the Onyejekwe; Board Chair,Africa administration’s start-up Prudential Plc, Mr. Yemi Ajayi; grant programme with Head of Human Resources 2,000 new beneficiaries, at SYNLAB Nigeria and HR Lead for SYNLAB Emerging Markets across 13 countries, Ijeoma Onyenobi; Head Sunday Ehigiator of Diversity and Inclusion at Nigeria LNG, Akinola The Knights of St. John Akinwole; Chief Human International (KSJI) and Resources Officer at Pan Ocean Ladies Auxiliary (LAUX), Grand, have Oil Corporation (Nigeria) Lagos yesterday, rolled out plans Limited, Folorunso Aliu.

Leo Stan Ekeh, Others for ICM Conference The Institute of Change Management (ICM) has concluded arrangements for its maiden annual conference with the theme: “Navigating to the Future: Synchronising People, Processes and Technology for the Next Era of Change.”

According to a statement by the media office of the Institute, founder of Zinox Technologies Limited and Chairman of Konga.com, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, is the keynote speaker at the epoch two-day event scheduled for September 25 - 26 2025 at the NECAHall, Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.

Other eminent thought leaders also lined up as panelists at the conference to explore how digital

The European Union (EU) has raised serious concerns over the inaccessibility of banking services by over 35,000 persons with disabilities in the country.

Speaking at a consultative

Justice Akinwunmi Idowu of the Lagos State High Court over alleged forgery, illegal occupation, and forceful takeover of land in Ikeja GRA. The defendants face a 13-count charge relating to the disputed property measuring 9,425 square

yards at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, also known as No. 6 (formerly No. 37A) Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja.

According to court filings dated September 1, 2025, prosecuting counsel, Rotshang Dimka of the Police Force headquarters, Abuja, said the case

arose from a July 1, 2024, petition by Viagem Property and Investment Limited.

Viagem accused the defendants and one Yemi Kazeem Balogun of land grabbing, malicious damage, and forging land documents.

Adeleke Expands Start-Up Grants to 2,000 Youth/Women inclusive of women and youths.

The governor, who also flaunted his government records in cooperative financing for small businesses, said the event is not just another ceremony; it is a bold statement of

his commitment to peoplecentred governance and inclusive development.

According to the governor, “We are gathered here for the presentation of Business Registration Certificates, Point-of-Sale Terminals (POS), and Start-

Up Grants to 2,000 women and youth beneficiaries of the Imole Business Empowerment Scheme 1.0, organized by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Empowerment in partnership with First Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc.”

Knights of St. John, Ladies Auxiliary to Celebrate 30th Anniversary for their 30th anniversary celebration from October 10 to 12, 2025, in recognition of service to God and country.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Media Sub-Committee, Noble

Fred Chukwuelobe, the anniversary themed ‘Celebrating 30 Years of Service to God and Country’, is set to take place at the Church of Ascension, Murtala

Muhammed International Airport Road, Ikeja, under the distinguished chairmanship of Professor Obiora Okonkwo, who is the Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines.

C FRIday september 12, 2025 • T H i s d ay

45

NEWSxtra

PARTNERING TO BOOST AGRICULTURE...

L-R: Manager, Commercial Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Bunmi Falana; Agbeyewa Technical Partner on Mechanisation from Brazil, Mr Pascoal D Andrea Filho; Vice President, Operations,Agbeyewa Farms, Anthonia Attoh; Managing Director, Agbeyewa Farms Limited, OSKA Seyi Ayeleso; Technical Partner on Mechanisation, Mr. Liviston Teles Sena; and Manager, Agric-Business, Lagos and Southwest, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Joshua Obisesan, during a visit by the Brazilian partners on tour of Agbeyewa Farms in Ikole Ekiti...recently

Fake Army Colonel Arrested for N1.37m Employment Scam in Ondo Fidelis David in Akure

The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a suspected notorious impersonator, Abdullahi Saliu, who allegedly posed as a Colonel in the Nigerian Army to swindle unsuspecting victims of N1,377,000.

