FRIDAY 31TH OCTOBER 2025 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Edun: Removal of Fuel Subsidy, FX Reforms Have Strengthened, Redirected Public Resources

World Bank: There are clear signs of macroeconomic stability occasioned by reforms Oyedele: Nigeria avoided economic catastrophe by implementing reforms

Declares new laws have not added tax burden on masses but repealed, reversed many unfriendly regulations, insists reforms people-centric, growth focused, and efficiency driven Says country can attract $2 billion monthly from remote work opportunities enabled by tax reforms

Continued on page 10

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FG Inches Closer to Implementing Single Window Policy for Efficiency at Nigerian Ports by 2026

Tinubu to Service Chiefs: Defeat These Enemies Once, I’ll Provide All the Support

Declares his government won’t tolerate excuses again

CDS seeks support of Nigerians in fight against terrorism, pledges armed forces support for democratic rule Shake-up in army as COAS redeploys top generals, other senior officers

Deji Elumoye and Linus Aleke in Abuja

Bola Ahmed Tinubu,

WIKE

DUBAI... R–L: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, with the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, during the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The federal government has intensified effort to actualise

L–R: Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiandeye; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kevin Aneke, during the Decoration Ceremony of the newly appointed Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday

PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

Continued on page 10

Ndubuisi Francis, James Emejo in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos

ALAAFIN’S FAMILIARISATION VISIT TO OKUNOLA’S HOME...

L–R: President, CINI Holdings and Akosin of Yorubaland, High Chief Habeeb Okunola; Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Owoade; his wife, Olori Abiwunmi Owoade; and Yeye Akosin of Yorubaland, Chief Mrs. Arinola Okunola, during Alaafin’s familiarisation visit to Chief Okunola’s home to foster more development within Yorubaland, in Lekki, Lagos… recently

At NERC’s 20th Anniversary, Adelabu, Oseni, Adesina Chart New Course for Power Sector

Minister seeks transparent tariff-setting, service delivery NERC chief says over 30% more Nigerians experiencing improved electricity Adesina expresses doubt over states’ capacity to regulate supply market

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, yesterday said that the electricity supply sector must prioritise citizen-centred reforms, marked by transparent tariff-setting, enhanced metering through initiatives like the Presidential Metering Initiative (PPI), and holding all operators accountable for service delivery.

Adelabu, who spoke during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Com- mission (NERC) with the theme: “Strengthening Power Sector Governance for a Sustainable Future,” explained that ultimately, the success of ongoing reforms will be measured by their impact on the Nigerian people.

With states now empowered to challenge Distribution Companies (Discos) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to better serve their people, at the Federal Ministry of Power,

the minister noted that the vision is one of cooperative federalism in the electricity sector - where both tiers of government work together in harmony for the common good.

To this end, he explained that Nigeria was developing a National Electricity Policy Coordination framework to ensure consistency and regulatory clarity, align federal and state actions; support states establishing new regulators; and strengthen investor confidence through policy.

Stressing that over the last two decades, the commission has laid the foundations for market stability - developing tariff frameworks, Adelabu, who was represented by the Director of Distribution at the ministry, Umar Mustapha, described the Electricity Act of 2023, as a landmark legislation.

“By opening the value chain to states and private investors, while fostering competition, which innovative pricing for

consumers, it will ultimately lead to more options and better services,” he stated.

However, he stated that while some have proposed a strategic, city-by-city approach to achieving steady power,

starting with state capitals by 2030, the pragmatic model allows for measurable progress and demonstrates the tangible benefits of expansion of reform and building confidence for further investment.

“However, this promising path also demands careful navigation. We must be mindful of the risks, including the potential for creating multiple, unsynchronised markets with conflicting regulations, which

could confuse investors and strand power. The fragile national grid requires careful management to prevent fragmentation that could leave some regions behind,” he added.

Seplat Energy’s Revenue in Nine Months 2025 Rises to N3.356trn

Peter Uzoho

Seplat Energy Plc has announced its unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, recording a revenue of N3.356 trillion for the period, from N1.071 trillion reported same period last year.

The company’s gross profit rose to N1.356 trillion from N531.5 billion, Year-on-Year.

In a statement issued

House Probes Tax Deductions, Multiple Bank Charges on Nigerians

The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged deduction of taxes and multiple bank charges imposed on customers’ accounts.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, while speaking at the inauguration, said the committee was set up to respond to citizens’ concerns and ensure that financial practices across

both government and banking institutions aligned with the principles of justice and equity.

Nwogu stated that the committee’s mandate included investigating the nature and application of taxes, levies, and salary deductions affecting civil and public servants, as well as probing possible cases of non-remittance of deducted funds.

He stressed that the committee would also examine the range of bank charges,

including Value Added Tax (VAT) applied to existing fees, with the aim of ensuring transparency and fairness.

Nwogu stated, “As their representatives, it is our responsibility to address these concerns directly and ensure that financial practices promote justice and equity.

yesterday, the indigenous oil producer also said dividend payout declared for the period was 7.5 US cents per share, consisting of 5.0 US cents per share base and 2.5 US cents per share special.

Cash generated from its operations for the period grew to N2.152 trillion, from N633.8 billion Year-on-Year, while operating profit rose to N1.096 trillion, from N411.3 billion Year-on-Year.

It said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA)

hit N1.715 trillion for the ninemonth period, representing a rise from N573.4 billion recorded in 2024 nine months.

The company’s nine-month 2025 production averaged 135,636 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), up 185 per cent from reported 9M 2024 (47,525 boepd).

Seplat said its first Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cargo was sold to the domestic market, improving domestic energy access and supporting clean cooking; and ANOH gas plant on track to deliver first gas in

the fourth quarter (Q4) 2025. In its operational highlights, the independent energy company said 9M 2025 production averaged 135,636 boepd, up 185 per cent from reported 9M 2024 (47,525 boepd), and up 18 per vs. pro-forma 9M 2024 production, while 3Q 2025 production averaged 137,888 boepd, a one per cent improvement on 2Q 2025. It stated, “3Q 2025 production onshore of 56,219 boepd, was up five per cent QoQ supported by production improvement in OML40.

Ogun Graduates Free Digital Technician Trainees

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) policy of the Ogun State Government has again produced certified digital technicians that would boost excellence in solving hardware challenges and configuring new equipment among others. This was revealed at

Ogun TechHub, Abeokuta during the convocation ceremony of the pilot associates of a free Cybersqauard Training Programme organised in partnership with Cybervilla.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive officer (CEO), Cybervilla, Ifeanyi Adirika, said partnering Ogun State Government

by giving free technical support to its teaming youths was a testament to sincere PPP initiative of Prince Dapo Abiodun which had made Cybervilla as one of its core investors in technology, called on more interested persons to onboard next session through: https://bit.ly/ cybersqaudabeokutacohort2

“We aim to identify any irregularities, recommend essential reforms, and advocate for the rights of all Nigerians. Company declares US 7.5 cents dividend per share for Q3 Production averaged 135,636 boepd, up 185% YoY

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

2025 BOI ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES...

L–R: Chairman, Board of Directors, Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Mansur Muhtar; Guest Speaker and World Bank Country Director, Dr. Matthew Verghis; and Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, during the 2025

Oando Announces 164% Rise in Financials, Posts N210 Billion Profit in 9 Months

Records 59% surge in crude oil output Champions strategic foresight at 2025 annual directors conference

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Oando Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous energy groups, has announced a profit of N210 billion in its unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, reflecting production growth, and disciplined execution.

In the just released results, the group delivered a 164 per cent increase, from N76 billion in the same period of 2024, a performance driven by stronger production volumes, and operational efficiency, the company said, in a statement yesterday.However, Group revenue declined by 20 per cent, year- on-year, to N2.5 trillion, from N3.2 trillion in 2024, primarily due to reduced petrol imports following the ramp-up of Dangote Refinery, a development that reshaped Nigeria’s refined-product market

for good.

Commenting on the results, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, stated, “In the first nine months of 2025, we consolidated the gains achieved following our acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) assets last year.

“Our assumption of operatorship has been transformational, granting us the agility to act decisively and execute with precision in driving production growth and operational efficiency.”

Tinubu added that the group achieved a 59 per cent year-on- year increase in crude oil and gas production, now averaging 38,121 bpd, underscoring the impact of the NAOC acquisition and clear evidence of the beginning of the dawn of unlocking the tremendous value its reserves possess.

During the period, the company reported a surge in oil and gas output and continued operational gains, signalling strong momentum across its upstream operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

To sustain its growth drive, Oando said it upsized its Reserve- Based Lending (RBL 2) facility to $375 million, strengthening its financial flexibility and supporting the accelerated development of its 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) upstream portfolio. The company also renegotiated key credit facilities on more favourable terms, extending repayment periods to free up liquidity and fund its ongoing drilling programme.

The production increase, it said, was driven by the consolidation of its NAOC joint venture interest and improved asset uptime across its operated portfolio.

Oando stated that the revamp of its natural gas liquids process- ing plant played a key role in the improved performance, delivering 82 per cent operational uptime and boosting recovery and reliability across production assets.

The company also said it completed the Obiafu-44 gas- condensate well, which was brought on-stream in October, and advanced surface facility upgrades to minimise downtime and enhance flow efficiency.

In a bid to expand its regional and global footprint, the company reiterated that it was awarded operatorship of Block KON 13 in Angola, marking its strategic entry into the Kwanza Basin, and was selected as the preferred bidder for the Guaracara Refinery in Trinidad & Tobago, signalling its entry into the Caribbean downstream market.

In the downstream, Oando said

In Conciliatory Effort, Natasha Invites Akpabio, Others to Kogi for Project Launch

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

In a move that suggested genuine reconciliation, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, yesterday, invited the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and all senators to attend a series of project commissioning in Kogi State next week.

This happened when Akpa- bio read out Natasha’s letter inviting colleagues to join her in Ihima, Okene Local Government Area, for the commissioning of constituency projects to mark her second year in the Senate.

According to the letter personally signed by the Kogi lawmaker, the ceremonies will take place on Sunday, with

the meeting point set at her residence on Plot 101, Jimoh Akpoti Street, Ihima, Kogi State.

“In marking my second year anniversary as serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to invite my distinguished colleagues to join me for project commissioning in Kogi State,” the letter read in part.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also informed her colleagues that those traveling by air could land at the Obajana Airstrip before proceeding to Ihima by road.

After reading the letter, Akpabio, visibly pleased, smiled and said, “Congratulations in advance,” drawing applause and laughter from senators

across party lines.

The public exchange ap- peared to seal months of quiet reconciliation efforts following the bitter episode that had strained relations between both lawmakers and their colleagues earlier in the Meanwhile,year. the senate has received a legislation sponsored by Akpoti-Uduaghan, seeking to establish a National Centre for Autism and six zonal centres across Nigeria to promote early diagnosis, therapy, research, and inclusion for persons living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The Bill was titled, “A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Centre for Autism and Six Zonal

Centres for Autism Diagnosis, Research, Education, and Care; and for Related Matters.”

its trading subsidiary lifted 21 crude cargoes (19.8 MMbbl), up from 15 cargoes (16.7 MMbbl) in the same period last year, following a deliberate strategic pause as the Division rebalanced its portfolio towards higher- margin crude and gas trading opportunities.

Besides, in its clean energy division, the company stated that it advanced its electric mobility, solar, and recycling initiatives, progressing development of a 1.2GW solar PV assembly plant, completing a techno-economic study for a 6MW geothermal pilot, and securing land for a 2,750-ton-per-month PET recycling facility.Oando’s performance, the company said, reflected a period of strategic transition, marked by strong profitability and upstream growth despite softer trading revenues.

In the same stead, sector peers, such as Aradel Holdings Plc and Seplat Energy Plc, reported higher top-line growth, benefiting from more stable upstream portfolios and consistent production trends, it said.

Aradel Holdings posted N368.1 billion in revenue, up 37.2 per cent year-on-year, and N146.4 billion in Profit After Tax (PAT), reflecting stable production and improved operational efficiency.

Similarly, Seplat Energy reported sustained revenue growth and double-digit margins in its half-year results, supported by steady production and a robust gasDuringbusiness.the review period, it said Mrs. Folashade Ibidapo-Obe was appointed Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary, reinforcing Oando’s governance and compliance framework.

The company stressed that it also completed the first tranche of its 1.28 billion-share distribution programme, delivering a 5.33 per cent dividend yield to shareholders, its first direct payout in years, as part of a broader plan to restore sustainable shareholder returns.

Looking ahead, Oando said it maintained its full-year production guidance of circa 40,000 boepd, with capital expenditure projected at $120–130 million, focused on drilling, infrastructure optimization, and ESG projects.

Wale Tinubu added, “As we enter the final quarter of 2025, we remain focused on further strengthening our balance sheet, accelerating production growth, expanding our trading footprint, optimising our cash flows, and sustaining long-term value creation.”

COREN Registrar Seeks Firmer Local Content Laws to Boost Nigeria’s Economy

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Prof. Okorie Uche, yesterday called for greater use of local content policies to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, create jobs, and promote indus-

trialisation.

In his remarks as the keynote speaker at the 2025 Annual Workshop of the Nigerian Content Development Committee (NCDC) held in Abuja, Uche said local content remains a powerful tool for driving sustainable growth if effectively implemented across all sectors.

He explained that despite

Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, much of the country’s economic value is lost through foreign dominance of supply chains and import dependence. He therefore urged the government and private sector to prioritise Nigerian skills, materials, and enterprises in all procurement and project planning processes.

BOI Annual Public Lecture Series in Abuja, yesterday PhOtO: ENOCK REUBEN

AT THE SOUTHWEST CITIZEN-GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT SUMMIT...

L-R: APC Chieftain, Chief Pius

Nigeria Strengthening Bilateral Agreements on Labour Migration, Says Dingyadi

NLC alleges plot to undermine workers’ rights

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, has said Nigeria is expanding Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) with countries that regularly recruit Nigerian workers as part of measures to ensure dignified and lawful work conditions.

Dingyadi also said the ministry, through its Labour Inspectorate Department and the Tripartite Industrial Relations Framework, had intensified efforts to ensure that private sector organisations complied with the provisions of the Labour Act and related employment standards.

Government’s drive for fair labour practice came just as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) raised concern over alleged move to strip workers their constitutional rights to belong to unions of their choice.

Dingyadi, who spoke at the second edition of Labour

Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) Annual Conference, said the federal government was taking measures to ensure fair migration by Nigerians seeking jobs abroad under safe, dignified, and lawful conditions.

The second edition of LACAN annual conference had the theme, “Improving Internal Resource Mobilisation for Financing Anti-Poverty and Inequality Interventions in Nigeria.”

Dingyadi said the ministry, in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), had developed a National Labour Migration Policy, which provides a framework for protecting the rights of migrant workers, preventing exploitation, and promoting mutually beneficial labour mobility.

He stated, “In recent years, we have taken concrete steps to expand Bilateral Labour Agree-

ments (BLAs) with countries that regularly recruit Nigerian workers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

These agreements define clear terms for recruitment, working conditions, and social protection.

“Our goal is to ensure

In Bid to

that every Nigerian who migrates for work does so under safe, dignified, and lawful conditions – and that labour migration becomes a pathway to empowerment, notOnvulnerability.” the home front, the minister said the ministry was engaging with employers, including private employment agencies, to regularise nonstandard employment.

He said the ongoing review of Nigeria’s labour laws was aimed at modernising the legal framework in line with ILO conventions and global best practices. He said the reviewed labour law will introduce clearer provisions to regulate new forms of work, including contract and platform-based labour.

Deepen Bilateral Cooperation, Vocational Training, Delegation of German Chamber Set to Visit Nigeria

To hold talks with ministers, private sector players Discussions to centre around youth training, migration, others

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

A delegation of IHK Giessen- Friedberg Chambers of Com- merce and Industry, Germany, led by Dr. Matthias Leder, is billed to arrive Nigeria on November 2 for a two-week consultation with top government officials and the Nige- rian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture

ActionAid Nigeria, Stakeholders Call for Private Sector-Driven Solutions to Reintegration Challenges

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

ActionAid Nigeria with strategic partners has advocated bridging of the gap between corporate impact and community resilience by leveraging private sector engagement to support vulnerable populations.

They said there is an urgent need to align Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes with sustainable pathways for entrepreneurship,employment, mentorship, and inclusive development. Through the initiative,

implemented under the Reintegration and Empow- erment for Connecting and Nurturing Opportunities of Vulnerable Population and Returning Migrants (RECON- NECT) Project, focuses are on promoting reintegration and economic empowerment for returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

At a strategic meeting on Thursday which brought together key stakeholders,

including business leaders from hairdressing, fashion design, shoemaking, and catering sectors, alongside partners such as GIZ, GOPA, and the NCFRMI, stakeholders explored innovative models of collaboration that deliver lasting social and economic impact.Speaking at the event, ActionAid Nigeria Head of Programme, Celestine Odo, emphasized the project’s focus on helping vulnerable populations rebuild their livelihoods and reintegrate into society.

(NACCIMA), among others, on how to deepen partnerships between Nigeria and Germany.

The delegation, which is billed to hold high- level discussions with about six ministers, officials of various chambers of commerce at national and subnational levels, as well as other public and private sector players, will be in the country until November 14.

The visit is in continuation of their last one in February, where they held discussions with top

government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, as well as private sector players.

Speaking at a virtual press conference yesterday, Leder stated that over the past two years alone, IHK Giessen- Friedberg had embarked on two official missions annually to Nigeria, just as Nigeria’s former information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, twice participated in Giessen’s prestigious international B2B conference, “The World Meets

in Giessen,” first as a keynote speaker and later as a panellist. According to Leder, these engagements have deepened mutual understanding between both nations and opened new opportunities for investment, trade, and skills transfer. He explained that the impending visit of the IHK delegation to Nigeria sought to consolidate the gains achieved so far and explore avenues for scaling up the partnership—both in scale and in scope.

Glo Introduces Revised Data Bundles with More Value at No Extra Cost

Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has unveiled revised data bundles that give subscribers more data volume at the same affordable prices, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to delivering superior value and satisfaction to its customers.

The revised Glo Data Bundles are improved versions of the existing

daily, weekly, and monthly plans, offering subscribers bigger data volumes without increasing costs. The updated packages provide greater browsing power and flexibility for streaming, gaming, social media, video calls, and other online activities.

According to the company, for daily users, the N100 plan has been enhanced from 105MB to 125MB, giving light

internet users more room to browse, chat, and stream short content conveniently. The weekly plans have also been upgraded to meet the needs of moderate data consumers. The N1,500 bundle, for instance, now offers 6GB instead of 5.9GB, enabling users to enjoy uninterrupted access to their favourite online services for a longer period.

Akinyelure; Ondo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami; his Ogun State counterpart, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande; Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Osun State Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; DirectorGeneral, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye and APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel during the Southwest Citizen-Government Engagement Summit, themed “Strengthening Democracy through Dialogue: Assessing Progress, Charting the Future” at the International Conference Centre in Akure, Ondo, on Wednesday

King Charles Strips His Brother, Andrew of Titles, Mansion

Forces him out of palace

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Britain’s King Charles has stripped his younger brother, Andrew, of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, seeking to distance the royals from him over his links to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Andrew, 65, the younger brother of Charles and second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has come under mounting pressure in recent years over

his behaviour and his ties to the late sex offender Epstein. Earlier this month he was forced to stop using his title of Duke of York.

Charles has now escalated his actions against Andrew by stripping him of all his titles, leaving him to be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, a Reuters report said.

The Buckingham Palace statement said a formal notice had now been served on Andrew to surrender the lease of his Royal Lodge mansion on the Windsor

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investment.

Edun also restated the federal government’s commitment to disciplined fiscal reforms, transparency, and private sector- driven growth under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He spoke in Akure at the South West Stakeholders Dialogue.

His remarks came as World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Matthew Verghis, said Nigeria was at a turning point, with clear signs of macroeconomic stability emerging from government’s ongoing reform efforts.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, at the second edition of BoI Development Lecture Series,

scourge of terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities across the country.

Tinubu told the service chiefs that Nigerians expected results, not excuses, from them, and he promised to provide all the support they would need to get the job Tinubudone.gave the charge at Council Chambers of State House, Abuja, following the decoration of the service chiefs with their new ranks as four-star general and three-star generals.

He declared, “We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal.

“Nigerians expect results, not excuses. I also urge you to be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Let’s stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace. Let us deploy technology where necessary.”

The president tasked the new service chiefs to dismantle the activities of emerging armed groups that had regrouped in some parts of the country.

According to him, “Security threats are constantly evolving and mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-central, North-west, and parts of the south.

“We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let

Verghis pointed to easing inflation, rising reserves, and growing industrial confidence as evidence that policy consistency and fiscal discipline were beginning to yield tangible results. Similarly, Chairman, Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said the country escaped a major economic crisis through the implementation of bold economic and tax reforms initiated by the Tinubu administration. Oyedele said, during an interactive session with media editors, that there would have been unmet Foreign Exchange (FX) demand, negative net external reserve, and over N50 trillion in Ways & Means, if

us smash the new snakes right at the head.”

He assured the armed forces of the federal government’s readiness to support their efforts, reiterating that the safety and security of Nigerians remain paramount for nationalTinubudevelopment.commended the courage and commitment of the military and their families.

He stated, “Over the years, our military has remained steadfast in defending our nation’s territorial integrity, with many soldiers

implementation of the National Single Window at the nation’s ports by 2026.

Vice President Kashim Shettima said the policy targeted at creating a single platform to harmonise documentation, minimise human contact, and bring full transparency to the cargo clearance process would be a game changer at the ports Shettima spoke on Thursday during the second meeting of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee at State House, Abuja.

He stated that the target was to reduce average cargo clearance time from 21 days to less than seven days by the end of 2026, and to position Nigerian ports among the top three most potent trade corridors in Africa.

Estate, west of London, and he will move to alternative private accommodation on the Sandringham estate in eastern England.

The decision by the king, who is still undergoing regular treatment for cancer, marks one of the most dramatic moves against a member of the royal family in modern British history, the Reuters report said.

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against

decisive actions were not taken.

Chairman, Bank of Industry (BoI), Dr. Mansur Muhtar, called for deeper collaboration among public institutions, private investors, and development partners to create an environment conducive to inclusive and sustainable growth.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, BoI, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, said development finance must move beyond project-based lending to become an enabler of structural transformation, capable of unlocking private capital, driving innovation, and ensuring that economic growth translated into real improvements in citizens’ lives.

Muhtar and Olusi made the comments yesterday in Abuja

paying the supreme price for their service. Their sacrifices will not be in vain.

“We have restored peace to many areas previously under siege, rescued countless kid- napped citizens, and significantly diminished the capacity of terror groups.“There were times when terrorists and armed marauders held significant portions of our land; this is no longer the case.”

He urged the service chiefs to ensure synergy and provide

The vice president stated, “By the end of 2026, we aim to reduce average cargo clearance time in Nigeria to under seven days and to position our ports among the top three most efficient trade gateways on the continent.

“The forthcoming implementation of the National Single Window in the first quarter of next year will be a game changer, a single platform that harmonises documentation, minimises human contact, and brings full transparency to the cargo clearance process.”

He directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nige- rian Customs Service (NCS), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON),

him,” the palace said. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse,” he said.

Andrew was once regarded as a dashing naval officer and served in the military during the Falklands War with Argentina in the early 1980s.

But he was forced to step down from a roving UK trade ambassador role in 2011, before quitting all royal duties in 2019

at the second edition of BoI Development Lecture Series.

Quoting Edun, Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, said in a statement, “Nigeria’s resources are now benefiting the many, not the few. Our reforms are levelling the playing field, boosting competitiveness, and enabling sustainable economic expansion.”

Edun highlighted what he called early gains as faster GDP growth, easing inflation, and a stabilising exchange rate — alongside key interventions, including direct benefit transfers, student financing under NELFUND, and plans for a 90,000-kilometre fibre-optic

exemplary leadership in all their operations.