Saliu deceitfully promised employment opportunities in the Nigeria Customs and CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as Isreal Chineye divine, now wish to be known and address as Odozi Chineye divine . All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Sulaimon Adebimpe Adebowale now wish to be known and addressed as Adeoye Adebimpe Adebowale. All documents bearing remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, EZUGWU MATINS CHINWE, my name was wrongly spelt and written as EZUGWU MATHEW CHINWE, that correct name is now EZUGWU MATINS CHINWE S written on my NIN . All former documents remain valid, the general public and Zenith Bank should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Chukwueroke Linda Ukwerenwa now wish to be known and addressed as Eroke-okafor Linda Ukwerenwa. All documents bearing remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Ekop Ukoh now wish to be known and addressed as Ekop Uko Obong. All documents bearing remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to notify the general public that I, ODEH ISIOMA WILLIAMS, and ODEH WILLIAMS I., refer to the same person and now wish to be known and address as ODEH WILLIAMS ISIOMA. All former documents remain valid, the general public should take note.

Immigration Services to two victims, Oshoade Janet and Daisi Remilekun Joy, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ayanlade Olusola, said in a statement issued yesterday.

He said the state Police Command’s operatives

tracked down Saliu to a hotel in Akure, the state capital, after diligent investigation, revealing that the suspect’s operations spanned multiple states,

including Edo, Delta, Kogi, and Ondo.

According to him, “The suspect deceitfully lured and defrauded two unsuspecting female

victims, Oshoade Janet and Daisi Remilekun Joy, under the false pretext of securing employment opportunities for their sons in the Nigeria Customs and Immigration

Services.

“Through this fraudulent scheme, he obtained the sum of N1,377,000, which he subsequently converted to his personal use.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network (CPN), Kunle Olubiyo, who earlier confirmed his death in a condolence message, also posted a video of the laying to rest of the director described as a dedicated

employee of the REA. Alhasan, a friendly official of the agency, who exuded warmth, reportedly died during REA’s stakeholders’ roundtable with Akwa Ibom State. His death has attracted tributes from power and energy sector stakeholders

in the country.

Alhasan, a senior official of the REA, who recently underwent a surgery fell during the meeting and efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful, THISDAY learnt. Sources said he was later confirmed dead.

Rural Electrification Director, Alhasan, Slumps, Dies in Abuja UNICEF Calls More Allocation An acting Director at the Electrification Agency of Resources Rural (REA), Dr Ahmed Alhasan, to Children’s who slumped and died at an official event on Wednesday, Welfare was yesterday buried at the

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for greater allocation of resources to areas that guarantee children’s welfare and development.

The agency stated this at a three-day training for heads of budget planning in key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Anambra State.

No fewer than 36 persons from the Ministries of Budget and Economic Planning, Youth Development, Women Affairs, Finance, Health, Agriculture, Education, Local Government, among others, are participating in the ongoing workshop.

A UNICEF Consultant and resource person at the workshop, Dr. Sola Omoju, said during the opening ceremony in Awka that, as a very important development partner to Nigeria at both the state and federal levels, the world body has been working within the context of the United Nations to provide support on issues concerning children.

Gudu cemetery in Abuja.

Expand, Mechanise Your Farms, Niger Govt Agency Tasks Farmers Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Executive Chairman of Niger Foods Security System and Logistics Company Limited, a Niger State Government agricultural development agency, Mr. Sammy Adigun, has called on traditional and community leaders

in the state to play active roles in sensitising their people on the vision and opportunities of the Niger State Foods initiatives.

Specifically, Adigun urged farmers in the state to expand and mechanise their farms for them to record huge profits from farming.

Adigun, during an interface with district and village heads of communities in the Akare district of Wushishi Local Government Area, in his office yesterday, emphasised the need for collective support in mobilising farmers and providing access to arable land for

agricultural development in the area and the state.

Adigun assured the delegation that the company is committed to equipping farmers with modern tools, skills, and resources to boost food production in the state, thereby creating wealth for people in rural areas.

Realtor Hints on Tactics Used by Land Grabbers

Ayodeji Ake

The Chief Executive Officer of Efficacy Development Plc and a real estate expert, Dr. Oyeleke Ajiboye, has shared his experience and valuable insights on land purchase.

He highlighted the tactics

used by land grabbers and certain ‘Omoonile’ (local landowners) who falsely present themselves as customary landowners, deceiving individuals and leading them to lose their hard-earned money when purchasing property, particularly in

areas under government schemes and those subject to government acquisition, as indicated in the 1993 acquisition gazette.

According to Oyeleke, lands under government acquisition are divided into two categories: Global Acquisition, which refers

to land that does not have a specific government purpose yet and may later be released via excision or ratification; and ‘Committed Acquisition’, which designates land for specific public projects (e.g., infrastructure and housing schemes).

PIA: Rivers, Varsity to Sensitise Local Communities Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Government, in partnership with the Centre for Advanced Law Research at Rivers State University, and F1 Team Associates, has expressed its commitment

to educate local government officials and stakeholders on Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provisions and their implications for host communities.

The two-day sensitisation programme is scheduled to be held on September 22 and 23, 2025, in Port

Harcourt.

The Lead Consultant of F1 Team Associates, Jude Ndubuisi, during a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, noted that the PIA, enacted in 2021, is a landmark legislation that consolidates existing laws governing the Nigerian

petroleum industry.

He explained that a notable feature of the Act is its dedication of an entire chapter to Petroleum Host Community Development, which introduces the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) and a board to oversee the Trust.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 • T H I S D AY

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION Brazil’s Bolsonaro and the Mirror Held Up to Nigeria

life breathing when the room grows thin. A court that can try the powerful is a shock absorber against the worst political instincts, but only if its budget cannot be manipulated and its appointments cannot be influenced. We must learn, too, to speak about due process in a language that the street can understand, because accountability without public comprehension curdles into grievance and then into conspiracy. When political losers start to call judges’ enemies of the people, what stands between a nation and the cliff is trust, well-earned and plainly explained.

Elections are the other hinge. Confidence in the vote is not a device; it is a chain of events.

Technology helps, but the moral force of the results comes from the links surrounding it: transparent tabulation, auditable trails, open data, and independent observers who are not treated as tolerated nuisances. Disputes should be resolved in courts that are fast, credible, and final—so that politics can grieve its losses and move on. The alternative is not only uncertainty; it is the creeping normalisation of threats, the flirtation with soldiers, the quiet logistics of mischief—fuel here, a convoy there, a rehearsal of “escort” that is not an escort at all. Transparency in governance is not just a buzzword; it’s a shield against uncertainty and a promise of a fair and just system.

Then there is the fog that settles over any democracy under stress: polarisation that turns rivals into traitors, and disinformation that makes the truth feel like just another opinion.

Brazil’s lesson is that this is not merely a media problem, but a governance problem. You attack it with rules for transparent political advertising, with consequences for coordinated inauthentic behaviour, with independent fact-checking that has real reach and is not captured by anyone’s patronage. And you create habits of cross-party dialogue that feel tedious when times are calm, so they can be lifesaving when tempers rise.

Authoritarian shortcuts will always be marketed as a sign of courage. They are seductive because they are fast, and it is tempting to mistake speed for effectiveness. But the “tough” solutions that work are the dull ones: professional prosecutors

with insulation from political pressure; procurement that is transparent rather than opaque; internal controls that actually bite; emergency powers with clear sunsets; and oversight that cannot be wished away. Populists ask us to trade law for resolve; the bill always arrives, and it is always expensive.

Civil–military relations deserve candour. Coups in this era rarely kick down doors at dawn; they creep. Statements first, then escorts, then the withholding of logistics, then a hint that someone knows better than the ballot. The line must be bright: soldiers defend the republic; they do not referee its politics. Parliamentary scrutiny, career

penalties for anti-constitutional flirtations, civic education inside the ranks—these are the kinds of quiet investments that keep uniforms where they belong when tempers flare outside the barracks.

Legitimacy also lives or dies in the encounter between a citizen and a police officer. Use-of-force policies mean little if not enforced; body-worn cameras without independent oversight are expensive jewellery. Every unlawful killing that passes without consequence empties another cup of trust. Protecting minority rights and cultural expression is not an indulgence; it is fidelity to the promise written on our national paper.

Religion, finally, asks for a wise state. Evangelical blocs are organised, well-funded, and global.

They are not going away, nor should they be treated as intruders in public life. The answer is principled engagement under a secular compact: transparent lobbying rules, curricula grounded in rights and critical thinking, equal protection for those most easily offered up to the fires of a culture war—women, LGBTQ citizens, dissenters.

When policy is smuggled through pulpits, the constitution shrinks. Civic education is not just a tool; it’s a responsibility we all share to ensure a fair and just society.