He said, “I advise you to work together as a team. Compare notes, exchange information effectively, and follow up proactively to ensure a seamless process.“Work with other security agencies and defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up, clear them out. I promise to provide all the support

Continued on page 35

and other relevant agencies to come up with a roadmap on how to make Nigeria’s weights and measures framework effective.

The weights and measures framework conducts regular surveillance and inspections across Nigeria to ensure that weighing and measuring equipment used in trade is accurate and that consumers receive the correct value for their money in line with standard global practice.

The main objective is to ensure consumer protection, which is achieved by preventing fraud and misrepresentation in commercial transactions involving weights and measures.

Demanding a roadmap for an effective weights and measures framework, Shettima said the

and then was stripped of his military links and royal patronages in 2022 amid allegations of sexual misconduct that he has always denied.

That year, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who died in April, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Andrew has always denied her account, which has recently returned to prominence with the release of her memoir.

In her book, she said “entitled” Andrew believed it was his

network across the country to expand digital access and support innovation.

He said the administration remained focused on reforms that would attract investment, deepen economic inclusion, and position Nigeria for long-term prosperity.

“We are creating the right conditions for business to thrive and for every Nigerian to participate in the nation’s progress,” the minister said.

Speaking at the second edition of BoI Development Lecture Se- ries, in Abuja, Verghis described the removal of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a landmark achievement, signalling that the country’s financial system now meets international anti-money laundering standards.

He said, “It is a signal that Nigeria’s anti-money laundering structures now meet international benchmarks. That single step enhances investor trust and strengthens the foundation for sustainable economic growth.”

The World Bank country director, however, cautioned that poverty and unemployment remained persistent challenges. He stated that millions of Nigerians were yet to feel the benefits of macroeconomic reforms.

Verghis said, “We are seeing

target was to improve port operations and make cargo clearance faster and more efficient by reducing average cargo clearance time.

The vice president expressed dismay over cargo dwell time at Nigeria’s major ports, which he said “currently averages between 18 to 21 days”, compared to Ghana and Cotonou, Benin Republic, where it took five to seven days and just four days, respectively.

He stated, “The cost of clearing goods in Nigeria is estimated to be 30 per cent higher than in many of our regional peers. Our ports record cargo dwell times 475 per cent above the global average benchmark.

“These inefficiencies are not just statistics; they are symptoms of an economic ailment that

birthright to have sex with her.

Earlier this month, correspon- dence between Andrew and Epstein from 2011, published by the Mail on Sunday and The Sun, revealed Andrew telling Epstein that they should “keep in close touch” and that they would “play some more soon”.

progress in stabilization, but the purchasing power of citizens remains weak because inflation is still high.

“To sustain these reforms, we must focus on policies that drive job creation and increase access to finance.”

According to him, Nigeria must adopt a new model of development finance that mobilises private capital and leverages digital innovation to fill existing gaps in infrastructure and enterprise funding.

He said traditional models in which governments and donors directly funded infrastructure were no longer sufficient to meet Nigeria’s enormous needs, estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars financing“Followingannually.conventional approaches will not take us close to our infrastructure or enterprise goals,” Verghis said. “We need a shift, one that treats development finance not as an end in itself, but as a tool for structural transformation,” he added.

He said the World Bank was supporting a range of new mechanisms to deepen access to finance in private investment through initiatives including the Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FIRM) Project, a $500

Continued on page 34

costs us investments, drives up consumer prices, and weakens our export competitiveness. We simply cannot afford to continue down this path.”

Shettima, however, expressed optimism that Executive Order on Joint Physical Inspection, currently before President Bola Tinubu, “Stands as one of the boldest and most decisive steps toward reversing these trends. “It marks the dawn of a new era, an era where agencies work together, where systems speak a common language, and where traders and investors can depend on predictability, transparency, and speed.”

Shettima demanded synergy among NPA, Nigerian Customs Service, NAFDAC, SON, NIS and other relevant agencies,

Continued on page 33

Prince Andrew

HONOUR WELL DESERVED...

L–R: Dr. Charles Okhai, National President, Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ); His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Executive Governor of Kwara State; and Mr. Lawal Nasil, NACJ National Protocol Officer, during the presentation of the “Most Outstanding Integrity Governor of the Year Award 2025” to the Governor at his office during the week

FHA Mortgage Bank Sets 10,000Home Target for Abuja By 2027

Links housing drive to Tinubu’s $1trn economy vision Pledges stronger private-sector partnerships, affordable mortgage access through N250bn MOFI Funds

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Mortgage Bank, Mr. Hayatudeen Awwal, has unveiled an ambitious plan by the authority and its partners to deliver 10,000 new housing units across the country by 2027, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.

Speaking at the official handover of keys to homeown- ers in the newly completed Expressview Estate, a joint development between BAM Projects and Properties Limited and the FHA on Airport Road, Abuja, Awwal said the housing sector must play a pivotal role in driving national economic growth, job creation, andHeinclusivity. said, “Let us set a bold

target. 10,000 housing units before 2027. It is ambitious but achievable. Our President has challenged us to work towards a trillion-dollar economy, and housing must play a central role in achieving that goal.”

According to him, recent policy measures by the Tinubu administration, including the establishment of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Real Estate Investment Trust

Fund, and the expansion of funding windows through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the National Housing Fund (NHF), had created new opportunities for Nigerians to access affordable home loans.

He stated, “Every Nigerian can now access up to N100 million from the N250bn MOFI Fund at a single-digit interest rate of 9.75 percent through

FG, EU Sign Agreements to Boost Local Manufacturing of Medicines, Vaccines

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As part of efforts to strengthen local manufacturing and stimulate investment across the pharmaceutical ecosystem, the federal government has signed three landmark agreements with the European Union (EU) and ECOWAS, on Thursday.

These agreements, which are part of the EU Global Gateway Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies (MAV+) initiative and SRHR flagships, will support a new generation of local producers and innovators that will build a stronger and more resilient health sector in Nigeria and West Africa.

The agreements cover key areas including local manufacturing of health commodities, immunisation and nutrition commodities in

Nigeria (ELM-N), quality uplift for advancing local industry in medicine standards (Qualimeds Nigeria) and strengthening reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in West Africa.

In his address at the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum hosted by the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in Abuja, the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, said the signing of the agreements reaffirm the federal government’s resolve to build a sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven health economy.

The vice president said President Bola Tinubu’s

Executive Order on local production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices had marked a turning point in Nigeria’s health sector.

He said, “Through the presidential initiative for Unlocking the healthcare value chain (PVAC), and complementary frameworks such as the sectorwide approach (SWAp), this administration has taken concrete steps to strengthen health governance, strengthen and stimulate investment and promote local manufacturing.”

MOFI for up to 20 years, and up to N50 million through the National Housing Fund at six percent for as long as 30 years.” Awwal said, “The opportunities are immense; the demand is there. What we need now is the will to deliver.”

Representing the FHA chairman, Honourable Ojo Oyetunde, the FHA Mortgage Bank boss commended BAM Projects for its professionalism and capacity to deliver within a challenging operating environment.

He described Expressview Estate as a “model for future public-private housing collaborations”.

Sitting on 1.5 hectares out of a three-hectare parcel, the estate’s second phase is already being planned.

It features well-ventilated three-bedroom terrace duplexes, modern road and drainage infrastructure, and

eco-friendly landscaping.

Awwal stated that the project faced hurdles, ranging from land encumbrances to relocation of a police station and delays in obtaining statutory approvals, but he praised the developers for their persistence.

“This project is a symbol of quality, efficiency, and value, a product of teamwork and resilience,” he said.

He also revealed plans for a comprehensive facility management structure to ensure the estate’s long-term sustainability, covering waste management, security, and noise control.

He added that FHA would create a buffer zone around the estate to prevent encroachment and promote greener living.

Awwal said, “Our vision is for this to be more than just a housing estate; it should be a real home. We are committed to ensuring residents enjoy a clean, secure, and sustainable environment.”

XL Creative Hub Launches Nigeria’s First Afrobeats

XL Creative Hub has unveiled Battle of the Beats Season 1, the nation’s first-ever Afrobeats production reality show.

According to a statement by the Hub’s Business Manager, Clement Makinde, the 12-day musical contest will run from November 1 to 12, 2025, with live streaming on YouTube. Makinde said the show would bring together six top

Reality Show” Battle Of The Beats”

Afrobeats producers in an intense creative showdown, all under the watchful eyes of seasoned industry professionals.

“Watch six carefully selected producers locked in an intense camp, creating beats under pressure while professional judges evaluate every production,” the organisers stated.

He added that registration for the competition is free, stressing

that “we are not collecting a dime from any participant.”

The show opens on November 1, with an elimination night on November 8, and the grand finale on November 12, where the top three producers will vie for the crown.

Prizes for producers include N500,000 for the winner, N300,000 for second place, and N200,000 for third place.

After the producers’ contest, artists across Nigeria will be invited to record songs using the winning beats and compete for major rewards between November 12 and 24, 2025. Participation steps include downloading the winning beat, recording a song, creating a video, and submitting entries via Instagram and the official website.

Politics

When Senate Balances Transparency and Security in Screening Service Chiefs

In a rare show of transparency, the Senate on Wednesday held an open screening for President Bola Tinubu’s Service Chief-nominees, allowing Nigerians a rare glimpse into high-level security deliberations. The session signalled a shift towards greater legislative oversight, accountability, and collaboration between civilian authority and the military establishment. Sunday Aborisade reports.

Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, led the Chief of Defence Staff nominee, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke, to the Senate Chamber for screening by the senators.

In a courtroom-like display of accountability mixed with deference to national security, the Nigerian Senate staged an open screening of the President’s nominees for the country’s top military posts. The process began under public glare and concluded behind closed doors with the confirmation of the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs.

The exercise on the Senate floor, fused pointed questions from legislators with lengthy, often personal, testimonials about the nominees’ track records, producing a moment that was equal parts political theatre, institutional reassurance and policy preview.

What began as a ritual of public vetting quickly revealed itself as something more substantive: an opportunity for the legislature to press the military’s incoming leaders on strategy, resources and the human cost of campaigns against terrorism, banditry and maritime criminality.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele set the tone early by proposing a hybrid format. A brief public exchange followed by a private, interactive session where sensitive national security matters could be examined without jeopardising operations.

The motion, seconded by the Senate’s minority leader, was adopted and framed the day’s choreography: a public stage for transparency and an executive session for candour.

Lieutenant-General Oluyede, newly nominated as Chief of Defence Staff after his recent tenure as Chief of Army Staff, was introduced to the chamber as a “class captain,” in the words of the Senate Leader.

A senior figure who would address colleagues on his prior experience and outline his vision for coordinating the three services. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio invited Oluyede to speak, and the nominee used his few minutes to sketch a pragmatic agenda.

Oluyede’s testimony was rooted in professional modesty and blunt realism. Commissioned in 1992, he traced a career that had taken him through command, staff, instructional and operational postings, including frontline theatres in the North East where the insurgency once held sway.

He reminded the chamber that the military operates under resource constraints that limit its “enabler” capacity, argued for a “wholeof-society” approach to security, and said Nigeria must build its own military-industrial base instead of relying on expensive foreign purchases.

That refrain, which is local industry and smarter use of limited resources, threaded through the answers of nearly every nominee. Across the services, the chiefs-designate pressed the point that procurement alone would not win the peace; training, intelligence, interagency coordination and soldiers’ welfare were equally crucial ingredients.

Senators did not simply listen; they interrogated. Senator Tahir Monguno, a Borno North lawmaker who has personal experience of Boko Haram’s occupation of his hometown, praised Oluyede’s role in reclaiming territory and asked pointedly what immediate actions he would take to counter terrorism. Senator Adamu Aliero pressed on troops’ welfare and the proliferation of cross-border fighters known as Lakurawa in the northwest. His is an appeal that underscored the demand for both operational answers and social-political remedies.

Oluyede’s replies were reflective of frontline lessons: intelligence-led operations, improved training for special forces, better night-fighting capability and a commitment to troops’ welfare through housing, healthcare and timely stipend payments.

He also endorsed empowering the police to handle internal law-and-order duties more robustly, allowing the military to focus on external defence and counter-insurgency. Importantly, on deradicalisation, he acknowledged programmes

like Operation Safe Corridor and highlighted the need for integration pathways. These he identified as vocational training, community engagement and identity documentation, to prevent recidivism.

Chief of Army Staff nominee, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu, echoed similar priorities when he faced the senators. He hinged on a multifaceted approach to insurgency and banditry. He harps on the need to dominate all terrains with special operations, leverage technology,

and synchronise intelligence across agencies. He placed troop morale at the centre of fighting capability and promised holistic welfare interventions, from housing to education and healthcare. It is a pledge that senators welcomed as essential to sustaining operations in harsh theatres.

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

Shettima, Akpabio, Jonathan, Others Eulogise NILDS DG, Prof Sulaiman

at 60

director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and democratic Studies, Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman recently turned 60. at a ceremony to mark the day, many political big wigs including former President Goodluck Jonathan eulogised the former Minister

Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman was one of the ministers appointed in the twilight of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2014. But he was one of the very few who stood to be counted when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came after the Jonathan’s administration.

He said “ I was a minister just for one year as Goodluck Jonathan government was terminated on account of the lost of 2015 election. And after Buhari government took over, Jonathan’s ministers were subjected to a lot of persecution, I think one remarkable thing I achieved was that, while everybody was trying to shy away from confronting the Buhari’s Government, to put some things in proper perspective, as that government was trying to misrepresent, and perhaps even portray the Jonathan Government as a corrupt government trying to change some history, I was everywhere providing a counter narrative. So, that again brought me at loggerheads with the Buhari’s government, as I was addressing press, granting interviews, and I became the darling of the journalists. So, the government of the day was not comfortable with that position. Effort to silence me proved abortive. Eventually, I landed in detention. In 2016, they filed

something against me, you know what they call a phantom allegation, yes, they did.

The celebrated case, Belgore and Suleiman, I was in detention for almost two weeks in Lagos, and that commenced another travail in court again, my second leg in court which lasted for three and half years.”

Therefore, when he was named the DirectorGeneral of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in the

twilight of the Senator Bukola Saraki-led Senate on May 28, 2019, it raised eyebrows in some quarters, owing largely to the timing of the appointment which came when it was obvious that Dr Ahmad Lawan would emerge the next Senate President.

And considering the not-too-good relationship between Lawan and Saraki, many had thought that Lawan would not work with Prof. Sulaiman as he might remove him from office.

But Lawan worked with him. And at a recent birthday to honour Prof. Sulaiman, Lawan revealed that he initially had doubts about Prof. Sulaiman’s ability to work effectively with his administration, saying “It took some time for me to start to work with the DG. But when we did, he proved to be everything we didn’t think—very loyal, committed, efficient, and a team player. Our four years as the Governing Council of NILDS were probably the most productive years of the institute.” He added that the success of their collaboration prompted both him and former Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to endorse Prof. Sulaiman for a second term as NILDS Director-General in 2023.

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

Experts Urge Africa to Deepen Policy Framework to Realise AfCFTA Full Potential

Oluchi Chibuzor

Economic and development experts have stressed the need for Africa to deepen policy frameworks in order to realise the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at a high level business forum on mobilising the private sector for Africa’s growth yesterday, the Chairman, NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN), Bashorun Randle, said the group stand firmly at the intersection of policy and enterprise, championing the role of the private sector as the engine of Africa’s growth and integration.

He said the event, themed, ‘Mobilising Africa’s Private Sector for AfCFTA towards Africa’s Economic Development Amid Global Uncertainty’, reflects both the urgency and the opportunity before the continent.

According to him, “The event reflects the urgency and the opportunity for us as a continent to build resilience,

deepen collaboration. and harness the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for incisive and sustainable development. AfCFTA represents one of the most ambitious undertakings in Africa’s economic history, creating a single market of over 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of more than 53.4 trillion.”

On his part, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide SanwoOlu, said the continent must recognise that the African continental free trade area, (AfCFTA), is a strategic tool for reducing trade barriers, expanding markets and offering value chains for routes to expand.

Represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Kaosarat Ambrose, Sanwo-Olu explained that as a state they have created platforms where public policy meets private vision and where businesses are given the freedom to thrive. He said, “Lagos State continues to invest in critical infrastructure, improve

transport connectivity, strengthen logistic chains and build the digital backbone that modern trade requires. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, gives us that platform. It is a bold vision to unite our markets, remove barriers and create wealth across the continent.”

Speaking, the National President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Jani Ibrahim, said the country must strengthen regional supply chains, industrial linkages, and infrastructure to make intra-African trade viable and profitable.

Commenting, the CEO, Centre for the Development of Private Enterprises, Dr. Muda Yusuf, called for the reform of government institutions across all levels.

“So there’s a whole need to reform the public sector institutions if you really want to make progress in this economy, because they are the ones that formulate policies. If they don’t get it right at that level, policies will not be right,” he said.

Sunbeth to Co-host Agriculture Summit Africa With Sterling Bank

Oluchi Chibuzor

Sunbeth Global Concepts, a global agro-commodities sourcing and trading company, has been announced as the CoConvener of Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) 2025, the continent’s foremost platform for advancing agricultural transformation, sustainability, and food security. Hosted by Sterling Bank, ASA 2025 seeks to redefine how Africa feeds itself through sustainable, innovative, and inclusive action.

As Co-Conveners, Sunbeth Global Concepts will play a central role

in shaping the summit’s strategic direction, facilitating multi-sector partnerships, and driving conversations that lead to actionable solutions for the continent’s agricultural future.

Speaking on the partnership, Managing Director, Sunbeth, Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, said, “We are proud to partner as Co-Convener of Agriculture Summit Africa 2025. At Sunbeth, we see agriculture as a pathway to empowerment, sustainability, and shared prosperity. ASA 2025 presents a unique opportunity to convene key stakeholders to chart

actionable pathways for reclaiming Africa’s food destiny.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Group Head, Agric and Solid Mineral Finance at Sterling Bank, Olushola Obikanye, affirmed that “Sunbeth’s leadership in agribusiness and agricultural investment makes them a natural partner for ASA 2025. Their work in empowering farmers, building partnerships, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices mirrors the vision behind this summit, to move Africa from potential to productivity.”

Terra Cube Hosts BBNaija Season 10 Housemates

Big Brother Naija remains one of the biggest reality TV shows in Nigeria and across Africa, a cultural powerhouse with millions of viewers who tune in weekly to connect, compete, and celebrate authenticity. It is a show that captures the energy of young Nigerians, their resilience, and their love for shared moments.

In the same way, Terra Seasoning Cube has become one of Nigeria’s favourite household brands, bringing people together through flavour, connection, and joy. Both Big Brother Naija and Terra celebrate everyday Nigerian life, the spirit of teamwork, the beauty of shared experiences, and the joy that comes from genuine connection. These shared values make the partnership between Terra and Big Brother

Naija a perfect fusion, where entertainment meets everyday joy, and where the brand truly connects with consumers across the nation.

While most partnerships end when the show wraps up, Terra’s story goes beyond the screen. Recently, the brand hosted Team Unwrap Joy, winners of the Terra Task Night, including Season 10 winner Imisioluwa, at the Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group office in Lagos. The visit, part of a pre-planned post-show engagement, symbolized how the Terra, BBNaija partnership continues to live on. It was also the beginning of a broader CSR activity designed to inspire the housemates to identify social issues within their communities and

create meaningful impact projects that align with Terra’s philosophy of spreading joy.

Probal Bhattacharya, Chief Marketing Officer, TGI Group, “Big Brother Naija has become a powerful platform where culture, conversation, and community converge. For Terra, a consumer-centric brand that thrives on everyday connection, this partnership was about meeting our consumers where they are, engaging with them in their moments of joy, and strengthening that bond beyond the show. The continued engagement with the housemates reflects our belief that true brand relationships don’t end when the cameras go off; they evolve, deepen, and keep unwrapping joy in new ways.”

Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi

(Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic

Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

BUA Foods Declares 101% Increase in Profit After Tax to N405.27bn

Kayode Tokede

BUA Foods Plc on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has announced N405.27 billion profit after tax in nine months ended September 2025, about 101per cent increase when compared to the corresponding period of 2024.

The company in its nine months result and accounts reported an outstanding revenue growth. Increased volume and improved product mix were largely responsible for the continued solid financial performance across the company’s core business segments.

BUA Foods achieved a

gross profit of N520.65 billion, up 55.97per cent. Its revenue reached N1.42 trillion for the first time, reflecting sustained momentum across business segments in contrast to the previous year (N1.07 trillion).

Overall revenue increased by 33 per cent with Flour and Rice growing significantly.

Revenue from the Sugar and Flour divisions each contributed 42per cent to total revenue in nine months of 2025 driven largely by increased sales volume. The Pasta division contributed 10per cent to revenue in nine months of 2025 (nine months of 2024: 13per cent).

Accelerated by increased market demand, Pasta

revenue grew by 12 per cent to N150.5 billion in nine months of 2025 (nine months of 2024: N134.8 billion).

Its Rice division contributed 6 per cent to revenue in nine months of 2025, with revenue increasing to N79.5 billion in nine months of 2025. These underscore the company’s continued

commitment to scaling operations, strengthening productivity, and delivering consistent value to stakeholders.

Commenting on the nine months financials, the Managing Director, BUA Foods, Mr. Ayodele Abioye in a statement said: “BUA Foods has once again demonstrated resilience and strategic agility.

Maihulla: Making Religious Affairs Key Agenda Item is Good Politics

Former Head, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Sokoto State University and University of Nottingham, UK-trained Dr. Jabir Sani Maihulla, is the Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Sokoto State. He tells LOUIS ACHI that in the Seat of the Caliphate, religious harmony and effective crisis management reign, clarifies collaborative trainings with Saudi Arabia - and also shares related challenges

Why a Ministry of Religious Affairs?

The ministry is not a new one. His Excellency, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the former governor, first established the ministry during his tenure. Being a highly religious person, he institutionalized religion by creating the ministry because Islam is a way of life.

The Islamic religion is considered a complete way of life because it encompasses all aspects of human existence. It’s not just about religious rituals - it also provides guidance for living and addresses spiritual, social, economic, and political issues.

For example, in personal conduct, it emphasizes ethics, morality, hygiene, and spiritual development. In social relationships, it guides interactions with non-Muslims and promotes social justice. The same applies to economic matters - wealth distribution, principles of trade, etc. So, by investing in religious affairs, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, is addressing many issues.

Take personal hygiene: a Muslim who is hygienic and keeps his environment clean will hardly need to go to the hospital. A true Muslim will not cheat or overcharge. If we provide water at the mosque, we are killing two birds with one stone - water for worshippers to perform their rituals and for the community to use.

So, the mandate of the ministry is to touch the lives of the people, and I pray that our father, Senator Wamakko, and Governor Aliyu will be rewarded for their services to Islam. The governor has shown the political will by reviving the ministry and ensuring it functions. To show that he means business, it’s one of his 9-Point Smart Agenda on which he campaigned for the governorship election in 2023. It might interest you to know that people of all faiths come to us for assistance, and we do assist them. We work hand in hand to manage crises. The reason those crises haven’t escalated is due to the good relationship that we maintain with all stakeholders as part of our mandate. So, one of the key mandates of the ministry is to manage religious affairs and ensure peaceful coexistence among the different religious groups within the state.

I studied in a multicultural and multi-religious society. I have lived and studied in secular societies, so I understand that visitors and non-indigenes deserve to live in peace. My background has helped in driving the ministry in the right direction.

Why is religious affairs one of Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s 9-Point Smart Agenda item

Sokoto being the Seat of the Caliphate and the home of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio, shouldn’t really surprise people? It is a state where Islam is a way of life, and that’s no fluke. In everything, the people give religion utmost priority. Islam being a way of life allows the governor to address several issues at once. For instance, by rehabilitating mosques and providing them with water and solar power, the governor is not only enhancing the worship experience but also addressing health, water, and sanitation issues.

You don’t go to the market every day, but if you are a Muslim, you must pray five times a day, which means coming into contact with many people and potential health risks. So, by ensuring that mosques are in hygienic

condition, we are helping to ensure that our people remain healthy.