Beyond the cautions, Brazil also offers a map of opportunity. We can insulate Africa–Brazil ties from ideology and electoral weather. Cultural exchanges that are more than a spectacle—shared archives of Yoruba–Candomblé history, residencies that travel, and festivals that return—can deepen the bridge. Universities can establish joint chairs in public health, agrotech, and energy transition, with scholarships protected from the fluctuations of politics. Trade can grow, anchored by transparency that prevents yesterday’s corruption from setting tomorrow’s terms. Security cooperation, where sensible, should borrow from best practice in de-escalation, not the choreography of militarised crowd control that both our societies must unlearn.

If we need a dashboard for danger at home, it is not hard to assemble. Watch budgets and tenures for signs of an axe hovering over courts and election bodies. Listen for the “stop the count” chant hiding in different words. Track the botnets and WhatsApp chains that turn rumours into

rage. Read proposed laws for the quiet ambition to muzzle NGOs and journalists—especially those painted as “foreign-funded,” as if patriotism were a matter of bank accounts. Notice when lethal policing is shrugged off as the acceptable price of order. Notice when a religious bloc treats rights as negotiable. And build coalitions that can move when red lines are crossed—bar associations, media, student unions, labour, business—because institutions are only as brave as the people who stand up for them.

In the near term, lock in budgets for courts and the electoral commission by formula rather than favour. Force transparency in political advertising—who paid, how much, to whom—and open election data to the public eye. Establish an independent police oversight authority that not only recommends but also refers cases for prosecution. Over the next few years, scrub party finance with real-time disclosure and hard ceilings.

Over the longer arc, complete the arduous work of professionalising police and prosecution; and remember the past by memorialising victims of unlawful state force, so that the future knows where the line is.

Reform becomes a press release if not enforced and measured. Count how long it takes to resolve election disputes and whether orders are enforced.

Count the use-of-force incidents and how many lead to prosecution. Count the rights cases that are upheld when it is difficult, not only when it is easy. Numbers do not save democracies, but they help us know if we are saving them.

Brazil teaches a quiet moral. Democracy is not a feeling; it is a habit. When truth-telling, lawful constraint, and equal dignity are practised daily, they develop muscle memory. When they are neglected, strongmen step into the slack and sell us certainty. We do not have to learn these lessons in the heat of our own crisis. We can now build the scaffolding: courts that breathe freely, elections that persuade both winners and losers, security that protects as much as it deters, and a political culture that treats opponents as rivals, not enemies. The mirror across the Atlantic offers both a warning and a promise. What we do with the reflection is still up to us.

Professor J Isawa Elaigwu – The Exit of a Mentor close. I was his junior intellectual sparring partner Power in Nigeria (2012).

Professor Elaigwu took active interest not just in because he would often email an opinion to me and ask me what I thought of it. Initially I was my publishing firm but also in my career, strongly too deferential to disagree with his opinions but encouraging me to return ‘home’ and run it from I also quickly found out that he preferred me here. When I began writing a back page column to disagree with him or to “debate” him as he for the Daily Trust (2010-2020), Professor Elaigwu would put it. Our publishing company also became would often email comments or critiques of some his preferred European publisher. In 2006, we of my writings.

Sometime in 2010, Jennifer (Jamila) Abubakar, published his very important work, A Tale of two Africas: South Africa and Nigeria as Contrasting then a wife to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar Visions. In a book I edited in 2009 titled: Who is and one of our authors, asked me if I would like an African? Identity, Citizenship and the Making to return to Nigeria to help in her husband’s of the Africa Nation, Professor Mazrui contributed presidential campaign. Atiku had then challenged two chapters as well as the Preface to the book. President Jonathan for the PDP’s presidential ticket.

Professor Elaigwu facilitated Gowon writing the I enthusiastically accepted the offer and was part of Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential campaign team Foreword to the book.

In 2011 we also published Public Intellectuals from October 2010 to December 2010. The three and the Politics of Global Africa: Essays in Honour month stay during the campaign, among others, of Ali A. Mazrui which was edited by Seifudein gave me the opportunity to meet Professor Elaigwu Adem, then Associate Director of Mazrui’s Institute face-to-face which further cemented our relationship.

After Atiku failed to get the presidential ticket, of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University, USA. Professor Mazrui also became an adviser to I returned to the UK but relocated back to the African Renaissance. It was perhaps the recognition country in early 2011. Professor Elaigwu was of our close relationship that when he transited insistent that I needed “an academic address” to glory on October 12 2014, I was appointed and facilitated my appointment as a Lecturer in co-editor of the book of worldwide tributes to him. the Department of Political Science at Nasarawa The book titled, A Giant Tree has Fallen: Tributes State University, Keffi. He invited me to several to Ali Al-Amin Mazrui was published in 2016 by events organized by his Institute of Governance African Perspectives Publishers of South Africa. and Social Research (IGSR), Jos, and occasionally sent me to other institutions to present papers in his behalf. Despite his deteriorating health in the Meeting Professor Elaigwu Professor Mazrui introduced me to his former last ten years or so, Professor Elaigwu continued student and mentee, eminent Nigerian political to write, and remained intellectually alert. For scientist, Professor Jonah Isawa Elaigwu. We instance, in June 2025, he sent the manuscript, bonded very quickly, with our publishing company Leadership and Governance in Africa, which publishing the international edition of a number he asked me to read over and index for him. It of his previously published books, including will now be one of two books he wrote which his magnum opus, Gowon: The Biography of a would be published posthumously – the other Soldier-Statesman. Professor Elaigwu also introduced being, Nigeria: A Compendium of Selected Violent me to a number of people in his circle including Conflicts 1980-2021.

Professor Elaigwu was not just an academic Dan Agbese, one of the founders of the iconic Newswatch magazine who was later to publish mentor but also a general adviser. As an adviser he with us one of the most authoritative biographies primarily used two methods – one was the use of of former military president Babangida entitled, wits and humour. For instance, in 2015, Professor Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Politics And Elaigwu and I were among three Nigerian scholars

invited to a global conference of Africanists in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss how to institutionalize the intellectual legacies of Professor Ali Mazrui who died a year earlier. We flew with Kenyan Airways.

I am a self-confessed coward in several areas of life including heights and flying. Professor Elaigwu sat just on the seat in front of me. I was getting really uncomfortable with the bumpy turbulence and whispered several times to him, “Prof, this is getting out of hand”. He would part me on the shoulder and whisper back, “Everyone here is as afraid as you are. They hide their fears. So hide your own too.”

At other times he would resort to the ‘Socratic method’, in which he would ask a series of questions so that in the end you would take the decision yourself. For instance, shortly after Buhari came to power in 2015, a number of academics and public intellectuals received forms (presumably from the Office of the then Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai) asking them to list areas they would like to serve in the government. At that time Buhari did not have a cabinet or even advisers and there were a lot of idealisms and expectations from the new government.

I received one of such forms. Though I appreciated the honour of being approached, I was conflicted because I was a known critic of Buhari and the APC through my column in the Daily Trust. I went to consult a number of individuals I held in esteem – Bishop Matthew Kukah, Fr. George Ehusani and of course Professor Elaigwu.

“So you are concerned that as a critic, a political appointment would silence your voice?”, he asked with grandfather type of wise grin.

“Of course that is a big part of it”, I answered.

He smiled again. “I think you are wrong on that. A political appointment does not stop anyone from being a critic. It merely transforms you from being a critic for public applause into putting your criticisms as a memo and in a nicer language”.

He then asked several other questions: What would you hope to accomplish by holding that office? How well do you sleep, because once you get a political appointment you will also realize

that sleep is a luxury and privilege?

While we spoke quite often on the phone, the last time I saw him was when I went to record his goodwill message for my Inaugural Lecture in November 2024. Though he had become weaker as the years went by, he insisted on walking me to the door. When in the early hours of July 22 2025 I received a phone call from one of his daughters, I knew immediately that the worst had happened.

For the next 24 hours, the shock of his transition was overwhelming. Professor Elaigwu was a good man.

Born in Otukpo, Benue State, on March 10, 1948, Professor Elaigwu transited to glory in Jos, Plateau State, around 2 AM, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, aged 77 years. He was the President of the Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR), based in Jos, and a foremost authority both in comparative federalism and on civil-military relations. He is credited with writing the concept paper for the National Council on Inter-Governmental Relations (NCIR) of which he became the D-G, and which ran for about four years before it was scrapped by the Abacha regime.

From teaching at Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Elaigwu moved to the University of Jos, where he was able to bring the legendary Ali Mazrui to hold a concurrent Faculty Chair in the department. He was variously an Executive Committee Member, Research Committee on Federalism and Federation; Chairman, Board of Trustees, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); Member, Presidential Advisory Committee at the Presidency and a Director, New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) of yore.