Our investment has several benefits across various sectors. We’ve eliminated diseases that usually spread from unsanitary mosque toilets. So, religion being part of the governor’s 9-Point Smart Agenda goes beyond worship - it touches on many aspects of life.

It might interest you to know that people of all faiths come to us for assistance, and we do assist them. We work hand in hand to manage crises. The reason those crises haven’t escalated is due to the good relationship that we maintain with all stakeholders as part of our mandate. So, one of the key mandates of the ministry is to manage religious affairs and ensure peaceful coexistence among the different religious groups within the state.

Many may perceive Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s making of religious affairs a key component of his 9-point agenda as politics. Does this really reflect the wish of Sokoto folks?

The governor making religious affairs one of his 9-Point Smart Agenda priorities is certainly not about politics. But for those who insist it is, my response is that this is good politics. During Ramadan, for instance, we fed the people. We also launched a campaign against traders hiking the prices of commodities. The Zakat Agency is doing fantastic work - sponsoring orphans and less privileged students in higher institutions. They are able to do this from the proceeds donated by wealthy individuals. The campaign for people to live holy lives and to worship in a conducive environment is not politics. If it were politics, His Excellency would have appointed a politician to lead the ministry - but he chose someone who is apolitical. And politics, after all, is about what the people want. The people of Sokoto State have made

it clear that they want the government to pay attention to religion. The governor vigorously campaigned on the 9-Point Smart Agenda and won, meaning the people accept it.

Again, if it were politics, there are mosques that openly campaigned against the governor during the 2023 elections. These Imams opposed Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, but we are still working with them because their worshippers are our citizens and are included in our welfare packages. If it were purely political, we would have sidelined them. But that’s not our approach.

Let’s address peaceful co-existence which you stress. Has Governor Aliyu achieved this?

Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has achieved peaceful coexistence in several ways. First, he has been fair to everyone - including those who didn’t vote for him - and has treated all parts of the state justly. For instance, he has not concentrated development in Sokoto metropolis. He has constructed roads in areas inhabited by so-called non-indigenes. That’s what true leadership is, and it makes everyone feel included.

As a matter of policy, the government of Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto pays WAEC/NECO fees for all students, without discrimination. That sense of belonging is very important. When the United States Ambassador to Nigeria visited Sokoto, he commended the administration for how it has managed religious diversity. Believe me, since Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto came on board, there hasn’t been any religious tension between the adherents of the two main religions in the state.

In effect, this has made your job easier? Yes, the governor indeed has - by being fair and just in the distribution of projects and by carrying everyone along. At the end of the day, the most important thing is good governance,

justice, and equity.

Even in upholding Islamic Sharia law, the rights of people of other faiths are protected. No one is forced to appear before a Sharia court. Even for Muslims, it’s optional. It’s just like Islamic banking - not every Muslim subscribes to halal banking. That’s their choice. Some prefer conventional banks, and they are comfortable with those. It’s the same with the Sharia courts - nobody is forced against their will to appear before them.

Your ministry has the responsibility of ensuring all areas of modern life comply with Islamic principles. This likely informed the re-establishment of Hisbah as part of efforts to arrest the moral drift. So far is Hisbah on track?

First, a few clarifications. The fact that we have a mandate to arrest moral decline doesn’t mean Hisbah will go around flogging people or infringing on their rights. While we believe Hisbah can play a role, we are also mindful of legal boundaries and the fact that the law presumes everyone innocent until proven guilty. So, what we’ve done is to focus on enlightenment campaigns through town halls, mosques, and electronic media - programs moderated by experts in Islamic jurisprudence. People must be informed.

For example, we collaborated with the Saudi Arabian Government to train Imams and muezzins on delivering Friday sermons. Saudi Arabia is a model of religious tolerance. Have you ever heard of religious violence there, despite the presence of different sects? There, an Imam doesn’t just climb the pulpit and say whatever suits him. There’s a committee that vets sermons.

The training was enlightening and comprehensive. They asked the Imams: what is the purpose of your Friday sermon? Is it to insult the government, the people, or other religions? Or is it to guide the people on peaceful coexistence and the hereafter? They also advised adding discussions about health and business to sermons.

Even the call to prayer has etiquettes. I’m glad our participants were exposed to all of that. Social media influencers, media owners, representatives of the NBC, and university professionals also participated in the training. The central message was: use your platforms to build, not to destroy. Simply having a platform doesn’t give anyone the license to lie or incite violence.

Only when people violate the law does Hisbah step in. Guidance is another major part of the ministry’s mandate - guidance toward doing what is right. Hisbah is more like community policing. That’s why they are unarmed and operate based on reconciliation. They don’t detain people. When the governor launched the corps, he made it clear that they are not in competition with the police, but complementary to them.

The board includes representatives from all security agencies, the Sultanate Council, and the Ministry of Justice. Hisbah is a legally authorized peacekeeping body representing the people. To date, they have no court cases against them - something some criticize as a sign of weakness. But it simply shows that they operate within the law. There have been no reports of them violating anyone’s rights.

Dr. Jabir Sani Maihulla

www.thisdaylive.com

A DAIRY-DRIVEN PATH TO SECURITY

opinion@thisdaylive.com

The electricity market remains a case of reform without transformation, contends SONNY IROCHE

POWER SECTOR PRIVATISATION: LESSONS FOR NIGERIA’S ELECTRICITY MARKET

See page 21

Uba Sani’s €10 million investment in Arla Farms is aimed at transforming the state economy through wealth creation, writes BADRU EL-JA’FAR BETWEEN PATRIOTISM AND NIGERIA’S PROSPERITY

Nigeria must get rid of protectionist tendencies, argues JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA

See page 21

In 2013, Nigeria embarked on one of the most ambitious privatization exercises in its history, the unbundling and sale of its electricity generation and distribution assets. Eleven Distribution Companies (DisCos) and six Generation Companies (GenCos) were carved out of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), while the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was retained under government ownership.

At the time, I wrote an article recommending that the newly privatized companies must immediately infuse substantial capital into their operations. I cautioned that most of the investors were acquiring these assets through heavily leveraged financing, borrowing as much as 80% of the acquisition cost at exorbitant interest rates. I warned that without equity injections, strategic investment in technology, and genuine reform of governance structures, the privatization exercise could eventually lead to another systemic collapse.

A decade later, those words have proven almost prophetic.

The intent of privatization by the Goodluck Jonathan administration was noble, to bring efficiency, transparency, and private sector discipline into the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). However, the structure was flawed from inception. Most of the new owners lacked both the technical expertise and the financial capacity required to turn around complex electricity assets, which had never been done in the country’s history. The acquisition model was driven mainly by debt, not equity; by political access, not operational competence.

The result was predictable. From 2013 to date, the sector has remained trapped in chronic liquidity crises. The DisCos struggle to collect revenue from consumers due to obsolete metering and poor infrastructure. The GenCos, in turn, are unable to receive full payments for energy produced, while gas suppliers remain unpaid. The Transmission Company, sometimes wrongly labeled as the weakest link, remains under government control and severely underinvested.

The entire value chain is, therefore, perpetually indebted, a vicious cycle of cash shortfalls, energy losses, and technical inefficiency. According to data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), aggregate technical, commercial, and collection (ATC&C) losses still hover between 25% and 30% in many DisCos.

This means that nearly half of the power generated is either lost through

inefficiencies or unbilled. No sustainable market can survive under such conditions.

Privatization was meant to be a catalyst for industrialization, job creation, and improved living standards. Instead, Nigeria’s average available generation has stagnated between 4,500 and 6,000 megawatts, a slight improvement post privatization, for a population now exceeding 220 million people. South Africa, with barely a third of Nigeria’s population, still generates over 40,000 MW even amidst its own power challenges, of load shedding.

Investors who expected quick profits discovered that the power business requires patient capital, deep technical know-how, and sound regulation. Instead of reinvesting earnings into network expansion, most resorted to cutting costs, downsizing, and lobbying for tariff increases.

The government, unwilling to allow tariffs to reflect real market costs, resorted to subsidies and intervention funds, from the Central Bank’s N213 billion facility to the N701 billion payment assurance guarantee and others. These lifelines postponed insolvency but never solved the underlying structural weaknesses.

Today, nearly all DisCos are technically insolvent. Several have been taken over by banks or the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). The GenCos are suffocating under mounting debt owed by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET).

Ten years after privatization, the Nigerian electricity market remains neither truly private nor truly efficient, a classic case of reform without transformation.

Today, I wish to draw a sobering parallel between Nigeria’s power-sector malaise and our current indifference toward Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. The same short-sightedness that characterized the power privatization era is manifesting again, this time in our approach to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Today, AI is redefining global

productivity, reshaping industries, and rewriting the social contract between citizens and the state. Conservative estimates project that AI could add between $15 trillion and $20 trillion to global GDP by 2030. Yet, Nigeria is still debating basic digital infrastructure, literacy, and connectivity.

Instead of encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to build AI-ready data centers, fiber optic backbones, and smart energy grids, we are pouring billions into coastal roads and politically convenient projects that have little multiplier effect on national productivity.

While China and South Korea are experimenting with flying driverless vehicles, Nigeria is still struggling to fix pothole-ridden roads and provide stable electricity, that have been left unattended for decades. Our priorities have for long been tragically misplaced.

Our tragedy is not the lack of resources but the long years absence of visionary leadership. We have had leaders and citizens preoccupied with the rent economy, subsidies, investing outside the shores of the country in everything from education to real estate, from healthcare to hospitality. The elite class consumes foreign progress but rarely invests in domestic innovation.

Worse still, the electorate, some uneducated or economically disenfranchised, cannot meaningfully evaluate leaders on their technological vision or policy depth. In a democracy where votes are swayed by ethnicity, vote buying, voter’s apathy, and patronage, not performance or foresight, mediocrity perpetuates itself across the board in leadership selection.

We have now become a nation addicted to lamentation, always reacting after the damage has been done. In 2013, I warned that the DisCos and GenCos must recapitalize. Today, we are repeating the same mistake with AI and digital transformation. Unless we act, in another ten years we will again be asking: “Why were we left behind?”

Iroche was an Executive Director (F&A), Transmission Company of Nigeria 20132017. He is currently the Chairman of GenAI Learning Concepts Ltd, a Member of Nigeria’s National AI Strategy Committee, the UNESCO Technical Working Group on AI Readiness Assessment, and a Postgraduate Scholar of Artificial Intelligence for Business at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Uba Sani’s €10 million investment in Arla Farms is aimed at transforming the state economy through wealth creation, writes BADRU EL-JA’FAR

A DAIRY-DRIVEN PATH TO SECURITY

Kaduna State, in Nigeria’s North West geopolitical zone, is emerging as a beacon of agricultural innovation, particularly in the dairy subsector. Under Governor Uba Sani’s leadership, a strategic €10 million investment in Arla Farms is not just a financial injection but a calculated bet on transforming the state’s economy by igniting a dairy revolution. This initiative, unveiled amid Nigeria's broader struggles with food insecurity and import dependency, aims to ramp up local milk production, create jobs, and foster sustainable farming practices and wealth creation.

Governor Sani’s efforts, no doubt, are gaining momentum, positioning Kaduna as Nigeria’s potential dairy hub. His commitment to the dairy sector is rooted in a vision to overhaul Kaduna’s livestock industry. At the recent Arla-Dano Open Day, where he was represented by Secretary to the State Government Dr. AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere, the governor disclosed that his administration has “invested 10 million Euros to establish a state-of-the-art Arla Farms in Damau, located at Kubau local government area in 2023.” This flagship project has a target of an impressive 4–5 million kg milk output at full capacity annually, big enough to addressing Nigeria’s chronic dairy deficits. The governor highlighted early wins, noting “a boost in local milk production as well as the creating of local direct and indirect jobs at Arla Farms since his administration came on board.”

These claims underscore a hands-on approach to bridging infrastructure gaps, facilitating market access, and attracting investments—core pillars of his strategy to improve the livestock industry.

To ensure long-term viability, Governor Uba Sani has placed emphasis on institutional frameworks. He stated that his government “has instituted a strong institutional framework to ensure the sustainability, expansion and investment in the agricultural sector.” In the livestock domain, this includes the Kaduna State Livestock Regulatory Authority (KADLRA), the Kaduna State Livestock Transformation Company, and the Kaduna Ranch Development Company, all of which are designed to work in synergy. These entities regulate operations, promote transformation, and develop ranches, creating a cohesive ecosystem that supports dairy growth. Governor Uba Sani’s delight in unveiling “the Nigeria Dairy Center of Excellence, the Sedentarization and Climate change Resilience in Nigeria (SCREEN)

Project, as well as commissioning of a yoghurt factory” further illustrates his focus on innovation.

Without a doubt, these initiatives are bound to complement the efforts of his administration in empowering smallholder farmers by equipping them with modern techniques and technologies to improve milk yield and quality as well as supporting local milk sourcing, which translates into more income for Kaduna farmers, more jobs for the teeming state youth demography, and of course more nutritious products that should result in robust health for the people.

It must be noted that the multi-stakeholder collaboration behind the Damau Milk Farm Project is a cornerstone of Governor Uba Sani’s vision that it “will not only help in revamping the project but also galvanize sustainable economic growth in the dairy value chain in Nigeria, with Kaduna State in the lead.” This aligns with the Federal Government efforts, as noted by Minister of Livestock Development Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, who praised the Arla Farm as a product of local content policies. Maiha, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the occasion, lamented Nigeria’s low production of only 0.7 million litres annually against a WHO-recommended 210 litres per capita— and the $1.5 billion annual import bill, vowing to correct the discouraging development.

Today, the Damau area of Kaduna State, with its Arla Farm, Household Milk Farm settling 1,000 households with improved cows and services, and Danish-backed projects like the Partnership for Green and Productive Dairy, is unarguably becoming Nigeria’s dairy epicenter.

And by expanding beyond the initial €10 million, Governor Sani’s administration has demonstrated its commitment and amplified its agricultural development push far beyond any doubt. By August 2025, the state sealed three landmark deals with Brazil during President Bola Tinubu’s visit, focusing on dairy and ranching. One MoU with SAMPRES introduces Girolando genetics and reproductive technologies to build a highyield herd, reducing import reliance and fostering knowledge-driven farming. This international pivot complements domestic efforts, as Governor Uba Sani explained in a post-visit statement that “Kaduna State is actively engaging with Brazilian partners, focusing on areas such as dairy and ranching to modernise our agricultural sector.” These partnerships aim to enhance efficiency, with private-sector-driven programs highlighted by the federal ministry.

Equally worthy of note is the budgetary commitments of the Governor Uba Sani administration. It reflects the prioritization of agriculture by the administration. Between 2023 and 2025, Kaduna's agricultural allocation surged from ₦1.48 billion to ₦74.02 billion—a staggering 4,871% increase— making it the first state to meet the African Union's Malabo Declaration benchmark of 10% budget for agriculture.

El-Ja'far, an Agronomist and Food Security Advocate, writes from Kaduna, Kaduna State

Nigeria must get rid of protectionist tendencies, argues JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA

BETWEEN PATRIOTISM AND NIGERIA’S PROSPERITY

As if I knew the time was coming when I wouldn’t be able to use my youth as a claim to power and opportunities, back when I could, I used to argue that being a youth cannot be one’s currency to claim to power. I’d support an older person with better ideas than a young one with ideas I consider archaic. Matter of fact, my position at the time was just as inspired by hearing some young people passionately share ideas I saw as strange and shocking as it was by my general belief in the power of ideas over persons. Nigeria has gotten more things wrong than it has gotten right; this is not my opinion; it is self-evident. However, the country has been picking up some recent results that I believe offer us an opportunity to have another look at our default position on protectionism.

After reading a detailed article on how government’s two-decade protectionist policies on a particular cash crop have neither led to increased production nor competitive prices, a Nigerian reader commented, “we still need to encourage local entrepreneurs/production, opening borders or reducing tarrifs would kill this”. There must be something in our rain water that makes the average Nigerian believe, by default, that closing the borders, increasing tariffs and doing whatever you can to ‘protect’ local industries is always justified, irrespective of the evidence we have gathered across multiple decades that have shown that there are better ways to develop a country.

Whilst we have been punished on different occasions and over many economic cycles for our protectionist tendencies and this as recently as the last administration, we tend to either not see the connection between policies and the outcomes they bear or we pretend the connection isn’t there. President Tinubu’s choices and some of their immediate outcomes offer us another opportunity to have a sense of appreciation for public policies and their effects, immediate and remote, on our living conditions and the state of the Nigerian economy.

A good appreciation for an outcome isn’t just the cause but the context in which the cause was effected. In this case, Nigeria was experiencing a fiscal septis, it was hovering on the edges of a recession after over a two-term period, when forex wasn’t scarce and causing a multitude of other challenges, it was a get-rich quick scheme for a few privileged people, inflation was on the rampage and anyone who knew better than a layman could bet on the economy hitting the rocks before the end of 2023. No one has anything to report about a plane that landed safely, in that sense, we’d never know what was averted but we know where things are now.

The lot of those challenges were caused by too much government. The government closed borders, it decided who could access foreign exchange and at what cost, it decided the price of fuel

and also sold same, it printed money like tomorrow would never come. The government sought to have its hands in everything and despite the anti-Midas effects, it simply sought to correct them by doing more of what led the country where it was. This wasn’t new, the default mentality of the average Nigerian government is to do everything. It has done this for so long that to even suggest that the government should excuse itself from selling foreign exchange or fuel was considered by many Nigerians as heresy. They just could not imagine a world where control was not ensured by government. The sound or prospect of market forces sounded threatening and dangerous. Especially if it did not immediately promise lower prices.

President Tinubu ended the subsidies. Fuel prices went up, even though they are much lower than elsewhere in West Africa and around the world, but with the private sector more involved than ever and market forces largely determining prices, fuel queues are rarer than they have been in decades. Early days but the signs look great. The foreign exchange arbitrage was ended. In simple terms, the government was no longer going to subsidise access to forex. That has since ended the scarcity and has helped the country make multidimensional recoveries on that front. The overall effects of these marketdriven interventions is that the Nigerian economy is now deemed to be at least stable by all the relevant rating agencies. These haven’t come without a cost. But any sincere on-looker who knows how economies work would tell you that these ideas are the way to go for Nigeria. How then, in a country on such an extraordinary run have we ended with talk of creating a horde of new states? How does that contribute to our continued development? And when you look at the age of some of the people driving these sort of ideas, you start to realise why those with better ideas will always prevail over those who insist on accessing power based on their youth and other such factors, with no correlational link with their ability to deliver value for the Nigerian people.

is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/BGX Publishing

Omojuwa

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ADDRESSING DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT

The authorities must pay more than a passing attention to the environment

Of all the five most critical factors that affect the global environment, namely, air pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, climate change and global warming, the biggest threat to Nigeria’s environment remains deforestation. This is without losing sight of the waste management challenges, flooding, desertification, gully soil and coastal erosion that bedevil various parts of the country. The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said recently that desertification and land degradation have impacted the livelihoods of more than 40 million Nigerians, and affected 43 per cent of the country’s landmass, approximately 923,000 square kilometres. Citing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Lawal added that more than two million hectares of land were lost annually to desertification, land degradation, and drought.

Ordinarily, forests are home to wildlife which perform a broad range of critical environmental and climatic functions including the maintenance of constant supply of water, ensuring clean air and prevention of desertification, soil, and gully erosion. In its report, ‘High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy’ a few years ago, the World Bank said, water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could cost some regions up to six per cent of their GDP, spur migration and spark conflict.

challenges. The desert is still encroaching at the speed of more than 1.6 kilometres annually. There are almost 3,000 erosion sites in the Southeast. Flooding in Lagos is anything but ordinary. Rising temperature is increasingly becoming unbearable while agriculturists are struggling to adapt to the attendant climate variability with serious socio-economic implications. The National Park Service, charged with the responsibility of protecting swathes of forests and their biodiversity, is lacking in capacity apart from being inadequately funded and supported.

Less than 4 per cent of the country’s untouched forest cover is left. More frightening is the fact that 1.5 million trees are felled every day owing to illegal logging

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

The report claimed that climate-driven water scarcity could hit economic growth by up to six per cent in some regions and that the combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes and expanding cities would see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. The report particularly contains a serious warning for Nigeria that is yet to be heeded. “Food price spikes caused by droughts can inflame latent conflicts and drive migration. Where economic growth is impacted by rainfall, episodes of droughts and floods have generated waves of migration and spikes in violence within countries,” it said.

There is an urgent need for an environmentally and socially equitable approaches to these

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE T H I S

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

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

Letters to the Editor

As things stand today, less than 4 per cent of the country’s untouched forest cover is left. More frightening is the fact that 1.5 million trees are felled every day owing to illegal logging. There is an urgent need to completely reset the country’s environmental agenda. The fight against insurgency and banditry should be ramped up to rein in the devastation and degradation of the natural environment across the country. Environmental remediation measures such as the Great Green Wall Project should be taken more seriously and adequately funded. Stringent statutory provisions should be put in place to protect the various ecosystems and their biodiversity. Beyond the foregoing, there should be more transparency and accountability in the application of Ecological Funds, and must be made to serve their purpose fully and directly. Tougher measures should be put in place to checkmate wanton emission of noxious and deleterious gases through gas flaring and use of outdated machines. Electricity challenges in the country should be addressed to minimise the use of power generating sets. The Green Recovery Project of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) must attract deserved encouragement and partnership.

Considering a recent report by the United Nations that Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate in the world, with an estimated 3.7 per cent of its forest lost every year, it is important for all relevant stakeholders to find a solution to this existential threat to our national security and survival.

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.

PRESIDENTIAL PARDON AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE

The recent decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove several names from the list of individuals earlier shortlisted for Presidential Pardon continues to generate widespread attention and public debate.

Initially, a total of 175 persons were reportedly recommended for pardon, but following intense public criticism, that list has now been drastically reduced. The Presidency’s clarification came through the Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, who provided insights into the review process.

According to Onanuga, individuals convicted of serious crimes, including kidnapping, drug-related offences, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms or arms dealing were deleted from the list. He further explained that in some cases, those who had been pardoned

in the earlier list now had their sentences merely commuted, rather than fully forgiven.

Onanuga noted that the review became necessary in view of the seriousness and security implications of certain offences. He emphasized the need to be sensitive to the feelings of victims and society, to boost the morale of law enforcement agencies, and to ensure Nigeria’s adherence to international and bilateral obligations. While the revision of the list has been widely welcomed, one critical question remains unanswered: what role did members of the National Council of State (NCS) play in the entire process? Traditionally, successive administrations have convened meetings of the Council of State to deliberate on major national matters, including issues of pardon and clemency. However, in this instance, one cannot help but wonder

why none of the Council members raised objections when the original list of 175 names was presented. Was it that the details of the offences committed by those recommended for pardon were not made available to them? Or did they merely endorse the list without scrutiny, trusting that all necessary due diligence had been done?

If the latter is the case, it is indeed unfortunate. The Council of State is a highly respected advisory body that takes critical and far-reaching decisions on behalf of the Nigerian people. Its members, including former presidents, governors, and key national figures owe it to the public to scrutinize every matter that comes before them, especially one as sensitive as a presidential pardon list.

Tochukwu Jimo Obi, Abuja

RATES AS AT Oc TO b ER 30,2025

Fly Nigeria Act: Stakeholders Blame

Top officials of government and elected political leaders have been accused of being responsible for the failure of the federal government to implement the Fly Nigeria Act.

The Fly Nigeria Act, which was formulated to support Nigerian carrier and its partners, made it compulsory

for every government official flying on government expense, to fly Nigerian carrier or their partners, but it was never implemented.

Stakeholders in the transport industry that knew the importance of Fly Nigeria Act had pushed the campaign forward through the National Assembly, but government officials who preferred to

fly foreign airlines, killed the initiative.

Some years ago, the Arik Air management met with the members of House of Representatives and Senate to seek their support for the Fly Nigeria Act to be passed into law, but after going through two readings the matter was dropped.