A Night of Tributes would be held for him in Abuja on October 10, 2025 at AIB Events, City Park, 138 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent; a Service of Songs would hold in Jos on October 14, 2025 at No.5 Jonah Jang Way, Old Airport Road, Jos, while his Wake-Keep would take place in Otukpo, Benue State at No. 1 Stephen Isawa Elaigwu Street, Otukpo.

Adieu Prof!

Jair Messias Bolsonaro

47

THISDAY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

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Mikel Calls for Total Overhaul of NFF If Eagles Fail to Qualify for World Cup

Oliseh Insists: “If we are going to keep Eric Chelle as Super Eagles coach, the next step is for the government to bring foreigners as our football administrators” Duro Ikhazuagbe Former Captain of the Super Eagles, John Obi Mikel, has insisted that the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has no business staying a day longer should the team fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Speaking yesterday on his Obi One Podcast,the former Chelsea stalwart stressed that it was absurd for Nigeria, the biggest footballing nation in the African continent to miss the FIFA World Cup twice in a row.

“I feel for my people that Nigeria is not going to qualify for a second World Cup in a row.

They are going to be devastated right now that for the second time, we are not going to qualify for the World Cup,” began the former Nigerian international who won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea amongst other trophies.

Mikel didn’t mince words by insisting that the entire board of the NFF should vacate office should Eagles miss the cut at the end of the qualifiers in October.

“If we don’t make it to the World Cup, I think the whole board of the NFF need to go.

They have to go if we don’t qualify for the World Cup. I am saying right now because it is

not acceptable that we are not going to qualify for the World Cup twice in a row,” observed the obviously infuriated former midfielder.

He restated that Nigeria remains the biggest footballing nation in Africa.

“We are the biggest footballing country in Africa. I don’t care what anybody says. Yes, Egypt have Mo Salah but Nigeria is the biggest football country when it comes to African football.

“Twice we don’t qualify?

Something is definitely wrong somewhere. A drastic change has to be done. If the government has to be involved, let it be done. I don’t care . They have to get involved. Because it is not acceptable. If we don’t qualify a second time, it is just not acceptable.”

Mikel equally admired that the players should share in the blame but the bulk of the blame rest with the leadership of the federation.

“I agree that the players should take responsibility (for the non qualification) for the failure to qualify for 2026 World Cup but the biggest problem is from the top. When I talk about Nigerian football I become emotional just like talking about Chelsea.

“You have to make the players

conducive and motivated when they come back home to play for Nigeria. Right now, nobody is making that possible. That is probably why second time in a row, we are going to miss the World Cup. This is unbelievable!”

The 2013 AFCON winner in South Africa further agreed that anything can still happen in the remaining two games in the qualifying rounds but should Eagles fail to reach the playoffs

and get the ticket to the World Cup, government must take a drastic action to stop the drift.

“Yes, we have two games left but we still need to support the players, stay behind the team.

“However, should they fail to make it to the 2026 World Cup, drastic changes have to be done in Nigerian football.

They whole board of the NFF has to go,” concludes Mikel Speaking in the same vein, another former Captain of the

Super Eagles. Sunday Oliseh, who has never hidden his dislike for the manner the NFF leadership is running the country’s football, has also called for foreigners to take over the affairs of the federation if those saddled with it don’t know what to do.

“I am a fanatical fan of the Nigerian brand. I am in total disagreement with foreigners running our football. Any Nigerian who thinks otherwise

should give up his passport. The moment we believe that another race is better than ourselves in managing our football then something is wrong.

“If we are going to keep Eric Chelle as Super Eagles coach, the next step is for the government to bring foreigners as our football administrators. May be that will make them realise that we are killing the game in Nigeria,” concludes the FIFA Technical Study Group member.

Super Eagles need more than prayers in their remaining two games to qualify for the playoffs

Fani-Kayode Denies Link to Chukwuma Blasts NFF Board over NFF Presidency, Blasts ‘419 Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup Mishap Blogs’ for Fake Reports because they don’t have what it Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja government to cease wasting guess is as good as mine.

Wale Igbintade

Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has strongly denied reports linking him to the Presidency of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), dismissing them as “fake news” orchestrated by “419 blogs.”

In a statement issued yesterday, Fani-Kayode said he had no interest in football or the leadership of the NFF and described as false the claims that he had entered and subsequently withdrawn from the race for the presidency position.

“It has been brought to my attention that fake quotes are being attributed to me by various unknown blogs claiming that I have an interest in being Chairman (President) of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and that I have now decided to step down from the race to support someone else,” he said.

“This is all fake news. I know nothing about the NFF, I have no

interest in the NFF or who leads it, I have no interest in football and thankfully I have not been approached or nominated for such a position by anyone, and if I had, I would have respectfully declined,” he added.

The former minister, popularly known as FFK, condemned what he called an “insulting attempt” to drag his name into football politics and urged members of the public to disregard the reports.

“I am not a footballer and I could not care less who the NFF Chairman is or will be. I urge the 419 and criminal blogs that are attributing these quotes to me and coming up with such fake stories to desist from doing so and leave me out of their mess,” he stated.

Fani-Kayode further cautioned that any news or quotes not published on his official website (femifanikayode.org) or verified social media handles should be treated with suspicion.

The proprietor of Gabros International FC, Gabriel Chukwuma, has berated the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) saying the incompetence of the men at the Sunday Dankaro Secretariat of the Football House caused the Super Eagles to be out of contention for a place in the 2026 World Cup holding in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Super Eagles have continued to huff and puff in the World Cup Group C qualifying campaign prompting an outlash from Chukwuma, incidentally a former Vice Chairman of the NFF. He blasted the current NFF board for ignoring entreaties to hire a world-class coach and for also misleading President Bola Tinubu and football loving Nigerians into believing that the World Cup ticket was within their reach.

He charged the federal

further money on the World Cup and urged the NFF board to honourably throw in the towel or allow another person to take over.

“I said it that time that if they needed results, they should do the right thing by getting a world-class coach. But because they wanted to share money with unqualified coaches, they ignored me and today, your

“They were making Nigerians believe they had the magic wand with which to grab the World Cup ticket without knowing that they had nothing to offer. Now, they are giving Nigerians the impression that all hope is not lost, hoping that the Super Eagles will qualify for the play-off. Anybody thinking that a play-off is possible is further deceiving Nigerians,

takes to be at the World Cup,” Chukwuma said.

He blasted the NFF board headed by Ibrahim Gusau of failing to maximise the potential in the Super Eagles who were playing individual football and finding it difficult to score goals despite having former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen and reigning one, Ademola Lookman in the squad.

Lakowe Lakes Golf Club Announces N30m Purse for 2025 Tourney

Lakowe Lakes Golf Club has announced over N30million purse to be won at the upcoming 2025 Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic, with 30 of the topmost professional players in the country and invited players across Africa on parade.

The event will tee off from Friday September 26th to Sunday 28th in Lagos

According to Femi Olagbenro, Golf Manager at Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate, “The Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic is themed: “The Emerald Invitational”, and It underscores our commitment to hosting world-class events and positioning our facility as a hub for golf development. We are excited to bring together some of the best golfers in the country

to compete at the highest level.”

The tournament will be staged on both the Par 3 course, and the Par 72 Championship Lakowe Lakes Golf Course.

This year’s event is supported

by Oando Nigeria, GAC Motors, Providus Bank, ARM Holding Company, Mixtafrica, Newmark, International Breweries and many more.

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

Price: N400

back page lead photograph

MID-TERM ASSESSMENT AND INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH RHI NATIONAL SCHOLARS...

L-R: Wife of Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima; First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu; Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; and Director General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, during the Mid-Term Assessment and Interactive Session with Renewed Hope Initiative National Scholars, held in Abuja on Tuesday PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

DakukuPeterside Beneath the Surface

Brazil’s Bolsonaro and the Mirror Held Up to Nigeria

B

razil is often described as the world’s second-largest African nation, and this is evident everywhere—in the rhythms that move a crowd, in the devotion of Candomblé (a religion with roots in West African Yoruba culture), and in the language that carries West African echoes across the oceans. Yet Brazil also shows how a country can celebrate the symbols of its Black heritage while turning away from the people who keep that heritage alive. The myth of “racial democracy” makes for a beautiful poster; the streets tell a different story. Brazilian society remains shaped by a system of social exclusion, where the darker-skinned segments Jair Messias Bolsonaro of the population are controlled through force Into this landscape stepped Jair Bolsonaro, and systematically marginalized from public life.