Some members of the

National Assembly told newsmen after the siting that Nigerian airlines did not have capacity stressing that Nigerian airlines would not be able to sustain international flight service.

Former top Arik Air official who spoke to THISDAY about the issue, said: “That time it was agreed that anybody travelling on government

expenses should fly Nigerian airline or its partners. We made presentations then to the House Committee on Aviation. We met with top government officials and went to the Nigeria NNPC Limited because they had corporate account with us then. They made it clear to us that they would not fly Arik Air; that they would

prefer the well-known London based carrier. Even the Minister of Petroleum then made it clear that they would not fly Nigerian airlines. We had brand new aircraft and we had the youngest aircraft that was flying the London route, but they refused to fly Nigerian carrier.”

Arthur Eriye

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed concerns regarding a 9.5 per cent decline in credit extended to the manufacturing sector, which has dropped to N7.72 trillion as of March 2025, down from N8.53 trillion in December 2024.

The association cautioned that the sector’s fragile recovery could be jeopardised without immediate policy interventions.

Presenting its Third Quarter 2025 Manufacturers CEO’s Confidence Index (MCCI) report in Lagos, MAN indicated that limited access to credit, elevated energy costs, and a scarcity of foreign exchange continue to significantly impact the performance of Nigeria’s real sector, despite some modest signs of recovery.

The Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stated that manufacturers are still facing challenges in remaining viable amid

difficult business conditions.

“High lending rates averaging 36.6 percent, a decline in credit access to N7.72 trillion, and an increase in unsold inventories amounting to N1.04 trillion are all factors that continue to restrict manufacturing performance,” he remarked.

Ajayi-Kadir pointed out that although capacity utilisation has improved to 61.3 per cent in the first half of 2025, compared to 57.6 per cent in the second half of 2024, stressing,

“These improvements are modest and could easily diminish without focused interventions. The manufacturing sector is starting to regain its stability after a prolonged period of instability. However, this recovery is delicate and could quickly reverse if we do not receive intentional, industrysupportive interventions.”

He called on the federal government to implement strategies that would lower energy costs, enhance foreign exchange liquidity,

and broaden access to affordable credit to promote industrial growth.

The report indicated a significant decline in manufacturing value added, which dropped sharply to $25.36 billion in 2024 from $55.9 billion in 2023. This decline reflects the effects of exchange rate fluctuations, elevated inflation, and increasing interest rates. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, manufactured exports rose to N803.8 billion in the second quarter of 2025,

an increase from N294.4 billion in the first quarter, showcasing some resilience within the export sector. However, the industry continued to face considerable job losses. MAN reported that 18,935 jobs were lost in the first half of 2025, in contrast to 10,891 in the latter half of 2024, as manufacturers grappled with escalating input costs and restricted access to foreign exchange.

Chinedu Eze

‘Over 140,000 Passengers Travelled to UK through Abuja in 2024’

Stories by Chinedu Eze

Chief Customer Officer of Heathrow Airport, Mr. Ross Baker has described Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory as vibrant and important destination, disclosing that in 2024, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja recorded over 140, 000 passenger movement between Nigeria and the United kingdom.

Baker made this known in his speech during the inaugural ceremony held at Heathrow Airport’s

Terminal 3, and also described the launch of direct flight operations between Abuja and London Heathrow by Air Peace as a moment of pride and progress that symbolises the deepening partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“Abuja is a vibrant and important destination.

Nearly 140,000 passengers travelled between the United Kingdom and Abuja last year alone, and we’re thrilled that this new service will make the connection even stronger. The launch

of Air Peace’s direct service between London Heathrow and Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, marks more than just the beginning of a new route. It represents the start of a stronger, more connected future between our two nations,” Baker said.

He commended Air Peace’s strategic vision, resilience, and commitment to excellence, noting that the airline’s entry into Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest and most competitive international gateways is both a bold and historic achievement.

Keyamo: Government Has Responsibility to Protect Domestic Airlines

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has commended Air Peace following the achievement of a major milestone with its successful launch of direct flights from Abuja to London Heathrow.

Keyamo described the move as a defining moment for the country’s aviation sector and direct result of the federal government’s efforts to reposition Nigerian airlines.

Speaking at the grand event to mark the inaugural flight held in

Abuja, Keyamo applauded Air Peace for its vision, resilience, and patriotism in taking Nigerian aviation to new heights. He emphasised that securing the highly competitive Heathrow slot represents not just a triumph for the airline but also a testament to the capability of indigenous operators to compete on the world stage.

Keyamo expressed his appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his vision, foresight, and unwavering support for Nigeria’s local airlines,

emphasizing that the current administration’s aviation policy was deliberately designed to promote the growth and sustainability of indigenous operators.

“The mandate from Mr. President was clear to support the growth, development, and sustenance of our local entrepreneurs within the aviation sector. Air Peace is the biggest player we have in Nigerian aviation today, and it is the duty of government to support such visionary local businesses,” Keyamo stated.

NCAA May Adopt ‘No Pay No Service’ for Airlines Next Year

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to airlines to remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge accruing from ticket sales to the agency timely and transparently and threatened that none or delayed remittance of

the revenues will attract punitive measures which would include no payno service policy from January next year.

NCAA made this known during a retreat it organised for airlines’ Chief Financial Officers and other stakeholders in Lagos recently.

efficiency, foster stability thereby increasing the contribution of the sector to the Nigerian GDP and national economic growth.

Aviation Fuel Marketers Identify Operational Setbacks

Aviation fuel marketers have identified some key factors militating against the smooth supply and distribution of aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1, to airlines in Nigeria.

According to them, some of the key factors are movement of the product to the airports and inadequate regulation, which impinge on the quality of the product.

They further identified the proliferation of marketers, adding that lack of effective regulations have made some marketing companies to abuse the stringent conditions that must be met before a company is allowed to supply the product, which according to them, is very delicate and must be managed delicately.

These issues were brought to the fore last week when CITA Energies organised a colloquium at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, themed: ‘Aviation Fuel Business: The Scenario and the Metaphor’.

should be more stringent scrutiny of the suppliers of the product to the airports, especially smaller operators who are wont to cut corners in supplying the product. In the area of airport infrastructure, he noted that there was poor road infrastructure to convey the delicate product to the airports and suggested that the airport managers could partner with the private sector to build road infrastructure under agreed conditions.

In order to ensure that the right quality of aviation fuel is brought to the airports and fed the aircraft, Ogungbangbe said before a marketer is given license, he must have the right facility, which must have minimum storage system, technical competence (his personnel), and a history of reliable supply to ensure operational consistency.

He said that under PPP arrangement, the private sector can invest in pipeline rehabilitation, storage expansion, and digital automation that could be funded through PPP, noting that this could reduce logistics costs and improve fuel availability.

Group

Eromosele Abiodun

Deputy

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)

In his opening and keynote address, the Director General, Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, represented by the Director, Operations, Licensing and Training (DOLT), Captain Donald Spiff, stated that the event, which is Civil Aviation Cost Recovery and Revenue Optimization Stakeholders’ Retreat, was part of NCAA’s ongoing strategic models of collaboration and synergy for strengthening the Nigerian aviation industry by providing effective regulation for sustaining safer skies, enhance

Also, in his presentation, themed: ‘Strengthening Inter-Agency Collaboration in Civil Aviation Economic Regulation’, Godwin Ameh of NCAA explained that late or non-remittance of five per cent TSC was the major gap, which puts the authority at very tight corner in provision of safety and security oversights.

He emphasised that the Authority may impose fees which may be reviewed, for the services of the authority, including authorisations, approvals, inspections and for the issue and renewal of permits, licences and certificates, and shall maintain and publish a schedule of all such fees that it may impose.

In his opening speech, the Chief Executive Officer of CITA Energies Limited, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe, recommended a Jet A1-specific regulatory directorate under the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) or Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency of Nigeria (PPPRA) as part of measures to enhance policy enforcement and sector monitoring.

Ogungbangbe identified six Ps frameworks for the Nigerian Aviation Fuel Market, which could possibly offer solutions to pricing, supply chain constraints, availability and other bottlenecks.

He listed the six Ps as product, price, promotion, place, policy and partnership.

On infrastructure, storage and distribution, he said robust infrastructure remained a critical bottleneck for Jet A1 supply continuity in Nigeria, adding that “NCAA mandates a minimum 7-day storage buffer, which major marketers comply with, but many smaller depots operate below recommended 300,000L capacity, thus jeopardizing supply and safety.”

On regulatory oversight, Ogungbangbe said enhanced inspection and real-time depot throughput monitoring are necessary to regulate small facilities operating at high volumes and observed that many airports lack good road network for bowsers and suggested that Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) could drive infrastructure upgrades at key airports including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

The CITA Energies Boss said that there

He suggested that through PPP arrangement, the private sector will revive the dormant 98-kilometre aviation fuel pipeline that runs from Atlas Cove through Mosimi and Ejigbo to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

If rehabilitated, it would ensure consistency in the quality of the product, ensure faster supply and eliminate the sluggish logistics that beset the movement of bowsers from Apapa to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with the attendant traffic gridlock.

He advocated for a strong policy framework that assures operational integrity, environmental compliance, and future readiness for the aviation fuel industry, noting that “clear licensing rules, periodic audits, and digital tracking deter malpractice and sustain fair competition.”

The Managing Director of Ndano Energy and former Managing Director of Arik Air, Chris Ndulue, who was also the chairman of the occasion, said aviation fuel is sensitive because there is need for security, safety and quality in the product supply, but currently the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may not be paying adequate attention to the operations of marketers in the aviation sub-sector and this has led to unchecked proliferation of the companies that supply the product to airlines.

Chinedu Eze

How Ètò, Electronic Barrier Systems Salvaged Apapa Traffic Gridlock

Eromosele Abiodun posits that contrary to reports sponsored by entrenched interests in a bid to return the port access roads to the dark days, the Nigerian Ports Authority has, in collaboration with Trucks Transit Parks, recorded major improvements in port traffic management following the full deployment of electronic barrier systems across all terminal access points within the Lagos Port Complex

At the peak of the Apapa traffic gridlock in 2018 and 2019, measures put in place to resolve the perennial problem failed until the Nigerian Ports Authority and Transit Parks Limited (TTP) introduced Electronic Call-Up System also known as Ètò. Despite initial resistance by entrenched interests, the NPA stood its ground and enforced the system. Since then, sanity has largely returned with commuters and residents who ply the roads on a daily basis applauding the NPA.

The Ètò Electronic Call-Up System, developed and managed by Trucks Transit Parks Limited, is a digital truck scheduling and access management platform designed to streamline traffic into and out of Nigerian ports.

Electronic barrier systems at port access roads offer enhanced security, improved traffic management, increased efficiency, and significant cost savings. By replacing or supplementing manual processes, Ètò has provided a more reliable and modern solution for controlling and monitoring port entry points.

To implement the electronic call-up system, the NPA, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and other relevant stakeholders, developed about 29 truck parks across Lagos State.

All of the 29 truck parks have fully deployed the Eto infrastructure, which includes automated gating systems and otherinformation technologyy (IT) equipment.

The electronic call-up has been able to streamline cargo evacuation and truck movements, thereby bringing a level of sanity to the roads.

Apart from a few isolated cases where some truck drivers try to subvert the system by not adhering strictly to the truck manifest requirement, the electronic call-up has brought sanity to Apapa.

Aside from the call-up system, the NPA also started enforcing the use of railways in the movement of import and export cargoes in and out of states in the hinterland.

Recently, a Kano-based exporter moved about 100 tons of millet direct from Kano to Lagos Port via rail. The rail also had passengers on board the coaches.

“I spent almost 50 per cent less as haulage cost to move my millets in containers from

Kano Railway Station to Lagos Port. If these cargoes are to be moved by trucks, the goods worth millions of naira, would have cost me more,” said the exporter, who did not give his name.

Addressing Long-standing Challenges

The authority is promoting multi-modal transport systems through the use of railways and barges for the movement of cargo in and out of the ports.

The development has tremendously reduced congestion at most terminals at the ports, thereby helping to improve ports efficiency.

“Many barge operators have been licensed by the authority in order to ensure effective and safe operation. A regulatory framework has also been developed, which looks into the state of the barges being deployed. When we approve the deployment of the barges, we discovered that many of them did not have communication equipment and we directed them to install such equipment. We also insist that these barges must be seaworthy before they are allowed to sail in order to forestall a situation where they break down at the middle of the channels, which could cause disruptions,” said an official of the NPA.

Also, the NPA introduced a new policy for the management of empty containers. This policy compels shipping lines to take back at least 80 per cent of the loaded containers that they came with for every voyage in empties and export cargo.

Reacting to a recent report by fifth columnist who took sides with entrenched interests who wanted to sabotage the system and return the ports access roads to the dark days, the NPA said it has, in collaboration with Trucks Transit Parks, recorded major improvements in port traffic management following the full deployment of electronic barrier systems in all terminal access points within the Lagos Port Complex.

The system, which became fully operational in September 2025, is now a key part of daily port operations, ensuring that only authorised trucks with valid Ètò-issued call-up tickets can access designated terminals. Integrated

with the Ètò Electronic Call-Up System, the barriers have added a new layer of physical enforcement to digital scheduling, strengthened gate control, improved traffic coordination, enhanced the accuracy of port data, and overall traffic flow within the port.

Before the deployment of the integrated barrier system, the port operations were hampered by unauthorised truck diversions between terminals, with vehicles crossing from one terminal to another outside their scheduled bookings, idle trucks lingering in the port area seeking unscheduled jobs and congestion caused by non-compliance with standard operating procedures.

The barrier system has effectively closed these loopholes, providing a robust physical enforcement layer for the Ètò platform. Each barrier automatically lifts only for trucks with verified call-up tickets assigned to a specific terminal, ensuring that all movements are scheduled, controlled, and traceable.

Enhanced Control, Data Integrity

According to the NPA, the deployment of electronic barriers represents a major leap in its automation of port operations.

“For years, unauthorised truck movements and human interference undermined efficiency in port operations. With the barrier system now active, we have end-to-end control from the point of booking to terminal access and exit,” the General Manager, Operations, Mrs. Stella Oladiran, said in a statement.

“Key benefits already recorded include: improved end-to-end control of the electronic call-up process, from booking to terminal exit, data integrity and accuracy in tracking port traffic and truck movements, transparent monitoring of inter-terminal traffic for better accountability and enhanced port productivity and efficiency through precise truck scheduling.

How the System Works

Each terminal gate is equipped with a fully automated electronic barrier connected to the Ètò platform. Trucks with valid Ètò tickets are automatically verified and granted access.

Unauthorised trucks are denied entry,

eliminating manual checks and reducing human interference. The system provides real-time data on every truck’s entry, exit, and inter-terminal movement, enabling better coordination across the entire logistics chain.

Stakeholders’ Reaction

Meanwhile, stakeholders have denounced the reports of resurgence of gridlock on port access roads. Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Mr Adebowale Lawal said the NPA, in line with its mandate to ensure the smooth operation of Port activities and the free flow of traffic around the Apapa Port Complex Corridor, remains fully committed to maintaining order and preventing any recurrence of the severe gridlock previously experienced along the access roads.

“We have recently undertaken a review and enhancement of the ETO system, which now integrates Terminal Gates directly with the ETO platform. This integration is designed to provide a structured sequencing of truck movements, both inbound and outbound within the Apapa Port Complex. The objective of this initiative is to ensure transparency, improve traffic efficiency, and maintain a sustainable operating environment around the ports.

“However, the success of this system depends largely on the cooperation and compliance of all Stakeholders, including Terminal Operators, Transport Unions, Drivers, Clearing Agents, and Government Agencies (Both Federal and State).

“Sequencing truck entry and exit is not rocket science. With sincerity of purpose and commitment from all concerned, we can achieve and maintain orderliness and prevent a return to the chaotic conditions of the past. It is in our best interest, because smooth Ingress and Egress of Trucks will, in the long run, bring about high turnover for all Stakeholders,” he stated.

On his part, the Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Remi Ogungbemi said, “Our attention has been drawn to some misleading media reports alleging that gridlock has returned to the Apapa port corridor due to a collapse of the electronic call-up system.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Building a Circular Nigeria: How Private Sector Collaboration is Transforming Plastic Waste into Opportunity

Across Nigeria’s bustling cities and growing peri-urban communities, the signs of progress are everywhere - expanding markets, rising consumption, and a youthful population driving demand. Yet this growth brings with it a familiar challenge: plastic waste. From busy Lagos streets to the creeks of the Niger Delta, discarded packaging often clogs drains, litters markets, and seeps into waterways, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems alike.

Nigeria generates an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with less than 10% effectively recycled. Across West Africa, more than 80% of plastic waste remains mismanaged, posing risks to public health, biodiversity, and coastal economies. But amid these challenges, a quiet transformation is underway, driven by collaboration, innovation, and policy reform.

Strengthening the Recycling Ecosystem

The private sector is increasingly at the forefront

of efforts to address Nigeria’s plastic challenge. Not only through corporate initiatives but by shaping the systems that make circularity possible.

One of the most notable of these collaborations is the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), a coalition of forward-looking companies working to accelerate sustainable waste management across the country. Established as the first Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in Nigeria, FBRA plays a pivotal role in advancing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and ensuring that producers and importers of packaged goods take active responsibility for the post-consumer stage of their packaging materials.

Through partnerships with government regulators such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), FBRA is driving the institutionalisation of EPR in Nigeria. Its advocacy and technical support have informed the development of national policies, standard operating frameworks, and recycling models

that are now being replicated across sectors.

Driving Impact Together

FBRA’s strength lies in collective responsibility. Its member companies are not only funding and expanding recovery systems but also building scalable solutions that make recycling work in the real world. Across the value chain, organisations are investing in aggregation networks, supporting collection agents, developing recycling infrastructure, and creating demand for recycled materials, turning plastic waste into economic opportunity for thousands of Nigerians.

One example of this commitment in action is Nestlé Nigeria, a founding member of FBRA, whose investments in community-based recycling and circular packaging innovation are helping shape industry standards.

Advancing Circularity Through Collaboration

As a founding member of FBRA, Nestlé Nigeria continues to play an integral role in expanding the recycling ecosystem and

promoting responsible waste management nationwide.

Since 2019, the organisation has facilitated the diversion of over 61,000 tonnes of plastic waste from landfills through its partnerships with FBRA, recyclers, and local social enterprises such as Chanja Datti, Wecyclers and Maladase Ecopreneur Management Ltd.

One of its key initiatives, the Plastic Advantage Programme, empowers 43 mini-aggregators through training, equipment support, and access to stable off-take markets. This approach not only strengthens local collection systems but also enables inclusive economic participation for waste entrepreneurs. Today, some of the plastics recovered through these initiatives are rechanneled into Nestlé Nigeria’s 50% rPET inclusion project for its water brands - a first-of-its-kind achievement in Nigeria, Nestlé is the first company in the country to attain any level of recycled PET inclusion with 50% representing the highest permissible standard under current regulatory guidelines.

the story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Balogun: N160bn Public Offer Will Make FCMB Stronger Financial Institution

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the FCMB Group, Ladi Balogun, has stateed that the Group’s N160 billion public offer would support the building of a stronger financial institution.

Balogun said this at the ‘Facts Behind the

Offer’ presentation at the Nigerian Exchange Limited, where he emphasised that the offer marked a critical phase in the group’s recapitalisation programme.

Speaking at the event, Balogun traced the Group’s history with NGX, highlighting how the Exchange has facilitated approximately

$863million in capital raising since the bank’s inception, with recent rounds heavily supported by domestic investors. This confidence from local market participants is especially vital for economic stability and long-term sector growth. FCMB Group had raised N147.5billion in its first public offer,

which recorded 33 per cent oversubscription. The offer, which received the necessary approvals from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission, attracted 42,800 investors, 92 per cent of whom subscribed through digital channels such as the bank’s mobile app.

Stransact Expands Horizon, Unveils Deals and Advisory Services

In a bold move to redefine financial advisory in Africa’s largest economy, Stransact, the premier accounting firm in Nigeria, has launched its new Deals and Advisory Services unit.

This strategic expansion positions Stransact, which is leading Nigerian accounting firm as a comprehensive partner for businesses navigating complex capital markets, mergers, acquisitions, and growth opportunities.

Complementing this milestone, the firm has appointed Kalu Uwagwu

as Director of the new unit. With his illustrious career spanning decades in banking and asset management, Uwagwu brings unparalleled expertise to spearhead this initiative, promising to unlock new avenues for corporate success in Nigeria’s dynamic economic landscape.

“Imagine a midsized agribusiness eyeing expansion into neighboring Ghana; our team will dissect financial synergies, mitigate risks from currency fluctuations, and structure

deals that maximize shareholder value while complying with cross-border regulations. Beyond M&A, the services extend to capital raising—whether through equity offerings, debt instruments, or hybrid structures.

“In a market where venture capital inflows reached $1.8 billion in 2024 according to the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA), Stransact’s advisory will demystify the fundraising journey, from crafting

compelling pitch decks to selecting the right investors, “ said Eben Joels, Managing Partner at Stransact.

He further noted that, “Private equity and venture capital advisory forms another pillar, addressing the funding crunch faced by innovative startups in sectors like fintech, renewable energy, and e-commerce. Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, valued at over $5 billion, is booming, yet many founders struggle with valuation disputes or exit strategies.”

The fresh offer is designed to strengthen its group’s capital base, retain its international banking licence, and enhance shareholder value in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new N500bn capital requirement for international banks.

In FCMB’s H1 2025 financial results, Balogun disclosed a 23 per cent

profit before tax increase and a 20.6 per cent return on equity. He explained that “the cost of funds remains high due to the 50 per cent cash reserve requirement, meaning half of deposits earn zero interest. Raising equity helps repay expensive deposits, effectively creating higher yields on that capital.”

Toothmine Launches Clinic, Pledges to Revolutionise Oral Health in Nigeria

Sunday Ehigiator

Toothmine Dental Clinic has officially launched a state-of-theart Clinic in the Lekki area of Lagos state, with a pledge to transform oral healthcare delivery and expand access to dental education across Africa.

Speaking at the official unveiling held recently, the Managing Director of Toothmine Dental Clinic, Dr Abraham Akinbami, popularly known as The African Dentist, recounted

his inspiring journey into dentistry and his mission to bridge the gap in oral health awareness through innovation, digital technology, and patient-centred care. He revealed that his passion for dentistry began in childhood after a personal encounter with dental care. “I had braces done as a child, and that sparked my interest in dentistry,” he said. “Although I initially wanted to study medicine, fate redirected me, and I discovered dentistry was truly fascinating.”

Oluchi Chibuzor

Aggregators End of Year Pay Out

Kayode Tokede

James Ladi Williams: Thriving on the ethos of Faith,

Family, Music and Leadership

On the sidelines of the 2025 United Nations General assembly in New york City, James Ladi Williams, founder and president of akada, an advisory and media firm, as well as a paper goods firm based in Washington d.C, recently spoke with THISday about his journey as a writer, creative, and social entrepreneur. as a multidisciplinary public thinker and leadership counsellor, the Princeton graduate is also a public policy and business consultant with work experiences from McKinsey and Urban Institute. From turning his journals into songs, to honouring his father through music, Williams, who is fondly known as The JLW, shared insights into some of the ethos- faith, family, music, journalling and leadership, that drive him. Now set to release his second EP dedicated to his mother, the enigma, who is bold about his faith, would want to be remembered as someone who lived a life that honoured God, not just through words, but through actions. Chiemelie ezeobi brings excerpts:

I’m very interested in the musical aspect you ventured into. What inspired you to venture into that?

This is one of those surprising things. I’ve always been a book guy. I studied public policy, worked as a researcher, and spent time in business and the private sector. But between last December and early this year, I felt a strong urge, a prompting, to return to the creative side of myself. You’re looking at my journal. I have a journaling practice where I write, meditate, and reflect. There’s nothing I do in the real world that doesn’t begin in this journal. Suddenly, I felt compelled to express my writing in a form beyond print or online. I told a few friends, “This is what my heart wants to do. This is what God is calling me to do.” I turned my journal entries into lyrics. I partnered friends who built the beats around them, and now we have not only one EP but two, one forthcoming, and an album on the way. It was simply a response to that creative call inside me. It has taken my writing to a new level because now I turn things I’ve written over the past two decades into songs. Technically, I’ve been journaling for 20 years, that’s like 20 albums not yet cooked! So, in short, I just felt a strong urge to return to my creative side, and music became the expression.

You released a song titled “My Father” before the EP. What was the defining moment that made you decide to honour your father with that music?

I’m my father’s son. My father, Joshua Popoola Williams, is by far, after Jesus, the most significant and influential male figure in my life. I’ve always wanted a way to celebrate him while he’s alive because we don’t need to wait for our loved ones to pass on before giving them their flowers. I wanted him to know how much he means to me, how much I love him, and how inspired I am by his example. So, it wasn’t a single defining moment, but a collection of life experiences. For example, when I dreamt of coming to America, my father worked hard to make that happen. He visited schools, collected pamphlets, figured out accommodation, and hustled financially to make my dream a reality. When I was at King’s College, Lagos, I often called him every Saturday. Our conversation always went, “Don’t forget our deal, I’ll bring the grades, you’ll find the money.” He’s been my biggest supporter. We resemble each other, people say I act like him. Honouring him through music was simply giving honour to whom it’s due. I’m a Christian, and scripture

commands that we honour our father and mother. In many ways, I feel like I’m living my father’s American dream before his eyes. He once lived in the U.S. in the 1980s, hustled, drove taxis, did security jobs, helped students with their theses, but eventually returned home. I’ve now done many things he once dreamed of. So, this song shares to the world what he means to me, his leadership, fatherhood, and example. If someday I can be to my kids what he has been to me or even more, then my children won’t suffer.

What was your father’s reaction when he first heard the song?

I wasn’t with him in person initially, but I played it for him when I visited Nigeria in June. My father is a serious, stoic man, but I could see tears in his eyes. He didn’t say much, but I knew he was deeply touched.

What traits did you learn from your father?

Discipline. Doing the right thing at the right time. Integrity, your word is your bond. Compassion. He taught me how to be a true friend, loyal through lack and abundance. His friendships are deep and genuine. He also taught me that to get ahead in life, you don’t need violence.

And your mother?

Faith and vision. My mother always said, “Ladi, all I have for you is God and education.” She led me to faith in Christ, the bedrock of my life. She taught me excellence in everything, even in small things like mopping the floor, “If it’s worth doing, do it well.” She taught me how to measure impact: when you leave a place, let

people wish you were still there. She’s also been consistent in her charitable work in education and ministry for over 20 years. Her resilience in the face of rejection inspires me. She’s also the first and best public servant I’ve ever known, she modelled diligence and service to others.

You’ve spoken about your father’s influence. Many societal vices stem from children growing up without fathers. What’s your perspective on this?

That’s a very real condition. I grew up in Lagos and attended St. Mary’s Primary School, where I first learned that the family is the most basic unit of society. If you can’t get it right in the family, you can’t get it right in the nation. When male leadership is missing, we lose the battle for progress because good fathers raise good citizens and leaders. Many children have a lower chance of becoming what they’re meant to be without a father figure. To address this, government and institutions must emphasise male leadership. Governments can role model change by empowering men economically, employment is key. We also need storytelling and awareness that redefines what it means to be a man today. A man is a leader, a provider, a protector, a person of integrity. Faith institutions, both church and mosque, must also empower men to lead responsibly.

You mentioned awareness. Do you think men need to step up to reclaim their role in society?

There’s always room for improvement. People say it’s a man’s world, I don’t agree. Leadership is earned. Honour is given to whom

it’s due. If society seems to celebrate mothers more, maybe that’s feedback men need to listen to. I believe women have earned that honour, but I also think the good examples of men don’t get amplified. We don’t hear enough about the quiet, disciplined man who never misses school fees or who faithfully provides for his family. Instead, the loudest examples, the Yahoo boys, the dishonest, dominate the narrative. We must shine light on positive examples of masculinity, men who lead with integrity, mentor others, and embody service. The world needs more visibility for those quiet heroes.

Parents tend to focus more on the girl child. Do you think we should pay equal attention to training the boy child, the future father?

Absolutely. In fact, at Akada, we’re developing an Akada Men’s Club and Akada Boys Club to address this. It’s about role-modelling from a young age. I was a Boy Scout in primary school and a prefect at King’s College. Those experiences taught me discipline, duty, integrity, and service. It’s easier to shape a seven-year-old boy than to correct a 30-year-old man. We need targeted programming for boys and young adults that instils leadership and values. Educational curriculums should be revamped to reflect this. The NYSC scheme, for instance, could help reorient young adults on responsible leadership. And yes, while it’s right to invest in girls, we must not neglect the boys, because an untrained boy becomes a problem for a well-raised girl.

What would you love to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as someone who lived a life that honoured God, not through words, but through actions. I also want to be remembered as someone who served people, helping them become everything they were meant to be. If one person can say, “Because Ladi lived, I fulfilled my dream,” I can rest in peace.

Tell us about some challenges you’ve faced.

As a foreigner in the U.S., immigration has always been tough. After my first job, I couldn’t find visa sponsorship. I prayed, “God, put me where You want me.” Then Princeton University offered me a fully funded master’s scholarship, that solved both tuition and visa issues.

James Ladi Williams

Segilola Resources Earns Second Consecutive CIPM HR Award, Setting the Standard for Excellence in the Mining Sector

Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL), Nigeria’s premier exploration and gold mining company and operator of Nigeria’s first commercial gold mine, has once again reaffirmed its leadership in the mining industry by winning the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) HR Oscar Award for Best Practices in the Mining Sector at the 57th CIPM International Conference and Exhibition (ICE), Africa’s largest HR gathering. The award ceremony was held on October 28, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.

This marks the second consecutive year that SROL has received this prestigious honour, reinforcing the company’s sustained excellence and the far-reaching impact of its strategic human resource initiatives.

Presented by the CIPM, the sole regulatory body for HR practices in Nigeria, this award is an acknowledgement for organisations that exemplify excellence in human resource management, employee responsibility, and inclusive workforce strategies. SROL’s consecutive win

attests to its steadfast commitment to maintaining HR standards that meet and exceed both national and international benchmarks.

Speaking on the recognition by the CIPM, Oluwaseun Fagesi, Human Resources Manager at SROL, expressed gratitude and

pride in the company’s collective efforts, stating, “This award from the CIPM is an indication that our HR standards are not just strong, but are truly benchmarked against national and international excellence. It reflects the collective effort of every member of the SROL team and our ongoing commitment to embedding world-class HR practices across our operations. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on driving not just mining excellence, but human and community excellence as well.”

The company’s sustained success stems from its deliberate focus on human capital development, diversity, and comprehensive employee training programmes, which have cemented its reputation as a leading employer in Nigeria’s mining sector. With 99% of the workforce on the Segilola Gold Mine being Nigerian, 37% of whom are from its host communities, SROL continues to surpass the targets outlined in its Community Development Agreements (CDAs). These achievements highlight the company’s deep-rooted commitment to local empowerment, capacity building, and shared prosperity.

How Policymakers, Founders are Rewriting Nigeria’s Investment Story

As Nigeria wrestles with high inflation, shifting FX policies, and fragile investor sentiment, Lagos played host to a conversation that confronted the hard questions behind Africa’s economic story. Asking a critical question: what will the next five years mean for those building and investing in Nigeria?

The Star Network Podcast and HoaQ, recently, convened an intimate roundtable titled, “Macros of Africa’s Largest Economy: Investing in Nigeria Over the Next Five Years” at the Anthonia Hall by The Civic Centre, Ikoyi Lagos. The event held in partnership with Mainstack brought together

policymakers, founders and investors to discuss the macro realities shaping African markets.

Moderated by Joe Kinvi, Founder, Borderless & Cofounder, HoaQ and Zephia Ovia-Ikem, Founder, The Star Network, the discussion featured Francis Sani, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Efe Barber, Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Michael Famoroti, Founder, Stears; Rolake Rosiji Kayantao, Africa Regional Director, Seedstars and Emeka Ajene, Founder, AfriDigest.

Beneath the optimism ran a sober theme, that sustainable growth depends not just on good policy,

but on the ability of the Government and businesses to work hand in hand to produce, trade and create value at scale.

“We can’t keep reacting to crises; we need to build systems that anticipate them,” said Francis Sani, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. For him, innovation remains Nigeria’s fastest path to growth but only if organizations create the kind of value that keeps talent at home. “Job creation doesn’t stop at training people,” he said. “It’s about building companies that make talent want to stay and thrive here.”

Adding to this, Zephia Ovia-Ikem emphasized “Both the private and public sectors must work together to retain talent. Strong company cultures that value people and support growth create the cushion needed to withstand external shocks.”

Efe Barber linked Nigeria’s macro outlook directly to how it positions itself in global trade. “Whether the naira appreciates or not depends on how intentionally we position our exports,” she said.

“It’s about building the right bilateral relationships, creating an enabling environment for trade and telling our own story better.”

She added that the government’s work on connecting production

hubs and advancing digital trade is part of a broader strategy to reduce import dependency and move Nigeria closer to a $1 trillion economy. “Made in Nigeria isn’t just a slogan,” Barber noted. “It’s part of how we lead across markets from production to perception.”

From the financial side, Michael Famoroti grounded the conversation in data. “The market today is brutal, but what matters is the trend,” he said. “In 18 to 26 months, we’ll start to see demand rebound, the data already points that way.”

Using Stears’ insights, he noted that “investors are increasingly paying for credibility, not just yield,” referencing that portfolio inflows into

Nigeria dropped roughly 35% year-on-year, while markets with stronger policy signals saw steadier capital inflows.

The question of the naira’s future sparked spirited debate. Famoroti described it as undervalued but likely to depreciate in the short term, while Rolake Rosiji Kayantao offered a counterpoint: “Contrary to expectations, recent export growth tells a different story, the naira could strengthen if we sustain this momentum.” Kayantao also challenged policymakers to help unlock domestic private capital. “Nigeria has only raised about a quarter of the capital it could be generating locally,” she said.

GCIOBA Reaffirms Commitment to School’s Transformation, Calls for Stronger Financial Sustainability

Uzoma Mba

The Government College Ibadan Old Boys Association (GCIOBA) recently concluded its week-long Annual Reunion, a key event demonstrating the Association’s commitment to transforming its alma mater.

The reunion was launched with a public lecture delivered by Prof. Ben Ogunmoyela (1965 Set, Sch. No. 1583, Grier House), focusing on ‘Leadership Imperatives for Feeding the Nation: Agriculture, Innovation and The Nigerian Possibility.’

The GCIOBA, an alumni body dedicated to the continued infrastructural and academic

development of Government College Ibadan, is working towards repositioning the institution as a leading educational center in Nigeria.

Bolanle Olawale Babalakin (1971 Set, Sch. No. 2273, Grier House), President of the GCIOBA, highlighted the success of the association’s infrastructure drive in his address at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the ‘Old Boys’.

“In the last year, we have continued to make giant strides in the repositioning of our School,” the President stated. “The Old Boys have contributed remarkably to the infrastructural development of the school.

As remarked by an innocent bystander, Government College Ibadan is a permanent construction site. This has been achieved largely

due to the determination and contributions of the Old Boys.”

While acknowledging the “almost 90 per cent” success of the association’s social activities, President Babalakin expressed deep concern regarding the school’s long-term economic sustainability, which he stated is “struggling at around 10 per cent.”

He noted the critical need to secure the school’s financial future through the School Foundation, which currently relies on only 164 donors.

He concluded by emphasising the need for an immediate focus on providing advanced learning infrastructure, including the critical goal of providing a laptop for every student and converting all classrooms into modern learning centers.

“I expect all the boys to rally

round and support this phase of the transformation of Government College Ibadan,” he added.

The AGM was followed by a grand reception held at the newly enlarged Lalekan Aare Hall within the school premises.

The 2025 jubilee class sets of 1965,1975 and 1985 all celebrated their diamond, golden and ruby jubilee respectively while the 1995 set celebrated their 30th year of entry anniversary.

Three distinguished ‘Old Boys’ were recipients of the 2025 GCIOBA National Merit Awards: Taiwo Demuren (1973 Jan. Set, Sch No: 2597 Grier House), Adebola Babatunde Ekanola (1980 Set, Sch. No: 4416 Powell House), and Oluseun Abimbola (1981 Set, Sch. No: 4641 Carr House).

L-R: Chief Financial Officer, Thor Explorations Ltd, Chris Omo-Osagie; Human Resources Manager, Segilola Resources Operating Ltd, Oluwaseun Fagesi; and Deputy Human Resources Manager, Segilola Resources Operating Ltd, Oluwafemi Ajayi at the recently held Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) HR Oscar Award

Mary Nnah

with Lanre Alfred

…truth behind the headlines, conspiracies, cover-ups, trials and triumphs

With a Son like Seyi Tinubu…

Ihave watched, with quiet admiration, the way Seyi Tinubu moves: softly, deliberately, and with a sense of purpose that seems inherited, yet distinctly his own. It is less the arrogance of power, and more the quiet persuasion of empathy. Raised in a culture where privilege often births entitlement, he has chosen a nobler path: that of service and bridge-building. And nowhere was this better illustrated than in his recent gesture to veteran Nollywood actor, Ganiyu Nafiu, fondly known as Alapini .

A few months ago, Alapini’s video went viral. His voice, weary yet passionate, carried the lament of an ageing star who felt forgotten, like a man who once enjoyed the spotlights, and lent support to Seyi’s father, President Bola Tinubu, but was now struggling for acknowledgment. It was the kind of grievance that could easily fester into bitterness. But then came Seyi Tinubu with the calm, respectful grace of a young man who understands that politics, beyond power, is a human business.

Seyi invited Alapini. He sat with him, listened to him, smiled with him, broke bread with him. In that simple meeting, joined also by actress Fathia Balogun, he performed an act of quiet reconciliation. No headlines were sought, yet the story found its way into every newsroom and social circle: the President’s son mending fences, healing hurt pride, and turning cynicism into renewed loyalty. When Alapini emerged from that meeting declaring his continued faith in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I saw more than a publicity stunt; I saw a subtle diplomacy that only compassion could achieve.

And that, to me, is the true genius of Seyi Tinubu. He does not need to do any of this. He is, by birth, already seated at the table of privilege. He could simply jet around the world, lounge in Dubai or Monaco, and cash out on his surname. Yet he consistently chooses otherwise. He shows up where it matters in spaces of neglect. He listens to people society has forgotten, people whose pain no longer trends. He builds bridges where others would build walls.

In a political climate as tense as ours, this is no small feat. For every handshake he offers, a narrative shifts. For every person he helps, another heart softens toward his father’s presidency. Seyi understands what some politicians never will, that leadership is a relay, and image, like legacy, is not inherited but earned. Every act of his philanthropy, whether through his Noella Foundation or through unannounced personal gestures,contributes quietly to that legacy.

I remember his conduct at a youth empowerment forum organized under the Noella Foundation some months ago. The event brimmed with young Nigerians, tech hopefuls, female entrepreneurs, digital artisans; at the event, Seyi spoke as one of them, not as a patronizing benefactor. He talked about his struggles, his mistakes, and the discipline that his father instilled in him. He said, “It’s not enough to be known; you must be useful.” That line stayed with me because, in many ways, it explains everything about his ethos.

The Noella Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife, Layal, has become a quiet revolution in itself. Through it, they provide scholarships for underprivileged children, digital skills training for young Nigerians, medical outreach for the sick, and empowerment programs for women. These aren’t mere photo ops; they are sustained interventions. I’ve seen testimonies of widows whose medical bills were cleared, of orphans put back in school, of young coders now freelancing abroad, all thanks to one young man who refuses to sit still in the lap of luxury.

The beauty of Seyi Tinubu’s philanthropy lies in its balance. It isn’t performative, yet it isn’t secretive either. It feels organic, as though service is not something he does, but something

he is. When you speak with beneficiaries, you don’t hear gratitude for a “politician’s son”; you hear admiration for a man who made them feel seen. And in that, he redefines what privilege should mean in today’s Nigeria: not a wall of separation, but a window of service. Of course, as President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi will always walk in the glare of expectation. Every move of his is interpreted through a political lens, sometimes with affection, sometimes with suspicion. But if you’ve watched him closely, you’ll see a man deliberately creating a different rhythm for himself. He isn’t angling for office or performing loyalty; he is building relationships, across party lines, age divides, and Nigeria’s complex social segments.

You couldn’t have forgotten so soon when the atmosphere was tense. Palpable treachery and uncertainty hung thickly in the air around the Eagle Square, Abuja, which played host to the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The whole nation was literally on tenterhooks.

It was late into the night of the convention proper where then former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was seen as the leading contender. But he had some of his protégées and beneficiaries of his vast political influence, particularly, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, to contend with.

As the night wore on, aspirant after aspirant presented their plans before an excited crowd of party faithful and a nation on a cliffhanger. Then, the night started unfolding dramatically. The immediate past Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was the first to break the ice by withdrawing his candidature for Tinubu. Amosun followed suit. But the real deal-breaker was to come.

A lone figure, garbed in black jeans, a black t.shirt, and a face cap, stood out among the crowd. He was on his toes, torso bent, and ears strained to pick every word emanating from the speaker on stage. Then, he leapt and spun, shrieked and screamed, and sped off in undisguised excitement. Fayemi, also a major contender in the race, had just announced stepping down for Tinubu. The lone figure that had gone into a wild celebration was Seyi, the son of Tinubu. Tinubu went on to win the race and would

fly the party’s flag in the 2023 election.

A video of that moment would emerge on social media the day after, earning Seyi widespread adulation. Indeed, not in recent memory has the child of a leading politician been seen by their parents’ side during such a testy and tumultuous period as Seyihad been.

Many young people praised him and prayed for a child like him, saying that during the campaigns and consultations, he was everywhere cajoling, consulting, and collating resultswhile simultaneously monitoring his father’s movement at the convention ground all night without a moment of break.

Not a few people also alluded to the fact that the way he travelled all over the country with his father, attending to his needs every second was highly commendable and rare in a clime where leading politicians would rather keep their children outside the country while campaigning.

In the weeks leading up to the hotly- contested presidential ticket of the APC, Seyi the University of Buckingham-trained lawyer shed his self-effacing toga to adorn the garb of a bouncer, sidekick, polling agent, data analyst, and fashion adviser among others. He was with his father during barnstorming stops and brainstorming sessions. He was ubiquitous but understated, hands-on and visible without being meddlesome. There is a viral picture where he was adjusting his father’s agbada. He never left his side all through.

I once overheard a senior politician remark that “Seyi is his father’s greatest political asset.” It was a casual statement, but deeply true. Because while his father builds institutions of governance, Seyi builds institutions of goodwill. While the President works through policies, the son works through people. It’s a perfect synergy, one in which the father’s vision meets the son’s empathy.

Let’s be honest: Nigeria’s political families don’t often produce heirs who care. Too many of our privileged youth are addicted to the performance of wealth, the exotic cars, the foreign schools, the champagne weekends in Dubai. But Seyi’s difference is visible. You see it in the quiet way he conducts himself, the respectful way he speaks of his father and mother, and the humility with which he shows up at community events that many of his peers would consider beneath them.

Even his marriage reflects his philosophy of bridge-building. Layal Tinubu, half Lebanese-half Nigerian, embodies the multicultural harmony that Seyi seems to advocate through his life. Together, they are raising their children, in a home that honours diversity, philanthropy, and faith. That is the spirit behind the Noella Foundation.

When you peel back the glamour and gossip, what remains is a man who understands that legacy is not built in headlines, but in hearts. Every scholarship awarded, every widow empowered, every old actor remembered, these are the small bricks with which great legacies are laid. And Seyi is laying them quietly, one after another.

In truth, when one reflects on Seyi’s quiet investments in youth empowerment, it’s hard not to think of the Southwest Games; that blossoming celebration of sport, culture, and community spirit that has begun to redefine what regional pride means. Its vision, to channel youthful energy into discipline and creativity, mirrors his own philosophy of building purpose through opportunity. The Games, at their core, seek to give young men and women the confidence to dream again, and one can almost see in their ambition the same light that fuels his philanthropic journey.

Sadly, when the organisers of the Southwest Games 2025 reached out to Seyi for endorsement, he was, understandably, deep in the whirlwind of national engagements that shadow his father’s presidency and his own expanding commitments. The invitation, though unanswered, was made in good faith, a gesture of admiration for a young man whose work with the Noella Foundation has inspired many across the region. Yet, even in his absence, his name lingered warmly in conversations around the Games, often invoked as an emblem of the kind of leadership and youthful empathy that the tournament itself seeks to cultivate.

As preparations quietly gather momentum for the Southwest Games 2026, organisers still speak with hopeful anticipation. They believe Seyi would find, in its expanding vision, a reflection of his own enduring mission, to empower, connect, and build bridges. His support, whenever it comes, would be much appreciated as a partnership in purpose: one that deepens his bond with the very youths whose aspirations he so often uplifts. A gesture of support from him, even if quiet and measured, would breathe new hope into that vision. It would affirm that his work for the youth is not bound by geography or politics, but guided by a larger commitment to nation-building; the very creed that already defines his name. Some people claim that he is preparing for politics. Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn’t. But whatever his future holds, he’s already writing a manifesto with service, not slogans. His current acts of kindness have done more to soften public perception of the Tinubu presidency than many official campaigns. For every critic he disarms with sincerity, he buys his father time, and then, trust. In that sense, Seyi has proven worth as more than just Mr President’s son; he is a bridge, an ambassador of goodwill between the State House and the street.

I often think of how history will remember this era. Fathers are usually the ones immortalized. But sometimes, history spares a paragraph for the children who humanized the throne. Seyi Tinubu may never seek political office, but in a nation starved of empathy, he already leads with authenticity and compassion.

With sons like Seyi, fathers like Bola Ahmed Tinubu rest easier, knowing that the values they fought for are not dying with them, but are being reinterpreted by a generation that still believes in service.

As I watched that viral video of Alapini Oosa walking out of their meeting, smiling again, my heart whispered what every observer already knows: with a son like Seyi, the Tinubu name is in safe, compassionate hands.

SeyiTinubu

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND INDUCTION CEREMONY...

L–R: Chairman, Daytona Supermarket/Pharmacy, Chief Owolabi Shitta; Members, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Mrs. Taiwo Owokoniran; Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Hon. Wahab Owokoniran; Member, CILT, Mrs. Owolabi Shitta; Commissioner, North East Development Commission, Chief Mutiu Are; and Member, CILT, Alhaji Lateef Folajaiye, during the Annual General Meeting and Induction Ceremony of new members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) held at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos… recently

US, China Reach Trade Concessions, Dousing Tension Amid Tariffs War

James Emejo with agency report

The US and China, yesterday agreed to cut tariffs, suspend rare earth export restrictions, and pause port fees following a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinpin in Busan, South Korea.

The agreement reached during their meeting –largely finalised during talks between US and Chinese officials in Kuala Lumpur earlier in the week – provides temporary relief for businesses and lays the groundwork for broader negotiations.

It also signals a shift toward a more stable and institutionalised framework for managing economic relations between the two countries.

China and the US have reached a “consensus” following a long-awaited meeting between both presidents at the sidelines

of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea.

Shortly after the meeting, Trump reportedly said that China had agreed to work with the US to stop fentanyl entering the country, that the rare earth issue had been “settled”, and that the US would lower tariffs on Chinese goods from 57 per cent to 47 per cent.

In a post on Truth Social, he also stated that China had agreed to “purchase of massive amounts of Soybeans, Sorghum, and other Farm products” from the US.

A readout from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated that “the two teams had an in-depth exchange of views on important economic and trade issues, and reached consensus on solving various issues”, and that they should “finalize the follow-up steps as soon as possible”.