It is a paradox with familiar contours, and it and with him a promise that the old, punishing invites Nigerians to look in a mirror we might certainties could be restored: discipline in the place of debate, loyalty in the place of law, force in the prefer to avoid.

place of reform. This gave him the presidency of Brazil October 2018 election. He preached a politics of the clenched fist—shoot your way through crime, sneer your way past dissent, mock your way past the poor. Evangelical megachurches offered pulpits and media reach, reactionary elites found a champion who would roll back the tide of inclusion, and digital disinformation did the quiet work of turning neighbours into suspects.

But after his presidency and re-election shenanigans, Bolsonaro faces five allegations: attempting a coup, participating in an armed criminal group, attempting to violently dismantle the democratic rule of law, and two charges related to the destruction of state property. It felt, for a while, like a past Brazil had chosen to bury was climbing back upstairs and trying on the keys again. Electoral malfeasance and dogged hold on to power at all costs was demonstrated

JideoforAdibe

by Bolsonaro and his supporters. However, something else also happened, something less dramatic yet more consequential: democracy held on to transparency and free and fair election.

Institutions remembered their purpose. Courts drew lines. Electoral authorities defended the count. Journalists and civic groups kept receipts.

Elements of the state refused to be dragooned into overturning results. Democracy bent, which is what democracies do under stress; it did not snap. This resilience, this refusal to be broken, is a beacon of hope for Nigeria and all democracies facing similar challenges.

For Nigeria, the lesson lands with the weight of a warning and the texture of hope. Judicial independence is not an ornament for ceremonial days; it is the oxygen line that keeps constitutional Continued on page 46

guest columnist

Professor J Isawa Elaigwu – The Exit of a Mentor

I

met Professor Elaigwu through his former teacher and mentor, the late Professor Ali Mazrui who transited to glory on October 12 2014. My meeting with Professor Mazrui was fortuitous.

I was living in London at the time and had founded the publishing company, Adonis & Abbey publishers (www.adonis-abbey.com), in 2003. The following year, I also founded the periodical, African Renaissance, then a bi-monthly, semi academic journal, modelled after the US magazine, Foreign Affairs. That was at the height of ‘Afro-pessimism’, and there were efforts, especially from the Thabo Mbeki-led ANC government in South Africa, to promote the notion of ‘African renaissance’. One of the conservative newspapers in the UK had derided the whole notion of ‘African renaissance’ by mockingly posing the rhetorical question of ‘when did Africa ever have a naissance’. We used the

Late Prof. Elaigwu journal to challenge theories and assumptions which we felt denigrated Africa or ruled out democratic and developmental possibilities for the continent.

The maiden edition, published in June 2004,

was on ‘Afro-Arab Relations: Co-operation or Conflict’. The contributors included – Gamal Nkrumah (Nkrumah’s son), Mammo Muchie, Helmi Sharawi, Kwesi Prah, Marcel Kittissou and Chinweizu. The Ethiopian scholar Mammo Muchie gave me Professor Mazrui’s telephone number and suggested we should get him involved in the journal. Professor Ali Mazrui was already larger than life not just by his intellectual engagements but also by his documentary ‘Africa – A Triple Heritage’ (1986). Given his global stature, I wasn’t exactly full of confidence that an obscure scholar like me who had set up a nondescript publishing company and an unknown journal would get much of his attention. Surprisingly when I called, he was quite generous with his time.

I told him of his books I had read and proudly regurgitated some of the quotes I memorized from some of those books. However, rather irreverently,

I told him that I didn’t like his allegorical work – The Trial of Christopher Okigbo (1972). I told him that I threw it away in disgust after reading it. Mazrui was silent for a while and then asked me if I thought I was old enough to understand the message of the book since I said I read it as an undergraduate when I was still a teenager. I argued that it was wrong for Okigbo to be found guilty in the book’s Hereafter apparently for subordinating his art as a poet to his community (Biafra). I further argued that a writer’s community preceded his art and that a writer who subordinates his art to his community is only celebrating art for art’s sake.

There was a long silence through which my pounding heart told me I had blown the opportunity. When Mazrui finally spoke, it was to give me his home telephone number and ask me to call at my convenience. We became quite Continued on page 46

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