Shortly after the meeting, China’s Ministry of

Commerce (MOFCOM) confirmed some of the details of the agreement, including the tariff reductions, suspensions on the rare earth export controls and port fees, and collaboration on fentanyl and agricultural imports.

Trump also stated that he would visit China in

April next year, which was confirmed in the MFA meeting readout.

According to the MOF- COM statement, the main achievements and consensus reached – negotiated during meetings between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer,

and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Malaysia earlier in the week – included: tariff adjustments - where the US will reduce the so-called “fentanyl” tariff from 20 percent to 10 per cent on Chinese goods (including those from Hong Kong and Macao), canceling the 10 per cent hike imposed

in March 2025. It will also extend the 10 per cent “retaliatory” tariff rate for another year, suspending the additional 24 per cent rate initially imposed in April.

In turn, China will adjust its countermeasures and both sides agreed to extend certain tariff exemptions.

NGO: 600,000 Children in Six Northern States at Risk of Severe Acute Malnutrition Between October, December

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The International NonGovernmental Organisations (INGO) Forum has raised alarm that Nigeria was facing a nationwide emergency due to escalating challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition; with more than 31 million people facing acute food insecurity in 2025.

It also added that from

Soludo: BudgIT’s State Ranking on Fiscal Performance Shows Anambra’s on Track

Eleke in

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has said the recent ranking of Anambra as the best performing state in Nigeria on fiscal performance has shown the state in on the right path.

BudgIT is a Nigerian independent organization that promotes transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in public finance.

The organisation on Wednesday released a report, rating Anambra first in its fiscal performance ranking for 2025.

In a statement sent to THISDAY and signed by the governor’s Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Aburime, Soludo insisted the ranking is a testimony of the healthy status of the state.

Aburime in the release said: “Rising from second place in 2024 to claim the top spot this year, Anambra has outshone economic pow-

erhouses like Lagos, which held steady at second, and emerging contenders such as Kwara (third), Abia (fourth), and Edo (fifth).

“Anambra’s stellar performance in IGR growth and self-sufficiency shows a state that is thriving on its own terms. By streamlining revenue systems, combating waste, doing more with less, and fostering an environment ripe for investment, Governor Soludo has turned fiscal prudence into a powerhouse engine.

October to December, an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in six northern states of Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Save the Children Country Director (SCI), Duncan Harvey, maintained that short term efforts are needed to support the children in the next two months, especially for the children under age five in the six states of the North-east.

He noted: “Nigeria is facing a nationwide emergency due to escalating challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition; with more than 31 million people facing acute food insecurity in 2025 making it the largest food crisis globally.”

Also, Country Director, Action Against Hunger, Thierno Diallo, emphasised that 31 million people are projected to be in acute food and nutritional insecurity during the 2025 lean season.

He stated: “5.4 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. 3.5 million

children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), out of which 1.2 million require immediate life-saving treatment.

“From October to December, an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in six states in northern Nigeria: Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.

“Without access to lifesaving treatment, 96,000 of these children are likely to die. That is over 1.000 children dying every day.

Doro Pledges Transparent, Tech-Driven Humanitarian Response as Senate Confirms Minister’s Appointment

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of Dr. Bernard Mohamed Doro as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, endorsing his sweeping reform vision to overhaul Nigeria’s crisis response system through technology, transparency, and inter-agency

coordination.

Doro, a UK-trained pharmacist and lawyer from Plateau State, told senators that his mission would be to build “an efficient, transparent and people-centred humanitarian ecosystem” that restores dignity to displaced citizens and eliminates duplication across government agencies.

He said, “If assigned the

Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, I will work to create a humanitarian ecosystem that is efficient, transparent and centred on the person being cared for.

“By promoting synergy among agencies, we can reduce duplication and achieve real results. Technology will help us reach the intended beneficiaries.”

David-Chyddy

Awka

COURTESY VISIT TO OANDO...

L–R: Division Manager, Government and External Relations, Oando Energy Resources (OER), Adeyemi Oreagba; General Manager, Corporate Communications, OER, Alero Balogun; Special Adviser on Host Community Matters, Imo State, Engr. Chima Alvan Okereke; Managing Director, OER, Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune; Honourable Commissioner for Niger Delta Affairs and Intelligence, Imo State, Prince Dr. Henry Uzor Okafor; General Manager, Base and District Management, OER, Solomon Agba; and Division Manager, Stakeholders Management and Community Development, OER, Samuel Onyenwe, during a courtesy visit to the management team of Oando at the company’s headquarters in Lagos

South West Leaders Back Tinubu’s Economic Reforms, Seek Urgent Fix of Federal Roads

Summit calls for unity, reforms, citizens-government engagement

Leaders and stakeholders from the Southwest, yesterday,resolved to reposition the Southwest as Nigeria’s benchmark for innovation, democratic governance, and socio-economic transformation, rekindling the region’s legacy as a pace-setter in education,

commerce, and progressive politics.

This was as they reaffirmed their commitment to Yoruba unity and collective regional development while expressing strong support for the economic reforms being championed by President Bola Tinubu.

The resolutions formed

part of a communique issued at the end of the two-day Southwest Citizens–Government Engagement Summit jointly convened by Afenifere and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission in Akure, the Ondo StateThecapital.summit, which drew

together governors, ministers, traditional rulers, civil society leaders, and professional bodies across the Southwest, resolved to transmit its communique to Tinubu for consideration and action, alongside relevant federal ministries, departments, and agencies.Stakeholders at the meet-

Saraki: Africa Must Stop Digging for Others to Profit, Gets Democracy Award in Nairobi

Dedicates honour to Odinga

Oluwaseyi Adesotun

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has called on African leaders to break the continent’s long-standing cycle of dependency and reclaim control of its economic destiny through visionary leadership, institutional reform and self-reliance.

Speaking at the Democracy Union for Africa Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, Saraki declared that “Africa must stop digging for others to profit” and instead “har-

ness its people, resources, and innovation to shape its own future.”

Delivering a keynote address titled: “Ending Dependency: Rethinking Africa’s Path to Prosperity”, the former Nigerian Senate President said six decades after independence, Africa still operated on economic and political models that reflected colonial legacies rather than continental aspirations.

“Our economies still echo colonial designs: systems of extraction and export, where

raw materials leave our shores at minimal added value and return as finished products commanding prices we do not control,” he said.

Saraki’s address bore strong undertones of political introspection, as he decried leadership failures, weak institutions, and misplaced priorities that have entrenched poverty and dependency across the continent.

He said: “Too many of Africa’s leaders have held power without the strategic vision to invest in long-term

UK Govt Convenes Working Group Dialogue

Under Enhanced Trade, Investment Partnership

Michael

Olugbode in Abuja

The United Kingdom and Nigeria have launched the UK-Nigeria Economic Diversification Dialogue, a strategic follow-up to the recently concluded Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) Roadshow in Kano and Lagos ConvenedStates.under the

UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), the event which held on Thursday brought together senior government officials, trade experts, and private sector leaders from both nations.

The discussions focused on unlocking Nigeria’s non-oil sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, and digital services;

with the UK offering support through trade facilitation, investment promotion, and capacity building initiatives.

Opening the event, British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to deepening bilateral trade relations, which was valued at £7.9 billion in the12 months ending March 2025.

transformation,” he said, noting that, “Public office has too often been treated as a possession rather than a stewardship, a means of control rather than a platform for service.”

He warned that when institutions were weak and politics short-sighted, dependency would become self-reinforcing.

ing emphasised the need for renewed Yoruba solidarity that transcends political party affiliations, urging leaders to place regional and national development above partisan rivalry.

Participants commended President Tinubu’s bold economic reform agenda, acknowledging the shortterm pains but describing the policies as necessary for the nation’s long-term prosperity and stability.

They, however, urged the federal government to intensify public enlightenment on its policies to improve citizens’ understanding of their objectives, timelines, and expected benefits.

Clear and consistent communication, they said, would enhance public trust and participation in reform implementation.

The communique noted that political leaders at all levels must embody integrity, vision, and service to the people. It stated that governance must prioritise

Osun 2026: Dideolu

citizens’ welfare through transparent decision-making and equitable resource distribution.

To accelerate economic growth, the summit called for massive investment in regional infrastructure, particularly intraregional railways, industrial clusters, and farm settlements. These, it noted, would boost trade, create jobs, and ensure food security across the Southwest.

It specifically appealed to the federal government to urgently rehabilitate key federal roads in the region, including the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha Highway, Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, Ita-Owure–Ado-Ekiti Highway, and Ifaki–Lokoja Road, describing their current state as deplorable and inimical to regional commerce.

To ensure continuity, delegates agreed that the Southwest Citizens–Government Engage- ment Summit should become an annual event to promote sustained dialogue between citizens and government.

Declares intention to run for governorship

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Dideolu Falobi, has expressed confidence in the party’s chances of winning the forthcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in the state.

Falobi disclosed at his official declaration to run for governorship under the platform of APC at the party Secretariat, along Ogo-Oluwa

Gbongan Ibadan Road, Osogbo, on Thursday.

Falobi said the unprecedented achievement of the President Bola Tinubu has given the party leverage to win future elections.

According to him, I am very positive that in Osun and Nigeria, APC will win. I have no doubt about it.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done unbelievably in the space of two and half years; he

has done marvelously well and I thank God the result is beginning to show.

“He met a completely run down country, he stopped there and continue to work without caring and now we are actually at the turning point. In a few months like Dangote said, the rate will come down and food will be better and he is fighting everything with a multi-pronged attack on all the challenges that we have.

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Fidelis David in Akure

OPENING CEREMONY OF CIPM’S 57TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION...

L–R: Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Mr. Olusegun Mojeed; Vice President of CIPM, Mrs. Chidinma Obiejesi; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack; President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi; National Treasurer of CIPM, Mrs. Ogochukwu Egbuonu; and Registrar and Chief Executive of CIPM, Ms. Oluwatoyin Naiwo, at the Opening Ceremony of CIPM’s 57th International Conference and Exhibition held in Abuja… recently

Bayelsa Dep. Governor Sues Assembly over

‘Impeachment Plot’ for Refusing to Defect

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has filed a suit against the state House of Assembly over an alleged plan to impeach him.

In the originating sum- mons marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/221/2025, Ewhrudjakpo alleged that members of the assembly were under pressure to remove him from office for refusing to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he and Douye Diri, the state governor, were elected.

Diri recently resigned from the PDP, but Ewhrudjakpo has remained in the party.

Through his lawyer, Reuben Egwuaba, the deputy governor alleged before the federal high court in Abuja that some council chairpersons, including

Alice Tange of Sagbama LGA, were also being threatened with removal for refusing to leave the PDP alongside the governor.

Ewhrudjakpo sought several interim orders, including one restraining the assembly from removing or impeaching him in violation of sections 188(5)(9), (11) and 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), on the grounds of his refusal to defect from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other political party before the end of his tenure. He also asked the court to restrain the assembly from initiating or conducting impeachment proceedings or meetings against him for the same reason and from recognising or dealing with any member of the APC as deputy governor of the state.

Additionally, Ewhrudjakpo wanted an order restraining the inspector-general of police (IGP), director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the state attorneygeneral from withdrawing his security protection as deputy governor pending the determination of the motion on notice.

After listening to Egwuaba move an ex parte motion on October 27, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, directed the defendants to appear before the court and show cause why the interim orders sought by the plaintiff should not be granted.

Listed as defendants were

the Bayelsa assembly, its speaker, the IGP, the DG of the DSS, the attorney-general of Bayelsa state, the state’s chief judge, and the clerk of the assembly.

In his ruling, Nwite said granting the order for the defendants to appear would serve the interest of justice.

“The interest of justice will be met by issuing an order for all the defendants to appear and show cause why an order of interim injunction should not be granted against them pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the plaintiff,” the judge said.

All Enugu Lawmakers Quit PDP for APC

All the lawmakers representing Enugu State in the House of Representatives, yesterday, left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Their defection, though, not unexpected marked a significant political shift in

FG Inc H e S c lo S er T o Implemen TI n G S I n G le W I n D o W p ol I c Y F or eFFI c I enc Y AT nIG er IA n p or TS b Y 2026 saying the era of working in silos is over.

He said, “But no reform succeeds without ownership. Every agency represented here, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Customs Service, NAFDAC, NDLEA, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Immigration, the Quarantine Service, and all our partners, must see ourselves not as isolated operators, but as links in a single, integrated value chain.

“The era of siloed operations must end. Inter-agency rivalry must give way to inter-agency synergy. We are only as efficient as our collaboration allows, and our success will depend not only on what we do individually, but on what we achieve together.”

Earlier, Director General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Audu, drew attention to the adverse

effect of inefficient port operations on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, underscoring the need for a collective resolve among stakeholders to improve port operations, and make cargo clearance faster and more efficient.

Audu decried the losses incurred as a result of the inefficiency at the nation’s ports.

But she acknowledged the efforts of the Customs and Ports Efficiency Committee, describing the committee as a platform that represents not only interagency collaboration but also a shared commitment to making Nigeria’s ports globally competitive, transparent, and efficient.

Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, emphasised the import of synergy in revamping the country’s ports, stating

that “until there is collaboration and partnership you cannot achieve efficiency at the ports”.

Highlighting steps taken by the ports authority to address bottlenecks faced by importers and exporters at the ports, Dantsoho said the Customs and Ports Efficiency Committee established by NPA was recording huge successes through the joint inspection and boarding by relevant agencies operating in the area.

He identified adoption of technology, improvement in infrastructure, human capacity building, and equipment and tools, as areas that could be improved to enhance port efficiency and ensure that Nigeria remained competitive and relevant in the sub-region, continent, and beyond.

Enugu State, effectively making the APC the dominant party in the state’s representation at the National Assembly.

The lawmakers announced their defection during their plenary yesterday.

The defecting lawmakers were Hon. Chidi Obetta, representing Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency; Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu, representing Aninri/Awgu/ Oji River Federal Constituency; Hon. Dennis Nnamdi Agbo, representing Igbo-Eze North/ Udenu Federal Constituency; Hon. Oke Martins, representing Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani Federal Constituency; and Hon. Nno- lim Nnaji, representing Nkanu

East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency. Their defection was witnessed by the APC National Chairman, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah.

Addressing journalists after the plenary, Nnaji said their decision was driven by a desire to align with Mbah’s vision of transforming the state and connecting it to national development.

He stressed that their action was not just a political move but a bold step borne out of courage, clarity, and shared determination to reposition Enugu State for greatness.

“For too long, our dear

Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation and accessed opportunities that could have transformed our people’s lives. That era is over! We refuse to remain spectators when we can be key players in Nigeria’s progress.

“By aligning with the APC — the party steering national transformation — we are connecting our constituency to the heartbeat of national development. This alignment will bring more projects, more jobs, better infrastructure, and greater empowerment for our youths, women, and communities.

Ndume Urges Tinubu, Service Chiefs to Put Military on First Line Charge, Raise Pay

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, and other Service Chiefs to make the welfare and motivation of personnel a top priority in their reform agenda for the Nigerian Armed Forces. Ndume, who represents Borno

South Senatorial District and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said improved remuneration and welfare were central to building a motivated, professional, and combat-ready military capable of defeating insurgency, banditry, and other security threats.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, Ndume urged them to work with the presidency

and the National Assembly to ensure the Armed Forces’ budget was given priority status in the nationalNdumeappropriation. said: “The annual budget of the Armed Forces and other security agencies should be on First Line Charge. It shouldn’t be discretionary. They should be front-loaded to ensure predictable funding for operations, logistics, and welfare.”

Ladan Gobir;

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

NETWORKING AND BUILDING TRUST ACROSS AFRICA...

L–R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Cultural Affairs, Botswana, Ms. Gabatlotlane Mogapi; Governor of Baringo County, Kenya, His Excellency, Benjamin Chesire Cheboi; Co-founder, Elevate Africa/His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri Kingdom; Vision Bearer and Founder, Elevate Africa, Her Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom; Former President of Mauritius, Her Excellency, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim; Representative of Former President of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda, Salamatu Yar’adua; and CEO, Elevate Africa, Mr. Daniel Ikuenobe, during the convening in Gaborone, Botswana, yesterday

E D un: R E movA l of f u E l Sub SIDY, f X R E

million initiative expected to attract at least four times that amount in private sector funding.

The project aims to bridge Nigeria’s $120 billion financing gap for small and medium enterprises by deploying innovative instruments, such as subordinated debt, MSME investment funds, and partial creditVerghisguarantees. said, “We are very excited about the FIRM project.”

He explained, “It will expand MSME access to long-term capital and provide the financial infrastructure needed for growth.”

He also emphasised the potential of digital innovation to transform Nigeria’s financial landscape.

He said, “Some of Africa’s most creative fintechs are based here in Nigeria,” stressing, “By leveraging technology, we can make credit cheaper, faster, and more inclusive, especially for the underserved segments of theVerghiseconomy.”pointed to InfraCredit and the proposed Nigeria Infra- structure Finance and Guarantees Platform as transformative tools for sustainable project financing.

He said those structures could enable financiers and project developers to collaborate more efficiently, creating a “bankable pipeline” of infrastructure projects without the delays typical of traditional public-private partnerships.

Oyedele, while giving an overview of the Nigerian economy and current fiscal and tax reforms during the interactive session with media editors, said, “While some of the reforms have come with pains, the counterfactual outcomes –without the reforms – would have been a total economic collapse.”

He said, “These reforms halted the economic decline, stabilised the economy, and now beginning to stimulate growth structurally to ensure sustainability.”

He said the country would have witnessed larger trade deficit and negative balance of payment, multiple exchange rate windows, and tax to GDP ratio of less than 10 per cent, as well as debt service to revenue

ratio of over 100 per cent.

He stressed that ongoing fiscal reforms were designed to create a better environment for businesses and households, while unlocking Nigeria’s digital potential through policy clarity and structural changes.

He said but for the current reforms, the subsidy regime would have collapsed, leading to product scarcity, hyper-inflation and high interest rates, as well as higher budget deficit and near zero capital expenditure (CAPEX)However,spending. he said the country had turned the corner.

Oyedele stated, “We are no longer where we used to be; painful but necessary reforms are beginning to yield positive macro results.”

He stressed that contrary to general perception that the current government was introducing new taxes on the masses, many taxes had been repealed, reversed or suspended, including five per cent excise tax on airtime and data; cybersecurity levy on money transfers; carbon tax on single use plastics; excise tax on imported vehicles; import duties on food items, agriculture and pharmaceuticals; four per cent import levy, FRCN charge on private companies; and expatriate employment levy.

He said reforms had resulted in trade surplus, balance of payment, unified official exchange, and reduced gap with the parallelAccordingmarket. to him, the country is now off the FATF grey-list while FX forwards have been cleared with net external reserve of over $23 billion, among other salutaryOyedeleoutcomes. said the wasteful subsidy programme had been eliminated, with guaranteed petroleum product availability amid rising crude oil and gas production, and a high but moderating interest rate environment, market friendly policies, upgrades of sovereign credit rating, among others.

He explained that by granting input VAT credits on assets and overheads not previously applicable, the new tax reform will lower business cost and enhance cash flows.

The tax reform chairman also said combined with the reduction of Company Income Tax (CIT) from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, companies will be more profitable, leading to higherOyedelevaluation.disclosed that the federal government planned to harmonise subnational taxes and levies, evolve a presumptive tax regime for hard to tax persons, and address other structural and fiscal constraints.

He said the government further aimed at reducing corporate tax rate, effecting budget and spending reforms, constitutional amendments, and implementing a voluntary disclosure programme.

He stated that the government was currently developing a national fiscal policy framework, and tariffs review and redesign, as well as harmonisation of federally collectible taxes and levies.

Oyedele added that work was ongoing on a national policy on excise tax on harmful consumptions, and initiatives to promote business formalisation, among others.

He said reforms had significantly enhanced the fiscal condition of state governments, explaining that states have about 100 per cent of revenues and other resources in the country.

He said, “Roughly about 85 per cent of Nigeria’s resources are assigned to states and LGs. Fiscal federalism should focus on optimising all revenue sources rather than re-allocation e.g. Personal income tax to total tax is less than eight per cent in Nigeria compared to 30 per centHeglobally.” also said reforms were people-centric, growth focused, and efficiency driven, adding that the new laws have exemption or reduction of withholding tax rates, higher exemption threshold for small businesses, as well as progressive tax regime which eliminates tax on investment and capital.

According to him, ongoing reforms will facilitate economic growth and shared prosperity, reduce business risks, lower tax burden, and create a competitive tax regime, among other benefits.

Similarly speaking, yesterday, at the Haulmace and Logistics Magazine Annual Conference and Exhibition in Lagos, Oyedele estimated that Nigeria could attract as much as $2 billion monthly through remote work opportunities created by recent tax reforms, aimed at removing disincentives to digital

Speakingemployment. on “Tax Reforms: From Policy to Practice,” Oyedele explained that one of the key barriers identified during the reform process was a provision in the old tax law that discouraged foreign companies from hiring Nigerians to work remotely.

He stated, “What do we expect from these reforms, we expect a better country one where businesses can thrive, whether they are big, medium, or small, whether they are local or multinational.

“We expect households to do better. Individuals should be able to feed their families, cover their basic needs, and have opportunities to create wealth.

“One of the problems we discovered during the course of these reforms is in our digital and remote work environment. Nigeria had a provision in its law that said if you hire a Nigerian to work for you remotely, that company must come to Nigeria and pay tax.

“So those companies asked themselves, what’s special about these Nigerians, then they went to Kenya, South Africa, the Philippines, and India, instead.

“That’s why, when you call some customer service centres, the person you’re speaking with is in India or the Philippines. That’s business process outsourc- ing it’s a multibillion-dollar global industry. But they weren’t hiring Nigerians because our laws were upside down.”

Oyedele added, “This new tax law has removed that problem. Think about it, our English is better than that of Indians or Filipinos. Our time zone is perfect, sitting close to the equator, allowing easy connection with both Asia and America. But because of our unreasonable policies, we were shut out.

“Imagine that from next year, we can attract just one million jobs in that space, one million young Nigerians earning about $2,000 per month. Just process what that means: that’s about $2 billion flowing into the economy every month empowering families, strengthening the naira, and creating prosperity.”

Oyedele clarified that the five per cent fuel surcharge being discussed was not a new introduction, but an existing provision in the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Act that had never been implemented because of fuelHesubsidy. stated, “The idea was, let’s collect five per cent of fuel dedicated to fixing roads: 40 per cent for federal roads, and 60 per cent for subnational state and local governments. Brilliant idea. And this thing I’m telling you is done in more than 150 countries worldwide. They dedicate money to roads because roads require a lot of investment.”

Oyedele explained that the surcharge had existed in the laws, but was never activated, as subsidised petrol made it impractical for the government to charge itself the levy.

“The reason why they didn’t collect it before is because fuel products were subsidised. If you now subsidise products and you add 5 per cent on top of it, it is government that will also pay it. It didn’t make sense, so they didn’t collect it,” he said.

Oyedele said while the FERMA proposal to commence collection after subsidy removal was considered, it was deferred on the grounds of economic sensitivity. The reform team therefore included a safeguard in the new tax law to ensure the surcharge could only take effect when economic conditions were favourable, he explained.

Oyedele stated, “So we put a language, the lawmakers put a language that says this tax shall not come into effect with the new tax law automatically in January 2026.

“It will only come into effect at such a time when the finance minister issues an order, not just an order, but one that is

published in the official gazette so you can’t do it secretly. And that money will be dedicated to fixing Oyedeleroads.”stressed, “For me, the time will be right when the naira appreciates or the price of crude oil in the international market falls, either one of the two, or combined, by at least five per cent. Then you can introduce that tax without changing the pump price.”

He added that the overall goal of the fiscal reforms was to move Nigeria from mere economic stabilisation to inclusive growth. According to him, “This is the first time in my adult life that government has carried out reforms that are intentional, structured, and designed to be sustained. For a long time, the economy was stopped from declining, then it was stabilised, and now we are entering the growth phase that has to be inclusive to carry everybody along for those reforms to be sustainable.”

At the second edition of BoI Development Lecture Series, Muhtar and Olusi advocated a new framework for development finance, designed to accelerate job creation, unlock private capital, and deepen financial inclusion across the country. They also stressed the urgency of rethinking Nigeria’s development finance architecture to reflect changing global realities and domestic needs.

However, Muhtar said BoI remained committed to its mandate of driving indus- trialisation and supporting businesses through innovative and responsible lending.

He said, “At the Bank of Industry, we believe that inclusive and sustainable investment-led growth is not just a goal, it is a necessity.

“Our mission is to drive industrial transformation by supporting enterprises, deepening sectoral linkages, and embracing technology to unlock new opportunities.”

He stated that the annual lecture series had become an intellectual forum for shaping Nigeria’s future, serving as a

50 years of impactful service of the coleman technical industries...

L–R: Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Coleman Technical Industries Limited, Mr. George Onafowokan; Chairman of the company, Chief Solomon Onafowokan; Representative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during the inauguration of the Phase 2 of the fibre optic factory of Coleman Wires and Cables and the 50 years of impactful service of Coleman Technical Industries Limited in Sagamu, on Wednesday

you need to get the job done.”

Responding on behalf of the service chiefs, Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, thanked the president for finding them worthy of the appointments.

Oluyede urged Nigerians to support the military in the campaign to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity and rid the country of terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities.

He also assured the president of their determination to keep the country safe.

He stated, “Security should be our business, but without the support of Nigerians, we can hardly achieve anything. I want to encourage Nigerians of all ethnicities to support us, and ultimately, we will make Nigeria a safer place. That’s our promise to you.”

Speaking with newsmen after the ceremony, Oluyede pledged the commitment of the Nigerian armed forces to the sustenance of democracy and the preservation of national security, reaffirming absolute loyalty to Tinubu and the Nigerian people.

He assured the people that the military under his command would work relentlessly to rid the country of all forms of criminality and create a secure environment where socio-economic activities could flourish.

He said, “I want to assure the president and all Nigerians today that we’ll do all our utmost best to ensure that we rid Nigeria of all forms of criminality and make Nigeria safer to ensure socio-economic endeavours can thrive.

“We pledge our loyalty to Mr. President, and we assure you that we will continue to support the flourishing democracy and support all your government aspirations to make Nigeria better. That’s our pledge for youThetoday.”defence chief stressed, “In all, I want to thank all Nigerians for the support they give to the armed forces, and I expect that they give us more so that we can make Nigeria safer.”

The service chiefs, who were promoted and decorated with their new ranks, included Chief

of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.

The service chiefs were accompanied to the event by theirThespouses.military chiefs drew applause from the audience when, after saluting the president, their Commander-in-Chief, they turned and saluted their wives.

The ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Kashim Shet- tima; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin; Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and his deputy; Benjamin Kalu; Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; and Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Sena- tor Olamilekan Adeola.

Also present were the governors of Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Jigawa, Umar Namadi; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo- Olu; and Ogun, Dapo Abiodun.

Other dignitaries in attendance included Secretary to the Govern- ment of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; and Head of the Civil Service, Esther Didi Walson-Jack.

In attendance also were chairmen of defence committees in the National Assembly, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan and Babajimi Benson; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris; and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Shake-Up in Army, COAS Redeploys Top Generals, Other Senior Officers

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the posting and appointment of senior officers to key command, staff, and instructional positions across various formations, units, and

training institutions of the Nigerian Army.

In a statement, Acting Direc- tor of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, explained that the shake- up formed part of deliberate efforts to reinvigorate leadership, strengthen command structures, and reposition the Nigerian Army (NA) for enhanced operational effectiveness.

Anele disclosed that the newly appointed senior officers included Major General Bamidele Alabi, who was redeployed to the Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans as Chief of Policy and Plans (Army).

Major General Jamal Abdul- salam, formerly Chief of Special Services and Programmes at Army Headquarters, redeployed to the Defence Headquarters Department of Operations as Chief of Defence Operations.

Major General Peter Mala, moved from the Office of the National Security Adviser to the Headquarters of the Train- ing and Doctrine Command, Nigerian Army (TRADOC), as Commander.

Major-General Samson Jiya was posted from the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future

meeting point for policymakers, investors, academics, and civil society to share ideas on how to move the country’s development finance agenda forward.

Muhtar stated, “This platform is about rethinking how we fund and drive Nigeria’s development. The challenges of today from digital disruption and global economic uncertainty to climate change demand that we innovate in how we finance progress and build stronger institutions.”

Muhtar emphasised that Nigeria’s financial institutions must evolve from being traditional lenders to becoming development catalysts capable of providing both financial and non-financial support to enterprises.

He said BoI was already

Centre (NAHFC) to the Defence Headquarters Department of Defence Accounts and Budget as Chief of Defence Accounts andOtherBudget.strategic appointments included Major-General Mayirenso Saraso, redeployed from NAHFC to the Army Headquarters Department of Operations as Chief of Opera- tions (Army); Major General Isa Abdullahi, from Defence Headquarters to the Army Headquarters Department of Administration as Chief of Administration (Army).

Major-General Musa Etsu- Ndagi was moved from the Army Headquarters Depart- ment of Training to the Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs, as Chief of Civil-Military Affairs.

Major-General Abubakar Haruna, moved from NAHFC to the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Kontagora, as Commander, while Major General Philip Ilodibia, was transferred from the Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to the Defence Space Administration as Chief of Defence Space Administration.

Also appointed were Major- General Godwin Mutkut, from

pursuing that vision through targeted interventions for small businesses, women entrepreneurs, and technology-driven enterprises.

He said, “Through our programmes, we are demonstrating that development finance is not only about disbursing loans.

“It is about enabling businesses to scale, build capacity, and become globally competitive. It is about supporting the real economy the farmers, manufacturers, innovators, and creators who make up the backbone of ourInsociety.” his remarks, Olusi said the event reflected the institution’s evolving role as a strategic partner in shaping Nigeria’s development narrative.

He stated that the annual pub-

the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), N’Djamena, to the Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre as Corps Com- mander Infantry; Major-General Umar Abubakar, from the Ministry of Defence to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps as Commander Armour Corps.

Major-General John Adey- emo, from the Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA), was sent to the Headquarters Nige- rian Army Corps of Artillery as Corps Commander Artillery.

Similarly, Major-General Mohammed Abdullahi was moved from the Nigerian Army Cyberwarfare Command to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals as Corps Commander Signals.

In addition, Major-General Taofik Sidick was redeployed from NAHFC to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Finance Corps as Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army); Major-General Abdullahi Ibrahim, from NAHFC to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps as Corps Commander Ordnance.

Major-General Adeyinka Adereti, from Defence Headquarters to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Electrical and

lic lecture, which began last year, had become a thought-leadership platform for generating ideas to strengthen Nigeria’s developmentOlusiecosystem. said, “The Bank of Industry is not just a financial institution. We are a partner in shaping Nigeria’s development journey.

“This year’s theme is both timely and urgent. The global economy is shifting rapidly— from climate pressures to digital disruption and from evolving trade patterns to growing demands for inclusive growth. Nigeria cannot afford to stand still.”

He stressed that development finance must move beyond project-based lending to become an enabler of struc-

Mechanical Engineers as Corps Commander; and Major- General Nansak Shagaya, from the Army Headquarters Department of Operations to the Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport as Corps Com- mander Supply and Brigadier-GeneralTransport. Yusha’u Ahmed was appointed Acting Corps Commander Education. Anele added that the COAS also approved the appointment of Major-General Oluyemi Olatoye, from Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA, to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, as Commandant.

Major-General Emmanuel Mustapha was moved from the Defence Space Administration to the Nigerian Army Signal School as Commandant; Major General Adamu Hassan, from the Nigerian Defence Section, Riyadh, to the Nigerian Army School of Artillery as Commandant; and Brigadier- General John Bulus, from the Headquarters Nigerian Army Finance Corps, to the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts as Commandant.

tural transformation, capable of unlocking private capital, driving innovation, and ensuring that economic growth translates into real improvements in citizens’ lives.

According to him, the focus of Nigeria’s development finance institutions should align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which envisions a resilient and sustainable economy that empowers people and fosters innovation.

Olusi stated, “President Tinubu has consistently emphasized building a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economy—one that creates wealth and empowers citizens. Development finance is central to this vision. It must not only fund projects but drive transformation and inclusion.”

T I nubu To S

EXCELLENCE iN GOVERNaNCE aWaRd...

Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme (left), receiving an Award of outstanding leadership and excellence in Governance on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, from the Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum, Folorunso Aluko, during the Progressive Governors Forum Quarterly Strategic Meeting of Secretaries To The Governments (SSGs) of All Progressives Congress (APC) states in Asaba…yesterday

APC Chieftain to Tinubu: 15% Fuel Import

Tariff

adedayo akinwale in abuja

‘ll Inflict More Pains on Nigerians

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state, Chief Ayiri Emami, has said that the approval for the implementation of a 15 per cent ad-valorem import duty on petrol and diesel brought into Nigeria would inflict more pains on Nigerians. Emami, who is also the

Ologbostere of Warri, stressed that the 15 per cent tax would not affect the petroleum marketers but would impact more on ordinary Nigerians.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which already secured the approval of President Bola Tinubu, said the tax was to protect domestic refineries and promote stability in the downstream oil sector.

‘Water Ministry in Secretive Sale of National Assets’

adedayo akinwale in abuja

The Nigerian Association of Auctioneers (NAA) has alleged that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has commenced secretive sale of government-owned assets across the country.

President of NAA, Musa Kurra, in a statement issued yesterday said the association had observed, with concern, that the ministry had embarked on sales of government properties across the 36 states of the federation without involving licensed auctioneers, contrary to the

provisions guiding public auctions in Nigeria.

He described the ongoing process as a gross violation of due process, noting that such actions fall short of the standards of transparency and accountability expected from public institutions.

Kurra further alleged that the exercise was being coordinated by top officials of the ministry, without any open advertisement or competitive process that would allow qualified professionals or the general public to participate.

Abia APC Legal Adviser Debunks Court Order against Minister

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed insinuations that a Federal High Court issued an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate or prosecute the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

The party’s Legal Adviser, Vigilus Nwankwo, described such claims as politically motivated and aimed at discrediting the minister

ahead of the 2027 general election.

Nwankwo, while speaking in an interview on ARISE News, clarified that the court merely granted a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Ogah a procedural approval to apply for an order of mandamus, and not a substantive order directing INEC to act.

He said: “The court is yet to make any order compelling INEC. What was granted was only an order of leave for him to apply for an order of mandamus. “

It was against this background that Tinubu ordered FIRS and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to immediately begin enforcing the tariff.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, Emami, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of A & E Group, a company with investments in oil and gas, construction and haulage, said ordinary

Nigerians would ultimately be at the receiving end of the new tariff.

His word: “Anybody advising Mr. President to impose a 15 per cent tax on petroleum right now is not doing him any good.

“This kind of policy will not hurt marketers — it will hurt ordinary Nigerians. Whatever tax you put on petroleum goes straight back to the people on the streets. Nigerians are already hungry and struggling.”

Amupitan Urged to Stop Parties from Charging Exorbitant Fees

Gbenga sodeindeinadoekiti

An Ado Ekiti-based Prophet, Pastor James Omitade, has advised the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, to stem the rate at which political parties slammed arbitrary charges on procurement of nomination forms for elective

positions.

The prophet, who is the General Overseer of Holy Trinity Authority Prophetic Church International, said such merchandise tendency, had deprived Nigeria from producing committed leaders that can really bring the desirable changes to the already decayed system.

Prophet Omitade made

the call during a chat with journalists in Ado Ekiti, yesterday while speaking on the state of the nation, especially its current electoral position.

The Cleric was miffed at how political parties have turned themselves into merchants, where interested aspirants would have to cough out a staggering sum of N100 million for presidential, N50

million for governorship and over N30 million to buy nominations for senatorial contests.

He charged Amupitan to spearhead amendments to the Electoral Act that will prevent criminals from taking over the leadership positions, saying arbitrary charges have scared away people of integrity from the political space.

Don’t Turn Nigeria into another Gaza, The Companion Cautions

Oluwaseyi adedotun

The Companion, a Muslim faith-based organisation, has strongly condemned remarks by United States Senator Ted Cruz, in which he alleged genocidal campaigns against Christians in Nigeria, describing the claims as

baseless and misleading. The group also maintained that banditry in Nigeria has no religious undertone, stressing that victims cut across all faiths and ethnicities and that the criminals are driven by greed and lawlessness rather than religion.

“We hereby register our strong disapproval of the recent remarks credited, in particular, to the United States Senator Ted Cruz, alleging genocidal campaigns against Christians in Nigeria,” the group declared.

US Senator

In a statement signed by its National Amir (President), Imam Nojeem Jimoh, which was made available to THISDAY, the group maintained that the allegations were “far removed from the Nigerian reality” and amounted to a reckless misrepresentation of the country’s complex security challenges.

NDE: Fubara Pledges Job Creation for Rivers Women, Youths

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has pledged the Rivers State Government’s supports to boost the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) programmes aimed at creating jobs for women and youths in the state.

The governor made the pledge while addressing the delegation of the NDE led by the Director-General (DG), Mallam Silas Agara, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Fubara noted that the NDE, decades ago, used to be a critical factor in employment generation based on merit for the unemployed who didn’t have to have any connection to benefit, wondering if the NDE of today still operates with the same integrity.

for the teeming youths of the country, stressing that such interventions deserve appreciation and partnership from the States.

The governor applauded President Bola Tinubu’s efforts in promoting job creation and employment

Governor Fubara told Agara that, “Rivers State, like you mentioned, is a unique one because of the economic activities in the State.”

Ensure Supporters Register, Collect Voters Card, Adamawa PDP Stakeholders Told

daji saniinyola

The Chairman of the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hamza Madagali, has appealed to party stakeholders and members to work closely with

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that all eligible voters are registered and that they collect their voter’s card for the elections in 2027.

Madagali gave the charge during a familiarisation meeting with party executives

from 21 local government areas and 226 wards of the state at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Yola.

Madagali charged party members to massively register in the ongoing voter registration exercise by INEC ahead of the 2027 general election.

He stressed that the leadership would not tolerate high-handedness and dictatorship by party leaders at any level, noting that the 2027 political activities have begun.

Blessing ibunge in Port Harcourt

NDDC Debunks Alleged Coup Involvement

Denies MD’s arrest

Blessing ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has debunked the rumour going viral that it’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, was allegedly arrested for involvement in alleged coup against the federal government.

The commission has also demanded a retraction and apology from the Punch and Daily Times

newspapers over the publication of the alleged coup attempt.

The NDDC made the demand in a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama.

According to the statement, the commission’s Legal Counsel, Adedipe and Adedipe Legal Practitioners, in a strongly worded letter signed by Chief Ayodeji Adedipe

(a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), demanded that “The Punch, the Daily Times and others retract the offensive and false publication and tender an unreserved public apology.”

Adedipe said the report, “falsely alleged that Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, was arrested by military intelligence for allegedly co-sponsoring a failed coup plot against President Tinubu.

Anambra LG Council Chairman Stops APC Guber Rally

david-Chyddy Eleke in awka

The Chairman of Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Hon. Shedrack Azubuike, last Wednesday stopped the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, from holding a political rally in the area.

It was gathered that the action was because the rally violated rules prohibiting the use of public or private schools for campaigns during school hours.

Members of Ukachukwu’s campaign council were

already erecting canopies for the rally at St. Augustine Primary School, Umunze, during school hours when the chairman stormed the area and annulled the rally, citing violation of rules and failure to seek clearance for the event from the Local Government Authority.

A source said Hon. Azubuike, who arrived at the venue, ordered the immediate dismantling of the canopies and directed organisers to vacate the area pending the presentation of an official clearance letter.

When contacted, the chairman said the activity violated a directive issued

on August 14, 2025, which prohibits political, religiou,s or social events in public and private schools within the state during school hours.

He noted that: “The noise and disruption from such gatherings interfere with teaching and learning. Anambra State Ministry of Education, in August 2025, issued a circular banning the use of school premises for political, social, and religious gatherings.

“This is a circular titled: ‘Restriction on Political, Religious and Social Gatherings in Schools During School Hours’.

FG Urged to Extend NELFUND to Private Varsities

yinka Kolawole in osogbo

The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University in Osun State, Prof. Jonathan Babalola, has called on the federal government to be fair to private university students in providing equal access to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The don stated that excluding private university students from NELFUND is discriminatory, as the fund is generated from taxpayers’ money, including those whose children are in private institutions.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the 20th convocation ceremonies of the university, he said

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHIMEZIE CONFIDENCE CHIMNECHEREM, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NDUKA CONFIDENCE CHIMNECHEREM. All former documents remain valid. The general public and all relevant authorities should please take note

this is to notify the general public that I, formerly known as cHUKWU cHeLSea cHIdeRa now wish to be known and addressed as oNyebUcHI cHeLSea cHIdeRa, effective immediately. all former documents remain valid.

it would be insincere on the part of the government to say that the private sector cannot benefit from NELFUND.

According to him, “The government should be fair; it is an injustice to segregate students in private universities. Not all the students in private universities have all the money to pay; some of them are indigent. We beg for scholarships from wellmeaning Nigerians for them to survive here.”

Akpan & Oduma Comedy Series Commences Fresh Season

sunday Okobi

Akpan & Oduma, one of the most popular comedy skit series in Nigeria, which has accumulated over 500 million views across YouTube and Facebook, has announced a new season, which commenced on October 27, 2025.

According to the Producer of Akpan & Oduma, Wale Adenuga Jnr., “We are delighted that previous seasons of our Akpan & Oduma Comedy Series have proven to be huge hits among the Nigerian youths, as well as other generations of audience members across the country and worldwide. This fresh Season 11 is bigger, funnier, and with more unpredictable storylines full of hilarious situations relatable to all viewers.”

The multiple-awardwinning Akpan & Oduma

comedy skit series details the amusing adventures of the two titular characters, Akpan and Oduma, who have recently travelled from the village to the city in search of quick wealth.

“This new season, which commenced on October 27, 2025, features the regular supporting characters-Patoski, Chief Olododo, AI, Sister Bridget, Shangalo, and Omonla, as well as a couple of surprise appearances by special guests.

“Fresh episodes of Akpan & Oduma are posted every Monday on wapTV’s YouTube platform ‘waptvchannel’; and air on television at 9:00-9:15 a.m. and 9:00-9:15 pm on Mondays to Thursdays, on wapTV’s extensive network of DStv 262, StarTimes 116, GOtv 129, and FreeTV 751; as well as on the wapTV Mobile App available to download for free on iOS App Store and Google Play Store,” Adenuga stated.

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

The Qur’an on Art, Architecture & Built Environment (3) WORLD OF ISLAM

By: Spahic Omer/IslamiCity

The Qur’an and Sunnah as the Sources of Inspiration and Catalysts for Creativity

The Qur’an and Sunnah afford sets of broad and general values and principles which are central to the body of architecture: from the ideological and abstract aspects concerning the philosophy, to the practical and tangible ones concerning the functions of scores of components of Islamic architecture. If one expects to find in the Qur’an or Sunnah a concrete formula for designing a dwelling or a mosque, for example, then one is seriously misguided.

Equally misguided is he who asserts that the architecture of Muslims has nothing to do with the beliefs and value system of Islam, and that the two should be kept clear of each other.

The Qur’an and Sunnah with their vision of and approach to architecture function as the everlasting sources of inspiration and catalysts for matchless ingenuity, in addition to other conventional sources and catalysts needed by architects. And the two notions: inspiration and ingenuity, are fundamental to every successful architectural story. It is yet argued that the wellbeing of civilizations depends on how creatively and resourcefully they respond to recurring challenges confronting them.

As a few examples, the Qur’an and Sunnah do not speak about how to plan and design house entrances and windows, but speak about the issues and activities pertinent to the subject matter; nor do they address how to organize inner spaces inside a house, but deal with scores of issues related to that particular topic; nor do they speak about the ways mosques are to be planned and designed, but speak about mosque activities and matters relevant to mosques and their multiple functions as community centers, which should be duly considered when planning, designing and building mosques; nor do they speak about how to make buildings sustainable and environment friendly, but speak about the meaning and importance of the environment and our many duties and rights over it, so much so that one gets a feeling that Islam is truly a religion of environmental protection and that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the first de facto environmentalist; nor do they speak about how to make buildings perfectly safe, secure and clean, but speak about establishing safety, security and cleanliness as foremost principles of Islam and the most important standards of living.

Without doubt, the broad and general Islamic values and principles, which lie at the core of architecture, can enlighten, enrich and inspire Muslim designers and architects. They can widen not only their architectural, but also spiritual and intellectual, horizons. Muslim designers and architects have thus nothing to lose, but on the contrary, can only gain multiple benefits.

The above were some examples where the contents of the Qur’an and Sunnah can function as the sources of motivation and catalysts for creativity. However, this is to be seen as a starting point only for a Muslim architect to express himself architecturally and produce such architectural concepts and forms as he deems most suitable insofar as his spiritual inclinations and life interests are concerned. He uses the same divine guidance as a point of reference for acceptance and authorization whenever an architectural accomplishment is made. This hierarchical organization and order in Islamic architecture render it ever alive and applicable. It also signifies God’s acknowledgment of the talent and potential inherent in man, God’s vicegerent on earth, which, after all, are God-given.

Islam is a complete way of life. Its values and teachings are universal and timeless. Islamic architecture is universal and permanent too, in that the philosophy that it embodies is an Islamic one. However, such is the nature of Islamic architecture that it is receptive to advances in science and technology and the dictates of people’s living conditions.

It is an imperative that Muslim architects always remember this verity while trying to revive and sustain the notion of Islamic architecture. They are bidden firstly to identify the general guidelines and principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah pertaining to the enterprise of building. Next, they should be fully aware of the implications of the fluctuations of their time and the diverse regions in which they live. They cannot be trapped in a historical episode, overly romanticizing it and attempting to emulate the architectural solutions the Muslims of that particular period successfully evolved. If something was the norm during a period and in a particular ecological and socio-economic setting, such by no means might be the same in every subsequent period and in different ecological and socio-economic milieus. Technological advancements rapidly change, demands of different eras vary, even under the same ecological conditions. Climate exigencies ought to be painstakingly heeded, too. Lastly, human psychology also changes in line with the changes in the vicissitudes of life, which poses several exigencies of its own. No architectural design, which served as a solution for an age and a place, can be simply “parachuted” to another age and place without properly modulating it consistent with different environmental and socio-cultural requirements. Such strategy would betray the dynamic spirit of the

common sense and the perpetual message of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Blind and ignorant imitations as well as following, even in sheer religious matters, are categorically rebuked by Islam.

While taking hold of the general values and teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah in order to create an Islamic architecture, on the one hand, and while studying the needs of different times and situations so that the former can be accurately understood and applied, on the other, Muslim designers and architects, in reality, perform a degree of ijtihad, i.e., forming an independent opinion or judgment within the framework of an available text from the Qur’an and/or Sunnah. In doing so, if one excels, one receives two rewards from God, but if one for whatever reason fails to deliver, even after he had tried his best, one is bound to receive one reward from God. This was explained by the Prophet (pbuh) in one of his traditions.

Based on the tradition, a serious, enlightened, accountable and willing person cannot be a loser as far as the execution of matters ordained by God is concerned. Verily, this divine assurance should serve as a starting point for Muslim architects and designers to look carefully and critically at the state of architecture and how buildings in the Muslim world are designed and built. They should start contemplating the prospects of finding much better solutions which will be inspired by and infused with the spirit of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and will be responsive to the demands of everyday life.

The Qur’an and Sunnah and the Prevention of Vices

The Qur’an and Sunnah, apart from being a divine guidance, also serve as a powerful restraining force when people develop a tendency to lose their way and start using architecture as a means of committing certain evil practices. Since architecture is a powerful and effective medium for expressing ideas, it has potential to be abused and misused by some designers, patrons, builders and users, in accordance with their deviational tendencies. Hence, in Islam, wrongdoings such as wasting, overindulgence, haughtiness, greed, corruption, discrimination, environmental destruction and immoral competition are regarded as grave sins. They can put at risk the spiritual wellbeing of a person and the whole community. So serious are those vices that they have potential to deny their perpetrators God’s grace in this world and the Hereafter, plunging them into the agony of God’s wrath and Hellfire.

Therefore, Muslim architects should be an exemplary group that are responsible towards themselves, their profession, society, culture and religion. It does not matter whether they are governed by a code of ethics and professional conduct in places where they work, or otherwise. Their code of moral values and professional demeanour is enshrined in the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah. Islamic general ethics, which accounts for a system of values that guide our choices and actions and determine the purpose and course of our lives, should constitute the core of different codes of ethics and professional conduct that different architectural companies and establishments may establish for themselves. They need to ensure that Muslim architects are dedicated to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and competence.

It follows that the Islamic architectural education must seriously address the matter. Islamic education, generally, does not produce greedy, materialistic and egocentric professionals that readily dispense with moral principles in their professional and private lives. Islamic education, on the contrary, produces capable, ethical and accountable professionals. They are as skilful and competent as their peers who graduated from the conventional secular educational systems. Islamic education produces not only good professionals, but also good men and women. As such, they are bound to be good citizens as well. Overall, the impact of architecture and architects on their surroundings is immense. Thus, for example, if medical education begins with taking an oath where the students’ responsibility for caring for people’s wellbeing and health, and where the serious implications of their actions for the patient, the patient’s family and the whole community, are greatly accentuated, “should not architectural education establish the same understanding of the architect’s responsibilities to society, building users and clients?

Do not architects have similar ethical and professional demands placed on themselves for the health, safety, and welfare of the public, especially given the impact that design choices impose on individuals, communities and the global citizenry?

Environmental stability, the wise use of land, the design of public spaces, energy conservation, community improvement, resource allocation, adaptive reuse, building function, aesthetic delight, air quality, safety and security, and so many more of the issues that we address in the course of our professional lives must be approached with an inherent understanding that being an architect carries immense responsibility. Our education must be founded on such an understanding” - asks and explains Douglas L. Steidl.

institutional collaboration in driving systemic change.

Economic and Strategic Implications

Nigeria’s delisting yields broad national and regional benefits: renewed investor confidence, improved access to correspondent banking, acceleration of fintech innovation, enhanced sovereign global reputation and continental leadership in financial integrity standards. This also has an immediate effect of reducing Nigeria sovereign risk premium and a better pricing of Nigeria risk at both the sovereign and corporate levels.

Matters Arising - Risks and Areas

Requiring Vigilance

Delisting marks progress, not perfection. However, the following areas need to be seriously considered:

1. Emerging Digital Age Risks

Emerging digital age risk remains a key area of exposure. As financial systems transition into the digital era, new vulnerabilities are rapidly surfacing at the intersection of technology and finance. The proliferation of digital assets, online payment platforms, and cross-border fintech applications has expanded both the reach and complexity of financial transactions. This is a global risk, not peculiar to Nigeria, but the difference lies in how countries design and implement their mitigation frameworks. Advanced economies have established sophisticated surveillance systems, reg-tech solutions, and cyber-resilience protocols, while many developing nations, including Nigeria, are still strengthening their capacity to respond. Without robust regulatory oversight and continuous monitoring, these innovations can easily become conduits for money laundering, cyber fraud, and terrorist financing. Artificial intelligence and blockchain, while transformative, can equally obscure beneficial ownership or automate illicit flows at unprecedented speed and scale. Nigeria must therefore adopt a proactive risk-based approach—one that balances innovation with control and ensures that regulatory frameworks evolve as fast as technology itself. Failure to do so will expose the financial system to systemic

ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity as a luxury item. The same is true for inclusive growth: the further 6G pushes computation and analytics to the edge, the more essential it becomes to ensure rural coverage, device affordability, and digital literacy. If we ignore these layers now, we will inherit a faster network that reproduces old divides. However, with strategic planning and investment, 6G can revolutionise these sectors, improving efficiency, security, and inclusivity.

A reflective strategy starts by acknowledging our present. Nigeria’s 5G rollouts are underway but uneven. Fibre gaps limit what even the best radios can do. Electricity reliability remains a stubborn bottleneck that quietly taxes every digital ambition. The operation and maintenance of the extensive infrastructure required for 6G networks are constrained by inadequate and unreliable power supply. Our universities house bright minds yet often lack well-funded applied research programmes, stable pathways into industry labs, and access to advanced Radio Frequency equipment. We have cybersecurity talent and startups, but the institutions that must protect critical infrastructure do not drill often enough for the worst-case scenarios a hyperconnected era will bring. None of these is a reason to relent; they are the very reasons to act.

Acting means setting a vision that reaches beyond procurement cycles: secure, inclusive, AI- native 6G that creates jobs, lifts productivity, and anchors digital sovereignty. It means building a delivery architecture—a time-bound mission office reporting to the highest levels, an advisory council that mixes universities with operators and OEMs, quarterly scorecards the public can read. This delivery architecture will ensure the 6G development plan is executed efficiently and transparently. It means rules that make experimentation routine rather than exceptional: exploratory terahertz licenses, sandboxes for joint sensing-communications, and spectrum sharing for research. It means showing up in standards bodies not as spectators but as contributors, so our needs and constraints

shocks capable of eroding the hard-won credibility achieved through FATF compliance.

2. Policy Imperatives for Sustaining Compliance

To consolidate gains: institutionalise reform continuity through a permanent inter-agency council, leverage reg-tech and AI for predictive compliance, foster private-sector ownership, enhance transparency via public AML scorecards, and promote regional alignment through ECOWAS initiatives.

3. Role of Banks and Financial Institutions Going Forward

Banks and financial institutions remain the first line of defense in safeguarding Nigeria’s post-FATF compliance gains. They must strengthen risk-based compliance systems, deepen customer due diligence, and integrate data analytics and artificial intelligence to detect suspicious activities in real time. In line with CBN’s VASP and AML/CFT guidelines, the sector must ensure transparency in beneficial ownership, tighten oversight on digital-asset transactions, and

are reflected in the systems we will one day buy at Mostscale. of all, it means bringing research and deployment into conversation. Flagship 6G labs can focus on terahertz radios, AI-driven RAN and core, edge security, and energy-efficient networking. University–industry consortia can align doctoral work to Nigeria’s most complex problems—oil and gas safety with integrated sensing, smart logistics across ports and dry ports, fintech fraud prevention at the edge, precision farming in the Middle Belt, disaster response along floodplains, and telemedicine for underserved regions—so that proofs-of-concept become pilots and pilots become markets. Infrastructure is the quiet hero of every wireless leap. We will need more than towers: long-haul and metro fibre to carry the surge of data; regional edge zones to keep latency under ten milliseconds for critical services; reliable power, including mini-grids and renewables, to harden sites against outages; and smarter backhaul—optical where density justifies it, high-capacity microwave and satellite integration where it does not. Rights-of-way

maintain robust governance that inspires confidence among correspondent banks and global partners. Going forward, collaboration will be crucial. The financial sector should work closely with regulators, law enforcement agencies, and technology providers to establish a unified financial-integrity framework that anticipates emerging threats. By embedding ethics, accountability, and transparency into institutional culture, banks can convert compliance from a regulatory requirement into a strategic advantage that strengthens investor confidence and supports sustainable financial inclusion.

4. Role of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Industry Collaboration

An equally important matter arising is the coordinating role of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) under the platform of Committee of Banks’ CEOs in supporting the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) to foster an industry-wide culture of collaboration between banks, regulators, and facilitators of digital transformation such as

reform and “dig once” policies can cut costs and time. Data centre incentives can attract operators while mandating energy efficiency and robust security. If we build these layers well, 6G radios will have something worthy to ride on.

Talent is the multiplying factor. A 6G Academy network can connect universities, polytechnics, and industry labs around shared curricula: RF and terahertz fundamentals, AI for networks, cybersecurity, semiconductor basics, and field engineering. This network will play a crucial role in developing the skills and knowledge needed for 6G development. Scholarships and apprenticeships can create pathways into real projects, and the TVET programme of the Federal Ministry of Education is relevant. Diaspora expertise—our great, underused advantage—can be woven into visiting-scholar programmes, co-supervised theses, and standards contributions.

Financing this agenda requires imagination as much as money. R&D tax credits, matched grants, and spectrum-fee holidays for testbeds are levers within reach. Blended finance—development banks, sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure bonds, and well-structured PPPs—can share risk on fibre and edge buildouts that unlock enterprise demand. Even diaspora bonds can play a niche role if the projects are transparent, audited, and tied to clear milestones that people can see and feel.

Any reflective plan must dwell on ethics and security. 6G’s sensing capabilities promise safety and efficiency—and a new surface for misuse. Privacy-preserving analytics, transparent governance of lawful access, zero-trust architecture, continuous red-teaming, and supply-chain assurance are not afterthoughts; they are preconditions for trust. Build the guardrails early, test them often, and communicate them plainly. The surest way to slow technology adoption is to roll it out faster than public confidence can catch up. Timelines should discipline hope. By 2028, we can fiberise priority corridors and industrial clusters, light up regional edge zones,

Quros, alongside global banking technology Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and leading cybersecurity giants. CIBN can liaise with the CBN to play a catalytic role in developing common standards, shared frameworks and experience that enable the banking industry to collectively checkmate vulnerabilities in the digital environment that compromise Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) to achieve greater cost effectiveness in strengthening industry digital ecosystem resilience.

In today’s interconnected financial ecosystem, the vulnerability of one institution is the vulnerability of all. A unified ecosystem—coordinated by CIBN in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Quros, global tech OEMs, and cybersecurity leaders - will be crucial to advancing responsible digital adoption, building cyber resilience, and preserving the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system.

Conclusion - A Cautionary Triumph

Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list is more than a compliance victory; it is a national redemption story. It proves that discipline, coordination, and political will can restore international trust. Yet, as every pilot knows, staying airborne requires constant calibration. The delisting should mark the beginning of deeper vigilance, not the end of scrutiny. Sustaining credibility demands that Nigeria embed compliance into the culture of governance - making transparency and integrity not just regulatory requirements but national habits. If Nigeria continues on this path, it will stand as a continental model for financial integrity, institutional maturity, and responsible global citizenship.

•Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu is a distinguished banker, economist, and public speaker. He is the former Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, and has served on numerous boards across Africa and beyond, including the Africa Finance Corporation, FMDQ Holdings, and Mastercard Advisory Board for EMEA. He continues to contribute to Africa’s economic transformation through thought leadership, policy advocacy, and strategic advisory engagements.

graduate the first cohorts from a 6G academy network, and demonstrate cross-border pilots with ECOWAS partners—an “ECOWAS 6G corridor” for harmonised roaming, shared testbeds, and pooled procurement. As the 2030s open, we can pre-commercialise use cases that demonstrate clear business value and social returns, while scaling inclusion programmes that keep the door open to everyWhatcommunity. would success look like? Success would be a network of Nigerian labs publishing credible research, our engineers co-authoring standards, our ports cutting turnaround times because sensors and analytics work in real time, rural clinics diagnosing with remote expertise because latency is finally low enough, farms deploying precision irrigation at scale, and startups building products for our problems and exporting them. Success would be citizens who notice that their digital life is faster, cheaper, and safer—and who trust it because the rules are clear and consistently applied.

The UAE has not “arrived” at 6G; it has committed to the journey and is travelling well. That is the lesson worth borrowing. Speed records are not the point. Alignment is the point: a regulator who signals, a carrier who experiments, a university that co-creates, a government that orchestrates and invests for the long term, and a public that can see progress in quarterly daylight. Nigeria can choose this alignment. We can build the fibre and the power, the labs and the testbeds, the skills and the safeguards. We can step into standard rooms with informed positions and into boardrooms with viable business cases. We can insist that the next generation of networks is a platform for national transformation, not just a faster way to stream video. If we do, we won’t merely avoid digital lag; we will reclaim technological agency. In a world where connectivity is destiny, that may be the most crucial sovereignty of all.

•Dr Dakuku Peterside is the author of bestsellers, Leading in a Storm and Beneath the Surface.

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Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Wale Edun

AFCON 2025: We Will Not Be Intimidated by Super Eagles, Others, Says Uganda Coach

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Head Coach of Uganda’s Cranes, Paul Put, has insisted that his team will not be intimidated playing in the same group stage as Nigeria, Tunisia and Tanzania.

Speaking with CAFonline. comyesterday, Belgian Paul Put who is a familiar face on African football having coached Gambia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Guinea and Congo in the past, said: “We will respect all of them, (Nigeria,

Former Osimhen Coach at Napoli, Spalletti, Takes over at Juventus

Coach Luciano Spalletti, who poached Victor Osimhen from Lille in France to Napoli, has been appointed as Juventus head coach until the end of the Serie A season.

Spalletti, 66, who is also former Italy head coach, replaces Igor Tudor, who was sackedafter the Serie A side’s defeat by Lazio on Sunday.

Tudor had joined the club in March as Thiago Motta’s replace- ment but left after seven months at the end of an eight-match winless run.

Spalletti led Napoli to the

Serie A title in 2022-23 with Osimhen emerging the MVP with highest goals in the Italian topflight.

He left the post to take up the Italian job but failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup under former boss Roberto Mancini.

He however helped them qualify for Euro 2024 where they were knocked out in the last 16 by Switzerland.

Spalletti was sacked by Italy in June after a World Cup qualifying defeat by Norway, with the Azzurri at risk of missing out on a third consecutive World Cup.

Togo, Benin, 28 Others Battle for Honours at 2nd Senator Abiru Championships

Kunle Adewale

Twenty-eight clubs and states as well as teams from Togo and Benin Republic, kicked off their quest for podium finishes yesterday, at the 2nd Senator Abiru Mixed Team Table Tennis Championships, holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

As the first mixed team tournament of its kind in Africa, the event has drawn over 150 players competing for a share of the enhanced N5.5 million prize pool at the three-day championship.

Speaking at the press confer-

ence to kick-start the tournament, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru emphasized that the initiative aligns with his broader philosophy of youth development.

“Our youth development philosophy goes beyond classrooms and computer labs. The discipline, focus, and teamwork that make great innovators are the same traits that define great athletes. It was on this belief that we launched the Senator Abiru Mixed Team Table Tennis Championships in 2024—the first of its kind in Africa, as a platform to celebrate excellence, inclusion, and community spirit through sports,” he said.

Tunisia and Tanzania) but we are not going to be intimidated. We will give a good account of ourselves.”

Paul Put’s boldness must have been inspired by what happed during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers when Nigeria’s Super Eagles huff and puff in the group that had the likes of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Benin Republic and South Africa. Three miserable points from Nigeria’s first four opening matches ensured that the Super Eagles missed the direct qualification ticket to the World Cup and only on the last day picked one of the four best runners up tickets to the playoffs.

The Cranes Coach however admitted that Super Eagles and the two other teams in the group will prove tough customers because of the quality of players in their teams.

“Nigeria: They are a perennial powerhouse. There are threats everywhere from their squad with top talent and European experience;

Tunisia: They are highly organized, technical, tactically astute. They are hard to break down but we will see.

Tanzania: For our neighbours Tanzania they are a good mix of energy and familiarity — regional derbies are never easy.

“We will respect all of them,

but we are not intimidated,” observed the gaffer.

Like Burkina Faso, the Cranes narrowly missed the 2026 World Cup playoffs ticket to Nigeria on the last Match-day 10 of the qualifiers.

Coach Put however appears Wants to make up with the AFCON 2025 by qualifying from the group to the knockout rounds.

“I promise Ugandan fans they will see a Cranes side that plays with heart, unity, and pride. We will fight for every ball, respect the jersey, and leave everything on the field. We may face stronger opponents, but we won’t back down. Our aim is to represent Uganda with dignity, passion

and purpose,” assured the coach. He assured Ugandans that his team’s preparations are well on course.

“We have played two World Cup qualifiers in October and have also used it also as prepara- tion and this will be followed by two friendlies in November.

“In early December, we’ll stage a closed camp in Kampala, including an open session for fans, before flying to Rabat. Once there, we’ll play more internationals and final tune-ups before meeting Tunisia on December 23,” concludes the coach who is aiming to make history with Uganda.

2025 1XBET Cup Winners Paid N20m Prize Monies

The CEO/Technical Director, 1XCup Grassroots Football Tournament, Engr Waidi Akanni, has confirmed that winners and all other awardees have received their prizes barely days after the 2025 edition.

Ikorodu City Football Academy emerged winners of the 2025 1XCup Grassroots Football Tournament after defeating ISAGT FC 1-0 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Lagos Island.

ALL FOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL...

The Ikorodu Oga Boys went all the way to the title unbeaten in the tournament and deservedly got rewarded with the N10 million winners prize money. Emmanuel Okeh scored the lone goal winner. ISAGT were rewarded with N5million as runners up of the 2025 edition of the biggest grassroots football tournament in the country.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos, Akanni who is the brain behind the tournament, expressed

gratitude to sponsors 1XBET for fulfilling the promise of N20million prize money for the second year running.

“The winners, Ikorodu City Football Academy have received their N10million winners prize money. Same way the runners up , ISAGT FC have also collected their N5million prize as runners up. All individual prize winners have been paid as well.

“This is promise made and kept to the teams. We remain grateful to our sponsors, 1XBET,”

observed the former Super Eagles player. Similarly, all the individual prize winners have also collected their monies.

Uche Emeribe emerged the Highest Goals Scorer with five goals and got N300,000 for his effort. Abdullahi Suleiman emerged the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament while Adewale Quadri was the MVP. Ikorodu City FA’s Wellington Egor was the Tournament’s Best Coach.

Shaibu Calls for Political Will to Drive Nigeria’s Sports Devt

Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, has emphasised that political will remains the missing link in Nigeria’s quest for genuine sports development.

Shaibu stated this while delivering the keynote address titled “Political Will as a Driver of National Development” at the 60th Diamond Anniversary

L-R: CEO/Technical Director, 1XCup, Waidi Akanni; Guest of Honour, Yemi Idowu; and Chief Operating Officer of 1XBet Limited, Abiodun Babalola, at the 2025 1XCup final in Lagos...recently

R-L: Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Barr. Christopher Green; NFF Board Member, Aisha Falode; COO, Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), Modupe Shabi; and Ibigoni Benjamin Akobo, Rivers F. A. Chairman, during the NWFL AGM in Port Harcourt during the week

Lecture of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) held yesterday, at the VIP Lounge, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The event, which had dignitaries including the National Sports Commission Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, his Director General,

Bukola Olopade, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Ekaete Godswill Akpabio who was represented by Mrs Matilda Samson Ekong, among others in attendance, celebrated six decades of SWAN’s contribution to sports journalism and national development.

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Matters Arising From Nigeria’s Removal From

Introduction - From Compliance to Confidence

When an aircraft takes off after a long taxi on the runway, it is not the speed of the wheels that keeps it airborne - it is the alignment of thrust, lift, and balance. Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list on 24 October 2025 evokes that same image: a nation that, after years of turbulence, finally achieved the right balance of discipline, coordination, and regulatory thrust to lift itself above international scrutiny. For nearly two years, Nigeria remained under heightened observation - a kind of holding pattern in which every movement of its financial system was monitored, every policy examined for consistency, and every institution tested for endurance. The delisting was therefore not just a technical decision; it was a statement of regained trust. It affirmed that Nigeria’s institutions could reform, collaborate, and deliver results under global standards.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Wale edun

But like any pilot knows, take-off is only the beginning of the flight. The true test lies in maintaining altitude, navigating weather shifts, and landing safely at the destination. In that same spirit,

the

the FATF delisting invites not complacency but vigilance. What lessons arise from this milestone? What risks linger beyond the applause? And what must Nigeria do to stay on course and sustain global confidence?

Background - How Nigeria Got Here Nigeria was grey-listed by FATF in February 2023 for “strategic deficiencies” in its Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and Counter-Proliferation Financing (CPF) regimes. Key weaknesses included inadequate supervision of financial institutions, poor transparency on beneficial ownership, limited investigations and convictions, partial implementation of financial sanctions, and weak inter-agency coordination. The listing created reputational risk, delayed cross-border transactions, and discouraged foreign investors.

The Reform Process - Institutional Collaboration and Contributions

FATF Grey List

Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list was achieved through a coordinated national effort anchored by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on FATF Compliance, chaired by the Federal Ministry of Justice and coordinated by the NFIU. The NFIU upgraded its goAML intelligence platform and improved inter-agency data sharing; the CBN strengthened risk-based supervision across banks and fintechs and issued VASP guidelines; the EFCC increased investigations and convictions supported by a new asset-recovery database; while the FMJ provided legislative leadership, sponsoring key amendments to the Money Laundering, Terrorism Prevention, and Proceeds of Crime Acts. Other critical agencies - including the SEC, CAC, SCUML, FIRS, NCS, and NAICOM - enhanced transparency, enforced compliance, and deepened sectoral oversight. Together, these reforms restored global confidence in Nigeria’s financial integrity architecture and demonstrated the power of

Connecting Futures: UAE’s 6G and Nigeria’s Technology Gap

The race to 6G is not just an engineering contest; it is a quiet referendum on which societies will set the pace of human connection, productivity, and security in the next decade. Nigeria—and much of Africa—faces a critical crossroads. One path is familiar: incremental investments, ad hoc policy, fragile pilots, and the hope that market forces alone will pull us forward. The other path is deliberate: a national roadmap that treats connectivity as infrastructure, research as strategy, spectrum as statecraft, and partnerships as leverage. The United Arab Emirates has offered a glimpse of what this second path looks like in practice. India is establishing itself as a 6G hub with the Bharat 6G Vision, while Saudi Arabia is emerging as a 6G hub through strategic infrastructure investments and innovation-driven initiatives. Embracing a proactive 6G strategy could bring a wave

of optimism and hope for a brighter, more connected future. When the UAE, working with researchers

at New York University Abu Dhabi, pushed a pilot 6G terahertz experiment to a headline 145 gigabits per second under controlled conditions, it did more than set a speed record. It showcased a philosophy: plan early, experiment openly, learn fast, and align actors—regulator, industry, academia—around a shared horizon. Their regulator was quick to add the necessary caveat: this is not commercial 6G, and consumer deployment remains a 2030s story. Yet the point stands. The UAE’s trial and its national 6G roadmap show how a country can convert foresight into first-mover advantage long before mass rollout. They are rehearsing the future so they can perform it on opening night.

Nigeria can do the same—if we choose. Our economy is broad, our market deep, our entrepreneurs inventive. Innovation needs support to succeed, and it is one area we

can do better. 6G will not arrive as a single technology; it will arrive as an ecosystem that fuses communications and sensing, runs on AI-native networks, and stretches into terahertz frequencies that demand new radios, new devices, new backhaul, and new security practices. It will privilege countries with fibre in the ground, power at the edge, and people trained to design, deploy, and defend complex systems. Without proper planning and continuous investment, we’ll enter the 2030s with outdated infrastructure from the 2020s. Let’s stay committed to strategic planning and ongoing investment to prevent this risk. The question, then, is not whether we can afford to plan for 6G. It is whether we can afford not to. A nation that depends on efficient ports, trusted payments, resilient grids, secure borders, and precision agriculture cannot treat

UAe President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

the Asagba of Asaba, Prof epiphany Azinge sAN, OON, attends to Chair the premiere of the film documentary on Oct 7th 1967 Asaba Massacre at the Africa Centre hosted by Oba Nsugbe KC. With him are Chief Nwanze Oduah - the Odogwu of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-eze, the film producer and isama Ajie of Asaba, Prof elizabeth Bird - author of the Book on Asaba Massacre, dr Charles Adams - dean of Humanities at the University of south Florida, tampa, whose University funded the research that produced the Book, Ogbueshi Chike Ogeah - member of Asaba Memorial Monument Committee, Ogbueshi emmanuel diali and Mrs Nkiru